Rion looked at the buzzing palace as the fourth consort was preparing for a banquet for her two sons. He knew that they invited the Devineris as the consort wanted to form an alliance marriage between the daughter of Duke Devineris and the fifth prince.
That damned consort who always sents some palace maids to poison me.
"Your Highness..."
I looked at Maru as he was also looking at where I was looking at.
"What was it Maru?"
I asked as I looked at the people coming in and out from the consort's palace as they were holding some decorations for her party.
The fourth consorts love her party to be extravagant and lavish as she was an illegitimate daughter of a mere count who climbed at the emperor's bed.
She was once his mother lady-in-waiting who betrayed her.
And that is why Rion hated her, for her greed for a status and power she dare defy her master who saved her father's county.
"I heard from the palace that the consort is iniviting the Devineris."
He said as he sighed, he knew damned well what that invitation means.
"I don't think the duke would be stupid enough to let his own daughter go to the wolve's den."
I said as I looked unbothered at what he said, besides the duke hated the Emperor even no matter how much he ignored his daughter he won't dare to let her attend it.
"By the way, the Young Master of the Devineris was already here in the capital."
He said as he looked at me, I just nodded at what he said as I saw them. last night at Lady Emily's debut party.
That Lady Navia last night, she looks different from the last time I saw her.
It seems like she didn't even recognized who I am, when she clings to me all the time during Lord Rowen's party.
She even pushed Camilla who did nothing to her as she was jealous of her.
"It seems like the empress and the other consort's are eyeing the Duke's daughter for marriage."
Maru said as he looked at me while shaking his head.
Too young to be eyed for marriage.
"Should we also-"
"No..."
I said as I cut him before he could say anything.
"You know that I already like someone and it's Lady Camilla."
I said as I looked at him.
I looked at
I looked at the new palace maid who was holding some tray food on her hand, didn't they tried enough to kill me?
I looked at Maru and he seems to understand what I meant as he drew his swords towards the woman who easily trembled and let the tray fall on the ground.
"Who sent you?"
I asked as I looked at her with my dead eyes.
"I-I don't know what you are talking about, Your Highness.."
She said as her voice was trembling in fear.
"You don't know?"
I asked coldly as she looks more scared at the tone of my voice , as she should.
I already know that it was one of the emperor's consort who always tried to kill me.
Some even hired some women from brothel's just to defile my reputation.
They can't just abuse me without my grandfather knowing, and they were not bold enough to do something against the former empress's son publicly, besides.
It is my mother who was originally the princess, too bad my grandfather didn't had any male heirs, but now that he is weak, the emperor was bold enough to make the throne as a competition for his sons.
Son's who doesn't have any drop of royalty.
That's why the other Consorts has been trying to get rid of me.
They were also the one who poisoned my mother, when grandfather was away.
I looked at Maru and he looked at me and back to the maid again who was still kneeling while she was shaking in fear for her life.
I took my sword out, and without blinking an eye, I slit her throat.
I could feel some of her blood spill to my clothes.
"Get her body."
I said as I commanded Maru as he did what I said.
I walked towards the door and head to where the fourth Consort palace is.
When we get there I saw some people are busy decorating her place.
"Where is the fourth Consort?"
I asked coldly as everyone stopped when they saw how I looked.
I could see the fear on their eyes as they look at me who has some blood on my clothes as I was holding a sword with blood on it and at my back was Maru holding a sack on him where the blood was also dripping.
"Y-Your Highness..."
I heard someone said and I could see that they were scared at what they are seeing.
"Where is she?"
I said as I looked at them and walked inside when no one answered.
Some even stepped back.
I walked again to search the place when I didn't get any answer.
I went straight up and was on the hallway when I saw the fifth and seventh prince walking.
"Y-You... What are you doing here?"
The fifth prince asked as he was glaring at me.
"I came to greet your Mother."
I said coldly as I passed them, but the seventh prince grabbed me on my shoulder, and I grabbed his hand and twists it.
The loud scream from the seventh prince echoed across the hallwat.
"What did you do to my brother?"
The fift prince said as he drew sword and aimed at me.
I uses my own sword to shield myself from his sword, and use a little force as our two sword clash.
