The sun rose once more over the water of Eryth Sea, glinting off of the waves and sending its brilliant rays skittering across the sleeping landscape. Above the ocean, Alcamoth lay still in the feeble light, waited for the first of its inhabitants to rise. All was tranquil, yet there was a tangible tension. An anxiety or perhaps an eagerness of some kind. Whatever it truly was, there existed a strange feeling in the air, as if the entirety of Bionis held its breath in anticipation, sitting in the eye of an invisible hurricane.

In the Imperial Villa, Lucio shifted his weight from one foot to the other. The guard beside him raised an eyebrow in his direction, but he paid the man no attention. He glanced down the corridor, paced a few steps, then returned to his post. With a sigh, he leaned his spear against the wall behind him and checked his timepiece for what must have been the third time in just as many minutes, even though his shift had only begun an hour ago.

"Are you expecting something?" his companion asked. "Or do you really not want to be here?"

"Nothing in particular," he said, taking up his spear once more and returning his full focus to the job at hand. "I suppose I simply wish to be relieved from duty for today. I'm feeling rather ill."

The other man shrugged and looked away. Lucio sighed again, searched for a distraction as he attempted to ignore the churning in his stomach. Truthfully, the only sickness he felt was that of unease. A part of him wondered if he was merely overreacting, if his body had invented some nonexistent fear for him to obsess over, but he knew he could not fail to correct such a bad feeling. Regardless of whether or not its cause was rooted in fantasy. It was a sense like an unpleasant premonition, screaming in near silence to warn him of the terrors he would be required to face that day. His muscles tensed and he cast another glance around the relatively large space, focused specifically on the grand door that led into the Emperor's suite of chambers.

Once the monarch roused himself from sleep, the guard would be able to move a little, leave the constrictive embrace of the hall. And perhaps he could slip away, unnoticed. To go see Kaelin, even though the man had almost certainly gone to bed by then. A small smile played at the corners of his lips as he thought of the younger High Entia, expressing an infinitely small amount of the joy that the name inspired within him. Yet he forced his mind away from the pleasurable warmth that had spread through his body and tried to focus instead upon the far end of the corridor, where it took a right-angled turn and he could see no further.

Just as he began to take control of himself, return to the proper state of mind, the door he had been guarding opened. He flinched slightly, though the motion was barely enough to be perceived by those around him. Quickly regaining his composure, he bowed his head and mumbled a greeting.

"Ah, good morning," the Emperor said as he paused in the doorway. He nodded to each of them formally then turned to walk in the direction of the Villa's exit. But he halted before he could take more than a few steps, whirling around to stare straight through Lucio's armor, piercing the young man's flesh with the cold steel of an unfriendly gaze. "You... You are Minister Caul's son, are you not?"

"I am, Your Majesty."

"I see..." Sorean's eyebrows drew together thoughtfully as he gave the guard a thorough examination. "Interesting. You look very much like your father did, when he was a younger man." A distant expression took over his stormy blue irises and he continued on in musing tones. "I think you shall do quite nicely. Handsome, strong, dignified... From a good family as well." His eyes focused on Lucio once more, sharp, appearing as if he expected a response.

The guard shrunk beneath the appraising stare, distinctly uncomfortable with the Emperor's assessment. He was not certain why it unnerved him, but he could not ignore the returning sense of anxiety. Perhaps it was the implications of what the monarch intended to use him for. A shiver staggered down the staircase of his spine and he bit down hard on his lower lip without meaning to.

"I will need a moment to speak with you privately," Sorean said. Then he spun around, strode down with his two guards following scarcely more than three steps behind him. "We have much to discuss, but that must wait for a more favorable time."

"Of course..."

He trudged after his ruler, boots heavy and heart heavier. The rumors must have been worse than he remembered them being if the Emperor planned on setting aside some of his precious time in order to personally see to Lucio's punishment. No good things would be born of a private conversation with a man who could legally do anything he pleased. And who would question an emperor when a lowly guard went missing? Even Minister Caul - his own father - would not be so bold as to disrespect such a powerful man. Although, he had to wonder if his father would notice his absence at all, if he were to be murdered. With his mother gone, having long since abandoned them to heed the Bionis's call, he had little confidence in the man who had raised him. Kaelin would be aware, but...

Kaelin. The name sent electricity shooting through his veins, shoving his blood aside and momentarily freezing his heart. He felt some guilt flood over him, though. Poor boy... He wondered if the younger guard would be lonely, if he would experience anger at being deserted without warning. Or if he would simply be saddened, left to his own devices, trying to heal.

The thought made Lucio sick. He kept pace with Sorean, but he could not concentrate on his duties any longer. Not with Kaelin's unshed tears on his conscience. Remorse overwhelmed him and, although he had not yet been taken from the boy, he felt as if he was already at fault.

