Speech

Knocking on the door startles you.

"Enter," you order.

The door opens, revealing Clara. She walks inside and stands before you without closing the door. She stares at you with her slightly swollen eyes. When you notice she will not sit beside you, you decide to stand up instead.

"I thought I lost you too." Clara jumps into your arms as soon as you rise from your seat, almost making you lose your balance.

"I'm here," you speak with a soothing voice. "You didn't lose me."

She pulls away from the hug and looks into your eyes. A tear comes down her face. You reach out to wipe it gently.

Before you know it, she presses her lips against yours. You slowly kiss her back, putting your hand on her face. She lifts her hand to put it over yours.

She pulls away from the kiss, eyes still closed and hand holding yours. She smiles slightly as you link your fingers together.

"What about Richard?" You remember your half-brother. "He loves you."

"I know." She opens her eyes, sighing. "I love Richard, but something always was lacking whenever I was with him. But when you're around me, I feel…complete." "I hope he will not cause any trouble," you sigh. "He's obsessed with you."

"He wants me to be happy," she says. "When he realizes that you're the one who makes me happy, he will understand."

"I think you're right." You smile. She returns the smile before wrapping her arms around you.

Meanwhile, in Matteo's chamber…

Matteo eyes the letter upon the table. His confession is written inside. A part of him wants to keep it here so his sister and nephew can read it and learn the truth. Would he find peace? Maybe. But his family wouldn't.

He opens the letter and reads his words for the fifth time.

My dear sister and nephew,

I'm sorry. It's all my fault. People are dying because of me.

I killed King Charles. I've been planning this ever since I met Alvena. I tried to stay away and forget about her. You know how much I tried, sister.

I never found peace. I couldn't forget about her. So I made a decision to get rid of King Charles. I searched for the most powerful poison. I wanted to ensure he would die. I didn't care about your or Richard's feelings. I killed your husband and Richard's father for Alvena.

If the kingdom falls, it's my fault. Don't curse anyone. Curse me and hate me because I deserve it. I'm a dishonourable man.

I'm sorry I couldn't be a good brother or uncle.

With love, Matteo.

He closes it and tears it into pieces. One day, he will confess everything, but now is not the right time.

He doesn't know how to feel about Amah. Despite being Charles's son, he did let him live. Atheris wouldn't have. Freya wouldn't have. Richard wouldn't have.

Deep down, he's thankful. Maybe he didn't want to die as much as he thought. Maybe it's his second chance to be better.

Sighing, he gets up from his seat and leaves the room.

You watch your men carrying Gerard's body outside. There is a special place in the garden for all men and women who served the kingdom. Their bodies are buried there so everyone who visits the garden can see them.

Clara stares at her father's dead body, tears falling down her cheeks. She couldn't even say goodbye to him. She should've been with him during his last moments.

Richard looks at her from behind. He doesn't seem to be sure if he should comfort her or not

You approach Clara, who starts to sob harder. You wrap your arms around her, letting her cry as much as she wants. No words can give her peace. Her father wasn't like yours. He loved her. They were always together.

It's such a great loss for Clara, and she needs time to overcome it. After the burial, you return to your chamber. You have to give your people a speech soon. But you feel like no words will give them the comfort they crave. Their life hasn't been peaceful ever since your father died.

There's still time until the speech. You should keep yourself busy with something.

Wait, where is Leia? Did something happen to her? You haven't seen her since Matteo's confession. After searching for minutes, you find Leia in the throne room. She's so focused on the throne that she doesn't feel your presence. You wonder if she understands what's happening now.

"Leia," you get her attention. She turns her body to face you, smiling toothly.

"The throne is so beautiful!" she exclaims. "Is it yours?"

"Yes." You nod. "All rulers sit on it when the Sword chooses them. It used to belong to my father. Now it's mine."

"I love it!" she says, glancing at the throne "It's not very comfortable though. My bottom still hurts."

She giggles at your words. "I wanted to sit on it, but I changed my mind. I will just look at it." "Will I live in this castle from now on?" she asks curiously. "I miss our house. My mother hated it, though."

"You'll live in this castle, Leia," you answer her. "You will live with me. We will be together."

"Alright." She looks down at the floor. She probably doesn't even understand what you're saying. She doesn't know she will become an heir.

After a minute of silence, she looks up at you. Then something behind you catches her eye. "Who is she?"

You look over your shoulder to find Clara standing in the middle of the room.

"My name is Clara," she introduces herself, smiling gently at the little girl. "It's nice to meet you!"

"You're so beautiful!" Leia smiles, looking at her with admiration in her eyes.

"Not as beautiful as you." Clara reaches out and caresses Leia's face.

"She will be with me from now on," you tell her. "She's my responsibility."

"Truly? I'm so happy!" Clara exclaims. "We will spend a lot of time together!"

"Your Grace." Sir Arnold enters the throne room. "People are expecting you to give the speech."

"I'm coming." You give him a nod. He smiles and bows his head before heading out.

"Everything will be alright." Clara gives you a comforting smile. "I know they are angry, but I think you can handle them." "They will eventually respect me," you say. "There's still a chance to win their trust."