His sword flew when I hit it and his eyes widened when he realized what happened.
I swung my sword on his face to give him some cut on his face as a lesson that he shouldn't crossed me.
He hold his face where I put some little cut on it as he also screamed in anger.
"I am going to kill you!"
He said as he run to attack me, and I pointed the sword on his neck and kick him which made him fly unconsciously to the wall.
While the seventh prince tried to attack me and I gave him a punch which made him dropped to his knees.
"Urggghhh"
"Ugghhhh"
They both groaned in pain as they were clutching the part where I hit them and leave some injury.
I walked passed them as they were just a hindrance to my business here.
I looked for her room and-
"Ahhh "
"That's it My Lord..."
I know that voice, the room wasn't locked so, Maru and I sneak a peak.
The consort was naked and was humping a man. Suddenly the man flipped her and stard moving behind her.
"Fasterrr...."
The consort moaned as she looks like she had to much ecstasy while being humped by the man behind her.
My vision went black as I felt some hands cover my eyes.
"Don't look at the two disgusting adulterous, Your Highness.."
Maru said as he was covering my eyes from.
I removed his hands from covering mine as I barged into the room which made the two startled.
"Well, isn't this the timid and virtous fourth Consort?"
I asked as I smiled devilishly at them.
I looked at the man and find him familiar.
"Oh..."
I said when I realized something.
"Aren't you supposed to be some distant relative of hers?"
I asked as they were covering theirselves with the quilt.
"Does the emperor knew about this?"
I asked as I looked at her and grin.
She used to parade herself before when she was still a lowly serving lady-in-waiting to my mother that she had climbed to the emperor's bed.
She even let my mother and I witnesses their infidelity, she who my mother trusted before betrayed her and took her husband away from her.
Grandfather was really furious with what happened, but his health has been long declining ever since, he always told me he regretted marrying his one and only daughter to the current emperor.
The former emperor married his own daughter to one of the trusted son of the Marquis house knowing that they were frugal as his health has been declining and was always away to find cure for his health.
He has been searching for years and still hasn't comeback ever since then.
"What are you doing here, You demon!"
She shouted as her eyes were red in anger.
"I told you before not to mess with me."
I said as as I looked at her and her expression changed and she smirked.
"How dare a mere brat like you who has no one to rely command me?"
She said as she looks at me with smug on her face.
"If I am a mere brat what are you? A snake who's too coward to peel its own skin."
I said as I looked at her with no emotions in my eyes.
"What are you even doing here?! Oh, I see you're not satisfied with that maid?"
She asked as she smirked at me, Maru on the other hand was ready to draw his sword at what she said.
"How vulgar for a consort like you who pretends to be virtous, and yet here you are saying you sent a maid to poisoned the prince and to sleep with him when he was still young! How audacious!"
Maru said as she was still in the back hiding the maid's dead body.
"You! How dare a lowly knight like you lecture me?"
She said and seems to be forgetting that Maru was not just an ordinary knight he was born from a noble house, but chose to served.
I looked at Maru and nodded at him which he seems to understand what.
He pulled the maid's body.
The fourt consort and her lover looked shocked at what they are seeing.
And it seems like she couldn't bare the scene she fled to her bathroom as she looks pale and was to vomit.
I looked at the man who was covering his lower body.
"Y-you killed her! How dare you..."
The consort said when she gets out from the bathroom and seems to put some clothes on, her face looks pale and her eyes were red in anger.
"This is a warning for you, next time you tried the same trick it will be yours and your sons head will be rolling..."
I said as I looked at her with still no emotions in my eyes.
"Do you think the emperor will let it slide if you kill me and your brothers?"
She said as she was glaring at me.
"Are they my brothers?"
I said as I walk out from the room with Maru leaving her in stunned at what I said.
Does she take me for a fool?
Those two bastards on the other part of the hallway was his bastards with the man she was sleeping with a while ago, but the stupid Emperor thinks all of his consorts are faithful to him, when he himself was unfaithful.
All that damned Emperor was a strong warrior to control that's why he didn't even care if his sons are killing each other for the throne, instead he was enjoying watching them killing each other.
What a heartless father....