The Nightingale

Chapter 72: Promised Destiny

Summer — x493 / August 1

The sound of keys in the door made Nelliel look up from the book she was currently reading. Breakfast was over and it was still too early for lunch, so she put the book aside and focused all her attention on the visitor. She was sure it was a visitor, for she had memorized the meal times and she knew, by the sound of the keys, when one of the maids entered the room.

The Kahya entered with a slow step and stepped aside to allow the queen mother Raiza to enter the room.

Nelliel hadn't seen the queen mother since she was locked in that room in the Palace of the Sun, and it surprised her so much that she took a moment to rise from her seat to bow to the king's mother.

— Your punishment is over. — The queen mother announced, with that serious look and annoyed expression that Nelliel remembered from when they gave the order to lock her up. — You can leave this room and roam the palace at your leisure, but you cannot leave the grounds. You can answer your letters too. That's it, you will live here for the rest of your days or until the king decides otherwise.

— Thank you, Your Majesty.

Nelliel's voice came out in an awkward whisper because she was always alone and hadn't used her voice much. The maids who served her did not speak much. Six months in confinement within a room had been a merciful punishment compared to a stay in a dark underground cell.

Nelliel didn't have to be very smart to know that the queen mother still held a grudge against her for trying to kill Rukia, even though she and the entire Kuchiki family were traitors and a danger to the kingdom. Everyone there was myopic who only saw what they wanted, the affection for Ichigo and Rukia blinded them and they couldn't see that the two of them would lead the kingdom to destruction.

Maybe she hadn't done things the right way, but the Kuchiki family definitely shouldn't have been forgiven the way they were. Nelliel only hoped that fate would collect their debts from them as it was collecting from her.

The queen mother left the room and the Kahya handed Nelliel a couple of letters before leaving as well. This time the keys that secured the door were not heard. It was real that the punishment was over.

Nelliel didn't know if they gave her the letters out of pity or punishment, but all the letters sent to her were always delivered at the right time.

Kaien's letters had shattered her soul, for although he said he missed his best friend and wife, he hadn't mentioned again the fact that he was trying to make her punishment less or that he be allowed to visit her. It was from those letters that she had learned that the court that year was exclusively to elect a crown princess, and it was from those same letters that she learned the names of those who were in that court.

It was because of those letters that there were no longer any sharp objects in her room.

Sadness, loneliness and despair had led her to commit a madness which she survived because someone entered her room just as she was about to make the second cut. At that moment, just as the edge tore through her skin, she understood a little of what Miyako had suffered.

The first letter he opened was Kaien's.

She read it with trembling fingers, her heart still beating for a small hope of happiness between its letters but it was more of the same. He wrote about the odd castle gossip, sent her a token of his affection, and told her that when he was able to travel to Vermist, he would come see her. He didn't forget her, but he only sent her letters and that hurt her.

The second letter was from her brother and that made her heart stop beating for a moment before she hurriedly read it. She hadn't heard from him since he was exiled from the kingdom and she didn't know where he was, if he was okay or if he was alive; so that letter, which although it gave her some of the comfort her soul needed, also tore her to pieces.

—

Nelliel…

I'm aware of what happened in the castle, your punishment and your exile, as well as your divorce. It took me a long time to find the right words and for anger, sadness and disappointment to allow me to write them.

I wasn't a good brother, I didn't keep the promise I made to our parents the day they left on that trip from which they didn't return. It was because of my weakness that you have this destiny, which although not as severe as mine, coincide in the fact that we aren't in the place we once called home.

I'm fine.

I'm living with my wife in a city whose name I cannot mention for safety, because the offense to Prince Kaien is so great that he, even having spared my life, could decide to end it and I don't intend to allow it. Now I have a family to take care of, I have a son, for whom I must stay alive, and a wife who accompanied me into exile no matter that she could not see her own family again.

I'm free now.

We may never see each other again, so I hope your punishment ends soon and you can be free from that cobweb that is life within the royal family. I hope you find someone who loves you as you deserve to be loved, and that your life is long.

Maybe one day, if the Deities allow it and are kind, we will meet again.

Your brother, Ulquiorra.

—

Nelliel felt her eyes fill with tears and felt a lump in her throat choking her painfully. Her brother was alive, he had a family and he was fine, but he was away from her and she would never see him, and she knew it was all her fault.

