Humanity's Hero Of Despair

I wake up feeling ten times more relaxed than the one night I spent at Lancaster Castle.

The guest rooms in the Imperial Palace are on an entirely different level. The bed is extra king-sized with luxurious sheets, covers, and a duvet. The bathroom is the size of the bedroom at Lancaster Castle. I have my own hot tub, a spacious shower, two sets of sinks with two large mirrors, and a closet so large that nobody would ever use the entire space in a million years.

The pillows are so soft that I want to do nothing but melt into them and not move—just to forget about the entire world for a moment. The morning light filters through the window, preventing me from going back to sleep.

I groan as I get up from bed. I go into the bathroom, fix my hair, and brush my teeth. The closet is so large that I have to look around for the right clothes. After putting on some comfortable clothes, I leave my room, but not before taking one more look at my new room for the month.

I close my bedroom door with a quiet shove. The doors are kind of heavy, considering they are dripping in intricate gold designs.

"Hey, Nico! Let's head down for breakfast," Matteo says as I notice him when I leave my room.

I grin back at him.

"Can't wait to see what we can eat."

We meet everyone in the Imperial Dining Hall, which is, at this point, not even surprisingly huge. Several sets of nice tables are scattered throughout the room, all with fine china and delicious-looking food. All my friends are sitting at one table together, waiting for Matteo and me.

"Good morning, Viscount!" Zephyr says to me while bowing slightly from his seat. I chuckle at him and shake my head. Good to see Zephyr in good spirits. Ivy has saved a spot next to her, which I take. Estes is eating quietly while reading a book. I swear, he is always reading. Neve is talking with Leena about some new spells.

I take a large bite of toast as I notice the Grand Duke and the Emperor speaking to each other at another table. Quillen would normally sit with us, but he is sitting with them so they can go over the plan once all the leaders of the GA can gather together. His workload has doubled overnight. I'm very happy we have him, though, because without him, things would be a lot harder.

I doubt we would have gotten this far.

The food feels so warm in my stomach. If you combine that with some of the best sleep I've gotten in months, I actually feel pretty good today. I even catch myself smiling a few times. Breakfast is wrapping up soon now.

The Emperor gets up from his seat and comes to the table with my friends and me.

"I hope you all enjoyed breakfast! We wanted to make it extra special to celebrate the founding of the GA as well as to treat you all for coming out here like this. I am very thankful your diplomacy party has helped me retain my power, and I shall reward you for that down the road.

"Meanwhile, while some of the higher-ups take care of organizing everything, feel free to enjoy anything in the Empire."

We all nod to him and thank him for all the hospitality.

Once breakfast finishes officially, we all go our separate ways. Estes heads to the Imperial Library to look at more books. Zephyr and Matteo visit the Imperial Training Grounds, where they can spar against Imperial knights. Neve decides to go horseback riding. That just leaves Ivy and me.

We both decide to head to the Imperial Gardens.

If you thought the garden in Lancaster Castle was amazing, this is actually mind-blowing. The Imperial Garden is a dreamlike paradise, filled with rare, colorful flowers, magical glowing plants, and enchanted pathways. It takes us a while to go around the entire garden because we keep walking and then stopping to stare. It's so beautiful, yet it contrasts deeply with the overarching situation of the survival of humanity.

I give Ivy's hand a slight squeeze.

"I'm glad I have you through all of this."

"Right back at you, silly."

She says to me while smiling and giggling. I smile back at her and give a slight chuckle of my own. Love can get you through so much. We find a bench and decide to rest there for a while. Ivy rests her head on my shoulder, her presence a warmth and light to the darkness of the situation.

"We are going to be okay," I tell her as she falls asleep again. I smile as I just sit with her, listening to the sounds of the Imperial Training Grounds in the background and horses galloping. If it weren't for the threat of the dragons and goblins, it would be peaceful. It's not as if we are constantly on guard.

I hear a presence coming closer with calm footsteps. I turn around and see Estes walking into the garden with his book. He doesn't even notice us until I get his attention.

"What is the library like, Estes?"

"It is very amazing! They have so many books on magical species, spells, and artifacts. There is so much knowledge. These texts are very expensive and rare to find as well. It's very nice of him to let us use his resources," he says as we wave goodbye to each other.

Estes goes to the other side of the garden to read so we can have our private time.

Ivy and I talk on and off for a while as Estes continues reading his book on a bench a lot farther away. After lunchtime comes around and we explore the garden more, it starts to get slightly dark. We then eat dinner in the dining hall. That is when the major announcement comes.

"Hey, Viscount! I would like to challenge you to a friendly duel in the dueling chambers. If you can beat me, you will be handsomely rewarded."

Why does he want to fight me?

To test my dueling abilities with spells?