AN UNFAMILIAR FAMILY
2352 Words
Dominion.
For the first time in years, Lyrielle had not been awakened by servants rushing through cold corridors or by the distant sounds of palace bells. Instead, soft rays of sunlight filtered through towering arched windows draped in deep sapphire curtains. Beyond them, she could hear the soothing roar of waterfalls cascading from the cliffs beneath the imperial palace.
The room was silent.
Too silent.
She sat upright, the events of the previous evening crashing back into her mind.
" Call off the marriage."
The words had slipped from her lips before she could stop them.
Azrael hadn't argued.
He hadn't looked angry.
He had simply looked... thoughtful.
Lyrielle buried her face in her hands.
"Wonderful," she muttered. "I've offended the future Emperor on my second day here."
A gentle knock interrupted her thoughts.
"My Lady?"
The door opened just enough for a young maid to step inside.
Unlike the servants in Asterwyn, the girl met Lyrielle's eyes instead of lowering her own.
"Good morning, Your Highness."
Lyrielle blinked.
"Your Highness?"
The maid smiled.
"You are the future Crown Princess. It would be improper to address you any other way."
The words felt strange.
No one had ever spoken to her with such respect.
"The Imperial Family awaits you for breakfast."
Lyrielle's stomach tightened.
"The... entire family?"
"Yes, Your Highness."
Wonderful.
She had barely survived one conversation with Azrael.
Now she had to meet the rest of his family.
The dining hall was unlike anything she had imagined.
She had expected darkness.
Coldness.
Instead, the room was warm, lit by hundreds of floating lanterns suspended above a table carved from black crystal. Silver vines climbed the pillars, blooming with tiny midnight-blue flowers.
At the center of the table stood a single empty chair.
It was beautifully carved.
Untouched.
Lyrielle frowned.
Why would anyone leave such a magnificent seat empty?
Before she could wonder further-
"Princess Lyrielle."
Emperor Malachar stood as she entered.
Every servant in the room stopped moving.
"So..."
he said with a faint smile,
"Did you sleep well?"
She nodded awkwardly.
"Yes... Your Majesty."
"Good."
He gestured toward an empty chair beside Azrael.
"Please."
Not once did he order her.
Not once did he command her.
He asked.
Lyrielle quietly took her seat.
Across from her sat a young man with messy black hair and amber eyes.
He leaned forward with a grin.
"So..."
"This is the famous witch."
Azrael sighed.
"Lucien."
"What?"
Lucien raised both hands innocently.
"I was only introducing myself."
He flashed Lyrielle a charming smile.
"I'm Lucien."
"The handsome brother."
"The funny brother."
"The favorite brother."
A soft laugh escaped from the young woman beside him.
"You forgot the most dramatic brother."
Lucien gasped.
"I am deeply wounded."
The young woman turned toward Lyrielle.
"I'm Nyx."
Her smile was gentle.
"It's nice to finally meet you."
Something about her immediately put Lyrielle at ease.
Standing a respectful distance behind the Emperor was Raven.
His silver armor reflected the morning light.
Unlike the others, he remained completely silent.
His sharp eyes calmly swept across the room, observing every servant who entered and every dish placed upon the table.
As everyone settled into their seats, servants began serving breakfast.
To Lyrielle's surprise...
No one touched their food.
Instead, Emperor Malachar lifted a silver goblet.
"To another peaceful dawn."
The family raised their cups.
Only then did they drink.
Seeing Lyrielle's confusion, Nyx smiled.
"It is our First Cup tradition."
"The host always drinks first."
"So the guest knows the food is safe."
Lyrielle blinked.
"You do that for every guest?"
Malachar nodded.
"Trust must be earned."
"Not demanded."
The words lingered in her mind.
In Asterwyn...
Guests had always been expected to trust the royal family without question.
Here...
Trust was offered first.
As breakfast continued, Lucien happily filled every silence.
"So..."
he asked.
"Did Azrael spend all night glaring at the moon again?"
"I don't glare."
"You absolutely glare."
"I observe."
Lucien looked at Lyrielle.
"You see what I live with?"
Nyx rolled her eyes.
"Our brother speaks only when absolutely necessary."
Lucien sighed dramatically.
"I've spent twenty-two years trying to make him smile."
"And?"
Nyx asked.
"No progress."
For the first time since arriving...
Lyrielle laughed.
It escaped before she realized it.
Everyone looked at her.
Her cheeks immediately turned pink.
"I'm sorry..."
"You don't have to apologize for laughing."
Malachar said simply.