If she hadn't put such pressure on Kaien to secure his love, if she hadn't made that miscalculation, her brother wouldn't have hit the crown prince and been exiled. If she had been smarter she might have been able to meet her nephew.

Ulquiorra was saying goodbye to her, since he hadn't left an address for her to write to him and that showed that he didn't trust her. He was still her brother, but he would no longer take care of her as he had all his life.

He had left her alone, truly alone.

Ulquiorra had given up everything for her, the support of the Cifer family, the family name, the fortune and the lordship. He had given up being Lord Cifer, representative of one of the thirteen great families of the kingdom, just because she was not accepted within that family. He had to work harder than anyone just to be with the woman he loved and he didn't care that she had slept in a prince's bed if that meant he could be with her.

Her brother always had to make an effort for everything and instead she always had a guaranteed future.

Nelliel was the queen's protégé, raised to be the Kahya of the castle and forever live and serve within it. She didn't have to worry about anything, she would always have a salary, a roof over her head and food, and she could choose to marry any high-ranking military chief or a city lord if she wanted to.

Her life was written but back then she didn't know how to take advantage of it and now, that easy destiny had vanished to start a life imprisoned inside a palace.

After reading that letter, Nelliel wept as she hadn't in a long time; she cried herself to sleep as she had many times before. She cried because it was the only thing she could do.

—

The curtains had been changed, the carpets and even some of the furniture; the room was still the same, but Nelliel's essence was no longer there. Kaien wasn't happy with the queen for giving Yuki that room; she could have assigned the girl any other room, but she had specifically assigned this one, and Kaien felt as if the queen was mocking him.

Kaien had been in this room many times before, when he and Nelliel were children and he still slept in the queen area. In that distant past, he used to sneak into that room and spend time with Nelliel, they ate, laughed, studied and talked about everything they wanted to do in their future.

They were happy and quiet times, times of peace.

Times in which each one had written the future that they were going to have, where they longed to have a long and happy life. Those times where they longed to have the family they didn't have.

It wasn't Yuki's fault, she didn't know who that room had belonged to, but Kaien's bad mood didn't stop growing and he felt that the girl's presence polluted the place. Kaien wanted to yell at Yuki to get her stuff out of there, to find another room and not go back in there, but he didn't.

— Your Highness, do you like my new room?

Yuki's question brought him back from the memories of those childhood afternoons and made him focus his attention on the girl who was dressed as the Inamoratas. He had asked that the girl be dressed like this because he intended to spend the night with her, but the desire had been put to sleep by the queen and the memory of Nelliel.

More than missing his wife, he missed his friend with whom he could talk about everything he thought and wanted, he missed his confidant who played with his hair in the afternoon while they talked about anything.

Kaien was aware that after everything that had happened between them, perhaps her friend had been lost and only Nelliel, the woman, remained. Yuki was simply an emotional replacement, something to momentarily fill the void inside him; something he would use and throw away when he got bored of playing with her.

He knew that he really was broken and he didn't want to feel anything for someone again, neither friendship nor affection nor love, because he didn't want to go through the same thing again. First it was Miyako and then Nelliel, and he didn't intend to give fate a new victim to torment him.

— It's beautiful, Miss Kuchiki. — Kaien replied with that charming smile that he possessed and which he had perfected over time. — Like you.

Yuki smiled at those words.

Kaien sat on one of the armchairs in that room, although everything there brought back memories of that past childhood, and he made Yuki go to him so that she would sit on his lap and face him.

— My dear Yuki, I have a question for you. — Kaien began to speak before giving Yuki a small kiss on the shoulder to rekindle the desire for the girl's skin. He hadn't been lying when he said he liked her perfume. — Did the queen give you the tea that Inamoratas drink?

— No, your highness. — Yuki's voice sounded delicious to Kaien and he gave her another kiss, this time on the chin, while his hands ran over the girl's legs in an indecent way so that she began to move her hips slowly. — The queen told me that because I am your lover, if I get pregnant I can have your child.

Kaien did not expect that, he thought that the queen would not allow the girl to get pregnant but in the same way, he did not want to have a child with the Kuchiki girl. He didn't need a bastard, he needed a legitimate son so that his inheritance wouldn't be questioned in the future. Illegitimate children do not inherit, but when the king legitimized him and made him a prince, he decided that this rule was not effective and would not apply to him.

