Silverd stood in a corner of the audience room—one that allowed him to gaze towards Heim. He seriously stared through the window, unable to bring himself to take the throne. He then noticed a menacing glimmer off in the distance, filling him with trepidation.
“A jet-black sun...” His Majesty muttered.
Even the clouds floating over Kingsland were pulled into this void-like sphere, towards a light that seemed to shine with an amethyst’s hues. Even in the middle of night, this light was striking. What happened? Did something happen to Ein? Silverd wondered worriedly. He was worried about Krone too, of course, but the mysterious rays sent shivers down his spine. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Lloyd rushed inside.
“Your Majesty, it’s an emergency! Please allow me to mobilize the water train!” Lloyd shouted.
Silverd didn’t seem to mind this outburst. “You have my permission.” He continued to gaze out the window, towards the skies that loomed above Heim.
“You saw it, didn’t you?”
“It’d be most unusual if I didn’t notice it, Lloyd.”
The marshal went on his knees. “The fleet of ships that returned from the earlier battle have already returned.”
“And what of my ship?”
“It’s still docked, Your Majesty.”
“Then have my ship sail forth as well. The only vessel remaining is the Princess Olivia...”
Before he could finish his statement, there was another notable change. The black sun that appeared over Heim had started to crack, and something was spewing forth from it. That little detail didn’t escape Silverd’s keen eyes.
“What in the world is that?” the king gasped.
He was so far away, and yet it was all so crystal clear. He locked eyes with an inorganic gaze...one that seemed to joyfully smile back.
✦ ✦ ✦
Back within the confines of what was once her family’s prized rose garden, Krone quickly realized that the situation around her was continuously shifting. In mere moments, she’d been surrounded by a horde of rose monsters, a threatening tangle of twitching tree roots, and the many bushels of explosive magical fruit that loomed overhead. Krone’s only source of protection from the constant attacks and magical bombardments was the blue veil that surrounded her. Serving as something of a shield against the World Tree’s machinations, the veil had become the last line of defense in holding off the tree’s complete awakening.
Despite not saying a single word, the young advisor felt her hands tremble as she gently caressed her beloved’s cheek with her fingertips. She wasn’t afraid of dying, but she refused to admit exactly what she feared—even to herself. Up until now, she’d never once cursed herself for being so intelligent. Outside the veil, an unsettling laughter bounced from wall to wall while thick saliva oozed from the maw of each rose monster.
“Ha! Ha ha ha!”
“Heh heh heh!”
“Hyah! Hee hee! Ha ha!”
Ein? As the minutes droned on, Krone felt her beloved’s body steadily losing its warmth. A quivering sensation quickly took hold over the girl’s face, causing her lips to grow numb and a stream of tears to sting her eyes. The very fingertips she’d just caressed him with were now soaked with tears. She hoped that a tight embrace would warm him up, but it only ended up reinforcing the painful reality of the situation.
When Ramza, Misty, and Marco had arrived on the scene, they instantly felt the same stinging pain in their hearts. Despite that pain, the trio approached the blue veil, still holding out a sliver of hope. The World Tree attempted to hold them back, but they mustered up all the strength they had left to reach Krone.
“It seems to me that Lady Krone isn’t to leave his side!” Marco said.
“It sure does,” Ramza muttered before he turned to his wife. “Misty, was this all part of your master plan?”
“Of course not!” the Elder Lich cried. “If I knew, I would’ve planned something entirely around her!”
Krone didn’t realize that she had company. In reality, she’d been overwhelmed by an inexplicable sense of panic that had gripped her entire body for the first time. In an attempt to ground herself, she focused all of her senses on her beloved’s face. Krone didn’t need the situation spelled out for her—she was keenly aware of the World Tree’s odd behavior and its sudden overabundance of magical power. It wasn’t hard for her to put two and two together in the mathematics of her prince’s fate.
“Ein, please...” she pleaded.
The tears kept flowing from Krone’s deep amethyst eyes. Despite wiping her eyes dry until they became red and swollen, the tears just wouldn’t stop.
“I’ll never play coy with you again! I promise... I’ll never, ever do it again! I’ll be more honest and open with you! I swear!”
Krone was never one to beg. But for the first time in her life, she found herself on her knees, beseeching the man she loved so dearly. She continued to sob desperately and clutched Ein’s face as she brought it close to her cheek.
“Please. Wake up...”
But it wasn’t Ein answering her desperate pleas. The blue veil finally started cracking, allowing the World Tree’s forces to slip past the legendary trio and strike the young lady. Yet, the weeping Krone showed no fear. The tears kept flowing down her cheeks as she flashed a defiant glare at her enemies—ready to adamantly defend her prince from the encroaching world around them.