"Let's go get your brother back, shall we. Dismissed!" And with that, the remaining men in the room were dismissed leaving Damien, Judson and Merlin alone in the room.
"My Lord." Merlin beckoned on Damien. "Why don't we seek help from Magenta, they'll definitely not refuse as they still need us." Merlin suggested but Damien immediately disagreed.
The Magentan Council had sent thousands of appalling letters to the secret hideout of the Imperialian rebels. The last time, they offered them a sac of gold and some supplies to spy on the Princess.
Damien had decided to indulge them and accepted a few of their orders but he was not stupid. He acted oblivious in their presence but knew their actual motive.
They wanted the current descendant of Cecil.
He would be mad to ask those brazen bastards for help once again. Never would that thought ever even dare cross his mind, not again.
And besides that, they also had a hand in the downfall of Imperialia, it would be an insult to injury continually seek help from an enemy.
"No, those people are no different from Cedrick. All they want is power and treasures. We'll be even further indebted to them if we seek help from them.
They're already taking advantage of our weakness, we shouldn't weaken any further in front of them. We'll only further lose face."
Damien said reasonably and the two other men nodded in understanding.
***
"Where did he go?!" The Emperor yelled at the guards who were supposed to be stationed in front of Peter's room.
"We're sorry your majesty, but he just… disappeared without a trace." One of the guards said in a terrified tone.
"Disappeared? What do you mean disappeared?! Is he a spirit? How can a full grown man disappear in your presence!" The man yelled banging on the handle of his throne.
"We're going to find him, even if he escaped, he shouldn't have gone far." Another of the guards assured the Emperor but that only further angered him.
"Then go, why are you still standing here?! Go, get out!" The Emperor yelled in agitation and the guards immediately bowed before the Emperor before going to begin their search.
Seeing the guards had left him alone, the Emperor's adviser, Sir Lingus Bremer slowly walked up to him. The Emperor was seething at this point but that didn't scare the man away.
He had grown accustomed to seeing the Emperor like this. From when he was just an ordinary Prince to the King of a then small Gastonia to the now prosperous Emperor he had become.
There was nothing that surprised him anymore.
"Your Majesty, please take calming breathes. This much anger isn't good for your health." The Aged Baron spoke calmly, as always.
The Emperor, who was too enraged to heed to the words of his advisor, tapped his foot on the ground incessantly. The tapping sounds of his shoe echoing through the empty throne room.
His eyes refused to leave the door in which the guards had narrowly escape their demise earlier, eagerly awaiting some news on the escaped prisoner.
"That darn bastard dared to insult my lineage. He called my ancestors a curse to existence and mother nature. They better find him, else I'll have their heads."
The Emperor spoke in a low brooding voice. Now this shocked the Old Baron a little.
The Emperor always heeded to the words of the Baron. The Baron had been the closest person to the late King Cohen Christian Bettor before his unfortunate early demise.
The Baron, who had initially pledged his life to the King, was unfortunately handed the task of raising the then ten years Old Cedrick Christian Bettor.
Hence, seeing the Baron as a father figure, the Baron's words where an absolute finality for him… but today.
The Old Baron knew there where something that Cohen had only told his son during his short time with his that he was very much unaware of but it never bothered him.
He was just satisfied that his first son, Tyson Lukas Bremer, was living well with his family.
"What would the unruly lad have against this prestigious Imperial family, surely he's just a brainwashed rebel. Nothing to fret about I'm sure."
The Baron said still maintaining his calm temperament even though he was still slightly taken aback by the man's sudden reaction.
"Yes, indeed. It's nothing to fret about, we'll definitely find him. And I'll personally give him the punishment he most inevitably deserves."
Cedrick said finally calming down as he relaxed on the backrest of his comfortable throne.
I've come to far to stop and way to far for regrets, the Emperor thought with a sigh as he took in some soothing breathes as the Old Baron had suggested.
After waiting for another hour, the Emperor couldn't take it anymore and left the throne room. He was literally seething with barely controlled rage as he stomped his way towards the Emperor's palace.
The maids and Knights in the palace wanted to greeted the Emperor as he passed by but as soon as they saw the man's foul mood, they immediately decided against it and kept their mouths shut.
He marched up the flight of stairs and the Baron, who was meekly trailing behind him immediately stopped under the staircase. The Emperor walked the remaining journey alone.
As soon as he reached his study, he was greeted with the face of the leader of the Imperial Knights and the son of the Baron, Lord Tristan Lukas Bremer.
The Emperor sighed involuntarily as soon as he saw the young man. He said nothing to the man and simply walked past him entering his study and the Knight entering soon after him.
Emperor Cedrick sat on the old mahogany chair behind the desk. He knew the man had brought update on his daughter current condition, same as he'd been doing for the past five years.
It had become a habit, the visits from the only descendant of the Old Baron.
"May I speak your Majesty." Lord Tristan asked as soon as he stood before the Emperor who was a lot more calm now. The Emperor hummed a reply and the young man continued.
"Her Highness, Princess Cecilia Cedrick Bettor has awoke for almost a week now. The Lady Poppy is by her side at the moment." The young man reported calmly.
Cedrick, who portrayed an overly calm demeanour and whose eyes were closed, immediately opened his eyes on hearing this.
So many emotions flashed through his eyes in a split second but ended up dwelling on the most fuelled one, rage. He sharply turned his head to the young man in front of him.
"And why wasn't I informed of this earlier!" The Emperor demanded as he banged his tightly clenched fist on the old table. Sir Tristian's demeanour was calm and unwavering.
But even the good-tempered Tristan couldn't help but get angry by this hypocritical excuse of a father.
Like as if you were around to even receive the information. Just don't pretend to suddenly care about the poor girl, Tristan sneered inwardly but his facial expression showed none of his thoughts.
He was as calm as a willow tree in autumn.
"My apologies Your Majesty, but you went for the gathering between Empires immediately after the Princess's birthday and only return two days ago.
And I've also been very busy with training the knights after the discovery of the rat. Hence, I only received information about your arrival a few minutes ago.
If this explanation isn't good enough an 'excuse' for you, you can go ahead and punish me however you deem fit." Tristan said calmly as he went down on one knee and bowed before the Emperor.
The Emperor sighed involuntarily and cursed himself internally for being too negligent of the girl, his only 'precious' daughter.
He thought, I should really give such a progressive Princess more face. I've really wronged her greatly.
"Sigh, you may rise Young Lad. I guess it can't be helped if workload threatens to cut a whole through me. You may leave." The Emperor retorted calmly and Tristan rose to his feet.
He bowed to the Emperor before swiftly exiting the room. The Old Baron entered almost immediately the Knight left.
The man meekly walked into the old study and went to stand behind the Emperor's seat to listen to the man's commands.
"Baron, inform the Empress's palace that the Princess will be having dinner in the Emperor's palace this evening. Make sure the Princess's lady-in-waiting comes along to take care of her needs.
Also, have inform the chef that they'll be cooking dinner for three today and inform the gardener that the venue is in the Imperial garden." The Emperor commanded the Old Baron.
"For three?" The Old Baron asked involuntarily and immediately regretted being so bold to question his matriarch. Luckily, the Emperor wasn't petty and didn't take offence.
"Yes, for three…" The Emperor said with a distant look in his eyes and the Baron immediately understood who the third party was going to be.
He was coming again.
--To be continued…