Only he was the only exception.

— My dear Yuki. — Kaien whispered as he slowly undid the buttons of that dress made especially to be taken off. — If I asked you for a favor, would you do it?

— I would do anything for you, my prince. — Yuki whispered. Kaien smiled at those words and leaned in to kiss her slowly, allowing the girl to start taking off his clothes.

— Anything?

— Anything, my prince.

— Drink the tea of the Inamoratas. — Kaien whispered and immediately noticed the change in the girl's attitude, who stopped moving slowly over him and looked at him without understanding why he had said that. Kaien caressed her face with that false tenderness that he too had perfected, and kissed her slowly. — I don't want you to get pregnant at the moment.

— Your highness doesn't want me to give you children? — Yuki's question, her tone of voice, carried that disappointment he had seen when he told her they would just be lovers.

— Of course I want us to have children! — Kaien added before giving her a small kiss with a smile that seemed real. — But not now, because if you get pregnant soon, then we can no longer be together like we are now. My heir, and the mother of my heir, will be seriously taken care of so that the same thing that happened to the former princess does not happen.

— Heir?

Kaien smiled as he realized that Yuki had heard exactly what he wanted her to hear. He knew exactly how to keep a girl happy.

— My heir. You will be the mother of a king, you will be the crown princess and then the queen. I will marry you, my dear Yuki. — Kaien said those words and saw how Yuki's smile shone in such a bright way, that he almost felt guilty for lying to him like that. Almost.

— Your highness, are you serious? Will we get married?

— I'm completely serious, when it's appropriate I'll talk to the king and put the queen's ring on you. I'll propose to you at a big party. — Kaien caressed Yuki's cheek before moving closer to kiss her. — I promise you that if the first child we have is a boy, I will give you whatever you ask for. No matter what it is, I'll give it to you, but you have to wait a bit. Will you drink the tea, my dear Yuki? Will you do it for me? Will you let me enjoy the paradise between your legs a little more, my princess?

Kaien kissed her again, took her by the hips and took her to the bed just to reaffirm in the girl's mind that he was hers.

— That's my Yuki.

Summer — x493 / August 5

"Oh! Little prince. Your future is as clear as the water of the desert oases. It is written here, between the lines of your hand, right here. It says that you will be the last flower king, the last Lord of the Desert. It also says that you will die from a snake bite, it is a black one, a dangerous one. Take care of yourself child, never go in the shade. The shadow is dangerous."

The pain in the ankle was unbearable, with each step Yushiru took he felt that a thousand needles were piercing his skin and several times he had to lean against the walls or pillars to rest a bit. At first the pain was mild, a slight annoyance that went unnoticed when he stopped thinking about it, but as the days passed, that slight annoyance had increased to the point of being torture walking.

The doctor had prescribed drugs for him to relieve the pain, but these seemed to have no effect. Upon taking the drugs, Yushiru could feel a slight decrease in pain but after a couple of minutes, the pain returned to him again and seemed to get more intense; as if it accumulated.

No animal had been found inside the room and the doctor had found no trace of a sting or bite on the king's ankle. There was nothing to show any kind of injury and that was something that intrigued the doctor, because undoubtedly the king's ankle had some kind of damage.

They had tried a few things to make the pain go away. They had massaged the king's ankle, put needles in it, and used cupping, thinking that perhaps it was "air" inside the ankle that was causing the pain.

None of that worked.

— Your Majesty, if you wish, we can cancel the council meeting. — One of his men spoke, his best friend, privy councilor and in charge of his rooms. Masayoshi.

— No. I just need to get my energy back, the pain is subsiding. — Yushiru added, but that last part wasn't really true. The pain never let up.

He forced himself to walk to the Council Chamber, and quickly sat down on his throne, put on his best all-okay face, and gave the order for the day's meeting to begin. Yushiru allowed Masayoshi to guide the meeting and he only dedicated himself to listening to how those elders talked and talked about everything that was supposed to be important.

The king gave a couple of verdicts and ended the meeting, the councilors got up and waited for Yushiru to leave. Yushiru left that room and walked calmly until he could no longer bear the pain. Again he had to lean against a wall again to rest for a moment before returning to his rooms. He was sweating, he was agitated, and he felt pain running through his leg like a snake of fire.