"This palace could use more of it."
Lyrielle lowered her eyes.
No one had ever said something like that to her before.
Not even once.
A servant approached carrying another tray.
Before the dishes reached the table-
Raven stepped forward.
He inspected each plate carefully.
Only after giving a small nod did the servant continue.
Lyrielle watched curiously.
Nyx noticed.
"Raven checks every meal."
"For poison?"
Nyx nodded.
"It has happened before."
Lucien added casually,
"Three times."
Lyrielle nearly dropped her fork.
"Three?"
"This month."
Azrael continued eating as though this were perfectly normal.
Lucien shrugged.
"Politics."
When breakfast ended, everyone stood.
No one left immediately.
Instead...
Each member of the family bowed-not to the Emperor-
but toward the empty chair.
Lyrielle stared.
After a moment, she quietly asked,
"Why?"
The room became still.
Malachar answered.
"That chair belongs to those who gave their lives protecting this empire."
"No one sits there."
"Not even me."
"It reminds us that every meal we enjoy was bought with someone else's sacrifice."
Lyrielle felt something tighten inside her chest.
In Asterwyn...
Victories were celebrated.
Here...
The fallen were remembered.
As the family dispersed, Nyx approached.
"If you'd like..."
"I could show you the palace."
Before Lyrielle could answer-
Lucien appeared beside them.
"I'm coming."
Nyx sighed.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"I'll be entertaining."
"You'll be distracting."
"I can do both."
Azrael looked toward his siblings.
"Behave."
Lucien grinned.
"I always do."
Everyone ignored him.
Together, they stepped into the vast halls of the imperial palace.
Lyrielle looked around in amazement.
Black marble stretched endlessly beneath her feet.
Moonlight crystals decorated the ceilings despite the morning sun.
Shadow Ravens perched upon stone arches, silently watching over the corridors.
"They're beautiful..."
Lyrielle whispered.
Lucien smiled.
"They're not ordinary birds."
"They carry messages across the empire."
"They've even bitten him once."
He pointed toward Azrael.
Nyx laughed.
"He deserved it."
"I did not."
"You tried to steal its feather."
"I was twelve."
"It still remembers."
Lyrielle couldn't stop smiling.
Perhaps...
Demons weren't nearly as frightening as the stories claimed.
Lyrielle followed Nyx and Lucien through a pair of towering obsidian doors that opened onto one of the palace's upper terraces.
The view stole her breath.
Dark stone towers pierced the clouds like black spears.
Massive waterfalls cascaded from the surrounding cliffs into silver rivers below. Moon birch trees lined the streets, their pale leaves dancing in the breeze while banners bearing the Noctis crest fluttered proudly from every rooftop.
The capital stretched farther than the eye could see.
It wasn't dead.
It wasn't frightening.
It was... alive.
Merchants filled the streets with colorful stalls. Children chased one another through the squares, their laughter drifting all the way to the palace. Black-armored soldiers walked among the people, but no one shrank away from them.
"They're not afraid," Lyrielle murmured.
Lucien rested his elbows on the stone railing.
"Why would they be?"
"They're soldiers."
"So?"
"In Asterwyn... people become nervous whenever the Royal Guard passes."
Lucien exchanged a glance with Nyx.
"Our soldiers aren't taught to rule the people."
"They're taught to protect them."
Nyx nodded.
"A demon who abuses their strength brings shame upon their entire bloodline."
Lyrielle turned to them.
"Really?"
Lucien smiled.
"Our first law is simple."
'Power exists to protect, never to oppress.'
"If a noble forgets that..."
He shrugged.
"The Emperor reminds them."
"Harshly."
They descended a wide staircase leading into the palace gardens.
Unlike the perfectly trimmed gardens of Asterwyn, these felt wild and untouched.
Towering silver trees arched overhead, their branches weaving together like the ceiling of a cathedral.
Small glowing butterflies drifted lazily between black roses.
"They're called Night Blossoms," Nyx explained.
"They only bloom under moonlight."
Lyrielle knelt beside one.
The petals felt like velvet beneath her fingertips.
"They're beautiful."
"Our ancestors believed flowers should never be forced to bloom."
Nyx smiled.
"So our gardeners work with nature instead of controlling it."
Lyrielle thought of the royal gardeners back home.
Every tree had been cut into perfect shapes.
Every flower planted in straight lines.
Everything had been controlled.
As they continued walking, a loud bell echoed across the palace grounds.
Almost instantly...
Every servant.
Every knight.
Every noble they passed...
Stopped walking.
