As soon as I walked out the door, I saw Horus standing there out of breath. Obviously he had just come running from somewhere.
"What's wrong Horus?" I asked. Although I already knew what happened, I still acted that I didn't.
"...My condolences your highness, his imperial majesty the emperor was killed in an ambush on the front line." Horus replied, trying to sound as gentle as possible.
"WHAT!?" I pretended to have been shocked, but in actuality I barely knew that man and besides, if he had spent even half the time he did training his powers, instead of chasing women he wouldn't have been killed in such a pathetic way.
Before anyone else could say anything I raised my head and said "Horus have you done what I ordered you this morning?" No longer bothering to act, since we didn't have the time for that now.
"Yes, your highness." Horus replied.
"Very well, then we are going to move now! Horus how many guards in total do I still have?" I asked.
"About forty, your highness." He respectfully replied.
"Excellent, then have them all move out now, we're going to my mother's palace!" I decisively ordered.
"What?!" Horus asked in confusion. "Your highness what about your palace?"
"My palace will be infested with spies and assassins in less than an hour. Remember Horus, I am the crown prince and many people will benefit greatly from my death, especially my half brothers and sisters." I said seriously.
Horus froze for a second upon hearing this, as he immediately saluted me, before he quickly left to prepare everything "I understand you highness."
"Kira get all the maids that can be trusted and have them prepare as well. Now!" I loudly yelled to Kira who was still in disbelief.
"Y-Yes your highness!" She stammered in reply.
In less than ten minutes everything was ready, so we left my palace behind and rushed to the empress's palace, to correct the first of my many mistakes.
As soon as we reached my mother's palace I could hear several voices urging my mother to accept something. And all I could think of at that moment, is how I was gonna kill those bastards! "MOTHER!" I said as I threw the open the doors, and I saw a scene that would make any half descent man furious! My mother, the woman who loved me unconditionally, was on the ground weeping and shaking, surrounded by eight men, as she held her swollen stomach, since she was seven months pregnant.
These men were aristocrats that were too incompetent or corrupt to get any meaningful position in the state, so they believed they can take advantage of my mother in a moment of weakness, and that's exactly what happened in my previous life. But not this time. This time I will stand in front of my mother, and not behind her like a helpless child.
As soon as I entered at the helm of forty armed, armored imperial guards, they stepped back like the rats they are. "Mother are you alright?" I asked anxiously.
"Alex your father..." She stopped talking as she was about to start crying again. My mother was a beautiful woman with raven black hair, emerald colored eyes, with a small mole under her left eye. She was a true beauty.
Calming my raging emotions, I said in the most gentle and loving voice I could muster "Mother, calm down. Everything will be fine. I am here, and no one will even harm a single hair upon our family's head, I promise you this!" I said as I dropped to my knees and hugged her gently. My mother, who was already on the brink of an emotional breakdown, besides all the difficulties of being pregnant, fell unconscious as soon as I finished talking.
As soon as my mother became unconsciousness my gentle expression vanished and a bone chilling one appeared in it's stead. "Your high..." Before those bastards could even finish speaking I activated my divine power and my eyes became silverish white surrounded by darkness, as the black tattoos appeared once again, and I roared in a voice that showcased all my murderous thoughts "SILENCE YOU VERMIN!"
The men were weak to begin with and before of my power they started shaking like the cowards they are. "On your knees you dogs. NOW!" The eight men immediately did so. And I could already see that several of them had pathetically wet themselves. And why wouldn't they, even some of the palace guards who were trained since birth to be excellent soldiers were shacking before my power. And those who weren't afraid stood there absolutely shocked. After all, everyone knew that I was using the divine power of my family. The very power that signaled who the next emperor will be. But usually they would unlock this power when they reach their mid thirties, and the greatest of my family, my great grandfather used this power when he was in his mid twenties. And yet here I was, using it in my early teens!
"My father hasn't even been buried, and you flies are already swarming?! How dare you? How dare you? HOW DARE YOU?" My voice just kept turning more and more chaotic and grotesque with each passing second, as the light coming from the various candles, lanterns, and torches began to dim, and darkness began to grow thicker until only my haunting silver eyes were left!
"Horus arrest these dogs and hang their corpses outside the imperial palace, as a lesson to all those who dare even think of taking advantage of my family again!" I roared.
Horus was momentarily stunned at the ruthlessness of the order, before then rushing to accomplish it. "Yes, your imperial majesty!" Horus was already calling me as if I was the emperor.
"Mercy, mercy your highness! I mean your imperial majesty! Please forgive me!" They begged for their lives as they were dragged away, but I no longer bothered to listen to them.
