Virion stood in the throne room of the elven palace, hand resting on the throne as he gazed upon the portraits that lined the walls on both sides, showing all of the former queens and kings that had ruled Elenoir and dedicated their lives to keeping it safe. His eyes gravitated to the portrait of his only love Lania. He missed her dearly every day, and wanted nothing more than to have her by his side. He cursed himself for being so weak, for needing her to protect him back then. He only wished his actions since then would have made her proud.
The door to the throne opened slowly with a creak before someone stepped inside. Only two people alive would be confident enough to do that without asking for permission first, and he was certain that the brat wouldn't be here right now.
His gaze moved from the portrait of his wife to see his granddaughter as she walked up to him, noting to himself that he recognized Lania's features within Tessia. Her posture and gait were elegant, prim, and proper as one would expect of a princess that spent the majority of her childhood training and learning everything she needed to know about becoming a Queen. But her shoulders were lax as she walked on the balls of her feet, ever at the ready like a true warrior. The combination made it seem like she would be as comfortable on the battlefield as she would be in heavy political discourse.
Virion was very proud of the young woman she had become. She fought with her comrades valiantly against the threat on Elenoir. Though they had lost the country during the war due to simply not having the manpower to keep it, she and her men fought tooth and nail to protect the innocent men, women, and children as they escaped from the frontlines. Because of their efforts, many families have been able to reunite with their loved ones.
Virion stood looking at her, older now, the weight of maturity settling into her face. She had been instrumental in the rebuilding of Elenoir. He had kept her busy, sending her and other trusted men and women across the nation to assess and take care of business and aid in helping elves resettle into their former homes. The process was slow, but finally, a rhythm had been created, and with it, an efficiency in the process that meant Tessia was no longer needed for the role. Now, there were more important things that needed her touch, more things to help secure the future.
"Grandpa, you wanted to speak to me?" Tessia looked at him with emerald eyes. They were hardened by years of war, but they still held within them a youthful curiosity that Virion hoped would never be snuffed out.
"Thank you for coming," he said. He didn't know it, but he cut a very impressive figure as he faced his granddaughter. His silver hair was cropped a little bit shorter than usual, and his elven attire was austere, making him look more formidable. Throughout the war, Tessia never understood why so many found her goofy and carefree grandfather so imposing and intimidating. Now, she started to see why.
The young princess stood at attention, knowing what he was going to say was very important.
"Elenoir has been rebuilt, but you know that our world isn't only about this nation. We're part of something bigger beyond our land."
She nodded and Virion could see in her eyes a glimmer of understanding, of what he was going to ask her to do from here on out.
"We're now entering a new phase of our peace. Right now, our peace is still fragile. It's at a delicate stage. One keg, one spark can ruin it all and embroil us in another war. I don't need to remind you how horrible that would be."
Involuntarily, Tessia's gaze flicked to where the portraits of her parents rested in the room, the only thing that remained to tell the world that they had a presence within this room at one point.
Virion acknowledged it with a nod.
"I know it will be hard, but I am asking you to leave Elenoir for months at a time. I want you to go out and travel, to visit the other nations to promote peace and build stronger relationships among our peoples. You'll learn that there is difficulty in trying to stay together when that one common cause is taken away. Yes, we came together to protect our continent against a foreign land, but now there is no need for such unity. It is important that we find another reason to remain unified."
Tessia remained quiet, letting his words settle in her mind. She was already imagining herself setting foot away from their beloved home for longer than she felt comfortable doing.
"I want you to find out that unifying reason," Virion said before closing the distance between himself and his granddaughter.
"The world is changing, and Elenoir needs her leader. But before I give you the reins, I need to make sure you are ready for it. Leading in a time of war is very different from leading in a time of peace. Unfortunately, neither I nor your parents really had experience with the latter. You need to be ready, to set yourself up for success. You need to deal with different people bringing different ideas into our community."
He then took his granddaughter into a tight, warm hug. "They would be so proud of you, Tessia."
Two small hands, wrapped around him as they shook, sobs coming from the young woman in front of him now. He wished he could go back to her childhood when her biggest worries were where she was going to drag Arthur around that day. But she had been hardened and tempered in the harshest of trials, and she was now fully capable of becoming the next leader. She just needed to gain perspective first.
Virion, in his infinite wisdom, had known, of course. His past had been fought on grounds far away from his beloved home and he'd known that she would learn to appreciate the comforts of the familiar while being exposed to the unknown.
She would learn what she could and help secure the peace that everyone had all fought for. She would build connections that strengthen relationships among the different peoples, nations, and continents. But by far, the biggest effect of this mission was one not even Virion could have anticipated.