The blistering sun scorched the dunes of the Solanar Empire, where silence reigned but for the soft steps of a lone wanderer. Cloaked in sand-touched black and guiding a camel beside him, Milo — the shadow of Queen Elara — moved toward the sandstone gates of Vareth'ul, a desert trade city crawling with secrets.
At the gate, two guards in rusted bronze armor blocked the path. One stepped forward, speaking crisply in the Iveryn language:
"Maesa vel'rin taer? Saal ishtar vel Iveryn?"
("Who are you? Speak the language of trade.")
Iveryn, once the language of elves, had become the official tongue in several kingdoms, thanks to the empire's dominance in herb exports, magic beast eggs, spellbooks, and enchanted textiles. Milo tilted his head and answered in flawless Iveryn, "Saal valen. Ivera nos ven."
("I serve Ivera. Let me pass.")
He handed over a black scroll sealed with a golden mark — the sigil of Queen Elara.
The guards immediately stepped aside. "Vel Ivera... nos alen," one muttered. ("In Ivera's name… pass.")
A Forbidden Trade
Milo stepped through the winding alleys, his boots silent across the stone. He searched the underbelly of the market — poison dealers who dared defy the law. Stall by stall, door by door, he asked questions only shadows understood. Finally, he found a hidden den beneath a tattered bookshop.
Inside, a man with silver eyes and shaking hands hissed, "We don't sell to strangers. Only government-sanctioned buyers."
Milo lowered his hood. The man froze.
"Elara sent me," he said flatly, voice like steel. "Do you have the venom?"
Queen Ivera's Morning
Far from the desert, deep within the shimmering marble towers of Iveryn, Queen Ivera stirred beneath soft velvet sheets. Light spilled through crystalline windows, falling on her golden-brown hair.
"Good morning, my lady," came the familiar voice of Lysenne, her maid — no, her shadow — the only soul allowed in Ivera's most private moments.
Ivera smiled lazily. "Mmm… Lysenne, come help me."
Lysenne stepped forward, gently unzipping the Queen's royal nightgown. It slipped down Ivera's shoulders and pooled at her feet. Lysenne, too, quietly removed her own dress, and the two women walked — naked — toward the great steaming bathtub filled with fragrant lavender waters.
They slipped in together. The warm water enveloped them as Lysenne knelt behind the Queen, gently washing her hair, fingers massaging her scalp.
Ivera let out a relaxed sigh. "Mmm…"
Then whispered, "I gave Elysera the blade when she was just a babe… The same shall be given to Nyx when she's ready."
It wasn't just a sword — it was a bond. A truth. For when she had taken Nyx in, Ivera had fed her at her breast, claiming her fully as her daughter, royal and real.
"Maelen syra, vaen..." Lysenne said softly in Iveryn. ("That is a gift of queens…")
"You're naked too, Lysenne," Ivera teased with a smirk.
"So is the Queen," Lysenne replied in Iveryn, blushing slightly.
The two laughed softly in the warmth of the bath. The sounds of blissful comfort, not lust — the sound of trust between two who had shared lifetimes together.
Royal Preparations
After their bath, Lysenne gently dried the Queen's body with silken cloth, then moved to her hair.
With gentle fingers, she wove Ivera's golden-brown hair into an elegant braid, wrapping it in a silver circlet etched with the crest of her house. Tiny enchanted pins shimmered as they locked the strands in place, giving the Queen a look that was both regal and fierce.
"It suits you," Lysenne whispered.
"Of course it does," Ivera said, rising slowly. "You always know how to make me battle-ready."
Lysenne helped Ivera into her deep blue robes, laced with silver threads. "It's cold," Ivera muttered.
"That's because you're naked, my Queen," Lysenne teased again.
"Then give me that," Ivera smirked, accepting the robe. Once dressed, she added, "Now go dress yourself too. Meet me in the castle hall."
The Throne Room
Minutes later, Ivera stood before her ministers and generals, their heads bowed.
