Amelia and Ophelia: The Former Grand Duchess and Saintess.

As the duo monarchs stood before the Leviathans, Ophelia snapped her finger and conjured up an air bubble that encompassed both her and Amelia. Creating a large dome that allowed her to bring out a table and some chairs with refreshments for them and the sirens. 

"Come inside you three, this meeting also involves you" Ophelia said as she gestured to Udaria and her parents

As the sirens made their way to them, Amelia kept looking at To'rth, her gaze was different from earlier, instead of rage and fury it was curiosity mixed with regret from her actions earlier. He looked different from the one she had fought before, even his voice was different, instead of a high-pitched babble it was low and deep. She also sensed after she had calmed down that he was much more gentle and collected than the other Leviathan. She was also curious as to what it meant to be their "Princess" and wondered what had happened to the previous one that gave the Leviathan the name of the "Betrayer" it couldn't have been anything good that was for sure. 

[Do you need something Your Majesty?] To'rth asked as he noticed her gaze 

"Ummm, what happened to your previous Princess?" She asked him as she poured herself some hot chocolate 

[Ahhh, it is a long story] To'rth replied 

"Oh, another time then" Amelia remarked with a nod as she turned her gaze to her lover. 

Ophelia nodded as she locked eyes with her beloved, a smile on her face as she continued to look at her. But underneath her expression was a dreadful pang of regret and guilt for failing to inform her and be open with her about everything, even after her own promise to do so. Her former thoughts to justify the act boiled down to her own fear, a fear that Amelia was not ready to face things that could remind her of that day. A fear that earlier would have been justifiable, was now insignificant as she noticed that Amelia's gaze of pure fury and hate was replaced by curiosity and regret. 

'You fucking Idiot Ophelia....fucking idiot' she thought to herself as she shifted her gaze towards the three sirens now entering the air dome. 

"Excuse us Your Majesties" Udaria said with a bow as she and her parents took a sea on the opposite side of the table 

"Alright, now that we are all here. To'rth was it? I hope that Persophose has informed you about why he reached out to your clan?" Ophelia began as she turned her gaze towards the mighty Leviathan floating just outside the dome 

[Ahh, yes. He has informed me of why you wanted to contact us, Your Majesty, you wish for our clans to fall under your jurisdiction and to serve inside your military apparatus, on normal circumstances I would have declined but things have...changed] To'rth replied, his booming voice reverberating around the air dome 

"Changed? What do you mean?" Amelia asked as her expression turned to curiosity 

[Well, Firstly, I am unable to read Her Highness Ophelia's stats. Meaning if we were to ever resist, I am sure we would not have lasted a day at most. Secondly, you Your Highness, have the tag of <Leviathan Princess>, and that itself binds us to your will no matter what] To'rth answered 

"Hmmm, that is interesting...passing over that for now. Will you and your clan join us?" Ophelia asked as she held an inquisitive expression 

[Yes Your Majesty. We pledge our neverending loyalty to your crown and your family line] To'rth answered again 

"That is good to hear. It will be fruitful for all of us if we can use your immense magic prowess and physical capabilities to augment our naval forces, both your Leviathan Clan and the Siren Clan are currently the only clans we can rely on for the time being as we get a proper navy going" Ophelia said as she leaned back into chair 

{What do you mean by that Ophie?} Amelia asked as she sent her a telepathic message 

{Well, to be frank. We require a navy Amelia, a military navy} Ophelia answered her as she looked at her beloved 

{Don't we have one already?} She asked again, frankly confused 

{Well we do, a merchant navy, but I am talking about a proper power projecting navy, one that can protect our shores} Ophelia added 

{Ohh, I see} Amelia remarked, her head nodding as she understood it all now

Meanwhile, the three sirens and even To'rth exchanged glances as they saw the duo monarchs just silently gazing at one another, knowing that they probably were talking with one another through telepathy and that it would be rude to disturb them, their minds wondering what they were speaking about and if they were relevant to what was happening at the moment. After a few moments, they noticed the duo monarch's gazes had shifted back to them. 

"Right, considering that To'rth and his Clan have sworn fealty to us, here is the deal. Chief Persophose, I will need you and your clan to begin preparations to form scouting parties, I know that your clan has trouble patrolling the farther reaches of our waters, but that is all to change now as you will be using the Leviathan's as transports of sorts, riding on their backs as you patrol the depths and the seas until we can get a proper navy set up" Ophelia stated as she looked at Perophose and then at To'rth 

"Understood Your Majesty, it shall be done" Persophose acknowledged with a bow 

"And, we will require that the Leviathan Clan begin to help in the resource collection of powerful monster crystals from underwater monsters, and your clan will have to help in researching and developing new magic. I recall that Kru'the mentioned something about your clan having access to high-class magic that can be learned by someone of lesser power level, is that true?" Amelia added as she looked at the Leviathan before her 

