Many individuals in the empire, not only commoners but even some from noble families, were apprehended for using drugs. They pleaded for leniency from the Empress, but Aria remained resolute in her determination to eradicate this problem as soon as possible.
Duke Wolfsbane and the implicated ministers faced a dire situation. They convened in their meeting place to discuss new plans to stop the Empress.
"What's the emperor doing? Why is he not intervening to stop the Empress?" Minister Cruz complained.
"The Empress should not handle this kind of matter! She belongs to the palace, her duties should stay within the palace only! The emperor is the one who holds the power in our empire, yet he seems useless!" Minister Rodriguez said.
"If this continues, we will all get caught and beheaded," Minister Guzman added.
"Duke Wolfsbane, I thought you had control over the emperor?" Minister Rodriguez inquired.
"Do you think I'm not doing my job? I'm doing my best to talk to him, but he's secluded in his room all day, sulking, and no longer cares about his surroundings! What a useless emperor!" Duke Wolfsbane gritted his teeth.
"What's our plan now?" Minister Cruz asked.
"Ludwig is also missing," Minister Guzman added. "He fled."
Damn those brats! Two fucking useless.
"We have no choice. I am certain the next target of the Empress will be the west. Since the emperor is remaining quiet about this issue..." Duke Wolfsbane smirked. "Why don't we put all the blame on him?"
"What do you mean?" Minister Cruz asked, puzzled.
"He's the one who signed the proposal in the west. He ordered us to handle the matters there. And he's also using drugs. Isn't it the perfect excuse to put all the blame on him? We can tell everyone that he is the mastermind behind the drug smuggling in our empire," he explained.
The ministers grinned.
"You are right. The people will start to protest and demand his abdication," Minister Guzman agreed.
"But if he steps down from the throne, who will be the next emperor? We can't allow the empress to rule our empire," Minister Rodriguez asked.
"We can also frame the empress. Let me handle this matter. I will ensure both of them fall, and no one from the Serolf Family will have the chance to claim the throne again," Duke Wolfsbane smirked.
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.
....
Aria and the knights were in the midst of preparations for their mission to the west, where the drug hideout was located.
"Is everyone ready?" William inquired.
All the knights nodded in confirmation.
"Your Majesty, you don't have to join us. Please stay in the palace and rest," William suggested.
"I can't. I need to see what's going on in the west," Aria insisted.
William had no choice but to nod in understanding. As they were about to depart, Cedrik rushed in, panting.
"Your Majesty!!!" he called out, trying to catch his breath.
"What's the matter, Ced?" Aria asked, concerned.
"I-It's His Majesty!" he exclaimed.
Aria furrowed her brows in worry. She got off the carriage, asking, "Why? What's wrong with the emperor?"
"He's throwing tantrums again... A-And this time he's out of control!" Cedrik reported, trembling with fear.
Aria turned to the knights and said, "Wait here for a moment."
The knights nodded, and she followed Cedrik to the room where Izekiel was. Shock overtook her as she witnessed Izekiel's violent actions, she caught him punching one of the servants. He's covered in blood and seemingly unhinged.
"Kiel!" she was about to run to him but William stopped her.
"You can't, Your Majesty. Let the knights stop him," he advised.
She looked at Izekiel, who seemed terrifyingly different now. The knights hesitated to approach him due to his erratic behavior.
"But the knights were also scared of him. Don't worry, he won't hurt me." She took a step towards him, calling his name softly.
"Kiel..." she hugged him from behind, urging him to stop. "Kiel, please stop. This isn't like you."
He gradually turned to face her, tears streaming down his face, clearly tormented.
"A-Aria..." he sobbed, embracing her tightly. "I'm scared!"
She comforted him, caressing his back, trying to soothe his fears.
"I-I'm scared... There are voices inside my head, telling me to hurt everyone," he confessed, his distress evident.
"Sshh... I'm sorry," she whispered, closing her eyes. "I'm sorry for ignoring you, for not being there for you. This is my fault." She gently held his face, looking deeply into his eyes. "I shouldn't have said those things. I shouldn't have left you alone. I'm truly sorry." Tears flowed down her cheeks.
She had forgotten about him in her pursuit to eradicate the drugs, neglecting Izekiel's condition.
