The next morning Varre woke up with a smile on his face. The whole feeling reminded him of returning from college, to visit his parents. Though he hadn’t lacked for comfort during the campaign, with a horde of servants attending to his every whim, it lacked the familiarity of home. His bed was softer than he remembered. The bathroom more comfortable. Even the food was tastier.

  A roaring fire burned in the fireplace, distributing a pleasant warmth throughout the entire quarters. Even though October wasn’t particularly cold, it was heavenly. He didn’t even mind the toilet, which was still the same, sad, wooden board on top of a long chute. He’d need to get around to replacing it eventually. He had seen porcelain and ceramics before, so a proper craftsman should be able to create a decent enough replacement.

  The king even looked fondly on the wardrobe filled with impressive, regal outfits. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t get to wear them until tomorrow. Today was a day of celebration. Of glory and martial prowess. He’d need to wear the plate armor again, to give off a proper feeling during the parade.

  When he finally left his quarters, surrounded by his Royal Guards, he quickly descended the staircase. He saw servants running around the castle, preparing it for this evening’s events. Ignoring them, he mounted his horse and rode down towards the central plaza.

  Normally, the king travelled in his magnificent carriage, but today was anything but normal. He rode on top of a stallion, which wore armor of its own, and lead a formation of warriors. Though most of the citizens had already gathered closer to the town hall, some chose to come to the streets instead, lining the sides of the boulevard and watching the start of the procession.

  The army had already assembled at the plaza, just as they had done yesterday. The columns left an open path between each formation for the monarch, and stood in silence as Varre rode past. The civilians were free to cheer, but the troops had to wait for the speech. They needed to follow the procedure.

  The king dismounted and entered the building, only to be greeted by a huddled group of courtiers. Here, away from the curious looks of the populace outside, they rushed to congratulated their leader, hoping to make a good impression in this moment of triumph. The Royal Guard tried to quickly usher them aside, but they couldn’t use force against such powerful people. They had to find a compromise between strength and pushiness, while the nobles tried to find some openings in their ranks and use it to shake their monarch’s hand, or throw in a good word.

  Eventually though, the courtiers were pushed away, opening the path towards the staircase. Aside from several guards, there were only two people left in the chamber. Steward Marna, and Nilo.

  Varre and his friend had been avoiding each other ever since Clement’s passing. The rebellious count’s death was an unfortunate tragedy. An accident even. Some would say it was the best choice, others that it was necessary, others still that he had it coming. But the truth of the matter was that the king killed the traitor himself, with own sword. Even if Nilo didn’t have the best relations with Clement, it still wasn’t easy for him.

  But today, the young aristocrat had to be here. Showing his support to the monarch was vital.

  Marna, noticing the tension between the two friends nodded to herself and walked up the stairs, leaving them alone. Even Captain Hakon ordered the guards to take a few steps back, realizing what the moment represented.

  Varre cleared his throat. “So…” he began.

  “I wanted to apologize to you,” Nilo interrupted him.

  “To me? W-what? Why?” the king stammered.

  The young aristocrat looked serious. “I’ve had a lot of time to think about our situation. Let’s get this out of the way. We both know you killed my father. And that I had every right to be upset and need some time for myself. Still, I also understand that you weren’t exactly given a choice. He was the one in the wrong here. He wouldn’t have hesitated to kill you. In fact he tried to do exactly that when he ordered Mikkel’s poisoning. Perhaps he was even ready to kill me. I was just a tool in his schemes after all.”

  Varre was about to say something, but Nilo raised an arm to stop him. “Let me finish. When I first saw what happened, I didn’t know whether to feel angry, or sad. Or maybe even relieved that it was finally over. But I left you alone. You may be a powerful king, the most important person in the country, but you were still my friend. You killed someone with your own hands. For the first time. Like I said, you weren’t given a choice. And my father probably deserved death, truth be told,” he sighed, “I was the one who selfishly demanded that you spare him, even knowing all the trouble that would cause you. And then, when you were beating yourself up over what happened, not only having killed another man, but hurting your close friend, I left you alone. I should have been there for you. And for that, I apologize.”

  “Come on, NIlo,” the king replied, “I couldn’t expect you to deal with me at a time like this. You said it yourself, you needed some time alone. You lost your father!”

  “Maybe,” the aristocrat looked away, “but we could have been there for each other. And instead I hid like a coward, watching you from a distance as you struggled with this gods damned war all by yourself. I should have been there to help you. I wasn’t. I’m sorry.”

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  “You have nothing to apologize for,” Varre protested, “I killed your father! You had every right to be angry.”

  Nilo shook his head. “You did the only thing you could. You fought to protect your own life. And you managed to save the kingdom in the end. Everyone would have tried to do the same in your shoes, the only difference is that you succeeded.”

  “Maybe, but the casualties were heavy,” the monarch looked away, “we’ve lost a lot of good, innocent people. And even those who weren’t so innocent didn’t all deserve death.”

  “My father was a murderer!” the aristocrat yelled, losing his composure, “he killed his own liege and dozens of other family members. He started a selfish war, for some stupid dream, and killed thousands of others in the process. And I only made things worse.”

