"You should rename the city."

My lovers and I are sprawled over our bed, but sleep remains distant. There's too much energy in the air for dreams to grab ahold of us. Well, one person is practically vibrating with energy.

Kierra has been glowing all night and climbing under the blankets hasn't doused that excitement in the slightest. Thankfully, she finally put down the scroll announcing my promotion; I was starting to wonder if it was stuck to her hand. However, her fascination has been turned to me. The moment I laid down, she crawled over me, settling between my legs with her chin on my stomach and her hands idly roaming my sides.

"Why?" I ask distractedly, placing a hand in her hair. The strands slip through my fingertips, soft and smooth. "Seems unnecessary."

"It is very necessary." Her eyes, more green than gold in the gloom, appear fathomless as she meets my gaze. "Their name is their identity. Their past. Take it and you break them."

Sigh. She hums in delight as I tickle one of her long ears. "I don't want to break them."

"I know~ But it will be better for them in the end." She nuzzles into my stomach, making it hard to focus on her words. "If you give them a name, they will be yours. The only time people don't fear the strong is when that strength stands behind them. Give them a name. So long as they carry it, they will know they are yours. They will not fear you. Rather, they will feel safe, knowing that a powerful protector now shields them."

"People will fight for their names," Alana mumbles from beside me, eyes lidded.

"All the easier to know your enemies."

Wouldn't that also make them a target? There's already a group of rebels running around. What if they start targeting people trying to move on? It would be spitting on the graves of those I killed, wouldn't it? I guess that's what she means about making it easy to find my enemies. Saints. Using people as bait sounds downright villainous. But…unrest is inevitable, isn't it? The city won't take the news of my promotion well. If there's going to be conflict, wouldn't it be better to have clearly defined sides? At least we could avoid cutting down innocents lost in a vague mob of discontent.

Ah! This is why I didn't want this!

"I…can't put them in danger and leave them to fend for themselves," I admit quietly. "I won't."

Her arms wrap around me, squeezing tightly. "That is proper. A conqueror is not a beast, slaughtering as it pleases. If there are no people, there are no conquerors. If they are ours, we will protect them and give them the means to grow."

"How? I'm not staying." If I didn't plan on leaving, my promotion would have convinced me. The last thing I need the king to think is that he can tie me down. You can't let the powerful grab ahold of you or they'll never let go.

"You are not without means. Enlist those who would protect them for you."

"That is a lot of trust to give anyone."

"Is there not a hero close by?"

"Dunwayne? Sure, I'd trust him to look after the people but he's getting old. This whole mess proves it." I'm sure the man wanted to do more but he can't command the other master casters through reputation alone. "I don't imagine he'll be around for much longer and he doesn't have an heir—"

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Kierra smirks as a thought comes to me. The old hero does have an heir, doesn't he? A capable, eh. A potentially capable heir with a strong sense of justice. Someone that the people wanting a better future could unite around. Someone with the strength to fight the rebels. Someone with the proper connections and experience to move amongst the elite but the empathy to connect with commoners.

I couldn't…could I? Would he accept? Oh no. Just imagining his face when I ask him to work for me makes me want to give it a try. He wouldn't look bad in purple.

"I'd need more than a hero."

"Have you forgotten the force I trained for you?"

That's right! "Your little club."

"They are ambitious and lack opportunity. They will flock to a place that values them."

"This is a city of hunters. Amibition isn't enough. They need strength."

"Who amongst the strong do you trust?"

"No one. But if you're asking who I think is the least corruptible…" A laugh jumps out of me before I can stop it. I laugh so hard Kierra has to crawl higher to keep from being jostled, her arms relocating to snake around my chest. "Oh, that's perfect."

"Share," Kierra demands while softly kissing my collarbone.

"What about the Temple?"

Alana's eyes that were verging on closing, stop before completely lowering. Her lips tremble, but I'm not sure if it's to smother a laugh or to hide disapproval. "You're joking."

"Nope. Can you imagine one of them taking bribes? Abusing their power? Mistreating people?"

"No, because I can't see them accepting. All they care about is their monsters."

"Then we'll change the city." For the first time, the hard ore of dread in my gut is weakened by the repeated impacts of excitement. "What if the city of hunters becomes the city of monsters? The city's already levelled. It's the perfect time to redesign it."

"People don't want to live with monsters," my knight says drolly, but I can detect the interest creeping into her tone.

"Eh. If they can accept the woman that murdered their families as their lady, they can accept a few beasties. Like Kierra said, no one fears the wolf that protects them. And they aren't going to be wandering the streets. We can divide the city into districts. Sprinkle a few small sanctuaries around, maybe one large field in the center for a few bigger beasts. Docile ones. Add some flowers, maybe a few horses. It'll be a new industry and an attraction. Something the city can enjoy rather than endure."

"…that doesn't sound bad," Alana admits slowly, as if she can't believe she's saying the words.

Kierra chuckles and sits up. "You think that you have no talent for this, but you are more than capable."

"Am I? I'm suggesting of making people live alongside monsters, governed by the craziest group I know."

"Why?" she asks, smiling softly.

I shrug. "Because I don't know what else to do. It sounds fun." At least my divine father will approve.

She shakes her head. "You thought about it deeply and chose what you believe is best for your subjects. A ruler doesn't need to be, hm, omnipotent. They do not need to take on every burden. They are the guide, the one that chooses the path their people walk. So long as they care, they will surround themselves with others who care, and they will pass down that legacy to the next generation. You care, Lou. That is the best gift you can give this world."

I turn away, face flaming with embarrassment. It still doesn't feel good being told that. A part of me wants to deny it. It whispers that nothing good will come from hoping for better. That there's no changing the world or my place in it. But…I can't deny it anymore. The truth is like the sun. Ignore it all you want but it's still there, its light touching everything I see and its heat making me sweat. Eventually, keeping my head bowed to avoid seeing it gets uncomfortable. Then it becomes exhausting. Might as well raise my head and face it.

"Yeah, well. Don't go shouting it for the whole kingdom to hear," I grumble.

"We will collect the fake seer and go to the Hall to speak with Cloud about your vision. But tonight, we celebrate."

I gulp as she pulls her nightgown over her head, tossing it aside. Alana's eyes that seem a moment from shutting snap open. Talia is also roused, looking over from where she's lounging on my other side.

"Um." I swallow heavily. "Do you—"

I can barely follow Kierra's hand as she grabs my mouth, silencing me. Oh. I haven't seen that look in a while. It still has the same effect as the first time she loomed over me all those months ago, my blood slowly dripping into the earth of the Enchanted Forest. Strong enough to collapse a house with a punch but I can't help feeling small under her like this.

Not that I'd have it any other way.

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