For the next few hours, he remained bonded to his post in the Audience Chamber, watching as the Emperor sorted out multiple administrative issues with the Ministries. He tried not to listen too closely, for he knew that the inner workings of the Empire were not his business. However, he could not help but eavesdrop when he heard the Minister of Investigation mention First Consort Yumea.

"I cannot release her, Your Majesty," the Minister said, shaking his head slowly. "We still must question her. She is, without a doubt, connected to the attempt on your daughter's life, but we have yet to determine how she was involved."

"And are we to postpone the Princess's wedding ceremony until you can understand that she is not capable of committing such a terrible crime?" Sorean demanded. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself then changed the focus of their conversation. "Give her two days - today and tomorrow - then you may proceed with the interrogation. There are motherly duties that she must tend to in order for Melia to be properly married."

"Who shall prevent her from escaping?"

"She has no reason to run," he replied, a hint of annoyance slipping into his voice, "for she has done no wrong. But if you must, assign her a new set of guards. Ones that are loyal to you alone."

"Very well." The Minister bowed his head slightly. He cast one more doubtful glance toward the Emperor before he retreated to fulfill the orders he had been given. When he was gone, Lucio found himself frowning deeply.

Of course, the entire Empire had learned of the events that had occurred in the High Entia Tomb during Melia's Trial, but he was sure that very few people were aware of Yumea's suspected involvement. Perhaps it was a sacred privilege to be in a position to hear all these secrets. And yet, he found himself feeling less fortunate and more like he had been kicked in the stomach. The sensation became more intense when he noticed the Emperor's eyes locked on him. A knife twisted in his gut, he tightened his grip on the spear in his hand, preparing for the words he knew were coming.

"Lucio, approach the throne."

His heart rate increased, causing his chest and lungs to spasm in agony. Hoping to calm himself, he held his breath, counted to ten as he strode towards the platform. Sorean gestured for him to walk up the ramp and he obeyed without a word. He released the air slowly then froze in place, a mere couple of feet between him and the most powerful man he had ever met.

"There is something I must ask you to do," the Emperor said, lowering his voice so that it would not carry to the ears of the other guards. "See, although I am convinced that my dearest wife has no involvement in the plot against the Princess, I worry that Minister Fannar will imprison her permanently. I fear that she will have only this one opportunity to properly plan the ceremonial dinner for the bride..." He let his voice trail off as he assessed the young man's reactions.

"I do not understand, Your Majesty," the guard admitted. But he did have a vague guess of what the old man was thinking. "What would you like me to do for you?"

"Marry my daughter tomorrow."

Lucio felt all the blood drain out of his face. "E-Emperor... I do not think I can-"

"It shall be most convenient," he continued as if he had not heard the feeble protest. "Your father will no longer worry about you and I think those rumors he described to me shall fade rather quickly. Then Melia will be able to have both traditional suppers planned by the First Consort. It is a brilliant idea, do you not think so?"

"Yes, but-"

"Excellent. I will inform the Princess of the new addition to the wedding," he said, smiling widely and patting the guard's shoulder. "The rehearsal is this evening in the Ascension Hall. Be prepared for it. I will not tolerant tardiness."

The younger man bowed his head, understanding that, no matter what he said, the Emperor would turn a deaf ear towards his protests. He felt his heart slow back down to a less painful speed. At least the situation was not as terrible as he had feared. This was no punishment; surely, it was meant to be a reward. But there was still a sinking sensation within him, a piece of his being that hated his father for sharing such a personal matter with Sorean and worried what Kaelin would think when he found out about this new arrangement.

"I understand, Your Majesty." Yet, despite his words, he tried to object one more time. "The Princess is a beautiful, intelligent woman and I am eager to wed her. Although, I do not think Dunban will be very keen to share her with me."

"He will do as I say," the Emperor assured.

By midday, Dunban found himself a small window of time in which he could escape from the nagging women that wished to fit him for fancy suits to wear for the wedding. He had assumed that such preparations were reserved for his bride-to-be, but, much to his dismay, most of his morning had been occupied by trying on clothes finer than any others he had ever seen and approving the decisions Melia had made the day before.

He lowered himself into the armchair in his room in the Imperial Villa, heaving a sigh as he did so. The cushions pulled him in eagerly, urged him to rest even though he was not at all tired. His eyes closed briefly and the world faded in and out of his consciousness. Sometimes, a scent or sound drifted to him, but for the most part, he allowed himself to fall into the warm blankets of blissful ignorance. Until, of course, there was a knock on the door, an urgent pounding that jolted him out of his relaxed state.

Not even a panicked heartbeat passed before he arrived at the door, flinging it open to reveal to him the identity of his visitor. A part of him had wondered if it was one of his friends who had found themselves in some sort of trouble. They all shared the same suite, after all, and it would be easy to exit one bedroom, travel to another.

