"The fall of Eckleis Empire happened months ago, why would they need to obsess over it now after all this time?" Dropping the papers down at his desk, Jayus perched his head on his hand as he glared at the sheets of paper he just set down.
"Who is to know? The crown prince has had quite the reputation for being this generation's Sh*rlock H*olmes, perhaps he is curious about it's sudden fall out?" Hera, the previous crown prince of six months ago, surmised as he poured tea before setting it infront of the distressed man before him.
To put simply, five months had gone by since Hera had destroyed the Eckleis Empire. Since meeting Jayus that fateful night, he had began a new life serving under the Frasirr Lord, burying in secret the life he once had previously before. After the fall of the former Empress, society spared no time getting back on their feet. Typically, one specific family were high enough to jump to the chance of raising the empire once more. Acriestelion. A family known to soar through the ashes and rise above. Like a phoenix burning bright. With the support they provided, it didn't take long for a new empire to rise through.
Jayus shook his head "I just dont understand, what could he benefit from all this? I thought the empire would have been more busy with the Annual convention." Taking the tea in one hand, he took a sip. The annual convention was a traditional event by generations starting from generations ago by the previous Eckleis Emperor. But seeing that the continent was no where near being ruled by an Eckleis descendant...
"I wonder if the Empress has decided to stop the Annual Convention permanently. Seeing as this Eckleis Empire is no more, what would the point be to continue with that tradition?" Jayus wondered aloud. The Acriestelion Empire merely consisted of a pair of siblings. The older one being the Empress, followed by the crown prince. "Even so, what's the point re-opening the case behind the Eckleis Empire if they would get rid of their old traditions?" Hera asked, thumbing over the tiny kettle as he poured more tea into Jayus's cup.
"Perhaps he's trying to uncover the truth behind the traitor," Jayus answered, sipping into the hot tea. Hera feigned ignorance, yet he couldn't help but bite his lower lip.
"The former crown prince, Heracles Eckleis."
At the sound of his own name, Hera's heart almost leapt out his chest through his mouth. It felt like he was going to have a heart attack at this rate.
Eckleis Empire had been run to ruins and forced to burn in flames, all by the hands of their crown prince, Hera himself. The former Empire was ruled by his mother, the Empress, all by herself. The Empire had been peaceful and happy at that time. A civilization more advanced than any other in the whole world. For an entire generation, people believed that this would create an era carved into the world. Yet behind all that which the Empress reigned hid behind the dark secret within the family. At that point, Hera had to sacrifice the empire before it would suffer a greater loss than what the Empress had planned. The burden forever engrained in his name didn't matter, even if the would forever be deemed a traitor for the rest of the world. The Eckleis Empire was not fit to reign.
"If you think about it, don't you think its a bit weird?" Jayus asked, the words setting curiosity into Hera's eyes and he asked "What of it, my Lord?"
"That Heracles Eckleis would bring forth the fall of the Empire and disappear. I understand if he overthrew the Empress and claimed the thrown but the former crown prince showed no interest in taking over the empire of what-so-ever. No wonder that case got the current crown prince into a frenzy. Our current crown prince sure knows where to stick his head." Jayus closed his eyes as he leaned back on his chair.
"The crown prince sure is a meticulous one, curious even. That's not a bad trait to have for a crown prince. So long as he's not anything like the previous one." Hera said, pouring more tea after Jayus had downed the previous one. Jayus gave him a look which fell on unsuspecting eyes. Hera didn't seem to notice the small shift himself.
"Do you happen to like the crown prince?" Jayus asked, the hint of hesitation in his voice once again falling on deaf ears as Hera hummed and thoughtlessly replied.
"I'm not well acquainted with nobles even before Eckleis Empire's fallout but Acriestelion raised to the top to bring people out of despair," he said "I'd say they're not half-bad."
The atmosphere became stiff as it filled the silence in the air. Jayus blinked at that but Hera noticed nothing odd about the sudden change.
"You're talking nonsense," Jayus muttered, turning his head away from Hera. He was quiet for a while before snapping his head back towards Hera who now stood beside him, pouring tea. He glared at him. The look he often gave Hera ever since the man started to work for him. This was unfortunately noticed by Hera as he smiled through his fear. Jayus often came off as aggressively passive. Often times, Hera would find him glaring at him on random occasion and the dark haired man would wonder if he'd done something wrong.
"Is there something else on your mind, My lord?" Hera asked.
"For how long are you planning to keep pouring me tea?" Jayus glared at the tea-filled cup on front of him. For their entire conversation, Hera had kept filling the cup as soon as Jayus finished it. Did Hera perhaps think he was some kind of tea addict freak? Piercing red eyes glanced up at the blue eyed man before him. His long, shiny, black hair tied behind him in a low ponytail.
