City border, Capital of Vas
Three dawns later
"Your Highness, we entered the city borders. Do you have anywhere you would like to go before the palace?"
When the rider of the carriage asked this question, Emperor felt somehow weird. Something in this question felt very wrong. It was like a subtle disturbance on the water surface. It felt like there was something big coming from the depths of the water.
"To the palace." Emperor said with slight uneasiness in his voice. After a while vibrations from the carriage felt like a turn. There should not be a turn on the way to the palace; Emperor's thoughts were going more and more savage by the time.
"Stop!"
There came a shouting from the Imperial Guards which are directly under the command of the Emperor. Carriage stopped abruptly. When the door suddenly opened, Emperor saw his General who is loyal to him more than anyone.
"It is the Old Emperor! We finally found him!" The General exclaimed.
Old Emperor...?
Who was the Old Emperor?
His thoughts were disrupted by the hand on his collar. He was almost dragged down from the carriage.
"Xavier! What is this madness?!"
This was exceptional. Normally the Emperor who is as calm as water was shouting. General Xavier stopped his movement for a moment.
"Don't you dare to spout your lies anymore. Everyone knows what you did outside the capital all these times. Giving you these words is only for the sake of our old friendship. If I had known what kind of person you are from the beginning... If I had seen the mask you were wearing all the time..." he stopped speaking for a moment. "There is no need for the words anymore. Actions spoke louder."
"What nonsense is this? What are you talking about?"
Emperor raised his voice again. There were silent murmurs in the crowd who were only watching this madman getting arrested for his crimes. He heard some people shouting swear words to him. Wine of Madness was the most shouted from the people. All words were embraced by the same root, how can he still try to deceive them?
"You know me the most! Xavier! Who told lies about me?"
But no one cared about the desperate cries of the old emperor. There was a huge stain on his life that he didn't even know where it came from. Then he remembered.
"You will be betrayed."
"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."
Those words he heard and knew carried no lies. But he had no reason to believe them at that time. He was chained with alignment restricting chains by then. He was being dragged to the palace, the place he knew as home for years. His knees were hitting the ground. He had no strength in his limbs. His whole body became numb. Betrayal. This was not something he can even imagine. Betrayal. He was going to die. Betrayal... Who was it?
He started laughing. His knees were starting to bleed at this point. He laughed more at the feeling of pain. He struggled to breathe. His heart clenched in his chest. Tear drops were forming in his eyes. Every tear stabbing his heart with utmost care. Betrayal. Who is it?
Maybe Helia. She knew everything about the Empire. They were close and she had the authority. She was his regent for years. Maybe Xavier. He was knowledgeable about a lot of interior problems and how to solve them. He was his General for years. But why? Why betray him? Then he thought about his big brother and his family.
Will they be okay if he was overthrown?
Will Jatro be able to save himself from his shadow?
"Your Highness. We caught him while he was trying to leave the capital under the disguise of a merchant."
He was finally brought to the place he was yearning for the past two weeks. He didn't even have the energy to raise his head until he heard the voice.
"Good work Xavier. Throw him to the dungeons for now. I will decide what to do about him later on."
It was him.
Acea's heart shattered into pieces.
Was it him all along?
It was his brother.
It was Jatro all along.
He finally raised his eyes to look at his beloved brother.
"Why?" It was one word but it carried the whole earth in it. Acea felt his soul, bleeding, as well. His tears were finally wetting his cheeks. Suddenly he escaped from Xavier's grip and ran in front of Jatro despite his bleeding knees.
"WHY?" he shouted out from the deepest places his lungs could reach.
"There is no reason for my venerable self to answer to a filth like you. But I will have mercy and say one thing to you. You were the softest Emperor an Empire had seen, little brother."
That was the end of everything. It was somehow bearable when coming from anyone else, but when it came from Jatro, it reached some places even Acea didn't know existed. His knees went weak again. His body crashed to the ground, like a meteor falling from the sky. Even after the unconscious Acea was taken from there, Jatro's eyes lingered at the shadow of his little brother.