But it was not Reyn, Shulk, or any of the others standing there. Relief flooded his senses as his mind registered the face of Lucio - a troubled face, no doubt, but not one that indicated danger. His tensed muscles put themselves at ease and he stepped back slightly in order to let the guard enter the chamber beyond. Something about the man's expression told him that they would both need to sit down for this encounter.

"Dunban, I... I would like to ask you for your help," Lucio said as he sat down in the armchair. "I could think of no one else to turn to."

The Homs man sat on the end of the bed, raising an eyebrow at his unexpected visitor. He did not say a word for a moment, just watched to see if the High Entia would continue on his own. But, before too long, it became apparent that he would need some prompting. "What is the matter? Has something happened?"

"The Emperor asked me to join the wedding ceremony and become Melia's Second Consort tomorrow." He looked away, toward the window, and stared out over the city. There was faint movement far below them, though nothing distinguishable. Then he turned back to Dunban, cheeks blushing furiously. "I can't marry her. I've already promised myself to someone else. We are not officially engaged, but..." With a small shake of the head, he returned his thoughts back to the Homs. "Please help me... I don't know how to prevent this."

Dunban sat in utter silence, unsure of what to say. Here he was, being asked for answers, yet all he had to offer were more questions. Why would Sorean force Melia to marry two men at the same time? How would that even work out? What could he do to stop it? Was there anything to be done or would they just have to go through with the Emperor's plans and manage the situation as they went along?

He found himself nodding slowly as if he had a solution. And he noticed how Lucio's eyes lit up. Sighing lightly, he leaned back on his good hand. "I'll help you, but I must know everything."

"Everything?"

"Well, maybe not every detail," he said, smiling good-naturedly. "Only the important ones."

For the next few minutes, Lucio explained what had occurred in the throne room - from the Emperor's initial proposal to the little details about Yumea. The only things he neglected to tell Dunban were the identity of his lover and the fact that his father had requested the union in the first place.

"Hmm... That's quite a predicament," Dunban said, frowning. "But it sounds as if Yumea's imprisonment is the only reason that you were added to the ceremony. So if we can prove her innocence. we no longer need another man in the relationship." His frown deepened, a visual expression of the thoughts developing in his mind. But then he returned his attention to the guard, eyes questioning. "Why did you not tell the Emperor about your lover?"

"I wanted to protect...her." There was a long pause before he said the last word of the sentence, as if he were trying to decide whether or not to use her name. Then, hurriedly, he continued on. "Because, sometimes a potential consort is so desired that their previous spouses just disappear, leaving them free to marry the royal progeny."

Dunban felt his eyebrow raise sceptically, but he refused to question a man's fears, especially when they related to the safety of his loved ones. Back before the Mechon attack on Colony 9, he would constantly have nightmares about terrible things happening to Fiora. The worst of those dreams usually included the younger girl taking up the Monado, becoming crippled as the hellish weapon took its toll upon her body. Even just thinking about it was enough to send an unpleasant shudder through his entire being. But the horrors that once colored his unconscious thoughts now painted new images. With his sister deceased, he was left to relive her death almost every night as he slept.

Sometimes, he could escape those too real imaginations by working himself to his very limit, allowing pure exhaustion to create a black hole within his mind. The result was a dreamless sleep, muscle soreness, and a strange sense of being completely and utterly empty upon waking - a fragile husk.

He pulled himself away from such negative thoughts and focused on the current problem. "Well then, I believe we should visit with the Ministry of Investigation, don't you?"

It had been over an hour of pouring her entire soul into the document on the table before her and she was both physically and emotionally exhausted. She leaned back into the plushness of her chair, cast a glance around the expansive library. The place was relatively quiet that day, no visitors aside from the usual workers and the three guards that she had begrudgingly agreed to take with her when she was released from the cell.

With a worn-out sigh, she returned her focus to the paper she had been reading. Thus far, her preparations for Melia's ceremonial dinner were going smoothly. She had selected several options for the main course and arranged for five different desserts as well as eight types of wine. Indeed, she was rather proud of the menu she had created. However, much of the work still remained. Selecting the location, arranging decorations, preparing and delivering a speech for the newlyweds. And the list went on and on.

She picked up her pen then scribbled a few more notes on the page. A reminder to use bouquets to serve as ornamentation for the tables, specifically made up of blue and white flowers - those were the ones Melia liked the most. Smiling faintly, she continued on with her planning until she was interrupted.

"I am glad to find you in here, Yumea."

The First Consort rose to her feet and turned around to face her husband. She bowed her head courteously, if only to hide her sour expression. "Yet you did not visit me until now. I suppose you will say you have been busy, correct?"