"For as long as my Lord keeps drinking it, I will pour it." Hera answered, as if it had been the most obvious thing in the world. At this point, Jayus felt like he would vomit if he had to have another tea to drink for today. Yet surprisingly, the stiff air dissipated in an instant at those words.
"You're trying to kill me with chamomile tea. At this point I'll be too calm even my heart will fall asleep." And yet, with his hand grabbing hold of the cup once more, the hot cup of tea immediately warmed his palm. Perhaps it was the heat of the tea but his face too had started to feel warm. Truthfully, Jayus knew the true reason for it. The chamomile that was supposed to calm his nerves only brought forth the fast beating of his heart, the only cause of it being the butler standing beside him. This indifferent duke has held a one-sided pining over the man he had saved months ago. He didn't specifically know when he'd develop these feelings himself. At first he'd thought perhaps Hera's mere existence made him agitated, only to find out later that hadn't been the case.
A knock on the door ended their conversion shortly as a maid entered the room. A young girl no older than sixteen, with thick brown braids and round glasses. She fidgeted endlessly before bowing her head and said "Lord Frasirr, the carriage is waiting for you downstairs."
At this, Jayus set down the cup he was holding and stood up "It's almost time for the meeting, I'll be on my way then." The meeting took place within the Imperial walls of Acriestelion, often held of influential nobles and those of powerful lineage.
"Would you like more tea, my lord?" Somewhere within the manor, a mellow voice from below a middle aged man's arms. The sweet aroma of chocolate and alcohol laced around the bedroom of Terubin Villages only Baron. Jerudich Eins is a middle aged Baron of Acriestelion, although possessing no fame or amazing wealth, he had a tongue built of gardens and guns to atone for it . One would say if a flower wilts then you must cut it off but not only will Jerudich Eins pick up the wilted flowers from the ground, he would paint them into the picture perfect image of a fresh bouquet to profit off. In a shorter term- Jerudich Eins was a con-artist. A con-artist who paid with words and lied to reach the top. Many times he was disgraced and reprimanded for staining the reputation of nobles yet Jerudich would raise his hands, smile carelessly and argue back "Cry and throw a tantrum to the heaven and see if they throw you back a bottle but they will not take away my crib!" He would then laugh at their faces.
However, none of what he said would be wrong. With the new era arising, old wealth had long disappeared with the Eckleis Empire. Now, Jerudich only needed to reach a number of requirements and set a few goals to be easily given the title of Baron. While earning at least 500,000 doruls every 3 months. A fact which none of the other nobles could refute.
"My lord is born handsome and quick-witted, this humble woman is honoured to be able to serve such a person deserving of high praises," A finger trailed up and down his chest from the older lady under his other arm. The finger which was both delicate and fair provoked a roar of laughter from the sleazy man. "Yuri, you really know how to flatter this old geezer right here." The arm that was wrapped around Yuri pulled her closer towards Jerudich as he planted a kiss on her neck, "Tell me if there's anything you want, my darling. I'll buy you anything you want!"
"Hmph...how lucky!" Pouted the other girl "Leia also wants a new dress, my lord! Will you buy Leia a new dress?" Leia leaned closer to Jerudich, sinking into his arms like water, her cleavage pressing against his chest. A man like Jerudich only knew how to swim into temptations and pleasures of the world. Gambling into the night with a bottle of alcohol in hands as he treated girls with treasures. Alcohol driven, he took pleasure from Leia's actions and turned to her "My sweet Leia will get all the dresses she wants!"
The door opened as a maid stepped into the room. At first, no one noticed her presence until she was close enough to the bed for Jerudich to spare her a glance. In her hards held what seemed to be an empty tray. Confused, Jerudich rolled his eyes at her reserved demeanour and simply asked "What is it?" as he barely paid attention to her. The maid nervously fidgeted from where she stood. It was clear she felt discomfort from having to stand in front of such a scandalous scene, still she bowed and offered the tray towards the Baron. On top of it was a small envelope. Baron Jerudich stared at it for a moment before his eyes widened into panic. He snatched the letter into his hands, pulling away from the two girls around his arms. The envelope itself was firmly pressed into a thin thread, a golden line etched into its borders and a fiery stamp of the Imperial Family's symbol to top it all off. To be receiving an imperial letter like this meant only one thing. Baron Jerudich went cold to the bone as he jumped off the bed and started to dress himself. There was no need to open the letter. The Crest said it all enough. It was the Empress's Call. Anyone who received the Empress's Call was obligated to run immediately to the palace in a heartbeat or else face death as a consequence.
"What? You're leaving already?" Leia whined, her glossy cherry pink bottom lips pouting. Yuri also feigned disappointment as she played with her hair. Baron Jerudich didn't entertain them with an answer as he hastily pulled up his pants and blazer. "Prepare the carriage immediately!"