— Ask the doctor to come, tell him his painkillers are useless and to bring something good. — The king ordered upon reaching the room.

Masayoshi ordered one of the servants to fetch the doctor while the king sat up in bed and tried to remove his boot. Masayoshi approached the king to help him and as he removed the boot from the king's foot and the pressure was released, Yushiru felt the pain lessen giving him momentary relief.

Yushiru looked at his foot, expecting to find it swollen but what he found left him speechless, just as his friend was. His ankle and foot were swollen, including his fingers, but that was not what caused his shock, but the fact of seeing that a bloody liquid emanated from his ankle and which gave off an unpleasant aroma. It was as if the skin on his ankle hadn't held up anymore and whatever was inside was trying to get out.

Yushiru was still in shock when the doctor entered the room to check on him. The condition of his ankle, which was not like this in the morning, perplexed the doctor.

The doctor immediately began to order the necessary things to clean the king's wound, carefully checked the wound and, when he finally had what was necessary, made the king bite off a piece of leather. The pain was unbearable, the doctor cleaned the wound and the more he cleaned it, the more of that bloody liquid emanated. Yushiru was biting down hard on a piece of leather because the pain drugs weren't working, and at some point during that procedure, he passed out from the pain.

When Yushiru woke up, it felt as if thousands of needles were sticking into his left calf, just as he had been feeling in his ankle since the day of that bite that had left no trace. The pain was still there, but he forced himself to sit up and watch what they had done to his ankle. He didn't know how much time had passed, but it must have been a long time because of the light that entered the room.

He removed the sheets that covered his legs, and found his foot and ankle, neatly bandaged although the fabric was turning brown from dried blood. He moved his fingers and they responded, and that gave him a kind of painful relief, because even though his fingers moved, that movement caused him pain.

Yushiru didn't know what caused that wound, but he couldn't let his concubines' fathers find out, because it was very likely that they would start building his funeral pyre before time.

— Masayoshi! — The king shouted and his friend immediately entered the door and bowed to him.

— I want you to keep an eye on my fathers-in-law. Send your most loyal men and keep an eye on them at all times, and at any sign of betrayal, rebellion or visiting pregnant women, let me know.

— Your Majesty, do you think your in-laws are responsible for your injury?

— No. — Yushiru wasn't sure about that at the moment. — But I don't doubt that they will take the opportunity of my injury to get rid of me and thus rule in the shadow of one of my sons. I will not allow it. First I kill them for conspiracy and rebellion, rather than allow one of those old men to try to get what belongs to my family.

Masayoshi nodded at the king's words and left that room. Yushiru stared at his wound and thought of what the wandering witch of the north had told him about his fate when he was still a child.

—

The carriage stopped in front of the main gate of the castle, Ichigo looked at Rukia and she held his hand with that feeling that conveyed security. She assured him that everything would be alright and gave him a kiss so sweet that Ichigo wished that moment would never end.

All through the journey that day they had been talking about how many chances there were that the king and queen would know everything that had happened on Vermist and they concluded that they had to arrive mentally prepared for whatever they might find in the castle.

— I'll see you at dinner, my love. — Ichigo whispered before letting Rukia out of the carriage.

Rukia nodded and got out of the carriage with that elegance that was in her.

Ichigo could see how the Kahya was waiting to guide her to the queen, and a moment later, he stepped down from the carriage with that hit man expression he hadn't used in a long time. Rukia had taken from him that expression with which he had first arrived from Vayalat, she had made him happy and it was that happiness that was reflected on his face.

He was no longer a man tormented within the abyss. Rukia had made everything lighter, brighter and sweeter.

The servants indicated to him that the king was waiting for him in his private office and he did not hesitate to walk to where his father was as soon as possible. The kingdom before life, and in this particular case, Ichigo supposed that his father feared for the safety of the kingdom although he didn't know how much they had told his father and mother. The best thing was to keep everything as hidden as possible and only answer the questions that were asked without giving too many explanations.

The servants announced him and he entered the king's office.

It didn't surprise him that Kaien was standing there next to his father, it only confirmed Ichigo's idea that they were going to talk about the kingdom.

