Chelsea had wide eyed look as she listened to the report being given through telephone. She had an overwhelming urge to laugh as the dean's face went through varying shades of red. It was amusing, humans just couldn't be carefree enough about life to see the joy in a lot of things. But then again they are incredibly short lived, even those of them who manage to make it to the 7th circle of magic and could leave for a thousand years always took things seriously. But she had to admit, that stupid Cat surprised her.
It was a serious enough matter that the dean had quickly sent a call to the Prime Merlinian Collegium of Albion, the top school for magic within the empire, and where the current emperor served as a Dean. It was a crazy thought, but the dean of the college has always been a pendragon and not just any pendragon but the one that rules the whole of this all so glorious empire. Chelsea felt the urge to spit, but with an apparition of the emperor appearing, dressed in his pajamas, that spit went down her throat as she choked and fought an even harder urge to laugh.
"Well Dean Monroe, to what do I owe the pleasure that you would call me in the middle of the night." The emperor asked, his tone completely morose with what seemed to be a hint of annoyance steeped with amusement. But Chelsea understood the amusement, the Dean was shaking like a leaf in front of the emperor, he was scared of a man 30 years his junior…. Fascinating.
"We-we have a problem My emperor! The Black Mountain! It's been…."
Chelsea tuned out the rest of his report as she instead focused on the expressions of the emperor. He's a handsome man with a disposition so fair she licked her lips involuntarily. He was tall, just as tall as that Cat who at seventeen was taller than most as six foot five with more room for growth. But he was a Werelion so growing tall was expected, though he was lanky whereas the emperor was a stud. Even through the chamber robes he had on, she could see the defined lines of his musculature and the power they held within.
The emperor was a battle mage and at the same time a sorcerer, and rumors were that he was training another discipline. Being the son of an elf granted him the longevity he need to spread his focus and train himself well, not to mention he was the emperor, so all the resources in the world was available to him. At 45 years old he was perfect beyond all measure, and strong, all so very strong. But Chelsea was a noble, her father was an Arch-duke of the empire, second only the emperor himself so she knew the things the public did not.
He was a good ruler, but he was also a dark one. The fear the dean felt was not unfounded. And telling him that things went wrong in the empire's most important mine was a task that chilled him to his very bones. But there wasn't anything he could do about it. The dean gave his report and yet explicitly kept details of Asd out of it. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the other teachers present, from the looks on their faces it seems they too were surprised by the Dean's choice not to speak of Asd's involvement.
"Why is this so hard for you to take care of Monroe? Are you that incompetent? Or should I probably replace you and have the Monroe part of the academy changed?" the dean could not say anything, all he could do was bow his head and receive the berating of the emperor in front of his subordinates, except of course for Chelsea, she was way too important to be that old fogey's subordinate.
"Give them what they want, in fact even go as far as giving them freedom. The slave system is redundant and is causing too many problems than we can care to handle. The Weres or Beast people as they call themselves are an important resource, especially in labor and in wars. Abolishing the slave system and looking for a way to keep them under control should be our aim, not find more ways to keep them under our heels. They should be as dogs, loyal and well trained, not like pigs, goats and sheep that are kept in cages. This way we all can focus on more important things and get those bleeding hearts in the parliament off my back.
Give them their freedom but impose laws, harsh laws. I don't care about production the empire has enough Ionite as it is, the stockpile for the next three world wars are complete. And with what's coming there would be no use for construction. So what you should do is free them, have one of our own, or theirs rather indoctrinated. Give him or her an official post, a military one even and let that person be the bridge between you and them. that should give them hope and get them working. Conscript a few of them and train them as a Militia or something, let them feel important. At the moment what I need are soldiers not slaves, and I'd rather these animals die in the battlefield for my empire than my own people. So get it done.
And oh! Before I forget I've heard whispers of your activities Monroe. You are giving my empire a bad name by locking up a free man because he set your spoilt waste of a granddaughter on fire, and a rainbow mage at that. that military position, give it to him and make sure he is well trained and experienced. Then send him to me once he gets to tier 2, along with the army of animals I expect you would have trained for me. I expect detailed reports about this free animal you're trying to keep a secret from me by the morning. Get it done and do it well, or I'll kill you. It's good to see you again Chelsea, do visit the capital more often my brother sorely misses you. I bid you all a good night."
Chelsea grinned and at the same time she scoffed in annoyance and disgust…. The emperor's brother; she shuddered in revulsion as she looked at the Dean that was drenched head to toe in sweat. He turned to look at her, she raised an eyebrow and then to the other teachers but they all stared back at him, impassively and silent. They all knew what he was thinking even if he wasn't saying it out loud. There was a traitor in their midst, or at least a traitor to the Dean who wanted to keep certain cards to himself and away from the emperor. Unfortunately, Fate has a funny way of screwing people over.
"Who---who?"
Chelsea didn't wait to listen to whatever the dean had to say, his presence annoyed her and it was taking all of her control not to rip his throat out and feast on his blood. Though honestly she didn't think it would have a great taste, so she'd rather not take her fangs anywhere near his neck. As she left his office, putting on her daylight ring she pondered on just what the future might hold for young Asd. He was quiet and naturally wanted to keep his head down and away from the spotlight. But he was a Werelion, and the last of his kind not to mention Royalty. A lion has no need for meekness, weakness, cowardice or a quiet life or even petty love between two children who know no better. He was a king and the lion in him will not let him be anything but that and she knew…. it would destroy him.