For two months, Nerin stayed in Ziya. He hadn't even been crowned yet and he was already busy trying to sort out a proper peace treaty with King Ouron. He had no advisors, no one to help him find a good deal, while Ouron had all of his. As far as he was aware, General Juna had died in the battle and Fentir was still looking after Brenmar.

He'd organised the return of his army, much to the disapproval of all the generals involved, but he was their King now, they had to listen to what he said. With the threat of the Beast lingering over their heads, the army returned, waiting for him to be crowned in Ishmar whenever he was able to leave Ziya.

He did send constant ravens to the old man to ask for help, but it took a long time and only made the process slower. For various reasons, Fentir didn't like the proposals King Ouron gave, but they didn't have much choice in the matter. Nerin quite liked some of the ideas the King presented, but he wasn't sure if he was being taken advantage of because of his age.

Of course, he wasn't going to let that happen. There had to be a fair trade in the treaty, even though Harudan had been the one to start the war. Nerin had already agreed to help pay for any damages, but it didn't look like it would be necessary. Isiah was always out in Minisia with Emrick and Rina, fixing the buildings and healing people as the Beast.

It meant that Nerin didn't see them much. The only person he knew from Brenmar was Ashera, who followed him around everywhere when he wasn't in a meeting about the treaty. They didn't want to walk around the palace on their own, not when the remaining Warriors were everywhere, death glaring at them as if they were waiting for the two children to leap out and attack them.

If the treaty went the way it was going, Brenmar would still have to pay for the damage it caused and the people that were killed, which would go towards getting the country back on its feet. Because of the Beast, it wouldn't be anywhere near as much, but it seemed only fair that he do something to make up for the actions of his brother.

The funeral had been a private affair just as King Ouron had seen. Ashera had been with him while they set up the pyre and burned Harudan's body. It was the easiest way to transport him back to Ishmar, where he would be kept in the crypts under the church with the rest of their dead family. All of them except for Turian, who had been left behind in the laboratory long ago.

Towards the end of the funeral, when the flames had almost gone out, Rina had stopped by to see him. She didn't stay for long, but it was better than nothing. He'd missed her and Isiah and Emrick while he'd been stuck in Ishmar and even once he'd finally reunited with them, he barely got to see them. He understood why of course, but he still wished he got to see more of them.

They had understood and forgiven him for what he had done, but he could tell that they had been disappointed in him. He was too. He'd been the one to help free Ishin in the first place, to cause so much destruction to Minisia. It was his duty as Brenmar's new King to fix it as best he could.

King Ouron and his advisors hadn't been happy with one of his few suggestions a month into the proceedings. Instead of a repeat of the last ten winters, Nerin wanted to share the food grown by each nation so that no one starved. Of course, it would have to be paid for by whichever nation needed it, but whatever aid was required, it would be given without argument. And if it wasn't possible to help immediately, the nations would have to work together to find another solution. It would be how it was supposed to be, how it had been for decades before the war.

Requesting it had ended in a sharp silence from the four Askari that had been constantly demanding things from him. The first and only thing he had asked for since they started and they didn't seem willing to agree. For a week, they argued that they shouldn't have to pay for anything, that it should be given to them willingly. But if either nation wanted to flourish, then it was necessary. They treated him like a child and he was one, but he knew enough to keep his country going.

Eventually, they agreed and it was settled that trade would start up again properly once Nerin was crowned. And then, two months after he'd arrived in Ziya, they signed the treaty. Everyone was in attendance, even people Nerin had never seen before and had never been introduced to. Fentir had sent his agreement a week earlier and so Nerin, Emrick and Isiah were the only people from Brenmar present to sign.

It had been King Ouron's idea that all three parts of the Beast sign the treaty as an agreement to their peace too. There would be people who didn't like how strong they were, how much of a threat they could possibly pose, but Nerin trusted them with everything. They would never turn against Vishera, not with Isiah in charge.

Even after months of negotiating and both sides constant promises that there would never be another war in their lifetimes, everyone in the room was nervous. Especially Rina, who looked around the room as if she was waiting for something to happen. His mind flashed back to the last treaty he had witnessed and while the one he stood in the middle of was awkward and uncomfortable, it was far safer than the last.

All the members of the Askari royal family signed the treaty, including the Queen's two siblings and their children. The leaders of the Warriors of Ziya, one of whom was named Sir Cillian, if he'd understood Isiah's angry grumblings clearly. Then it was his turn and with shaking hands, he scribbled his name at the bottom of the list. When he stepped away, relief washed over him. That was that. Peace.

Isiah and Emrick were the last to sign, both of them looking completely out of place and nervous in the middle of the throne room. Then they stepped away and it was over, King Ouron announcing a feast after their nightly prayers. One of the many people in the room rolled up the treaty to take it down to the copier so Nerin could take one back to Ishmar as the other filed out into the hall.

Nerin and the Beast didn't follow. None of them prayed anymore, to either of their Gods. After everything that had happened, there wasn't much point. Sol and Lune weren't real and four out of the five Old Gods were dead. Not that any of them knew what had happened to Teremtys. When Isiah went back to their Sanctum, they had disappeared. If they were dead or alive, no one knew.

"I can't believe it's over," Rina said, her hands against the empty table. "It doesn't feel real."

