The dull clicking of footsteps resounded through the silence of the rooftop garden now vacant except for the two souls strolling through the lush bushes and blooming night flowers. Their steps made a matching harmony as they walked hand in hand. Their hips sway ever so slightly with the faint sound of the music pouring from the party down below. The melody of the orchestra playing loudly barely reached their ears as they focused on each other's voices. They carefully listened to the words being exchanged and enjoyed the sound of each other's laughter while faint blushes painted both their cheeks. In the distance, fireworks can be seen painting the dark night sky yet their cracking noises were simply ignored as the beating of their hearts roared louder.

Aurelius brought Ruby to the secret garden on the highest tower of the Imperial Palace. This place is much more beautiful than the previous places they've been to. They just finished exploring everything the party has to offer and it was already well past noon. While some guests are already passing out due to exhaustion and the alcohol, the two are still energetic and frolicking about in the night.

Ruby could barely breathe as Aurelius pulled her into different parties being held in the hundred rooms of the palace. Everything seemed like a colorful blur that she has nearly forgotten everything they've seen. So far she can remember the eccentric performances of acrobats and the dazzling presentation of mages and the mystical creatures. Ruby was still blown away by the elegant dance of the nymphs who showed them a great spectacle of the water show. Then the food they ate was delicious, especially the ones they shared.

Aurelius was very keen on feeding her the delicacies he specially selected for her palate and Ruby also saw it fit to tease him a few times by feeding him with her own hands which the royal prince never rejected. He would wholeheartedly eat anything she offered even if he's already full. Once the food had settled down on their stomach, Aurelius would ask her to dance, stealing the stage from everyone else by engaging her in an elegant waltz filled with more passion than all the stars combined.

The prince seems to be very keen on expressing his affections for her that their relationship could barely be hidden anymore from the whole world. Everyone will surely be gossiping about how Ruby quickly moved on from her past engagement to a newer, more advantageous match which they already heard being talked about among some old matrons who attended the party. The couple could barely care any less as they abandoned any thought about other people's prejudice and focused only on each other allowing them to enjoy the night to the fullest.

"Oh my stars, the crab was so amazing in the ocean-themed party. Where did you get that? Everything is just exquisite and fun and lively... This is the best night of my life!" Ruby squealed as they walked through the marble stone path beside the artistically shaped ponds. The crimson light of the red moon that was supposed to forebode danger seems to bathe the couple in a romantic light and Prince Aurelius who thought so couldn't contain the smile that stretched from ear to ear.

"We got those from the south. The ports of Merriwell are known for their superb seafood. We should visit it sometimes and see the ocean for ourselves."

"That sounds great. What should we do next? Is there a jousting competition being held down below? A swordsmanship match being held anywhere in the palace? I'm so fired up right now I can kill ten giants with one strike!" Aurelius chuckled at her eagerness and energy. They've been dancing, playing, and fooling around all night but his lady still seems to have a lot of energy in store.

"Easy there tiger. I didn't put up any of those things at the party. I'm afraid that you'll hurt someone incredibly bad and end up creating some sort of a Battle Royale."

"Oh, well. It seems that your quick thinking has spared many lives. I shall allow it today since I am incredibly happy." Ruby mumbled with fake snob, making the Prince chuckle.

"Oh, I am so thankful for your generosity oh great and noble queen." He replied jokingly and even emphasized it with a small bow.

"By the way Ruby, I've been wondering. Where did you learn how to fight? Who taught you the arts of combat? You seem extremely well versed in everything: defense, offense, strategies, fouls, tricks, and traps. That sort. I would like to commend your teacher and maybe even get a few pointers."

"Oh, that will be difficult. You see I've been trained by many knights since I could remember. My handmaidens and wet nurses died when I was a baby trying to protect me when we were attacked by demons. Luckily, the knights were swift to act and saved me just in time. From then on mother appointed many knights as my babysitter whenever she's too consumed with work to take care of me herself. That's why I grew up with many father figures. I can at least think of a hundred people who I could name as my pseudo father."

"Does that include Sir Bedivere? He seems to be the most hands-on among all of Lady Altria's other knights."

"Actually I think Sir Bedivere is more of a mother figure since he's softer than my mother when it comes to me. He can also do more feminine activities than my mother and I combined. I remember one time we were embroidering, the three of us: mom, me, and sir Bedi. I was able to create a tolerable picture of a duck and Sir Bedivere made a tapestry of our palace. It was so beautiful that it was the spitting image of the real one while mom tried embroidering a flower only to end up making it look like a massacre. It was hilarious when we presented our works to Sir Agravain and Sir Gawain. Mother's needlework was able to make even the stone-cold Sir Agravain crack a smile."

