Chapter 58: Chapter 58
Prince Vzeus: Lilith's father
Princess Lyra: Lilith's mother
Saintess Helixis and Emperor Heun: AZARIOS'S parents
Prince Vzeus had an elegant bearing thus when he invited the Saintess and her mysterious husband inside his humble abode along with their son, no questions were asked nor assumptions were made.
The pathway with chrysanthemum trails covered with a shade of ruby red roses, alongside the wooden fence that was entwined by blue grapes hanging onto vines hid the cracks in the walls.
Who would say that it was a residence belonging to that of a Prince? Neither it had luxury nor a single steward to take care of it.
Maybe there were many that considered Prince Vzeus pitiful yet Emperor Heun who followed Helixis felt unfathomable before shaking his head. The roses and varied chrysanthemum flowers had an intoxicating smell yet very few people were aware that cerulean blue grapes, when planted over yellow chrysanthemum, would attract viper snakes, when planed next to roses it may make the kingcobra insane with bloodlust.
What if the current empress of Gaerin-Daphne wanted to crush Prince Vzeus and not provide any protection? This man had trained wild beasts for protecting his residence no less. Four gardens conjoined and spiraled inwards to lead to a beautiful wooden mansion constructed in the middle. No servants and maids were seen in the vicinity thus the walk became more relaxed.
"This Princess greets her highness Saintess." Prince Vzeus smiled and whispered into Lyra's ear making her irises glimmer.
"This Princess pays her respect to the lord and little prince."
"This Saintess is happy that your highness has invited me to bless your daughter." Helixis nodded gently similarly making Heun follow along with Azarios who simply could not understand why the adults were indulging in so many talks.
"This one is called Azarios, one had undertaken great pains to visit the princess."
"Oh my! That's so graceful of the little heir." Lyra laughed.
"Her ladyship may bless our daughter." Prince Vzeus was desperate, this was the first time he had pulled off his connections to make Helixis, the one who had not entered Gaerin to even bless the current Emperor bestow her grace on his daughter thus he was even more impatient when it came to the ceremony.
Words, and people mingled into the background when Helixis nodded before walking towards the silver crib against the wall. Although born as a direct royal descendant the little cloth of silk and wolf fur that wrapped the newborn baby made her look somewhat pitiful.
Her highness Saintess Helixis had a variety of blessings that she wished upon various royal heirs, from wealth to beauty, enormous power to become the strongest yet somehow her throat was sour when she looked at the baby.
Power, Wealth, Prestige, Honor, and Love she had it all yet at the end of the day the scars on her own soul were too many, these things that look like the key to happiness are none at all. When Helixis was born, a local priest had called her a descendant of the goddess herself-'Born to be a blue-blooded noble above all those noble men and women, this child shall be God of Emperors and protector of thrones.'
All Lies
She was raped and sold off to the emperor, reduced to the status of a concubine by King Reineous who played her like a doll. Sufferings and horror-filled life were what she had lived before becoming the 'God' that they said her to be.
"This Saintess blesses the little princess with health and happiness, storms and evil souls that might approach must disperse and disappear. I swear upon the divine celestial creators that this child will have a destiny of a dragon, heart of a saint, and valor of a knight, and as long as she desires even the world will belong to her."
"This Prince shall be forever grateful to her majesty."
Too much
Prince Vzeus who was smiling earlier had his lips settling into a straight line yet without expressing his opinions he invited the guests to the front pavilion for serving tea.
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While the adults were divulging into a discussion that seemed too monotonous, Azarios had sneaked inside the inner chambers of Prince Vzeus, it might be possible that the man did not noticed or either had faith thus decided not to follow the young heir.
Onyx boots clacked against the floor in a symphony too fast to be called calm before getting settled infront of the silver crib decorated with small daisy flowers with pears and little strawberry fruit hanging down at its canopy. Swift hands moved the curtain away thus making the dark ink irises clash into the hazy honey ones that were wide and vibrant yet were fluttering again and again as if she had just woken up from her sleep. Pink cheeks that seemed to be rubbed with rose petals incited the boy to poke his finger at it only for his hand to recoil in shock.
Too soft
A human or a cotton fruit?
The little dumpling could not stop his fingers when they pinched the cheeks again making the little princess that had never seen this unknown stranger cry a chorus of 'yaya' sounds.
Azarios panicked and could not think anything thus plucked a strawberry fruit hanging onto the canopy of the crib entwined with its vines, wiped it with his hands, and stuffed the jewel-looking ruby berry into the mouth of the newborn who stopped with her tantrums. Silence prevailed as the baby chew the fruit from her gums since there were no teeth and looked at the boy standing before her peeking into her tiny home.
Azarios who was not sure whether this was a human or not poked several times to check.
Indeed a spherical marshmallow
"This prince had brought a falcon of the west hairpin for you-" The words struck into the throat of the prince when he tried inserting it in the little golden threads only for it to slide and fall down on the wolf fur. After trying several times when the pin still refused to get settled in the silky hair of the princess Azarios asked furiously.
