“I was put into a cell by my oldest grandson! If I didn’t do as I was told and write a decree to allow him to become the next Emperor, he was…He was going to kill me!” She stated and not only in fury but panic.

She reached out to Matthew, and Matthew took her fragile hand in his, kneeling before her, “Calm yourself, Imperial Grandmother. You’re safe here!”

“What…Why is she like this?” The Emperor asked, after coming in to see this scene.

“My son! Thank the gods you are safe!” The old lady said, then tried to get up but Matthew kept her down. He could see Sahara trying to heal her, so he could only keep her there.

The Emperor took his mother’s hand from Matthew and heard her words that were very much the same as just moments ago.

“That boy!” The Emperor stated harshly.

“Ah…Ah…” The old lady went to speak again, wanting to tell him more, everything! But she felt tight and then her body seemed to be stuck.

“Dammit! Calm her down!” Sahara stated, quickly looking at both the Emperor and Matthew, then closing her eyes as she continued to touch the old lady.

The Emperor was stunned, he had not even thought that his mother would be in such dire circumstances!

Matthew took his Imperial Grandmother’s face with his hands and tried to get her attention, but the old lady shut her eyes, and just mere seconds later…Her whole body slumped.

It was not a good sight, as the Empress Dowager’s body had tensed up in a few areas, making her look particular abnormal but…Sahara pulled her hand away and sighed. “Her heart wasn’t good, she practically used up all her energy to speak of what was going on.”

It seemed a useless death in Sahara’s eyes because…She already knew what happened by searching out the spiritual essence inside of the old lady.

“She’s dead?” The Emperor asked in a large voice. “Just like that?”

Sahara looked sternly at him, “Her heart was already worse for wear, I had tried to fix it, but she wouldn’t calm down! I was…Too late…”

Frowning, Sahara looked away and wondered if what she had done was right. She had searched the spiritual essence for a time, perhaps she should have seen that her life was on the line first…

It made her feel bad, that she had not considered that the old lady could die at any second. She had not thought in the least that she would be here one second, only to be gone the next! She regretted not focusing on healing, she regretted on bringing her back in such a way that might have scared her. She regretted not bringing her back yesterday!

“Sahara?” Matthew was now kneeling in front of his beloved, worried because of the look on her face.

“I was too late.” Sahara muttered quietly.

Matthew picked her up and then sat down with Sahara in his arms. “Don’t be upset. Imperial Grandmother was already old, her life was long.”

Sahara let out one small sob, glad that Matthew didn’t bring up that phrase of ‘There’s nothing you could have done.’ Instead, Matthew had stated that she had been old, and that made Sahara feel slightly moved.

“Matthew’s right, Sahara.” Stated the Emperor, now just standing in front of the old woman’s unmoving body, “Don’t worry yourself, I’m sure, without so much happening, she still would have had little time left.”

The Emperor was grateful that he could at least be there for his mother’s last moments. He had been able to see her last breath. He was able to know that his eldest son had been very disobedient and since his mother had died this way, the Emperor was only more confident to bring justice and stop his eldest son once and for all!

“I decree, Prince Liam, Eldest son of the Emperor of Green Haven, is to be beheaded for all that he has done!” The Emperor declared then and there.

A eunuch came to His Majesty’s side and bowed, showing obviously that he was scared but still had enough courage to lightly say, “Your…Your Majesty, I don’t have what you need to have this written down.”

Sahara moved her head and nodded, “Right. What do you need?”

The Emperor turned to her and said, “My Imperial desk will have what is needed!”

Sahara faintly nodded and closed her eyes again, making Matthew frown.

Hadn’t she done enough for one day!?

In no time, a desk appeared near them, and the Emperor was only stunned for a moment before he went over to it and checked that he had everything he needed, with the eunuch’s help.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Grind the Ink!” And so, the eunuch started to grind the ink, while the Emperor placed the parchment in position. “Wait!” Looking over at his mother, the Emperor turned towards the eunuch for a moment and then instead asked for a bowl.

The eunuch was stunned but did as commanded and the Emperor then asked for a knife.

“With her very own blood, I will write this decree! Then people will know what he has done!” The Emperor stated, already holding the bowl around the old lady’s arm and slashing a wound with the knife.

Sahara only watched, too exhausted to question what he was doing, and the silence lasted for quite some time.

A few others came then and saw the Empress Dowager as she was, only to bow or be silent. The maids kowtowed and started to weep, but Steven came to stand beside Matthew and stayed silent.

