"Forgive my rudeness. Theobald Corwen, Third Duke of Derry."

"I have heard of you," Daemon said. "It is said that you are one of the Count of Marton's staunchest opponents."

The old Duke smiled back, then took a handful of sweets from a bag in his pocket and put them in his tea. "If there's one thing the Count of Marton has a lot of these days, it's enemies. That happens when you upset the balance of power that has governed this country for centuries."

"You mean the Secular Concordat? The Count has been said to have been working to abolish it for years."

"He's not that naive. If he did, he'd have a general insurrection on his hands. Let's just say that if the umbilical cord that still holds a good portion of the nobility tied to the Circle were cut, he wouldn't mind. What do you call it in the Free State? State secularism."

"As I see it, faith should deal only with spiritual matters and provide comfort to the faithful, not meddle in political affairs. And from experience I can say that violently repressing a religious confession just because it is practiced by a small number of people is the easiest and surest way to provoke discontent and disorder."

"So I imagine you are not very much in favor of the Concordat law according to which every man of power must have an Archbishop at his side."

"If it's to settle religious questions or to offer non-binding and purely common-sense advice, it does not concern me in the least. It is when men of the church presume to have their say in matters that are not theirs that troubles arise."

"And yet you cannot help but admit that the Concordat was very useful in the aftermath of the Holy Wars."

"The Concordat is a child of its time. It was written to ensure peace after the Holy Wars, and it succeeded in part. But five hundred years have passed; it's time to try to create something new, which addresses today's challenges in a less dogmatic way."

"You almost sound as if you consider the Circle and its members a danger."

"I have learned that when prelates try to meddle in political affairs, even if they do so in good faith, they often end up doing more harm than good."

"And yet, was it not the literal application of Gaia's Law that ensured that the monsters and half-breeds who live in this country were spared the torment of slavery?"

"We have achieved the same result without involving faith. Slavery is religiously, but also morally and economically wrong."

The Duke did not seem surprised by how Daemon was able to counter all his considerations blow for blow, and even if he didn't share his vision it could still respect it.

"You are as shrewd and clever as they make you out to be, Master Haselworth. You couldn't have hoped for a better Prime Minister, Your Grace."

"Trust me, spend a few days in his company and you'll change your mind."

"Hey, you two!"

Daemon and Aria turned to find themselves face to face with a young woman in fine silk robes, a long braid of hair with two small curved horns sprouting from it, and large dark eyes.

"Are you Daemon Haselworth, Prime Minister of the Free State of Eirinn?"

"Who asks?"

"My name is Taka. Answer my question. Are you really Daemon Haselworth?"

"It's me."

Luckily Daemon had reflexes honed by years of hunting and never left his saber behind, otherwise in addition to Aria, Taka's sword attack would have caught even him unprepared.

A violent duel then began between the two, which in a few moments attracted the almost amused attention of the frequenters of that side of the park.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Aria tried to say. "We are not your enemies!"

"Calm down." said the Duke. "There's no danger."

"But..."

"If Lady Taka had wanted to kill him, he would have been dead by now. It's her way of knowing if she can trust someone."

The fight lasted a few minutes and was essentially evenly matched, until both of them had the tip of each other's swords just a step away from their noses.

"Not bad," Daemon said. "I don't think I've ever met a fighter like you."

"From what I'd heard, I thought you were only good at commanding from afar, but you're actually quite good at defending yourself."

In a few moments, the situation calmed down, though Taka didn't stop glaring at Daemon for a moment: "Tell the Count this. Tell him that I will never allow him to use the Princess for his own purposes. And that he's miscalculated if he thinks allying himself with you will be enough to protect him if he tries to harm Her Highness."

"Lady Taka, an emergency!" a maid yelled as she ran in, then muttered something in her ear.

"Again!? Damn, that reckless girl never learns. I'll be right there. As for you, Mister Haselworth, don't forget what I told you."

Daemon and Aria watched her run away while cursing someone unspecified, then returned their attention to the Duke of Derry.

