Corty

This is an extra chapter, not part of the main story.

It was a clear summer night; the sky was filled with stars, twinkling everywhere, as the two moons almost looked like they were going to touch, which was only possible every last week of the month. Aerthus was strolling through the field, filled with Night Lilies and flowers, only blooming when the moonlight shone on them, finally letting his mind relax a little. It became his habit in the past few days as he was really fed up with the constant nagging of his generals, politicians, and advisors regarding the ongoing war of unification. Strolling in this magical field of flowers lets his mind wander and forget the world’s problems and the difficulties of ruling over a massive, still-growing territory. His Empire was still in its infancy, battling and discussing with the present little kingdoms and city-states.

It was that moment when he heard a soft voice humming, singing happily, and as he followed it back to the source, he was mesmerized by the view. A beautiful woman was dancing alone, completely naked in the field of flowers, bathing in the star- and moonlight, happily smiling with closed eyes. He just stood there, admiring the view, until the woman stopped, opening her eyes that shone in a beautiful, emerald color, looking back at him. At that moment, he expected a shriek or a cry for help, followed by panic as she frantically tried to cover herself, but nothing like that happened. The woman just chuckled, skipping forward towards him, letting her beautiful breast continue the tango of nature without covering her immaculate body at all.

“I did not expect anyone to come here, ehehe~ Oh well, what is done is done; you already saw everything, no? How long have you been standing here?” she asked with a giggling voice, her face telling him her shyness as it quickly turned crimson.

“Ah, um… a few minutes?” Aerthus blinked his eyes, surprised by the unexpected reaction of hers.

“Pervert~” she stuck her tongue out. “Have you seen enough?”

“Ah, um, sorry!” he stepped back, turning his head, but she just laughed softly once again.

“It was me who stripped down, soooo, anyway!” she leaned forward, picking up her dress that was right next to him, hiding amongst the lilies. “You are going to be an Emperor, so I can’t complain; you are going to have the power to order me to strip anyway!” she joked candidly, looking at him, checking out his features without shame.

“You know me?” he turned his head back with raised eyebrows.

“Of course! Who wouldn’t know you? You are Aerthus, coming from the south, born in the Sappara Kingdom, a small, backwater city-state. Yet you unified the whole southern region! You brought the other 11 kingdoms under your rule and then started your conquest towards the north! Those who welcomed you had bread and wine as a gift as they joined your growing Empire; those who resisted were gifted swords and spears! Everybody knows the tale.” she smiled, walking around him. “You look more charming than in the drawings passed around the nobles.”

“T-thank you…” he answered with complete bewilderment, “You… are?”

“Oh, pardon me~” she curtsied towards him. “My name is Lily, daughter of the ex-King of your latest conquest of the Reliqua Kingdom! At your service, my lord.”

“I see. I thought you would hate me, but you look more friendly than the other nobles I had a meeting with yesterday.”

“I have no grudge against you. I advised my father to accept the terms of surrender, but he refused to do so, still believing that the shallow coalition of the remaining Northern Six would help him out.” she shook her head with a somewhat sad smile. “I already know they wouldn’t. Alas, I am a woman, not to meddle in politics besides being married off.”

“And what is that?” he asked with a curious voice. “I mean… why didn’t they help you?”

“You are on your way to be the first Emperor to unify the land on this side of the Shert!” she smiled softly, knowing that he already had the answer. “You already conquered most of the land with only a handful of kingdoms still standing, resisting you, and they can do so only because of the support from the others across the river. There are more benefits to have if we join you willingly instead of being conquered. The Six saw it differently. They instead preferred if we weaken you while they bolster their troops with help from your rival… the one who calls himself the lord of the Naulins. My father and my home would be nothing but a needed sacrifice. So they fed my father their sweet lies that he was too afraid to notice. Yet he agreed to it.” she shook her head with closed eyes. “Alas, I am just a woman, I shouldn’t meddle in politics besides marrying someone.”

“Why didn’t you follow your father?”

“And escape to the north to continue being a puppet or a bargaining chip in an already lost cause? No, thank you~” Lily laughed. “I am fine like this; now I am a free woman, not just in mind or spirit but in the body too~ I can marry whoever I want this way, ehehe~ So it’s not all that bad!”

“You are pretty carefree, aren’t you?” he chuckled, looking into her eyes that shone in a pure light.

“Of course! What is there to worry about in this world? That is for those who hold power in their hands. Like you. For me? I only need to worry about where to eat and sleep, and that is all~.”

“You don’t have a place to stay?” Aerthus blinked his eyelids rapidly, looking over her again, surprised.

“Well, you conquered our city, and my home got burnt to the ground! Now I am nobody, soooo, yeaah~” she stuck her tongue out playfully. “But sleeping out here is relaxing; sometimes you should try it!”

“S-sorry… it…” he stammered as he was oblivious to this. It was just another city, in his eyes, that resisted and refused any attempt made for a peaceful solution. He only arrived after the city was conquered to elect new leadership and enforce his own laws, integrating them into his budding Empire.

“Relax! It is how things should be. You can’t rule if you leave potential danger behind; you would be constantly fighting house fires back home while attempting to bring in the rest to the fold!” she smiled, gently caressing his face, surprising him even further.

