The following day, the palace prepared for the coronation ceremony of Manu as temporary queen. Guests and elders arrived, and after taking the oath, she was officially crowned the queen of the palace until Zanu gave birth. A small banquet was thrown in her honor afterward.
Zanu approached her cautiously.
"Congratulations," she said evenly, her eyes sharp. "You should know it's not going to be an easy task." For some reason I didn't see you in your room last night
Manu lifted a crystal glass of wine and smiled faintly.
"You didn't see me heading for the balcony?" she replied lightly. "It's been a long time since I came here, so of course I wanted to explore the palace again."
Zanu's brow furrowed. "Strange… I went to the balcony and didn't see you there."
Manu leaned closer, her smile calm and measured. "You should be careful, though. I heard there's an intruder here."
Manu narrowed her eyes. "You should care more about your baby than me."
Zanu's smile didn't falter. "I don't mind. I'm very good at multitasking."
As Zanu walked away, Manu clenched her teeth inside, thinking bitterly, Damn that Zanu. With her around, my work just became a whole lot harder. There's no way I can kill her—not yet. For now, I'll leave her to my master.
She forced a polite smile as guests passed by, sticking to her plan.
A maid approached and bowed.
"Your Royal Highness, the elder and the king await you in the throne room."
Manu smirked faintly. Now this is where the real game begins…
A year later, back in Sumdem, Alex had undergone a series of brutal training sessions under Hiruko. When the training ended, Hiruko vanished again, leaving only a note that read: "I'm off to someplace new. Your presence bores me."
Far away, in the outskirts of Orahime Palace, Flora stood in the dim light, gently holding the half-moon pendant in her hands. Her lips trembled as she smiled sadly.
"Please, my son… awaken for mummy," she whispered, glancing at the glass enclosure where Damien's body lay surrounded by tubes and thick fog.
Downstairs, Zuko sat comfortably on a couch, watching her.
"What now?" Flora asked softly.
"We await the return of Aruna here," Zuko replied. His eyes darkened with a hint of anger as he glared at his phone. "If she fails to come, then Alex…"
Flora frowned. "What if none of them shows up?"
"Then we attack by ourselves," Zuko said coldly, pacing back and forth. "We still can't keep track of Hiruko. He's always one step ahead, like the sneaky bastard he is. We need him in order to get the Scarlet Blade. That's the only way to end Mauja."
"But I thought after the incident he lost his memories," Flora said, her voice trembling. "I don't think he knows who he is or where…"
Zuko cut her off with a glare. "We wait for Damien now. If he awakens, I'll put him in charge as captain of the revolutionary army. With him around, people would show me more respect."
Flora's concern deepened. "I thought we agreed not to drag him into this. He's out there struggling for his life with only a five percent chance of survival, and you're here—"
Zuko's gaze hardened. "If he awakens, he joins the army. That's final. Don't make things harder for me, woman." He received a phone call and exited. "He was last seen in Sumdem? Find him and bring him back alive. And I pray they haven't crossed paths with Alex yet. Damien should awaken soon. I'm risking everything because of him. He better wake up soon and help me put an end to Mauja's game."
In the forbidden place of Zandra, Jaiz spoke on the phone.
"Everything is going as planned. Manu killed Zebrew just like you instructed. Yes, before she killed him, she passed the final message to her. It seems Zanu is working for someone else. Should we proceed to the next phase?"
Mauja smiled coldly. "Hmmm. Zuko hasn't made a move yet, but he's trying his best to get his hands on the blade and awaken his son. I heard Hiruko was last seen in Sumdem? You should go for the blade before Zuko does. If he does, we're all doomed."
"Should I leave the mission I'm working on and head to Sumdem, your majesty?" Jaiz asked.
"Yes. As for Manu, she should proceed to the next plan. Now that the throne is in her hands and she's aged quite a bit, it's best she moves onto the next plan before she dies in vain."
"Roger that, my queen. I'll let you know when I get the blade," Jaiz replied, ending the call.
Kizaru approached Mauja, bowing. "Your Royal Highness, Lady Aruna has escaped again and made her way to Sina City. Should we make a move on her now?"
