When the news that the Princess of Victoria was willing to offer herself in marriage in exchange for peace was conveyed by messenger to the Leithanien Grand Camp, the entire command headquarters fell into an eerie silence.
General Taylor, the Minister of War and an iron-blooded soldier, was the first to break the silence.
His brows were tightly locked. "Marriage? Your Majesty, is this the Victorians' final ploy?"
"We are already at the city gates. With just one order from you, my tank divisions can raze the Royal Palace to the ground. Why bother negotiating terms with them?"
Minister of Economy Meklen, connecting via long-distance comms, also expressed his confusion: "We came for Victoria's resources and markets, not for their princess."
"A political marriage will only complicate our rule."
Only Gertrude, the Minister of Intelligence, had a look of understanding in her eyes.
She spoke softly, "Your Majesty, this may be the conquest with the lowest cost."
Lacey sat in the main seat, his fingers gently tapping on the table, his expression revealing neither joy nor anger. He toyed with the letter from Londinium.
"Lowest cost?" General Taylor huffed.
"Did my soldiers bleed and sacrifice just to fire a salute for Your Majesty's wedding?"
These words left Lacey somewhat speechless.
"Taylor, have you calculated the cost of a forced assault on Londinium?"
"Even if we can suppress 'The Shard,' the casualties from storming the city would still be immeasurable."
"My soldiers' lives are not cold numbers."
"Furthermore, destroying Londinium is easy, but how long would it take to rebuild? Ten years? Twenty years?"
"Leinia, tell him, how much longer can our finances hold out?"
Minister of Finance Leinia, also on the long-distance connection, looked pale. She pushed up her glasses and whispered, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Treasury... has reached its limit."
"If the war drags on for even one more month, we may face economic collapse."
Lacey nodded, his gaze returning to the map. "I need a complete, prosperous Victoria capable of transfusing blood into the Empire, not a pile of ruins that requires constant investment."
"An Aslan princess—her bloodline—is the best stabilizer."
"She can soothe the hearts of all Victorians, transforming them from the conquered into supporters of the Empire. This is more effective than any decree."
He stood up, walked before everyone, and smiled. "Besides, it's quite interesting, isn't it?"
"A commoner-born Emperor marrying the last Princess of an Empire—this in itself proclaims to all of Terra: the Old Era has thoroughly passed."
He looked at Taylor. "Taylor, prepare for the entry ceremony. Have the soldiers put covers on the artillery."
He then looked at Gertrude. "Go notify our other two allies. Tell them that there are seats for them on the wedding guest list."
...
The news quickly reached the camps of Ursus and Kazdel.
In his tent, Fyodor was so furious he smashed a precious Columbian glass cup.
"Marriage? He actually intends to become the King of Victoria?"
"That liar! He played us for fools!"
His chief consultant, Count Bogdanov, remained unusually calm. "Your Majesty, please quell your anger!"
"Emperor Lacey's target was the entirety of Victoria from the very beginning."
"We obtained the northern territories we wanted; this is already the best outcome."
"If we turn against him now, we gain no advantage."
"But I am unwilling to accept this!" Fyodor roared.
"Unwilling or not, you must endure it," Bogdanov said faintly.
"At least now Leithanien stands on the front line, resisting the pressure from Columbia and Yan."
"We can take this opportunity to close our doors and digest our new territories."
"Your Majesty, learning to endure is also a lesson in becoming a great monarch."
...
On the other side, Theresis's reaction was much more direct.
"Boring political tricks," he commented coldly after hearing the report from the Leithanien messenger.
Sanguinarch Duqare, standing beside him, spoke with some regret: "What a pity. I wanted to taste the blood of the noblewomen of Londinium."
"There will be opportunities, Sanguinarch, but not now."
...
Inside Londinium, when the news was announced that Princess Vina would marry the Leithanien Emperor in exchange for peace, the entire city first fell into a deathly silence, followed immediately by a tsunami of cheers.
People in despair finally saw the dawn.
The war was ending!
They didn't have to die!
People poured onto the streets, hugging one another and weeping with joy.
Although the humiliation of being conquered remained, the desire to survive overwhelmed everything else.
They began to spontaneously clean the streets and hang up celebration ribbons that had long gone unused, as if they were welcoming not a conqueror, but a hero returning home in glory.
Only a few, like the Duke of Windermere and her remaining subordinates, watched all this silently with complicated expressions.
They knew that the moment the city gates opened, the independent Victorian Empire would become history forever.
...
Three days later, the gates of Londinium slowly opened under the gaze of thousands.
The Leithanien army lined both sides of the road. Their military appearance was disciplined, but all weapons had been sheathed or covered.
Under the sunlight, their armor shone brilliantly.
Lacey rode a magnificent white horse, dressed in a well-tailored Leithanien royal ceremonial uniform.
With a golden sash and a black coat, he looked extraordinarily dashing.
Behind him followed only a small squad of the Imperial Guard.
Inside the city gate, Alexandrina Vina Victoria stood quietly, accompanied by the Duke of Windermere.
She had also changed into a Victorian royal gown. Although it was not the most luxurious one, her innate nobility made her the focal point of all eyes.
Two columns representing different eras and different fates met at the city gate.
Lacey dismounted and walked toward Vina step by step.
His gaze passed over Windermere behind her, passed over the old Victorian nobles with their complex expressions, and finally rested on her face.
This was the princess who would rather sacrifice herself to save millions of her people.
Her eyes were calm—no fear, no fawning, only a composure that accepted her own destiny.
There was no pampered fragility about her; instead, she carried a resilience forged from rolling through the bottom rungs of society.
"Your Highness Vina," Lacey said as he walked up to her, bowing slightly in a standard noble salute.
"I offer my apologies for the wounds my army has inflicted upon this land."
His first sentence exceeded everyone's expectations.
Vina curtsied slightly in return and spoke softly, "Your Imperial Majesty, the merits and faults of history will be judged by future generations."
"I only hope that from today on, there will be no more flames of war or weeping on the soil of Victoria."
"I promise," Lacey pledged, gazing into her eyes.
He extended his hand to her.
Vina hesitated for a moment, but eventually placed her hand into his broad palm.
The moment their hands clasped together, thunderous cheers erupted from both inside and outside the city.
Lacey led Vina by the hand, and they walked into Londinium side by side.
Behind him, a Leithanien red flag slowly rose.
And beside it, the national flag representing Victoria was slowly lowered, then carefully folded by an old Victorian veteran and cradled in his arms.
One era ended, and a brand new, yet unknown era drew back its curtain.
Lacey walked along the broad Royal Avenue of Londinium, feeling the complicated gazes of the populace and the warmth of the girl's palm beside him.
He turned his head to look at Vina's profile.
In the sunlight, her eyelashes were very long.
"From today on, you may call me Lacey," he said softly.
Vina's body stiffened slightly, then she responded just as softly: "You may also call me... Vina."
________________________________________
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