Chapter 46:

The Sun Falls, Blossoms Bloom

(Gwen's POV)

Rage. That's all she felt in that moment. They say that people see red whenever they get angry, but for Gwen...that was quite literal.

She had made a mistake. Believed that The Emperor would hold onto some honor in the end, but alas...she had been naive. Foolish. Why was she holding back? Why did she even think that there was any honor left in him?

She thought she had killed everything she felt towards him. Perhaps she had held out hope that he would be a proper father in the end. Perhaps she had thought that he would...no. It didn't matter. None of it mattered if Vincent died. He knew that.

How could Gwen have forgotten him? Nathan Ironhand. The Emperor's Mage-Guard. From the time he was young, The Emperor had always had Nathan by his side. He had lived in near obscurity. Nathan had acted the perfect Shadow, for he became exactly that. A Shadow.

His presence became commonplace. Mundane. Faded into the background until he was forgotten, and in the moment that was most needed, he struck. Gwen understood now that The Emperor wasn't just talking to her when he said to "Prove Your Worth". It was also aimed towards Vincent, and like fools they had been drawn like moths to the flame.

It happened before she could do anything to stop it. It was too quick. Too fast for her to react in time after The Emperor had perfectly displaced her footing. It was all planned from the very beginning...and that's when she saw it.

Vincent's head going flying. The scream that erupted from her throat echoed throughout the entire Throne Room, shaking its very foundations. Though he once more became whole, she saw that his body was fighting for his life. His mana-infused blood attempting to stitch his skin back together. If he died...if he...died...if Vincent died...

Her thoughts were erratic, but her heart surprisingly free. The mana inside of her ignited. Her blood burned with a fury unlike any other. Her aura flared to life with an intensity unlike anything other.

Her only goal now...Kill The Emperor.

She could feel it. The power surging through her. She was done playing games. She had warned them. Everyone. Vincent was hers.

They dare touch him? They dare force him into this state? They knew he would protect her. Ever since the Noble Assembly, they had seen his willingness to protect her. They also knew that he was her weakness. They had exploited it for the last time.

This was why she wanted to protect him, but she was always holding. Always trying to allow him to breathe, and while she would never suffocate him...those who didn't let him live would find themselves without a life. He had already been through enough.

A pure crimson aura shrouded her body now. Her fiery hair, once cut short, grew long once more as if it were alive. Flames that moved of their own free will. Her aura concentrated itself into burning wings which sprouted from her back, encasing her and Vincent in their protective embrace. Her eyes came alive with a golden, molten intensity.

The Emperor was pushed back by the sudden pressure. The ground cracked and melted underneath her, with the pillars meeting the same fate just from their proximity to her. The tapestries which hung from the ceiling began to burn. Gwen's mind had never felt so clear. Her soul so...free. Vincent was her life. The Empire would bow itself to her, and never would corruption fester for as long as she reigned.

Slowly, she lifted Vincent into her arms. He was safe...for now. She knew that if he stayed with her, he would be in danger. There were only two people she could trust with his safety, and into their arms she bore him.

"Cass...Miri," Gwen's words were somber, trusting, "Take Vincent and leave. It's no longer safe here for him, or for you."

Cassandra took him with great care, nodding with understanding. She could see the awe in their eyes. With a smirk, Cassandra commented-

"Setting the bar high for me, huh?" she chuckled, and Gwen allowed herself a small smile.

Wasting no more time, they began to make their way quickly from the Throne Room. She watched until they were out of sight, the moment only ruined by the grating sound of The Emperor's voice.

"Finally, you've revealed yourself," The Emperor chuckled as if with pride, "Like the Great Dragon, Trevynal Vossen-Stone, our Ancestor! You are the only one worthy of cleansing the Empire and returning us to our former glory!"

Gwen turned to face The Emperor...no, a simple, foolish insect, with not a single ounce of respect that one of his position would have deserved, should he have simply fought this duel with honor. She might have even felt pity, seeing such a fervor in his eyes. As if he gazed upon a God. She couldn't understand and didn't want to.

"...Has the poison eroded your mind?" Gwen inquired callously, "All of this...to cleanse the rot that you yourself have allowed to come to pass."

She walked forward as he rose to his feet, a smug smile upon his face and sword still in his hand.

"Everything I do, I do for the Empire," he told her, deluding himself further, "I was not strong enough. You are. That boy, Vincent, is your weakness, but he could also be your greatest strength."

Gwen tilted her head at his words. With the newfound clarity in her mind that she possessed, his words came to her before he had even spoken them. The Noble Faction had never been the threat. He was.

