Seal 16

 

Chapter Sixteen: The Amaranth’s Blessing

 

Astridr’s corpse was never found, her body vanished from the Lorraine estate and the truth of where her body was laid to rest went to the grave with the mortal death of Vytis. Vytis of Lorraine died mere days after his beloved but it was known to all that he’d been Valkyrie-favored from the plume she’d left upon his bodily remains. The young tragic couple died leaving only a legacy written of their blood in the wakes of their deaths. Out of respect for Astridr’s sacrifice the three children were christened the ‘Amaranth’s Blessing’ for indeed, to the kingdom of Crell Monferaigne they were a blessing to all.

Vergil lived up to his namesake, flourishing in accordance to the blessing bestowed upon him at birth. With the death of his father he inherited the Duchy of Lorraine and became heir apparent to the throne. Vergil was a prodigy, he’d assume control of his inheritance, becoming Lord of Lorraine at age eleven and became King of Crell Monferaigne at the age of fourteen. His rule would be long and successful, everyone prospered during the reign of Vergil. Vergil married the Princess of Fraelgard, making his marriage one out of a triumvirate of marital alliances. His aim was to spread his blood across the continent of Midgard in order to gain valuable alliances to solidify his influence as a young King. To this end he was successful; his marriage lasted long and produced many children. His numerous children married into the noble houses of Crell Monferaigne where his blood would run strong throughout the ages.

Ismene, as First Princess of Crell Monferaigne, was promised in troth to the King of Arkdain. Although the kingdom would later undergo such ruin that it collapsed into nothingness. Her three children would live on and later create three kingdoms out of the Southern expanse of the continent. Her eldest son would become King of Gerabellum and her youngest daughter, the Queen of Lassen, her middle son would move to Hai Lan, marrying a local woman, forsaking his royal heritage in pursuit of a love match.

Eldrene, the Second Princess of Crell Monferaigne, grew and eventually married one of the many Princes of Flenceberg. Although the match was considered beneath her the marriage was arranged in such a way to lessen tension in relations between Flenceberg and Crell Monferaigne. Of the three siblings she produced the least, having a single daughter of her first marriage who was later betrothed to the Prince of Dipan. After the death of her first husband she remarried a second Prince and bore him a single son who’d marry within Flenceberg’s nobility. Eldrene lived longer than either of her siblings, outliving them both. After the death of her brother she’d returned to the land of her birth and succeeded him as Queen of Crell Monferaigne. Prior to her death she stepped down, abdicating the throne in favor of her brother’s progeny so that neither of her own children would be able to involve the foreign bloodlines of Dipan or Flenceberg in the dispute for Crell Monferaigne’s throne. This decision was lauded in Crell Monferaigne but the decision to remove her own children from succession embittered them to such a degree that they left her to die alone.