"That is the truth," Sorean said as he closed the abyss between them, reducing the space to a minor gap. "I have been occupied with the task of securing your freedom. Or perhaps you wished to remain in your cell? Were the accommodations so to your liking that you have decided to stay? What a shame. I am certain that Melia will miss you at her wedding." He whirled around, intending to leave now that the conversation had been ended, but he allowed himself a slight hesitation.

"She came to see me yesterday," Yumea said, stepping closer to the Emperor. When she stood by his side, she rested a hand upon his arm. Although her actions were gentle, her voice still sounded like venom, each word poisoning his ears as he listened intently. "And we spoke for quite some time before the guards forced her to leave."

Silence. Then, with a look of resignation, he replied to her clear attempt to bait him into the argument. Just like always. "Did the two of you get on well?"

Yumea considered her answer carefully before she allowed it to leave her mouth. The response had to be perfect. At that moment, she knew she could not afford a tactical error, otherwise she would lose the advantage in their looming fight. She smiled warmly and placed herself directly in front of her husband, pulling his hands to her hips. His eyes glanced around the library to be sure that their actions were not being observed and she almost laughed when she noticed that the large chamber was deserted. The servants knew better than to linger where they were not wanted.

"We got on very well," she purred, leaning close to him. "But that is not the answer you desired."

"Do not place the blame on me," he said as his fingers curled tightly into the fabric of her dress. "If you did not put yourself in such situations, we would have no need for this conversation. You have always attempted to sabotage her, though I did not think you would go so far."

She pressed her hands against his chest, letting the flawlessly round teardrops roll down her cheeks. "My opinion of you was once much higher. Now, you wound me with your accusations..."

"I have never breathed a word against you, my love."

"And what have you said in my defense?" Her demand was met with another silence, this one long and uncomfortable. Anger flared in her eyes, causing her to pound her open palms against him. Her blows thudded dully on his armor and she stopped herself when her hands began to sting. "You have no faith in me. Speak freely now and tell me that you think I did it. Ask me if I played any part in that dreadful business."

"Did... Did you arrange for my daughter to be assassinated?" The words were reluctant, as if he did not wish to hear his deepest doubts in the open air. But he had said them nonetheless.

Honest tears sneaked out of the corners of her eyes. She did not try to prevent them, just let them fall and dampen her skin. When she opened her mouth, toxic response on the tip of her tongue, her voice faltered. She took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before trying again. On the second attempt, forming sentences was easier, yet she still felt weak.

"I love her, Sorean, I swear it. But I love Kallian more."

He glared at his wife, pushed the woman's body away from him before she could latch on to his armor. She huffed at his rough treatment then smoothed her skirt, meeting his hostile gaze with one of her own. A small piece of her wished that she could end this encounter lightly and give the Emperor a quick kiss. Yet she knew better than to risk it. His moods were known to be more volatile than his father's and, despite the deep, slightly poisonous love she felt for him, she would not piece together their shattered relationship. Not right then. And perhaps that was the poisonous part - she loved being miserable with him.

The Emperor heaved a sigh, his anger flowing out with his breath. His hands reached out for Yumea, pulled her back against his chest. Their eyes met and she felt her own negativity slip away. It was far from her reach, like everything else. All her troubles melting, dropping from her body, leaving her unburdened. Her husband pressed his lips to hers and held her close as she wrapped her arms around him.

Heat washed over her. She felt her cheeks redden, the tears evaporate from her skin. It seemed as if such a long time had passed since they had been so intimate with each other and she experienced a thrill of excitement at the idea of making up for lost time. And the deeper they allowed the kiss to become, the more difficult it was to stop it.

Her heart pounded in her chest, breath transforming into heavy pants as she failed to properly replenish the oxygen in her body. All her senses came to life, each feeling, taste, scent sparked through her nerves, exaggerated by pure adrenaline. His hands caressed her sides and each touch sent currents of electricity jolting along in her veins. It felt so good, as if they were young again, their passion a newly birthed inferno rather than dying embers.

They broke the kiss to breathe, filled the once silent chamber with the sounds of their panting. She stared into his eyes and recognized the desire steeping in his irises. More than anything, she wanted to reciprocate that expression, push this unusual feeling to its absolute limit. But she knew they could progress no further. Reluctantly, she pushed him away as he leaned in to begin their kiss anew. He raised an eyebrow at her, perhaps questioning her sanity. Now that they had connected romantically - for the first time in about a century - he did not understand why she would choose to leave their needs unfulfilled.

"If we do not hurry, we will be late for the wedding rehearsal," she said, falling back into her emotionless tone. There was no trace of her disheveled self. That version had been smothered for the moment, but perhaps the time would come to revive her.

"Ah, yes, of course," Sorean replied as he struggled to regain control over his passion. "Let us not keep them waiting."