"I sensed it from the moment I laid eyes upon him," Albert explained, "The power inside of him. Yet, if he were to remain with you, it would not be harnessed properly."

Gwen saw the madness slowly grow within his eyes. He had told himself, deluded himself, into becoming disdainful of Vincent for being a commoner...even telling himself that whenever he was alone, all so that he could perpetuate the belief that he had allowed the Noble Faction to talk him into getting rid of Vincent. To remove him from Gwen's side.

"...It was you," Gwen's words were eerily calm, "Everything he went through...and even him showing up your birthday. I fear I already know the answer, but tell me...Why?"

He shifted, standing proud and chuckling to himself.

"To make him stronger," the insect told her with a shrug, "I saw how much he meant to you. I knew you wouldn't stop. I set the stage. I prepared the actors. I acted the fool, and perhaps I was, but everything I did, I did for the Empire."

He held himself infuriatingly tall. For an insect, he sure postured himself above his station. Gwen's thoughts turned cold...colder than they had ever been before.

"When I saw the look in his eye after being reunited with you, I knew," he nodded knowingly, "I knew that it had succeeded. He would do anything for you. Sacrifice everything, and he was strong enough to do it. You always held yourself back. In order to realize your potential, you needed a little...push. Perhaps I pushed a little too hard, but no matter the outcome...it's my victory."

Gwen took a deep breath, for what she had already known since he started to talk was confirmed. By pretending, even to himself, he had fooled everyone. He raised his blade, aimed at Gwen as if poised to strike.

"...You may be right," Gwen's words held only one emotion, just an endless pit contempt, "This is your victory. Yet, it is also mine. Because, you have asked for death...and I wasn't even sure if I would give it to you. That you were even worthy of death."

Gwen lifted her blade, the weight of her aura bending the light around it. The feathered fire of her wings lifted her up into the air, and she looked down upon him with complete disdain. There was not a single shred of warmth in her gaze, despite the heat she was giving off.

"However, I've come to realize something," Gwen said as one of the pillars of the throne room completely shattered, part of the ceiling collapsing along with it, "Your death is a mercy upon the world itself. I shall rend you from this life and scour your legacy from history."

The insect shifted a little uncomfortably at her words. He seemed confused, and so she made it simple for him.

"I cannot believe I've come from you," Gwen's words rang with deadly intent, "Therefore, no one shall ever know. In generations to come, when they teach history, your name will never appear. I have no father, and I never have. History will forget Albert Vossen-Stone. Just as I will."

A fear entered his eyes then. It was obvious that he wanted to be remembered. He believed that he was doing everything for The Empire, but The Empire would forget him. Everything he's done would be forgotten, and he didn't like that.

His aura flared to life in anger, though like an ant before a giant, it was completely dwarfed and swallowed by Gwen's overwhelming aura. His blade struck out, only for it to be effortlessly knocked aside as Gwen plunged at him. Her blade sliced through his shoulder. A fly-by attack which positioned her directly over the throne, whereupon it began melt.

"Descended from Dragons, we are born," Gwen recited with finality, "To ashes we shall return, and from them I shall rise. They call my name already, but here I declare it. I am the Daughter of the Phoenix. Born to the night stars and the morning sun, Gwenevere Vossen-Stone, Empress of the Vossen Empire, and I hereby sentence you...a mere insect who thought himself above reproach...to death."

He was frozen before the grandeur that was the radiant wings which flared to life before him. A half-smile upon his face with an expression that didn't know whether to be grateful or afraid. Raising her blade, Gwen concentrated her all of her aura into it, and with a graceful swing of it, erased the man before her from all of existence. Disintegrated, leaving absolutely no trace.

A peace fell over her. Twelve years of pain. Twelve years of searching. Twelver years of fighting. All of it was finally over.

All around her, the throne room was crumbling. The throne itself was nothing but a misshapen mass of gold and gems. The glass ceiling shattered, falling upon the floor. The entire place was collapsing, but she was not concerned.

Alighting upon the ground, she released her aura and the wings which had lifted her from the shackles which held her down. A remnant of them drifted down before her, catching her eye. It was a flower petal, yet not just any flower petal. A Wisteria Flower Petal.

Her feet carried her faster than they had ever before. The throne room could be rebuilt...Vincent could not. If he did not pull through...she might just go to hell and kill that bastard, whose name she had already thrown away, again.

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(Vincent's POV)

He was floating in a vast void. There was nothing. No warmth. No cold. Just him and the void.

What could he say? What could he do? He did everything that he had wanted to. He saved his sister, who he never knew he had. He learned how to laugh again. He spent time with kind, warmhearted people, and of course...he met her again.

