A Promise of two decades:

A Compelling smell of cassis, jammy berries, chocolate, blue fruit and plums washed over Belor’s palate as he was taken over by waves of plush, ripe, fat, sexy, round fruit of Grand Royal Cabernet Sauvignon wine. Said to be obtained by the first emperor of the Mogul empire from a famed wine collector during one of his campaigns, Cabernet Sauvignon was treasured by his successors.

The six-litre bottle of red wine stored in an old rorin glass was only to be opened once every few decades by the reigning emperor himself. Like the earliest ancestor, he would sit at the same table, drink the same wine from the same glass and bask in the glory of his forefathers.

The name Mogul represented a dynasty; it represented the sixteen generations of kings who’d lived and ruled the land before Belor, and the wine had seen it all, their lives, their past, and their sacrifices. Above all, it represented that he was their successor, the person responsible for carrying on their dreams, and their ideals.

Slowly rotating the silky, refined wine in his glass Belor listened to the ongoing discussion around him. Each emperor had a different view on when to have his share of Cabernet Sauvignon, some had it in the most joyous of occasions, some had it during their worst nightmares. The message behind having the wine meant sharing their troubles with his forefathers, and seeking their advice and blessings.

Belor noticed Delian in one corner, and Felix in another. Their faces were clouded with anger, and fury burned their spirits. It had been a day since the direful events of the fateful night, but they couldn't yet find him.

Belor sighed in his heart and drank a mouthful. The taste of berries intoxicated him leaving him wanting more and at the same time made him forget some of his sins, but he could never escape from his pain.

“How is this possible?” Felix finally lost his cool and roared. General Klein glanced at the man but chose to remain silent. Felix himself was a general, but his position vastly surpassed Klein. As a HighPrince, he’d multitude of generals under his command. His station as a general was nothing but a reminiscence of his past when he served the army under the orders of his father.

Delian remained calm, but neither his eyes nor his aura could hide the intense anger storming his heart. The Vedan Crown Prince had escaped right under their noses and the Mogul soldiers who’d chased after the Vedan army suffered massive losses thanks to the suicide squads of the pagans.

They attacked like beasts, caring neither for life nor fearing death and were savage to the point of implausible reason. Killing any soul who stood in their path, men, women, and children, they paved a scarlet path for the Moguls who chased after them. Dead, they all were, but the pain and the suffering left behind by their actions would haunt hundreds of families for years to come.

Reagan White, Delian later learned the name of the pagan power. A power which caused the death of hundreds of his men, a power which had the godly ability to turn men against his family, a devilish ability to make a man into a mindless beast. It was the reason for his humiliation and his anger. Alone, Calvert had fooled, toyed and destroyed them. And yet, he'd escaped from their clutches.

But, Delian wasn’t in any position to blame others, he too had lost Gavril, the assassin. He’d underestimated the man, he didn't want to, but in the end, it turned out that he did. In the pretense of destroying the arcane reactors, he’d made Delian chase him all night.

Ultimately he didn’t even approach the arcane reactors. Delian understood that he was on a wild chase but what could he do? He’d to be sure. One moment of carelessness might cost him tens of thousands of lives and much more who're haunted by those lost.

Belor glanced at Delian and Felix. He then watched HighPrince Leon and Arbo sitting across them. Leaving HighPrince Edian currently stationed near Dry Bay and High Princess Violet who volunteered to join the army stationed at the Vedan border, four out of six HighPrinces were present before him. Delian, Felix, Leon, and Arbo.

Upon noticing Belor’s gaze, Leon’s eyes widened for a second before he nodded and regained his composure. Leaving Felix and Delian, Leon was the only other HighPrince present at the imperial palace, but he was nowhere to be seen on the night.

Not only did he not present himself before Belor, but he also advised other nobles to study the situation before they decide on their course of actions. Nobody could tell what would've happened had Leon come to help that night. Belor’s gaze thus had a multitude of meanings. I’m watching you, it meant. And, Leon understood it very well.

Moving his attention from Leon, Belor rose to his feet. “You can’t find him,” he announced with a sigh. Silence dampened the room as every pair of eyes stared at the man shouldering the pain of a father, the burden of an emperor and the humiliation of a soldier. “He is long gone," Belor added silently.

“But...,” Delian interrupted but stopped mid-sentence as he noticed Belor’s gaze. The fiery killing intent breathing in his eyes silenced everyone. “He’s shown us what he is capable of. He came to my house, assassinated my son, killed my men, and escaped from my capital.” Belor said.