He held her hand against his face, closing his eyes, finding solace in her touch. "I'm so lonely. You didn't look for me, and I was alone in my dark room, crying because I felt like you didn't love me anymore."
"That's not true, Kiel. I love you. Please don't think that I'll abandon you," she reassured him.
He hugged her tightly again. "Please promise me that no matter what happens, you will never leave my side. You're the only one I have now."
"I promise," she vowed, leaning in to kiss him.
Once Izekiel had calmed down, she instructed William to postpone their operation in the west. They were about to head to Izekiel's room when a commotion erupted outside the palace.
.
.
Amidst the commotion, Aria arrived, holding Izekiel's hand as they walked through the crowd. Servants and onlookers made way for them, revealing Duke Wolfsbane and the other ministers at the center of attention.
Aria's gaze was stern as she inquired, "What's all this about, Duke of the South?" Her eyes bore into him.
Duke Wolfsbane, flanked by the other ministers and knights, cleared his throat before making a startling statement, "Your Majesty, Empress, I beg your pardon for the interruption, but I have a confession to make."
"A confession?" Aria echoed, her curiosity piqued.
He went on, raising a document before her. "This document concerns the drug trade that plagues our empire. I believed the emperor was involve!"
"Duke Wolfsbane, what do you mean?" Izekiel appeared taken aback by the accusation.
Duke Wolfsbane continued, his voice unwavering, "Our concern for the welfare of our children led us to conduct a thorough investigation, and the results surprised us. We found compelling evidence pointing to the emperor as the mastermind behind all these troubles," Minister Cruz added, confirming their claims.
Duke Wolfsbane produced a set of documents, presenting them to the Empress, "Here is a document signed by the emperor, along with letters found in the west. These letters indicate that the emperor ordered his men to distribute and sell the drugs within the capital."
"One of his men even confessed that the emperor himself was partaking in the use of these drugs," Minister Guzman chimed in.
"That's not true!" Izekiel's anger was palpable, he was ready to confront the ministers, but Aria held him back, recognizing their ploy.
Aria responded defiantly, "Why should I believe you? The emperor is constantly by my side. I watch his every move, and it is impossible for him to have done what you accuse him of," her voice resolute.
She knew that they are trying to frame Izekiel, they will put all the blame on him to escape from their sins.
Duke Wolfsbane attempted to shift blame onto Aria, questioning her, "Your Majesty, kindly refrain from covering the emperor's transgressions. We know that you were aware of his drug use, and it was Ludwig who supplied him."
Aria retaliated with clenched fists, "Ludwig is your servant, and he worked alongside you. You are the true culprits behind this drug smuggling scheme. Do not attempt to frame the emperor. No one will believe you."
Duke Wolfsbane smirked, confident that they couldn't easily be proven wrong without Ludwig's testimony.
If only Ludwig hadn't escaped.
"I have the Crimson Blades to confirm it," she declared, and Ryu appeared, revealing the drugs. "I found these drugs in the west, and I witnessed Ludwig handing them to your men."
Duke Wolfsbane laughed dismissively, attempting to shift blame, "Ludwig was the emperor's right-hand man, working under his authority. Thus, the true mastermind is the emperor."
"Liar! How could you betray my trust?" Izekiel yelled, feeling the weight of the betrayal.
The Duke smirked again, claiming, "I'm doing this for the sake of our empire. I trusted you too, Your Majesty. But I can't bear to see our empire in chaos due to a failed emperor."
As tensions escalated, Aria pledged, "We will investigate this thoroughly. I won't let you tarnish the image of the imperial family."
Suddenly, a clamor erupted at the palace gates as protesters arrived, demanding justice and punishment for the mastermind behind the drug trade.
"The drugs caused my son immense suffering!"
"My daughter took her own life, overwhelmed by shame!"
"These drugs have shattered the futures of our children!"
"Please punish the mastermind!"
Aria recoiled, asking, "How did they get here?"
"Your Majesty, you should go back inside," William urged, positioning himself protectively in front of her.
Duke Wolfsbane addressed the angry crowd, "Hear this, people of our empire! We've discovered the mastermind!" He then pointed at Izekiel, falsely accusing, "It was our beloved Emperor!"
The crowd was stunned, their shouts and protests creating a chaotic scene.
