Empress Akila

Empress Akila had been someone Celesti had admired since childhood. Hearing the stories of the Empress who carried through her own battles rose into succession of the crown. Her devotion for the people of Soleil had not gone unnoticed. She cared for the people as if they were her own.

While that kindness had gotten her the love of the poor and mid-class. There was no denying that there had been some higher nobles still tethered to keeping the pure bloodline of the royal family had not been. In their eyes a child brought from the Empress would only shatter the bonds the royal family had with their animal deity. Bringing the destruction of their empire with it.

Their fears only growing when the empress had given birth to the now emperor. Ever child born of the royal family bloodline had always been born with pure golden hair and gold amber eyes. The emperor who resembled Empress Akila the most had been born with her white hair and sun kissed skin. The only thing that had proved his succession to the throne was his gold amber eyes.

Yet that had not been enough to satisfy their minds. With that in mind the past emperor easily was able to sway them to his side. Overthrowing his own brother and throwing his own nephew through years of abuse. The rest could only be history.

Staring at the sleeping emperor, Celesti could recall the pity she once had for him. She once believed it was because of the harsh treatment he had gone through after his father's overthrown that he had built cold walls around his heart. The longing to tear down those walls shattered once the maiden had appeared. She learned then seeing how quickly he opened his heart to the maiden that he had wanted nothing to do with Celesti. Only becoming broken as the world around her crumbled.

Clenching her hands her eyes grew cold and empty. Even if this man would be her husband in a few days. It would not summit to hide under his cold eyes as she had before. She would not remained a caged bird. He would get a queen but only for the people of Soleil. Other than that he would be nothing but a stranger to her.

As a night breeze drifted past long strands of her hair shifted in front of her. Brushing them back behind the ear her eyes widen as a pair of amber eyes stared back at her.

As if he had been awake the whole time he stared up at her in silence. Sitting sitting up he leaned against the tree. With a cry the bird perched on the tree flew down circling around Celesti three times. Brushing the tips of its feathers against the side of her cheeks before landing on the shoulder of the emperor with another cry. The bird itself was rather large. Standing on the Emperor's shoulder it's head towered over the Emperor's head a few inches. It's long tail running down the Emperor's arm.

"It seems Horus, likes you." The emperor spoke out breaking the heavy silence between the two as a gentle smile crept on his face. Turning to the bird he gentle brushed its neck. The bird letting out a pleased sound rubbed its head on the side of the emperor's cheek.

"Horus?" Celesti muttered wide-eyed as she realized that this bird was the emperor's contracted guardian spirit.

The emperor's contracted spirit had been said to be a fire element. Down the royal line past Soleil emperor's had always had fire element spirts. While the emperor's fire spirit took the form of a fire bird. The fire spirit of the emperor's father was said to have taken the form of a black horse. It's mane and tail where nothing but large flames. It's eyes the color of rubies. The emperor's father at one time was said to have road the spirit into battle. The spirit's personality was said to be of that of a raging demon, only calm when in the presence of the emperor's father or the Empress.

Erebus, the underworld's fire.