Chapter 122


    #122 The New Emperor


    A strange silence followed their arrival in the room.


    Kairen and Vrehan were fiercely ring at each other from across the dozens of soldiers between


    them. They could have been alone, the atmosphere wouldn’t have gotten an inch colder. The poor men


    stuck between the two Imperial Princes even felt a bit out of ce, exchanging worried nces at each


    other. After all, none of them had signed to be standing up against the Empire’s War God himself!


    Those men were Imperial Guards, trained to obey the Emperor only, and they would do so until their


    death, but this situation just didn’t feel right for any of them… Princess Shareen, who was known for


    her own military merits, was ring at them like she was seeing a crowd of vermin. She couldn’t


    believe the nerve of those idiots to side with Vrehan…


    The Imperial Princess had a sour expression on. She had abandoned her swords to steal a spear from


    one of the Imperial generals she had defeated. That weapon was heavy and meant for a man, but she


    Content ? N?velDrama.Org 2024.


    had no problem carrying it nonchntly on her shoulders. Her stare went to Missandra with a sigh. So


    things had turned that bad there… Anour, too, was staring at Missandra non-stop, unable to say a


    word, only scared. 1


    “You’re a bitte, brother,” said Vrehan, speaking first. “You missed my coronation.”


    Kairen didn’t bother to answer, but Shareen stood forward, furious.


    “What coronation! You’re no more worthy of the title of Emperor than you are worthy of putting your


    dirty ass on that throne, Vrehan!”


    Her words angered him, and he suddenly pulled more on Missandra’s hair, making her groan in pain.


    She was keeping herself from crying, but the young woman was teary-eyed, as he was keeping her


    neck torn in a weird position, and that de was held on her skin. Shareen clenched her teeth,


    annoyed. If he had captured Missandra, it didn’t mean anything good for her sister either… Anour


    almost stepped forward, but she quickly held his arm and pushed him back towards her mother.


    “What happened to that old man?” Suddenly asked Kareen.


    For the first time, her voice was cold as ice, but she was strangely calm andposed. The second


    Prince answered with an annoyed expression.


    “He is dead. I am the Emperor now. You’re no longer the favorite!”


    This was such a weak insult, it wouldn’t make the proud Imperial Concubine flinch. Kareen’s re was


    much fiercer, and it looked like nothing could make her waver, not even the news of her past lover’s


    death. Either she didn’t believe it, hid her emotions perfectly, or wasn’t affected, one couldn’t tell. She


    was just standing there, an empty look in her eyes.


    From ring at the concubine, Vrehan’s eyes got down on the baby she was holding. His ck eyes


    opened wider, in a horrified, disgusted expression as he discovered Kassian. Kairen moved right away


    to stand between Vrehan’s line of sight and his son, ring right back at him.


    “That little bastard…” hissed Vrehan.


    Kian who had followed them jumped on Kairen’s shoulder at that moment, and growled at him, arching


    his back.


    “Where is Cassandra?” Asked Kairen, impatient.


    This time, the second prince’s face broke into a nasty smile, looking quite happy. He chuckled, his


    chuckle turning into a crazyugh. His voice echoed along the walls, making everyone but him rather


    uneasy.


    “You crazy ass…” Hissed Shareen.


    “She’s dead!” Yelled the second Prince.


    Kairen didn’t move, but his fingers tightened around his weapon.


    “You damn, precious witch is dead! That bitch killed herself to escape me!”


    “You’re lying…” muttered Shareen.


    She couldn’t help but send worried nces at Kairen. If Cassandra was really dead, her brother was


    really going to lose it… Facing them, Vrehan keptughing like crazy, amused by the War God’s furious


    expression.


    “You were a War God, Kairen, but now you’re so affected by that bitch’s death? Well, your woman is


    dead. She dived into the Lake and she never came back.” 1


    “It’s Cassandra, Kairen,” whispered Kareen behind him. “She can stay underwater for a long time…


    “Oh, you think she could still be alive? I will break it to you: she is noting back, you idiot. Your


    women dived into thatke hours ago. Even that witch can’t survive hours under the surface! It’s a pity.


    I would have loved to show you her dead body, just for the pleasure to see your face…”


    Whatever he had hoped to see, Kairen wasn’t going to give him that pleasure. Whether he believed it


    or not and despite his sister’s worried nces, all of his rage was contained inside. However, they did


    hear the furious growls of a Dragoning from the outside. Unlike his master, Krai was going rogue


    outside the Pce’s walls. Yet here, his master was only clenching his jaw and his fists and ring like


    a tiger at Vrehan.