"Do you consider this one a fool?"
"Yayayayaya!!!!!!!"
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Azarios hmped in anger before snatching the pin away and stuffing it in his pocket. Silence prevailed for a moment before the tiny hairs on the princess's head were pinched making her cry.
"Abuaaaaaaa! Buu!"
"This prince brought it as a gift but since you don't have hair now it is of no use, one will give it to you when you have impressed this prince in the future." The serene voice that carried warmth made the baby with honey irises blink and naturally get attracted by the glittering lilac diamond-encrusted pendant visible when the black cloak fluttered on the dumpling's frame.
An adorably small palm that was of the size of a grape stretched with all the might as she pointed towards it making Azarios blink twice before with utmost grace the chain pendant came off and was presented to the little princess.
"This was given to me at my birth by Imperial father. One must remember to appreciate the wellwishers and family thus this prince has not taken it off since then."
Baby Lilith could not have a care in the world about what the little prince was saying as she drooled a little on the diamond thinking of it as candy and soon took a bite out of it with her soft gums making Azarios widen his eyes as he looked at the princess who without a delay had teary eyes and a screeching voice.
"Abuuuuuuuuuuuuuaa!!!"
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An hour passed since the Saintess and her secretive husband left yet Prince Vzeus did not felt peace.
"Why is husband so restless? This one felt that her majesty was thoroughly kind and have blessed our daughter increasingly well."
"It is her majesty- the Saintess's compassion that makes this one feel a horrific premonition Lyra. This prince would never wish for my daughter to be a monarch- the dragon...never in one's life."
Princess Lyra who found the words somewhat strange looked at Vzeus.
"My grandmother, Empress mother Bethilia lost her husband, my grandfather only after a decade of getting married which made this prince's father who was only seven at that time sit on the throne. The world thinks that it was Empress grandmother's grace and valor through which she could control the empire and act as a regent yet the ones living in palace have always known the truth.
It was not only courage and valor....in reality it was a sacrificial pyre that burned until it took away her soul. Men are crude, brutal beings, that might suffer thousands of wounds and die yet when it is a female that tries attaining the throne....she would have to lose every sane part of hers...be a traitor and sometimes lose the world in order to attain one.
This prince never wish for my daughter to suffer such fate."
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Two years later
Struggles and vicious webs were starting to get threaded together in a necklace made up of six current empires of the mortal realm. Changes with a stroke of blood and wars were sprouting in different regions, the rulers were getting corrupt and rebellion forces were rising to take over the thrones.
Darrin, the principal state earlier ruled by the Emperor of the Great Eastern Deserts had broken apart from the map of the empire and declared themselves independent after the death of General Avaram in a siege. The country's future appeared bleak when there was no emperor to support the throne and the one pillar foundation was also broken.
The young son of General Avaram was barely able to hold on to the dissolving Eastern regime when Prince Vzeus decided to step in to help his old friend's son yet the moment his absence was felt in Gaerin, various factions of the Princes have started to move and the current emperor was poisoned by Empress Daphne.
Daxtros was sacrificed to a huge chaos in the inner palace when the Empress, Caronisia deflected the imperial decree and did not relent when Emperor Qiza declared her entire family traitors further helping all of them to escape out of the boundaries of the kingdom.
Yet the biggest storm was knocking at the doors of Her Highness Saintess Helixis ruling the unconquerable Grevian. A mole in the temple which was not found yet had given information that the saintess bore a son whose father was entirely unknown urging various tongues to waver and make speculations. For commoners, this was a rumor that one dismissed since the Saintess enigmatic aura instilled fear yet for the ones who held power the truth from false could have been identified with much effort.
The enemies lurking the in dark have already instilled spies to confirm whether Helixis had a weakness that one could use or not yet ironically an Ambrose official was the first to find out. Emperor Heun had furiously beheaded the minister of law and order who came to him in secrecy, hoping that the monarch would be joyous to know that now they had leverage over Helixis.
Yet the question was till when can the Prince who was born to rule can be hidden behind the veiling protection? How long can they hide the prophecy?
One prince Azarios's existence came to light it would be natural for his father to appear as well yet the time had not come, for the outcome and destiny to remain same such drastic steps might lead to catastrophe.
Azarios held Helixis' hand as they walked beneath the peach blossom tree sprouting saffron tainted pink petals, the Saintess was lost in her thoughts when Azarios stopped.
"Does Imperial mother remembers this prince hunting for the gigantic falcons on the shore of Western Seas?"
"One had encountered a young Falcon who had strength even to rival this prince yet not the fellow beast and remember telling her- 'You might be their king one day but right now they are stronger, so hide here and increase your strength for now.'
This prince understands that you and imperial father are concerned about my welfare yet at the current scenario.....this one can only promise mother that I will not die, I will not be defeated and at last whatever one does and wherever one goes....this prince will return with all the world bowing at one's feet."