"I remember who Sir Gawain is since we've done some sparring, shared some jokes and drinks but Sir Agravain only scowled at me from the corner of the room during my stay in Cadmure. He seems to be your mother's top advisor and I was just wondering if he doesn't like me that much. You know he seems very influential and assertive I'm scared that one foul word about me from him would convince your mom to... Terminate our relationship. Did I do something wrong to him? Did my family have a history with him?" Aurelius asked as he guided her through the steps.

"No, of course not. Sir Agravain just has a perpetual scowling face. He doesn't even smile at me, not even a fake one, which I think I prefer than having him all bright and plastic. Come to think of it, the only moment I saw him smiling is when he made my mom laugh. Which is rare by the way because he never jokes around."

"What? What happened?"

"Well, he "accidentally" poured coffee on Sir Gawain who then fell off his chair backwards. I'm not sure if he was laughing at Sir Gawain's predicament or he was smiling because my mother was laughing at something he did. He had his eyes on her the whole time."

"Don't you think that perhaps Sir Agravain has some feelings for your mom? I mean your mom is really perfect. She's beautiful, strong, warm, kind, and extremely generous. Although she's not really very feminine and lady-like, I think future mother-in-law have charming qualities that draw people in just like her daughter."

"Real smooth." Ruby commented sarcastically as she rolled her eyes even though the blush on her cheeks darkened. She would never express it to him but his words just made her heart leap. Actually, everything he's been doing is making her heart flutter. She's afraid that any more affection from him would completely make her heart give out.

"But yeah, I noticed that some of her retainers seem to have some feelings for her, especially the ones closest to her. Like Sir Bedivere and Sir Agravain. None of them are making serious romantic moves on mom since their vows of servitude and honor forbid them but it doesn't stop them from giving her longing gazes. Plus their actions speak the loudest. Do you know that it was Sir Agravain who built the whole Pendragon Fortress and carefully selected every knight and servant to make sure that mother has the best of everything? He's like an obsessive secret lover who doesn't even realize his own feelings while Sir Bedivere walked the whole world just to find her when the Kingdom of Camelot collapsed to return Excalibur to her. Plus he's taking care of her only daughter with another man. It's kind of sorrowful." Ruby paused thinking about her own words before giggling in realization of something.

"God, mom has a more colorful love life than me. I mean. I only have one suitor while she has at least one thousand worshipers. I've never given it much thought but I think she's the biggest harem queen in the whole length and breadth of the Empire." Aurelius released a roar of laughter making Ruby giggle as well.

"Then it is advantageous for me that this apple fell far from the tree or else we'll need a new graveyard exclusively for the suitors of Ruby Pendragon." Ruby snorted at his joke.

"I fear that there's more truth than jest to your words. After all, you've already eliminated my finacé. Luckily she has a unique admirer as well. If I take another one perhaps all the eligible bachelors in the Empire will all die of mysterious causes."

"Well, you're not wrong there. Which reminds me. I have something for you." They finally reached a clearing in the center of the garden where an intricate metal gazebo stood elegantly like a giant flower blooming in the moonlight.

Aurelius hurried to retrieve something from the table and quickly hid it behind his back making Ruby quite curious about what it is. The prince guided her up the steps while carefully keeping the object out of her sight before seating her in a comfortable plush chair. This place is rather dim since only eight candlelights provided illumination for them but Ruby was able to make out the gentle shapes of flower petals littering the ground while the sweet scent of vanilla allured her sense of smell. Her breath hitched in her throat as an idea came across her mind.

A lovely night...

A joyful experience...

A perfect suit...

Flowers, candles, and a hidden object behind his back...

The eerie sky now looks romantic with just the two of them enjoying the night alone in a beautiful scenic place. It was quiet and peaceful that one can almost hear the beating of each other's hearts. The atmosphere in this moment seems to be the perfect time for a proposal and the declaration of requited love.

"Ruby... We've been together for quite a while now. I've shown you my secrets and you've told me yours. I know I did a lot of awful things to you in the past but I hope that you can forgive me and humor me with this request." Aurelius began.

His words made her chest tighten with anticipation. Is this it? Is he going to ask for her hand in marriage? If he is, then how should she answer him? Suddenly she feels both nauseous and excited. The butterflies in her stomach earlier seem to have transformed into dragons that breathe fire into her very core sending a blaze of inferno that threatens to swallow her whole.

The night is cold and the wind is biting but all she could feel is the warmth radiating from her stomach. The fireworks are loud and blaring but all she can hear is the sound of his breathing. The flowers, the landscape, and the stars are all so beautiful but she can't see any of them. All she can see is the man in front of her and the dashing smile that painted his lips.

