Quickly reaching the rooftop, Cessilia jumped just in time to be grabbed by silver-scaled claws. Holding on to her dragon, she quickly climbed all the way to Cece’s back and sat to take a better look at the situation below. The streets were still very animated with people either fighting, fleeing, or helping to put out the remaining fires. It seemed like the last fights were now pretty scattered, and would die soon. As Cece flew higher, Cessilia saw beyond the Inner and Outer Walls. For some reason, one of the bridges was gone, but Kian and Krai were still fiercely defending two of the three remaining, and the last one was visibly under the citizens’ control. In fact, she could see people going in and out, probably exchanging supplies or carrying the injured to safer locations. She could bet the camp they had set up before was helping again, and she spotted what she thought to be food distribution lines too. Someone had perhaps reused their ideas for the greater good...

As they got closer to the castle, Cessilia saw the plaza where they had freed Sabael and the others. To her surprise, she spotted Kassian almost there, leading more men and regaining control of the area too. Her brother looked busy, but he still glanced up, and smiled at her when their eyes met. Cessilia smiled right back at him, a bit relieved to have him help out too. How much more complicated would the situation have been, had her big brothers not shown up…? Still, the final battle was up to Ashen and her.

Cece flew in circles around the castle. The tower Cessilia had fought Jinn in previously with the banquet hall was completely gone and reduced to a mountain of bricks. In fact, a fifth of the castle had collapsed and been destroyed as a result. Cessilia sighed, but luckily, it was most likely Yekara men who would have been killed in that disaster. Meanwhile, Cece kept flying, trying to find a point to drop Cessilia at. She didn’t want to have to go back all the way from the bottom to the top, but her dragon quickly found the perfect spot. Ironically, it was the Cerulean Suite’s balcony.

Cessilia jumped into the familiar place, now looking all dark and gloomy. She loved this room a lot, and was glad it had somehow survived the castle’s collapse. She turned around to face Cece.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

Her dragon screeched in response, and left, probably off to extinguish more fires and help wherever it would be needed. Cessilia turned around, resolute, and began running. The castle had never felt so empty and cold. She only stopped to grab some new weapons, having lost her dragon claw swords in the fight against Jinn. She didn’t expect any more dragon enemies, though, and a set of short swords taken from a Yekara soldier would be enough to face whoever was left. Now that her bond with Cece was re-established, Cessilia was even more unstoppable. She effortlessly fended off the few soldiers that dared to stand in her way up the tower. The only thing she was worried about was Ashen. How long had passed since they had split up? She was desperate to know if he was alright. She had left him alone against his adopted brother and Lord Yebekh. If anything had happened to him...

As she kept climbing up, her worry grew exponentially for him. Jisel’s words came back in her head. Would she really be fine without him? And what would happen to this Kingdom if anything happened to Ashen? The questions hammered her heart like a restless monster trying to bring her down. Still, Cessilia kept climbing. She couldn’t even feel the injuries of her previous fight against Jinn anymore. Her Dragon Blood was healing it all, as if getting ready for the next one. Her body was still covered in scales, but that wouldn’t be a problem if everything inside was healed just as well...

She finally reached the throne room and barged inside, opening the doors wide. She was shocked to find the room covered in blood. A real carnage had happened there. Cessilia suddenly remembered she and Ashen had also fought more soldiers before splitting up. Still, there was even more blood now, and fresher too. How could the two of them have... carried out such a bloody fight? There was even blood high up on the walls! Her green eyes moved, and she saw, right in time, the silver flash of a sword. Cessilia jumped without even needing to fight, blocking the blade right above Ashen.

Lord Yebekh’s eyes grew wide in shock.

“...You!” he grunted.

“Me.”

Cessilia kicked him in the torso, her incredible strength sending the man flying against the opposite wall. She heard him grunt in pain, but she was already leaning down to check on Ashen.

“Ashen! Are you alright?”

“Yeah... not doing exactly great...”

His slow, hoarse voice said more than his actual words about his current state. Cessilia’s eyes went down on his body. He was alive, but badly injured. The large red stain on his abdomen was most worrisome. He was lying down, covered in blood and exhausted, but she had high hopes he could still survive if he was given the proper care soon... Cessilia glanced back. His adopted brother’s body was lying not too far from his. Unlike Ashen, that man was dead, for good.

“...Please tell me we’re not doing this again,” grunted Ashen.

Cessilia shook her head.

“No... He’s gone for good.”

“I see...”

Ashen didn’t seem glad about his win, just relieved it was over. He had fought well, and the fight had probably been more violent than what she could see. From the injuries on both men, Cessilia could tell they had fought like dragons despite each having their own disadvantage.

“You wench!”

Cessilia glared over her shoulder. Yebekh was getting back on his feet, furious. He had probably expected an easy win after leaving Ashen to fight his own brother. From the way he was completely unharmed, she could guess this rotten man had likely just watched the fight, waiting for a winner to emerge to strike.

“I’m fed up with that bastard...” groaned Ashen, glaring at him too.

“...Don’t worry, stay still,” gently muttered Cessilia.

