Chapter 53

Clean white stone stretches beneath Kalt XVIII’s boots, edged by ice-glass railings. The snow has stopped falling. In front of him stands a crowd—thousands of Raureifians gathered in silence, bundled in furs and flowing silks, nobles and citizens alike. Behind him stands the Universal Guard.

Kalt XVIII
(voice strong, but youthful)
People of Raureif. You do not know me well.
You remember my father—Kalt XVII.
You remember his death.
You remember the ice.

(pauses)

But I ask you—remember the thaw.
Remember the breath we held for too long.
And let it out now.

he raises his hand, and the sky behind him clears slightly, light filtering through

I may be young. But I promise this:
We will rise—not to reclaim what was…
—but to build what will be.

There’s a silence. Then a rising wave of applause—timid at first, then roaring. The ice-glass vibrates with cheers.

Cut to later: Kalt walks back toward the Universal Guard, now preparing to depart. Asche is packing strategy documents. Berwick is triple-checking the arcship’s course. Celeste floats above them all on a magic note, playing a farewell song.

Lily
(slipping beside Kalt as the crew loads into the ship)
Hey.

Kalt XVIII
(still dazed)
That… that was my first time talking to a crowd like that.

Lily
(grinning)
You didn’t puke. So that’s a win.

(she leans in, whispering into his ear)
Also, just so you know
My dads bought a 190-billion-meere property here for vacation homes.
So I’ll be visiting a lot. You’re not getting rid of me that easy.

Kalt XVIII
(blushing slightly)
Wait—what? That’s… that’s more than the Raureif treasury—

Lily
(strolling toward the ship)
Shizuku said something about “beachfront snow” being irresistible.
Alto just wanted the view. And a fireplace the size of a dragon.

Kalt
(to himself, smiling)
...They really are insane.

As the Universal Guard begins boarding the Ark, Kalt stands at the edge of the palace once more. Alone, but not lonely. The people cheer below. He looks up at the sky.

Kalt XVIII
(softly)
Let’s make this kingdom warm again.