The downpour of ash continued to fall without stopping. Ash covered the white marble like winter frost. The high nobles were coughing into their embroidered handkerchiefs while the sharp smell of charred iron and rotted wood filled the air.
Malakor brushed the ash from his green sleeve, his eyes looking a bit hollow as he fixed his gaze on the towering figure in front of him
"The Mother Tree…She... She's thirsty. She's on the verge of death.…" Malakor said something under his breath, his hand in the air, shaking.
Deep beneath the garden paving, a tangle of underground roots creaked and squirmed, it sounded like grinding stone and snapping bone. Its massive golden canopy that was usually a solid, bright dome of light was now flickering like crazy. Its leaves withered right away, turning into dry, black clumps before crumbling into dust.
"The tree's sap has turned to ash…" He whispered in front of the mother tree, slowly lowering his head until he touched the ground. When he started doing that, the other alchemists also lowered their heads and offered a respectful bow. They roared at what they saw.
The palace elders also shouted the roar.
"Your Majesty," Malakor walked towards Lucian, approaching him in a somewhat hurried and unsteady state, his face was drawn and pale, as if blood had left his body. He had looked so shaken by what had happened to the Mother Tree.
"The King mourned for a long time. Perhaps his sorrow caused the tree's thirst.…." He said.
Eleven years.
For eleven years, the Kingdom of Veridia has been ignoring the mandatory ascension of a new queen after the last one passed away. For all that time, the Mother Tree has survived on whatever energy it can get, which is why it feels like time has completely stopped.
The seasons haven't changed since the Queen died.
The country is still locked in winter.
"It has been said that, every ten years, the tree bears fruit up to 10 times. It is said that the king should have taken concubines and made them eat the fruit so that they would bear royal heirs to continue the throne. Regrettably, apparently King Caelum always preferred to maintain his commitment to monogamy. He practiced monogamy until the end of his life and now the tree is parched." Malakor locked eyes with Lucian, raising his voice to a near shout as he described the situation.
Lucian stood there, he held his silver rosary so tightly to his chest that the metal links dug into his pale skin, his lips quivering. His chest throbbed as all eyes turned to him, as if they were judging his father's wrongdoings against the country or the kingdom.
Even though Lucian personally didn't even know about these rules, he knew that his father refused to accept any concubines when his mother started getting poor health.
"But I'm here! I'm the heir to this kingdom!" His voice was shaking. He tried to keep everyone at ease, assuring them that there was nothing to worry about, since he'd officially become their king. And even though he wasn't keen, he'd still make sure he did his responsibilities properly.
"I sincerely apologize, Your Majesty. For the past 11 years, you have chosen to maintain a distance from the palace." One of the councils said, bowing deeply to Lucian, who was still confused.
"While you may spend the majority of your time in the church, it is important to remember that you have distanced yourself from the Mother Tree. Even your blood may not be sufficient to quench the thirst of the Mother Tree."
Lucian didn't get why they were suddenly talking about his religious devotion to the church.
"It seems that she is looking for someone who might be able to provide a stronger sense of support."
Looking for someone? So you're saying that to the Mother Tree, I mean nothing? No help at all? Unnecessary?
One by one, the kingdom's high-ranking officials started to speak their minds in front of Lucian. Their statements seemed like personal attacks on him. They were cornering him, blaming his freedom as his sin, which led to the Mother Tree's thirst and near-death.
"Being a king in Veridia isn't just about ruling the whole country of Arboris and making sure your people are well taken care of. It's also about serving the Mother Tree." Another high-up official jumped in, his face showing how serious he was as he looked at Lucian.
It felt like the pressure they were putting on was getting worse and louder.
"You spent your youth hiding away in a sanctuary, Your Majesty, serving dry scriptures while the true heart of Arboris starved," a councilor sneered, his voice dripping with venom. Lucian swallowed hard, every sharp stare cutting into him like glass. They were framing his piety as treason turning his only sanctuary into his greatest sin.
Now they seemed fearless in the way they were always putting him under the microscope and bringing up all his 'mistakes'.
Serving the church was his bread and butter. It wasn't his fault he wasn't able to carry out his role as Crown Prince. So why are these people now blaming him?
"What should I do?" Lucian's discomfort was clear as he struggled to form a word, his eyes fluttering with tears. They all were judging him, their glares cutting deep.
The officials clearly noticed Lucian's hesitation when he was asked the question. The way he responded, the tears in his eyes over what had happened to the Mother Tree made the officials even more concerned that making him king was a mistake.
The whole garden was filled with this tense, heavy silence. The wind stopped blowing. The roots, which had been groaning, now lay still.
CRACKLE.
The noise was back, but this time it came from the tree trunk.
Lucian glanced up and noticed what was happening to The Mother Tree.
When they heard the noise, Malakor and a few other alchemists legged it over straight away. The high-ups were all tense, lost in their own thoughts and worries.
Malakor and the other alchemists each took a bottle of golden liquid from their pockets and poured it onto the broken branch from the mother tree.
As they recited the spell, Lucian could feel the air shift strangely. The whole thing felt a bit creepy. The high-ups looked at each other and fell silent.
"She... she has spoken," whispered a bishop as he knelt on a bed of soot.
"Your Majesty…" Thomas's voice cut through the ambient panic, low and unusually grim. Lucian turned to see his valet's sharp features pale under the grey light. Thomas bowed his silver head, his blue-grey eyes heavy with unspoken dread. "Looks like your turn has come.."
Lucian frowned, "My turn?" He asked.
Malakor then turned around and started walking slowly, with the other alchemists following behind. The cold hit Lucian again, even colder than before.
The old guy raised his hands in the air and offered a deep bow to Lucian.
"Your Majesty, The Mother Tree had decided who would bear life's legacy. It is my understanding that the next step in the process would be the selection of a Queen to accompany King Lucian."
Malakor's words made Lucian's eyes widen instantly. He'd just been crowned king that afternoon and his father had been buried just thirty minutes ago.
Malakor pulled out the golden leaf he'd been holding in both hands. It was the leaf of the mother tree he'd placed between the cracked wood. He treated it like it was precious.
"The Mother Tree has just named its next Queen." Malakor's words caused a bit of a stir in the palace. The higher-ups were stunned by what was going on, while Lucian himself was just confused.
"What do you mean? I was just announced as the new king, so why are you bringing up a queen now?" Lucian demands an explanation.
"Your Majesty, this is the first time the Mother Tree has done this. The Mother Tree never chooses a Queen when a King is just being introduced." One of the high officials spoke up again.
"That is proof that the Mother Tree is feeling desperate.."
"The Mother Tree is on the verge of death.."
"The Mother Tree is trying to save itself."
The words left Lucian feeling a bit uneasy. He didn't get it, but no one was willing to explain it to him. All the high-ranking officials' words were making the situation feel impossible to deal with.
Lucian looked over at Malakor, his fingers were shaking and he was really struggling to catch his breath. He felt there was no point in him being there.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for saying this, but I need to tell everyone right away." Malakor said, his eyes, which seemed to show resentment and hatred, looking at Lucian straight on.
"I'm pleased to announce that the next Queen to grace the royal stage with His Majesty King Lucian Sol Veridian is..." His dry voice was so loud it hurt Lucian's ears.
He didn't want to hear it, he didn't want to know. He didn't want to be there, didn't want all the responsibilities that came with being king. He didn't want to replace his father, who never even acknowledged his existence.
He didn't want to.
"The North. The Tree demands the Commander of Dreadmoor. Viscount Soren Vane Delve is to be summoned. He will be your Bearer."