"What is it?" was all she could utter as she held her breath.

"Will you...?" he began.

"Yes?" she whispered in anticipation.

"Will you help me fill this book with more pictures?" Aurelius finally said as he placed something heavy on her lap.

Ruby was speechless. Literally. She stared at him wide-eyed with a smile frozen on her lips. Her eyes held puzzlement and a tinge of disappointment.

"Pardon?"

"Open it." Aurelius chuckled as he gestured to the rectangular object he placed on her lap. With shaking fingers, Ruby complied with his words and pulled the ribbon to open the pretty wrappings of his gift. What greeted her was not a ring but a book with words written in bold golden letters and decorated with the prettiest gems.

"Ruby and Aurelius" it spelled.

"Wh-what is this?" Ruby quietly questioned almost like a whisper.

"This is a scrapbook of our story. This one is when we first met in the forest and fought a chimera." Aurelius explained as he flipped through the book and pointed at a clean sketch of what seems to roughly depict their battle with the Chimera.

"Chapter 1: The Beauty, The Beast, and The Prince" read the caption.

"'Strangers in the woods' seems to be more poetic. Our first meeting isn't really that fairytale-like." Ruby suggested as she stared at the sketch fondly. Her heart began calming down although she cannot deny the small disappointment lingering in her chest which she tried very hard to suppress.

"Who drew this? This looks amazing."

"I had the royal painter draw the sketches. Soon enough there will be paintings about our escapades all throughout the palace." Ruby just rolled her eyes as she went through the texts of the page.

"This one is when we played chess on the opera where I demolished you a hundred times." Ruby snorted at the artwork as she read the caption before flipping to the next page.

"In my defense, I had a lot to drink so I wasn't thinking clearly. Plus I just let you win that time because I like you. In our next rematch, I won't be so merciful." Aurelius defended, faking an offended frown.

"Right." Ruby replied sarcastically as she turned to the next page. This chapter had the caption "First Date" and had a candid picture of them speaking amicably while dining at the High Garden restaurant.

"I told one of the waiters to take photos as a remembrance."

"You mean bribed?"

"Tomay-to/Tomah-to. Anyway, the next one is when I chased you on your way back to Cadmure just to give you friendship bracelets. And most of the following are all about our dates in Colchester." Aurelius explained as Ruby went through every page bearing the pictures of their tour of her homeland, their secret little dates, and when she finally agreed to be his girlfriend. She laughed at the stupid smile on his face when she declared that she accepts him as her boyfriend.

"It's blank." she said as she reached the middle of the book where the pages are vacant of anything.

"That's correct. Because our story isn't over yet. We are just beginning and I want to fill these blank pages with more memories with you." Aurelius said as he caressed the empty pages of the book.

"Tomorrow it will contain pictures from tonight. Next week it might contain pictures of a picnic. The following month it might contain pictures of another soiree. And one day..." Aurelius paused staring her straight in the eyes with all of the passion there is in the world.

"One day, it will contain the pictures of the most beautiful bride in the whole world, wearing the finest white dress, while walking down the aisle to meet her smiling groom at the altar..." By now Ruby's heart stopped beating. Her eyes began getting moist as his words struck her heart. She kept quiet as he continued speaking.

"One day, it will contain the pictures of a great queen and a great king playing with their little children..."

"One day, this book will tell the whole love story of a foolish prince who fell in love with the most wonderful woman in the whole world which our children... and our children's children... will read and be envious of how magnificent our love story is." Tears glistened in the corners of Ruby's eyes like shining crystals. More seems to gather in every word that he uttered but she did her best to hold them in.

"Rel..." she mumbled as the prince bent one knee in front of her. He retrieved a small box from his pocket and presented it to her with shining eyes. She can clearly see the love, the passion, the anticipation, and the fear all swirling in his eyes and suddenly the dragons returned in her stomach. Her heart raced once more while she held her breath. Time seemed to stop as they relished in the moment sharing equal anticipation on what the other will say next.

"Ruby Edelweiss of the House Pendragon, Daughter of Altria, Great Regent of the North... will you give me the highest honor... of marrying you?" He finally said.

Right then and there, the universe seems to collapse only to explode and create a new one. New galaxies were forged, new suns were born to create new solar systems. Everything feels like a perpetual spring. Flowers are blooming, sweet fruits are growing. The stars seem so kind, the wind now feels so warm, and the world is a perfect place where they shared an ephemeral yet lasting moment.