"Can't this carriage go any faster?!" Baron Jerudich yelled through the carriage window at the man infront. The man had been skinny and from the looks of it, dead tired. The carriage had already been running at a concerning speed with the carriage wheels flying off the road at every bump. Any more and they'd be meeting god in a heartbeat. Everytime the wheels would run over a dent on the road or a big rock, the carriage would jump and land back with a thud. And so would Baron Jerudich. Inevitably so. Baron Jerudich often hit his head with the carriage roof, to the window and to the floor like a pinball in a machine when suddenly, the carriage drew a sharp left, leaving the Baron to spiral out of the carriage and into the rough, dirt road. Outraged, he quickly got up to brush off the dust on his clothes, leaving only with his dignity barely intact as he walked up to the coachman at front.
"What do you think you're doing?!" He gritted his teeth, his hair nearly falling out from the tension of his skin. He almsot looked comical. "Do you know how much it is going to cost me to repair the damage you've just done?" The carriage had been flipped to its side from the sudden turn. One wheel fell off and rolled to Baron Jerudich feet as if to mock him of the price he'd have to pay. "Hundreds!" He answered himself "You are going to pay me back every penny of it-" He grabbed the coachman by his shirt collar, practically dragging the poor man off the broken carriage and on to the ground "-I will take everything from you, you understand me?"
Baron Jerudich was running late at this point. The thought of what the Empress will have in store for him terrified him to bits. He turned to the poor coachman to see him pick up his battered sandwich on the ground, his hat which had been stitched back togetehr multiple times and his now even dirtier shoes. Baron Jerudich's eyes grew red. He hated the poor. Hated how pathetic they looked. It enraged him. They were all disgusting and pathetic. Doing nothing but sabotage other people's lives.
"I'm going to make you pay!" Baron Jerudich screamed, lurching forward at the coachman with raised fists. Before he could punch the coachman in the face, another hand stopped his fist mid air. Confusion and anger could easily be seen in Baron Jerudich's comical face, then it twisted into fear as cold sweat trickled down the back of his shirt.
Before him stood a tall figure. He donned a nobles expensive suit, laced with silver and red linings. His cape draped over his shoulders adorned silver chains that gleamed under the sun.
"Duke Frasirr, I didn't expect to be meeting you like this!" Baron Jerudich scrambled to pull himself together to appear more presentable after being witnessed in the middle of such a shameless act but Jayus didn't let go of his arm.
"Ah, yes. It seems our carriage allost crashed into yours. My fault truly. We were in a hurry and failed to cater space for others," Jayus said, with every phrase he said was a jab towards the Baron's already battered dignity and face. How unfortunate, to think Baron Jerudich would run into an esteemed noble and it had to be Duke Frassir to boot.
"Ahh...Duke, see- I was in a hurry...the Empress Call...I was just-" Baron Jerudich could do nothing but stammer out a pathetic excuse but Jayus was having none of it. Red eyes stared at the Baron with disinterest before his eyes flickered over the hand he had been squeezing this entire time.
"You're wearing plenty of beautiful rings today, Baron Jerudich. Do you often wear them for special occasions?" Jayus asked. At the sudden question, Baron Jerudich's face lit up.
Is he changing the subject? Baron Jerudich thought to himself in delight. Does that mean he'll let me off the hook today because of the Empress?
Before the Baron could answer him, Jayus continued "It would have been very painful for the coachman if his face had received a full blow with this hand, don't you think?"
And just like that, whatever feeling Baron Jerudich had within him disappeared as his face drained color in fear.
"Duke Frassir, you misunderstood! I was only trying to- AAGHH!-" Baron Jerudich screamed, his crashed hand nearly turning blue under Jayus's hold. Jayus simply didn't mind the screams from Baron Jerudich as he plucked of the rings from the older man's fingers before tossing them towards the coachman on the ground.
"This incident was my fault, remember that, Baron. Let me repay you-" Jayus said, then he turned to the coachman who froze under his gaze, "You can use that as compensation for the damages, leave the carriage behind."
"Duke Frassir-!" Baron Jerudich tried to cut in but the words he wished to say strangled in his throat as the hand that held his own squeezed it until it threatened to break. "I said I'd compensate you for the damages, didn't I?" Jayus said, "I'll call for another carriage to come get you, Baron-" He flung the Baron's arm away, causing Baron Jerudich to stumble back and fall to the ground.
"You," Jayus glanced back at the coachman who picked up all the rings on the ground.
"Yes, My Lord?" The coachman abruptly stood, dusting himself off. "You can go."
At those words, the coachman made haste getting up on the horse before scurrying away.
"As for you," Jayus thought for a moment before he got back inside his own carriage, leaving the Baron stunned out of his wits.
"You can wait for another carriage to pick you up." Was the answer he gave before leaving Baron Jerudich to eat the dust.