The sky was grey, draped with thick clouds. But Nemesis wore his little soldier's coat like a badge of honor. He stood at attention beside Augusta, squinting at the distant gate even though Erebus had left hours ago.
"Dadde said I have to protect Mama and Hades," he muttered, clutching a wooden practice sword.
Augusta looked down at him with quiet sympathy. "And are you doing that, young prince?"
He nodded fiercely. "I watch the doors. I keep the scary birds away. I don't let Mama cry when she thinks nobody's looking."
She didn't have the heart to tell him those weren't birds. They were vultures—messengers of unpredictable news circling the castle.
Later that evening, Luciana found him curled up outside Hades's crib, sword on his lap. His eyes were half-closed, his head nodding with sleep. She knelt, brushing a lock of hair from his forehead.
"I'm strong now, Mama," he whispered, barely awake. "Like Dade."
She kissed his temple, holding him close. "Yes you're stronger," she whispered.
---
There were days the silence felt endless. She would send letters occasionally. Like the first words Hades said. She was overjoyed when his first word was 'mama.'
Luciana moved through her routines—meals with the children, meetings with stewards, reading letters from border cities—but always with a strange echo in her chest, like something was missing from the walls.
She'd started wearing her hair differently. Not out of vanity, but out of memory. Erebus had once touched a braid that fell over her shoulder, smiling in that way that unnerved her. Now, she braided it herself each morning, hands steadier than her heart.
One night, unable to sleep, she lit a candle and opened the drawer where his old uniform coat was kept after cleaned. The torn one. The one Nemesis called "the brave coat."
She placed her hand over it for a long moment moment lost it thought. It smelled of cedar, snow, and a faint trace of iron.
She did not cry. But her breath stilled.
Not out of sorrow.
Out of fear.
Because for the first time, she wasn't sure if her heart was hers alone anymore.
---
Eastern Ridge...
Thin snow blanketed the slopes. Erebus stood atop a ridge overlooking the enemy's dormant camp. His army was encamped below, fires burning low to avoid detection. Scouts would return before dawn after clearing the land wiping out the demons.
His fingers would run over the brooch at his collar—the sun over the wolf—when no one was watching. A gesture he didn't question anymore.
He remembered how Luciana had looked up at him. The softness in her eyes. The struggle.
She hadn't said she loved him.
But she hadn't recoiled, either.
And that was enough—for now.
His general approached with news of supply movement and suspicious patterns near the riverside.
"Let them believe we're still half asleep," Erebus said. "We strike before dusk."
He wasn't the same man who once bathed in conquest. War still called to him, yes. But now… he wanted to win not to dominate, but to return.
To someone waiting.
And that frightened him more than any blade.
When they wiped out the ridge off of the contamination, Erebus would send a report back to Helios.
------------>
Days continued to pass by as Aria's wedding preparations were carried out diligently.
Though Aria was supposed to be taking lead, instead the responsibility of overseeing the preparations fell naturally on Luciana's shoulders.
"Aria you should atleast know what kind of a wedding dress you want tailored. Atleast try from these articles. These designs are Florentine couture's latest ones." Luciana placed a compiled catalogue on the table.
"Sister just choose whatever you like. I can't seem to see any difference between these dresses." Aria waved her hand while playing with Hades and Apollonia.
"Oh look Leila! She's too carefree," Luciana groaned to Leila who too sat with them looking over the veils and shoe catalogue.
Leila looked too focused on the delicate and refined designs and articles displayed before them.
Luciana looked at her very much amused by Leila's expressions while she went among the yellow papers.
"Do you like any of them?" Luciana asked her. This time Leila jolted and looked at her.
"Y-yes pardon me your highness." She stammered realizing that she was too engrossed in her own little world.
"Which ones?" Luciana looked shifting her attention from Aria to her.
Melody came closer too. She had been healed for most of her injuries and was able to withstand the sun more.
"Pardon?" She asked again.
"The designs," Luciana laughed.
"Oh-! They're all beautiful. I can't really mark on which one would look best on her highness." She smiled and blushed.
"Do they look better than the Wahrheiti wedding dresses?" Melody asked.
Leila froze. She had seen other noblewomen of Wahrheit wearing volumous wedding dresses more particularly preferring to show off the laces and the big jewels. Their trends mostly circled around black and red colors. But Draco made her wear white. To them white was an ominous color that only was worn by few. She explained their trends to them.
"At that time, I was just too terrified to even notice what I was wearing. I barely remember what I looked like." Leila smiled off he fear and discomfort that the old memories resurfaced had brought it to her.
" But I know I wore white." She finally said as Luciana placed her hand gently over hers.
Leila looked at her and smiled.
" I wore white too." Luciana said.
" Did Lord Stygian ask you to wear it?" Leila asked.
Luciana lowered her gaze with a nonchalant smile.
" He was never interested in what I wore." Luciana told them. Both Melody and Aria looked at her stunned.
" What?" They gasped.
" He did nothing? Not even as to select the wedding ring?" Aria asked dumbfounded.
Luciana nodded.
" Our wedding was just a simple event for formality. At first the reason of the wedding was that both sides could benefit from each other." Luciana told them about her wedding.
" You're telling me that he wouldn't even have bother for a wedding and only did when aere servant asked him to respect our customs?" Aria fumed. Hades and Apollonia copied her actions which both Luciana and Leila found it comical.
" Atleast Draco planned everything himself. " Leila looked at Luciana sympathetic of her situation.
" Don't tell me that your dress didn't even have a single jewel!" Melody asked.
" But wasn't sister wearing a wedding dress the day she departed to Wahrheit?" Melody pointed out wisely.
" Erebus abducted me in my nightgown." Luciana laughed.
The room fell silent as they only gaped at her in disbelief.
"He thought my nightgown was my wedding dress. That's how simple minded he is in terms of clothing and fashion."
Another response met with silence.
"I will not spare that man." Aria seethed.
"But I was surprised one time he bought clothes from the imperial capital. That pastel yellow ball gown was masterpiece. Mina was jaw dropped to see it was his choice." Luciana told them.
" The one your highness was wearing the night we first met." Leila recalled heor first meeting.
Luciana agreed.
" Who's Mina?" Melody asked.
" A girl who was assigned as my handmaiden when I was in Stygian. She's a year older than Nemesis and one of the few servants of that place whom I was comfortable with. She was a pure and enthusiastic girl."
" Even though she's a demon?" Melody asked.
" There were good demons too." Luciana told her.
" How are demons supposed to be good? Don't they eat humans or drink blood of our kind?" Melody asked very much confused.
" Erebus' fortress mostly consisted of half human and half demon species. The demons only got jobs in the military. Or those who only had menial jobs. He was strict on the orders within the fortress." Luciana told.
" Tell us more about that place." Melody and Aria pleaded.
" I-if you don't want to we won't ask anymore." They both were considerate of them fearing their harsh days could resurface as haunting memories.
But that was no longer he case. They told them about Wahrheit as time went be as geu forgot their actual task of preparing for Aria's wedding.