Staring into every pair of eyes, he smiled. He looked tranquil, but for some reason, all they could feel was his hatred. “He made me a laughing stock. I trusted him. No, I believed that no man could attack my family under my watch in my house, but he proved me wrong.” Glancing at Leon and Arbo, he leaned on the oak table and whispered, “I’m going to kill that bastard with my two hands. You, and you and everyone else,” he pointed at Leon, Arbo and continued, “will follow my orders.”

His words were calm, serene like an early spring wind, like an old poem but there was a hidden edge of sharpness in his words which ruthlessly assaulted their spirits. Leon tightened his fist below the table as he heard Belor. Arbo narrowed his eyes as he understood the obscure meaning behind them while Felix and Delian sighed in their hearts.

They knew it was coming, and it certainly came. The actual words weren't spoken, and no real orders were given, but every person in the room knew what will soon be upon them, War.

Belor drank the remaining Cabernet Sauvignon and left. The minute he walked out, hushed breaths of reliefs resounded in the room. Leaving aside the HighPrinces, none of the generals and officials could maintain their calm under such pressure. Leon sighed while Arbo glanced at Delian and Felix. A moment of silence permeated between them and Arbo shook off the hold they had over him.

“Leave,” Delian ordered in a small voice. General Klein glanced at the young HighPrince, and a complicated expression rose in his eyes as he walked out of the chamber. The rest of the generals soon followed him leaving the four HighPrinces to themselves.

Arbo rose to his feet, and so did Felix. They measured each other; their massive frame extruded a rough, raw pressure, unlike their fragile, costly garments. “I trust you understood His Majesty’s words,” Felix thought aloud.

Arbo studied the man for a moment and smiled, the age old wrinkles on his face bloomed as his grin broadened but they did nothing to conceal the sharpness of his youth retained by his spirit. "Homines non gerere bellum, Imperii," he said. - Men do not wage war Felix, an empire does. And added, "Belor is too young a ruler for war. I hope he understands my reasons.”

Delian frowned, and Felix gritted his teeth as the two left the chamber. They were furious, but what could they do? The old fox had an unknown amount of power. He’d been a HighPrince even before the previous emperor ascended to the throne. Having ruled through the reign of three emperors, he was an existence second only to the emperor himself in the Mogul empire. War without his support was nothing but a pipe dream.

Belor walked through a series of corridors in the inner palace. His expression changed between rage and peace and a myriad of other emotions as he thought of his decision, the events of the past night and more. Passing through a heavily secured corridor, he arrived at a secluded balcony which overlooked the distant mountains of the north.

There he saw a glass and a bottle of Romanee-Conti waiting for him. A rare smile lit Belor’s face as he poured himself some and joined the person waiting for him. They stood shoulder to shoulder facing the same direction and watched the distant mountains in silence.

An air of solitude was around them. They looked troubled by their pasts and their decisions. They looked burdened by their decisions and the future but above all, their backs spoke of the bottomless pit of sadness looming over their souls.

“I’m sorry,” the man was the first to break the silence. Belor stared at the cherry red color of his red wine and laughed bitterly. “It was my choice,” he said. “My sacrifice and my sin. You are neither responsible nor the reason for my actions. I chose to do it and thus it is my sin and mine alone.”

The man sighed. And the silence continued. They stood for a minute and then an hour passed between them. Neither spoke but for some reason, the silence made a lot of sense. The cold wind of the autumn night, the half moon of the starry skies and the desolate balcony gave them space and time needed to sort out their thoughts.

Belor glanced at the man. He was as tall as him, moderately built, with an air of authority and power. But, the black vedan hair set him apart. “Can we do it, Calvert?” Belor thought aloud. The Crown Prince glanced at his friend, laughed a little and similarly thought aloud, “I don’t know.”

The silence of that uncertain answer didn’t discourage Belor. It instead reaffirmed his decision. A promise of two decades, a plan spanning a decade and a decision betting the future of two empires and the fate of the humanity. It was a gamble, and there were no certainties in such a bet.

******

AN: It got to my attent

I won't ruin it but have faith in me, I won't do such a basic mistake.

The Wines I mentioned in this chapter are actual wines.

Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon - World’s costliest wine - 500,000$/bottle - sold at an auction in Napa Valley. It is the only wine which was awarded 100 points by the master wine reviewer Robert Parker.

Romanee-Conti - one of the costliest wines - 224,900$/case of 8 bottles - made with the finest grape vines aged 53 years - only 450 cases can be produced, i.e., no more than 450x8=3600 Romanee-Conti can be prepared in the next 50 years.

** For the readers who think, It is inhuman to sacrifice your son for any purpose - I suggest you should hold your horses, there are many secrets I haven’t revealed yet. Hehe…

Chapter 11 - Shifting Tides

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Have a nice day bud,

Kanna.