A man drunkenly said come in, assuming it was one of the delivery men. Claude was greeted with the intense scent of urine, which made him throw up a little in his mouth. He stepped over the broken beer glasses bottle, avoiding ruining his boots. The man looked at him with a confused look.
"Where is the child I told you to take care of?" He said through gritted teeth.
His face began to contort into something strange, fur sprouting from all over his body. He was an angry beast-man that was about to transform. The emperor observed as he transformed into a beast. He growled ferociously because he hadn't taken this form in a while. The beast stood seven feet strong, hazel brown eyes with a midnight-coloured fur. He looked down on Claude, who was a bit shorter and opened his mouth displaying his sharp canines. Claude's calloused hand took hold of the beast man's windpipe in a swift movement.
"Your breath stinks." He commented in a deadly tone.
He applied pressure making the beast whimper in pain. It began suffocating, its life force dissipating at an alarming rate. It began kicking and screaming, its survival instincts kicking in. However, after all the struggling, Claude never loosened his grip. His hands continued to squeeze, stopping its breath short. Its eyes rolled back, its body limp. The beast's heart seized to function. When in front of great power, you become a lamb to the slaughter. He finally let go, leaving the beast's corps hitting the ground with a loud thud. He trampled over it without batting an eyelash. It was just another nuisance he had gotten rid of.
Claude investigated the room, looking for the culprit behind the treasonous act. There were many illegal drugs in the room, but they weren't his priority. He picked up traces of a women's belongings. He continued his investigation and found a grown man hiding in the cupboard. The man's face was covered in tears and mucus. This made him burst with laughter internally, externally his expression remained frigid.
"get up!" he commanded.
The man stood shaking after what he just witnessed. He walked slowly and cautiously, he did not want to anger the man who just killed his boss. Claude captured the man and dragged him to the reception with little Ceasar trailing behind. "Take this man to the nearest jail, chop off his hands and tongue," he ordered, leaving no room for argument. "Now tell me young child, who dared to bestow you with that name?" he questioned. He went on one knee to appear less aggressive. The child looked down, he did not have an appropriate answer for his saviour. The fog lifted from his memory, he took out a pendant that was engraved with Claude's insignia.
Claude was taken aback but quickly maintained his composure. He inspected the pendant and felt magic residue. He pulled out a needle and pricked himself, his thumb hovered over the pendant. A single drop of blood dripped, which activated a hologram. It broadcasted a young woman claiming that Ceasar was his child. The innkeeper sipped his cup of tea as the drama went down. Claude thought that was impossible since he always used contraceptives. The child did not even look anything like him. She continued speaking, she had put a charm on the child so that he would be able to live a normal life. If he broke the charm, the child will return to his original appearance. The hologram ended, but he had many questions left unanswered.
Claude headed back to his palace, The Crimson Red Palace, it was well known for the hidden lake with rubies at the bottom. It was an enticing sight that could look gory. Rumour has it that one of the previous emperors built it for his wife after angering her. He took the secret route within the opaque forest. Luckily, Ceasar was fast asleep and did not have to witness the horrid monsters that lurked within it. He jumped over the wall effortlessly once more without waking the child. He dashed to his palace and hid the child there. He broke the charm that had been placed on Ceasar, revealing what the woman had sad to be true.
The child had platinum blond her with streaks of black. This trait was commonly found in the imperial bloodline. He had no idea what to do. He decided a quick nap was what he needed to clear his mind. At 5 am sharp he instinctively shot up from his sheets. He heard light noise and jumped out of bed in a defensive position. He saw his son sleeping comfortably on the bed. He relaxed his muscles and covered the child fearing it might get cold. He called his most trusted subordinate, Duke Grayson Rha Tesalado, to his chambers. Rha was a middle name given to all nobles to differentiate them from the common folk.
Duke Grayson went running, fearing that it was a life or death matter. He struck the door once before entering. "You called for me your majesty?" he stated. That's when he realised there was a young boy in the bed. His expression did not change after seeing the young one. "What are your orders?" he asked nonchalantly. "Take him back to your estate for a while and don't let anyone see you" he barked. The duke bowed his head and teleported out of the room with the child in his arms. Emperor Claude sighed heavily and dressed up to conquer his next target: Ashera Vanya Rha Lyiones...A princess of a fairy kingdom, also his third wife.