"This Emperor shall have your skin peeled off your flesh if anything akin to lies were spoken, tell me what did prince Zorah do?" Meza was a mere servant, the pressure of the emperor must have made her tremble and surrender yet Lilith never failed in choosing the people that never let her down.

The woman more beautiful than a flower went down her knees and kowtowed endlessly making King Kyzm not able to continue in such severe tone any longer. Imperial harem did not lacked women yet it wasn't unknown that emperor had his eye on younger, much fresh and elegant women outside it.

"This servant......this servant shall always be indebted to his majesty for sparing this one's family and shall say nothing but truth. Crown prince w-was talking to crown princess when this one's mistress entered hearing crying voices, once taking in that it was such a matter, her grace wished to leave yet crown prince..." She did not continued any longer and bowed those lashes as if fearing her life.

Prince Zorah that had been reduced to unconscious state with just one kick by the emperor was lying on the ground unattended.

"Don't fear anything, speak clearly." If Imperial consort Jeansen had not left the chambers earlier saying that women should not interfere with the male's way of handling the household, she must have been red eyed watching the interaction between a maid and the emperor who looking eager to have a taste.

"T-the crown prince said that he w-will the the e-emperor soon thus the princess must get down on h-her knees and apologize." If it was Lilith apologizing or doing even a more humiliating thing, he was not concerned yet Zorah proclaiming himself to be the monarch while he was still alive....that son of his must have gone insane.

"IMPUDENT!....Crown princess Is that what your father Prime Minister Artim and Crown Prince talk about these days!"

"T-This o-one is not a-aware your majesty, infront of his highness.....t-this one cannot speak." pitiful tears trailed down the face of the already bruised Artilia. Emperor Kyzm was aware that the crown prince did not had good relations with his wife thus when said at such it was not really difficult to understand.

"This princess will go down my knees and ask for his majesty's forgiveness-"

"There is no need for such." The words were said in distaste before he looked at Lilith and asked.

"Zorah had attacked your life, what kind of punishment does the princess wishes for him to have?"

"This princess wishes to have elder brother refrain from abusing the crown princess, crown princess is an obedient wife that shall do everything elder brother asks her of, it was this one's fault to enter elder brother's chambers like that thus there is no need for forgiveness."

Obedient wife

Shall do everything

Thus if one day, Prince Zorah asks her to make her father- Prime minister Artim support him and take the throne......she will help in that too.

Emperor Kyzm's eyes changed with those words and a small smirk was left on the lips hidden behind the veil.

__________________________________________________________________________-

Ink fabric of heaven did not thrum with the brightness of stars this particular day. Archduke Aeon who had been sleeping while embracing Yialos close to himself felt uncomfortable when liquid droplets touched his neck and trailed down.

Yialos was like a precious treasure, a reason to live that was left in Aeon's life after his mother passed away thus he could not let anything trouble him but when in the middle of the night, his little bun was shivering and unknowingly crying in his sleep, he felt something unexpectedly evil was happening and this was just the beginning.

"Lios..open your eyes, see this one is here." wet cheeks were softly caressed as a loving kiss was pressed to his eyelids making them tremble flow open. Those crystal golden irises were exquisite yet now watching them red rimmed with tears make Aeon's heart clench.

"I-I had a horrible nightmare-" Before those words could be completely uttered, a knock on the chamber doors which appeared to be quite frantic made Aeon rise in hurry and carry Yialos over to the back, hiding him.

"Wait for me....yes?" Aeon patted the head with long black hair gently before disappearing and opening the front door.

"How dare you interrupt this one in the middle of the night." The shadow guard did not know what to say thus handed over a letter that just arrived from the countryside.

"Master....Master not much time is left. " Aeon felt his voice was stopped from coming. The chamber's doors were shut as the man helped Yialos out of his place of hiding.

"Is everything alright?" Glimmering golden irises looked hopeful upon asking that question yet Aeon did not know what to say at this moment.

"Why is Aeon not answering this one?" Duke Aeon held Yialos's fingers tightly and pulled him out of the room in the middle of the night.

"Nothing is wrong, I just went outside to have a look at what is happening....you must not worry-"

"Why doesn't the duke tells me, where I am going? What is happening Aeon...." Yialos looked at the stoic face and the trembling hands that were earlier embracing him from behind while they simply slept.

_________________________________________________________________

Princess Lyra had a weak constitution since the beginning but running from one place to another while hiding all her life, getting far away from her children and also the separation from Vzeus had further deteriorated her health.

When the news of Vzeus's capture reached her ears, she had died many deaths yet held onto it for then thinking that at the cost of mother father's life, their children might have a secure future, all that was shattered when Lilith was forced to enter the palace.

How can she, the one whose entire life was spent inside the playgrounds of the imperial palace not know what kind of place it was or what kind of intentions Kyzm was harbouring. Vzeus was critically injured and according to what her father said he was taking his last breaths in the Great Eastern deserts.

Why must those monsters go to such lengths to harm her children and husband? If there was any god in this realm she only wished for her children to survive and live happily.

The thought of her Lilith marrying just to give them a chance to live...where was such place in the world where a mother would survive on the mortal remains of her daughter...her Yialos was too young to understand but had the backing of Aeon and General Casagon.

Tired eyes looked at the wall that was painted snow white and was reminded of the time when tiny flowers of the same colour were used to decorate her hair as Vzeus gently stroked her strands.

Them being young and foolish to fall in love. His strength to continue even in the mayhem and then them marrying her despite all odds, their daughter being born and then son gracing the world.

If there was an afterlife then she wished to live with Vzeus again.

Scarlet blood dribbled down her chin as she looked at the hands that were painted crimson. So her death was as such.....away from her beloved.

A scroll that had blood sprinkled on it was kept aside as the light in the irises dimmed and Lyra took her last breath before Yialos could arrive.

Her last wishes were too gone with her departure from the world.