The celebrations had commenced in full earnest, soft music echoed through the room with a lovely quality that allowed for conversation with an inviting atmosphere. The instruments spoke of storied tales and blossoming loves. Men and women of different houses and from different realms mixed together like the rarest of dyes. The colors adorned by the nobility of Aurum painted a level of wealth that few outside of this room would ever be able to achieve. It had been over a century since such a gathering was held and all present could feel it; the growing realization of being on the cusp of something truly marvelous. Reza would have felt it too, but after her third glass of Stygian wine such things no longer concerned her. As much as she had not wanted to admit, the vino was of exquisite flavor. It being her first taste of the famed wine further improved her understanding of why it was so desired by many. Though what she drank was the diluted version of the real thing, she could not imagine how much better the true drink would taste. On her third cup she could better count the number of flavors that danced on her tongue, the strongest of them being a sweet vanilla aroma that soothed her worried mind.

Noble after noble had approached her to offer their congratulations. As they spoke her praises and that of the man she was to wed with sweet platitudes, their eyes offered a different story. One that was filled with envy and jealousy of all that had been given to her. Many who had lived a life of luxury and afforded access to the finer things in life once thought content, looked at her and realized there was still more they would never attain. It unnerved her in the beginning why they would look at her in such a way. She did not want any of this, all that had happened in the weeks leading to this moment were thrust upon her by the emperor, her own father. The princess longed for the comfortable walls of Castle Altieri–she missed her home. But more importantly, she missed the freedom afforded to familiarity. In this strange place surrounded by these strange people, she felt she did not belong.

"I didn't know you drank so casually my princess."

The voice caught her by surprise and she turned around to follow it. "Gawain!" she beamed, finally a familiar face in the sea of uncertainty. "I didn't think you would come." She nearly threw herself into his arms. She longed for his touch.

The would-be knight caught her before she could, "Princess please there are those who are watching." He nervously looked around to gauge the atmosphere of the room.

Annoyed by her rebuffed advances, she looked into his eyes to see any trace of the longing she saw King Antares had when he gazed at Queen Freyja. "This is a celebration for me or have you forgotten? Who would dare say anything?" she crossed her hands and looked away.

Gawain smiled, and placed a hand on her arm leading her back towards him. "How could I forget, when I am in the presence of the most beautiful woman in all of Aurum?" he loved it when she reminded him of her standing.

"Really…?" Reza's ears perked as she moved her flowing hair out of her face. Her eyes gazed into his with intense allure.

A thousand times yes, the boy thought. Gawain found it difficult to wrestle with his duties whenever he was around her. Such a fleeting meeting was their first ever conversation all those years ago. Yet every time since whenever he was around her, he simply wished to exist only to serve her. The stylized white dress she wore for the celebration accentuated the raven color of her hair and the crystalline blue jewels that were her eyes. To him, she was the most beautiful of all the emperor's daughters. A radiance that could even rival that of Queen Freyja one day. Her touch sent energy coursing through his veins, the softness of her skin, of her features. He could look upon her for a century and never once tire in the task. However that is all he would ever be permitted to do, simply just look. She was not his responsibility, never to be his. The days leading to the ceremony and even this very night where they all gathered was proof of it. He was a boy destined to be a great knight, that duty took precedent above all else. Even her, but to say he was not filled with disdain for the emperor offering his daughter to such a vile man as the Stygian King, would be the most obvious of lies. Gawain was a painfully honest boy and his face rarely did well to hide that.

He mustered a reassuring smile, "Yes." It was all he could say, all he felt needed to be said.

Reza blushed, and looked to caress the side of his cheek.

"You are very bold little sister," Enrieta appeared behind them with her ever towering figure.

The moment startled both Reza and Gawain. The Nephilim Queen's habit of interrupting them at such tender moments was starting to lose its novelty in their eyes.

"Q-Queen Enrieta, I was just-" Gawain searched for the right words.

