A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.1***1"E-Excuse me. I must tell this to my Mom and Dad. Ki'zaar, please wait."
Watts Xirquit left them in a hurry. Prince Vars flinched from the bounce and looked around.
"Oh, he's awake---"
Azarese glared at the Ki'zaar and gently pat the Prince's thigh to put him back to sleep. Prince Vars get up, not to play, but to search for her nipple to drink milk again.
Azarese put her feet down and stand up.
"Where are you going, Princess?" her first husband asked as he support and guide her movements.
He tried taking the Prince from her, to carry, but she refused, saying she wanted to hold him.
"To the throne room."
Before her were the Earthlings. All that's in the Palace, under the word of her summons. Empress Clastigaufeas remained in her chambers, for soon will be her due to give birth. Lorreign stood with her father on the left, distanced from the rest that were on the right.
"Mommy! And Vars!"
The gasping Princes, tired and sweating from playing, ran to the thrones to see their brother.
Azarese smiled and opened her hand. Watts placed the towel on it and she used it to wipe their sweat.
"Careful not to wake him. Where have you been?"
"We played outside with Gran'pa Max and Uncle Max!" Prince Valerian.
Solana tiptoed to look over the Prince and was mesmerized. The boy was beautiful!
Azarese nodded, "Did they bite?"
Emperor Maxism scoffed, offended.
"I bit them!" Prince Maximilien grinned, "And the dumb fucker almost cried!"
"You're not allowed to say bad words anymore, from now on."
Emperor Ohms has finally arrived, pushing a trolley with snacks and food.
"Cake! Yey!" Prince Valerian and Solana danced happily as they wait for the Emperor to come.
"They're for my wife,"
"Give them."
Emperor Ohms arched his brow from her say, but sighed and gave the snacks to the children. Celia guided them to the table she put beside so they can eat. She even placed more snacks for them on the table with cold beverages. Now they're talking about the tokens they got from playing and doing good. Later, they will put it on their respective towers where prizes awaits them. Emperor Maxism made towers for Solana and Prince Valerian, too, since they wanted to join their 'play time'.
"Mi'zaar, we can talk about this some other time. Our egg, it will be bad for you," the Ki'zaar worried dearly.
"I can manage, Valtyremius. Sit down."
Defeated, the Ki'zaar sat on his place, on her right. Empeore Ohms was seated on her left, while Watts Xirquit remained standing by her throne.
"So," Azarese crossed her legs. When she was about to get straight to the point, a messenger came in and went straight to Emperor Maxism and his sons. The messenger whispered something to him and showed the letter he's carrying---
When Emperor Ohms teleported beside them and punched the messenger on his side, sending him before his wife's feet.
"What is that for, Ohms!?" Emperor Maxism seethed when he just realized what happened. His subject, hurt!
Emperor Ohms went back to his seat and crossed his legs, "He ignored her presence. I
will not tolerate the slightest disrespect against my wife, the Empress. Who's in these thrones, Maxism? Are you?"
Emperor Maxism's eyes widened in anger and clenched his fists.
They heard her sweet chuckles.
"How reliable, my husband. Isn't he, Lorreign? He does what he must, even without my word."
Princess Lorreign stiffened. She glared at Azarese with tears welling in her eyes.
She ignored her, "So, what's your business?" Zwei picked up the messenger's head.
"M-Message... Message from Warlock Empire, requesting the return of Princess Eowyne."
All eyes darted on the said subject. Princess Eowyne gulped and stood on her ground.
"Why is that?" They found Azarese smirking.
"It is not specified, Y-Your Imperial Majesty. The Princess ignored the first summon. I-I'm afraid she can't ignore the second one anymore---"
Sieben snatched the letter from the messenger and presented it to Azarese. She read its content.
Nothing much was written there but a summon.
"Take her then," she ordered, making Prince Maxigaufeas gasp.
"NO." He strongly opposed. They know that it would be bad, so Empeore Maxism tried to push him back to handle things himself.
"Send her back." Azarese gave the final order, so Prince Maxigaufeas held on his woman's hand tight.
She smiled at them a bit too sweet and very cold. Emperor Ohms opened a portal in the middle. He cut the Prince's hand and sent the woman inside the portal.
"EOWYNE!"
