Chapter 84: The Servant of Evil Part 5

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A year had passed and on Aria and Lloyd's 14th birthday, Svern took the two out behind Layla's back. Lloyd and Aria came to the rooftop of the castle to see Svern turn to them.

"What's with all the secrecy dad?" Aria asks.

"And why am I here?" Lloyd questions "I have morning training."

"I want to show you kids something," Svern replies.

Svern turns away from them before he was surrounded by darkness. Aria and Lloyd watch in awe as he transforms into a large majestic black dragon. He turns around and looks at them.

"Get on my back," They hear him say.

Lloyd took Aria's hand and helped her onto her father's back, with him climbing on behind her.

"Hold on kids!" Svern says before lifting off the ground.

Lloyd wraps his arms around Aria, to ensure her safety. Svern flew into the air and soared over the kingdom.

"This is what it's all about kids," Svern says "the great kingdom we're trying to protect."

"Can I turn into a dragon too?" Aria asks.

"Only time can justify that answer my dear," Svern replies "These next few years won't be easy. I can feel whatever power I have left is slipping, and once it's gone, I'm afraid i will no longer be here."

"But I'm not ready." Aria says.

"I will make sure you are," Svern assures her "I have faith, in both of you."

Aria and Lloyd look at each other before looking down at the kingdom.

"This is your home; these are your people." Svern says "Never forget that."

The next few years was filled with many tears, blood, and tiredness. Aria continued to train secretly with her father as Lloyd continued to train with the knights and his mother. Never forgetting to share their endeavors with each other. It came suddenly though, the eve of their 16th birthday, the new rang through the kingdom.. the Emperor was dead.

Aria and Lloyd stood by each other with a brave face. Layla was sobbing inside the temple of time as Svern's human body laid dormant.

"I'm afraid there is nothing more we can do my empress," the oracle Stein tells her.

"WELL DO SOMETHING!" Layla screams as she turns to him.

"Mother," Aria says softly "he's gone."

"No," Layla falls to her knees, holding onto the alter "those... couldn't have been the last words I said to him... it couldn't have been!"

Lloyd and Aria look at each other before turning back to Svern's body.

"He will be back my lady," Mistake puts her hand on Layla's shoulder "the prophecy of good and evil will take place in the far future. It is still not the end of the Overlord. What matters most is your kingdom."

"You're... right." Layla wipes her eyes before standing up. "I need to see what he's been working on." She turns to the captain of the royal guard "Captain, please take me to my late husband's office."

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." The captain mutters as he looks away.

"Huh?" Aria looks confused.

"What do you mean?" Layla asks as her tears dried "I'm the empress! Someone has to take over-"

"The emperor did not leave the empire to you," Stein interrupts with a mischievous smile.

"He- what?!" Layla freaks out as Mistake's face went white as a sheet.

"As of tomorrow, empress dowager Layla," Stein smirks "we welcome in our new Empress."

"This is treason!" Mistake shouts.

"It is not," the captain steps in as he holds up a paper with the royal seal on it "Apon the death of Emperor Svern, the one to inherit the throne will belong to his daughter the crown princess Aria and her alone."

Everyone looked shocked as Layla grabbed onto the paper, staring at it in horror.

"He... that fool..." Layla mutters.

Lloyd, who was equally shocked, turned to look at Aria who did not have a look of surprise at all. Mistake, Stein, and the captain turn to look at Aria who stared at all of them with an emotionless look.

The next day, the citizens of Del stood outside the castle. They all stared up at the known oracle in the land, Stein, who stood beside Aria on the balcony. Lloyd and the white knights stood around her as Layla and Mistake stood behind them.

"As there is sorrow in death, the late emperor Svern was a worthy ruler. He built this land from the ground up, and has protected us for many years, but we as a kingdom must move forward and trust in his decisions." Stein rose his hands "So we rejoice in the new era that will be brought upon us by his prized possession, his daughter."

Stein turns and picks up a crown, before turning and placing the crown atop Aria's head.

Stein turns and picks up a crown, before turning and placing the crown atop Aria's head

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"All hail Empress Aria!"

"All hail Empress Aria!"

"All hail Empress Aria!"

Aria stares out at the crowd blankly as they all cheered.

"What are we going to do Mistake?" Layla questions quietly.

"We will do as planned," Mistake replies in a hushed voice "It's for their own good."

Lloyd stood closest to Aria, clapping along with everyone else.

"So, my knight," Aria glances at Lloyd "ready to back out yet?"

"Are you kidding," Lloyd chuckles before smirking "things just got interesting, my empress."

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