Chapter 75 - Royal (Part 3)

  Luxana smiled benevolently at her people, her ruby eyes gleaming with an otherworldly light. She raised her hand, and the crowd fell silent in anticipation.

  "My esteemed subjects," she procimed, her voice ringing through the hall, "it is decreed that the members of the royal family shall heh be severed from our courtly affairs. They shall return to their aral domains, save for Her Highness Princess Isabel, who shall remain by my side, serving me iuity."

  A collective gasp rippled through the assembly. Before anyone could react further, the great doors of the ation Hall burst open. A ti of knights marched in, followed by a thousand clergy members and nobles. Among them were the Lobis Household members and Lord Heron, their faces grim aermined.

  Luxana's smile grew wider, almal in its grandeur. "Furthermore, my people, I hereby decre that justice shall be served forthwith iermath of the tumultuous events at the Hunting grounds. These individuals, bound in s before you, are the perpetrators of that chaos, and they shall face the ultimate penalty for their transgressions."

  The crowd's shock alpable as they beheld the sheer number of individuals implicated in the ret upheaval. Nobles gasped, oners whispered furiously, and eveoiights shifted uneasily.

  "Their execution shall en a few hours," Luxana decreed, her voianding and unyielding. "Now, let the atioivities proceed as ordained."

  Despite the ominous pronou, the allure of celebration proved irresistible. Nobles, clergy, and oners alike approached the newly ed queen, eager to pay their respects and curry favor. The ation Hall buzzed with a mix of excitement and trepidation as Luxana received her subjects, her ruby eyes gleaming with satisfa at the unfolding of her grand design.

  Luxana sat regally in her gilded carriage, the embodiment of majesty and grace. The carriage itself was a masterpiece, crafted from gold and adorned with intricate carvings of phoenixes and fmes, symbolic of rebirth and power. Six pristine white horses, their manes braided with crimson and gold ribbons, pulled the carriage at a steady pace. The soft king of their bridles harmonized with the jubint sounds of the kingdom celebrating its new ruler.

  As the procession moved through the cobblestoreets of the capital, then out into the towns and vilges beyond, Luxana waved to her people with a sere anding smile. Her bck-red gown shimmered in the sunlight, its intricate embroidery catg every ray as if woven with threads of fire. The ruby on her head gleamed brilliantly, a bea for all to see. Her ruby-red eyes sed the crowd, meeting the gazes of her subjects who cheered her h urained joy.

  The streets were alive with celebration. Banners in hues of red, bck, and gold fluttered from every window and rooftop. Flowers were strewn along the path of the procession, their vibraals crushed uhe wheels of the carriage, releasing a sweet fragrahat lingered in the air. Musis pyed lively tunes on flutes and drums, their melodies weaving through the ughter and cheers of the crowd. Children ran alongside the procession waving small fgs, their faces alight with excitement.

  The kingdom was reveling in its newfound hope. The Imperial Family had decred that all food and drink for this day would be free to every citizen, paid for from their coffers. Taverns overflowed with merriment as ale and wine were poured freely. Stalls lihe streets roasted meats, fresh bread, and sweet pastries to all who passed by. Families gathered in squares to feast together, their worries momentarily fotten.

  Luxana’s gaze softened as she watched her people celebrate. She raised her hand gracefully to wave at a cluster of oners who had gathered near a fountain adorned with garnds. They erupted into cheers at her aowledgment.

  "Long live Luxana!" they cried. "Our Queen! Our salvation!"

  But as the carriage turned onto a quieter street leading toward one of the kingdom’s older vilges, Luxana’s smile faltered. Her ruby eyes caught sight of a figure standing apart from the jubint crowd—a man cloaked in bck. His pale blond hair peeked out from beh his hood, glinting faintly in the sunlight like spun gold. His pierg ruby-red eyes locked onto hers from across the distance.

  Her breath hitched as reition struck her like a thundercp. It was him—Helios. Her father.

  For a fleeting moment, time seemed to stand still. The noise of the crowd faded into an indistinct hum as Luxana’s foarrowed entirely on that solitary figure. His expression was inscrutable, but his gaze bore into hers with an iy that sent shivers down her spine.

  Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, Helios turned and began to walk away, his bck cloak billowing behind him like smoke dissipating into the air.

  Luxana’s smile faded pletely as she watched his retreating figure disappear into an alleyway. Her hands lowered slowly to rest on her p as the carriage tinued forward, carrying her farther away from him with every passing moment.

  The cheers of her people surged once more around her as they entered another bustling vilge square filled with joyous revelers. But inside Luxana’s mind lingered only ohought—that fleeting enter with Helios—and what it might mean for her reigo e.

  She straightened herself in her seat, masking her unease beh a posed exterior. The parade tinued on its path through Domino’s nds, but deep within Luxana’s heart stirred questions that only time would answer.

  -Helia Pace; Entrance Hall, After the Procession-

  The grarance hall of Helia Pace echoed with the sound of Luxana's sigh as she entered, her hands reag behind her ne a gesture of fatigue. Her eyes, the color of rubies, gazed upward at the ornate ceiling adorned with intricate frescoes depig the kingdom's storied history. The hall, a masterpiece of architectural grandeur, boasted s ns of polished marble and gilded ats that gleamed in the warm light of crystal deliers.

  "HAAAh..." Luxana excimed, her voice carrying a hint of weariness from the day's procession through the vilges. Her eborate gown, a symphony of bd crimson, rustled softly as she moved, the fabric catg the light like liquid fire.

  As Luxana and her neointed dies-in-waiting crossed the threshold, the tranquility of the moment was shattered. A throng of noblemen and noblewomen, their faces torted with indignation, burst into the hall like a tempestuous sea. Their fine silks and jewels glittered in stark trast to the fury etched upon their features.

  Luxana turned, her movement as fluid and graceful as a dancer's. Her gaze, no arating, fell uporuders. The young queen's expression harderansf from teo a mask al skepticism. She tilted her head slightly to the right, a wordless question hanging in the air between her and the assembled crowd.

  "How dare you asd to the throne, child!" a silver-bearded nobleman excimed, his voice ringing out across the hall. "You're but fifteen, an illegitimate heir with blood on your hands! What good could you possibly bring to our nation?"

  A noblewoman with a shrill voice added, "What of the traitor, the twin of His former Majesty? How we trust a queen with such secrets?"

  A young lord stepped forward, his face flushed with indignation. "And what of the u at the borders? How will you protect us from the threats that loom beyond?"

  An elderly duchess, her expression stern, questioned, "We've heard rumors of your... unusual abilities. How we be certain you won't use them against us?"

  A mert-turned-nobleman inquired, "What of the ey? How will you ensure our trade and erce flourish under your rule?"

  A noble clergyman called out, "How do you pn to hahe religious tensions in our kingdom?"

  A dy with ties to the former court excimed, "What right do you have to dismiss the royal family? They've ruled feions!"

  A stern-faced judge challenged, "How you justify the executions you've ordered? Is this the justice you speak of?"

  A diplomat asked, "What of our alliances with neighb kingdoms? Will you honor them or break them?"

  A lord from the northern provinces demanded, "How will you address the famine in our nds?"

  A reformist noble accused, "What of the corruption in the royal court? How we trust that you're not part of it?"

  A treasurer inquired, "How do you io fund yrand visions for the kingdom?"

  A superstitious noblewoman whispered, "What of the rumors that you've made deals with dark forces?"

  A retired general questioned, "How will you ehe loyalty of the army?"

  A noble known for his phinthropy asked, "What of the on people? How will their lives improve under your rule?"

  A genealogist challenged, "How you cim legitimacy when your own parentage is shrouded in mystery?"

  A servative elder demanded, "What of the a ws and traditions? Will you uphold them or cast them aside?"

  A oliti inquired, "How do you pn to handle dissent and opposition to your rule?"

  The cacophony of voices grew louder, eaoble trying to outshout the others, their faces twisted with a mixture of fear, anger, and uainty. The grand hall, once a symbol of order and majesty, now seemed to vibrate with the iy of their collective e and skepticism.

  Luxana stood unmoved, a pilr of calm amidst the storm of dissent. Her ruby eyes swept over the crowd, and when she spoke, her voice carried the weight of turies of royal authority, yet held a note of reassurance:

  "My esteemed lords and dies of Domino," she begaone as smooth as velvet yet as unyielding as steel, "your fervor speaks to the passion you hold for reat kingdom. It is this very dedication that will propel us into an era of unpreted glory."

