***On Planet Gieă, In Continent Eclipse of the Oceans..
***The Imperial Castle, The Empress's Palace or the Dark flood Dragon's Palace.. (PORTAL).
With her eyes still on her youngest daughter's figure, the Empress calmly steps forward and through the portal.
There's still no reaction from the crouched Princess as her mother steps into the cave. The princess may show no reaction but the Princess's shadow immediately becomes tense. The Shadow's hand tensely grips onto the handle of her sword but knowing the identity of the other person(The Empress), the shadow does not dare pull the sword's blade out of the sheath.
Standing in a position that tries to hide the croched-down princess from the Empress's gaze as much a possible, the shadow looks cold as she stares at the Empress with a calm gaze that barely hides her rage.
The Shadow could feel a fraction of what the princess feels and the pure torment that Empress have subjected her master to is just.. unforgivable!.
Taking in a deep breath to push down her emotions, the Princess's shadow finally taked a step back before lowering her head for a short and silent bow. The Empress seems to pays no attention to the shadow as she stands boldly at the edge of the portal.
After observing her unresponsive princess for a while, the Empress starts to approach with slow and powerful steps until she's standing right in front of her croched down daughter with her shadow coldly looming over her.
As always, the Empress stays calm and looks almost completely indifferent as she slowly lowers herself in front of her daughter till both of them were leveled to each other.
With one knee on the floor, the Empress slowly brings her left hand to the side of her daughter's head with the intention of tucking back a few stray stands of blue-black hair but at that moment, the princess finally responds to her mother's presence.
Raising her head from between her knees, the Princess halts her mother's hand movements as she meets her mother's calm gaze with an even calmer one.
Looking into her daughter's calm eyes, Empress Orverlia could not read much though she is very familiar with a few of the emotions behind the veil of calm in her daughter's ash-grey eyes.
The tense yet calm stare down between the mother and daughter ensures for a few seconds with both parties being completely still but then, Empress Orverlia casually continues her paused hand movement as she sweeps back a few stray strands of blue hair behind her daughter's ear.
"You must hate me right now.", Empress Orverlia says calmly with the gentle touch of her fingertip washing through her daughter's skin and clothes with a wave of mana that makes them completely clean from top to bottom.
Despite being on the receiving end of the gentle and motherly touch of a Saint, the other party just keeps calmly staring back at her mother though her breath unwilling speeds up a bit.
Keeping her silence for a while, Empress Orverlia who is still on one knee - moves closer to her daughter before gently enveloping her with her warmth.
Her daughter's head rests on her shoulder as Empress Orverlia wraps her hands around the princess's back while causing the princess to shivers and swallow hard at the sudden intimacy.
The Princess's body trembles as a drop of crystalline tear fall from her left eye. She begins to pant and shrudder in her mother's arms from complex emotions she absolutely cannot fully control.
Connected to her, the Princess's shadow feels a bit of every emotions running through her masters heart and it shook the Shadow to the core though instead of breaking down, the shadow wears a mask of calm as she silently clenches her fists till they started to faintly bleed.
When her master's weak, she has to be strong.
"I'm sorry.", The Empress's whispers a calm apology to her daughter as she keeps holding her gently in a hug.
"..I don't regret it but still I'm sorry.", The Empress's says quietly and calmly while the Princess's body trembles a bit more in her arms.
"I.. HATE.. YOU.", The princess trembles as she whispers these three venomous words to her Mother with strong emotions in her tense breaths.
"..I love you.", The Empress calmly whispers back as she buries her warm chin deeper against her daughter's cold nape.
The Empress kept hugging her daughter till she feels her emotions were a bit more settled and then, with a single thought.. both mother, daughter and shadow were teleported back to the Empress's Palace.
...
...
***In the Empress's Palace.
It has been six short hours since the unofficial return of the Empress as well as the dramatic an unofficial return of the Empress's last born who had been put through a very miserable set of trails for the past four months.
...
Apart from their names, genders and ages, all other official information on six out of the Empress's eight children is completely cut off from the world.
The only reason there were more information about two of the Empress's eight children is because of the positions they hold in the Continent.
With one of them being an invisible top-rank at the Blazing will Academy and the other being a disciple to a Saint-level Array master!.
Despite these facts, common information about these two infamous geniuses from the Empress would never be found on petty rumours and deeper information would take a good chunk of wealth as payment to an underground association before you can get hands on them.
This shroud of mystery around the Highly Reverend Empress and her other hidden six children has left the power-houses concerned with nothing but an awkward option of guess-work.
Is there one of them that the Empress is specially preparing for the throne?..
How talented are the Children born of two powerful bloodlines and two even more powerful Cultivators?..
What were their affinities, strengths and weakness?..
Many of these curious and concerned powerhouses had even gone as far as to get divinations from the ever-so-rare Oracle pathway Cultivators but it seems that Empress has a higher Ranked Oracle on her side as all divinations comes out as puzzles of jargons.
It's hard enough trying to cast a divination on someone living within the Imperial Grounds but the Empress has made it utterly impossible with her powers and that of her Mystery Oracle.
With curiosities and desperation rising, one Oracle even went as far as doing a forbidden ritual after being begged and cuddled-up by powerhouses. Tempted by riches, opportunities and a chance at higher ranks, this high level Oracle performed the forbidden ritual but instead of seeing clear information and visions, she received a backlash so bad that she became blind spiritually!.