The Princess was delivered right before the Mistress of Death's feet, with Prince Maxigaufeas's severed hand as a gift.
"You wicked---"
Emperor Maxism chopped the Prince by the neck to put him to sleep by force before things get very ugly. They had to learn how to accept it. Even if his son is against him, they can't fight against big figures like Azarese whose got two Emperors on her side. Moreover...
"Let me make things clear for you, Vernignian rats," Emperor Ohms. He raised his hand forward, opening his palms, summoning the Imperial Seals of the every empire but the Axeore's.
Emperor Maxism's eyes widened helplessly. Now he knew where their missing Imperial Seal had gone.
"We are your rulers. From the day we conquered your empires to this day, we are your Empress and Emperor. Blame the one who reversed time without setting the laws right."
He closed his palm again and smirked at his Uncle. The Emperor almost fell down to his knees from the weakness it put on him. It couldn't be true. They've become strangers in their home, in the Empire he built to be great. All of his efforts will be for nothing now that the Conquerors are the ones sitting on their thrones.
Prince Maximilien chew while observing his grandfather. When his eyes drove to look at Emperor Ohms, he met his gaze halfway and smiled while raising his brow at the child.
"What?" The Emperor taunt.
Prince Maximilien looked at his mother. She's looking at him too, but she's not expecting anything from him.
He's not her favorite.
The Prince looked down on his cake and played with it using his fork, "Mommy, that old man is mine to bully. If you bully him, I will be very, very angry," he simply said and ate another bite of cake.
Emperor Ohms scoffed from the Prince's harmless threat.
"And do what? Wife, your bastard is foolishly fearless, don't you think?" The Emperor mocked and laughed.
"Don't piss him off, Xirquit," Azarese said while watching her son. The Prince meant what he said.
"As you wish, my love." Emperor Ohms asked for her hand and kissed it. He feel her palm on his cheek and breathes.
"Who is Kris and Arone to these Earthlings, Mi'zaar?" The Ki'zaar finally started. The reactions he found on the Earthlings faces were new for him, and it told him that the names he mentioned were heavy and...forbidden to speak of.
"Why... Why do you know those names?" King Liorei mutter still in state of shock.
"They were the first humans we met. The ones who taught us your tongue language."
Their bloodshot eyes widened even more before looking at each other.
"H-How? I mean... Why? What..." They couldn't find the right words to say. They were cold and stiff. Best not afraid but hateful.
"I asked you first. Who are they to you?" The Ki'zaar asked in demand.
King Liorei collected himself, "They were...once my friends. They were our enemies and so, the Armageddon War happened because of them. My father's blood flows in them: other Phantoms were boosted with his blood in exchange of superhuman strength. That must be the reason why they were able to breathe here. We don't know how they got here, though. When we arrived, we had theories that they might've followed us as souls. They had become... Veil Lords, and led the Veils against us."
"Your friends?" Lord Feryzen repeated, and the King nodded with hesitation.
"Once. Not anymore."
"Still, they were your friends. Bad people. Like father, like daughter," Emperor Ohms rolled his eyes.
Now that caught Azarese's attention.
"Why is that bitch here again?" she said while looking at Lorreign, "Are you trying to snake my husband?"
Tension stirred now that her eyes were locked on her target.
"Yes, my wife. However, right now is not about her. Deal with her later. Believe me, she's a creep. I'm scared for our son's safety. With a predator like that among us, oh, my wife. Ever since Celia told me that she visited our son alone, I couldn't leave Vars's side anymore."
Azarese's gaze became colder. Soon, her eyes began to spark as the hues of blue glitched with her golden eyes.
The Warlock in her was ignited.
"How could one be so shameless, I wonder? Do you think your father can answer to me?"
Eins and Zwei went to the Princess and smashed her head against the floor.
"Stop it, Azarese!" King Liorei yelled and went down to collect his daughter, when Drei and Vier wrapped themselves around him tight.
Eins and Zwei dragged the Princess before her feet and lifted her broken face for her to see.
Princess Lorreign laughed.
"You are all...just that. Stop pretending like it doesn't haunt you, sister. Ohms will be mine again! But if I can't have him, maybe I can have one of your sons. I will eat him, torment him...break him. Bwahahahaha! Or should I curse you again? Do what your father did to you on them, Azarese. You can do that."