Isiah hummed in agreement. "We're done fixing things too. I think it's time we go back home," he said and frowned at the ground.

From the look on Rina's face, it was something that had been discussed before and it hadn't gone well. "If you must," she said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"I have to see the children, they're all that's left," Isiah whispered. The other children from the Sanctum, they were all still stuck in Ishmar with no knowledge of what was going on. "I might not be able to look after them all, but they need to know that I'm there."

"I know," she replied and smiled at him. "You had better visit though."

"Of course," Emrick said as if it were the simplest thing in the world. Nerin had missed so much since they'd left him in Huton, something they apologised profusely for, and there was no way for him to catch up. The three of them had grown closer while he had worked against them.

He cleared his throat and the three of them looked at him expectantly. "I'll be leaving in two days time. You're welcome to travel with me," he said. Ashera would be going with him and she'd be happy to learn that two parts of the Beast would be going with her. "But... Neither of you have homes to go back to."

Isiah smiled sadly at him. "Ishmar will have to be my home until I figure something out. I can easily build something new, but I don't think we'll settle where the old Sanctum used to be. I don't want to live somewhere tainted by war," he answered and Emrick ran a hand up and down his back.

"There's always a place for you in the palace," Nerin said. He couldn't exactly leave them to struggle, not after everything that had happened. "Actually, Emrick, there was something I wanted to ask you."

"What's wrong?" Emrick asked, concern and confusion lacing his voice.

It was something he'd been thinking about for a while but with the Beast constantly not being in Ziya, he hadn't gotten a chance to ask. "Two out of three of my advisors are dead and the third isn't someone I trust," he said and took a deep breath. "I wanted to know if you were willing to be my advisor once I'm crowned."

Emrick was silent for a long few seconds and Nerin waited for rejection. "You want me? I'm a halfling, Nerin," he said. As if that would stop him.

"And you know more about the realm than I do. You have experience as someone from both the border towns and a rich man. Right now, I need all the help I can get," he explained. He knew nothing about being a King and while Emrick didn't either, he did have firsthand experience that could help. He was logical and methodical and if he thought Nerin was doing something wrong, he wouldn't be scared to say so. "I trust you, Emrick, and I need your help."

"Here I was thinking I wouldn't have to work for anymore Princes," he muttered and chuckled, before turning to Isiah. "Is this alright with you?"

Isiah's eyebrows furrowed. "Why wouldn't it be?" he asked and Emrick laughed again.

"Then... Of course, Nerin," he said and once again, relief flowed through the young boy. He would still have to find a captain of his guard once he was crowned, but until then, he would have to get Emrick to serve as that too. "But I will have to return to Ziya for my ceremony in a few months. They've allowed a Warrior to come with us to train me."

He'd forgotten all about it in the mess that was sorting out the treaty. Both Emrick and Rina had been told they could become Warriors of Ziya after showing off their skills. If they hadn't been the Beast that was Promised, Nerin doubted that they would have been allowed, especially Emrick, a man from the Brenmar border town, but he was Askari enough that it counted.

"That won't be an issue," he said. He would never deny anyone the chance to become a Warrior.

A servant wandered into the room then to lead them down to the feast and for the next two days, all four of them were busy with goodbyes and preparations for their trip back to Ishmar. Rina constantly made them promise to visit or keep in touch, never once letting them leave her sight.

King Ouron gave them a small group of Warriors to escort them to the border, where Nerin's own guard would welcome them back home, one of which would continue across to train Emrick. That was if the Warrior could cross the border, but Nerin was sure Isiah could make some kind of exception if he needed to.

He, Emrick, Isiah and Ashera sat in the back of a carriage, Rina waving to them from outside. It was strange to be leaving after spending so much time in the city, but there was a longing deep in his stomach to be home. But home meant back with his family, which he no longer had. He'd killed the last of his family two months earlier.

It was hard. He constantly had nightmares where he relieved the night of the final battle, but he knew that it had been necessary, both for his life and all of Vishera. That didn't mean he didn't regret it, didn't feel a pang of awful guilt. It was constant, his wish to go back in time and save his brother, but there was nothing he could do anymore.

"Isiah," Ashera said in a soft voice, pulling Nerin from his awful thoughts. "Are we going back to the Sanctum?"

"No. We're going to build somewhere new. I was thinking somewhere outside Ishmar, how does that sound?" he asked, a small smile pulling at his lips.

She grinned. "Does that mean I can visit Nerin?"

"Whenever you want," Isiah said and grabbed Emrick's hand.

With one final wave to Rina, the carriage was on the move. He stared out the window until it passed through the palace gates and Rina disappeared. He would see her again one day, he was sure, but until then, he needed to focus on his own country. It was finally all over, the war was nothing but a memory, the people healed and the damage fixed. The treaty had been signed and he would stick to what he had agreed to.

After months of travelling and struggling and fighting, they were on their way home. Things had changed for all of them, but hopefully, it would be for the better. As Ziya became a dot on the horizon and the crystal pillars faded from view, a new sense of nervousness welled in Nerin's stomach. When they crossed the border, he would be welcomed home as the new King of Brenmar.

A.N: Second last chapter! In case you missed it, I've actally released another book, an australian inspired fantasy called Boughs Of Eucalyptus, so check it out if you're interested.