“Oh… oh… you… you are something else…” Aerthus murmured, once again surprised by her words.

“Ahahaha, thanks? Was it a compliment?”

“100%”

“You are weird…” Lily giggled. “Soooo, what now? You saw me naked, we talked. What is going to happen next?” she tilted her head sideways, waiting for his reply.

“Why not come back with me? It must be exhausting sleeping outside… also it is not a place for a lady to live!”

“I like being here.” she looked around with a peaceful look, “Especially at nights like this! Isn’t it beautiful? The flowers blooming here make it feel like we are standing in a sea of stars!” she laughed, stretching out her arms, looking up to the sky “How wonderful it would be to fly up so high, you could touch the stars and dance around them! I always loved the idea of going up there and exploring the world behind what we can see from down here!”

“Up in the sky?” Aerthus murmured, following her gaze.

“Yup! Going from the Rower, stepping out of his little dinghy, skipping towards the Archer, flicking her bowstring playfully, before arriving next to the Wolf, howling towards the Moon with him!” she explained with great enthusiasm.

“Wha… what are you talking about?” Aerthus asked, getting confused about what she was speaking about.

“Ahaha, you are thinking again that I am weird, aren’t you?” she looked back down, right at him with a gentle smile before walking behind him, hugging his body softly, snuggling up to his back “Uuu… you are waaay taller than me~ Sit!” she pulled him down and even though he was someone who ascended to the realm so few people could even dream about, he had no resistance against her and just plopped onto the grass as Lily stuck her head next to his, pressing against him with every fiber of her body. “Follow my pointing, and I’ll show you those who live in the sky~” she whispered to his ears while pointing up to the sky.

Aerthus, at that moment, already knew. He met someone he never imagined to exist. Someone he wanted to be with. It was a feeling coming to him in an instant, the moment when he laid his eyes on her. There was no explanation, no logic, and no reason, only the feeling; the feeling of this is it. She is it. The one he always dreamt about. After the sun came back up, he brought her back with him, to the dismay of a lot of nobles as they thought the royal family, one that ran away, would not rear its head once again. Days went by as he accompanied her everywhere, and at nights, they always went back to the field of lilies. The real storm came when Aerthus wanted to make her the new leader of the soon-to-be-established city under his name, yet when the new council gathered around, Lily just refused. Right there, before everybody, stunning everyone else.

“You are not my husband to order me around,” she answered, rolling her eyes and then sticking her tongue out at him like a kid.

“That is not… really lady like to do so…” Aerthus murmured with a small smile while the rest of the nobles were horrified, afraid this crazy woman was going to be their downfall!

“I had enough time acting like a lady, but I am not bound by protocol anymore, remember~?” she giggled, sitting beside him, leaning on the table. “I am my own, and I decide what to do for myself, not others, not you, not them; nobody could force me to do something I don’t want to!” she pursed her lips playfully.

At her words, the present nobles flared up finally, terrified their new ruler was going to execute them for treason. Aerthus’s guards also stepped forward, looking at not just Lily with hostile expressions but at the shouting nobles, too. What broke up the tension and cacophony of shouting was Aerthus’s hearty laugh, resonating in the room after a few seconds, joyfully slapping on the table.

“I like you!” Aerthus said, looking into her eyes.

“Mmm?” Lily looked at him with a faint smile. “You like my body or-”

“Everything!” Aerthus cut in, accompanied by a wide grin.

“Well, that is good to hear! But…”

“But?” He asked, maintaining a grin while the rest just looked around confused, searching for their partners’ confirmation of what was really going on; even Aerthus’s most loyal guard, Martuk, and his leading General Ortez held their heads, rubbing their foreheads, letting out loud sighs, standing behind him.

“You still need to court me. I barely know you!” She answered with a small chuckle.

“No problem! You are going to follow me, and we can get to know each other!”

“What if I don’t want to go?” Lily leaned back, tilting her head innocently “I told you, I won’t do nothing that I don’t want! Not even if you drag me along on a leash, naked!”

“You won’t come? Okay! No problem! Then I’ll stay here. With you!” Aerthus answered and his voice was firm, his people knew… he wasn’t lying.

“Oh!” She blinked her eyes, a bit surprised. “Well, touring and seeing the world sounds exciting…” She whispered, a bit shyer now. “I never left the kingdom before… not even the castle… soooo, it sounds fun! I can go with you!” She replied after a brief thought with a carefree expression.

“Great! Ortez!”

“Yes!” the stocky, short man with ginger hair and a long, bushy beard stepped forward, saluting, wearing full plate armor.

“Ask my master Cevix to come here and continue the establishment of a new city council! I have more pressing matters to attend to!”

“As you order!” he saluted once again but suddenly asked “What… are those matters, My Lord? Do you need the Royal Guard to accompany you?”

“I still need to learn about the story behind the ox and the broken cart, how it got stuck up there!” Aerthus smiled, stretching his hand towards her to lead her out of the room, confusing everybody, but Lily just laughed with him.

“It’s a long story~” She whispered, accepting his hand, leaving behind a completely dazzled group of people but who would dare to say anything against Aerthus who commanded a million strong army and could fly high up in the air, killing dozens with one punch.

“I have time,” he said, only looking at her at that moment. “I won’t forget anything you say. Not for a minute…”