Royal Palace, Capital of Vas
A month prior
"Come in."
The Emperor's personal study room was a mess as always even though he kept claiming that everything had an order in his eyes. The Advisor, who just entered the room, couldn't keep her reaction to the room's condition.
"My lord…-" The Emperor stopped her even before she completed her sentence.
"Helia... What is the matter for you to come at this hour? Don't mind the room. Let us go to the garden."
It was obvious in the Advisor's eyes that the Emperor was trying to shift the subject and take her outside of his room. She did not comment on it and silently followed the Emperor to the garden. The night was chilly. Stars were not visible behind the clouds but she did not need to look at the sky to see the Polaris.
"My lord, there has been a commotion in the nearby town named Sativum, about some officials. They request you to be present there. They say that one of the townsmen burned down the resources that were planned to use for renovations of the houses and temples which were sent. That town is one of those."
"I remember."
The Emperor took a deep breath trying to order his thoughts. There were a lot of things going on in his mind. Considering the current issues he had with Elders of the Botrytis Temple and nobles of the empire, if this problem were to reveal one of the schemes of those people to cause a disturbance he would not be surprised at all.
"Are there any important meetings that I should be present in the next two weeks?"
"There isn't, my lord. You already finished the documents and reports about the winter provisions. But… Are you certain, going personally? We can send the Marshal to take care of the-"
The Emperor's gentle smile was shining through his eyes even in the darkest of the nights.
"Take care of what? The townsmen? Heliantus. I am not a leaf in the wind. I can see who is willingly listening to me or who is just following me because I am the Emperor."
"Yes, my lord. I am sorry for my incompetence."
"If there is nothing else, tomorrow I will go see what is happening with my own eyes. Don't be like this Helia. I know you understand my intentions. But I see why you can't stand with me on this as well. Also… when did you start speaking this formal with your brother?"
The advisor thought that this Emperor of hers was really soft in heart but she didn't dare to voice her opinion. She slowly sighed, shaking her head. The Emperor's posture was like an immortal descendant. His hair was like the soft flames entangled with brownish soil that lightened the night and his voice was like a calm wind which made her smile without thinking.
"Just a habit. I have known you since childhood and you are still the same child with the softest heart in the world."
"Sister. I trust you to take care of the things while I am not here."
"I will, my lord."
"I do not hear you."
"You are such a child even if you are already thirty three, Acea."
"I still cannot hear."
"I said I will take care of things when you are away, brother."
"Very well. I will part with the first lights of the day."
Helia silently nodded at him and left the garden while bidding him good night. The last thing she saw was their beautiful emperor bending down to caress a little kitten. Afterwards she left to make preparations for the Emperor's travel.
When the first lights of the next day started to beam from east the Emperor was stepping inside the carriage of his, which was disguised to look like a regular merchant's carriage. Horses were leashed and the scene he was watching started to move. Five carriages, carrying the Imperial Guards who are accompanying the Emperor, Echinacea Caelius, moved within the first carriage as well. Under the name of the goods of this humble merchant.
Travel to the town took three dawns. When they arrived at the house of the official who was responsible from that town, the Emperor slowly got off from the carriage. Mansion's garden was hollow and empty, not much green to be seen. This felt soulless rather than a town official's house. Older servants, who already realized the identity of the person who came to visit, were wearing a very respectful attitude. One of the younger guards stepped out from the entrance of the mansion. His uniform was neatly put on, his eyes were fierce. To be this young again, to turn back my twenties; thought emperor. He almost heard the voice of his advisor saying that he is not that old.
"Entering Rose Mansion is currently prohibited. I need to ask your important self to wait until the doors are opened again."
The young guard, of course, had no way of knowing that this plain wearing person might be the Emperor he looked upon. This person had auburn short hair accompanied by azure eyes. Considering the carriages, this person must be a merchant, thought the young guard until the housekeeper rushed to the entrance.
"Your highness!" exclaimed the old housekeeper, the Emperor smiled.
"Good to see you, Fuli."
The young guard who heard the identity of this merchant shivered to his bones. He immediately thought his life would be over on the spot with a single command from the Emperor. That was the reason he did not hear the person who directed a question to him.