Not only that but she almost lost her life and fell two whole ranks.. PERMANENTLY!.
The daring Oracle had been used as an obvious example to all other Oracles who have since then fled from cases regarding the Empress like a plague!.
The Empress has never been known to show mercy to those who crossed her lines. Even before her title as Empress, she was feared by the Imperial Court yet right at this moment, the ever-so-feared Empress seems just like any other normal person as she calmly observes the silence of the night from one of her Imperial balconies.
Her breaths were steady, her ethereal gaze is calm and she has long since abandoned her leather coat and outfit.
Right now, the Empress is wearing a simple blue silk night gown with her worn jewelleries being only a single bracelet and her Marriage ring.
Her Icy blue hair have been let down like water works and sitting by her arms reach is a small jade plate filled with berry-like fruits.
The Empress would occasionally take one of these berries between her fingers then put into her mouth as she embraces the cold starless night.
"She will learn to forgive you your Majesty.", The Empress's Counsel voice makes the Empress turn her head to her for a moment but then she turns back to the sky in silence.
The Empress has always been naturally cold or indifferent though her Counsel has been by her side long enough to notice her currently weird mood.
As the Empress's Imperial Counsel, it is her sole responsibility to console and advise if possible.
"She would accept its for the best as she grows and her scars would slowly close with time.", The Empress's Counsel says while trying to sound certain of the future but she is cut off by the Empress's calm voice.
"..Or_ She would see the scars as stripes of how strong she is and how much she has and can overcome.", The Empress calmly says to the mild Surprise of her 'Consoling' Counsel.
Turning her gaze to her Counsel, The Empress speaks with a softer tone, "I'm not worried about Noverlia.".
The Empress softly reassures her Counsel on that matter but this re-assurance only made her Counsel frown a bit more as she is sure that the Empress is worried about something.
The Empress doesn't lie or atleast, the Empress doesn't lie to her so if the Empress says she isn't worried about the recent drama with True Imperial Princess Noverlia then it means that the Empress truly isn't worried.
Thinking of this, Counsel Elena couldn't help but ponder. A thousand things or more is always running through the Empress's head but only when at the limit would she(Her Counsel) get an off feeling that the Saint-level Cultivator and Empress is stressed.
Knowing what's most likely the cause for the mood, Counsel Elena tries to draw a conversation in that direction.
She might not be able to help with the issue but she knows that although Saint-level Cultivators like the Empress are seen like deities, their core is still that of a person. People feel better when they talk about what they are feeling or going through.
"How did your meetings and mission go?.. It's been three years after all.", Counsel Elena calmly asks the Empress who is still staring at the sky in silence.
The Counsel has dropped formalities in this conversation as she is now talking to the Empress as a friend instead of a worried assistant. A few seconds drizzles by in silence and then the Empress speaks.
"Exhausting."
"..I got the power core and sword I wanted from the auction, there were no leaks and my husband has given silent approval as I begin the process of eating up the dead general's hidden Medium High Rank Six Naval unit.", The Empress says calmly as she gently licks a bit of fruit juice smeared on her light pink lips with her palms supporting her as she leans on the sculptured rails of the Balcony.
"One of my sisters died but the old man(Her Father) is keeping it low-key because of some clan politics reasoning. I would have interfered in the funeral but I'm not so close to her to feel so touched.", The Empress keeps explaining to Counsel Elena who just listens in silence as the Empress casually pops another fruit into her mouth while chewing lightly.
"I did lose a long term friend of mine due to the mission but in the end.. there wasn't a body left to bury. I could only console myself by secretly helping her family through with fortunes and opportunities.", The Empress keeps talking though there didn't seem to be a lot of grief in her tone as she says these heavy words.
Countless of people die everyday so no matter how close cultivators get, they are always subconsciously prepared to say a sudden goodbye. This painful fact is nothing but the reality of death to Cultivators.
"My spy organisation in Continent Lothlòrien got almost completely hunted down so It will take a few decades before I build that network back up. I have learnt from my mistakes. The cultist in these lands are pulling more from their hat than we expected but that's mostly the Court's responsibility to deal with..", Empress Orverlia continues speaking but then Counsel Elena interrupts her softly.
"What's really the matter?.", Counsel Elena asks while taking steps towards the Empress who is still staring at the beautiful night sky with fiery but lucid orange eyes.
Turning to face her Counsel, Empress Orverlia eyes shows a bit of something that Counsel Elena has not ever seen her master display before.
Anxiety,.. it almost looked like fear.
A three second pause that feels like hours passes by and then the Empress speaks to her Counsel.
"I think he's still alive.", The Empress says in a voice that's barely a whisper and a tone that made her seems both doubtful and worried.
"Who?.", Counsel Elena asks in worry with her heart racing from the Empress's suddenly different tone but then the Emperor's aura covers the Empress's body into a wide ball of light.
Not at all resistant, the Empress suddenly disappears from the balcony and surely into the Emperor's arms.
What or Who had made his wife so worried?!.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: READERS SHOULD PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THAT 'ECLIPSE OF THE OCEANS' IS A SUPER MASSIVE CONTINENT AND NOT A COUNTRY. WHEN IT'S NIGHT TIME IN THE IMPERIAL GROUNDS, IT'S EARLY MORNING IN THE OUTSKIRTS.