  She paused, allowing her words to settle over the crowd. "The s you raise are not insignifit, for they touch the very heart of our nation's future. But know this: every decision I make, every decree I issue, is born from a vision of a stronger, more prosperous Domino."

  Luxana's gaze intensified, her eyes seeming to lock with eaoble in turn. "The wisdom to rule es not from age, but from uanding. The legitimay reign is etched in the very fabric of our kingdom's destiny. And the blood that stains my hands? It is the price paid to se our nd of those who would see it fall to ruin."

  She raised her hand, a gesture both anding and inclusive. "I stand before you not as a tyrant, but as a shepherd guiding our flock to greener pastures. The path ahead may be fraught with challenges, but together, we shall overe them all."

  Her voice rose, filling every er of the grand hall. "Let it be known that your Queen hears your s. They will be addressed, not in haste, but with the careful sideration they deserve. For in this new dawn of Domino, every voice has its pce, from the highest o the humblest oner."

  Luxana's final words rang out like a call: "So I ask you now, esteemed members of our court: Will you stand with me? Will you lend your strength, your wisdom, your loyalty te a kingdom that will be the envy of all others? The choice lies before you – to be part of a legacy that will echh the ages, or to fade into the shadows of history."

  The hall fell into a hushed silehe nobles' earlier e repced by a mixture of awe and ption. Luxana's presence seemed to fill the space, her authority and vision palpable in the air around them. It was clear to all that this was no mere child ohrone, but a queen who would lead Domino into a new era – with or without them.

  -Night in Helia Pace; Luxana's Study-

  The opulent study within Helia Pace was bathed in the warm glow of dlelight, casting long shadows across the intricately carved wooden panels and richly woven tapestries. Queen Luxana sat regally at her ornate mahogany desk, its surface polished to a mirror sheen. Her head rested on her fist, her elbow propped on the armrest of her high-backed chair, while her other hand held out a paper. Her ruby eyes, sharp and focused, sed the dot ily, the weight of her new responsibilities evident in the slight furrow of her brow.

  The silence of the night was suddenly shattered by a joyous cry. "Sister!" The voice rang out from beyond the study's heavy oak doors, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. In a whirlwind of emerald silk and golden hair, Princess Isabel burst into the room. Her gown, a masterpiece of tail, shimmered in the dlelight, plementing her bright blonde hair, vivid emerald eyes, and cherry pink lips.

  Anticipating her sister's enthusiasm, Luxana rose from her chair with fluid grace, her own gown of deep crimson and bck rustling softly. Isabel ran across the room, her footsteps muffled by the thiinian carpet, and threw herself into Luxana's waiting arms.

  *HUG*

  "Sister!" Isabel excimed, embrag Luxana tightly, tears of unbridled joy rolling down her por cheeks.

  Luxana's smile, though subtle, held warmth as she patted Isabel's bafly. This moment marked a pivotal ge - the end of Isabel's suffering and the dawn of her newfound happiness. The Former Queen Daleyza had been exiled to her vilge, her influenow a fading memory. Priarian, Isabel's older brother, despite beiered after her due to bureaucratiplications in that year's royal births, had returo his academy. His future y abroad, far from the intrigues of court. Isabel, long maniputed by her mother's maations, was finally free from that toxifluenever to be ensnared again.

  "Now, now, Isabel. Off of Her Majesty you go," came another joyous voice, rich with affe. Lady Lily Furia ehe study, her presenanding attention. She was followed by her owinue of dies-in-waiting, their dresses a coordinated palette of muted colors that served to highlight Lily's vibrant personality. As the only remaining member of the royal family registry besides Luxana and Isabel, Lily's position was unique - she was the only mother Luxana had ever truly known.

  "R-right," Isabel stammered, slowly disentangling herself from the embrace. Her eyes, glistening with tears, met Luxana's in a moment of profound uanding. A deep, ho smile bloomed on her face, matched by Luxana's own. With gentle care, Luxana wiped away her little sister's tears, her touch bal and sisterly.

  To be tinued...