Aetherion — Two Days After the Coronation
The air in Heartland felt different.
Clearer.
Heavier.
Hopeful.
Everywhere Kaelen went, people bowed lower.
Smiles lingered longer.
Eyes burned brighter.
But Kaelen — true to who he was — simply accepted it in silence.
Crown or no crown,
he had work to do.
Princess Valessia's Arrival
The grand gates of the Citadel opened in a blaze of Sovereign fire.
Through them rode a delegation draped in silver and sea-blue banners:
the emissaries of the Aurenfold Empire.
At their head—
Princess Valessia Auren.
Her silver hair caught the sunlight.
Her sapphire cloak rippled behind her.
And her violet eyes — usually cool and unreadable — softened the moment they landed on Kaelen.
She dismounted gracefully and knelt at his feet.
"Aurenfold kneels to Aetherion."
"And I, Valessia Auren…
pledge my sword, my will, and my heart to the Sovereign King."
Kaelen stepped forward, confused for a moment by the way her voice trembled.
He offered his hand.
Valessia hesitated—
then took it.
Her cheeks flushed faintly as he helped her rise.
Kaelen simply smiled politely.
"You honor your people with your loyalty."
And unknowingly,
you've captured yet another heart.
POV: Aria, Mira, Selina, Lyra, Lyanna (Watching)
They all saw it.
The way Valessia's hand lingered.
The way her eyes shimmered.
The silent gasp she barely suppressed.
And without needing to speak,
they all understood:
Another rival had entered the storm.
Later That Night — The Private Gathering
In the Moonlight Garden,
beneath blooming Sovereign Lilies,
the women gathered:
Aria Valen
Mira Nightshade
Selina Dawnweaver
Lyra Windrider
Lyanna Starborn
Princess Valessia Auren
Wine glasses were untouched.
Plates of food sat forgotten.
The conversation… was heavier than any battle.
Aria broke the silence first.
"We're all feeling it, aren't we?"
Mira smirked without humor.
"You mean the fact we're falling for the same man?"
Selina looked down, cheeks pink.
Lyra blew out a slow breath.
Lyanna nodded silently.
Valessia — newcomer though she was — looked at each of them and whispered:
"It's not even fair."
"How can someone not even realize he's already conquered us?"
The group laughed softly — not from joy, but from helplessness.
Aria's eyes turned serious.
"Whatever happens… we stand beside him. Always."
All nodded.
Silent oaths woven in wine and starlight.
Meanwhile — The Family and Others Notice
Elena and Darian watched from a balcony.
Aerin leaned against a stone pillar, smirking.
Even some of the Sovereign Visitors chuckled quietly among themselves.
"The High Sovereign may have mastered realms," said High Sovereign Therys,
"but he remains a novice at mastering hearts."
"It will catch up to him," Lady Zephyra mused with a knowing smile.
"And when it does… the true wars will begin."
Kaelen — Still Oblivious
Atop the Sovereign Tower,
Kaelen stood with arms folded, surveying his world.
His mind burned with strategies for dimensional conquest.
He never once considered—
the storm of hearts gathering just behind him.
The hearts that would one day define the fate of everything he built.