"Forgive Lady Taka, Mister Haselworth. Her loyalty to the royal family is absolute. But unfortunately, our current princess is not easy to deal with."

The Duke's face suddenly changed into a grimace of pain, and he placed a hand on his belly as his entire body shook with uncontrollable tremors.

"Are you feeling ill?" asked Aria

"Nothing serious. Just aches and pains that come with age. I think it's time for me to go home. I suppose we'll meet again for the presentation, if there ever is one. Have a nice day."

At that point the Duke also left, leaning on a cane and holding on to his maid.

"It seems the Count of Marton is not held in high esteem in these parts," Aria said worriedly. "Maybe we should think twice about wanting to deal with him."

"I agree. I knew he had some opponents, but the situation seems even more serious than I expected."

"Forgive the wait," the Count of Montesol said, coming up the driveway. "His Excellency can now receive you."



As time went by, Danton had become a good and obedient wyvern, who could fly for hours without ever getting tired.

But even he needed a break every now and then, so as soon as she noticed a small, isolated pond not far from the castle, Xylla ordered the wyvern to descend there to drink and rest.

"Good boy. It's good, isn't it? I promise you'll be rewarded with a whole cow tonight."

Xylla had always been better at reading wyverns than her own kind, let alone humans, so moments like this, when she could be alone with Danton, were her favorite.

"Who goes there?" she said, sensing the intruder before Danton did.

A moment passed, and a young girl in riding gear appeared from among the trees surrounding the pond, leading by the bridle one of those superb hazel stallions that made Connelly famous throughout Erthea.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you. You found my secret place."

"Secret place?"

"This is where I come to water my Belmont, and where I bathe sometimes. Since there are no roads near here, it's almost impossible for anyone to come this far."

Then, as if it were an absolutely normal thing, the newcomer approached Danton with eyes full of wonder.

"Incredible! A real wyvern. I've never seen one so close."

Even if Xylla and the other harpies had trained him properly, Danton was still an animal, which especially if stressed or subjected to excessive attention could still be dangerous.

Instead, after a moment's hesitation, he not only allowed the girl to approach, but even let her pet him, whining.

"There, good. Like this. I won't hurt you. You're such a good puppy."

"I don't believe it. Aside from Lord Daemon, he had never let a human approach him like this."

And so it happened that before she knew it, Xylla found herself sitting next to a human, staring out into the pond, while nearby Danton was drinking side by side with what could have been his dinner.

If that wasn't the strangest situation the young harpy had ever found herself in, it was certainly on the podium.

"How pleasant it is to stay here." said the girl, stretching and lying down on the damp grass.

"But... aren't you afraid of me?"

"Afraid!? Why should I be?"

"Humans aren't usually so... well... so calm in my presence. They're afraid of my claws, and then... everyone says harpies carry diseases."

"Come on, that's just nonsense. You take care of your wyvern with a lot of love, and someone who treats animals like that can't be bad. There's no way I could be afraid of you. And you seem so nice."

"Me... nice?"

"Of course!"

The silence around them was broken only by the chirping of cicadas, and despite clearly belonging to high society the human girl seemed perfectly at ease.

"You know, I used to live just like this. I lived in a small shepherd village on the moors to the north, near the High Cliffs. I herded goats, rode horses, and hunted."

"What about your parents?"

"I never knew them. I only know that my mother was not a native of this country, after all, you only have to look at me to understand that. Then one day some men came. They told me that my father was dead, that I was his only daughter, and that from that moment on I would have to take care of everything. So from one day to the next I found myself locked in a building, under constant surveillance by some bad guys who tell me what to do, how to speak, and all these things. So every now and then, when I can, I come here and stay for a while on my own."

Aside from the part about ending up living the good life in a palace instead of hell, Xylla felt like their stories weren't all that different.

"I was happy once, too. I had a village, a family, and friends. Then I made a mistake, and everything I had was destroyed."

"I'm sorry. But you're happy now. Am I right?"