— Your Majesty. — Ichigo greeted his father with a bow. — Older brother. I'm here.

Only the king was sitting behind the desk and Ichigo made no attempt to sit in any of the free chairs. He stood before his father and brother, as if he were in the middle of a courtroom to be tried for some crime, and waited. There were no words of welcome or anything beyond a simple gesture indicating that his father had heard him speak.

The king got up from his seat and walked with an expression that showed how angry he was at the moment. Ichigo, by pure instinct, let the magic flow through his skin and the tattoo on his back moved so fast that at any command from Ichigo, the magic would react. The king stopped in front of Ichigo.

— Ichigo, what the hell were you thinking when you hit King Yushiru?! Did you think for a moment what it could mean for the kingdom?! Do you want a war?!

The king's questions were direct and Ichigo managed to take a step back as a protective measure. Killing his father by mistake would not look good, though magic fluttered between his fingers begging to be used. Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again and looking at the king.

The man in front of him was the king, not his father. The king, the one who'd punched him in the face for ripping up a fucking map, the man who never wrote to him in his absence. The man who didn't feel a damned bit of affection for him.

— I was thinking of killing him. — Ichigo answered trying to control all the instincts that told him that the man in front of him was an enemy. Isshin's rage and anger made the magic take him as an enemy. — They stopped me before I beat him to death for hitting my wife.

— What the hell are you saying! — The king took a step closer to him and Ichigo took a step back. He didn't do it out of fear, because although he felt the man in front of him as his enemy at that moment, he didn't want to hurt him. — How dare you put your wife above the welfare of the kingdom?

Ichigo looked up, the tattoo on his back moving like the living shadow that it was and he could feel it trickling down his arms. All his senses were alert and his heart was pounding so hard he felt like it would burst out of his chest.

— Answer to me! — The king yelled when he saw that Ichigo didn't speak.

— My wife is the only kingdom worth keeping. — Ichigo replied before nimbly dodging the blow he was about to receive from the king. The movement was so quick that the king's anger gave way to surprise and back to anger. — But what can a king who humiliates his own wife inside the castle know about honor?

— Ichigo, I forbid you to talk to me like that. I'm your father and I'm your king.

The king's anger was palpable but he didn't try to hit Ichigo again and Ichigo wouldn't let the king hit him again.

— My king. — Ichigo tried to take another step back, but a piece of furniture stopped him. The man in front of him was not his father. — Don't fear for an attack from Gardelia, don't fear for the integrity of the kingdom that my older brother is going to inherit. The kingdom of Gardelia will not raise its sword against Avanta. They don't have the strength to do it without the backing of Vayalat, and we still have the backing of King Yhwach. If Gardelia tries to attack us, Vayalat is going to break the non-aggression agreement between kingdoms that they have.

— Why is your name and your wife's name included in every threat of conflict, and why does that seem to be decisive for our ally to join us? — Kaien's question made Ichigo look at his older brother, remembering at that moment that Kaien was there. — Also, why do you talk as if you knew Gardelia?

As he spoke, Kaien approached them and Ichigo just alternated his eyes between the king and his brother.

— I don't know. — Ichigo's response made Kaien knit his eyebrows together in anger. — Perhaps because I know Gardelia better than you think, older brother.

— You! You seem to know half a continent! Who the hell don't you know?! You have so many fucking contacts you could plan a rebellion in one night!

— It must be because I tore up a damn map when I was a kid! If you wanted my place, you just had to break it yourself! Oh! You are already in my place!

— Enough! Ichigo! Kaien!

The king's shout immediately silenced them both, but the anger in Kaien's eyes was too palpable. Ichigo tried to control his breathing, but the negative feelings only activated the magic more and controlling it was difficult in that state of mind. The silence in that office was long and tense.

— Kaien, get out of here. — Ordered the king.

Kaien hesitated for a moment between doing what the king said or not, but in the end he bowed to the king and left the king's private office. Ichigo was silent, not knowing what the king was thinking and trying to control the gift.

— You and I are going to talk, so tell me, what the hell really happened at Vermist.

— Your majesty, will you believe what I say? — Ichigo asked looking at the king. Isshin just stared at him in silence. — There's no point in talking then. I'm leaving.

— I will believe what you say. Tell me the truth, what happened in Vermist?