"What is your name?" The Emperor asked.
"He is new, your highness. Only seventeen, named Pluie."
"Y-Your highness... please s-spare me... I didn't know- I wasn't informed... Your highness will come here..."
His stutter made the gentle Emperor laugh a little. He raised his hand and slowly patted the trembling boy's head. Two endless skies were looking through the young guard's soul but at the moment the young boy felt some sense of relief that he could not quite understand.
"Relax. This only proves my disguise is working."
There were no other sentences. The emperor slowly walked past the young guard to the reception room. The official's reception room was airy. Walls were covered with explicit quality paint. Seats were arranged as if the official is the only one in the room, higher from others. While servants were calling for their master, the Emperor slowly sat down in one of the seats below. Fuli who saw the Emperor do that, wanted to show him his master's seat to sit but knowing the Emperor's attitude he knew that the Emperor will not accept this proposal of his. Minutes later the Master of Mansion Rose entered the reception room hurriedly. Upon seeing the Emperor sitting below his seat, the master of the house felt somehow ashamed. He did not move to his seat but instead he kneeled in front of the Emperor.
"Your highness... It is an honour to have you here. I believe you received my reports."
"Official Rose. Indeed I have heard about your reports. You mentioned a townsman burnt down the resources that I provided?"
"Yes sir. She used spiritual fire. That was the reason we were not able to extinguish it. This is a small town..." The last sentence of this official was almost silent.
"Don't you have any water aligned spell casters?"
"Unfortunately, sir."
"That young guard outside the entrance, Pluie, has water alignment. Teach him. So this kind of problem never occurs again."
A moment of surprise was obvious on the official's face but he held his ground.
"As you wish, your highness."
"Do you know why this person started the fire?"
"She refuses to speak with us. She said she has some important things to say but only to Your Highness."
"Where is this woman now?"
"She is merely a girl, Your Highness. My men are keeping her in the prison of this mansion at the moment."
"Bring her to my presence."
"Yes, Your Highness."
While the official got up to leave the room, the Emperor's brows were furrowed. There was a distinct feeling in his heart that he was not able to identify. He slowly rose from the seat he was sitting at.
"Wait. No need to move her. I will be coming with you."
That sentence felt quite refreshing to the official. He knew they didn't do anything to the girl in prison but trying to bring the girl would probably end up as a disaster. He led the Emperor to the prison where this ravenous girl was kept. Her eyes were like emeralds. Her dry lips were shut, her gaze fierce. It was obvious that she was a vicious one. Her long messy hair was covering half of her pretty face.
"Why?" said the Emperor.
"I needed my lord here." answered the young girl, her tone was not fitting her looks somehow. There was something secretive in her voice.
"Leave us alone."
"Your Highness... It is not safe for you to be alone with a criminal even though she is little and restricted with spell bounding chains."
"Leave and send the guard boy I mentioned before here. I will not repeat."
It was impossible to understand what the Emperor was thinking. Official Rose was thinking about what he should do when his eyes met with the Emperor's. Then all questions vanished. He was sure to do what had been told to him. He and his guards will leave the prison, leaving the Emperor and the girl alone and he will send the young boy named Pluie to the prison as the Emperor commanded. After the crowd left, dark walls sank into the silence again.
"You will be betrayed."
Her voice carried anguish. Her voice was soft.
"You are not the only person to say this to me."
"No, but I am the only one who owns it."
Her body became one with nature. Black silks turned into green leaves. Her green eyes shone with an eerie light. Skin turned into a dark soil.
"Are you a prophet?"
"I am not a prophet but a mere bird, chiming a little warning."
"What do you know?
"There is a price for everything. This gentle Emperor in front of me has done nothing but good. But even good deeds come with a price. My lovely lord, you will be betrayed but do not lose faith for you to be back again."
Words were genuine but words were deceiving. The Emperor heard a lot of things which are truths and lies for years. He had an intuition for these at the point. He had seen nothing but the truth in her words sprinkled with a brush of affection. But how can one believe such things without a single string of trust or evidence? She sure knew this as well.
"These are mere words of mine. A little present. You sure do not need to heed but keep it in heart. This, I only wish from you."
