Simone's actions had left a deep, unsettling silence in the palace. Word spread like wildfire about the rebellion's swift collapse and the unsettling ease with which the Crown Prince had handled it. The Empire's enemies had been vanquished without a single soldier stepping onto the battlefield, without a single life lost on the Emperor's side—except for those who had dared to rebel.
Simone's power had become a thing of whispers, and his siblings were no exception. They had all heard the rumors, the terrified reports from the military, the tales from the servants who had witnessed the aftermath. They knew what had transpired in the war room. And every one of them was gripped with fear, each for their own reasons.
Adrian, the 1st Prince and once the favorite for the throne, sat in his private chambers, his hand gripping the armrest of his chair as he stared out over the Imperial City. His once assured demeanor was now clouded by unease. The power his brother wielded—the power he had always hidden, never fully understood—was more than Adrian had ever imagined. Even in their sparring sessions, Simone's cold, emotionless expression had betrayed nothing. It had been the same today, as if he had been sparring against a shadow rather than his own father.
Adrian had always believed that he would be the one to sit on the throne. He was charismatic, confident, and popular with the nobles. But now, with Simone's overwhelming presence, the game had changed. His brother was no longer just a rival. He was a force that no one, not even their father, could ignore.
Livia, too, had felt the cold hand of fear tighten around her heart. The fiery 1st Princess had always seen Simone as weak, as someone to be trampled upon in the race for the throne. But now, after hearing of his actions, she wasn't so sure anymore. Simone had been the last person anyone had expected to ascend to the title of Crown Prince. But now, it was clear to her: his power was unlike anything she had ever encountered. His silence was more deafening than any outburst of anger could have been.
Cassian, the 2nd Prince, had always been the calculating one. He had seen Simone's potential—had seen it even when Simone had been the shy, overweight 5th Prince—but nothing had prepared him for this. The coldness in Simone's demeanor now, the way he wielded his power with such precision and without a trace of hesitation, made Cassian uneasy. His brother's intellect and strength were unmatched, and it made Cassian question his own ambitions. He had never desired the throne in the same way Adrian or Livia did, but the stakes had been raised, and Cassian wasn't sure he wanted to play this game anymore.
Selene, the 2nd Princess, had always been calculating and careful in her actions, but even she couldn't escape the suffocating fear that Simone's presence caused. She had always known him as the silent observer, the one who kept to the shadows. But now, Simone was in those shadows, and he was watching. Her every move, her every thought felt exposed to him. She had always been able to weave subtle political webs, but with Simone's abilities, she was no longer certain she could outmaneuver him.
Dorian, the 3rd Prince, had always been reckless and arrogant, but the reality of Simone's power shattered his sense of invincibility. Simone had always been the one he mocked, the one he considered weak and unworthy. But after today—after hearing the whispers, seeing the consequences of his brother's actions—Dorian realized just how out of his depth he was.
Helena, his twin sister, was similarly disturbed. She had always admired Simone from afar, but she had never expected him to be this... formidable. His coldness, his indifference to their pleas for recognition, and his overwhelming strength were becoming too much for her to comprehend. She could no longer think of Simone as just the quiet, reserved 5th Prince. He had changed. He had become something else entirely.
Felix, the 4th Prince, had always kept to himself, away from the political games and struggles of his siblings. But even he couldn't deny the change in Simone. His brother had always been a mystery, but now that mystery was one that terrified him. Felix didn't know how to respond to someone whose power and intelligence seemed to surpass everything he had ever known. The person who had once seemed so insignificant had now become someone he couldn't avoid, no matter how much he wished to remain in the shadows.
Finally, Julian, the youngest of them all, stood on the periphery of his older siblings' thoughts. He had yet to awaken to his own powers, but watching the fear grow among his older siblings left him unsettled. They were afraid of Simone. They were afraid of the one person who had always seemed so distant, so out of place, and yet now he was the one they could never surpass. Even the most naïve of thoughts now carried the weight of that fear. Julian's thoughts were clouded with uncertainty, but one thing was clear: the world had changed. And he had no idea where he fit into it.
In the midst of all this fear, Simone remained silent. He had heard their thoughts—their fears, their doubts. He had known what they thought of him, and yet he had done nothing to change their opinions. He had long stopped caring. He was beyond them now.
His power, his intellect, and his cold indifference had placed him at the top of the Empire. The throne was his, whether they liked it or not. And yet, despite everything, Simone had no desire for it. He had no desire to rule over them. But if it was the price he had to pay for the peace he had brought, for the strength he had built, then he would wear the title. He would bear the weight of their fear and their whispers.
But as Simone stood in the shadows of the palace, his cold, emotionless gaze falling upon each of his siblings as they trembled in his presence, he couldn't help but wonder: Was this what his father had wanted? Was this what they had all wanted?