Xanthy hobbled into the courtyard, leaning hard on Nyxis's arm as she struggled to get her rhythm while walking with a cane. The cane itself wasn't much—just a straight rod whittled from an unfamiliar wood seemingly in a hurry.

Xanthy shivered as the memory of what happened in this very courtyard flashed back into her head the moment she and Nyxis stepped into the courtyard. She kept expecting to see the High Queen's bloodied form sprawled by the plotted tree with June lying beside it, soul-deep in a drawback.

Except June was fine and was now running towards her with a worried look on his face. There was no sign he had recently been run through with a sword. Xanthy's breath hitched as she tore off Nyxis and met June by throwing her arms around him. The cane clattered somewhere to her left.

"Xanthy," June breathed against her ear as he tucked his face against her neck.

Xanthy closed her eyes and basked in June's warmth. There had been a time when she thought she wouldn't be able to feel it anymore. They stayed that way for a long time until Xanthy heard footsteps shuffling in the background.

She peeled away from June and picked her cane up. She spotted the heirs gathered by an arch. Elred waved at her while Reeca gave a curt nod. Canelis remained still, staring ahead at some invisible threat. Why must that pixie always be so tense? Ariden grinned at her from a different cluster of people opposite the other heirs.

"Xanthy, thank the gods!" Airese's voice tore Xanthy's attention from the people. She spied her mother elbowing people out of the way as she made her way to her daughter. Airese threw her arms around Xanthy then cradled Xanthy's face in her hands. "What on earth happened?"

"You, young man, better take care of her," Eldan popped up behind June like an errant vine. Xanthy felt June flinch.

"I got my work cut out for me but I'll try my best, Dad," June replied with a light chuckle.

Xanthy's head whipped from June to her father. Dad?

"We're glad you're alright, Xanthy," Airese touched Xanthy's arm. "We'll be here if you need anything."

Xanthy may have mumbled her reply to that. Instead, she turned to the mass of people gathered in the courtyard. "What are we doing here?"

June sighed as he took hold of her arms. Denara came shortly after and stole Nyxis away with a quick wink. "An official day to honor the dead," June said softly. "We were waiting for you before we could properly start."

"Why?"

"Because you need it," was his only reply.

Then, a group of hooded figures entered the courtyard with grace fit for princesses. Their white robes covered them from head to toe. Hoods concealed most of their faces. Silence swept across the room as the figures fell into a line facing the gathered crowd. The man in the middle removed his hood.

He looked familiar.

"Friends," the man began, looking at the crowd. His eyes were never in one place for long. "We are gathered here to honor the dead. Our fallen comrades in the past war. Our friends. Our people. Regardless of previous affiliation, we are here today to make sure they make it to Pidmena's realm safely. Let us pray to the Goddess to let victims of war and violence have an entire lifetime of bliss in the Land of Wonders."

At once, the hooded figures bowed their heads. Their hands splayed upon their hearts. Everyone did the same as well as the man led them in a prayer meant for the dead. It was verses after verses of asking the Goddess of Death to have mercy for the souls passing through her realm.

Xanthy thought about the Heiress and the Sovereign. They were prepared to do everything they could to make sure they escaped death. It came to a point where they needed to mine the island of its pure magic just to avoid punishment in the afterlife.

Xanthy wasn't one to believe in gods nor in punishments after death but if there were things like that, she would like to ask the Goddess one more thing. "Justice," Xanthy whispered as the man recited more verses of the prayer. "Please give justice to all."

Justice for the souls who died without achieving their dreams. Justice for the souls who sacrificed more than necessary. And finally, justice for the souls who spent their lives hurting others.

Xanthy sighed as the man finished the prayer. Together with the other hooded figures, the man raised his hand to the sky and cast a spell. Lights broke out of the spells, bathing the sky in a show of bright colors. The colors danced, singing in an ancient song, reminding everyone of a night where the sky, itself, sang of a glorious age that would bring forth a savior.

It was supposed to be sad and heavy but all Xanthy felt while looking at the lights was ease. Perhaps, this was how death was supposed to feel like. It would be hard to bear initially but as days go by, one would realize those who passed on, those who left, were in a better place. That alone gave Xanthy the hope to face tomorrow even without those people at her side. That hope gave Xanthy the strength to keep living, to keep trying to make the world a better place for those who were left with her.

She thought about all the people whom she shared her life with but were not standing with her here. Let her hope that they're happy, wherever they were.

Promise me you'll be happy, Jarvik once asked her of that.

As Xanthy stared up at the show of lights brightening up the midday sky, she smiled and wished Jarvik could hear her reply. I will be happy, Jarvik.

Xanthy glanced at June beside her, at how she found and lost then found him again. She squeezed his arm. Her chest was close to exploding with strange emotions. I will be the happiest person alive. Just you wait, Jarvik.

I hope you are trying your best to be happy, too.

Xanthy turned to leave as people began trickling out of the courtyard to go to who knew where.

"Heirs," the robed man called. "We have important matters to discuss."

Xanthy smiled at June and stepped away from him. "Go, I'll be waiting," she said even though she had no idea where in Umazure would she be doing that.

"Virtakios, please join us as well," the man said

Xanthy winced and watched the last of the people disappear out of the courtyard. Their footsteps against the marble floors faded in the distance. June helped her hobble forward where the rest of the heirs gathered in a hazy circle. Why weren't there any chairs?