    He slowly raised his sword.


    “You’re going to die,” he whispered.


    That simple sentence erased all smiles from Vreh?n’s lips. The second prince stood up, and showed


    Missandra, his de on her throat tracing a thin red line on her skin. Shareen clicked her tongue.


    “Oh, no, I don’t think so. You are going to throw your weapons, or I’ll slice that woman like a pig in front


    of you. Both of you,” he added, ring at Shareen as well.


    “You scum. And what happens if we refuse? You only have one hostage, once she’s dead we would


    have no problem killing you!”


    “Oh, I don’t need to kill her right way,” chuckled Vrehan. “I can slice her pretty skin little by little, until


    you obey. Her skin is way to neat,pared to her older sister, isn’t she? I could even chop off a few


    limbs…” 1


    “We have Phetra,” dered Shareen. “How about we do the same thing to your precious younger


    sister?”


    Vrehanughed loudly again, his horribleugh making Shareen roll her eyes.


    “Do you think I care about my sister? She was only useful for some time! Princesses aren’t as watched


    as the Princes, you see. She was very helpful in making more allies within the Senate…”


    “I knew that bitch opened her legs…” hissed Shareen.


    “You two are such idiots,” continued Vrehan. “All you can do is fight, you are not fit to be Emperor!”


    “Oh, right, we are not some vile scheming rat like you!”


    Just as she said that Vrehan got even madder, and his dragon growled furiously, too, taking one step


    forward. They couldn’t have missed his eyes, bothpletely covered in a dry dark liquid that ought to


    be blood…


    “Your dragon doesn’t look in top shape, Vrehan,’ snickered Shareen.


    That sentence didn’t help make him any calmer, and without warning, he suddenly raised his weapon


    and carved a long, deep line on Missandra’s arm. The young woman screamed in pain, closing her


    eyes and crying out.


    “You bastard!”


    “Keep making me mad, Shareen. I still have plenty of surfaces to keep on that little bitch’s body!”


    That’s when Kairen recognized the weapon Vrehan was holding. It was Cassandra’s dagger, the one


    that formerly belonged to Phetra. This time, the War God saw red and stepped forward. However,


    Vrehan was quick to react and put his sword back against Missandra’s throat.


    “Uh-uh, no, Kairen. If you take another step, I swear I’ll butcher that little bitch!”


    The third Prince stood there for a second, his eyes on the young girl. Missandra was crying in pain, her


    blood dripping from her injury. That bastard had cut her deep on purpose, to make her injury more


    painful and impressive. He didn’t want to give him any victory, but she was still Cassandra’s younger


    sister… He nced at the blind dragon and snickered. He threw his weapons.


    The two swords resonated on the marble floor, and even the soldiers in front of him looked confused.


    The War God was giving up on his weapons, to save a woman? Behind him, Shareen was just as


    annoyed, but after hesitating, she was about to throw her spear when Missandra spoke.


    “Don’t! Please don’t care about me! I’d rather die than let this scum survive!”


    “Missandra!” Called out Anour, horrified, a second toote. 2


    “Shut up, little vermin! Or I shall cut you some more!”


    Vrehan put his threat to execution right away, stabbing Missandra’s shoulder. She screamed again, and


    fell down on her knees, in a horrible state of pain. Her voice resonated throughout the Pce’s walls,


    making even the soldiers ufortable. This situation was really not one they wanted to be in…


    Meanwhile, Shareen’s hands were almost turning white from holding her spear so tightly. In her head,


    she was already ying the scenarios of what she’d do to that scum once he was dead… Next to her,


    Anour was the most horrified. The young boy looked like he was about to faint, his eyes on Missandra,


    in utter shock. He couldn’t do anything but watch that horrible disy of violence on her.


    “Vrehan, enough!” Yelled Kareen.


    “Shareen still has her weapon,” he retorted, staring at his half-sister.


    “Don’t!”


    To everyone’s surprise, despite her tears, Missandra still looked fierce and determined. Down on her


    knees, holding her bleeding shoulder, her lips trembling, she was still able to look at Shareen from


    across the hall. The


    girl ought to be in an excruciating state of pain, but she still acted as if she wasn’t.


