The Rose Of The South
Epilogue: The King of the South

I didn't know being King would be this difficult. It's a good thing the nobles are kind enough to help me adjust. It was fortunate that Luna was by my side telling me what to do.

Somehow it happened, I thought it would take a big war, a massive invasion, bloodshed and so on, but King Xavier set this country free and handed the throne to the rightful heir as soon as he was crowned King. I'm not the rightful heir. But they still gave me the crown and called me King.

Even if they knew about my father's will he made on my brother's birthday, which he made before he died, he said, I'm not sure they're going to give up the throne to a princess who hasn't spoken for weeks.

Anastasia is getting weird. All day just shutting yourself in the room. I had ordered the servants to persuade him to eat, but he did not touch the food. Even the cheese vegetable soup he really liked was not touched at all. The multicolored macaron that was his only favorite sweet snack he looked at. He doesn't want to talk to anyone, not even me. I need moral support from him at times like this.

Probably because of the death of my mother. I'm sad too. It's not just him who lost his mom and dad. Me either. And now I also have to lose my only sister. He was like a breathing undead and just looked out the window of his room. Look at the roses that never wither.

Our palace has been repaired thanks to the generosity of King Xavier—or so said the northern people he dealt with. He ordered the witches to work hard to restore the condition of our palace as it was. Not only the palace, my brother's rose garden that was burned was now filled with roses again. All the damage done to our kingdom was repaired by the witches who served King Xavier. He thinks I don't know. He did all of that because he liked my brother so much. Every time we met for state affairs, he never forgot to ask my brother for news. I'm sure there will soon be a cover letter from him to question my brother. He already has a wife. Oh, true. I heard his pregnant wife was locked up in a dungeon for the murder of the previous king. The Nordhalbinsel royal family is completely fucked up. I won't let my sister marry him.

He said he was the Great Fire Dragon. And I think I knew that from the beginning he helped me and Mom on the night of the attack. I clearly saw the red mist surrounding her as I saw the green mist always surrounding my mother. Funny thing is, his father once ordered me to kill him and take his heart. The late king had absolutely no idea that the dragon he had been looking for all this time was his own son. And I almost killed him if it wasn't for Luna. It's a pity that I killed the man who was going to be the king who was crazy about my brother. I could use King Xavier if I wanted to. He even looked like he was ready to give up his entire kingdom for my brother's sake. Not particularly. I'm not too sure about that. He seems smart and not easily influenced. There must be a reason why among the previous king's twenty sons, he was chosen to be the Crown Prince. He was clearly superior to his brothers. Not an easy opponent.

Luna warned me that I did not need to serve the King of the North. I didn't need to make that deal with King Vlad in the first place because I had the ability to seize my own country. So we work together. The most talented young witch I have ever known was willing to help me reclaim my kingdom. He only asked one thing of me. Made her my queen.

Without a deal, I fell in love with him. I'll make her Queen Schiereiland.

I met him while searching for the heart of a dragon. He looked the same age as me, looked even younger, but he said he was 17. I was almost 16 years old. I am a prince whose country was taken, while Luna is a former palace servant who was expelled. People didn't seem to know that she had such incredible magic power. He could instantly subvert all the Nordhalbinsel warriors of King Vlad's side who accompanied me on my journey in search of the dragon's heart. We then assembled our own army of witches and warriors who were driven out by Queen Eleanor of the Palace.

Unlike anyone, Luna listened to me. She understands. He said I reminded him of his friend, a kind-hearted prince he knew at the Palace. I don't know which prince because as far as I know King Vlad has many sons, and I have no interest in asking further. But he's willing to help me reclaim my kingdom.

I'm gonna marry her. But there is a custom in the Palace that older children should marry first. I must not ignore a hundred-year-old custom even though I am a King. Especially since I am a king. The people hate the king who does not follow custom. So I have to find an escort candidate for my brother right away. It will be very difficult because Anastasia does not want to meet anyone.

If only there were Leon. Among the three of us, the sons of the King, Leon was always reliable. He's strong and smart. Everybody likes it. He does not need to talk much to take the hearts of the people and officials, his actions and achievements have spoken representations of him. If only he were the King and Queen's biological son, it would be him who would be King now, not me.

Leon could've married my brother if he were alive. I didn't actually know he was alive or dead. Anastasia said nothing. No one knows where Leon is.

Nicholas, my brother's former fiancee, is unfortunately married. I don't want my sister to be my second wife. He deserves the best. That could take him as far away from this Palace as possible before he knew about father's will. But also who can bring profit for me, for our kingdom. Marriage is basically another word of politics for us nobles.

The business of finding a companion for my brother is really dizzying. But the smart Luna gave me an amazing idea.

There was a prince, who according to Luna was entitled to his throne more than King Xavier. The daughter of an exiled queen. Prince Ludwig. If we help him usurp his throne from King Xavier, and marry him off to my brother, then we can rule Nordhalbinsel as well. Much more efficient than letting the unpredictable King Xavier get close to my brother. Who knows what the plan really is. He may have pretended well, pretending to free Schiereiland to take the hearts of the people and approached my brother just to reclaim this kingdom. If that's the plan, then I have to admit he's very smart. Compared to his father who took our country in a cruel way, he could take our country in a subtle way.

So this morning, I hurriedly left the morning meeting hall towards my brother's room to tell him about our plans. I'll introduce her to Prince Ludwig soon after Luna finds the Wasted Prince. But my steps came to a halt when I heard the voices of servants from outside my brother's room.

"You know, Her Highness the Princess needs an afternoon sweet. To be looked at." The new maid said lightly as if she was not talking about this royal princess.

"Empty-Shelled Princess, you mean?" the mocking tone of the senior servant was accompanied by the laughter of his fellow servants.

That's what my brother is called today. Empty Shell Princess. From the outside she looks like a beautiful and perfect princess. But there's nothing in it. Empty and empty. He does not eat or talk. If I hadn't been so strict with the servants, I'm sure they'd been bad with my brother. They might hurt him without my knowledge. As beautiful as anything, she couldn't be married if she had a lot of scars. And that would destroy all the plans I had with Luna.

"Sstt... The king will hear." The new waiter spoke more slowly and politely. I'll raise his pay.

"The king knew his brother was gone. He spoke, he was silent. All day just staring out the window. Food is never touched."

"There's so much love..."

"I heard she was kidnapped by the present King Nordhalbinsel. He was tortured there, so he became like that."

"I heard that King Xavier had his wife imprisoned while she was pregnant."

"He's crazy!"

"It's clear, right. His father was a cold-blooded killer. The fruit fell not far from the tree. King Xavier is definitely not far from being a psychopath!"

“But didn't he set Schiereiland free?” Ask the new waiter.

“He freed Schiereiland after our royal army defeated his army. This is all thanks to King Alexis.”

“North people are cruel and heartless. They killed our late King and Queen. Too bad King Alexis had to lose his parents at such a young age.”

I spread those rumors, of course. Only a few people know the real story. It's easy to herd public opinion when you're victimized and pitied.

"That's it. I must immediately persuade the princess to eat these macarons. Although I'm sure he won't touch a single one and in the end I'll spend it all."

Before the gossipers dispersed, I turned around, walked back to my room. I'll see my brother later. There's still plenty of time. After all he wouldn't be able to refuse that wedding plan, just talk he can't.

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