In the huge Council chamber, Skars, who took the form of Raphael, lounged impressively in the royal throne, his arms spread out on the wide armrests, but his gaze was eagle-sharp as he looked at the prisoners kneeling in front of him.

Previously, he would have laughed, turned everything into a game of survival, but now hatred for these people overshadowed his view so much that he saw nothing in front of him but a scarlet curtain, behind which he tortures these people in the most merciless way in his subconscious.

Bowing their heads and trembling with genuine fear from the heavy aura, Christopher Pegins, the pitiful king of Adman, and Preston, beaten like a stray dog, the leader of the rebels among the werewolves who chose the wrong side, all held their breath, feeling that every breath they took could be their last at the same second.

- I expected you to run away as always. - Skars said mockingly, looking at the drooping figure of the once brave King Adaman. - I suppose that’s what you were going to do if you hadn’t...

He turned his gaze to Nils Milos and meekly nodded to him as a sign of a job well done.

- Well, it must be sad to find yourself in such a humiliating position.

Christopher might have wanted to say something if it weren’t for his tightly gagged mouth. But the only thing he could say now was to beg for forgiveness and mercy.

- As for you... - Skars shifted his gaze to Preston, who was hunched over and shrunk like a morel. – Marcus will decide your fate. You were careless enough to leave a dirty legacy behind.

Marcus, pleased with the decision, grinned noisily and stepped forward, roughly grabbing Preston by his hands tied from behind, which caused him to fall to the floor and smack his face on the hard marble coating. His fate promised not to be enviable. Marcus has never forgiven traitors, and a mock execution has never been as revealing as this time.

- Pegins, you’re going to have to pray that your kneecaps will hold up while you’re standing here, because your fate is still hanging in the balance. - Skars said casually, and finally rose gracefully from the throne, straightening his broad shoulders.

- I would like to thank everyone present. Thank you for being a united body at this difficult moment for all of us, that you did not turn away, did not ignore, were not afraid, did not run away. Today will forever be remembered by all of us as a bloody date, but it is also the day when a bright future became possible for all of us, open to new dreams, desires, in order to return to our loved ones, to openly and without fear continue to raise our children.

His gaze focused for a second on Ivrim, who nodded his head approvingly and smiled, supporting his wife by the arm and gently stroking the back of her hand.

- Pliida, I am immensely grateful to you and your people that you have become a reliable shield for my people. If you hadn’t been there, we probably wouldn’t be standing here talking right now.

He came down from his pedestal and went up to the fairy queen, asking with one glance for permission to take and touch her hands, and as soon as she gave her consent, he bowed to her and left a light kiss on the back of his hand, which was as amazing as everyone could feel it.

- Every fae who died on my land will never be forgotten. We will honor them in our memory and remember them in our prayers. You can always count on my help and the help of my people unconditionally.

His confidence was unshakeable.

- I did it because only together could we stop these creatures of hell. And I just believed in the prophecy. Together with Ivrim... - she glanced at him briefly. – We have been waiting for this day for centuries. I just couldn’t stay indifferent. No one should have stayed that way, so you don’t have to thank me for anything. However, I thank you that our sacrifices were not in vain and you will leave in your memory every fairy who laid down his head in this war. They are worthy warriors to be honored for centuries.

- It will be so. - Skars said with confidence.

As soon as the Plyida moved aside, he thanked the packs of werewolves, as well as the witches who had been on their side in this war.

Raphael’s opinion has changed significantly about witches. As it turned out, not everyone was thoughtlessly ready to follow Lillian’s orders, some also had their heads on their shoulders and chose their own lives.

He also did not ignore the magicians, whose efforts managed to contain the onslaught of witches and significantly reduce losses, as well as a number of ordinary people, brave warriors who, by some ridiculous coincidence, found themselves in all this mess.

Just thinking about these weak little men made him feel a twinge of pride, because they were weaker than everyone else, they were not protected by anything and yet they went into this bloody mess of their own free will. And although there were only 1 percent of all the combatants, he still separately noted their courage.

- And finally, I would like to apologize first. - He looked straight into the elf king’s eyes now.

His face expressed a lot of emotions that competed with each other for the right of superiority.

- I would like to take back my words that you are a coward. - With these words, the corners of his lips twitched slightly in a brief smile, but immediately the seriousness claimed his face. – All this time I was blind and did not notice that you were always there, that you helped when it seemed that you were not with us at that moment. I was so wrapped up in my own problems that it seemed like everyone owed me something, but it wasn’t. I want you to know that. I want you to know that I am grateful for everything, for the fact that you warmly welcomed us to Eriad, that you helped with the equipments that you were next to...

He was silent for a split second.

- For being there when I wasn’t with her.

- But she’s here now. - Ivrim replied with a smile and went over to hug Skars.

Ivrim did not need to be told that in front of him was only a part of Raphael, through which he keeps in touch with everyone at the moment when he cannot leave Thea.