"No, not yet," Mauja said, sipping her wine. "We shouldn't surprise that old man. He isn't ordinary; he survived the execution and has made a name for himself. Just keep an eye on her until we know their true hideout. Make sure she doesn't meet Alex. As for Zanu, continue supplying her with the false information I gave you. She has become a conniving woman just like her mother. Make sure you find out who she's working with."
"Yes, Your Highness," Kizaru said, bowing again before leaving.
Mauja muttered to herself, a chilling edge to her voice. "Just what are you scheming now, you little bastard? I need to know as soon as possible whether you've awakened or not." She picked up her phone and called. "I want you to get me more info about Zanu. Find out whether she has awakened or not."
Back at the palace, a small ceremony celebrated Zanu's successful delivery. Manu approached her with a polite smile.
"Congratulations," she said. "I wish your child nothing but the best. Thank heavens it was a boy," she whispered audibly for Zanu to hear. "It would have been bad if you had a girl. Too bad he isn't a true descendant."
Zanu's eyes narrowed. "Manu, for a queen, you sure talk too much."
Manu started to leave, but Zanu continued.
"Yes, that reminds me. After naming the child, you would return the throne to me."
Manu's frown twisted into an ugly smile as she faced her. "Yes, sadly my reign is finally over," she said before exiting.
Zanu moved to her father's side, whispering into his ear. She lightly tapped her glass, alerting the guests.
"Greetings, everyone. We all stand tall and proud today. I am grateful for everyone from far and wide for coming to celebrate this beautiful day with me. I'm even glad the elders are present. I brought life to another blessed person who will take the throne after me when I am old and useless. Sadly, I've been hearing rumors I cannot let slide. The elders said only a true descendant can rule the palace, and my son here isn't one. Why should he take over the throne? Would you rather place your child on it instead? This palace would fall without a king. I am doing good for the palace, so why do you still find fault? You peasants should know that as royalty, I can do whatever I want. That is the blessing I got—you don't have it, so we are not equals."
The crowd fell silent.
"I don't mean to inconvenience anyone," Zanu continued, staring pointedly at Manu. "But this has gone too far. I just wanted to make things clear as queen. And for the one who spread the rumors," she said with a sweet smile, "I'll make sure they are punished now. You should go back and enjoy the party."
The audience clapped as Ali took over the proceedings.
"By the power bestowed to me by the elders," Ali announced, "I hereby dethrone the temporary queen." Manu came forth and bowed.
"As the queen of the kingdom…" Ali continued, returning the staff and crown to the elders.
Manu faced the audience. "Serving you people has truly been a blessing. I'm glad I was able to serve this kingdom. I wish nothing but the—"
At that moment, Zanu received a call.
"I can't speak right now. What? Aruna escaped? Are you sure?"
Manu, continuing her speech, handed the baby to Zanu.
"With the power bestowed to me, I now call forth the mother and future queen with the baby to give him his name," she said. "His name shall be Hikaru. As the elders once said, even if a man is robbed of everything, he shouldn't be robbed of his name. Hikaru means 'Light.' It will surely guide his people and lead them to new heights."
She handed the baby back to Zanu, and the audience clapped. Manu exited, taking a call. "Yes… I should move on to the next plan already? Today? No complaints."
Asuna approached Manu with a smile.
"You must be the temporary queen, right? Nice speech."
Manu froze, her mind racing. This woman doesn't look ordinary. Could she be curious about me?
"You dare call me by my name?" Manu asked sharply.
"I thought you'd be living with Diego by now, since Maria banished you," Asuna said calmly. "It seems you don't know about his existence yet. I advise you, before things get more chaotic, to leave the palace. The weather outside is quite nice, right?"
Manu grabbed her arm. "Who the hell do you think you are? Threatening me?"
Asuna withdrew her hand. "Threatened you? I'm just telling you to run while you have the chance. Manu, do you really not know who Diego is? Then I shouldn't be the one to tell you."
A guard approached. "Forgive my intrusion, but the king is looking for you."
Manu glared at Asuna before exiting with the guard.
Zanu, having seen them pass, confronted Asuna. "I told you not to show your face to anyone! What if the enemy sees you?"
"I should be the least of your worries," Asuna said. "It's best to focus on your child or your father. Ignoring this could lead to tragedy. I will take my leave now."