Chapter 9 - The Restoration of Asterra
Weeks turned into months, and the seasons shifted gently across the restored kingdom.
Under Ilyra’s guidance, the Royal Academy of Arcana was entirely restructured. The archaic laws forbidding women and lowborn citizens from studying higher-grade magic were abolished on her very first decree. Hundreds of young men and women from the outer districts—washerwomen's children, stonecutters' daughters, and former archive copyists—were welcomed into the scriptorium and the laboratories.
The city itself flourished. The refugee camps outside the eastern wall were replaced by permanent, well-built stone neighborhoods, each reinforced with minor auxiliary wards tied directly into the primary Aegis grid.
One afternoon, Ilyra stood alone on the high balcony of the central tower, looking out over the bustling, vibrant streets of Asterra.
Below, children ran through the public squares, playing games near the fountains. Merchants bartered fairly in the open-air markets, and the ancient stone walls of the city stood proud and unbroken against the horizon. There were no wooden figures carved in her likeness, no priests declaring her a deity, and no expensive silk roses thrown at her feet.
And she preferred it that way.
Footsteps echoed softly behind her on the stone stairwell.
Alistair stepped out onto the balcony, holding a fresh batch of newly bound vellum journals under his arm.
"The delegation from the eastern provinces has arrived, Master Ilyra," Alistair said, offering a respectful nod. "They wish to consult with you regarding the expansion of the secondary barrier along the trade routes."
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Ilyra turned from the railing, her dark eyes bright with purpose. She took the top volume from his stack, flipping open the blank pages where future discoveries, equations, and histories would be recorded.
"Tell them I'll be right down," Ilyra replied, a warm, genuine smile touching her lips. "And bring extra ink. We have a lot of work to do."
