Eight years have passed since I have fled that night in the crown prince palace. I am thankful of my magic powers for this have been a great help to me in everything. Since I hold the title 'The Witch Capable' I am able to do everything within the use of magic. My mother has passed down this power to me the day she died of a natural death.
In my first life, I wasn't able to use this power of mine because my father feared that the people would treat us badly if they knew that our family consist of witches. He told me to never use it and blend in as natural as a human. Even when I dated and married the crown prince, I wasn't able to tell him about my powers because I fear he would reject me just like my father feared.
If only I was able to use my powers back then I could've saved my child. Sighed. But this is all in the past now. I have made sure that my child's security and safety is prioritize more than anything else.
"Mom! You're staring into space again. Are you okay?" my son slowly climbs up the chair and put the back of his hand in my forehead to check my temperature.
"How's my temperature?" I asked him teasingly. Cassian pouted in front me to show his displease. I am glad you are here my lovely son. Your mother was weak in the past but now I will be able to protect you.
"Hmp! Mom always teases me! I won't play with mom anymore!" I softly chuckled as I catch him to give him a warm embrace.
"Cassian do you hate mom now?" I asked him while I slowly stroke his hair.
"I don't hate mom." He broke our hug and showed me his pouting face again. "Mom always teases me that's why!" he cutely said even if he was a little bit annoyed.
"I'm sorry. Mom would refrain from teasing you from now on." I said with comforting tone.
Cassian gave me a big smile and went back on playing with his wooden swords. The longer I stare at my son the longer I see Eros on him. He truly takes after his father's facial features. His eyes were red as the crimson moon and blonde as the shining sun in the morning breeze.
"Cassian, I'll just attend to some matters in the manor, okay? I'll have Simon come to you later for lunch." I gave him a sweet kiss in the head and went out.
Everything in this place is built by my magic. The manor where me and my son are living right now is because of my magic. I also took in two young abandon maids and hired them to service my son with everything he needs. I also took Simon in, an old friend of my father, to be the manor's butler and head of finance.
"Good afternoon, Lady Flora. Would you like some tea?" Clara, one of the maids, asked when I entered the main office.
"Yes, please. Serve me some cream cake too." I said and then sat down to continue my work for the day.
Flora is the name I have adopted for myself so that I won't be identified by anyone as the crown prince's wife. I have also changed my appearance so that I can still go out in the market and capital to buy Cassian's needs as well as supplies for the manor.
Only Simon truly knows of my background however Clara and Sena know me as the Lady who saved them from starvation. The lady who uses high magic that even when the Holy Church knows about my abilities, they would recruit me and label as a Saintess.
"Clara tell Sena to send me the list of things needed for this month's supply. I'll go out tomorrow and buy it." Clara bowed her head and oblige what I said. She left quietly and went to Sena as per my instruction.
I browse the documents I need to sign and remembered that this is the age where Cassian is eager enough to learn about swordsmanship. Even if he only plays with wooden swords, I could tell that he has a talent for it just like his father. Cassian also excels in many things. I have home schooled him since the beginning and taught him everything that he needs to know.
He is a smart child. By the age of four he is able to read, write and count numbers by himself. When he was five, he started reading the Empire's history books and the ancient language use in all of the continent. When he turned six, he already started reading academic books and develop his skills in magic. And now that he's eight he also excels in swordsmanship, magic duel and magic chants.
I am so proud of my Cassian. But I am afraid to introduce him to the world. I want him always to be in a place where I can see him and monitor him. I want to be at peace whenever he goes. I want to give him freedom in this place and his right to learn about the world but I am terrified of the consequences it will create.
But as someone who have died and live again, I'll just have to be by his side and support everything that he wants to achieve in his life. If my son wishes to visit the outside world then I will gladly oblige.
It will be hard for me but I know it will make him happy.
***
The Emperor's Palace
The Pravalon Empire's emperor, Eros, is in the middle of a meeting with the high nobility in the society. Later he would meet with the middle nobility and low nobility of his empire. He listened without showing emotion to all the complaints and reports of the high nobles.
His life has been stagnant for the past eight years. The night his wife left him something in his heart had died. Something that even time wouldn't be able to bring back. He has become an emperor who have no empress by his side.
"Your majesty please grant us to raise taxes in the mining and oil business! The supply and demand for it is starting to surge since the neighboring countries started to declare war in the Empire! We can't lose a single cent."
Eros gaze on the old man, Marquess Denzil, who desperately cling to his words. The high noble was too afraid to meet his gaze that he kept looking down and never meeting his eyes. Pathetic.
It is true that there have been twenty countries who united and declared war on his empire. The nobles from different faction started to worry and panic. Tsk. No matter what era these filthy noble bastards only think of making money amidst the threat of war.
