Two days had passed since Emon's declaration of abdication. The High Prince secluded himself in his room, not even Derek was allowed entry.
Emon expected one of two outcomes from his statement that day, namely his removal from the line of succession or the immediate refusal of his abdication.
However, none of his family members spoke to him that day in accordance with his father's orders.
Emon gazed at his charred portrait on the wall, a symbol of his father's anger manifesting itself in the physical world.
Even though no one had spoken to him, several letters had been slipped under his door.
Emon glanced at the letters placed on top of the brown drawer to the right of his bed. They were already spread out, and one could infer their various senders by their seal.
"No letter from Father or Caster, huh?" the young prince said as he scanned the letters, seemingly looking for one to read.
"Mother, Talia, Leanor and Candor," Emon said, naming the various writers of the letters.
"Though there are exceptions to any rule, I believe women are too emotional and throw logic outside the window. Candor is definitely the better option," Emon said, drawing knowledge from one of the various books he read.
"Candor presents the best case for being the most logical. Father relies on his objective opinions for a reason." Emon continued, his hands placed on his chin.
Emon picked a letter with a black seal. Its image, a man's face without ears and mouth.
It read:
Dear Emon,
Two days after you receive this letter, I will come before your door. Kindly open it.
Yours faithfully,
Candor Culayn
After digesting the contents of the letter, a tender knock disturbed the peace in Emon's room.
"May I come in?" The sweet voice belonged to Talia.
"What do you want?" Emon asked, still seated on his bed, his voice sounding almost angry.
"For the past two days, I gave you your space. I think you've had enough time to sort yourself out," she replied calmly.
"Talia, you're not here to change my mind, right?" Emon asked, his voice as calm as his wife's.
"I am merely returning back to my matrimonial room," she said, increasing the intensity of her knock to drive home the point.
"That's fair enough. I'll let you in. There are some things only women can do for a man, after all," he said, finally smiling for the first time today.
Emon removed the red blankets that covered his leg all the way to his stomach and walked towards the door to open it.
When he reached the door, he hesitated but finally summoned up courage to open it.
The first sight he saw after opening the door was her green dress but his attention immediately shifted to the dozen ice bullets flying his way.
Unfazed by the situation, a barrier blocked and shattered the ice.
"Attempting to assassinate a High Prince is treason, you know," Emon said jokingly, his eyes firmly locked on her beautiful figure.
"I think it would be rather convenient for the Emperor if you died. Your living will only serve as shame to the Most Graced," she said, her face brimming with anger
"Look, I won't change my mind. As my wife you should accept my decision and assuage me with your womanly gift," he said wittingly as he pointed at her.
"Legally, we're not even fully married," she said, then loudly laughed.
"So you would jump to my brother to continue pursuing your dream of becoming the Empress?" he asked, wearing a face that took pity on his own self.
"Caster is already betrothed, and I have honour. One day I will fulfill my legal duty, but I won't be doing it to 'assuage you,'" she said as she moved closer toward him.
"Would you be staying tonight?" he asked as both of them walked towards the bed.
"Yes, and forget everything I said about not changing your mind. I will make you Emperor for my sake and that of my house" she said, her right hand patting the half-dressed Prince back who didn't seem to mind.
"By the way, Candor would be coming tonight. Are you sure you want to be here with that telepath" he said as he removed her hand from his back.
"Won't you remove that portrait? It gives our room a burnt smell," she asked, her finger pointing at the now burnt portrait.
"I take every experience with me, whether good or bad. It stays till I die," he said, his face exhibiting seriousness.
"By the way, what's so funny?" Emon asked Talia who was laughing out loud
"You are the burnt picture to me, but unlike you who's picture is burnt because of his weakness, my own burnt picture is not mine," she said
"And like you, I will keep you, my burnt picture with till I die," she continued, her face finally relaxing.
"I could get used to that sharp tongue of yours" Emon said as he smiled at her words.
"This noon seems to be warm, I had trained for this but the weather in Celmora suits me better" she said, a chill aura emanating from her suddenly made the room colder.
"Alabath's method of granting divine traits has no discernible pattern, don't you think?" Emon, questioned as he shifted the topic, the room now matching the temperature of Talia's comfort.
"It might all just be a coincidence," she said as she basked in the now cold room.
"He must also be a lover of irony, for some, their divine trait is not a blessing but a curse, and for some, their divine trait is powerful but they don't have the lifeforce to use it well," Emon said, shifting even closer to Talia.
"Was this how you wooed all the girls you slept with?" Talia asked, her face forming a smirk.
"Didn't need to, being the heir of Daemon made it easy," he said, wearing a smile that expected reproach.
"You're a fool, aren't you, Emon." she said as the smirk finally left her face.