Xanthy sighed and adjusted her grip on her cane. Damn, she needed a better and more stylish cane if she's going to walk with it for the rest of her life. Think like Elred, for once.

She had tried healing it but even with the Virtakios, her leg stayed painful and a bit crooked. Perhaps, it's part of the consequence of her coming back to life. Without anything or anyone to tell her otherwise, she would think of it as that.

The heirs stepped out of the way as Xanthy staggered to join their ranks. She nodded at the man who looked at her like it was his first time seeing someone with a cane. The man blinked then cleared his throat. "I am Master Quinxus and I serve as the spokesperson for the entire Seelie Court. After meeting with them, we all came to an agreement that to choose the next High Queen, we would need to hold another War of Queens."

Xanthy's stomach churned at the mention of that particular group of words. Was this the war the Arbotro's talking about? She'd have to kill these people or she'd risk being killed? Really?

"If we're going to go down that path, then I will resign my claim," Reeca said. Xanthy whipped to her friend faster than the wind. What?

"I resign as well," Ariden said. Seravel, Canelis, and Elred followed soon after with their own resignations.

"We don't need to be killing each other, not after what we have just been through," Jonadrin was smiling. "So I resign."

"I'm not sure if I'm still the human heir but I would hate to kill people I just won a war with," Nyxis winked at Xanthy from Denara's side. Did that wink mean something?

Then, Kymalin resigned as well. June followed along with Cyrdel, Kennen, and miraculously, Cirasa. "Technically, we're not Queens," June shrugged. That earned a round of slight laughter from everyone. Even Master Quinxus's lips curled up.

"So we declare the Virtakios to be the High Queen—"

"Whoa! Hold your flesh-eating sheep!" Xanthy waved an arm around. "I resign as well. I'm in no mood to be a High Queen all of a sudden."

Master Quinxus raised an eyebrow. "But as our laws dictated, in the case of resignations, the one contender left will be crowned the High Queen," the noble said. "Unless there are objections...?"

April stepped into view and almost everyone tensed. Xanthy positioned herself in front of June, hardening her gaze at the air sprite. April glanced at Xanthy and scoffed. "Suck it up, witch," she snapped before turning to the robed figures. "I resign."

Silence reigned on the courtyard. Only the birds twittering on the leafy canopy were heard for a long while. Sweat beaded at the back of Xanthy's neck. She opened her mouth to say that she didn't want it, that she would like to retire in a nice shack by the beach with June, but the Arbotro's words came back to her.

Unite this island. It's the only thing you could do if you want to survive this current war. It was the last order the Arbotro gave her. What better way to do that except when she has certain administrative powers to exercise?

A lump formed in Xanthy's throat as she looked at the people who were with her in this courtyard. She tried memorizing each and every face. "Okay," she coughed out. "Fine. I'll be the High Queen."

Suddenly, the heirs cheered. Some knocked their fists together. Xanthy even saw Canelis produce a bag of clinking versallis from her sleeves. The pixie begrudgingly deposited the bag into Reeca's waiting hands. Xanthy turned to June who was grinning from ear to ear. "Did you talk about this?"

June only winked at her the same way Nyxis did. Oh, gods. They talked about it. Xanthy's mouth fell open.

June chuckled and pinched her cheek lightly. "That's what you get for not telling us your reckless plan," he said. "We figured we'd surprise you."

Xanthy resisted the urge to strangle June seeing as she was still leaning heavily into him. "I'm surprised, all right," she muttered. Then an idea sprouted in her head. "I have a proposition," she turned to Master Quinxus as the cheers died down. "I'll only accept the position if you agree to it."

Master Quinxus tucked his hands inside his robes. "Let's hear it."

"I'm going to abolish the office," Xanthy said. The hooded figures froze. The heirs gaped at her. "I'm going to establish a council where the heirs are members as a representative of their races. I won't be the sole governing body. That way, we can make sure every voice will be heard."

"That's a good plan," Canelis tapped her chin. Out of all the heirs present here, she's probably the only one who took politics as a subject seriously. "What are you going to do with the autonomy rules?"

"We become one island," Xanthy said as firmly as she could. "No more separate kingdoms. No more separate races. The council will attest to that."

Xanthy turned to the hooded figures representing the Seelie Court. "So, what do you say?"

Master Quinxus cleared his throat. "You'd have a load of work ahead of you, High Queen," he said. "But if it's your wish, we will make it happen."

"Please, call me Xanthy," she put her hand out to them before glancing at her friends. "And I won't be alone in this."

"Hey, you just threw that back at us!" Nyxis exclaimed. That earned another laughter from the people present. Xanthy, herself, was beyond amused. It had been a while since she thought of other things like the future and how she could move forward. It's been a while since she last laughed like this.

"Then we wish you good night, H—Xanthy," Master Quinxus bowed. The other hooded figures followed his lead. "We'll see you tomorrow."

Xanthy knitted her eyebrows. "What's happening tomorrow?"

Master Quinxus raised an eyebrow. "Your coronation," he said, as if it's the most obvious thing that would follow. "If you're going to reform the whole island, you'd need all the time you can get. It's best to start as early as possible."

Xanthy snorted then smiled. "You're not giving me an easy time, are you?"

Master Quinxus returned the gesture. "No, Your Majesty."

Then, he, along with the rest of the hooded figures, turned and walked away. Within seconds, they were gone.