There was a knock on the carriage door.

"Your Grace, Lady Euphemia, we have arrived."

Euphemia couldn't help but give a comforting pat on Lucien's shoulder.

"We'll have more time to talk later, Luci. I think you have something important you wish to say and now is just not the right time," Euphemia said.

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry," Lucien said.

Euphemia was right. They were going to a funeral and it couldn't be a worse timing for what he was going to tell her.

"Your Grace, you can kiss Lady Euphemia later. You have a funeral to go to," Hansel teased from outside the carriage.

Lucien's ears reddened while Euphemia let out a laugh.

They went out of the carriage together . . . holding hands.

*

*

*

As customary in Aderlan, when a member of the royal family dies, a funeral procession is held starting from the palace and ending in the Sanctuary Gardens. The Sanctuary Gardens is the cemetery of the royal family. A tranquil place where their royal bones are laid down to rest.

Leading the procession was the High Priest and his holy priests. The holy priests carefully pushed a black coffin with wooden wheels at the bottom. Behind the priests were the queen and the prince.

Queen Celestinia was wearing a black mourning veil so no one was sure if she was actually in mourning. The prince had a serious expression and a scar on his face as if he just came home from a battle far away. Walking behind them were different noble families all in black.

Lucien and Euphemia were at the very end of the procession. Not because they were late but just because they didn't bother going to their designated place which was behind the queen and the prince and in front of the other nobles.

"It's nice to not see those two," Euphemia said.

"Yes, it is," Lucien agreed.

"Are you all right, Luci?" Euphemia asked.

Lucien gave her a sad smile. "I'm not certain."

Euphemia squeezed his hand and Lucien squeezed her hand back gently.

"Do you miss the king?" Euphemia asked.

"I . . . am grateful that he took care of me when the late Duke and my mother passed away but I think the king also caused my mother's passing," Lucien said.

Euphemia nodded in understanding.

"If he had not made the queen jealous, perhaps my mother would still be alive today," Lucien said with grief in his eyes.

"I'm here for you," Euphemia said.

"I'm thankful for that," Lucien said.

*

*

*

They soon arrived at the Sanctuary Gardens. At the center of the garden was a huge golden statue of a dragon.

"The Gold Dragon," Lucien murmured.

It was smaller than the Gold Dragon he saw when he was still inside the darkness but the golden statue looked majestic too.

"We gather here today to send off the Sun of our Empire, King Raegan. His Majesty was a great king who ruled over Aderlan wisely. He conquered several lands to expand our territory and defended our kingdom from outside forces. He was blessed with the golden flames of the Gold Dragon as proof of his legitimacy of the throne," the High Priest said.

"As tradition, when the Sun of our Empire passes on, the future Sun must send him off with his golden flames. I now call for His Highness, future Sun of our Empire, Prince Vincent!" the High Priest announced.

The nobles clapped politely and waited for the prince to step up on the podium.

"M-mother! You never told me about this! I don't have golden flames!" Vincent said, panicking.

"I never heard of this too! That foolish High Priest! He should have told me!" Celestinia said, fuming.

"Your Highness, please come forward and light up the Gold Dragon as a sign of farewell to the Sun of our Empire," the High Priest said.

"Raegan was already a king when I met him. I didn't know about this tradition!" Celestinia said.

"We should ask the Duke to help us. He can secretly light up the Gold Dragon. Where the hell is he?" Vincent said.

They looked behind them but Lucien and Euphemia where nowhere to be found.

"They should be just behind us. Perhaps they're somewhere with the other nobles," Celestinia said.

The people were starting to wonder why the prince was not going to the High Priest.

"You should go. Make haste now," Celestinia said.

"And do what?! I can't just make flames appear out of nowhere!" Vincent said.

"Just go! Do something! Say something! You're going to be king of this empire and you can't just expect me to solve all your problems all the time," Celestinia said.

Vincent looked extremely displeased but he had no choice. He went to where the High Priest was which was beside the huge statue of the Gold Dragon. He was sweating a lot. Cold sweat. What should he do? Should he tell the High Priest that he doesn't have the golden flames? But what if the High Priest is only loyal to true heirs of the throne?

"Your Highness, please put your hand on the statue and let out your golden flames," Anthony said.

"I c-can't," Vincent whispered.