The two were interrupted by a knock that was most likely from the hands of Candor Culayn.
Emon immediately proceeded to open the door while Talia adjusted her cloth.
"You're doing better than I expected, Emon," Candor's ever piercing voice said after Emon opened the door.
"To be honest it's thanks to her," Emon said, his pale face drawing Candor's attention.
"You look pale, I brought food" Candor picked up a tray from beside the door. Its content, bread, honey and tea.
"My favourite, thank you," Emon exclaimed, his eyes brightening with happiness.
"You really are doing better than I thought" Candor repeated.
"You may enter" After thankfully collecting the food, Emon granted Candor entry
Candor began to shiver as he stepped through the oak-tree door.
"Too cold, don't you think, Princess?" Candor questioned as he briskly walked toward a chair and took a blanket to cover himself.
"You can leave if you don't like it" Talia said as she slightly reduced the cold. "You can remove the blanket now Lord Candor" she said, her eyes fixed on his shivering figure.
"Fire is still fire, regardless of whether it is from the Emperor or Caster. Only the level of heat is different," he said, his body still wrapped in the blanket.
"Alright, I'll release the manifestation, but on one condition," She said, her expression stern.
"Whatever," Candor's replied swiftly.
"You'll need to wear a blindfold, I can't have you peeking into my mind," she moved towards her dressing area and picked a black scarf and threw it at him.
Candor loosely tied the scarf but Talia was sure to tighten it herself.
The sitting area in the room was large enough to fit in four large chairs. The room itself had a separate Space for Talia and Emon but had only one bed and one sitting area.
The three of them each sat at different chairs, defying expectations that they were husband and wife and a close family friend.
"I have come with a proposal," Candor began the conversation., "defer your abdication till the cracks in Velecor are cemented" he continued, his cold eyes setting Emon aback
"The realm won't heal with a man like me, should there be war, Caster is better suited," he said, his eyes unable to meet Candor's any longer.
"So you would rather be a coward than keep your brother from harm's way?" Candor questioned, his cold eyes now visible as he removed the blindfold.
"Velecor's choice is Caster. Their gossip makes it clear," Emon replied, his soft voice spelling out his low self esteem.
"Daemon is Velecor. Daemon chose you," Candor said
Talia nodded agreement to Candor's declaration
"Thankfully I have spoken with Caster, he would accept it on one condition" Candor said, his face brimming with anger as he saw Emon's smirk.
"Caster wants you to assassinate Princess Diana, his betrothed" Caster's requirements brought Emon and Talia to their feet.
"That can't be true." Emon replied, concern dressed on his smooth face.
"Sit down, it is true, he is in love with Lady Cara of house Dakrrin, I'm sure you know that much" Emon finally sat down after hearing Candor's words
"I'll need to have a word with aunt Sabella about you High Princes," Talia said as she finally broke her silence. Her mood changing from nonchalant to anger.
"He's such a fool. The Emperor is allowed to take more than one woman. He could have had Diana as his Empress and Cara as his mistress"Talia looked at Emon with disgust as he laid out the flaw in Caster's condition.
"Your brother does not want to disinherit you, he would rather choose to live with a woman he doesn't love than try to rule over you" Talia said, her face still holding anger.
"Daemon should have had more children" Caster said as he shook his head in disgust at Emon.
"Caster has also put the option of killing her himself if you persist to give him your right," Candor continued
The room grew silent for a few minutes as Talia and Candor gave Emon time to think. Emon bowed his head in thought for about two minutes. Candor looked at him expectantly while Talia still wore a face of disgust.
"Very well, I'll hold onto it till the Empire is at peace, but I can count on you to pass it to Caster after right?" Emon said, his eyes mirroring Candor's cold eyes.
"An equitable exchange, it was what I was about to touch on, I promise to make Caster the heir after it's all settled," Candor replied, his face making a satisfied smile.
"What will you do, Talia? Emon asked Talia whose anger seemed to have diffused.
"To be honest, I think my plans are better off than an hour ago, now you'll be the heir until otherwise" she said as she increased the cold in the room, a signal that their conversation was about to end.
"Emon, I arranged a meeting with Eccih the sturdy, he's a barrier user just like you, he would definitely teach you a thing or two," Candor said as he quickly walked towards the door due to the cold.
"Very well then" Emon replied, Candor had shown Emon his back and the room was back to a state of cold and quiet.
As Candor left, he took the stairs to the left that could only lead to the pathway to Daemon's room.
"Open up" Candor said as he knocked at Daemon's door.
Unexpectedly to Candor, it was not Daemon that opened the door but Sabella.
"How did it go?" she asked Candor whose gaze was wandering the room, looking for Daemon
"He will remain the heir" Candor replied after sighting Daemon and entering the room.
