TWO WEEKS LATER

The royal palace was always quiet after the queen's untimely death. It felt like it was surrounded by an overwhelming cloud of sadness that made everyone feel sad.

She had died for almost two months, but the former king was still stubborn and didn't want to hold a funeral.

When his son returned home from an important mission, everyone thought he could finally talk some sense into the former king and persuade him to give his late wife the respects she deserved, a royal funeral.

However, after Mars entered the ice cave before the coronation day and saw the late queen with his own eyes, he could understand what his father was trying to do. The queen looked like she was sleeping peacefully.

Gosh.. she was so beautiful and looked so alive. As Mars kneeled down to look at his mother better, his mind wandered to Harlow and how he would love for Harlow to grow up and see her grandmother.

He, too, didn't want to let go of her so easily. He missed her so badly. He wanted to still be able to come here from time to time and see her when he longed for her.

"I have instructed the people to build a mansion nearby," Jared Strongmoor, his father, said in a low voice. "I want to stay near your mother until the day when I take my last breath. I will visit her often. She must be feeling so lonely here."

The older man looked so aggrieved and tears slowly dripped down to his cheeks. This made Mars feel worse. He knew how much his father loved his mother. Even though Jared Strongmoor was a ruthless man, he was a devoted husband.

His love for Elara was like no other. To be honest. Mars wouldn't feel surprised if his father really went mad for losing her. Fortunately, that didn't happen.

Now, he understood why his father decided to hand over power to him and abdicate. It was impossible for him to rule if he had to spend most of his time out of the capital.

And at this moment in his life, he couldn't care less about power, about the people, about their kingdom.

He just wanted to be by his wife's side.

"That's a good idea, Father," Mars said. He didn't say anything else throughout their visit to the ice cave. After they returned to the royal palace, he must be prepared to be the next king. 

His father no longer cared about Draec. And if Mars didn't assume the responsibility to rule, other people would. 

The coronation ceremony was held in the royal palace and attended by the highest officials, representatives from the provinces nearby that could make it to come, and all the lordships in the capital and its surroundings.

After he was coronated as the new king, Mars decided to move to the royal palace. However, he still stayed with the Greenans at night so he could see his daughter. He didn't want to bring Harlow to move to the palace with him until the baby was a bit older.

Because of that, he asked Athos to consider moving his family to the capital so they could stay close. Mars wanted Lily to be the mother figure that Harlow needed while he figured out his life and what he had to do with Emmelyn.

Out of the kindness of his heart, Lily's persuasion, and his parents' consideration, Athos said yes. He, too, wanted to be around the new king and helped him as much as he could.

Mars appointed a temporary governor to rule Southberry until he could make a decision on who should be the best person to send there after he asked Athos to come back to the capital.

His first two weeks after he ascended the throne was spent on meetings after meetings. All the leaders from their colonies, came one by one from all over the kingdom to pay their respects to the new king.

Mars knew all of them in person because he had gone around the kingdom and met them before. However, it was good to see them again in the capital in a different capacity.

They all seemed excited to see Draec is led by a new young king who had proven himself to be a capable leader over the years.

One sunny afternoon, after he ended a meeting with the governor of Bergen, Mars was told that his friend Gewen was asking for an audience.

Mars had not had the chance to see Gewen after the coronation because of those endless and boring meetings. Besides, Gewen needed to see his family and spent time with them after their long journey to Wintermere, back and forth.

In addition to that, Gewen also had to help Ellena to go back to the Preston's estate after her relationship with her uncle became estranged.

Today, Gewen finally came to bring him news about what happened outside and to catch up with him.

"Tell him to come to my study. I will see him," Mars told John. The butler bowed down and turned around to get Gewen.

"Your Majesty," Gewen bowed down his head when he entered through the door. Mars winced when he heard his good friend call him using the honorific. He still had not got used to it.

"Hello, Lord Gewen," Mars nodded. "How are you?"

Gewen only shrugged. "I'm fine. So so, actually, but yeah..."

"Have you got any information about Edgar?" Mars asked Gewen. "I was too busy to follow up on this, but I asked you to investigate Edgar's disappearance."

"And I did. So, I have talked to Edgar's mother to find out what happened. Well, she said Edgar set off to Atlantea. He didn't specify what he wants to do there. When his mother asked, who sent him, Edgar said he was ordered by Emmelyn to go."

Mars remembered he asked Edgar to stay behind to protect her while he and Gewen went to Wintermere. He couldn't think of any other reason for Edgar to leave unless Emmelyn asked him to do something important. 

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