Angel Monarch

Vicky spent an hour with Jo, which the newborn peacefully slept through. In that time, she and Bea told everything they learned in Castleburg.

Damien wanted to join them in Antarctica, too, but when the surrounding women stared at him with annoyance, he momentarily stopped to think things through. His eyes kept glancing down at her newborn daughter, held by Vicky.

After a minute of careful pondering, he sighed in exasperation…

"I won't go to Antarctica. Instead, I'll stay here and guard little Nick!"

This was nothing but an excuse he used to stay out of harm's way. However, Vicky still felt grateful for his sacrifice. Agnes and Bea also wanted him to stay safe, so they had no objections, either.

They continued conversing for a while until, eventually, Vicky and her mother left the mansion. They stopped to say goodbye to Nick, who seemed displeased by their quick departure.

Luckily, they could visit him anytime. With Vicky's teleporting, distance wasn't an issue.

After saying their goodbyes, Vicky met up with Henry, the two envoys, Inari and Fabiano, and Lilith. The six of them put on warmer clothes, and the Princess soon opened another portal, leading to the largest Antarctican outpost!

…

In the past, people remembered Antarctica as some hellish frozen plain. However, during the centuries, all the icecaps melted and after a bit of genetical engineering, they created grass and smaller trees that could survive its harsh living conditions.

Now, grassy plains covered most of Antarctica, with a few larger rocky mountain ranges.

The Last War's usage of nuclear and even more destructive explosions actually warmed up Earth's atmosphere even further. However, Antarctica stayed permanently cold.

It rarely snowed down there, and when it did, all the plants devoured the frozen liquid.

The problem with surviving Antarctica was the strong, frosty winds. At night, even the Realm of Boundless Frost didn't feel as bad as the Earth's southern side.

Sadly, since it's the end of spring, only night exists in Antarctica's inner regions, while the ones near the shore experience a few hours of daylight.

Vicky and the others stepped into the harsh weather, their bodies trembling already. The strong winds hit their bodies, trying to pummel them down.

Fabiano especially looked miserable. His deeply tanned skin already began turning red and purple. He wore nearly ten layers of clothing, but the strong winds cut through them with ease.

While the South American envoy tried hiding behind the Transcended, Inari just stretched out her arms and took a deep breath from the freezing air.

She smiled widely while closing her eyes. Her long white hair danced around in the wind, while the nearby artificial light reflected on her pale skin.

Inari spent a few seconds reminiscing about her home. After a few days, she even began missing her continent's harsh love, but now… She finally returned home!

Soon she motioned for the others to follow, and together they went down into the trenches. These were all dug by David's first expedition, as a way to move around without the freezing wind assaulting everyone's bodies.

The main outpost was part of a larger cave system below ground. Inari led them straight to the closest entrance, where the guards immediately recognized her.

"Ah, Cold Lady! Back already from the vacation I see!" Said a guard, while grinning Inari.

Inari was the first Antarctican to establish contact with David's expedition. She met most of the expeditioners personally, so they quickly gave her the nickname Cold Lady, since she actually enjoyed Antarctica's harsh weather.

They soon learned, though, that most Antarcticans loved the cold, but the nickname still stuck on her.

"I wouldn't call it a vacation, more like a work trip! I visited your warm city and have to say, I prefer the cold!"

Another guard leaned closer to Inari and spoke in a playful whisper…

"Maybe you just hadn't met anyone who could truly warm your cold soul!"

The envoy giggled and leaned closer until only a few centimeters separated her from the guard.

"You know, we have a bit of a tradition here in Antarctica. For our first intimate session with another person, we prefer doing it in the cold… I doubt you could get it up out there!"

She suddenly moved away with a giggle, leaving the guard with a heavy blush. The others just laughed at Inari's words, then turned towards the people entering behind her.

All the laughter immediately died down, as their eyes landed on the young child with white eyes.

Every guard simultaneously fell to their knees, their gaze focused on the ground. Vicky smiled at them brightly, then clapped once, bringing everyone's attention to her small frame.

"At ease, soldiers! Please, continue working like I'm not here!"