Ichigo noticed how his father tried to relax the tone of his voice, how he pretended to be nice so that he would talk about what had happened in Vermist. Ichigo doubted that the king really felt any concern for him, he just wanted to make sure the kingdom wasn't in danger.

Ichigo again had to remind himself that he didn't need the affection of the man in front of him.

—

Rukia looked at the queen, who was sitting on that big soft chair, still trying to understand what she had said about the deal she made with the Original Mother.

That had been the last topic of conversation they had touched on because the first thing Queen Masaki asked her was if she was alright and if the wounds that Yoruichi may have caused her had healed. Rukia felt something warm and sweet in her heart when the queen asked about her health before anything else.

After Rukia assured her that she was fine, the queen asked her how things had happened. Even though there was a report from Uncle Kisuke, the queen wanted to hear her talk about everything that happened and how it happened.

So they talked about Kirio and Yoruichi, as well as Ichigo's trip with the mercenaries, which although it wasn't planned, helped him get out of that abyss of excesses in which he was submerged. The queen told her exactly what had happened and that finished filling the gaps in the story about that past that she hid from Ichigo.

The queen promised that she would talk to him, because he needed to know that part of his life, and made Rukia promise that she wouldn't say anything to him for now. Rukia accepted those words because she knew that Ichigo deserved to hear his mother talk about her reasons for doing things and because they had to leave that damned past behind once and for all.

— And did you see… did you see the Original Mother? — The queen asked after a long moment of silence that was too tense for Rukia.

— I saw her, talked to her and she taught me a few things. — Rukia explained once more so that the queen could fully understand what she had done. — The magic, in ankh inside me, looks like her. I think it's because I swallowed the ring. Ichigo has been helping me, Uncle Kisuke gave me notes that could help me, and even Queen Aiko gave me some things so I could improve on this.

— And how do you feel?

— Normal and at the same time, different. It's as if I were not myself, I feel that it influences me and that it makes me stronger. — Rukia tried to explain everything she felt, the way that feeling of power flowed in her and that she attributed to the fact that the woman inside her had her eyes open. — It's like I just have to reach out to get what I want. Sometimes when I close my eyes in sleep, I hear the queen's voice but I can't understand what she says. Ichigo says that she speaks in the language of the Dawnlands. The queen wants me to release her.

— Magic always wants to be released, so you have to train to be stronger than it and not succumb to power. — The queen explained, who seemed to have recovered from that impression. — There are people who have done it, who let the ankh take over and end badly. They create chaos and destruction seeking to deliver the tributes to the Shadow. Do you know what a tribute to the Shadow is?

Rukia nodded to that question.

— Queen Aiko told me. — Rukia commented with a slight discomfort inside her. The power was intoxicating, but the cost was terrible as it slowly wiped out the humanity within them. — I have to pay tribute to the Shadow at least a couple of times a year, I just don't know how I'm going to do it.

— Criminals. — The queen answered with that tranquility that experience gave. — Or your husband's mistresses, if you like.

At that suggestion, Rukia felt a chill.

— Ichigo doesn't have mistresses. — She didn't like to think that Ichigo could have mistresses but if that came to pass, the girl would definitely be a tribute to the Shadow.

— I'll help you with it.

— With the mistresses?! — Rukia asked alarmed. The queen looked at her and began to laugh softly.

— With the tributes to the Shadow. — Rukia relaxed at that moment. For a moment she thought the queen would get Ichigo mistresses. — Don't worry about it, first learn to control it and then we'll see about the tribute. I will designate a day or two a week to teach you how to use it. Now you can go to rest and tomorrow we will organize everything we have to do.

The queen ended the meeting and Rukia kissed her hand goodbye before remembering something that had been running through her mind.

— Dear mother, why did you have me enter the queen's court? Did that have something to do with the heir and everything that Ichigo went through before?

The queen stared at her for a moment, slightly confused by that question before slightly shaking her head.

— You entered court because you were never allowed to live here. I needed to evaluate you before I allowed the engagement to become official, and the best way was to give you freedom. Would you have behaved as you did if you had come directly as Ichigo's fiancée?

Rukia fell silent. She didn't expect that answer and never would have imagined it.