Xylla gasped; and sensing his mistress's anxiety, Danton gently touched her with his long tongue as if he wanted to caress her.

"See? At least there's someone who loves you. Taka, my guard, on the other hand is a real pain in the ass. And I'm sure that sooner or later you'll meet someone you'll end up loving as much as your wyvern loves you."

Hearing those words, for a reason she couldn't understand, a familiar face appeared in Xylla's mind, making her heart beat and her cheeks red.

"Look, look. Could it be that you've already found the person in question?"

"What!? No, what are you thinking?"

Danton yelped as if he were laughing, embarrassing Xylla even more.

"You too now?"

"See? He thinks the same."

In other times Xylla would have threatened the mischievous girl with three beautiful streaks on her face, yet despite the situation she couldn't be angry.

"By the way, my name is Elizabeth. What about you?"

"I... I'm Xylla."

"What a beautiful name. And what's your wyvern's name?"

"He's Danton. I didn't give him that name. It was Lord Haselworth's idea."

"Oh, I see. So you're part of the embassy that arrived..." Elizabeth was shocked. "Damn, I forgot! I should be at the palace meeting that Prime Minister of yours right now! That rusty Marton will kill me for sure!"

"To the palace!? So you're... the princess!?"

"We have to go back right now! Can you and Danton give me a ride?"

"But... but I, really..."

"Please, it's a matter of life and death! My death! Don't worry about Belmont, he'll get back on his own. You wouldn't leave a friend in trouble, would you? Would you?"

"... Okay, if you insist. Come on, hop in."



"Your Grace. Mr. Prime Minister. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all ours, Count of Marton," Aria said, shaking his hand.

"Please, just call me Marton. Everyone does that. Please have a seat."

Daemon had noticed that although the Count, in the name of etiquette, tried to favor Aria as Grand Duchess, his attentions actually seemed to be directed more towards him.

"As you may have noticed, things are not particularly happy at the moment. As a great poet would say, there is something rotten in Connelly."

"To put it mildly," Aria said. "We've had a chance to speak with the Duke of Derry and the Princess's personal guard, and they don't seem to think much of you."

"Ruling Connelly is like constantly sitting on the back of a raging bull. When William Connelly managed to unify the kingdoms of Watshire and Balmoral centuries ago, he probably didn't expect things to get this messy."

"The Circle that had so many followers in Balmoral was only a religious order back then, with no political power," Daemon said. "But who could have imagined that the Holy Wars would break out a few decades later?"

"And from there, the situation evolved as we know. As entire nations fell, the cult of Gaia became the only bulwark against the advance of the Dark Lord. They forced with their example the rulers of this world to put aside their differences to face the threat, and once it was defeated they worked to ensure that the balance thus achieved would not be lost, ensuring a long peace."

Then the Count turned to Daemon, staring at him in a way that made the young man's veins tremble: "But as you have demonstrated, this system that everyone believes to be perfect is not without its flaws."

"But many say you were the first to break this balance," Aria intervened again. "First by fomenting war with the Empire, then with your reforms, and the attempt to break the Secular Concordat."

"Don't break it. Reform it. Outside this place it may seem like a small matter; kings and governors need only remain on good terms with their Archbishops, fight heresy, and act the part of good believers. Things are dramatically different in Connelly. Here there are cities that are effectively theocracies, where the authority of the Prince is little or non-existent. This is not good for the State. And as much as I would like to follow your example by permanently separating political and religious matters, you will agree with me that doing so here is much more difficult."

"Is that why everyone is so wary of you? Because they fear that you will use the next Princess as a pawn to further your reforms, perhaps even replacing her?"

"You have nothing to fear. I swore to her father on his deathbed that I would serve the crown's cause and protect Her Highness until my dying breath. That purpose comes before all else. Unfortunately, it is no small feat."

"Why?" Daemon asked.

"You may already know, but Her Highness Elizabeth is not exactly of noble blood. Her mother was found floating on a wreck near the Maelstrom Net with a demihuman of unknown origin."