Emperor Ohms was moved from her threats, but he remembered that she said it right on his wife's face, so he settled down to watch what she will do on her.
Azarese is the greater evil than Princess Lorreign.
She pulled Lorreign closer to her face and whispered,
"Your son's bones... I have it."
Princess Lorreign's face dropped.
"W-What son?" Though she tried to pretend, she failed miserably.
Azarese pushed her. Lorreign rolled down the stairs.
"Wait patiently, sister. Once I learned how to use my power, I will bring your son back to life. Then, you will see that challenging me is stupid. Oh, maybe my husband, a great dragon here, can?"
The Ki'zaar was caught off guard.
"Mi'zaar...?"
Azarese gave Prince Vars to Emperor Ohms. She caressed her growing belly with a smile, "We are bored. Our son wants to play. You can do that, right?"
Princess Lorreign trembled.
"Why... Why do you have him?" Her breathing became rugged, "Why do you have him!?"
"I gave it to her," Empeore Ohms smirked, "Wife, that thing will be a good pet to the Princes. What do you think, Maximilien? You can bully it all you want, I won't even get mad."
Prince Maximilien gasped in surprise, "I-Is that a g-gift?"
Emperor Ohms laughed, "Yes. For you and your brothers---"
"IT'S YOUR SON! Ohms, it's your son! How could you---"
Eins twisted her arm until it's loose from the socket. Her cries echoed throughout the Palace.
"It will never be my son."
Azarese laughed sweetly.
"I should let you reunite with your son. You must've missed him very much. Lorreign, you blew everything up."
Azarese flicked her fingers, summoning the door of one of her vaults.
A faint, almost imperceptible aura oozes from the door---an oppressive, malevolent energy that clings to the air like a fog of despair. The air around the vault feels heavy, suffocating, and cold, like standing at the edge of a bottomless abyss. The Earthlings standing near it fell, for they feel like their life force was being sucked out of them by the door.
"Do you want to know what's inside?" Azarese tease with a very twisted expression on her face. Watts Xirquit, who was standing beside her, is trembling as he stare at the door.
"Your.bo.dies."
They covered their mouths.
"Get in, Celia. Bring her bastard out and show us. And my boy, Zodiac. He should meet his new brothers."
Azarese's expression softened and caressed her belly gently.
Prince Valerian ran to his father while crying. He's so scared. He couldn't imagine the fear he's feeling. Prince Maximilien stayed and very brave. He's feeling the opposite: what's inside makes him feel excited! He's never seen his mother's vaults before. Seeing one this evil, he wonders about the others!
Lord Feryzen brought Solana to the Ki'zaar to comfort her, too.
"Mi'zaar, you're scaring the children," he worried. Even Prince Vars felt it. He couldn't sleep properly because the aura is bothering him. Now, he's crying.
"This is when you do your duties as a father, Valtyremius,"
Celia stood before the vault. The door has another tiny door for Hands to get in. Funf cut Azarese's hand and brought it to Celia. Azarese healed at once and Celia fed her hand to the monstrous snout on the door. Soon, the door handle emerged from the door. Celia grabbed on the right door and pushed it open.
She held a step back when a skeleton fell to its side.
The Earthlings' shaking gasped almost turned into a shout upon witnessing it. Azarese was moved and was both surprised and perplexed as to why a skeleton would be in her vault.
The children, who were sneaking a look, shrieked when a thin, slender hands fell on the skeleton and tried to pull it in. Celia forcefully opened the other door and stepped back when a body fell on the floor alongside the skeleton. Then she stepped aside for her Empress and Emperors to see.
"Ma...Ma..." The woman's voice is creaking and low and deep. Stick and bones, her left arm was tied tightly to avoid getting 'infected' by what they think is a Veil infection. Her head was almost bald, but the color of her hair reminded them of only one person.
The woman slowly raised her head to look at her surroundings.
Azarese couldn't help but cover her mouth as she try to keep herself from laughing bitterly.
"Would you fucking look at that," Emperor Ohms was in utter disbelief, but he was grinning, "Dryllivan... That bastard hid them in your vault all along. That's why they've gone missing!"
The woman was no other than Princess Eowyne Warlock, and the skeleton beside her was no other than Prince Maxigaufeas Vernignac.