“I figured we would have this conversation in your bed chambers." Quipped Nero as he sat on the large resting chair that was placed in front of the high ceiling windows. Tereza ignored him as she gracefully moved across the room. Putting as much distance between them as she could.

  Her study was large, vines hung from the ceiling like chandeliers. Various herbs and foliage were scattered across the walls and with varying labels on them. Charms and items of power hummed with a muffled intensity that seemed to reverberate throughout the chamber. Books floated in the air and flipped through pages as though some invisible force were reading them. The roots of the Everwood tree interwoven within the room gave the chamber an ancient like mysticism that seemed to draw its power from everything all around. Candelabras were placed in almost every corner, despite the light from them being dim they still somehow managed to light the room perfectly. The assistance of the midday sun was a welcomed addition. In the center of the room was occupied by a stone basin with symbols carved into its sides. Even the pillar with which it rested atop was no exception. The words seemed to cause pain to any who tried to read them who did not understand the language. Nero was not well versed in magic but even he could tell this was a sacred place than not many were permitted to enter and even fewer knew existed. In all the years since he last saw the woman who bore him two children, he could tell her power had grown. This room was all the proof he needed. Within here he felt as though he was cut off from the rest of the world. This was the domain of Tereza Altieri, and within it all would bend to her whim. It brought a smile to his face.

  “Did you travel all this way, with Galahad as your escort to joke?” her glare pierced through him. “Get on with it.”

  “You seem to be in a foul mood,” the old emperor yawned. “Have I caught you at a bad time? That attire you wear, is it not one for mourning?” he pointed at her with a worn finger. His eyes never leaving her.

  Tereza said nothing.

  Nero rose from the chair stretching. He walked around the room surveying the diverse trinkets that dotted the walls, “I am not aware of anyone important in Lunaelia dying.” A bronze dagger caught his attention; within it he could see Tereza’s reflection.

  Once more Tereza said nothing.

  “Now that I think about it,” he paused. “The only person of note to die recently was Barranagan was it not?”

  It was for the briefest of moments, a second within a second. But it was enough, her expression, one of pain and Nero caught it.

  “What I wear and when I wear it, is of no concern to you.” The great witch spoke, with command in her voice. “Do well to remember you are in my domain. And these games you play have no effect on me.”

  Nero made his way towards the high ceiling windows and stared out at the city below. Even with his back turned to her she could tell he was lost in thought. “You felt it too did you not? When he died. Like the air was pulled from your lungs. I half expected I would join him at that moment.”

  Tereza did not allow her mind to carry her back to that terrible feeling she felt weeks ago. The sudden sensation as though her very soul would depart her body. She had prepared herself, for years, decades and still. When it happened, when he died it was like nothing she had ever experienced before. She fought back tears. The hollow feeling she carried threatened to consume her entire being. And still she endured, refusing to feel any kind of pity for herself. She would not allow herself any mercy. She more than anyone knew she was undeserving of it.

  “I wonder, perhaps I should have gone to see him. Be there with him in his final moments.” Nero began, his words directed more to himself than anyone else. “Damn the titles, damn the past. He was my one true friend. After everything the three of us all went through. The hell my accursed father created for the nine realms. But what would I say? What could I say to him? What is it that I wanted to hear from him that I could not bring myself to ask in over a century?”

  “What is this?” Tereza scoffed, snapping Nero out of his trance. He turned to her almost dazed. “Have you come here to what? Share your guilt with me? Do you want me to absolve you?” she stopped herself from laughing in his face. The lengths of his audacity somehow still surprised her all these years later.

  “Do not act like you have no guilt of your own woman. You did not go see him either.” He snapped back his words cutting into her flesh.

  “You know nothing of me or of my guilt. Your sins are yours to bear. As mine are my own.” She stopped leaning on her desk. Tereza stood upright. “For a century. For a fucking century, you stood by as Lancel Bludgaard along with the rest of your zealots, dragged his name through the streets of your empire. Calling him ‘the demon of the north’, ‘the last beast of the old world’. And you talk of him as your one true friend?”

  Simmering rage had begun to build within Tereza. She was unsure if it was for Nero or herself. The bitter taste of anger slowly covered her tongue. An animosity that she had done well to keep under control. The attempted self-flagellation that Nero was performing was too much for even her to stomach. There was much left unsaid between the both of them. That was how she always wanted it to be. But secretly a part of her wished to confront Nero with the truth and today seemed to be that day.