  “You did the best you could,” Varre stopped him, “I would have done the same in your place. You had every right to hate me, to leave the army and never return, or even continue your father’s cause after his death. And yet you are still here. What the hell is wrong with you, man?” he teased.

  Nilo smiled awkwardly. “I have to make up somehow for what I’ve done. I won’t abandon you again.”

  “Good. Because my offer still stands,” the king extended his hand, “I need a loyal friend by my side to help me put this country back together. Someone will need to manage the Western province and calm down the people there. And with you as their duke, the rightful heir to Clement, no one can accuse me of tyranny.”

  The aristocrat raised an eyebrow. “Are you serious? Even after everything I’ve done?”

  Varre smiled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. Besides, you’re the best man for the job. Someone I can trust. And you’ve spent the last years building connections between all the nobles across the kingdom. They’ll come in handy once we start rebuilding the country.”

  “I see… then if you’ll have me, I’ll make sure we turn Logres into the best kingdom on the entire continent!” Nilo said as he finally accepted the handshake.

  The king grabbed him and brought him close into a deep hug. The war was costly. The kingdom lost a lot of money, and even more irreplaceable lives. But at least their friendship still survived in the end.

  With the situation dealt with, the pair ascended the stairs and assembled just before the balcony. Steward Marna was waiting there, and smiled when she saw the expressions on the faces of the two friends.

  “I trust everything went well?” she asked.

  “It did,” Varre replied.

  “Good. Then let’s begin,” Marna replied, and pushed the doors open.

  The heralds gathered outside began playing a loud tune. That immediately captured the attention of the entire crowd. The people cheered, before they could even see their hero. Varre slowly walked up the edge of the balcony, followed by both Nilo and his steward and took a second to drink in the view.

  Though he’d seen this sight many times before by now, thousands of soldiers gathered together still looked impressive. Especially now, that they were here to celebrate their victory. The mood was different, electric, and it even filled him with a sense of joy.

  Here, in the center of this cobbled plaza, surrounded by beautiful buildings, statues, and flags, the atmosphere was changed from last night. Now, sunlight reflected off the armor and weapons, as people cheered and waved colorful cloth of their own. This event was not meant to rile up men for battle, but to highlight their achievements, reward them, and prepare everyone for a time of peace and rebuilding. It needed to show unity.

  The heralds finished their hymn and the people gathered at the square quieted down. Varre cleared his throat and pulled out a small ring. It was a gift from Elvira. The magical artifact allowed the wearer’s voice to carry loud and clear over lengthy distances. Though the whole plaza was designed with speeches in mind, with thousands of civilians spilling out onto distant streets of the city, additional support was needed to ensure everyone heard of this triumph.

  “People of Logres,” the king began, surprising himself at how loud his tone was, “today is a day of celebration! We have bested all of our foes and stopped all those who threatened us. Now, peace and prosperity can reign again!

  “As you know, times were hard. The vile Clement of Qendon killed my beloved uncle, Mikkel III, along with many of my other innocent relatives. He attempted to rise against our country, pushing us into a pit of despair! He brought in thousands of men, ready to plunge our realm into chaos, but your brave sons managed to stop him! Together, we defeated the villain! But this was just the start. The evil Langongeans, sensing the opportunity, like a pack of bloodthirsty hounds, slithered into our nation and attempted to rip us apart once again. We stopped them just as hard! We beat them back, slaughtering them by the hundreds, and sent them back where they belong!

  “But that wasn’t the end of our troubles. My own relative, Charles of Logres, tried to attack in this moment of weakness for his own power grab! He wanted to seize the throne, sieging your homes, and threatening all of your lives. And we stopped him yet again!”

  Varre gave the heralds a sign. They played another tune, as the crowd began cheering again, congratulating the army on their victory. The crown was now safe and had shown off their strength to all who were watching. Though this was left out of the speech, the truth of the matter was that these wars were only fought by small forces. The royal army was made up of mercenaries, who fought enticed by the promise of high salaries. The rebels on the other hand mostly used their own supporters and vassals from their individual regions.

  There were many areas of the country that avoided conflict altogether. Foreign powers, who watched the situation carefully, understood that Varre was now in a position of strength. He was secure, with all of his enemies destroyed. Even if his coffers had emptied a bit, if anyone tried to invade now, they’d have to face the might of all of the remaining nobles, who chose to stay out of the conflict and watched from the sides. Those aristocrats, noticing the success of their brethren, were now hungry for their own glory.

  The king raised an arm, stopping the heralds and the cheering. “But we are not done yet! Now, comes the time to rebuild. I will ensure that the kingdom will be stronger and more prosperous than ever! The guilty and the traitors will be punished, but we will not needlessly harass our former brothers. I will not use this as an opportunity to seize more power, like some people are accusing me of! As proof of that, I will nominate Nilo of Quendon, the son of Clement, as the duke of the Western province. He will bring back peace and order to those troubled lands. He will separate those loyal, from those still rebellious. And he will help me manage the country, as a new member of my Royal Council. I choose Nilo of Quendon, as my new Alderman!”

  He looked back at his friends surprised face. Oh yes, Varre thought to himself, you’re not getting away from me that easily. Now, we’re in this together.