PAST

Year: 69, Era of Reptilius,

Regime of King Fleunix

Empire of Gaerin

Royal games have always been the most interesting for the schemes and conspiracies are woven at the back all the while maintaining a gentle façade in the front.

A lion had fathered fourteen cubs when the age was ripe and strength in veins, unquestionable yet when the mane gets white and the beast starts dwindling with the onslaught of time, the cubs come forward to fight for their pride.

King Fleunix had one Queen, six imperial consorts, twenty six noble concubines and countless woman in his harem when he was still young and the blood still hot to wish for many children but with the years passing by and his weak bones becoming unable to support him to sit on the throne, behind his back the princes have already began dealing with each other to succeed the golden crown.

The strongest ones being the children, the twin brothers birthed by the Empress Daphane fighting with the son of the senior imperial consort Cemera.

The Regent King himself supported the son of his imperial noble consort and his beloved wife Cemera but the Empress faction was not sleeping or being docile either to hand over the throne. The twin brothers Prince Ragel and Prince Kyzm were under their mother empress's wings were viciously fighting with the opponents while the Empress poisoned the King slowly yet steadily to decrease his role and retire him at the earliest.

Steadily, all the ministers were brought to the side of the twin brothers with either hook or crook. Noble ladies from the most influential families were married to the princes establishing relations and the ones who refused were eradicated overnight under the nose of the dying king.

Among the factions fighting overpowering one another the only stable and truly uninterested one was the eleventh prince whose mother has passed along time ago. His powers were limited and the woman who had married him to be his princess consort belonged to an the old scholarly family whose aristocracy has declined despite the prestige remaining with time.

Without any strong hold or backing Prince Vzeus was as good as a discarded chess piece yet his life was simple and resources being constrained time to time to keep a check on him did not seem to affect him much, with countless times his family being put on a house arrest to test waters at last he was spared by the Empress.

The Empress mother of King Fleunix and grandmother of the Prince Vzeus was the only one who remembered the eleventh prince from time to time and had some regards with him.

Seasons changed and equinoxes came, soon it was already past four years when King Fleunix died at the age of sixty one, buried along with immeasurable treasures and his own favourite son and consort that were killed right after him, he passed away and the new emperor was Prince Kyzm aging thirty six with his son as crown prince.

Out of twelve princes, only three have remained alive apart from the blooded brother of King Kyzm, Prince Ragel who enjoyed luxuries and a small part of army but others remaining alive were not so lucky making Prince Vzeus one of them who was instead banished to the outskirts of Gaerin with his wife and their only daughter.

Even when everything was taken away from them they have never complained because Prince Vzeus said, Greed of throne only knows bloodshed.

The family became merchants at the outskirts of Gaerin. Prince Vzeus, his wife Princess Lyra and their only daughter Lilith were left to fend for themselves.

_________________________________________________________

"The letter sent to us my lord was burned, only a very small portion of it was left thus this one presented it to you."

The secret letters sent from Gaerint were reduced to tatters and the Azaron spy was injured heavily, not only all the information they had worked hard to get their hands on disappeared but also the spy was poisoned. As soon as he stepped into the mansion and gave the letter into the hands of Seros, he had fainted.

Seros felt disappointment in his heart, all the planning and scheming had gone to waste, yesterday the general was unavailable at night with strict orders that not even a soul was to enter the inner courtyards of Lotus mansion and by this morning the spy was in a comatose state not known when to wake up.

"The letter had all the information regarding Mistress Lilith...what to do now lord general?"

"Lets pay the injured soldier a visit."

A night full of passion was playtime for her, she has started placing her pawns on the battlefield so how come he dare to disappoint her. Azarios was aware that she would be partially angry and some part hurt from his investigation of her background but it was not like she was not doing the same.

"The Daxtros Princess Nevix is using all her sources in dark to know what forces you have Mylord."

The indication was clear in his voice, that does Azarios wants to kill all of them for touching things that they should not.

"This General's energy is not to be wasted on armatures, if my wife wants to know, help her out Seros." The sub-commander stiffened, his mouth gaping as he could not comprehend what was going on when his General brushed his sleeves and entered the infirmary with medicinal smell wafting outside.

Cream colored drapes were hanging at the windows to stop the cold wind from entering inside, a man was lying on a simple white bed, eyes closed and body posture stiff with bruises littering his face.

The doctor applying salve on his feet got up bowing down to greet the gladiator.

"A warm bath of goldenseal can relive the poison." The medical practitioner looked confused, hesitating to say something.

Azarios waved his arm, the old doctor understanding the order took a big pot to crush the extract of the said herb as two soldiers came forward to lift the spy up before he was undressed and soaking into the wooden tub, the doctor adding the herbs after some moment.

"What- M-Mylord! This- the soldier's chest....something is written on it!" The beast smiled in victory, goldenseal is not a poison reliver, its used to see the invisible ink.

The beast took out a small vial of blue liquid.

"Feed this to him, he has done his duty well."

Empress Daphne

Prince Kyzm

Prince Ragel

Prince Vzeus (Lilith's father)

Princess Lyra