Anthony sighed. "The statue is clean, Your Highness."

"No, it's not that. I just c-can't," Vincent whispered.

"And why is that, Your Highness?" Anthony asked.

"I don't . . ."

*

*

*

"Looks like the prince is in trouble," Euphemia said, amused.

"Yes, I think you're right," Lucien said.

"Shouldn't you help him then?"

Lucien and Euphemia turned to see who it was.

"Hello there. You must be the Duke. Lucien, isn't it? And the lady must be the Saintess then. Is it Euphemia? Or Euphee? Or is it . . . Mia?" The stranger with long green hair asked.

Euphemia's eyes widened.

How did he know all the variety of her names???

"Who are you?" Lucien said angrily.

"I'm the royal advisor, Glenn Jade. Pleased to meet you. I just arrived a few days ago and I see that a lot have changed here in Aderlan. I do apologize for missing your arrival, Lady Euphemia," Glenn said.

"It's fine," Euphemia murmured, still feeling confused. It felt like this strange man knew a lot and was teasing them on purpose.

Glenn was wearing a black robe that shimmered under the sunlight. Draped over his arms was a green shawl with a gold reptilian scales design. Perched on his left ear, was a small gold dragon earring with a jade at its tail dangling at his earlobe. It complemented his light green eyes.

"You must have come from a distant land," Lucien said, surprised at his clothes.

Glenn grinned. "Yes, and I came back just in time."

"Will you help the prince light up the statue?" Glenn asked.

Lucien looked at him suspiciously.

"No, he should light it up himself as he is the prince," Lucien said.

"But one cannot light up something if there's not even a spark," Glenn said, still smiling but his words obviously loaded.

"How do you . . . ?"

"I suppose you do not have interest in the throne yet, boy," Glenn said.

"Are you . . . ?"

"I should go rescue the prince now. It was nice to meet you. Send my regards, boy," Glenn said and went off to the front of the procession.

Lucien and Euphemia were completely bewildered.

"Who was that?" Euphemia asked.

"He said his name is Glenn Jade," Lucien said.

"Yes, but there's something . . . different about him," Euphemia said.

"There's something familiar about him," Lucien murmured.

*

*

*

Glenn stepped up on the podium beside the High Priest and the panicking prince.

"Greetings to all of you, esteemed ladies and gentlemen. I am the royal advisor, Glenn Jade. I'm sorry for interrupting this ceremony but I think it's the right time to announce this. The Sun of the Empire, King Raegan, has indeed passed on but he has left behind something great that has never happened before."

The nobles looked around murmuring to each other.

Under the black mourning veil, Celestinia was pale as a sheet.

"If he tells them that the prince doesn't have the golden flames, I shall have him executed. No matter what," Celestinia said to herself silently.

"We have . . ."

A young woman wearing a white dress and a white veil stepped up the stage.

The royal advisor removed the veil.

". . . another Saintess!" Glenn declared.

Everyone gasped in shock.

*

*

*

"No . . . it can't be," Euphemia said.

"Euphee, what's wrong?" Lucien asked.

Euphemia looked horrified and pale.

"She's . . ."

The young woman in white smiled brightly. Her honey blonde hair gleamed like caramel. Her light blue eyes looked as pleasant as a good day with clear skies.

"I have been summoned here in Aderlan as your Saintess. My name is Hikari Miyu."

Everyone was in awe. A second Saintess in the same century had never happened before.

"Lady Miyu's arrival marks the beginning of a new era in Aderlan. The Sun has passed on but a new light has arrived in our empire. Now, all of us, let us say our farewell to a great king! Farewell, Your Majesty," Glenn said.

"Farewell, Your Majesty," the crowd repeated back.

*

*

*

"Whew! You really put me on the spot, Glenn!" Miyu said.

Miyu and Glenn were in the same carriage going back to the palace.

"I knew you would do well perfectly," Glenn said smiling with his eyes closed.

"Fu*k you," Miyu said.

"You look pretty in that dress," Glenn said, still smiling.

"Thank you but still, fu*k you," Miyu said.

"I'd like to say that back to you but we just met and as a gentleman I think that should be done after a few days of conversation and a few glasses of wine," Glenn said and winked at Miyu mischievously.

Miyu burst out laughing and Glenn laughed with her.