"After he sees what it is like to carry the Empire on his back, he would not wish it on his Caster. His love for his brother will be his undoing" Daemon said, his back facing Candor while he watched the flames in the hearth.
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Emon felt uneasy about Caster's condition to be heir. He had gathered all his strength to not show his true feelings when Candor told him. Even at that, it leaked out but was held in his throat.
His outrage now needed no kindling. Emon took his sword from the top of a shelf and fastened it around his belt.
With Talia now in the bathroom, Emon waited until he heard the sound of rushing water. His anger was quelled a little bit by his lewd imagination, but it was not enough to sate his need to see his brother
For the first time in two days, Emon left the confines of his room and took the stairs leading to the passageway of Caster's room.
His steps pounded against the floor, each one echoing through the corridor—Caster would hear him long before he arrived.
When he reached the door, Emon paused for a moment before making a gentle knock. As quickly as he knocked footsteps approached as if already waiting.
Caster seemed to have just finished taking his bath, his body was wet, his hair presenting the notion with the most evidence.
"The tortoise finally comes out of his shell?" Caster said, his face wearing a wide smile.
"Let's take a stroll, shall we?" Emon said, his anxious eyes scanning Caster's room.
"So Candor told you?" Caster said, Emon's anxiety seemingly quelled by his words.
The two brothers ventured deep into the woods at the back of the imperial palace.
"Speak plainly, would it be convenient for you if Diana ends up dead?" The question did not take Caster off guard; he had expected it.
"Yes," Caster answered immediately, his cold words which were amplified by his fiery eyes, took Emon aback.
"Why?" Emon questioned, his hands squeezing in rage.
"Maybe love, maybe because I can, I am not like you Emon, Cara I want, the throne and Diana I don't," Caster said, his hands engulfed in flames.
Without warning, Emon drew the black sword Dyran created for him. The sword on his right and a shield like barrier on his left.
"You're a fool clinging to love, perhaps I might be able to beat it out of you," Emon said as he prepared to attack
"You're welcome to try, brother," Caster replied, as he fuelled his fiery hands.
Emon was the first to move. He tried to pin Caster to the tree behind him and gain an upper hand in movement.
Caster moved even faster, having read Emon's attack and realising his weak position, he used flame to propel himself to the top of a tree.
Caster fired flames at Emon, who darted behind the trees, letting them absorb the brunt of the attack.
The younger High Prince was visibly confused as to why Emon used the trees instead of using his barriers.
"You!" Caster shouted out as realisation set in.
"I picked this spot for two reasons. One was your love for vegetation and places like this; the other was to prevent interference" Emon said as he gave a wry smile.
"You cunning bastard!" Caster said, his voice raised in anger.
"You're a prodigy but still young, your control of flame isn't precise enough to prevent damage to your precious woods. In another arena I would most likely lose, your fire might even burn my barriers. But here, we're throwing punches and fighting with the sword" Emon said, as he jumped towards Caster's spot on the tree.
Emon unsheathed three daggers from his boots and hurled them at Caster. The younger High Prince skillfully dodged them. However, upon piercing the tree, the daggers exploded.
The daggers had no lifeforce signatures in them. They only exploded under the condition of piercing something. Information unknown to Caster.
The explosion caught Caster off guard. The branch Caster stood on broke and made him fall to the ground.
Caster quickly got up and scurried to unsheathe his sword. However, his hands remained empty. Even when armed, he was no match for his older brother.
He unclenched his fists and surrendered to a beating from his big brother.
The only sound in the quiet eerie woods was that of flesh hitting flesh.
"Pardon me Cas, I wanted to take out my anger at someone and you provided me with the opportunity," Emon said, as he cleaned the drop of tear in his eye.
"That's not to say you didn't deserve it" Emon continued as he stood over his brother's unconscious body.
Emon carried Caster and walked back to the castle.
The Devner Woods were about a ten-minute walk to the castle. Just about a quarter of the way through, Emon met his now recovered manservant.
"What are you doing here Derek?" Emon said as he gave a questioning look.
"I came to carry you back to the castle but it seems I'll be carrying Caster instead," Derek said as he walked towards Emon.
"I will carry him myself. It's not like a weakling like you could carry him anyway" Emon said jokingly.
Derek took Caster's hand and vanished away with him, leaving Emon alone in the woods.
"He didn't take that well, did he?" Emon said as he laughed loudly.
Emon walked alone and quietly to the castle. He occupied himself with the sight of his brother's blood dripping from his knuckles.
Aside from his footsteps breaking twigs, the dripping blood was all that could be heard.
He had just beaten his brother.
Even so, the trap closed in faster than ever.