[That is true Your Majesty, we do have access to a wide range of magics that we can pass down to a power level one rank below us. Our kind is usually at S-Rank of strength, so A-Rank is who we can teach] To'rth answered her 

"Hmm, it's a start. You will begin with teaching the Siren Clan and then the rest, understood?" Amelia added 

[It shall be done Your Majesty] To'rth acknowledged with a bow

"Good, now about you and the sirens acting as patrollers, you are to simply observe and report back what you see. We have magic crystals developed by our R&D department that allows us to communicate over long distances using magic and see what you guys see as well through magic, unless ordered by Me or Amelia, you are to just observe them below the waves, unless we order you to, then you can drag the ship or whatever to the bottom and dispose of the crew" Ophelia said as she looked at To'rth who replied with a nod 

"Alright. That clears up everything for this meeting. I will leave You and Persophose to hash out what you will do about the patrolling, meanwhile, me and Amelia will be touring Radensburg now. We will reconvene in a conference in a few days so prepare reports for that, does anyone have anything else to say?" The raven-haired empress stated as she stood up and looked at everyone 

[Your Majesty Amelia, whenever you are ready. You can approach me and we can talk about the past of our clan] To'rth stated as he gave one final look at the blonde empress before him 

"Thank you To'rth, I will be back soon, goodbye for now" Amelia replied with a nod before turning her gaze to her beloved and doing the same 

Ophelia nodded in kind before packing up all the chairs, the table, and the refreshments. She enveloped herself in a screen of magic as did Amelia before dropping the air dome and allowing the water to freely flow around them once more. The duo shared a goodbye nod before beginning to swim back up to the surface, all the while accompanied by Udaria who dropped them off at the pick-up point from earlier. 

Reaching the surface, the duo saw a young man waiting for them along with their Black Guard. He had a short but spiky lot of blonde hair resting on his head, his robes were stylish and classy befitting that of a clan elder but not a leader, he was standing alongside Erhet and was nervously looking at the intimidating and imposing soldiers who all glanced at him from time to time underneath their helmets. When he saw the du monarchs he let out a deep breath as he walked over to both of them and then bowed

"You Majesties. I am Elder Kirk Rots and the assigned governor to the city of Radensburg" The man stated as he greeted them 

"Ahh, so you are the one that Simonse had assigned to this job, he tells me that you are good at managing things, are you sure you are ready to manage a whole port city that will most likely be very busy young man?" Ophelia said as she looked down upon him 

"Yes Your Majesties. I do believe I am ready to handle such responsibility" Kirk replied 

"Mhmm, we will see in the future, for now let us go and tour the town. I expect most of the residential and business areas to be finished" Ophelia added 

"Yeah, I wish to see how this project has developed so far as well Ophie, and make some changes if you allow" Amelia said as she wrapped her arm around her lover and pulled her close, resting her head upon her shoulder 

"Of course Amelia, whatever you wish it will happen, Kirk?" Ophelia replied with a smile, her inner expression still that of regret as she looked down at her 

"Of course Your Majesties, please follow me" 

Following Kirk, the duo walked along the still-in-construction dockyards as they began their tour of the city, accompanied by their Black Guard. Their gazes looking at the numerous workers who stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads and sent greetings as they passed by, greetings that they reciprocated with their own nods and smiles and waves. 

"As you can see Your Majesties, phase four of the plan of the port is well underway, the first three phases involving the setting of the foundations, the beginning of construction of pipelines and infrastructure, and the beginning of construction of. residential and commercial areas are already finished. Well, the residential areas and commercial areas are still under construction but the initial areas are already completed, we are just finishing up the ones that were deemed as extra per say" Kirk stated as he looked back at the duo monarchs. 

"Is there anything in the plan detailing things such as orphanages and hospitals?" Amelia asked as they continued along the road 

"Umm, orphanages I am not sure Your Majesty,  but we do have several hospitals planned for the town, if you have any requests to build them you can tell us and we will get on it immediately" Kirk answered her with a determined expression 

"Mmmm, alright then, I will keep that in mind" Amelia remarked as she continued to scan the buildings 

Soon they reached the center of the town, with many shop buildings and commercial commodities already built and waiting occupants, they all surrounded a beautiful square park in the center that sported a magnificent and intricately detailed fountain at the center, the roads that dotted the town and the square had lamps that were powered by magic crystals and would activate at night. 

"This is the main square. The governor's building is that large one on the far end of the square, and these buildings will all house shops of varying merchants. Merchants who come from the escapee villages and towns had bought out these stores beforehand to set up in when the time came" Kirk stated as he gestured to the scene before them. 

"Hmmm, everything seems in order at least... let's keep going towards the residential areas" Ophelia said as she scanned the square 

"Of course Your Majesty, please follow me" Kirk said as he led them towards the farthest reaches of the town 

After walking for about ten minutes, the group arrived at one of the large residential areas, there were large houses that were all constructed with similar looks, they were large two-story buildings that lined the street and formed a teardrop shape as they built around the end of the street. 