In distress, Izekiel stumbled back, clutching his head, trembling. "I-I'm innocent!"
Aria panicked, pulling Izekiel, "You're innocent. Let's go inside!" She rushed him back into the palace, the situation spiraling out of control.
"Catch the emperor!" Duke Wolfsbane commanded his knights, igniting a violent clash between his forces and the loyal knights of the emperor.
.
.
"A-Aria... What should I do? I didn't do it! I'm innocent!" Izekiel was in a state of panic.
"I believe you. They're just trying to frame you to remove you from the throne. I knew it from the start, their main target is the throne," Aria said, trying to comfort him.
"Why is the Duke doing this? I trusted him, I thought he cared for me!" he said, betrayed and hurt.
She held both of his shoulders firmly. "Listen to me, Kiel. He doesn't care about you. He only wants power, that's why he brought you back here to the palace. He's also the one who killed Uncle."
Izekiel finally realized it; Duke Wolfsbane was only using him. He cried as the weight of the revelation bore down on him. "I... I killed Father!"
Aria hugged him. "No, he's the one who killed him. Xerxes told me that the flowers beside his bed were poisonous, slowly killing him."
"I... I can't believe I trusted the man who killed my father!" he continued to cry.
"He killed Uncle and Mikhail to make you the emperor so that he could manipulate you and control our empire. Now that we've discovered the drug operation, he's decided to put all the blame on you so that people will begin to protest and force you to abdicate," she explained.
"What will happen now? I'm scared, and I don't feel worthy of the throne. I'm weak!" he said, his fears taking over.
"I will try to fight him," she replied, determined to protect him and their empire.
"No! What if he kills you? I don't want you to die!" he said, his desperation evident. He held her hand. "Aria, let's flee. Let's get out of here. It's not safe anymore."
She caressed his face, her own eyes filled with determination. "I will order the knights to protect the palace. We will do everything to keep all of us safe."
She hugged him tightly again.
.
.
....
"What do you mean most of our knights have sided with the Duke?" Aria slammed her hand on the table.
"The Duke has already brainwashed them. They've betrayed us," William reported, kneeling before her.
This was bad. Aria bit her fingernail, lost in thought.
"Aria!" the door swung open, and Claudius entered, his face filled with worry. "I heard what happened, are you all right?"
Her other husbands also entered, their expressions mirroring Claudius's concern.
"Duke Wolfsbane has made his move, he's trying to pin everything on Izekiel. His main target is the throne," she explained, her voice steady but with an undercurrent of worry.
"We have to fight him! We can't let him rule our empire!" Rasheen said, clenching his fists.
Aria felt the exhaustion setting in and sighed. She was at a loss, unsure of what to do.
She looked at Ryu. "Ryu, can you find Xerxes for me?"
Yes, Xerxes could help them. She was also worried about him; he hadn't returned yet.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Ryu replied, bowing, and then left.
"You guys should leave this place too. It's dangerous here for you. Rasheen, please return to Targaryan and stay there for a while," she said.
"What? No! I won't leave you here! I will send a letter to my father and ask for his help!" Rasheen protested.
"I can't let your kingdom be in danger because of us. Please do what I said. I am ordering you as your Empress," she said.
"Tsk." Rasheen looked away, frustrated.
"You too, Claudius and Gawain. Please return to your households, stay there, and don't come back here without my order," she said.
"We are your husbands, how can we leave you here alone? We promised you, right? That we will fight together, we will stay by your side until the end!" Claudius said.
"He's right, we can also fight, Aria. Please don't push us away!" Gawain added.
"You all are important to me. Have you forgotten what happened during the last rebellion? You were all wounded. I don't want you to get hurt again because of me. And I don't want your family to be involved in this chaos," she said.
"But Aria!" they all said.
"No buts! William, Cedrik, prepare the carriages for them!" she ordered and turned her back to them.
"Aria, please don't do this to us!" Claudius shouted.
The knights dragged the three out of her office. She closed her eyes while crying. Is this really the end for them?
She couldn't fight them; she didn't know what to do.
.
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Hachi overheard their conversation, witnessing Claudius and the others being forcefully drove out of Aria's office. The palace was in a state of chaos, and worry gnawed at his heart for Aria. He carefully peeked inside her office and saw her in tears.