The queen raised a finger silencing him immediately. She turned her expression back towards her little sister. She had no qualms with Reza having strong feelings for the boy. It was the nature of all young girls to seek that which is different from what they know, an act of rebellion to gain some semblance of control over their lives. However Reza was soon to be a woman and a queen at that, such luxuries were not permitted. She was aware of the sheltered life her little sister lived and the naivety that was born because of it. Nevertheless Enrieta had hoped that her sister would at least have the clarity to understand not only her own standing but that of the boy. She would soon exist in a world he could never be a part of, and as so, needed to take care with her affections for him in the eyes of the nobility and royals gathered. Most of all in the eyes of their father and the Stygians. Lest her actions put him to the sword.

"If you are here to sco-" Reza emboldened by the wine, was ready to defend her actions.

"I am not here to scold you," interrupted her elder sister. "I have only come to make sure you are ready for the first waltz with King Antares." Enrieta had approached with confidence but seeing the state of her sister, there was some doubt creeping in.

Reza laughed haphazardly realizing her mistake, she nodded, "I am ready." She hoped she had sounded more confident than she felt.

Among her many quick lessons, she was made to practice her waltz. It was customary for such a glorious occasion and for her potential union with the Ilian King, that the first of the many dances that would take place tonight be shared between them. The importance of it was stressed by her instructors as though the fate of Aurum hung in the balance. She had laughed it off as an exaggeration to get her to focus, but her teachers did not share in the same jovial mood she was in at the time. The finest waltz instructors throughout Talterra had been her teachers but despite the extensive lessons, Princess Reza hoped King Antares was far more comfortable taking the lead throughout the entire ordeal.

As though on que, a moment later all attention turned to the greeter at the top of the stairs, who called out to those below.

"What great timing," Enrieta smiled.

"Introducing, in all his magnificence and transcendency!" shouted the greeter, their voice boomed with great command. The weight of it was needed to speak the titles of the man who approached.

"King of the Stygians, the First Men of Antemeridian and the Beastmen. The Last Guardian of Au and Protector of the Nine Grimoires of Nyx! The ninety-ninth King of Iliad, Antares Xerxes!"

He stepped through the gilded doors of the of the ballroom, at the top of the stairs, accompanied by his family on either side. Gasps and murmurs reverberated through the room. So much of conversation had revolved around this man in the days and weeks leading up to this moment. There were those who cursed his name in private, those who offered praise for what he had accomplished, even admiration for the strength spoken about in tales. However the ever growing sentiment throughout the room and beyond these marble walls of Castle Blackrose–throughout Aurum, was doubt. They had all doubted him, he was not the king that had saved them all from ruin, that was his father. Nor was he the king that was destined to rule, that was reserved for his older brother Hyperion. None knew what to make of him, but in that moment it all changed. The venust air he possessed was celestial in nature. The nighttime had done exceptionally well to punctuate the soft ebony glow of his skin. He wore the cosmos atop his head like a crown. Each stride he took was careful and deliberate. His royal attire was a pleasant combination of silver and black with golden accents underlining the intricacy of its design. Around his abdomen, he wore a violet waist cape of refined quality, reserved only for the likes of him.

Any lingering doubt quickly vanished as they studied him. Antares Xerxes was deserving of the title of Stygian King, at the very least in appearance. The rest of his family did not lack in comparison, their greatness profound enough to keep pace with their monarch. The mighty Typhon looked like a great colossuses from myth , the ever tempered Casspien cooled with his appearance the golden bands his hair reflected riches too vast to understand. And ravishing Guinevere, Melina and Ursula stole shameless glances from men and women, all desiring them in excess. The Stygians from Iliad would be the topic of conversation for months and the years ahead. They appeared greater than what was advertised, and through it all they all marched with the same indifferent expression that was so closely associated with their kind. As though their very appearance was to be expected, to them perfection was simply their way of life, nothing more.