Her authoritative voice felt like a command, while her beautiful smile brightened the room. The soldiers slowly climbed to their feet, but continued averting their gaze, purely out of respect.

These guards weren't like the haughty Transcended whom Vicky attacked Castleburg with. These were all chosen soldiers from the Angelic Order, deeply devoted to Sera and, by extension, to Vicky.

Behind everyone, Lilith silently commended their actions, and soon Inari led the small group further down the outpost.

Artificial lights illuminated the large cavern, and they even built shacks along the way. However, their destination wasn't some shabby wooden scrap house!

After a few minutes of walking, Inari led them to the Antarctican Outposts' headquarters. A mansion built right into the cave wall!

Geothermal rivers ran to the sides, warming up the air. Around them, grassy patches grew, which somehow managed to survive the scolding water.

The small group had to stop, their eyes glistening with awe and shock.

Before the double door leading into the mansion, a large fountain sprouted vaporized air. It condensed midair and fell down on the fountain's surface in liquid form.

Behind the fountain, the mansion glowed brightly. Its walls, elaborately carved, depicted events of the Angelic Order's past, and above the main door, a large Sera statue hung. Her wings spread wide, depicting her mid-flight.

Still astonished by the mansion's beauty, they moved through the makeshift garden and arrived to the front door.

Inari didn't wait for a single moment. She just lifted the metal knocker and let its sound echo through the stone house.

Heavy footsteps approached the door, and soon a giantess with golden feathered wings opened the door.

Astrid bowed her head before Vicky and let their small group enter the mansion.

The double door led to a wide hall with many corridors and stairs leading away. The walls weren't as fancily carved as the outside, but the abundance of sculptures and paintings made the decor excellent.

Astrid led them upstairs and down a corridor. The hallway's sides had wood panels as decoration, while below their feet an endless dark red carpet stretched.

Vicky watched the paintings on the walls. Most of them depicted either the past war's triumphant victories or her angelic mother.

However, as they reached the corridor's end, Vicky spotted two familiar people hanging from the wall.

A girl with glistening, shoulder-length white hair and gentle white eyes. Her lips stretching into a small, satisfied smile, while an ugly scar ran down from her mid-eyebrow to her left jaw.

By her side stood a tall young man, with his arms gently wrapped around the girl's waist. His short golden hair deflected the sunlight, while his piercing dark blue eyes stared into everyone's soul.

The girl wore her usual flowing dress depicting the night sky, while the boy by her side stood in his regal suit.

Vicky and Henry continued staring at the painting for a while before moving on. As they continued walking, Vicky's pale hands enveloped her lover's.

"We should commission an actual portrait… Of our family I mean… After Sera's return, everyone will be here, so someone could paint us!"

Henry chuckled a bit, then lifted his lover's pale hand, and gave a tender kiss to her small fingers.

"That's an amazing idea. I will certainly arrange it!" He said, with a whisper, causing the young Princess to smile brightly.

A few meters away, Bea glanced back and smiled at her daughter's joy. Even after missing a year, her kind heart never changed!

However, there was also a minor ache in Bea's heart. Just hearing Sera's name brought back all the pain of their tragic past… But that wasn't all!

Even deeper, below all the pain, she felt sad… While both their love stories might've ended in tragedy, she couldn't forget the good times they had!

A melancholic smile appeared on her face, while remembering those times. It felt like a different lifetime ago, since they confessed their love in that destroyed city, Havel.

Bea took a deep breath, and let the memories move away, back to her subconscious. This was neither the place nor time to reminiscence!

They continued walking for another minute until Astrid led them through an arch into a strange garden.

Immediately after walking onto the grassy field, Vicky glanced up. Her eyes widened with awe, since instead of the usual rocky ceiling, the open sky stretched above, far and wide.

A thick glass layer protected them from the harsh weather, while providing a breathtaking sight of the starry sky!

Dozens of footsteps approached their position, but Vicky simply couldn't look away from the beauty above. Only after a familiar old voice spoke did she turn away…

"Ah, I see you and the sky decided to dress the same today! Good choice! It makes you both beautiful!… But I prefer the Princess's look, I think! It's more contained and less infinite!" Said Professor Collins, while grinning up at the young girl.