A Knight in Shining Armor

Erich did not get much sleep that night, but he was not the only one plagued by foreboding thoughts. Both Ayumi and her royal aunt were incapable of sleeping, as they lied alone in their beds, fearing for the life of their lover.

Nor did Emrys have any rest. After all, his protégé was about to be executed within a handful of hours. If Erich died, he would have to start a new in developing a legitimate successor, one that would allow him to stay in power from behind the scenes. 

He had spent years molding Erich into a proper leader, but not only that, Emrys believed that Erich now trusted him as a mentor, an advisor, and a friend. Allowing him to be more open to the idea of following Emrys' "advice" once he had officially stepped down from the throne, which he was currently "occupying."