    “D-don’t,” she begged. “Don’t let that bastard win…”


    “Shut up, I said!” He yelled.


    Vrehan kicked her injury and pressed his shoe on it, forcing Missandra to bow lower and lower, in a


    horrible position. His shoe sole was soonpletely red, but the girl did not advert her eyes from the


    little group across the room. Never had she looked so much like her older sister.


    “That bastard murdered my sister and raped his own sister!” 2


    “Shut the fuck up!”


    “He did what…?”


    This time, even Kareen looked utterly shocked and baffled.


    “You rotten rat… What did you do…?” Muttered Shareen.


    “I said shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Yelled Vrehan, absolutely furious.


    He kicked Missandra restlessly until the girl waspletely lying underneath him, half-conscious.


    A heavy silence followed that horrible scene. Even if he hadn’t said a thing, Vrehan’s anger at the girl’s


    word made the truth obvious. Everyone in that hall could understand that.


    Suddenly, Kian squealed, and jumped down Kairen’s arm, running in the opposite direction, leaving the


    room.


    “Kian, no!”


    “Lady Kareen!”


    The baby dragon disappeared in the corridors, while Lady Kareen ran after him, still holding Kassian.


    Evin immediately ran after her too. He didn’t have his ce in a fight against so many soldiers anyway,


    and the Imperial Servant was concerned about Cassandra’s baby. Anour nced at them leaving,


    hesitant.


    “…Go with them,” said Kairen, his eyes still ring in Vrehan’s way.


    His younger brother hesitated. He wasn’tfortable letting their mother and the babies run away, but


    War God or not, Kairen was in an unfavorable position there. Moreover, he had already thrown his


    weapon, and he knew he and Shareen wouldn’t risk Missandra getting killed either. Vrehan was a poor


    fighter, but he still had his dragon… Yet, he had trouble leaving. When Missandra was like that… (1


    “…Are you sure?” He whispered.


    Kairen didn’t answer, which was the equivalent of a definite answer from him. Shareen gave him a nod,


    too. Anour swallowed his saliva, a bit bitter to have to leave them. However, he wasn’t stupid. He


    wasn’t on his older siblings’ level, he would have been no better than a hindrance here… After onest


    re towards Vrehan, trying not to look at the injured Missandra, Anour finally ran out, to catch up after


    Lady Kareen. Once he was gone, the War God and his sister were suddenly left alone with an army of


    Imperial Soldiers, Vrehan, and his dragon.


    Shareen sighed.


    “About two hundred men? Really, Vrehan, you’re such a coward…”


    “Drop your weapon, Shareen, and recognize me as the Emperor,” hissed the Second Prince. “Or I


    swear I’ll finish that girl and you’ll have to watch her bleed out!”


    Shareen nced down at Missandra. The young girl was still not moving, one couldn’t tell if she was


    still breathing. Only her eyes were still teary, turned towards them. After a few seconds of staring at


    each other, she very distinctly saw Missandra nod.


    Shareen sighed.


    “You’re not too rusty yet, brother?” She said, her eyes on Vrehan, making her spear turn between her


    hands.


    “Stop ying.


    She snickered. Suddenly, her eyes went up on the Red Dragon.


    “Enough!” Yelled Vrehan, feeling what was going to happen. “I am the new Emperor! The council


    already agreed! You can’t kill me, I am the Emperor!”


    Shareenughed.


    “Oh, Vrehan, you’re really the Emperor of rats. The council you said? You convinced a bunch of scum


    like you to sign some paperwork, and just like that, you think we should leave you Father’s throne?


    Don’t worry about the council. I think it will be time for some serious Spring cleaning once we are done


    with you!”


    Vrehan’s eyes opened wide, and he stepped back. Shareen was still smiling like a cat about to eat a


    bird.


    “You know what? I think we need fresh blood on the Council’s seat. How about we start with yours!”


    Just like that, she suddenly threw her spear across the room. Her weapon flew far above the head of


    the soldiers and, with a horrible sound, dug deep in the red dragon’s shoulder.


    The gigantic beast growled furiously in pain and anger and jumped to attack,ing their way. The first


    ranks of soldiers, distracted by the dragon, turned their heads back a second toote. They met


    Kairen’s furious re from up very close and, a secondter, the War God’s fist began wreaking havoc


    around him.