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The crowd parted ways for them, reflexively a large circle had formed in the middle of the ballroom. Antares was made aware earlier in the day that he would be given the right of the first waltz, this was done with the hope to further show his resolve in his bride to be. An honor that was meant to show how welcomed he and his kin were in the south. He moved to the center of the floor with all eyes watching his every action. All around him were looks of flustered yearning plastered on their face, for as long as he could remember it was always the same. His eyes showed him their true nature, the contents of their soul and Will. Yet among all of them that gathered there was one that called out to him louder than anyone else's.

He turned his gaze towards Reza and Enrieta. The Nephilim Queen smiled, unsure of what he would do next. Reza handed her glass to Gawain who scowled at the King of Iliad. The young princess prepared herself and had proceeded to step forward when Antares moved towards her right turning his attention to another. The Stygian King extended his hand and she took it without a second of consideration of what it would mean to those who watched. He pulled her close to him and soon after the first waltz had begun.

"What are you doing?" Faye asked, flummoxed at her decision to take his hand so readily.

Antares looked at her with a puzzled expression, "Dancing?" he smirked with a sense of accomplishment.

The Queen of Talterra struggled to suppress her smile at the coy remark, "You know what I mean. Tradition dictates the first waltz be with your bride to be."

"Well Stygian tradition dictates that the first waltz be with the lady of the castle."

"Do you forget that I was raised studying your traditions?" she reminded him, a wave of memories returned to her. "And never has such a tradition existed."

"Yes you know that, but they do not." Antares spun her around before bringing her closer again. "Besides, what use is being king if I cannot bend the rules every once in a while?" he looked at her as he always did, with a warm gaze.

Freyja laughed into his chest. The Stygian boy she had always known to follow traditions and rules, only broke them when it came to her. It seemed that after all this time, that still that had not changed. She tried to guilt herself for accepting his hand, but she simply could not do it. Because ultimately she wanted to, she knew it just as much as he did. So for however long this moment between them would last, she would grant herself the briefest of pleasures. Soon all that remained was them; the background and everyone in it, faded away. Faye danced with the man she had always loved, forgoing everything else in the process.

Of the five years King Saturn Blackrose had been married to his wife, Queen Freyja Stormborne he could not recall a moment that she had ever laughed as she had just done. Nor carried such a genuine appearance of true bliss. Not even during the birth of their first and only child. From the first time he had met her, he knew who her heart had belonged to. Like her, he to belonged to another. So he had accepted it with relative ease. In truth he believed he did not care for her, or for the marriage. To him it was merely another way to consolidate his fathers reach across Aurum. He was aware of how the prospect of his marriage to her had come to be. King Antares had carried out an unspeakable tragedy and the penalty for it was exile and the annulment of his future marriage to Freyja. The Storm Islands, unsure of their future now that their only connection to the Stygians had been severed, sought to find a new ally, one that would perhaps one day see them as an equal. That was the role that he and Freyja were meant to play–a bridge between two realms.

All his life he was raised to play a role and at a very early age–too early for any child to understand–he had made peace with that. However not her. He looked over at his little sister who struggled to maintain a forced smile as her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. Reza was not raised in such a way and he was acutely aware of that fact, some would even say thankful for it. Despite being informed that the union between his little sister and the Stygian King had not been fully set, there was no other way to see the actions of King Antares as nothing else but utter disrespect. To allow his desires to take precedent over his duty was something Saturn pretended not to understand, allowing the moment to further prove his father was wrong to push this marriage. To use Reza as an offering to appease the Stygians who had abandoned Aurum for well over a century was a farce in the Terran King's eyes. Especially when they looked at such a gift without the proper appreciation for it. In the ever perceptive eyes of Saturn, King Antares was the physical representation of everything much maligned about the Stygians–they who did whatever they pleased when they pleased without regard for consequence.

