The Blood Bond between Queen Elara and General Cyrus was not merely a political alliance; it was a profound, alchemical fusion of power that redefined the very nature of the Sanguine Crowns. The ritual, witnessed by the new council, was a declaration of absolute, shared authority, a final, undeniable dismantling of the lie that had brought Elara to the throne. The two pillars of the new regime were now bound by a chain of blood, will, and destiny.
The immediate effect of the bond was a chilling, absolute stability. The court, having witnessed the ultimate surrender of individual will for the sake of shared power, was utterly subdued. The fear of the General, the respect for the Queen, and the terrifying finality of the Blood Bond ensured a compliance that was absolute. The new order was not just stable; it was unshakeable.
The shared power was a tangible force. Elara and Cyrus, now linked by a constant, subtle flow of consciousness, operated with a terrifying efficiency. Elara's vision—the Arcadia justice, the Edict of Mortal Protection, the system of merit—was instantly understood and executed by Cyrus. His cold, pragmatic efficiency was tempered by her moral compass, and her occasional recklessness was grounded by his centuries of discipline. They were two halves of a single, absolute authority.
One evening, the two stood on the balcony of the throne room, looking out over the castle grounds. The moon was full, casting a silver sheen over the fortress of the new order.
"The system is absolute," Elara stated, her voice low. "The laws are enforced. The new order is established. The internal rot is purged."
"The order is absolute, but the work is not complete," Cyrus countered, his silver eyes intense. "The new order is a fortress, Elara, but a fortress must be defended. The old world is not so easily erased."
"The old world is gone," Elara said, turning to face him. "The council is broken. The Alpha is dead. The lie is dismantled."
"The lie is dismantled, but the truth remains," Cyrus corrected. "The truth of the old houses, the truth of the system's decay, the truth of the power that was lost. We must now turn our attention to the final, most profound act of the revolution: the restoration of the lost power."
"The lost power," Elara murmured. "The power that Lysandra sought to steal, the power that the Arcadia line represented."
"The power that was lost when the Sanguine Crowns retreated into secrecy," Cyrus explained. "The power that was lost when the system became corrupt. The power that was lost when the balance was broken."
He walked to her, his presence overwhelming. "The Arcadia line was not merely a lineage, Elara. It was a covenant. A covenant with the very source of our power, the very essence of our existence. A covenant that was broken by Lysandra's tyranny."
"And the restoration of the covenant?"
"The restoration of the covenant requires the ultimate act of transparency," Cyrus said, his voice low and grim. "It requires the Queen to expose the true source of her power, the true nature of the new order, to the very world that fears us."
"The mortal world," Elara stated.
"The mortal world," Cyrus confirmed. "The Order of the Silver Cross is compliant, but they are not trusting. They are waiting for the lie to manifest. We must show them the truth: that the Sanguine Crowns are not a threat, but a guarantor of order, a force of absolute justice."
He reached into his uniform and pulled out a small, ancient scroll—a document that had survived the destruction of the Archives, a relic of the old ways. "This is the 'Covenant of the First Blood.' It is the original, uncorrupted contract between the Sanguine Crowns and the mortal world. It is the truth of the balance."
Elara took the scroll. The parchment was brittle, the script ancient and faded. It detailed a system of mutual respect, of shared responsibility, of a balance between the Sanguine and the mortal world. It was the truth of the Arcadia line.
"We will present this to the mortal world," Elara said, her voice cold and steady. "We will show them the truth of the old ways. We will show them the truth of the new order."
"The presentation must be public, absolute, and sanctioned by the very principles of the new order," Cyrus warned. "It must be a declaration of the new world's absolute truth."
"It will be a declaration of the new world's absolute truth," Elara corrected. "The ritual will be held in the largest mortal city bordering the Sanguine domain. It will be a public ceremony, witnessed by the leaders of the mortal world, the Grand Master of the Order of the Silver Cross, and the entire Sanguine Court."
The "Covenant of the First Blood" ceremony was set for the following week. The preparations were meticulous, cold, and absolute. Elara and Cyrus, operating as a single, absolute authority, oversaw every detail. The integrated Shadow Wolves were deployed to secure the mortal city, their presence a terrifying, pragmatic guarantee of order.
The day of the ceremony arrived. Elara and Cyrus traveled to the mortal city in a simple, unadorned carriage, accompanied only by a small, silent contingent of the integrated Shadow Wolves. The city square was packed with armed, terrified mortals, their faces masks of fear and anticipation.
Elara stood before the crowd, the Sanguine Crown on her head, the Covenant of the First Blood in her hand. Cyrus stood at her side, the General of the Sanguine Crowns, the iron fist of the new regime.
"I am Queen Elara," she commanded, her voice ringing with cold, absolute authority. "I am the Crimson Heir. I have purged the corruption of the Sanguine Crowns. I have established a new order built on justice and accountability."
She looked at the crowd, her eyes burning with a cold, focused intensity. "The old system was built on a lie. The lie of secrecy, the lie of exploitation, the lie of tyranny. The lie is dismantled. The truth is absolute."
She unrolled the ancient scroll. "This is the Covenant of the First Blood. It is the original, uncorrupted contract between the Sanguine Crowns and the mortal world. It is the truth of the balance."
She read the Covenant, her voice ringing with cold, absolute authority. It was a declaration of mutual respect, of shared responsibility, of a balance between the Sanguine and the mortal world.
She looked at Elias, the Grand Master of the Order of the Silver Cross, who stood before her, his face a mask of shock and dawning realization. "The Sanguine Crowns are not a threat to the mortal world. We are a guarantor of order. We will enforce the law. We will protect the innocent. We will ensure the stability of the world."
Elias, seeing the cold, absolute resolve of the Queen, the undeniable truth of the Covenant, dropped to one knee, his head bowed. "We accept the Covenant, Queen Elara. The mortal world will honor the balance."
The crowd, stunned by the exchange, watched in silence. The fear of the Sanguine Crowns did not vanish, but it transformed. It became a fear of the law, a fear of the system, a fear of the Queen who was not afraid to embrace the darkness to restore the light.
Elara returned to the castle, the forging of the new world complete. The Sanguine Crowns were no longer a secret, exploitative threat. They were a terrifying, pragmatic guarantor of order, a new, brutal force in the world. The true work was about to begin.