Chapter 3–A death in the family

Serena Venser stood next to her father, King Arthur Venser. They'd said it was a disease, but Serena knew better. Her father was healthy and strong, despite his age, and moreover was surrounded by a family of vipers. The doctors didn't know what it was except for some vague "wasting sickness" and didn't seem to know what to do at all. She'd sent for an alchemist from Nexus to get here as quickly as possible with a venom-purging potion, but it had been too late. By the time she had realized it was poison and sent for the alchemist, he was bedridden and dying. He had perhaps two hours to live at this point.

Her aunt Katrina, her cousin Balin, and her uncle Brandin were next to her. She hated that. She knew it had been Brandin, but she had no proof to substantiate it. He was the main one (besides Serena herself) who stood to gain from Arthur's death, and he had been scheming and plotting various gambits for years.
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That's what she had thought outside of this room. Outside this room, she knew her father would die one day and that the world would doubtless mark the next day, when she took her little, tiny throne, as a great day in history. Outside this room, she had thought of who did it, tried to find ways of proving it, lamented that her uncle would go on living after this and rejoiced in the fact that he'd have to try to kill her (and doubtless fail) and that after that she'd be able to pin him for it and avenge her father upon him.

Inside this room, she was already overcome with grief. There was nothing else except her and her father, his life slowly slipping away as the poison made it's agonizing way to his heart. He held onto her hand, his grip still tight, as tears slowly streamed down her face.
Arthur Venser chuckled. He said, his voice growing faint, "Don't cry, Serena. You're going to be queen. Queen's don't cry."
Serena slowly nodded, feeling much younger than her thirty-one years. "I'm… sorry I wasn't a better father," he said, "Did I do alright?" his grip was beginning to slacken.

She channeled her Essence then, almost unconsciously, and reassured him "You did wonderfully."
He smiled, slowly nodding. "Then I'm content. Goodbye, Serena. Goodbye, Brandin. Goodbye, Katrina. Goodbye, Balin. Goodbye everyone."
Then he slipped his hand out of Serena's and gestured to his doctor, who gave him a draught of hot mulled wine, which he slowly downed and fell asleep. Four hours later, he was pronounced dead, and the ritual words were spoken: "The king is dead. Long live the queen!"
Two hours later, the alchemist arrived from Nexus and, upon seeing his charge dead, decided to be generous and only charged half-price.
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Serena wore a dress of golden silk as she mounted the steps to the throne. She had been a solar for two months now, and her wardrobe had changed as a result. Turning around, she sat down upon her throne. For some reason, tears stung at her eyes. She didn't know why, but there they were. She hoped no-one saw them gathering there as she sat down. It wouldn't be proper; she was the queen now: queen of a fishing town on a lake. More than that though, she was a Zenith caste Solar: the world, or at least a sizeable part of it, was her birthright. And she intended to claim it. And once she had done so, she would bring justice to it, and ensure that the strong would not harm the weak. Se would create a better world. She would make Khaine proud.
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Her first action as queen was to give Reza more influence in the court by putting him in charge of diplomacy as well. Her next was to make overtures to the kings Torm, Cecil and Ramiro, as well as Ser Aquar the new queen Elanus Margaren. She had Reza send letters imbued with a subtle wording and carefully calculated assurances as only he could make, which would cause these petty kings to be more amenable to what she was going to propose: she knew she was on a tight schedule and would have to act soon, before the Realm moved to wipe her out.

Fortunately for her, she already had somewhat of a reputation, both bad (though the scandal of her pregnancy was ten years stale by now) and good: she had proven herself a tenacious fighter and inspiring leader in the war following princess Elanus' disappearance (long before she'd Exalted), when she held down an old wooden fort for nearly six months of siege (and it was a point of pride for her that by the time the war ended, it was the besiegers, not the besiegees, who were thinking of surrendering) through guerrilla tactics, stubborn defence and inspiring oratory.

In the meantime, she watched and waited. She made profiles of those who could help her and those who would oppose her, determined how she would defeat them, and created suitable fates for them once she had: King Cole would be spared and allowed a life of exile, the satrap would be made to bend the knee before her and formally revoke house Cynis' claim on Nexus, the legion commander would get what he wanted: a death in glorious in battle, and the immaculate monk Mnemon Torogi… one way or another, she would make him pay for killing Khaine.

Throughout all this, however, she often found herself feeling down and not knowing why. She would be talking to someone and just forget what she was thinking about, or wake up with a fast-fading dream and fast-drying tears on her cheeks. Once in a while she'd retreat into her room and spend a few minutes fighting back tears, thinking of how her father had died with nothing she could do about it, no saving him, no vengeance, not even the assurance that she would keep the Venser line alive since she was unwed and had so far no interest in marriage (Tommy; illegitimate and insensate, had never counted in her father's eyes).

Then she would find herself thinking back to Khaine and half-wishing she had gone down there to die with him against the Wyld Hunt, though she knew that to be folly. Then she realized she was almost out of loved ones, and that hurt. Her mother had died giving birth to her, her brothers had died when she was little, her friends from the university had all moved on, her sweetheart Rohanna had left with her Guild Factor father when the Realm had invaded (and besides, they'd been split up long before that), she bore no love for her uncle or aunt, and now Khaine and Arthur were dead too. All she had left was Tommy.

It then occurred to her that she was, for all intents and purposes, immortal. She would see Tommy grow up, age and die before her eyes, herself suspended in a moment of eternity. She would see everyone she knew die, and then she'd be truly alone. She supposed she could marry and have more children, or perhaps she could adopt. But could she endure watching them die too? I suppose I could always be "mother to my kingdom", she thought ruefully, whatever that may be.

She could marry, but her spouse would die. She could have children, but like the Scarlett Empress she would one day watch her great-grandchildren die of old age. She might find a couple friends in Reza and her other circle-mates (if she ever found any more), but then she would have the same few friends for centuries, assuming any of them offered friendship as opposed to simple businesslike association.

Confronted with the prospect of an eternity of loneliness, Serena proceeded to cry herself to sleep.