Age of Heroes

Oliver smiles bitterly and said.

'They are still discussing but it does not look favorable.'

'They support my aunt?'

'They do not want to support anyone. They are now holed themselves up at the Empress Dowager residence guarding her and trying not to enter this conflict.'

Ariadne nodded. She is worried inside. She could not let Silas influence in the Imperial City grows more powerful. 

She truly believes that Silas is antagonistic towards her. 

This conviction is further strengthened by the fact that Lord Silas never liked her mother during her time as regent of Arrandy. 

Her mother disagreement and dislike towards Lord Silas is not a secret. 

People said it because her mother have some secret that she would not like the Emperor to know, which Lord Silas told the emperor about thus leading a worsening condition for their relationship. 

And Lord Silas has never shown care for her even though she was the apparent heir if her father did not bore any son.

She fiddles with the armrest of the throne. Then she sighed and her minister all waited for her to say something.

The atmosphere in the throne room is full of gloom. The minister all put their faith in her as the heir of the Empire to unite the Imperial Court again.

The Imperial Court is now divided to those that believes in her and believes in her aunt. 

She fiddles again her fingers on the throne while she is thinking and looking down to see the face of her minister.

She sighed.

The throne is made to be unapproachable, overbearing and bring awe to anyone who sees it. 

To reach the throne and sit on it one had to step into the nine stair steps leading to the thrones. 

The staircase is hold up by two pillars which are designed to look like a flood dragon. So when anyone comes to throne room of the Emperor they will see that his seat is being hold up by two flood dragon. 

Even the Child of Heaven hold up the Emperor of Eden, symbolizing eternal power and influence.

The pillars are ten feet high, so when one sits on the throne he or she sits the highest in the room symbolizing the throne unshakable position, higher than everyone else, overlooking down the people, like Gods seeing mortals from their abodes in the Sky. 

Behind the throne was an inscription. Tempered by Fire and Blood, The Dragon Throne Will Exist for Eternity.

The armrest is made from the sturdiest metal, Asterosi steel combined with the metallurgy of the dwarven technology to melt gold and Asterosi steel creating a throne of gold.

On top of the throne was a Dragon, with red diamond as its eyes, and black suranite stones as its body, the dragon looks lifelike, a black dragon which holds a pearl. 

The pearl itself was crafted from a diamond, shining when the sun shines itself down upon the top of the throne.

The Fires of the Red Mountain was used to melt it, it is enchanted by the Elders of the Elves, crafted by dwarven smiths and their Paragons, purify by the Priest of the Three fires, the design of the throne was full of these faiths belief. 

The throne room itself incorporated the belief of its citizen onto the wall. 

On the left side of the Throne room, the Red Mountain was depicted by an artist, showing the Mountain, red as blood.

The Undying Flame is also depicted, a huge flame that will never dies, The Sun of Great Renasia and its Water Maidens, The Three brothers of Fire in Seren Belief and the depiction of the Radiant Rulers gifted with the Fire of knowledge. 

On the left side it also depicts the Dwarven paragons fighting the Darkly Ones, the Horned God of the Orcs leading his bravest Warrior fighting the Leviathan and his Red Lion beside him rushing and eating his enemies.

It also depicted the Fae, giving magic to an army of Elves and Orcs and it was depicted in the background of a mountain which is crumbling.

On the right side, it shows different scenery. Depicted in the right side was the battle between the Angels of the Lords, and the Great Father of the Dark Lands.

It shows the Fall of Morningstar, shows the flaming sword of Michael, the strength of Uriel fighting demons in the sky, demons and angels corpse strewn the stars.

It shows the Light was given….shows life and death. 

Belief and faith of the Human Continent was depicted on the left and right side of the wall and the dragon throne on the center of the throne room….ruling all.

On the floor on the other hand it depicts the region of the empire. A large painted map showing the region of the empire, the conquered regions, and its allies.

It also depicts a huge dragon holding its claws holding up the entire Human Continent. It symbolizes that the Vermont rule all and as they rule, they need to hold up the Empire, like a burden.

On the ceiling was the depiction of heaven. It shows the Angels of the Lords, receiving the first order of the Creator, shows the pearly gates of Paradise and the depiction of all that is good and nice.

Ariadne looks on the floor and then she looked on the ceiling. 

'Heaven and Earth' she said in a whisper. The Earth is full of suffering, the Heavens has none of it.

'Your Grace' one of the ministers ask as he could no longer stand the silence in the throne room.

'What should we do?'

Ariadne then said

'Consolidate our position. Determine who our ally is. Ask the great nobles of the Empire to make their loyalty known. Then send for people to get in touch with our tributary ambassador to the Xenos Desert. I heard there is a strong clan taking positions there. Those barbarians could be used…if the Imperial Army decided to sit this one out.

'They're barbarians Your Grace.' One of the ministers spoke, an old man with white hair and white beard.

'Barbarians who knows how to fight. And I need people who can fight. I need an army.'

'Will we fight?' One of them asks.

Ariadne closes her eyes and she said.

'We might. Lord Silas will not take this lying down. People said only truth is a firm foundation for a throne. They are wrong. Success is the firm foundation and anyone who says differently is wrong. Look at my father! He never lost a war….and peace was achieved.'

The other minister nodded. Then Ariadne looked at Oliver and asks.

'Could you not persuade your son to lend us help? He is one of the Generals in the hall of War'

'My son is stubborn.' He replied

Ariadne nodded and smiles bitterly.

Then standing up she dismissed the ministers. Slowly, she walked down the throne, step by step until she reached that last step and step down on earth. 

That is what the throne means, at least that is its secret meaning. Stepping on the nine steps to the throne means ascending to Godhood. 

Sitting on the throne symbolizes ascension. Walking down, means joining the mortal world once again.

Being the ruler of all, Sovereign of all the Kingdoms means you are put in an awkward position, half a step to godhood. 

When on the throne you have to be better than all, their problems will have to be solved by you, their burden is your burden, their pain is your pain, their suffering is your suffering and the Emperor must shoulder it all without breaking.

And Arial was broken. 

Because he lost the most important thing in a wise emperor. He was smart this was uncontested. He brings prosperity and this is true. 

He brings peace and this is shown.

But there is always something missing in his empire. One last ingredient that Arial lack. And it was born from the simplest emotion, born from desperation and sadness, an emotion that transcends them all that make the pain bearable, makes you strong.

Hope. Arial lost hope. And the Empire needs hope.

Seeing the throne Ariadne asks a question, like she is seeing her father sitting on the throne.

'Am I doing the right thing?' Asking this she looks at the throne like the throne would answer her question but the only sound she could heard was the sound of the wind and she turn her back slowly and walk to the exit, while her heart keep asking.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

THAT SPRING

The Empire is embroiled in a conflict between the two princesses while some disturbing movement could be seen in the Human Continent. 

Great Renasia is preparing its armies. In the Xenos Dessert a new clan has found power and is began uniting the tribes. 

In Rome, the church is once again active a foothold once again established under the new blessing of the Imperial Court. 

In Venicia, the Old Noble faction quickly consolidated their positions and exiled those that is of New noble faction from the kingdom. 

The Two Kings of the Far north both did not declare for anyone yet and is sitting on their Palaces trying not to get caught in the conflict.

But like always, the bloodless conflict will not last for long and in one spring day and assassination attempt towards the Imperial Sister fiancé pushed her over the edge….and lines were drawn.

War once again is rearing its ugly head. 

The War of Two Flowers began.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>