  “I know nothing of you?” Nero repeated her words clearly. “Tell me, after the war when he returned north; why did you not go? Better yet, after you deluded yourself into justifying why you did not go and closed yourself off to the world for decades. Whose bed did you crawl into when you emerged from your self-exile?”

  His words like a metal rod on flesh. Tereza swore she would never forgive herself. Not for sleeping with him the first time, or several times after that. She would never forgive herself for believing that Nero could be loved. That she would fall for his lies twice. When Roderika was born, she accepted her birth was out of necessity. To rebuild a future that was on the brink of collapse. She knew Nero never truly desired her. She never once desired him either. But in each other they saw the man they believed abandoned them. They believed that the piece of him they both carried within would be worthy alternatives to the man himself. They watched from a distance as he found another, and she gave him a son. They were wrecked with guilt and envy. But Tereza should have known better. She watched as Nero fathered more children than she cared to count throughout the realms, under the guise of peace. He planted his seed across kingdoms. And yet still unsatisfied, for his true desire was always out of reach. Barranagan Xerxes was always out of reach.

  However Reza was meant different. And yet her birth was one born out of despair. Even now Tereza could still recall the pain she felt when she was made aware of the death of Barranagan's wife. The ferociousness in which she met her end while holding on to her youngest son. But the suffering of the king in the north did not end there. So soon after did his oldest, Hyperion abandon his birthright and his home. And yet, never once through all of that did Barranagan seek her for council or comfort. Through all they had experienced together, he never sought her. Who else but the Emperor of Aurum could understand what she felt? Disillusioned and broken, she returned to Nero. Lying to herself that he had changed, that the years had changed him. And it did for a time. And once more the emperor grew bored of her and her children.

  It took her longer than she would have liked, but Tereza learned her lesson. And vowed to close her heart forever to the world. She could never bring herself to face Barranagan, even when she learned that death slowly consumed him. The shame and indiscretion was too great for her to overcome. She believed she was unworthy to stand in his presence. Unlike Nero, she chose to face the truth; a century ago she should have gone north with the man she loved most. With the man who sacrificed everything to save her, her home and all the lives of everyone she ever knew. The man who when kings and warriors turned coward in the face of the mad emperor, stood to face him. The man she dreamt about nearly almost every night for a century. But now that man was dead. And with his death, so too did her heart join him.

  “You see, unlike you Nero,” began Tereza as she walked towards him. “I have had a very long time to reflect on my life and what has become of it. Despite my many, many faults. I have accepted certain truths. And those I cannot accept I will carry to my grave—there is good in my life. That much I know, I see it everyday when I look into the eyes of my daughters, of Karla and those who serve me and my great house. When I meet my end, it will be with a smile on my face. But what brings me the greatest joy? I know you will not experience the same.” She made sure her words struck what was left of his soul.

  Tereza let the silence hang in the air and for the first time in decades, she felt free of him. Free of the gravity that orbited around him and all those who worshipped him. At that moment, she began to understand what Barranagan must have felt all those years ago. Her heart grew even heavier. She turned to exit the room, she was tired of this poisonous war of words between them. She would play his game no longer.

  “Your room has been prepared. You are welcome to stay as long as you wish to pretend you are a good father to Reza. But know her naming ceremony is soon. So perhaps wait until after that before you choose to disappoint her again. Allow her a few more days to believe in you a little while longer.” Tereza headed for the door.

  Unbeknownst to her, Nero had also accepted certain truths about himself as well. When Barranagan gave him the throne to Aurum. It opened his eyes to the reality that he was not that much different from the mad emperor he once called father. A man he hated with every corner of his soul, a man he wished death a thousand times over in his waking life and in his dreams. But becoming Emperor of Aurum, it allowed him to understand his father in ways that he was never able to as a bastard prince. In a way only his dearest friend was able to. He was not powerful like Barranagan. He did not wield magic like Tereza nor was he able to command the element of fire, like his father. Nero was as ordinary as many humans who called Aurum home. But as he sat on the throne with his manhood erect in his pants; a feeling he once believed was caused by the praise he received from his followers. It was not until many years later that he finally realized the reason his body reacted like that.

