Broken caught Alora in his arms as she ran into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him.
He held her close, sinking into the warmth he had missed so much.
For a few monts, they just stayed like that—silent, unmoving—simply savoring the quiet comfort of each other's presence.
Then, softly, she spoke.
"I miss you so much…"
Broken ran his fingers through her long, crimson hair before she finally pulled away.
Leaning down, he gently kissed her forehead.
"I miss you too… so much."
He smiled—but sothing felt different.
Sothing about Alora. And then… he noticed it.
The realization hit him the mont she had pressed against him in that embrace.
Stepping back slightly, his eyes lowered—
To her stomach.
Alora followed his gaze, resting a hand over her belly as she smiled.
Even through the elegant gown she wore, it was unmistakable. Her stomach was rounder, larger than normal.
Broken's breath hitched.
"Alora?" he whispered, looking back up at her.
She smiled tenderly and nodded. "Yes… this is our baby."
Broken froze. His mind blanked for a mont, his breath catching in his throat.
His hands moved almost on their own, reaching forward to gently touch her belly.
A baby…?
He could barely process it.
Their baby.
How long had he been away from the capital? How much had changed while he was gone?
He turned to Alora, his voice hoarse.
"How long…?"
She smiled warmly, eyes filled with nothing but love.
"Five months. In another four… we'll et our child."
Broken exhaled sharply, his emotions colliding all at once—shock, joy, disbelief, overwhelming happiness.
Then—
He laughed.
A bright, full, unrestrained laugh.
He grabbed Alora and pulled her back into his arms, holding her even tighter than before.
"Alora, hahaha—!"
She laughed along with him, their happiness spilling over like treasure newly discovered.
For the first ti in a long ti, nothing else mattered.
Broken was going to be a father.
And it was Alora—Queen of Dissidia Kingdom—who carried his child.
They continued their conversation while seated on the lavish sofa in the center of the room, positioned near the grand glass window overlooking the kingdom beyond.
Alora leaned against Broken's right arm, resting her head on his shoulder, while he wrapped an arm around her, holding her close.
It had been months since they had last seen each other.
Months since he had left on his expedition, one that had yet to yield the answers he sought.
As they sat together, Broken recounted everything—the challenges, the battles, and the frustrating twists along the way.
Alora listened attentively, occasionally responding with soft laughter, especially when Broken grumbled about Vallrick, the ever-persistent Pride Champion, and the headaches he had caused.
In return, Alora shared the kingdom's progress with him.
The rebuilding efforts were back on track, and things had finally begun to stabilize.
More knights had risen through the ranks.
The economy had recovered.
And to her pleasant surprise, Slumdon—once an abandoned town—had undergone an incredible transformation.
"More people have moved into the city," she said, her voice carrying a note of admiration. "And there are a lot of high-level players settling there now. Even the knights you brought from the capital have grown trendously. I think Maylock's influence on their progress has been truly remarkable."
She paused for a mont before adding with a small chuckle,
"With so many new residents—forest elves, faeries, beastkin—Slumdon barely even feels like part of Dissidia Kingdom anymore."
After talking for so ti, Broken finally decided to bring up one of the reasons he had co to see Alora. He hesitated at first. But once he ntioned it—
Alora imdiately straightened, her expression shifting into one of excitent.
"The Dormant Fae Seed?" she repeated, her eyes lighting up. "Hurry, take it out—I want to see what happens!"
She reached forward slightly, eager.
"Broken, it's okay. We don't need to worry about anything… After all, it's sothing that ca from Elaine, isn't it?"
Broken hesitated. Alora was pregnant—would supplying Mana to the seed affect her in any way? After all, it had only reacted in the first place after his marriage to her.
Still uncertain, he pulled out the Dormant Fae Seed and handed it over.
Alora gently took it in her hands, bringing it onto her lap.
Then, she channeled Mana into it. A faint glow pulsed from the seed.
"It's reacting?" Broken asked.
Alora turned to him and nodded.
Curious, Broken took the seed back and tried the sa thing.
Nothing.
No response at all.
"Why?" he muttered under his breath.
Alora studied the seed for a mont before speaking.
"Do you think it only reacts to Mana from ?" she mused. "If that's the case… you can leave it here. I'll handle it. Just leave it to ."
Broken hesitated. He wasn't entirely comfortable with the idea, but…
At this mont, there wasn't anything else he could do.
After a brief pause, he finally handed the Dormant Fae Seed over to Alora.
At the very least, he could monitor its progress over the next few weeks while he stayed in the capital, traveling back and forth between there and Slumdon Town.
For the next two days, Broken spent every mont with Alora—sothing he rarely had the chance to do.
They wandered through the capital, exploring the city and witnessing firsthand how much it had changed under her leadership.
The once-ruined kingdom had thrived. The bustling energy of the capital had fully returned.
It had been five months since the demon invasion, and now, there were barely any visible traces of destruction left. The damage—both structural and in the number of civilian casualties—had been severe, but the recovery had been nothing short of remarkable.
Under Alora's rule, the atmosphere of Dissidia Kingdom had transford.
She wasn't just supported by the forest elves, who had settled in the capital and contributed to security and stability—she also had the players on her side, particularly the Vensalor Kingdom mbers, who had taken on key roles in rebuilding the kingdom.
If this progress continued, Dissidia Kingdom could beco the first kingdom in history to develop a true balance of power between NPCs and players.
And that was unprecedented.
But of course, not everyone welcod this change.
There were still nobles and high-ranking officials who did not fully support Alora as Queen.
Thanks to Broken's influence, Maylock's control, and Alora's firm leadership, resistance from the old royal faction had been reduced to a minimum.
For now, these dissenters were monitored closely rather than confronted.
Spies that Broken and Maylock had strategically placed across various major cities ensured that any suspicious movents were imdiately reported.
As long as these figures remained under surveillance, it was better than forcing a civil war, which would only weaken Dissidia Kingdom further—especially when its military strength had not yet fully recovered from the deaths of the Imperial Knights, who had once served under the previous king, Elorik.
Then, on the second day, It was ti for him to visit Slumdon Town. A place he hadn't set foot in since before the great war in Dissidia Kingdom.
It had been far too long.
He stepped through the Moonlight Gate, erging into his private office.
The familiar scent of polished wood filled his lungs the mont he entered, a nostalgic reminder of the space he hadn't occupied in a long ti.
Just as he took a breath, there was a knock at the door.
Then, a voice he hadn't heard for a while.
"My Lord, have you arrived…?"
Yara.
Broken exhaled slightly before responding.
"Yes, Yara. Co in."
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