Chapter 20: Where were we?

"Who is it?" Dorian called out as the knock shook the door slightly.

"Your majesty. Prince Octavian is here to see you. He says that he has something important to talk to you about." One of the guards shouted from outside. There was a pause as Dorian looked down at Kalon and then back to the door.

"That's fine. Let him in." Dorian shouted after patting Kalon on the back.

'Huh? Why would you let him in? Didn't you say that you were worried about him killing me? I don't think that he would have changed his mind right now.' Kalon asked himself silently before clenching his eyes closed. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he knew that if Octavian was involved.

The door swung open, and the sounds of footsteps filled the room as Octavian entered the room with two other boys around his age. Upon seeing the emperor, all three of them got down to one knee and bowed their heads to the ground before looking up at Dorian.

But as Octavian looked up, he saw a small skinny boy standing beside his father and became confused for a moment before realising that it was his younger brother.

"What is the meaning of this!? Isn't he supposed to be banned from stepping foot within the palace? How did he make it to the treasury?" Octavian demanded an answer from his father before getting back up to his feet.

"Who dared you to show me such disrespect, boy? Didn't I tell you what would happen the next time you raised your voice in front of me?!" Dorian shouted. His voice was loud enough to shake the room, and even the metal door rattled in its frame as he called out.

Octavian's face lost all its colour, and he turned into a pale shell as he looked up at his father's glowing red eyes. The only time that he felt fear was when his father shouted at him. As the heir to the throne, the only person who could actually hurt him would be Dorian.

"Yes, father, I'm sorry." Octavian's eyes grew dimmer as he submitted to his father and then dropped down to his knees before biting his tongue to help keep his anger in.

'What is this? Why is that bastard standing while I have to kneel? I am the heir to the throne, and he is just a son of a mere slave. What is going on here? Is father planning to give him my throne?' Octavian stared at Kalon with a malicious look. It was as if he was warning him that he would kill him if he got any ideas about the throne.

Kalon opened his eyes with hesitation to see that Octavian was staring at him and then flinched. He wasn't ready to see a death stare as he looked again. But now, he was feeling like Octavian was planning to harm him.

But as he was thinking about what kind of plans his brother might have in store for him. Kalon recognised the boy as the one who split his lip a few days before kneeling on the ground behind Octavian. Kalon stepped back a little and bumped into Dorian, who was standing right behind him.

"What's wrong?" Dorian asked as the back of Kalon's head hit against his hip. Dorian placed his hand on Kalon's head and ruffled his hair once again to check if he was okay in front of Octavian and his two friends.

"It's nothing." Kalon smiled as his father brushed his hair back and forth with his hand before looking back down to see the death stare from Octavian had gotten more assertive, and the other two boys were looking up in shock.

Octavian bit down on his tongue once again, this time a little harder, and blood began to fill the inside of his mouth.

"What is it?" Dorian asked Octavian and his friends, who had yet to say what they wanted.

"Uhm…" Octavian paused and swallowed the blood that had pooled in his mouth before speaking once again.

"It's about my birthday", Octavian stated in a tone that sounded as though he was about to request something.

"What about it?" Dorian asked in a cold tone which was a total opposite to the manner he had spoken to Kalon in.

Kalon looked up at his father with confusion. It was the first time he had seen him act cold and distant. Even with Luna, he seemed like he was trying his best to be a good parent. But the way he was speaking to Octavian made it seem as though he was purposely cruel to him for one reason or another.

But as he looked up at his father's face, he looked down, and their eyes met before going back to petting his head as he waited for another reply from Octavian.

Octavian gulped before responding.

"It's just that. I was thinking since I am going to become an adult soon and I will have to enter the military." Octavian said and then looked up at his father, who was still stroking Kalon's hair.

"Yeah? What about it? I told you it is non-negotiable. It is your duty as a member of the royal family to serve your country and inspire the people you will one day lead. You can't expect them to follow you into battle if you don't prove that you are worth following." Dorian said with the same coldness behind his eyes.

Octavian took a deep breath. His father wasn't talking to him any different than what he usually did, but the fact that he was so harsh to him while babying his younger brother was driving him insane. He felt his blood begin to boil as he looked up at his fathers face.

"That is exactly what I was talking about. Could you put me on the front line? I want to kill as many humans as possible and beat the record held by Lord Dignus." Octavian bowed his head as he spoke to show that he was asking for his father's permission.

Upon mentioning that he wanted to kill as many humans as he could, Octavian looked toward Kalon with envious eyes. He was jealous of the treatment their father was giving to him, just like he was jealous that Kalon had a mother to raise him. Octavian felt even more motivated to make Kalon's life a living hell.

He wanted Kalon to see that humans weren't welcomed in the Sylton empire. To see that humans weren't worthy of living. He wanted them to die just as much as he wanted to see Kalon suffer.

Kalon flinched as he saw the sinister smile run across his elder brother's lips as he looked up at him with a burning rage in his eyes. Kalon retreated a little more until his whole body was pressed up against his fathers.

"Are you okay?" Dorian asked and looked down at Kalon, Ignoring what Octavian had to say completely.

"Mhm," Kalon nodded his head in response while making sure that he didn't take his eyes off his brother. He wasn't sure what he was plotting but knew that if he wanted to, Octavian could kill him at a moment's notice.

The only thing that was keeping him from being beaten was the presence of their father, and Kalon felt even more grateful than he did when receiving the pendant hung from his neck. Dorian shrugged his shoulders, not noticing the silent threats and tension between his children and then moving on to answering Octavian's request.

"I told you already, didn't I? You can go ahead and do whatever you want to once you become an adult. There are only a few months left until your coming of age ceremony. But for now, I'm not sending a child to war. That would cause an outrage all throughout the empire even if you are the next in line." Dorian said and then sighed.

"I'm a little busy now, so if that's it, then we can talk later. Now leave." Dorian instructed. And upon hearing his voice, the two guards waiting outside opened the door for Octavian and his friends to leave.

"But-" Octavian began to pretest but as soon as he did, he was shut down.

"I don't want to hear it. You will follow my orders whether you like it or not. You are the heir to my throne and have responsibilities to keep. If you don't like it, then build your own empire." Dorian said and then looked to the guards who were waiting for his instructions.

"Get them out of here." As soon as Dorian spoke, the two guards walked around to be in front of the boys and then instructed them to leave.

Octavian sighed in defeat before doing what he was told and left. But just as the door was about to close once again, Kalon got the feeling that he was being watched. As he looked out into the corridor, he saw a purple glow from the back of Octavian's neck.

'What is that?' Kalon thought to himself before feeling a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see his father smiling down upon him and then took a few steps back.

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't expecting to be interrupted like that, and I hope you don't mind. Now, where were we?" Dorian asked while pulling out a rolled-up piece of paper from the inside of his jacket and placing it down on the table.