But as soon as Emilia placed the crown upon her head, everything changed.
Within a single breath, her body went still.
She remained seated upon the throne, her hands resting quietly in her lap, but her eyes lost their focus. Her pupils widened, and her face turned pale and cold, as if all warmth had been pulled away.
It was as though her soul had been taken sowhere far beyond this chamber.
Oh no!
Master!
Master!
Mimi cried out in panic, her ows trembling. She rushed closer, tail stiff with fear, her small paws pressing against Emilia’s leg as if she could sohow wake her.
Master, please don’t scare like this!
For a mont, Mimi truly believed sothing had gone horribly wrong.
But Amaras was quick to calm her.
"Do not worry, little one," he said gently. "Your master has rely entered the Trial of the Crown. Her consciousness has been drawn within it. Her body remains here... but her mind now walks another path."
Oh...
So that is how it works...
Phew!!!
Mimi released a shaky breath she hadn’t even realized she was holding. Her ears slowly lowered, and her heart finally eased.
If King Amaras spoke such words, then she trusted him.
She would remain here.
Faithfully.
Until Emilia opened her eyes once more.
Still, she could not help the tiny spark of frustration in her chest.
How she wished she could follow her master into the trial—not to interfere, of course, but simply to stand beside her, to cheer her onward!
And truthfully... Mimi’s curiosity burned as well.
What kind of trial could the crown possibly show?
When Master returns, I shall insist she tells every detail! Mimi vowed silently.
Either way, there was no doubt in her heart that her master would succeed.
Just then—
Oh wait!
Mimi suddenly realized sothing.
I can ask King Amaras, can’t I?
After all, he was no ordinary undead king! He was ancient, powerful, and wise... surely soone like him might be able to understand more than normal humans. Right?
With that hope, Mimi padded closer, her ears perked up. She lifted her head and let out a careful ow, trying her very best to sound serious.
"ow!"
Then another ow, until she got his attention.
But then, all she received in return was...
Head scratches.
"Oh my," Amaras chuckled, bending down slightly. "What a good kitty!"
His steel-gloved hand gently patted her head.
"This reminds of my own magical companion," he said, his voice warm with nostalgia, "back when he was only a little lion cub."
And for a few monts... Mimi’s cat instincts betrayed her!
The steady strokes, the gentle pressure... oh god!
Her body relaxed without permission, and she began to purr for a short few seconds.
Prr...
Prrr...
The sound rumbled softly in her throat.
Honestly... being petted by a tal gauntlet was surprisingly nice. Cool, but careful. Heavy, yet gentle.
But then–
Wait!
No!
That wasn’t what she wanted!
Mimi’s eyes widened.
She wasn’t here to be treated like so adorable kitten! She was here to ask an important question!
With a small huff, Mimi swatted Amaras’s hand away with her paw, as if scolding him.
"Huh?" Amaras blinked, pulling his hand back. "What’s wrong?" he asked, sounding genuinely confused.
Mimi owed again, more urgently this ti. She paced in a small circle, flicking her tail, trying to explain with all her heart.
Master is in the trial!
What is she seeing?
Is she safe?
Tell please!
But... well, in the end, no matter how hard she tried, a human could not understand a cat. And even King Amaras, mighty as he was, had no idea what she was trying to say.
***
Later on, with nothing else to do, Mimi could only loaf quietly on Emilia’s lap and rest, secretly hoping that the warmth she was giving might sohow pass on to her master and aid her through the trial.
Ti passed slowly in the golden throne room. Mimi felt like it had been hours already, and yet Emilia still hadn’t woken up.
Too bored, Mimi yawned cutely, feeling sleepy already.
Just... how long is this going to take?
Don’t tell it will take another hundred years or so?!
If that’s the case... oh no!
I can’t stay here forever!
Suddenly...
"My liege," the priest standing nearby asked softly, "what do you think her trial will be this ti? Will it be the sa as when you faced yours?"
That question made Mimi snap from half-asleep to fully alert.
Her ears perked up at once.
Because... that question, it was coincidently what she had been trying to ask the King earlier!!!
"Hmmm... most likely not, Veronica," King Amaras replied. "Each ti, the trial is different."
He paused, as if recalling distant mories.
"With my father, it was a trial where he had to fight a horde of demons alone. But when it was finally my turn..."
Suddenly, Amaras stopped mid-sentence.
His voice faltered.
His hand, resting at his side, began to tremble.
And just as quickly, Veronica fell to her knees.
"Please! Forgive , my liege!" the priest cried. "I didn’t an to—"
"No," Amaras said quietly. "It is alright."
Mimi watched with wide eyes, her curiosity burning even stronger.
What...?
What happened during his trial to make him react like that?
Aaaa!
I want to know!!!
However, lucky for her, Amaras did not remain silent for long.
"Well..." he murmured, his voice quieter now. "Now that I think about it... I have kept this to myself for almost a thousand years. I never spoke of it, not even to those closest to ."
Amaras slowly lifted his gaze.
It drifted upward toward the high ceiling, where grand chandeliers sparkled like frozen stars. For a mont, he seed far away, lost in the weight of old mories.
Then he sighed.
"To be honest... I am tired of carrying it alone already."
The Deathguards fell silent.
Even the air in the throne room seed to grow heavier.
"I believe..." Amaras continued, "that I may tell you all about it now."
"What?" One of the twin knights gasped, stepping forward in alarm. "My liege... are you truly sure?"
Amaras gave a faint, almost bitter laugh.
"Well, why not?"
He spread his hands slightly.
"The only reason I kept it secret was because it concerned one of Lionera’s greatest and most guarded truths—sothing tied to the kingdom’s security."
His voice turned solemn.
"But now..." he said softly, "Lionera is gone. We are dead. And there is no longer any point in hiding it."
The priest Veronica lowered her head, listening with reverence.
Mimi’s eyes widened, her tail going still.
This was it.
At last...
And so, as Amaras began to speak, his voice carried the weight of centuries...
Mimi finally learned what had truly happened during the last trial over eight hundred years ago.
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