Lucas dismissed the conversation as drunken rambling, but the seed of doubt had been planted. That doubt would eventually drive Lucas to a fatal act of betrayal.
“Lucas…”
“You won’t even ask why?” Lucas growled.
“I didn’t want to believe you’d betray me.”
“But you did believe it, didn’t you? You knew I would betray you, kill you, abandon us all, and leave to become the king of some damned island!”
Lucas’s voice broke into a roar. “The first betrayal was yours!”
Before Lucas’s blade could reach Helios, Godran’s sword intervened, cutting him down.
“What was this prophecy about?” Godran asked.
Helios recounted the words of his wife, her quiet yet resolute voice from years ago.
“She was a strange woman,” Helios said.
“Indeed. She saved us—and kept saving us,” Godran agreed.
Helios said no more, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Later, Godran questioned Helios. “How did you know the friendly forces were fake? You were isolated. The sight of the ‘blue hawk’ banner should’ve been salvation. Their ruse was flawless from afar.”
Helios’s lips twisted into a faint smile. “I didn’t know when or who would betray me, but I was warned it would happen.”
“Then how?”
“The color,” Helios said.
“The color?”
“The blue was wrong. My banner’s blue is a color only one person in the world can make.”
He looked up at the endless expanse of the blue sky stretching over the frontier.
§§§
The long northern campaign had come to an end.
Helios was not among the returning soldiers.
With the unification of the western seas completed, the consul declared the founding of an empire and crowned himself the first emperor. The southern territories, including Orway, were designated as the province of Asturias, and I was named its first Duke.
Orway became renowned not only as a hub of unmatched craftsmanship and art but also as a thriving trade port. The routes I had developed to supply the army over the years were transformed into trade highways, connecting Orway to the world by land as well as sea.
I invested immense wealth into banking and continued as a staunch patron of the arts, supporting talented artists and craftsmen. The world that now enjoyed the peace Helios had achieved was beautified with Orway’s artistic creations: intricately designed furniture, elegant curtains, luxurious carpets, and breathtaking tapestries.
§§§
“Madam, you have a visitor.”
Surprised, I glanced at the clock. I hadn’t scheduled any appointments for the afternoon. As I moved toward the reception room, the steward informed me that the guest was waiting in the garden instead. This was unusual. Perhaps the visitor was someone the staff hesitated to admit indoors.
In the courtyard, near the square pool with floating citrus, two shabby wanderers stood. Ah, I understood now. No wonder the steward was reluctant to bring them into the house.
Nevertheless, I approached them directly, stopping before the man in the faded, threadbare blue clothing.
“Welcome home.”
The man flinched slightly before being nudged by his older companion.
“...I’m late,” he muttered, his sunburnt face hidden under overgrown hair and a scruffy beard.
Looking at him, I couldn’t help but laugh softly.
“You must be tired. Would you like a meal? Or perhaps a bath?”
The “Blue Hawk,” who had ascended to the throne of the legendary island only to abandon it, had finally returned home.
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