When she left the queen's office, that question left her thinking carefully about what she would have done if she came to the castle directly with the sentence of marriage with Ichigo, and came to the conclusion that the queen was always one step ahead of her.

Author's note:

A comment made me realize something that I overlooked and that I did not explain to you, and they are the emblems of the kingdoms as well as the form of government of each one, and the religions. During the story I have been mentioning it, but they are details that are easily forgotten, so I'm going to leave this here.

The mainland is named Lashmar. The area where the story takes place is called North Lashmar. The Broken Lands are what divide Lashmar into North and South.

From North to South, to the Broken Lands: first are the kingdoms beyond the Red Desert [unnamed for now, and among those kingdoms is Cikram.

— Kingdom of Cikram: Its emblem is a golden lion. Its coat of arms in a golden lion on a black background. The main religion of the kingdom is the Cult of the Deities, secondary religion is the Cult of the Shadow. Its border, from coast to coast, adjoins the Red Desert. The kingdom is inherited through the male line preferentially by the queen's sons and by birth order, concubines are allowed. They don't allow slavery but they don't do much against it either.

— Trinity Island: Island that belongs to the Triad. It previously belonged to the kingdom of Cikram but was conquered by the Triad. It is usually a stationary base for the Tirnoq Company mercenaries and a permanent base for the Triad Soldiers.

— Kingdom of Gardelia of the Desert: its emblem is the white gardenia. Its coat of arms is a white gardenia on a sand background. The title of the king is "Lord of the Desert", for being the owners of the Red Desert. The only religion in the kingdom is The Cult of the Deities. Gardelia shares its southern border with Avanta and Vayalat. They only inherit through the male line, the king has a harem of concubines for which the order of birth of the princes does not matter so much and they do not have queens. They are slavers.

— Kingdom of Vayalat of the Shadow: its emblem is a blue nightingale. Its coat of arms is a blue nightingale on a shared background of red and black. Main religion is the Cult of the Shadow. The descendants of Queen Vayalat, also known as the Original Mother, are known as Children of the Shadow. Both men and women inherit by birth order, concubines (king) and consorts (queen) are allowed, but children born from those encounters do not inherit. The illegitimate children of the Shadow Children are trained to become Gift-bearing Shadows. Ichigo is a Gift-bearing Shadow. They are against slavery. It shares a border with Gardelia, Jetaiya and Avanta.

— Kingdom of Jetaiya of the Thousand Islands: Its emblem is a spearhead. Its coat of arms is a black spearhead on a yellow background. The title of the king is "Lord of the Thousand Islands". Their religion is the Cult of the Deities. They inherit through the male line, always prioritizing the children of the main wife for up to two generations in case the main wife only has daughters. The king has a harem led by the queen or chief wife. They are against slavery. It shares border with Kuvar, Vayalat and Avanta.

— Kingdom of Kuvar: Its emblem is a Warhammer. Its crest is a black Warhammer on a white background. It shares a border with Jetaiya and Avanta.

— Kingdom of Avanta and the Blue Mountains: Its emblem is a golden eagle. Its coat of arms is a silver eagle on a blue background. The king's title is "The Lord of the Cliff". Their religion is the Cult of the Deities. It shares a border with Gardelia, Vayalat, Jetaiya and Kuvar. From the reign of Kazue, the bloody queen, inheritance by male line was preferentially installed, if there is no crown prince, the eldest daughter of the king will inherit. The rule of the crown prince and the second prince was also established to avoid falling into the old customs, thus ensuring that the children of the heir to the crown will always be the first to be born. A concubine protected by the queen is allowed in case she cannot have children. Illegitimate children train to become soldiers. They are against slavery.

Before the Maranni conquest, Avanta was known as Avanta of the eagles.

— Ancient kingdom of Maranni of the Blue Mountains: Before the conquest, its emblem was a tree of life. Its coat of arms was a green tree on a black background. The king's title was "The Lord of the Blue Mountains". Their main religion was The Cult of the Shadow, which changed to the Cult of the Deities after the conquest. They inherited by birth order without gender preference. A protected concubine chosen by the queen was allowed. They were against slavery.

Special regards to jobananasan, diah77 and Nikkiebelles.

Thanks also to everyone who reads and follows this story.

See you as soon as I finish writing the next chapter.

XOXOX

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Diah77: are you ok? I wrote to your inbox