"Of course you can." She nods.

"King Amah!" Sir Locke calls out from outside. "You're expected to give a speech."

"I should go now," you sigh, and Clara nods, smiling You stand on the balcony, and everyone gathers around the castle. It's the first time you will ever give a speech. No one has prepared you for it. No one has told you what you're supposed to say to give people hope.

But then again, no one expected you to be chosen. You're certain Atheris and Richard prepared their speeches a long time ago. What a shame neither of them was chosen.

Lady Isabelle, Richard and Matteo stand behind the crowd. Your half-brother's and his mother's attention is all on you. They stare at you with no emotion on their faces. Matteo, however, has a smile on his face. He gives you a nod when you meet his gaze.

Your mother, sisters, and Sir Arnold stand in the front, looking at you with admiration and a little fear in their eyes. No, they are not intimidated by you. They are afraid of your people's possible reaction to you.

And there is Clara. She stands behind your family. She smiles a little as you look at her. She's still grieving her father but still manages to comfort you with her smile. The last two days have been rough for all of us. Innocent people lost their lives and families. Children died," you start your speech. "… "The last two days have been rough for all of us. Innocent people lost their lives and families. Children died," you start your speech. "But I promise you: I will kill every single one of our enemies. I will build a better future for all of you. We will finally live a peaceful life without the shadow of our enemies!"

Promises are not enough, but you think you did comfort and encourage them a little bit. Still, they wait for your actions, not words.

"Our economy will need some time to recover," you continue your speech. "I need you to believe in me. Everything will turn back to how it was before."

Your words don't comfort them even the slightest. Even from the balcony, you can see the fear in their eyes. They will never find comfort until the war is over.

"Our economy wasn't good even before," someone in the crowd speaks. "Most gold has been spent on the weapons and army which will protect you during the war," you respond. "We have to prepare so we can save our country and people."

The crowd stays quiet. You assume that's a good sign. "Just promise us that King Erwan will suffer death!" a woman demands. "Tell us he will pay for what he has done and will do!" "I will kill him in the worst way possible," you promise them. They nod their heads, satisfied by your response. Some even cheer for you. "Anyone who defies us will be dead," you say. "No one will dare to harm us ever again!"

The crowd cheers for you. For the first time in your life, people appreciate your leadership. But if you wish to earn their admiration, you must keep your promise. Now you have to finish your speech. Gerard used to say that the end of a speech is more important than the beginning. Last words are always remembered.

You take out your sword and lift it in the air. "Long live Rhivenia!" you shout as loudly as you can.

An uncomfortable silence fallss in the castle. No one chants for you. This must be the most embarrassing moment in your life.

"Long live Rhivenia!" Sir Arnold lifts his fist in the air. Following him, your sisters and mother also raise their fists in the air and chant. This doesn't save you from the embarrassment, but at least someone shows support.

"Long live Rhivenia!" Matteo is next to show support.

Soon, the Everans begin to chant too. You sigh in relief as more and more people start showing support.

However, you've managed to earn only half of the crowd's respect. The other half does not support you.

Better than nothing, right? You lie on your bed and close your eyes. These last two days feel like a dream. Everything has happened so fast that you question its reality.

You're surprised that Erwan didn't attack during the poisoning. He had a great opportunity. Was he scared of getting poisoned? Or did he decide to have mercy on your people?

You imagine yourself in his situation. Would you do the same? No, you would take advantage and attack the enemy. It's the wisest thing to do, even if it's cruel. But a leader has to put his people first.

"Thinking about the future?"

You find Atheris standing in the doorway with Freya. They stare at you with relieved smiles on their faces. You find it amusing because your relationship with Atheris has never been good. Yet she still cares for you.

You say nothing when they enter your chamber. They sit beside you, eyes never leaving your face.

"Your speech was good," Atheris begins. "It wasn't perfect, but you can't give everyone what they want. They will always find a reason to complain. This is just how leadership works."

"Once again, I thank Namherys that he didn't choose me," Freya sighs. "I could never handle people. When they didn't cheer for you, I was terrified. I would've probably cried right there if I were the queen." "Freya, you always cry." You grin amusedly. Freya gasps playfully, frowning at you.

"Because I have feelings." She rolls her eyes. Atheris lets out a short laugh at her reaction.

The three of you remain silent, not knowing what to say.

"May Namherys be with you," Freya says again. "I hope you will make good decisions in the future." She smiles sadly. "Because I love you, little brother."

You know she's trying to say that she will stop loving you if you execute Ernald. She loves him a lot—it's obvious. But how will your people react if they find out?

Atheris frowns at Freya's choice of words. So, she still doesn't know. "My beautiful children, together again." Your mother leans against the wall, smiling gently. Her smile grows when her gaze finds you. "I'm proud of you, little one. You're slowly showing them how strong and wise you are."

"Is it true that we're celebrating tomorrow?" Freya asks excitedly.

"Of course," your mother says, walking into the chamber. She sits between you and Freya. "Our allies will visit to celebrate with us. It's a good opportunity to create a bond with them and strengthen our alliance."