Gwen, with her fiery red hair and sunset for eyes. The freckles which dance across her face like stars in the sky. She was everything to him, and he would give everything for her. There was no doubt in his heart or mind anymore. He loved her.

Not for saving him, though that had played quite the role, but for just how genuine of a person she was. The kindness in her heart was warm, yet tempered with a strength unlike any other he had ever seen. Her laugh filled his ears with music from the heavens. Her touch felt like safety. Her scent like home.

There was no one in this world that he would rather be by their side than her. In this void, he knew what had happened. What he had done. How worried she must be, but it was what he had to do. To preserve her radiant light. That which burns so brightly that it blinds him.

Hers is a strength, a beauty that makes him scared. That makes him want to turn away in shame for the thoughts he has whenever she is near. In her arms, he is safe. Who keeps her safe?

A cool wind blew across the void. The feelings in his heart. It was a comforting thing, and the first thing that he felt in this empty wasteland, but it wasn't the last. No, there was more. Something more profound than that.

A flash of golden silk. The hair upon the head of a woman whose smile calmed his heart and eased his sorrows. Alva, his mother. He didn't know her for long, but she was everything to him.

A warmth followed the cool wind. Embraced him like a blanket fresh from being dried. His mind wandered, wondering what all of this meant. In such an empty void, what did this mean to him? Who was he?

This question, he had never really asked before. He was Vincent Redwood. The son of Alva Redwood, and unfortunately, Henrick Redwood. Friend and Mage-Guard to Gwenevere Vossen-Stone, yet he wanted to be more. Once a slave, now free from those shackles.

Yet, none of this described, or even said who he was. A calming presence. A soothing smile. The light in the dark for those very dear to him. A cold killer. A deadly assassin. The reaper one fears when whispers reach their ears of his name.

Were these who he was? Did it really matter? He was all of this and much more.

He was Vincent Redwood. Born of Winter and Birthed of Spring. He was the Winter Wind and the gentle Spring. He was the harsh frozen nights and cozy field of fireflies.

Summoned by his very thoughts, little motes of light rose from the abyss around him. A ripple expanded out from him. He felt a pulse deep within his chest, and as if called by it, the motes of light flew to him. He felt their strength, their power, their warmth.

He was that which could not be killed. The Undying, Eternal Winter. He was...Death.

A deep breath in, his eyes fluttered open. A light filled them, and a room came into view.

He was that which would always thrive. The Everlasting Spring. He was...Life.

"Vincent!" a familiar voice filled his ears, and the warm embrace of Gwen pulled him into her, "Don't you ever do something so fucking foolish like that again!"

He realized that he was alive. His neck had reattached itself with the rest of him. He smiled into her shoulder, wrapping his arms around her tightly. He could hear and feel the tears flowing from her eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, tightening his embrace upon her, "It was the only way...I couldn't lose you. Though, after doing it...I'm not keen on doing so again anytime soon."

"Dumbass, you're never doing it again," Gwen retorted, attempting to chide him, though failed as she was overcome with the joy of him being alive, a chuckle escaping her lips, "Do you think I could lose you? That I want to lose you?"

She pulled away from him, holding him by the shoulders and saw that he had tears himself in his own eyes. They both looked a mess, though happy to see each other.

"I take it...you won?" a laugh forced itself through his lips as he smiled, just grateful to see her safe, "You look...good. Free."

"...Damn you," Gwen shook her head, pulling him into another embrace, "Damn you. Damn you."

She wasn't angry, not really. That was to be sure. She just realized that he had known about the shackles holding her back, and just like she did for him...he had helped do for her. Even if inadvertently.

"Hey...what did I do?" he joked, once again returning the hug.

"You know exactly what you did," she admonished playfully, "I'll forgive you this time, but only because...well, I'm just happy you're alive."

Her hold on him tightened, and she didn't let go for a good, long while.

"Me too, Gwen...me too," he replied, not eager to leave her embrace until they absolutely had to.

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(Narrative POV)

The days that followed were quite busy for Vincent and Gwen. With his recovery her highest priority, Gwen became like a hawk. She watched him constantly and ensured he didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to. He begrudgingly allowed her to spoil him, but he would be lying if he said it wasn't endearing, or that he didn't enjoy it.

Once he was finally back on his feet, there were a few formalities that had to be completed which were being put off until he was better. Not that he needed to be there, but Gwen refused to do anything until he was able to be by her side. Cassandra and Miranda visited him a few times during his recovery, with Miranda ensuring everything healed properly.