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  No matter how many who gave themselves to him, or pledged their entire bloodline to his service. Or offered him their castles as tribute. None of it mattered if he could not have the greatest prize of all—the one man who made it all possible. The man who gave his father what he sought most in the whole world. But Barranagan returned north, uninterested in the title of emperor. He turned his back on the throne, on the future they dreamt of, on him. And that made Nero desire him in excess. Try as he might, he even bedded the woman Barranagan loved, had his name cursed and defiled. His sacrifice mocked and desecrated. None of it mattered, Barranagan said nothing. And still Nero continued to push and push to no avail. That is how it was until Queen Myrra’s death changed everything. Because of it soon after Barranagans followed. But all was not lost, for if Nero could not have Barranagan, he would take the man made in his image instead.

  “For all my faults and shortcomings. Have I not put Aurum first?” Nero asked, as he sat back down on the chair. Tereza stopped to face him. “You think I am this monster, but all I have ever wanted was to achieve the dream that all three of us desired. For all those who call Aurum home to live in peace. For our children to live in peace.”

  “What do you mean?” Tereza asked.

  Nero smiled.

  “My coming to Lunaelia here, without proper announcement was not to embarrass you. I come to bring great news Tereza. But the importance of it, was far too great that I had to deliver it myself. After so long, what we have all desired can finally be achieved.”

  Tereza felt unease, something was wrong. She could feel it inside of her, “Nero what are you talking about?”

  The old emperor stroked his chin, his diamond eyes sharp as glass. “Three days from today,” he raised his fingers. “In a mere three days, my daughter, Queen Enrieta will meet with King Antares. The contents of their conversation is irrelevant. But the outcome is what matters. In some ways it has already been set in stone.”

  “What have you done?”

  “King Antares has only recently sat upon the throne and yet to have chosen any suitors to wed.”

  Tereza’s heart sank. “Nero. Stop.”

  He continued, “For so long have the Stygians chosen to close themselves off from the rest of Aurum. In many ways they have been the biggest obstacle to true peace. Their desire to wash their hands of our home has caused some strife. Even the other northern realms show signs of faltering.”

  “Nero please, do not do this.”

  His smile widening, “The Gods have blessed Barranagan and I to have children who are of the age of marriage.”

  “Nero, not my daughter, please. Not her. She is not part of this.” Tears building up in her eyes.

  “So as one of my last acts as emperor. I will offer King Antares Reza’s hand in marriage. Finally bridging our two families once more after so many millennia of us being apart-”

  “Enough!”

  Tereza’s shadow had grown so large as the emperor spoke that it swallowed the entire room in darkness. Her sclera had turned black and her emerald eyes glowed a violent green. She wrapped the darkness around him tightly, nearly crushing his bones. Her hands dripped black ink and from within the shadows all manner of creatures roared ravenously. The room grew colder as her shadow continued to devour everything around them. She approached with such murderous resentment. Her face was a twisted hollow monstrosity beyond recognition. For the first time in a century emperor Nero Blackrose felt fear.

  “I will give you three words,” her voice barely human, echoed within his skull threatening to split it apart. “After that I will strip your soul from your body, piece by piece. That is all the grace I will offer you.”

  He knew she was not bluffing. In their youth he had seen her do it once before. The image never left him. It had been a long time since Nero last saw the true face of Tereza Altieri. He had almost forgotten that as much as she claimed she was—she was not human. No witch was truly human. A reminder that he sorely needed. Their persecution throughout the millennia was something he had slowly begun to sympathize with given Reza was also a witch too. But here as he stood frozen and immobile, he understood why they had been treated as they were. Even he admitted to himself the Stygians were right about those who communed with the Other.

  “I… am dying.” It took everything for him to get the words out as his ribcage continued to cave in on itself.

  Tereza paused for a minute, slightly caught off guard by the remark. She did not blink as she studied him. She seemed to be looking not just at him but inside of him as well. And in the blink of an eye Nero was free, sitting on the chair as he was a moment ago. Completely fine. The room had returned to normal as though nothing had changed. While Tereza, who looked her usual self, leaned against her table. Her shadow was normal like any other person. An illusion? The old emperor thought to himself. But he knew better, although his body no longer hurt, the memory of the pain was engraved in his mind. He was unsure what it was, but he knew the danger he was in a moment ago was very real. He did his best to look unphased.

  “I see you have learned some new tricks,” he cleared his throat.

  “You will reject the marriage proposal,” her words like venom.

  “I will not.”

  “I will kill you.” Tereza’s words left no room for doubt. Life still had not returned to her eyes.

  Nero shrugged. “Do as you please my love. As I have said, I am dying. I am at the end of my story.” He stood up fixing his attire, “But know this, you kill me and Saturn will raze every inch of your realm. He will burn the last Everwood Trees and all the little witches you hide throughout your realm that you think I am not aware of. As he drags his little sister by her hair kicking and screaming.”