Both Daemon and Aria gasped. "The Princess's mother comes from Yomei!?"

"The Hidden Empire. His Highness kept her with him until she died giving birth to the Princess. At the time, we were all convinced that sooner or later the Prince would produce a true heir, on the other hand, the daughter of a foreign castaway, especially from Yomei, would not have been welcomed by both the people and the Circle. I made sure she was raised in a comfortable environment, taking great care to conceal her true identity. But then His Majesty thaught it was a good idea to get killed in a joust, and I found myself with no other options."

"Now I'm starting to understand." Aria said, visibly annoyed. "That's why you invited us, rather than simply requesting an ambassador as is customary. You wanted everyone to see that you were having dealings with the rulers of the Free State. You have staked much of your political career on the alliance with the Union against the Empire, and now that thanks to us the Emperor and the President are maintaining diplomatic relations you are in a terrible situation. Friendship with the Free State would be a great lifesaver."

The Count shrugged. "I apologize for the lack of formality. But you know. Desperate situations call for desperate solutions. I would like to point out, however, that the primary purpose of all this remains, in any case, the maintenance of His Highness's last wishes. The coronation of Lady Elizabeth as the next Princess Regnant of Connelly."

"And how could we be of use to you in this regard?" Daemon asked provocatively

"The coronation of the Prince Reigning is not an automatic process. In order to be officially presented, the heir to the throne must obtain the approval of the Council of Nobles. Normally it is a mere formality, but the present circumstances have turned it into a very dangerous obstacle. Regardless of Lady Elizabeth's... particular origins, as you have said, there are many out there who do not think highly of me, and have made some... how shall I put it... dangerous complaints."

"Is there another candidate?" Aria guessed

"A distant cousin, son of an aunt of the Prince. A Cardinal very close to the Pope."

"But the Concordat forbids a member of the Circle from inheriting a crown." Daemon objected

"It wouldn't be the first time a member of a royal family has renounced the priesthood to ascend the throne, especially in this country. But that's not the biggest problem. The boy is a simpleton, who has lived most of his life in monasteries. If he were to be crowned, the nobles who support the Circle would do exactly what they fear I would do to Lady Elizabeth."

"But you obviously don't mean to do that... do you?"

The tension that had arisen from this remark was quickly nipped in the bud when the Count of Montesol entered the office.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. The Princess has arrived. She awaits the guests in the throne room."

"Perfect timing. Your Grace, may I ask you to precede us to the meeting? I still have some matters to discuss with your Prime Minister."

Aria wasn't at all convinced that it was a good idea to leave those two alone, but since she couldn't refuse to accept a request from the host without appearing disrespectful, she had to agree.

But as she left, the atmosphere, instead of improving, seemed to become even heavier.

"Confusing situation." said a mock-relaxed Daemon

"To say the least. I have always tried my best, working to find creative solutions to complex problems. But no matter how hard I try, I have no illusions that I can ever compete with you."

"Don't underestimate yourselves. Your work here is enviable. I wouldn't mind having someone as talented as yours at my service."

"They are just drops in the ocean compared to the things you have accomplished. So many and such that I am sure even you are not fully aware of what your actions have meant for our world."

"So? What did you want to talk about in private?"

The Count, instead of answering, rose from his desk, picking up a small box from the shelf behind him and offering it to his guest.

"It may not be equal to other gifts you have received so far, but I hope you will consider it a tangible sign of my esteem."

Daemon, who had felt uneasy from the first moment he had set foot in that room, hesitated for a long time before opening it.

Inside was a brooch, created by intertwining several strips of gold with each other to form a net. One of them was made of white gold, and unlike the others, it followed a barely visible zigzag line that almost seemed to form a letter.

An N.

"Ne devrions-nous pas parler de l'arrivée imminente du Roi Démon, Votre Majesté? (*Should we talk about the imminent arrival of the Demon Lord, Your Majesty?)"