She had stayed by his side, helping bolster his mana until he recovered. Cassandra had to be pried from him by Gwen, who had grown a little jealous of how long they had hugged for. To Cassandra, he was like the brother she never had. Of course, she actually had two, but Vincent was her favorite. Miranda also saw him as one.

They had all grown incredibly close in the time that they spent together. It had only been a year, but so much had happened in that time that it may as well been ten years. The Empire crowned its new Empress, Gwenevere Vossen-Stone, and the previous ruler's name was stricken from all records.

Yasmina and Cordelia, along with their children, were stripped of their titles and ranks and publicly denounced. An Imperial Order was issued, as Gwen had promised, and their use of mana was destroyed using a delicate alchemical mixture and their own willing destruction of the core mana points throughout their body. They would never be able to use magic or aura again, but their descendent may inherit mana once more.

After vowing to never utter or record the name of their father or husband again, they were allowed to leave unharmed into the world with only a small coin pouch to their name. The same could not be said for the leaders of the Noble Faction. Those who had not died at the Battle of the Northshall, were captured and presented to the public for judgement. It was unanimously decided that they'd face death.

The public executions lasted for three days, for there were more rats than Gwen had anticipated. Some that had even gone under her radar. Those who had attempted to hide themselves for fear of being found, yet still providing support to the others. None were spared, save perhaps those who had no clue as to their families true allegiance. Not all in the Noble Faction were quite so open about their affiliation, even to their own blood.

Gwen knew this better than anyone, and so came an end to the rule of a madman and the Noble Faction. Vincent spent a lot of time with Gwen helping to restructure The Empire. Queen Lucine stayed for a while to help oversee a few projects, but returned home to the Forests of Evernox to converse with their own people and the nobles within. There was much to discuss for them, specifically a new and better proposal for an alliance, and possible merging of the two nations.

After all, Empress Gwenevere Vossen-Stone, was also the Princess of the Forests of Evernox...and Lucine was getting a little tired of politics. She'd much prefer raising the young twins, Evelina and Elric, while giving advice to the daughter she is so proud of. This would be quickly accepted, and a couple months later would find Vincent and Gwen in quite the nostalgic place.

The garden Gwen had rebuilt in her private wing of the Palace, back when she was still the Second Imperial Princess. It was the very same Vincent had first served her tea in when they had just been reunited.

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(Gwen and Vincent's POV)

It was awkward for the both of them. Neither could read the other's thought, yet they each understood what the other was feeling. They had spent over a year together, and over the past couple of months, they had never been from each others side. Neither would ever be without the other, of course, this was also the first time in a while they had time to themselves.

Whether it was delegations or some other ceremony they had to hold, they were incredibly busy. Now was a time they finally had to each other. They could barely look each other in the eye, not until Vincent poured the two of them tea, and Gwen served them both Lemon Bars that the two of them had made together. Their eyes met upon the exchange, both of their faces turning red.

"Thank you..." Vincent replied with a sheepish smile, feeling his heart beat rapidly in his chest, "It's been a while since we were here."

"Yeah..." Gwen replied, feeling incredibly nervous yet attempting to keep her composure, "Even though we've been at the palace, we haven't had time to come here."

"No, we haven't..." Vincent took a bite of his lemon bar, bursting upon his tastebuds with incredibly flavor.

It had taken a bit to get it down, as Gwen needed quite the help, but it was help that Vincent was willing to give. The quality time spent together had allowed each of them to open their hearts up to each other even more than ever before. Which is probably why they both knew what they were there for. It was both of their plans, yet had been decided on separately. Neither had a clue the other had chosen this spot.

"You know..." Vincent began, leaning back in the chair he sat next to Gwen in, "I was so lost when I first came here. I had no idea what to expect."

"To be fair," Gwen spoke up with a playful tone, "You brainwashed."

"Pfft, true," Vincent nodded with soft sigh, his gaze passing over her.

He was enamored by her. There she was, hair tied back in a hairstyle reminiscent of his before it had been cut. Ever since her hair had grown from the influx of mana, Gwen had kept it long. The reason was simple. Vincent had complimented it.

He thought it looked "wildly beautiful". This, of course, had made her incredibly happy. Of course, she knew he liked her hair short too, but it had been many years since she had last worn her hair long. There was a certain nostalgia to it that she could finally enjoy.

Its feathered strands radiant in the light of the sun, complimenting the wisteria flowers throughout the garden. At least, Vincent thought so. Just as she thought the flaxen gold of his hair, tied back in a well-kept half-ponytail and those wisteria eyes of his, complimented the roses and crimson azaleas.