I turned to my mother's personal maids, and ladies-in-waiting. "Do you not see your empress on the floor you worthless trash? Take my mother to her room and make sure that nothing happens to her, or you shall meet the same fate as those worms." The maids quickly scurried to do as I told them in a flurry of mindless obedience, as mortal terror gripped their hearts.
Finally deactivating my powers, I turned to Kira and said "Kira go get all my siblings, and bring with them all of their most trusted guards and servants."
"...Yes, your imperial majesty." Kira took a second to collect her bearings as she ran off to get my siblings.
Now that I was only left with Horus I allowed myself to relax, and as soon as I did that, I fell to the ground with ragged breaths! Horus rushed to my side and asked in a panicked voice "Your Majesty?! Your majesty are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine Horus. It's just that my body is still too weak to handle the power of the first gate. I just need to rest and I will be back as new." I reassured him.
"Then your majesty, let's get you to a room so you could rest immediately." He desperately urged.
"Not now Horus, I have too much to do. But I will rest soon, I promise." I said to my anxious knight, who I often saw as an older brother more than a subordinate.
Half an hour later Kira along with my two brothers, and sister arrived. The first one I saw was Nizam, the oldest of my brothers, he was twelve this year. He had black hair, and emerald eyes just like my mother, right after him was my second brother Cyrus, who was ten this year. Cyrus had golden hair like our father, and emerald eyes like our mother. He was also holding his favorite toy, which was a wooden sword. And finally my sister Alisar, who had golden hair and black eyes like our father, was five years old this year.
The first to approach me were Nizam and Cyrus who ran to my side, and asked if the news of our father was true. I could easily see that they were anxious, especially Cyrus who was slightly shaking. I touched their shoulders and comfortingly said "It's true." Which prompted Cyrus to start sniffling trying to suppress his sorrow, and while Nizam was much better at controlling his emotions, I could still tell that he was just as afraid as Cyrus, if not more from his shaking pupils.
I turned to Nizam who always acted older than his age and said "We are now alone Nizam, our father is gone. And our mother was already having complications with her pregnancy, even before our father's death, and I fear that it will only get worse now. So we must be strong, we can't break nor bend. Do you understand my brothers?" I finished as I looked Cyrus who had started to calm down hearing my words.
"I understand brother." Said Nizam resolutely.
"Me too brother, I will make sure to help as well." Cyrus cutely declared.
Smiling, I hugged my brothers tightly, as I swore silently 'I will not lose the two of you again!'
"...Brother..." At that moment a quiet almost hesitant voice sounded from our side. Turning we saw Alisar holding several stuffed toys with her little arms, looking at us with tears in her big beautiful eyes. I let go of my brothers and knelt in front of her and said "Hey princess, why are you crying?"
"Is mommy okay?" She asked in a voice that would make anyone want to protect her.
"Yes, yes mommy is okay. It's just we were gonna have a surprise party with mommy! Isn't that right Nizam?" I tried relieving the mood. Thankfully Nizam was quick on his feet and answered "Yes sister, that's right!"
And even Cyrus came up and helped saying as he grabbed her hand and began leading her inside "Yes sister, let's go quickly and surprise mom."
As soon as Cyrus and Alisar were away I said to Nizam "Our sister doesn't know about our father, tell her when you're with mother, that way it will be easier, alright?"
"Leave it to me brother, but where are you going?" He asked
"To secure my throne, and with it our safety!" I gravely said.
I could see the frustration on Nizam's face, but before he could say anything I told him "You will help me later younger brother, but you're not ready yet, am I clear?" To which he replied by wearing a shocked expression, before he sensibly nodded.
After my brother left, I turned to the almost 400 guards that were standing in line, and I once again activated my power, and the guards were once again stunned with moronic looks on their faces. But unlike the last time I didn't have to say anything this time since Horus stepped forward and slammed the bud of his spear on the ground and shouted angrily "What do you think you're doing just staring, you idiots?! BOW! Bow before your future emperor!"
As if a trance was broken all the guards fell to their knees and roared at the same time "Hail! Hail! Hail!"
"Men I order you to secure this palace, I don't want even a fly to get past you without knowing!" I loudly ordered.
"Yes your imperial majesty!" They loudly said.
I nodded when I saw that the guards were already calling me as if I was the emperor. I managed to secure their loyalty, by simply showing them my divine power, just remembering how much effort I went through to get them to call me that in my past life already gave me a headache.
And as I deactivated my powers another wave of fatigue hit me. But I couldn't rest. Not yet.
It's time to begin the third step of my plan!