  “Is that a threat?”

  “No. Quite the opposite. It is a fact.” As she began to speak he raised his hand interrupting her, “I do not doubt your power, There are only three beings that I am aware of, in all of Aurum I believe are equal to you. Excluding the Lords of War of course.”

  Tereza sneered at the thought of the accursed woman Nero was no doubt referring to among the three. She had not thought of her in years and now of all times, it further angered her. She would not bring herself to say her name, even Nero knew better than to do so in her presence.

  “But I wonder,” he sat back down. “What would the rest of the realms think if they knew you, a witch stood between them and near eternal peace. How many thousands of years has it been since true unity among the nine realms? Not the constant fear disguised as reconciliation that Barranagan oversaw. ”

  “You would throw me to them?” the softest of pain escaped Tereza’s slips. “All so you could claim Iliad under your empire?”

  She knew he would. But she needed time to think. To find a solution that would save Reza from being used as a tool for his schemes. Not once did she believe that he was doing this for Aurum. Barranagan had brought true peace. For over a century no realm dared war against the other in fear that he may return to the battlefield. That was the power required to keep Aurum safe from those within her realms. She knew Nero’s fascination with the Stygians was far more layered than he ever let on. The mere fact that Saturn Blackrose wed Freyja Stormborne was all the proof she needed to see through his lies. To wed his son to the former betrothed of Antares was bold. Even for him. None seemed to understand the implications but Tereza saw right through Nero's schemes. She had always done so. And Now her own daughter was in danger. All her life she had done her best to shield Reza from Nero, as much as one mother could from the child's father. The fact that he knew she was a witch already caused great stress for the former monarch. And now to throw her into the pit of vipers against the greatest threat any realm had ever faced. But just as her mind continued to wonder about Antares and the Stygians. Her heart dropped. She saw a way through the darkness. Even in death she would still betray Barranagan, it made her sick to her stomach.

  “You misunderstand Tereza,” Nero said soothingly. “I want to protect you. This is how I protect all of you.”

  Tereza turned her face away from him, they stood there in silence. She offered a silent prayer to the man she loved, hoping he would forgive her for what she was about to do. She let out a deep sigh.

  “Swear to me,” she turned back to look at him. “That no harm will befall our daughter. That she will be safe.”

  “I swear to you. She will not suffer the same fate as Myrra.” He smiled at her, and for a moment he looked as he once did in his youth. “This is something to celebrate!”

  Tereza studied Nero’s face. She wondered when it was the first time she noticed how easily he could lie to her. As though he was taking a breath. Not once did his face change, there was no crack in his personality or in his words. How long had he always been able to casually tell her what it was she wanted to hear? Her thoughts rolled back years, decades, centuries. The warmth of his face, of his words so carefully concealed the deceit behind them. She would not acknowledge it but it broke slightly. That he would be willing to put his own daughter to the sword. That he felt nothing when he looked at Reza, who when she looked at him in return, saw the entire world. Nero made her skin crawl in ways only the mad emperor could, something she never thought possible. She long stopped considering him human. For his desires and wants far exceeded that of any person she had ever known. She wondered how Barranagan once called him brother and the man he trusted most in the whole world. Did he ever realize the monster he left to sit upon the throne?

  In many ways, Nero humanized Barranagan more than she would ever give him credit. To be blinded by someone who was so weak. Who felt nothing as he used whomever was in front of him to reach his goals. But she had little room to complain herself, to have allowed this creature to bed her multiple times. Her stomach turned and she forced herself not to throw up. But just as Barranagan would not back down against the mad emperor, she too would not falter in the face of his reincarnation. She seldom prayed because she did not believe she deserved absolution, but Tereza hoped that one day she would be able to see Barranagan again. To tell him how much she loved him, how much he meant to her—and how if given the opportunity she would have gone north with him. But most importantly Tereza hoped she would be able to face him and tell him how sorry she was for all she did, and could not do. But there would still be some time until then. For now she needed to be strong, as strong as he was and as strong as he believed she was. Her actions here today, would reverberate throughout Aurum for a millennia, changing the lives of millions. For putting Reza on Antares’ path, she would be cursed and worshipped all in the same breath. As a creator and a destroyer, heralded as the mother of The Black Witch. But these claims were not unwarranted. Such was the long and hidden story of witches across Aurum. Only ever to be told to their own kin.

  “Okay,” she hesitated. “Let us speak with Reza, together.”