"We must protect our lands — from east, west, and those who pretend friendship from across the sea."
She turned to her commander. "Send word to the minority kingdoms. Repair the villages, reinforce the trade hubs. And what of Ren and the others?"
"They are still under observation, my Queen."
Ivera nodded, then whispered to Lysenne beside her, "Watch them closely. Inform me of my daughters. All of them."
"Yes, my lady."
Moments later, she climbed onto the back of her majestic golden dragon, wings wide as towers, eyes glowing like coals.
"Take me to the Realm Lords meeting."
Blood in the Valley
Back in Solanar, Milo followed the merchant's information to the Dravaryn Forest, a cursed place near the empire's edge. There, he found it — a massive leviathan, slain and half-buried.
Suddenly, a whistle. Mirevian soldiers ambushed him.
"Who are you?" they demanded.
Milo fought, but they were too many. One struck him hard — and he tumbled down a valley, the dead leviathan with him.
"Shoot!" one yelled. Arrows pierced the air — striking the river below.
Silence.
Then — a monstrous roar.
The leviathan came alive, rising from the waters, its body glowing with runes. It swallowed the soldiers whole, devouring them in a storm of teeth and fury.
Milo floated nearby, panting.
The leviathan turned to him and spoke.
"You saved me. What do you seek?"
"Your skin and tooth," Milo said. "My Queen demands it."
The beast nodded. "Take it."
Return to Elara
At the heart of Elaris Empire, Queen Elara stood before a mirror of light.
Milo knelt and presented the Leviathan gifts.
"You did well," Elara said. "You saved a creature tied to our ancestors. And now… I go."
She opened a portal and stepped into it.
Unwelcome Visit
Location: One of the Minority Kingdoms under Solanar Empire rule
Candlelight flickered across stone walls as the king lay sprawled on silken sheets, moaning with pleasure. The woman straddling him rode him with reckless rhythm, her hands pressed against his chest, her hair whipping with every thrust.
"Ahh… ahh… ooooh… my king…"
He grunted, gripping her hips. "Don't stop—ahh!"
Just then—
A sudden crack of energy lit the chamber.
A violet portal surged open in the center of the room, and through it stepped Queen Elara, cloaked in swirling shadows and regal fury. Her eyes locked onto the carnal scene before her.
The woman screamed, scrambling off the king and covering her chest with a nearby sheet. She bolted toward the side door, sobbing in terror.
The king gasped, flustered, grabbing a fur-lined robe to cover his nakedness. "Q-Queen Elara! You could have—ahh—I mean—!"
Elara raised an eyebrow. "Do I look like someone who knocks?"
The room crackled with the lingering energy of the portal. The scent of incense, sweat, and shame hung heavy in the air.
She stepped closer, her boots echoing sharply on the marble floor. "So this is how a supposed guardian of the continent spends his evening. Impressive."
The king bowed, flushed and panicked. "My deepest apologies, my Queen. If I had known—"
Elara cut him off with a raised hand. Her tone grew colder.
"What would Lady Solane, Sky Lord and Queen of your realm, say if I told her her man-servant was indulging in palace pleasures while the Realms Council prepares for war?"
He froze. "Please… don't…"
She narrowed her eyes. "I came not to scold your loins, but to make a demand. I need your best dragon hunters. I know your kingdom breeds them like no other. You will send them to me within the next day."
The king nodded hastily. "Yes, yes—of course. Consider it done."
Elara turned, the shadows at her back rippling as the portal reformed.
But before stepping in, she looked over her shoulder.
"Next time, clean up your filth before royalty arrives. And pray I never find you wasting time again."
With a flash, she vanished—leaving only silence, the stunned king, and the shameful echoes of his unfinished pleasure.
Meanwhile: The Trio
Back in the Elaris Empire, Nyx, Elysera, and Lira were deep in combat training, clashing swords, dodging spells, and laughing between strikes. No letters had arrived. No message from Ivera yet.
But the storm was already gathering.
And the real game… had just begun.