"These houses have been built to your specifications Your Majesty Ophelia, built with wood from the Ironbark trees and the thing you call "concrete" two stories with large bathrooms that are linked with the city's pipe system and equipped with water magic crystals for the sinks and showers and fire magic crystals for the things called stoves and the fireplaces,  we have about three areas such as this with about forty or so houses in each area. We also have another area but the houses are smaller according to another set of specifications you have given us" Kirk stated as they stopped in front of one of the houses 

"Mhmm, let's check the interior, I want to see how the builders made this" Ophelia commanded 

"Understood Your Majesty" 

Entering the house, the duo saw a wide and open as well as empty room that had hardwood floors and wooden walls covering the concrete skeleton of the building. The well-polished floors were pleasing to look at and the design of the floors allowed them to see that it stopped at a certain point before using a different design that indicated a different part of the house. At the back of the room was an island and an L-shaped area that was designated for cooking, with the fire crystal powered stove near the window. To the right of them was stairs that led up to the rest of the house as well. 

"Hmm, this is very spacious. And much more grand than the homes we had back there on the previous continent" Amelia commented as she walked around the open floor, admiring the work 

"Of course, As empress, it is our job to ensure that our people live comfortably to enjoy themselves and to have a reason to work hard no?" Ophelia said with a small smirk 

"I agree with that, give them a good place to call home that can serve as their reason to work hard just to keep it" Amelia replied with a nod 

After a few minutes, the duo made their way upstairs and they saw that it was similarly empty, except for three rooms that served as bathrooms. Inside the bathrooms was a toilet, and a large bathtub made of wood with a drain and faucets and a shower to help wash any occupant. 

"Hmm, similar commodities to our previous home, except for the magic crystal faucets. If I remember correctly we were connected to the waterworks of the empire, am I right?" Amelia asked her lover 

"You are correct, while the Hillsbrooke Empire had a waterline linked to every house and facility, the problem with that is that the waterline was poorly constructed and slow. The water magic crystals are a remedy to that, they are harvested from water-based monsters and are refined to produce water when even the slightest of magic is poured into them, of course, there is a waterway being constructed all across the empire as I wish to one day provide our people with local water as a backup in case magic is no longer an option" Ophelia answered her 

"Hmmm, redundant systems to ensure that even in a crisis we are prepared. You truly have thought of everything Ophie" Amelia commented with a small smile, but Ophelia could detect a hint of anger and disappointment in that Ophie of hers. Causing the regret inside her to swell even more 

"Thank you for the compliment, Amelia" She replied with a small smile of her own

After touring the other houses for about an hour, the group made their way towards the dockyards under construction. They arrived at the largest one at the center of the crescent shape, the only one that was functioning as there were already a few galleons docked that were unloading materials traded by the Demon Kingdom of Amma. With the duo greeting the numerous sailors who were of different species, such as beastkin of various races, dragonkin, sirens, elves, humans, dwarves, arachnia and even orcs to name a few. All of the sailors bowed their heads and sent warm greetings, greetings that the duo responded in kind with their own. 

"These dockyards are quite an amazing thing. I have never seen such a large port before" Amelia remarked as they walked along the completed portion of the dockyards 

"Thank you Your Majesty, we have built them to specifications and they are predicted to operate more than three hundred ships a day when the facility is fully finished" Kirk said with a smile as he continued to walk with the group

"Good, do you have a timeframe as to when this entire port town will be completed?" Ophelia asked as she stopped and gazed upon the glistening sea in the bay 

"Hmm, by our estimates Your Majesty, we will be finished within the next month, although it could be a month more considering we will have to relocate a lot of the citizens living in the refuge towns and villages to this new place" Kirk said as he held up an abacus and began calculating 

"Hmm, coordinate with the Black Guard in order to get things moving, I want this place running within the next three months which I believe is a reasonable timeframe, if not then I will ask you to be relieved, is that understood Kirk?" 

"Yes Your Majesty, you have my word that within three months the entire port will be up and running and filled with civilians" The human governor-to-be stated with a determined gaze 

"Good, good" Ophelia said as she nodded her head. 

Soon after finishing the tour, the group bid their farewell to Kirk and made their way back towards where they had left the carriage. As they neared the carriage, Amelia turned to Erhet while locking her arms around her beloved 

"We will just have a quick chat Erhet, you all go ahead. We will meet you there" She said with a small smile, doing her best to hide some hidden emotions 

"Understood Your Majesty, we shall see you there" Erhet replied with a nod as she glanced at her masters and noticed that there was something there they were not supposed to see, she then gestured to the rest of the guard and they continued on while the duo monarchs walked off to the side and stood beside the road. 

After seeing that the Black Guard was a good distance away, Amelia placed a soundproof barrier and then turned to her beloved Ophelia who had a resigned look on her face, their eyes locking as both knew they had something to say. 

"Amelia, before you star-" 

SMACK! 

"No! You listen here. You have a lot of explaining to do"