"Rel, I-" Ruby's reply was suddenly interrupted when an unknown person stepped out from the shadows releasing a dark foreboding chuckle. Aurelius glared at the person and stood in front of Ruby protectively.

"I'm afraid that the answer is no. You can't marry a corpse after all." The man suddenly vanished into thin air before appearing in front of them and kicking Aurelius towards the wall before throwing a spear towards Ruby with the speed of light.

Ruby quickly snapped from her reverie and evaded the spear just in time to avoid being impaled by its blade. She drew the short sword hidden on her thigh and prepared a battle stance to defend herself. She glared at the man while he only grinned wider and cracked his neck before thrusting his spear forward to strike her head. Ruby pushed his weapon away with her short sword before attempting to attack him.

Fighting a spearman with a short sword is obviously disadvantageous and difficult especially when defending but Ruby did her best to avoid being wounded to the best of her ability. Aurelius who finally recovered from being knocked on the wall, drew the sword hanging from his belt and swung it over his head to cut down the man from behind.

"You're getting slow, your highness. When you were in the Abyss you would have sensed me even before I showed myself and strike me dead but now that you're here in the Empire mingling with these rodents you seem to have turned dull. I wonder if this woman has something to do with your weakness."

"What are you doing here, Moskov?! Who are you with?!" Aurelius questioned as he stood beside Ruby.

"Oh you, know. Him and her, they and them. Not that it matters anyway. You should just move aside before I kill you. My real target is that lady on your side. The queen wants her dead. So better find another bride and tell her that cheesy shit you just said. I can't believe how low you've gotten. It makes my skin crawl." Moskov sneered. More shadowy figures appeared around them holding sharp and deadly weapons all aimed at the maiden.

"No one is touching Ruby while I'm still alive! I will kill all of you even if it's the last thing I do!" Aurelius roared.

"Well, that can be arranged."

🌹

"Begin the attack. Kill everyone. Find the prince and bring him back home. His subjects and his worshippers are missing him." Alice ordered as she rallied the assassins hiding in the shadows.

"Also, hunt down the girl named Ruby. Take her head and present it to me. I will reward you handsomely if you do." Alice said before turning to the veranda. Down below the monsters she had created and unleashed terrorized the people creating a brutal carnage that one cannot even begin to describe. She had been planning this moment for a long time and now she can finally watch the play she so carefully wrote with a certain prince as it's main character. Hopefully, he is still as feirce and ruthless as he was before or else everything she did will all be for naught.

"And what makes you so sure that I will let you do that?" A man clad in golden armor emerged in the balcony staring down at them with loathing and boredom as if they were mere insignificant insects under his feet.

The demons growled at him but their terrifying sneers don't seem to affect him one bit. One foolish demon tried to pounce on him however he was immediately shot down by a sword that sliced through him like cutting cake.

"You're..." Alice gritted her teeth as she realized the identity of the man.

"He's the Dragon king. Do not attempt to fight him or you'll all die uselessly. Cause a ruckus in that party. Make sure that no one interrupts the others. I will deal with him." Alice said to her minions who immediately tried to leave however they were killed as soon as they tried to move. Multiple pools of gold appeared behind the golden man's back with weapons all pointed at them waiting to be released at his bidding.

"None of you is going to harm my DAUGHTER!" Gilgamesh roared before opening fire. Multiple projectile weapons rained upon the creatures of the night. Alice also summoned her blood orbs to defend herself as her mini-army was slaughtered in the blink of an eye.

In her fury, Alice spread her wings open before retaliating with her own mighty power. A battle raged on as two formidable forces clashed against each other. An ancient blood witch and a powerful dragon king fought tooth and nail to defeat each other. One fought to kill while one fought to defend. There was no telling which was more powerful but it was obvious who was the most relentless. A mother would die for her children but a father would kill for them.

🌹

"What is it, my lady?" Agravain asked as he notice Altria flinch and turn her head towards the south.

She stood on the highest tower of her castle overlooking everything happening down below. She watched the carnage that was unraveling as her men fought the beasts that tried to infiltrate her territory to harm her people. She was giving orders, assessing the situation, and receiving reports before wisely responding to them.

Everything was proceeding well. The beasts are being held back and the people are kept safe. There is very minimal casualties from her side and none of her allies reported needing help meaning that they are doing well to defend their own. However she suddenly felt something tugging at her heart before remembering her daughter and thinking about her well-being. One can call it a mother's intuition but there's something else that felt so familiar. Like a friend you've been parted for so long. Or a lover whose touch still lingers in you skin no matter how much time pass by.

"I suddenly felt something familiar. It almost feels like him..." Altria mumbled to herself.