Nevertheless the king remained silent and observed as others did. None would dare even look at his direction, it would be madness to do so. Only Crown Prince Galahad stole a glance at him, the restrained anger in his eyes a welcomed shared feeling. His rage on behalf of his little sister grew, but he did well to quell it before anyone would notice. For in that moment he wondered perhaps this was his fathers desire and he must have watched from somewhere to see what the reactions of those present would be, himself included. He would not give him the satisfaction, he looked on with the same indifference that he had cultivated over a lifetime of practice. His rage was aimed at Antares but he would grant his wife this reprieve, she had been nothing but excellent since their union and an even better mother. King Saturn Blackrose watched on and as always, said nothing.

"We are nearly done," Antares whispered in her ear.

"It appears so," she acknowledged, not hiding the sadness in her voice.

"Do you recall the last time we danced like this?" he asked.

She nodded, "You have improved quite a great deal."

He chuckled, "Thank you Freyja."

"It was not meant as a compliment," she teased. Their movements had begun to slow as the song was drawing to a close.

The Stygian King smiled and prepared for the dazzling finale, "That was not why I was thanking you."

Before she could ask what he was alluding to, he twirled her around wrapping her close. He covered her with blue streaks of mana that flowed all the way down towards the bottom of her white dress. As he unfurled her the streaks transformed into countless frosted butterflies that at first clung to her dress and eventually flew through the air to Freyja and the crowd's awe. She was the centerpiece of the beautiful spectacle and Antares wanted all present to know it.

As the song finished the crowd erupted into thunderous applause. The brilliant end to such a wonderfully delicate and passionate waltz had left them all stunned. The show of grace by both the Stygian King and the Queen of Talterra was marvelous. They were all privy to the rumors of them once being betrothed to each other, childhood friends who had spent many years together. The dance had done nothing but fuel further gossip that was sure to carry on throughout the night, but for now they were all far too moved by the waltz to think of anything else. They both looked at each other and smiled and followed it with a curtsy bow and then towards those gathered. Soon after they were crowded by all present as they approached to give them their dues. Among those who gathered around them there was one little boy with platinum hair like his father who made his way through.

"Mother! You were amazing!" he called out with excitement.

He wrapped himself around her to her shock.

"Jupiter?" Freyja looked stunned, "Are you not supposed to be asleep?"

He smiled and nodded, "Grandsire said I could watch the celebrations from atop the second floor." He pointed to the gaggle of servants who nervously waited above. "But I was not supposed to tell you or father."

Freyja was ready to chastise her mischievous child when she realized what his appearance here meant. In her pleasure she had forgotten herself and her son's presence here reminded her of her standing and the current life she lived. Of the many things she wanted to speak with the King of the Stygians about, to inform him of things that had changed since their last time together. Her little boy was perhaps one of the most difficult conversations she struggled to come to terms with. Of the many ways she wanted to tell him, this was not the way she wanted him to find out. Anxiousness washed over her like a frightening chill, unsure of what his reaction would be. Within her she searched for all the ways she would address him but as Freyja turned to Antares scared of his expression, it faded when she saw his reaction.

"Who might you be?" the King of Iliad knelt down with a cheerful smirk.

The boy's boisterous demeanor changed and he clung to his mothers dress unsure of what to do. He looked up at her for her approval and she gave it with an encouraging nod.

"I… I am Prince Jupiter Blackrose," he said nervously.

Antares chuckled, the little prince looked like his father but had his mothers eyes. "It is an honor to meet you, Prince Jupiter." Once again he was reminded about the passage of time and how things had changed over the years. The world he knew was not the one that remained when he returned from exile. "I am King Antares, an old…friend of your mothers."

Prince Jupiter nodded his little head, curiously he wanted to know why such a man was dancing with his mother in place of his father. However the young child was too shy to ask.

Freyja picked him up, "You have caused enough trouble for one night. To bed with you." She gazed at Antares with a thankful look and one that said they would converse later.

The Stygian King gave the woman he loved a soft smile in agreement, not knowing what else to say. If there was truly anything else that could be said.

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