Each person placed a hand over their heart.
Some bowed their heads.
Others simply closed their eyes.
No one spoke.
The silence lasted nearly a minute.
When it ended...
Life resumed as though nothing had happened.
Lyrielle stared in confusion.
"What was that?"
Nyx answered softly.
"The Minute of Shadows."
"It happens every morning."
"For what?"
Lucien's usual smile faded.
"We remember those who died protecting the Dominion."
"Not only soldiers."
"Children."
"Healers."
"Servants."
"Anyone who gave their life for another."
"No matter their rank."
Lyrielle felt her throat tighten.
"So everyone stops?"
Nyx nodded.
"Even the Emperor."
"No life is considered more valuable than another."
Further ahead stood an enormous bronze statue.
It depicted a woman holding a sword toward the heavens while spreading enormous wings behind her.
"Who is she?" Lyrielle asked.
"The First Empress."
Nyx replied proudly.
"She united the demon clans over a thousand years ago."
"She believed fear could never build a kingdom."
"Only trust."
Lucien grinned.
"She also punched one of the old kings."
Nyx sighed.
"Lucien."
"What?"
"It's history."
Lyrielle laughed.
"Did she really?"
"Oh, absolutely."
"He insulted her horse."
Nyx pinched the bridge of her nose.
"That is not the official version."
"It's the better version."
Eventually they reached a circular courtyard where dozens of young demons trained with wooden swords.
An elderly instructor barked commands as children no older than ten sparred against one another.
Lyrielle watched in surprise.
"They begin training so young?"
"Not for war."
Nyx corrected gently.
"They learn discipline."
"Control."
"And responsibility."
Lucien folded his arms.
"The first thing every child is taught is not how to fight."
"It's when not to."
"If someone starts a fight?"
"They lose the right to carry a weapon for a year."
Lyrielle blinked.
"Even nobles?"
"Especially nobles."
Lucien replied.
"The higher your position..."
"The higher the expectations."
As they left the training grounds, they passed several servants carrying baskets overflowing with black candles.
"What are those for?"
Nyx smiled.
"Tonight is the Eve of Embers."
"Our families relight the Eternal Flame."
Lyrielle tilted her head.
"Eternal Flame?"
"It's one of our oldest traditions."
Nyx explained as they walked.
"Every demon household keeps a single black flame burning."
"It represents the promise that the family will stand together."
"If the flame ever goes out..."
Lucien continued,
"The entire family must relight it together."
"No one is allowed to do it alone."
"Because a family that heals..."
"...heals together."
Lyrielle slowed her steps.
Back in Asterwyn...
No one had even noticed when she cried herself to sleep.
Here...
Even a flame couldn't be relit without everyone standing beside one another.
The difference was almost painful.
They entered another corridor lined with portraits of previous emperors.
Unlike the paintings in Asterwyn...
None of these rulers wore crowns.
Lyrielle frowned.
"Where are their crowns?"
Lucien chuckled.
"We don't wear them inside the palace."
"Why not?"
Nyx answered.
"Because a crown commands respect."
"But a ruler should earn it without one."
Lyrielle looked at Emperor Malachar's portrait again.
Without the crown...
He somehow looked even more imposing.
Just then...
A small girl of perhaps seven years old came running down the hallway carrying a stack of books.
She accidentally collided with Lyrielle.
The books scattered everywhere.
"Oh!"
"I'm so sorry!"
The little girl hurried to gather them.
Lyrielle immediately knelt beside her.
"It's alright."
Together they picked up the books.
When the child realized who Lyrielle was...
She gasped.
"Y-Your Highness!"
Before she could bow-
Lyrielle smiled.
"You don't have to."
The little girl smiled back before hurrying away.
Lucien watched the exchange thoughtfully.
"You know..."
"I've never seen anyone stop to help her."
Lyrielle looked confused.
"Why wouldn't they?"
"Because she's only a servant's daughter."
The words slipped out before he realized what he had said.
Lyrielle stared at him.
"Only?"
Lucien's smile disappeared.
"...I suppose you're right."
"There shouldn't be an 'only.'"
Nyx looked at Lyrielle with quiet admiration.
Perhaps...
The future Crown Princess would change more than anyone expected.
As they continued through the palace, none of them noticed the hooded figure watching from an upper balcony.
Hidden in the shadows...
A pair of crimson eyes followed Lyrielle's every step
"They've found her," the stranger whispered.
"The Eclipse Heir has finally come home."
A faint smile spread beneath the hood.
"Now..."
"The game can begin.
- Writer
