Lost in such musings, Helia’s steps slowed, though it mattered little. Soon, a shadow moving beyond the halo of light came into view. The shadow grew closer, and before long, its owner emerged. It was Xeroth and his entourage. The queen, Esna, was nowhere to be seen. Clearly, he had been too concerned for his own life to bother saving her. Expecting this, Helia had preemptively ordered her knights to spare Esna and take her as a prisoner, but the confirmation left a bitter taste. Xeroth remained as predictable as ever, which deepened her disdain for him.

Lette and Ruben stepped forward, swiftly cutting down Xeroth’s companions. They fell one by one, unable to utter a single sound before death claimed them. Xeroth trembled violently as he witnessed the scene. Helia’s emotionless gaze locked onto him.

“It’s been a while, King Xeroth.”

“Sister…”

Instinctively calling her that, Xeroth quickly ground his teeth in frustration. He corrected himself, screaming in desperation.

“Helia Bailey! You ungrateful, treacherous wretch!”

Helia tilted her head slightly. Has the news not reached him yet?

“That surname was discarded long ago. I am Helia Feron Rovna now.”

“Ha! Don’t make me laugh. You are Helia Bailey, a disgrace who commits treachery by destroying her own house!”

A princess of Bailey, laying waste to Bailey itself—it was unthinkable. Xeroth’s hands shook with betrayal. Bailey had sheltered her, afforded her the privileges of royalty, and granted her a life of dominance as a princess. And now, she dared to renounce the name of Bailey and cast it aside? To him, it was nothing short of treason. By doing this, she was defiling not only her father but also the founder, Arphon, and the entire legacy of Bailey.

But for Helia, the accusations had no sting. Bailey had rejected her first, refusing to acknowledge her. It was only fitting that it crumbled by her hand. She owed Bailey nothing.

It wasn’t that she denied her lineage or heritage outright. Instead, having severed her ties with Bailey by her own will, those things no longer held any meaning for her.

“Bailey will meet its end today with your death.“

“No! You still live! You, the betrayer of our house!”

A betrayer? Me? Was it not Bailey who betrayed me first? Helia let out a soft, bitter laugh.

If anything, Bailey should be grateful to her. At least her bloodline delivered this ignoble end, sparing it from the hands of outsiders.

“Fine. Then take this message to your kin in the afterlife: Helia Bailey has become Helia Feron Rovna, and she has devoured Bailey.”

Helia raised a hand as if issuing a command. Ruben approached Xeroth, whose face contorted in terror as he stumbled backward. But his retreat was blocked—Hernie had already sealed the space behind him with an invisible barrier.

What a pitiful end. Helia watched the final moments of Bailey’s last king with cold, detached eyes. She had expected to feel something—satisfaction, sorrow, or even emptiness—but nothing. How had she ever feared a name destined to crumble so easily?

Her thoughts turned to Bailey’s origins. The founder, Arphon Helferion de Bailey, was a significant figure who built the house but also sowed the seeds of its downfall. Standing here now, Helia vowed not to repeat his mistakes. The title of a wise and virtuous ruler would suit her far better. She silently hoped that, as her ancestor, he might take solace in that fact, even in the depths of the afterlife.

Ruben plunged his sword into Xeroth’s chest. With a choked gasp, Xeroth coughed up blood, staining the blade. Helia observed dispassionately and left him with a single parting remark.

“Give my regards to Bailey.”

Thus, the conquest of Bailey ended swiftly. News of the king’s death spread quickly, prompting the remaining territories to surrender. A few stubborn regions mounted resistance but proved no match for the unprecedented might of magic. Nattritz’s defensive spells rendered them untouchable, and those who managed to close the distance fell to the knights blessed by the witches. By the time the conquest was complete, tales of “Queen Helia and the Witches“ had already begun to circulate far and wide.

Letters of surrender arrived from the southern and northern territories, seemingly in anticipation. Some domains attempted to declare independence in the east, but they, too, crumbled before the witches and knights were sent to subdue them. Thus, all of Bailey’s lands were peacefully absorbed into Carden.

“Your Majesty.”

Ruben called out to Helia as she read a letter of surrender from the eastern stronghold of Jace.

With this, the integration of Bailey was complete. A festival would have been fitting, but the overworked staff, drained by the relentless pace of events, dared to request a brief respite from their queen. Helia, magnanimous as ever, granted them a half-day’s leave that evening. Even the perpetually grumbling Ikael, who had been practically confined to the palace for months, begrudgingly accepted her decree. However, when Helia teased about rescinding the break, he and others quickly disappeared, professing their deep gratitude for her generosity. “But why complain when I’ve been curing your fatigue with healing magic?“ she mused. To which Ikael retorted, “It’s about emotional well-being.“

“I’ll be heading back now,“ Ruben said, bowing respectfully.

Since the royal palace had been expanded over the former Effenberg Castle, Ruben could no longer remain within its walls. Helia had gifted him a townhouse as close to the palace as possible, but for someone like him, who had lived in his own fief’s castle for so long, moving there must have felt awkward. Yet, he didn’t show it. It was as if the townhouse had always been his home.

Helia watched him leave without hesitation, her gaze lingering on his retreating figure. Just as he reached for the door handle, she called out.