After this sentence all the freshness of nature left the girl's body. Emerald eyes turned chocolate brown. Leaves turned back to being black silk. It was obvious why this girl called herself a mere bird. She was only a puppet used by a greater spell caster. The Emperor looked down to see her dazed eyes and found not even a little remnant of the soul which possessed her. But there was nothing left. It was a spectacular spiritual energy.
"Y-Your Highness..."
The young boy's voice was trembling but he stood still which the Emperor actually admired.
"Pluie, right? Do you know this girl?"
Pluie did not even look at the girl. His eyes wandered at the corners of the prison. His tongue was silent. The Emperor watched his reactions with great attention.
"Is she your sister?"
This time the boy's expression turned into a shock. His irises grew bigger with the sentence.
"I can sense and see behind the illusion spell on you. You are twins, aren't you?"
These questions the Emperor asked made him more nervous. How can he know? How did he see through one of the strongest illusion spells? Pluie was getting more and more panicked with the time but the Emperor only smiled.
"Tell me the reason and I will spare both of you."
"Official Rose said he will make a brothel out of our temple."
This voice was not the same soft voice that the Emperor heard from the girl in chains just before.
"A pleasure house? Which temple do you belong to?"
"Wari," answered the girl.
"Rayon!" Pluie exclaimed.
Rayon turned her eyes to the Emperor who was silently observing both siblings. When the Emperor waved his hand, young boy Pluie's exterior changed drastically. His defined face turned into a soft oval accompanied by the same brown eyes with black hair. His appearance turned into a copy of the girl in chains.
"Rising sun bends with kneeling waves." repeated Emperor from his memory.
"The Emperor knows our mantra..?" Pluie's tone was still soft but it was stripped from manly vocals now revealing her gentle voice.
"Of course he knows. He is the Emperor." Rayon intruded.
Silence embraced the prison. It was obvious that Rayon's eyes were burning with anger. A little cough from another cell echoed through the walls. The Emperor was thinking while sisters were exchanging glances.
"I will confirm this through Official Rose first. Pluie. Cast your illusion spell again and come with me, we will speak about this illusion spell of yours later on."
"Y-Yes Your Highness..." She mumbled some incantations while drawing an invisible array on top of her own chest. Afterwards her looks turned back to a young boy's appearance. Not speaking another word, the Emperor left the prison along with Pluie. His steps were firm and eyes were strict. Pluie felt every inch of his body tensed up. Was this gentle Emperor of theirs really able to get angry?
"Official Rose."
In the reception room there was Official Rose and some of the town elders. The Emperor's sudden appearance in the room made everyone a little on edge. A heavy aura was radiating from the Emperor.
"Your Highness."
"Care to explain your renewal plans about the Wari Temple?"
Oh, so this was the problem. Official Rose straightened his back. He was sure of himself.
"We are planning to turn that place into a pleasure house of this town, Your Highness. This decision is not made only by me but the townsmen themselves. There are no followers of that temple around here anymore."
"No followers? And you thought you had the right to make such a shameless act as turning a temple into a pleasure house?"
The Emperor's anger was nothing to take lightly. Official Rose felt his blood run cold. A freezing breeze circulated around the reception room. Town elders were getting more distressed while minutes passed. The Emperor's eyes landed on the boy right behind himself.
"Where did you take this boy from?"
"He was found in the forest next to the temple, your highness."
His smile was scarier than his anger.
"And you didn't even question him?"
"I-I did... He told me he was coming from a nearby village and got lost."
"Good... Good. That temple you were so eager to turn into a pleasure house will be an academy. Wari teachings will be taught in this town. If you dare to go back or not obey my orders... I won't have any other choice except to strip you from any title you own and take away everything you have. But I'm sure you are a loyal subject and you will listen to my words without question."
Official Rose was almost as red as an apple. He was about to choke on his own saliva while he asked.
"B-But your highness... There are no followers of Wari in this town... How can we teach them without knowing first..?"
"Learn then. I will send someone to teach you and guide you through. Also... I will be staying here for a while. Prepare a room for me. Pluie, accompany me."
Then the dark red flames of the Emperor left the reception room with grace.