The New Ruler

"I wanted to be free, Theodore" Morpheus said and squeeze his partner's hand and bitterly smile.

"As you wish" Theodore said and slightly bowed her head and take the pendant off on Morpheus's neck and look at her one last time before he closes the portal.

When Theodore came back and tells what happened to the elders, he got scolded again and they said that he's a failure to Liberum. He just takes all those harsh words like nothing. The Princess left the throne and that was a big problem so they didn't tell it to the Liberians for the meantime as they search for a new heir secretly to avoid panic and war. If ever the other countries will know it, they might be got attacked and be colonized. There's one candidate that the elders were contemplating appointing, and that is Ghiacciata Fin.

The news spread like a wildfire and a lot of Liberians disagree about it because Ghiacciata Fin is not a full-blooded Liberian. This opposition turns to be a trigger for other countries to know about the crisis of Liberum and planned to take this as an opportunity to attack them.

Theodore, who is second next to Ghiacciata, who had the highest ranking, the guardian of the supposed to be the next ruler,  led every war and took responsibility putting all of his life to protect Liberum and because of winning constantly on it, Liberians asked Theodore to be the next ruler but Ghiacciata Fin opposed to it, she thought that Theodore is a mere guardian and doesn't possess the blood of a Hart. Ghiacciata is a half-blooded Hart because Morpheus is her cousin. The conflict about the next ruler goes on but the final decision is to appoint Theodore to be the next ruler. Ghiacciata didn't like the outcome and got jealous of what Theodore had. She seeks power, she wants to be the next ruler and knowing Theodore just snatched it away like that boils her blood and wants to steal the throne.

Weeks before the elders announced Theodore as the official ruler of Liberum, Ghiacciata got a message from Asphyxia saying that the lord of Asphyxia will help her to acquire Liberum. At first, she didn't consider it but her evilness won't fade so she grabs it and takes the opportunity to destroy and rebuild it as her own country.

"Liberum is mine. I won't just give it to merely guardian"

Theodore's coronation is on the way. He thinks that he doesn't deserve it and he just stole the position from his master. The guilt consuming him but he doesn't have a right to refuse and because of that he remembered what Morpheus said a year ago.

"I'm not a lifeless puppet.. am I?" he mumbled to himself.

"If that's what you see on yourself, then maybe you are" a voice from his behind said. He looks for that voice and saw his younger brother who just came back from Arcadia.

"Nathan!" He exclaimed and hug his brother.

"I'm back" Nathan said and slightly smile as he fixed his glasses. "I heard what happened that's why I came back" he added.

"I'm glad you came back, it's been so long since you came home" Theodore said and hug Nathan once again.

On the other hand, Ghiacciata and Asphyxians planned to sabotage Theodore's coronation but little did Ghiacciata know... Asphyxians have hidden agenda. They tried to sneak into the mortal world to kill the original ruler, Morpheus. Theodore came to the mortuary to pray for the previous ruler to give him blessings for the throne. He feels a different presence so he hides in a bigger tomb and saw Asphyxians roaming around the mortuary and walk to a certain tomb opening the coffin and take a familiar pendant.

"I found it" a woman said who's wearing a mask and take the pendant mumbling incoherent words as the portal opens up.

"Why…" Theodore asked himself then a certain person came to his mind. "Don't tell me… no.." He immediately runs to the portal before it closes completely.

The baby's laughter heard through the house and the two-parent happily kissed their child. Her eyes were wide open as she keeps on giggling and gurgling making her parents cooed at her. Castiel kisses the baby's cheek repeatedly and Morpheus stared at them lovingly.

"Out of all names.. why you named her Aubrey?" Castiel asked curiously.

"Hmm, it just came into my mind and I think Aubrey suits her well.. a magical child, maybe?" Morpheus said and cuddle her baby who looks like she likes what her mother did. "My treasure.."

"MORPHEUS!! OPEN THE GODDAMN DOOR!" A loud knock was heard from the door as if it will get broken if they didn't open the door.

"Is that Theodore?" Castiel asked. Morpheus walks in the door's direction holding her daughter tightly. She opened the door with her other hand and look at a frantic Theodore that makes her nervous. "What is it?" Morpheus asked nervously. Theodore came in and close the door immediately.

"You need to get out of here now " Theodore said.

"W-Why? What happened?" She asked and make Castiel hold their baby.

Theodore eyed the baby for a meantime before fixating his gaze on Morpheus. "Please listen to me Morpheus. You all are in danger you need to get out of here before they showed up"

Morpheus takes the hint and she immediately walks in Castiel's direction and guides them to leave with her. She trusted Theodore and she knows how good a fighter he is. She thanked him before they run but its too late as the door fly around the house and break into pieces with a loud bang.

Theodore's hand glowed and a sword form on his hands as he feels someone coming near them. Two men showed up and Theodore covers his body over Morpheus and Castiel like protecting them through her body.

"We're here for Morpheus Francis Hart. Hand her over and everyone will be safe" a man said who's standing beside a woman who wears a mask. He eyed them carefully until he made eye contact with the masked girl. He feels kinda odd about it as he averted his gaze and pointed his sword at them.

"Then you must kill me first" Theodore said and a clashing of swords echoed to the house.

"Morpheus takes Castiel and your daughter away from here, go!" Theodore said and he noticed that the woman who wears a mask disappeared. "Where is she?"

"My master won't let them get away" The man said trying to annoy Theodore.

"Why do you need her? She is not going to be a ruler anymore!" Theodore said launching at him and spin his body making his sword scratch a wound into the enemy's face and because of the sudden attack, he got the opportunity to point his swords at the enemy's neck.

"You just need to live for a while before it's time for you to die" The man said with a wide grin.

"What?" Theodore asked but the man was engulfed by his shadow and vanished too. "I won't let anyone die. Not her" He said and run where Morpheus headed to.

 "Hurry up, Castiel!" Morpheus said. She is now leading their way as she holds Castiel's hand who's holding their daughter tightly.

"Are they coming for you?" Castiel asked. "I won't let you two die here. Not now" Morpheus said.

Morpheus tightens her grip on Castiel's hand. They are near to a park and surprisingly there's no one around. Morpheus stops running feeling the surroundings a little bit odd and it irks her how silent the place is. Castiel felt confused about why Morpheus suddenly stopped and hug his daughter protectively. Morpheus eyes turned blood red and the woman with a mask showed up and as if the baby felt the situation getting dangerous, she cried loudly

"As expected from a royal blood" The woman said.

"Who are you and what do you want from me?!" Morpheus exclaimed while she protectively hides Castiel and the baby with her body. She saw how nervous Castiel is so she smiled at him.

"You just need to die and I will let them live" The woman said. Morpheus eyed her surroundings and noticed that the birds were staying still in the mid-air and she looked back to Castiel and her daughter and she noticed how the two were like a statue as they were not moving and then she realized that the time stopped.