“Ruben.”

He stopped in his tracks and turned around. Helia placed the letter she’d been reading on her desk and asked in a dignified tone, putting off reading the personal correspondence from Crown Prince Cerdic Frecken of the Empire until tomorrow.

“Do you want to go home?”

Well, not particularly. If he’d wanted to, he wouldn’t have stayed behind to finish up tasks after all the other retainers had left. Truthfully, he would remain by Helia’s side instead, lightening her workload, even if just a little. Still, he hadn’t been home in a while, and he did need to visit. The house, a gift he had yet to properly move into, was still in disarray. And then there was Will’s heartfelt plea: Please, just come home, even once.

“Yes. I have some things to sort out personally.”

Helia frowned at his unexpected response. She had gone to the trouble of sending everyone else away so they could be alone, yet this man was so oblivious! What was he even talking about?

“Don’t you want to spend time alone with me?”

Ah, so that’s what this was about. Only then did Ruben understand why she had stopped him. Lowering his head, he stifled a laugh. He wouldn’t be sorting out the mess at home today after all. He thought of Will’s desperate voice but quickly dismissed it. Helia’s piercing gaze and sharp words cut through his thoughts.

“So, I was the only one who thought about it that way?“

“Of course not, Your Majesty. You are always my first thought.“

“Such smooth talk,“ Helia muttered.

Ruben turned fully toward her and approached. Helia, still seated, instinctively tilted her head up to meet his gaze. Ruben bent down, kneeling slightly, so she could look down at him instead.

“What can I do to make it up to you?”

Though she wasn’t furious, Helia saw no reason to correct his misunderstanding. After all, she’d thought of the perfect thing to ask him.

“Then do something for me.“

Helia’s eyes sparkled. But to Ruben, her words were amusing. There was nothing she could ask that he wouldn’t do willingly. He didn’t need leverage to obey her.

“Anything.“

“When we’re alone, call me by my name.”

As always, Helia exceeded his expectations. Her absurd request left Ruben uncharacteristically flustered. He stammered, caught off guard by her words.

“But how could I possibly… Your Majesty’s name…“

“Hurry up.”

He had never spoken her name aloud. Before, she was “Your Highness,“ and even earlier, “Princess.“ Her name had never passed his lips. Could he even dare to utter it? Was he indeed allowed to speak it aloud?

“No one left to call me by my name but you.“

Helia’s voice carried a trace of bitterness, and her expression turned melancholy. Ruben’s mind went blank. He momentarily forgot that few people had ever called her by her name.

“Helia…”

He said it softly, tentatively, almost like a whisper. Helia’s face lit up instantly. She smiled joyfully, which made Ruben feel like he owned the world. Of course, in that world, she was the true ruler. And that wasn’t so bad. What more could he ask for if he could remain bound to her for the rest of his life?

“Repeat it.“

“Helia.“

“Yes.”

Helia looked genuinely happy, her expression radiant. Ruben’s gaze toward her was warmer than ever before. At the same time, something surged within his chest, an overwhelming wave of emotion. He opened his mouth, wanting to share what was rising inside him, words he had always kept in his heart.

“May I say something, if I may be so bold?“

“I’ll allow it,“ Helia replied, her eyes glimmering with curiosity.

Ruben spoke as if handling the most precious treasure in the world, his words measured and deliberate.

“You are the brightest person in the world.“

“…What?“

Helia’s heart sank unexpectedly. Those were words she had never imagined she would hear in her life. Words that addressed the burdens she carried in the shadows, the insecurities she couldn’t shed. No matter how capable she was, she had always been afraid to confront her worth. On sleepless nights, she would tell herself in the mirror, It’s OK. Even if I don’t shine, it’s OK. I can do this.

Without knowing about those countless nights, Ruben effortlessly filled the void she didn’t even realize she needed.

“You’ve always told me that I shine,“ he said softly. “But that light comes entirely from you. Helia, you are my light.”

Ruben did not possess her unique abilities. He couldn’t see what she saw, but that didn’t matter. It was enough—there was no reason it wouldn’t be.

Helia suddenly stood up and threw herself into his arms. Ruben stood firm, his embrace always ready for her, offering her all the comfort she needed.

“Ruben.“

“Yes?“

“Would you take the name of Rovna?“

Ruben’s face went blank momentarily, an uncharacteristically silly expression overtaking his typically composed features. Helia couldn’t help but burst out laughing. He looked so endearing, even with that dumbfounded look on his handsome face.

Watching her laugh so freely, I could not help but join in. His laughter bubbled out, unrestrained, because the woman before him was so unbearably lovely.

“I told you, didn’t I?“ he said.

“Told me what?“

“That there was never a moment I didn’t love you.”

Even when I hated you.

Before he realized it, Ruben was peppering Helia with small kisses as she sat perched on his knee. Her laughter rang out again, bright and melodious, falling softly like snowflakes. It blanketed him, warm and tender, and he wished it to continue forever. He wanted to lose himself in that snowy field, letting her laughter steal his breath.

✥✥✥

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Carden, founded by Helia Feron Rovna, the first queen regnant of the continent.

~~The End of The Epic of a Kingdom~~