Of course, he still looked better in pastels than dark colors, in Gwen's opinion, but he made quite the match for darker, more vibrant colors as well. Perhaps, that was her way of thinking that Vincent and her looked good together. He, of course, thought the same.

"Hey, will you come with me for a second?" Gwen stood from her chair, having not touched her tea or the lemon bar out of nervousness.

She offered her hand to him, and eager to feel her touch again, he took it gladly. Helping him from his seat, she led him over to the stone banister nearby. Leaning upon it, she motioned to the garden. From the Wisteria Flowers to the Tulips and Carnations. There were various flowers like Roses and Azaleas. A babbling stream leading to a tranquil pond helped put it all together.

"Are you...happy here?" Gwen inquired of him.

They were both awkward at this. Neither really being able to broach the subject, for neither really had any good experience. This caused great pain for their two hovering voyeurs, yet neither Gwen nor Vincent took notice of them, for they were too preoccupied with each other.

"...Do you even need to ask?" Vincent responded with a playful smirk, "Of course, I am. More than happy. I feel...alive for the first time in a long time."

"Well..." Gwen fidgeted with her hands, "What would you say...to staying here? I mean, not that you don't. I just...what mean to say is..."

Vincent's heart was racing. Of course he already lived here. He was always here. With her. That would never change, and seeing how anxious she looked, he reached for her hands to calm them.

"Gwen, what is it?" he asked, a little nervous, "Do you think I'm going anywhere? Not a fucking chance."

She calmed down now that she held his hands in hers, though she switched from fidgeting with her own hands, to playing with his quite affectionately. Her thumb running along the back of one of them.

"No, I don't, I just..." Gwen took a deep breath, composing herself, "Oh, fuck it."

Turning to Vincent, she looked him in the eyes with an intense, burning desire. Her heart screamed at her to let it all out. His own was in tandem, wanting nothing more than to blurt everything out. They saw each other for who they were. From their hearts to the very soul itself.

"Vincent?" Gwen asked in quite the demanding voice.

"Y-Yes?" he asked, a little excited by her commanding presence.

"What I'm trying to say is..." she focused herself, pushing the words out, "Do you want to make that permanent. I like you, Vincent. I always have, and after everything we've gone through, I-"

"YES!" Vincent blurted out, surprised at himself for such an outburst, but even more surprised was Gwen whose eyes widened, for she did not believe her ears.

"I'm sorry?" Gwen asked for clarification.

"I-I mean..." Vincent's face grew warm as he blushed, which was incredibly cute to Gwen, "I like you, too, Gwen. More than that. I...I love you, Gwen."

"I love you, too!" it came out faster than either could have expected, Gwen's face turning almost as red as her hair, "Oh gods, that came out fast, didn't it?"

The two of them laughed, the tension suddenly melting away from the both of them. Their hands soon grew fonder and more affectionate of the other. They reveled in the feeling of each other, a recently unspoken, now heard, feeling of love hanging around them and drawing them closer.

Their eyes flitted from each other, while nearby their ever-watchful supporters wondered if they would be able to handle the sweetness of such a tender moment, or if it would be the death of them. Gwen's hand found Vincent's face, holding him as if he was the most precious thing in the world, and to her...he was. The same could be said of Vincent, whose hands had found Gwen's waist and shoulder respectively.

He recalled the embarrassing moment over a year ago when he had attempted to try and help her change. How firm her body had looked, and now...he could feel it. Slender, yet strong. His mind went wild, but more than that, it went blank upon Gwen suddenly lifting his chin and pulling him closer.

"Forgive me," she whispered hungrily, "I've waited too damn long for this."

His heart exploded with a sensation neither had ever truly experience before. It was warm, soft, and...gentle. All while burning with an insatiable passion and intoxicating sweetness. A kiss that sent both of them into pure bliss.

For months, they had danced around their feelings. For months, they had toyed with how to tell the other how they felt. Now, they had finally cemented it. Gwen held Vincent's fragile, slender body to her, and he in turn leaned into hers. It was with some reluctance that they pulled their lips from each other, if only to catch their breath.

"...Wow," Vincent breathed, their foreheads pressed against each other.

"Incredible," Gwen agreed with a euphoric smile, "We should have done this a long time ago."

"Tell us about it!" Cassandra suddenly exclaimed, revealing her and Miranda who had been watching from behind one of the taller bushes, "It's about damn time! Finally!"

Miranda's face was beat red in embarrassment, attempting to hide herself behind Cassandra. Gwen and Vincent were surprised, having not noticed them due to their infatuation with one another. The situation devolved into Gwen putting Cassandra into a playful headlock, chiding her for spying on them while Vincent and Miranda shared a laugh.

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