He frowned, probably confused by her lack of stutter, but Cessilia smiled, and put a quick kiss on his lips.

“I got this,” she reassured him.

Leaving Ashen there, she then slowly stood up to face Yebekh in his stead.

“Ah!” scoffed the man. “What kind of King lets a woman fight in his stead?!”

“What kind of rotten piece of shit leaves a disabled man to fight in his?” Cessilia retorted.

Yebekh’s expression dropped. That woman looked completely different from before. She sounded different, colder, angrier. He hadn’t expected this. No, he hadn’t expected her to come back at all! He had seen that tower collapse...

“It doesn’t change a thing,” he hissed. “This Kingdom is mine! I won’t be stopped by a mere girl!”

“...We’ll see about that.”

“I’ll admit I underestimated you, War God’s daughter,” said Yebekh. “I shouldn’t have expected that half-blooded bitch to be able to take care of you.”

Cessilia frowned slightly.

“What did you promise Jisel?”

“Oh, whatever that wench begged for. Either way, she knew this Kingdom would be mine. Once she knew our King was throwing her back onto the streets, she was only too happy to beg, like the whore she is!”

Cessilia’s fingers tightened on her weapon, Ashen’s sword she had taken from his side. She may not have liked Jisel, but she hated that man ten times more. He was one of those truly terrible people whose wickedness could literally be read on their face. He didn’t feel an ounce of remorse for what he had done, or all the lives his cupidity had sacrificed. He hadn’t even wasted a drop of sweat while dozens of his men were dying outside! Cessilia glanced back at Ashen. Even lying on the ground and injured, he still had the strength to glare at Yebekh. He probably couldn’t move, and it was better he didn’t. Not only because of his wound bleeding heavily, but also because he was under the effects of a poison, and moving around would only make it harder for his body to fight it. She had high hopes Ashen’s body would manage to fight it off somehow, as he had some tolerance to poison... From what she had seen, he was enduring well. Still, Cessilia wanted to get him out of here as fast as possible. The sooner he received proper medical care, the greater his chances would be to survive this and fully heal.

“Are you worried for your King?” scoffed Yebekh. “That boy never had what it truly takes to be a ruler! He’s too young, too impetuous, too easily swayed by his emotions!”

“And you believe yourself to be any better?” Cessilia calmly retorted.

“Of course! See, it takes experience, strength, and some willpower to lead a nation. You’re a young lady, so you may not know, but while the population only bows to power, they have no idea of the real sacrifices that need to be made for a proper leader to truly rule!”

“You’ve sacrificed a lot of people, and yet you’ll never be King.”

Her words made the man glare back, but Cessilia was still perfectly calm. Despite the age difference and that man’s arrogant tone, it seemed as if she was the one lecturing him. The two of them were facing each other, a few steps away from one another, too far to begin fighting, but certainly getting ready for it. Cessilia wouldn’t move away from her position defending Ashen, but Yebekh had begun moving around, slowly pacing while spinning the tip of his sword against his finger, staring at her with a vicious expression.

“I have waited for far too long,” he retorted. “I’ve let boys play with swords and pathetic men wield power, waiting for my time to come!”

“You’re nothing but a cunning snake,” Cessilia muttered. “You’ve only used people to fulfill your means, but your underhanded ways will never make you a king.”

“Ha! And you think that brat is a better king, perhaps? He knows nothing!”

“He still makes a much better king than you,” she retorted without batting an eye. “Ashen is closer to the people than you’ll ever be. What kind of leader stays hidden in a tower while the rest of his men fight and bleed? What kind of man sacrifices his own niece for power? You don’t deserve to become King, Lord Yebekh. Your clan might follow your orders, but the rest of this Kingdom never will.”

“A child like you knows nothing! True power is leading your men to victory! The best leaders are the ones who do not need to fight the war themselves to win! The survivors are the smartest, not the strongest! All I need is to claim the heirs have died, and I am the most fitting King for this Kingdom! I have the men, the resources, and the money! I have an army that will follow me, and those we can’t get on our side, we will kill! The people of this Kingdom are powerless! They have no money and no power to resist the Yekara Clan! My ancestors knew long ago that this land would come back to us one day! My clan is one of the oldest here, Princess, and we have waited for centuries to get it back!”

“...Blind is the man who thinks reigning is all about owning a piece of land,” chuckled Cessilia. “Your leadership means absolutely nothing to the people of this Kingdom, Yebekh. They do not care for your schemes and underhanded ways. If anything, you’re probably the very last man they’d want to see on the throne.”

The man glared at the abandoned throne behind him. Ashen’s adopted brother’s body was still there, just steps away from the meaningful seat, and Yebekh’s eyes naturally went to it. He scoffed.

“Ha! You think either of those brats would have made a better king? They know nothing about politics! They couldn’t even get their way with their father! At least the General was a man who knew how to rule! He killed his enemies, and kept his allies where he could get rid of them if they weren’t useful! Compared to him, those brats are just powerless boys, only capable of sitting there and listening to what we tell them!”