But it is also true what Marquess Denzil said. The mining business needs to raise its taxes because this is where the ore and gems use by the magic tower and the holy church comes. Since the war have started to breakout all nobles started to buy ores and gems to craft weapons with defense and offense magic. He even received a letter the other day from the holy church requesting for a box of ores to be used by the high priest.
"You all act as if Pravalon will meet its downfall if all twenty countries started attacking at the same time. Didn't you all forgot who the emperor is?" Eros said in strict voice and gave the nobles a stern look.
"For a simple declaration of war, it seems like the high nobility of my Empire does not trust in their emperor. Should I just kill everyone in this room instead of seeing your ugly worried faces." He gave a dull look to his secretary, Yohan.
Yohan rise to his sit and gave his long sword to him. "Does anyone wish to come in front and die first? It's been a while since my palace have been covered in blood bath."
The room was suddenly filled in fear and silence. No one dared to talk back and move infront of the emperor.
"You are all talk. If you continue to put distrust in me you are all free to leave this empire but I wonder, would you still be alive before you reach the border." Eros sighed with disgust and annoyance. This is all just a waste of his time.
He stood up and Yohan put back his sword in its place.
"Yohan will attend to the mining and oil business matter. Leave my palace at once!" he stormed out of the room and headed back to his main office. His seven strong knights are behind him.
Atlas Credence, the Emperor's Knight Commander, walked a little closer to the emperor.
"What news do you have, Atlas?" Eros asked with a blank expression. He stopped walking and face the knights.
"Greetings to the light and sun of the Pravalon Empire." The knights bowed before him to show their respect.
"I give you permission to speak. Now what news do you have for me?" Eros asked again.
"Ten countries have started to make their move, your majesty. I have stationed the Holy Knights Order, War Knights Order and Justice Knights order in the East border. We are prepared to attack with all our lives on the line, your majesty. Just give me the signal and I will send them to battle." Atlas said with strong conviction.
"Then I, Eros Aleksander Regulus Ragnar, Emperor of Pravalon, give you Atlas Credence, Knight Commander, the permission to go to war and kill all enemies that dare threatens this empire. Leave no soul alive and show no mercy to the enemy."
The knights place their hand on their chest as a salute to the emperor's order.
"We gladly oblige, your majesty." Eros left the knights who was still bowing before him.
Eros continued walking back to his office. When he arrived, he lied down in the long golden couch and stared into nothingness. He feels empty inside. His heart does not beat the way it used to be eight years ago. He has become a stagnant emperor who was lost once again in the dark because of his missing wife. He recalled a past memory in his mind. It was the night she asked him if he wanted to have a child.
"Do you perhaps wanted a child, my empress?" he whispered to himself.
"Was it because of me why you left?" Eros closed his eyes preventing any tears to flow in his eyes.
"Are you alright, my empress? Are you alive? Why can't I find a single trace of you?" Eros continued to murmur to himself.
"If I start to not hate children, will you come back to me?"
Eros, once again, asked into space. His voice broke and he was unsuccessful in preventing his tears to escape. He truly has committed a very grave sin this time because he lost the only person he cherish. She didn't even leave a single note nor a word of goodbye to him.
Florence, his empress, suddenly vanished into thin air that night. No witnesses. Nothing.
***
"Cassian be a good boy while mom is out, okay?"
His son nodded in an adorable way.
"I will, mom! Bring me a lot of swords went you get back!" Cassian said happily. Simon, Clara and Sena were also there to see her off to the market.
"Safe travels, my lady!" they all said to her.
She kissed his chubby cheeks and entered the carriage that will bring her to the very edge of the manor since it is where she placed the teleportation portal. When she entered this dimension eight years ago, she made sure to create a vast land of hectares so that Cassian would have all the space he needs for playing, horseback riding, and running.
This place will only crumble to pieces once she dies.
The carriage disappeared when she flicked her fingers. She then casted a spell to start the teleportation. In a blink of an eye, Flora is now in the market however she is currently in a secluded corner of the market so that no one would see her appear and disappear.
She changed her appearance. She applied magic to her hair making her pink hair turn to brown and her blue eyes into a pair of black color. She put on her cloak and the hoodie so that no one would pay attention too much on her.
She first went to the goods shop to buy all the ingredients that Sena listed. She handed her list to the shop owner and told her to wait for a while he organizes all her orders.
"It's nice to see you today, Flora." Adela, the wife of the goods shop owner greeted her. While she was out, she made some friends most especially from wives of merchants and shop owners.
"Likewise, Adela. How have you been?" she politely asked her.
"Oh. Busy as ever. Did you know that the Imperial Knights have all gathered in the Eastern border to prepare for war against those pesky countries!" Adela exclaimed with horror and worry.
