The era was still chaotic with turbulence raging unchecked. Countless kingdoms were scrambling to grow and conquer, yet amidst all this chaos, the Kingdom of Elyptis stood unbothered, basking in the tranquility earned through the sacrifices of their forefathers. The calmness of Elyptis was a stark contrast to the bloodshed and turmoil surrounding them, making their peace all the more infuriating to those around them.
Well, that was on the surface, after all, the job of predicting the future was to be left to the seers.
Earl Eiji led a group of five individuals out of the court. It had been a hectic day for them... every day was.
He was still basking in the priceless privileges gifted to him by the Prince. Oh, that reminded him of Reggie.
"How is Reggie doing?" Earl Eiji questioned with an aura of authority. This kind was natural and flowed freely without him even trying and as though noticing, it made the people take a step back subconsciously.
"He's well, Earl. He says it is just a small cut and he will be back in no time."
"Huh, a small cut indeed. He's in a real hurry to come back, isn't he? " The auburn-haired Earl snickered. A crafty gleam of light flashed through his black eyes.
The position of General in the Prince's faction was a strong and important one thus the reason why many people vie for it.
Anyway, now that it had landed on his thighs, he would definitely keep it. Reggie needed more rest now.
His thoughts were interrupted by the subtle cough of his subordinate. He turned his head slightly with a slight frown, visibly displeased at being disrupted.
"What about the other nobles, is anything unusual with them?" He questioned with a calm face, all the while receiving nods and bows of respect as they strutted to their carriages.
The quartet seemed stunned by the question, pausing in their steps. The question was an apparently harmless one on the outside, however, they each looked at the other with a look of hesitation as though waiting for the bold one to step out and answer.
After several seconds of not receiving even a sniff from them, the Earl finally turned to face his puppets who held their heads low the moment he turned. Their statuses were not distant so the sight of them bowing their heads low in reverence paved the way for a scornful smile to hang on his lips.
"What is it?" Eiji's voice had a tint of exasperation to it.
The quartet stared a each other for a bit before one bold black-haired young man answered.
"Earl, there is no unusual activity amongst the nobles..." He paused midway and fidgeted with the hem of his coat. Eiji stared at him exasperatedly, his patience which he had held out for these four...nobles was running out.
"However?" Eiji's voice sounded slower than normal and much more darker. The black-haired man shivered undoubtedly more than the rest. He opened his mouth to say something and eventually stammered his words out.
"The n-nobles seem to be visiting him more than propriety allowed." He looked to have been consummated of his energy after that brief reply.
Eiji's expression was awfully elegant the more he spoke, spooking the quartet to death.
They had been with him the longest and knew that he was vexed beyond reason.
He walked towards them, one step at a time as though the moment he reached them, retribution would be upon them.
He leaned closer to the black-haired man and whispered in his ears." I did not put you where you are to hear you speak, rather I put you there to see the consequences of your actions."
When he leaned back, his expression was back to normal and he walked away.
The black-haired man looked pale like he had seen a ghost and so weak.
Earl Eiji contemplated some issues as he strutted forward. He had earned this position through being in the shadows for years. It was all due to his meticulous plans and he was not going to give them back to Reggie just like that. Now, all that was left was for him to fight and no one, absolutely no one can stop him. Not even the Princess.
The group headed out of the castle and went their way with their grandiose schemes.
Meanwhile, in the castle, Ely broke a curve towards the Hallway with her blue-clothed assistant trailing behind her. They seemed to be in the midst of a rather serious conversation.
"Princess Ely, the perpetrator seems to be working for the Prince's faction or may even be..." The blue-clothed figure's voice sounded. It was neither loud nor quiet, just suitable enough for Ely to hear.
"Prince's faction? I thought I told you that I hate it when you tag it with that name." Ely questioned with a vexed tone.
"Apologies, Princess." The effects of the clothing mask did not affect them. They always spoke in a monotone making it hard to distinguish the gender.
"Hmm. I figured out that much. Everyone in the court is fully aware of their consistent refusal to have a woman become a monarch however, my suspicion was aroused because of Minister Reggie. He is ..."
Footsteps echoed in the hallway and the blue-clothed figure disappeared from Ely's side. A pale face revealed itself and it looked quite annoyed.
"Philip, what has made you this angry?" Ely questioned with a concerned tone, a slight frown settling on her face as she walked over to meet him.
A minute hint of excitement gleamed in Philip's eyes as he reveled in her caring gaze but he quickly concealed them and took on the annoyed expression.
"When did you start hiding things from me, Ely?" He...abruptly questioned. His pale blue eyes demanded an answer from Ely and a satisfactory one at that.
Ely paused and tilted her head a bit, a confused expression quickly taking over her beautiful face.
"Are you talking about the court? That isn't anything to worry about. I wanted to tell you but you were gone for some days." Ely tousled his hair with a smile. Even during her loving gesture, she effortlessly managed to make it look elegant. She reached out to hold his hand but he pulled it back.
"That isn't good enough of a reason, Ely. You should have waited for me to come before you told the crowd. Ok, what about that lady, who is she?" Philp questioned angrily, his tone a pitch higher than normal. Behaving like a King questioning his subjects.
An apologetic smile formed on Ely's lips as she attempted to pacify her angry brother.
"Oh, she? Don't mind her too much. She is my guard." She reached out to hold Philp's hand and this time, he allowed her to hold it. She caressed it lovingly and spoke." I am sorry. I will tell you everything from now on and I will give you your favorite massage tonight to calm you down." A soft smile hung on Ely's lips.
Philp stared at her and her beautiful countenance which was laid with a loving smile melted the residue of anger he had inherited her sweet talk did all.
"Philip, you know, you are an adult now and would have a future, so would I. Not that you would not be in my future..."
Ely was interrupted by Philip who responded with a rushed tone." There would be no future if you are not there." He sounded as though the prospect of Ely thinking that was already annoying to him.
Ely held his hands and kissed it." Me too. But you would have to learn to live without me and I may not always..."
"I will rather die than allow that to happen and you are not thinking of leaving me behind, are you?" He questioned with a hint of suspicion. As Ely stared at him, he whirled into a four-year-old Philip who was staring at her with teary eyes.
"I wouldn't dare."
He gave her a compliant smile and wrapped his hands around her arm seemingly pacified. After minutes of walking, he turned his head slightly and a murderous light raged in his eyes.
The pale moon hung beautifully in the skies, lonelily cooing people into dreamland.
Ely was in her nightrobe, trying to catch a breather from coming back from Philip's chambers. Her clothing did justice to her seductive curves. She stood on the balcony of her chambers and stared at the kingdom sprawled before her. There were no thoughts in her mind, just the desire to admire nature.
Being a royal and a mother figure is often robbed of the privilege of admiring her surroundings. They say your surroundings mold you to what you are and she believes it. Being a role model for people and desperately trying to win the crown molded her into a whole new person, a person who had buried her original self before it was even born. That was who she was.
But she didn't regret it, she never regretted taking on the role of her brother's mother, sister, and friend because she loved it and she loved him. The crown, however, was something she needed to get to stabilize their future. She breathed in cold air and walked back to her room, the balcony doors clicking with a click.