Of course, she's well aware of the situation. Since the dimension her mother created was near the Eastern dimension. With the magic perception and tools, she scattered around the border and the Eastern Forest, she knows what's happening. However, even if war breaks out in that border the dimension where Cassian is will never be bothered since it is invisible to a normal person and only those which have, she injected a small amount of her blood will be able to enter that place.
"Will the Emperor go to war?" she asked Adela. She needs to pretend that she's really interested when in reality she's tired of the endless war that she's witness in the past.
"Nope. Rumors in the high nobility faction says that the emperor ordered the knights to go alone in the war. They say that the emperor's top most priority is to find the runaway empress." Adela said and then showed a sad face.
Floras, a kind friend, which she has pictured herself in the people in the market, held Adela's hand and comforted her. It has been eight years why is the emperor still searching for the empress that wouldn't even show herself.
"But it's been eight years, right? Why don't the emperor just find another empress to marry?" she asked.
Adela panicked a little bit and refrain her from saying more. What now?
"Flora you should watch your words! The emperor has eyes and ears in every faction. What if someone heard what you said? The emperor is very ill-tempered. He may take your life because of what you said!" Adela looked around to make sure no one was around them.
Flora chuckled in her mind. Adela is cute when she's worried.
"I'm just suggesting. What's wrong with it?" she asked once more but this time she lowered her voice. She didn't want to stress her friend more.
"You see the emperor is a one-woman man. He may have the title tyrant emperor but he truly loves his empress. Didn't you know he rejected all the royal concubines that the high nobility faction introduced to him. He almost killed those nobles who keep on insisting other noble ladies to the emperor."
She knew Adela for a long time now and she knows that this woman is a hopeless romantic. Adela loves romantic stories especially when it involves high rank nobles. She adores them even if they are mean or a tyrant.
But what surprise her is what Adela said. Why is Eros waiting for her? Before they even meet before Eros would never run out of women by his side so she assumed that even if she left, he will only be sad for a short while and then find another noble lady that best suit the empress sit.
Was she wrong?
"I hope the emperor finds the empress. The heart grows lonelier as it feels more the absence of the person it truly loves." Adela said with hope in her eyes.
She didn't know what to respond but just gave her a sincere smile. She made the right decision why is that she feels her heart starting to waver? This is not good.
After she bought the goods she need she bid goodbye to Adela and went to the merchant shop where she usually buys swords for Cassian.
She opened the shop and there were a lot of customers today. Well since the announcement of the war people would normally start to prepare in case the emperor will need them to defend the Empire if the Knights in the border failed to defend it.
"Oh! Welcome Flora! It's been so long since I saw you last visit my shop." Robert, a retired mercenary, greeted her as soon as she steps in the shop.
"Yeah. It's been a while, Robert. I'm here to purchase some metal swords." She said to him. Robert lead her to the side of the side were all types of sword is found.
"My collection of swords is here, Flora. Once you're done choosing tell me so I can pack it for you." Robert said politely to her.
"Right. Thankyou!"
Robert left her to assist some of the customers. She focus on the swords that are infront of her. She's not really an expert in sword and all this time the swords that she's been buying were all wooden but now she wants a metal sword for Cassian.
He'll be very please to see that I have bought him a metal sword instead of a wooden one. He'll be thrilled! Flora can imagine her son's reaction and she can't wait to choose and show it to him.
She observed all the swords and one word caught her attention. The sword handle is color red the same as Cassian's eyes and the sharp metal is shining in her eyes. She lifts it up in her hands and hold it the right way.
This is it. This is the sword for Cassian!
Flora showed it to Robert and he happily sold it to her. When Robert finished packing the sword, she paid thirty silver coins for it.
She thanked Robert and left the shop. She first went to a secluded corner of the market to hide the things she bought through her magic. She has an invisible storage where she can put all the things she carries so that it won't be a bother while she strolls around the market.
Her last stop is clothing shop for young children. She plans to buy Cassian new pairs of clothes especially that he's really growing fast. She picked all the colors she saw and asked the seamstress to alter the size to Cassian's. She waited for a while but not long. After she bought the clothes, she went to a merchant souvenir shop to buy some gifts for Simon, Clara and Sena.
When she finished paying for everything she went back to the place where she teleported. When she was about to turn left and enter the narrow place where the teleporter awaits, she saw some thugs bully a street child.
She didn't want to get involve but she can't turn a blind eye when she sees an abuse right before her eyes. She can't just watch and stay still!
Flora let down her cloak's hoodie and went closer to the thugs. She grabs one of the thugs clothes and pushed the man aside with a little bit of magic.
"What the hell?!"