Lavender couldn’t stay long because of her little one wanting to cry but she too was shocked, knowing who the old, motionless lady was in the chair. Even Christian seemed solemn, yet it was because someone had died here where he lived…Not that he cared for the person in the slightest…

With the parchment now finished, the Emperor came to stand in front of Sahara. “Sahara, I know you have worked hard but there is one last thing I shall ask of you today.”

“Can we do this tomorrow, Imperial Father?” Matthew asked, getting angry.

The Emperor was silent for a moment and knew that this decree could wait one day but…When he looked at his mother, he felt like he had not done enough!

“Can I come too, Royal Father?” Felix asked. Reminding everyone that he was indeed present.

He really needed to stop doing that! He was a Prince! He must have himself be known or what kind of Emperor was he going to make!

The Green Haven Emperor was quiet for a short time before shaking his head, “No, you must stay here…Just in case.”

Felix widened his eyes and then bowed his head.

The Emperor looked at Felix and a strange movement happened that silenced everyone, and that was that he patted Felix on the head. Was it perhaps his mother dying that he became sentimental? Whatever it was, Felix looked up and saw his Royal Father really looking at him, instead of through him, and he said, “Look after the people here, they will become yours if I do not return, understand!?”

Felix nodded…And shortly after that the rare behavior from the Emperor was broken and he was back to looking at his mother’s body in anger…

If his mother had died instead in her sleep, or from a fall from going to the garden, or something more innocent like that, he would have felt better, but instead…His mother had died because of what had happened!

“It’s alright. I’ll do it.” Sahara stated, slowly getting out of Matthew’s arms.

“Tomorrow!” Matthew stated, not wanting to let her go. He was sure that she was suffering from some sort of pain, like when she had teleported everyone from Purple Haven some time ago. He didn’t want her to overexert herself again!

Sahara smiled at him, “Then come with us.”

“Could I join you too then, Princess?” Band One suddenly appeared and asked, bowing before them.

“Me too!” Band Two quickly said, also coming out of nowhere.

The Emperor stared at Band One and blinked…

He hadn’t seen Band One since…Well since…

Wasn’t he supposed to be in prison!?

Steven came into the circle too, putting a hand on the back of the sleeping Kin in front of him.

Chuckling, Sahara grabbed Matthew’s hand and got him to stand up, “Fine.”

In another second, they all disappeared…Stopping the Emperor from asking questions upon how Band One was even there!

***

“This…Isn’t the palace…” The Emperor stated, looking around.

Sahara shook her head, “This is a Minister’s house that is loyal to you, Father. I just hope I’m not too late…”

Matthew picked Sahara up then, making her suddenly yelp!

“Tell me where you want to go.”

Sahara quickly got over what just happened, and said, “If I can get a hold of someone, I could probably find out what’s going on or where the Minister would be.”

“One and Two!” Matthew stated, looking at the two Bands.

“As you command!” They both said, disappearing quickly from their sights.

Letting out a little star, Sahara then flew it around the close proximity, to find a better room to go to and then to see that there was a fire that had started in the kitchen.

Sahara pointed in a direction and said, “Go that way for now, it’s safer and better for a conversation.

As the rest of them all walked towards Sahara’s pointed finger, she told them about the fire in the kitchen and then she got another green star out to try a more scaled search.

Leaving the residence, and traveling up, she could see that a lot was the same, yet there was one other fire elsewhere…Which she was questioning to be, what she assumed, yet another Minister’s residence.

Not stopping her connection to the star, Sahara muttered the news to the others, sure that they were questioning her upon what Minister’s residence it was, but she was unsure.

Going towards the palace now, she saw that bodies were around, and they were being cleaned up, she even saw a few Consorts had been killed…Blood was found in many places, from many types of people…

Chaos had happened already, and Sahara was glad that she had teleported them all to a Minister instead of that of the palace!

The palace was indeed in a mess, as it seemed that Prince Liam probably had gotten news that the bodies of Consort Light and his father had been found and he started his plan on becoming the Emperor.

Just in half a day or so, this is how this place had ended up! Obviously, Prince Liam had escaped the cold palace and at least seen the Empress Dowager, but with so much blood and dead bodies…He really planned well to have surprised Sahara, who had even known of his plans!

Had she been hoping that it would never happen? Had she thought that Prince Liam may have been lenient to some of the people?

Seeing everything become real was different to a plan, and Sahara felt chills down her spine as she didn’t save these people that had died, knowing that they would most likely end up like this!

Trying to focus, Sahara swallowed.

It wasn’t the time to feel bad for knowing a plan and not being able to do enough! She had to try and stop more from being killed! She had to help in any which way possible from now on!

The spiritual essence that wasn’t her own was immense, it was immeasurable! So what if she were to receive a headache! So what if she felt intolerable pain, she had to try and save the situation!

Seeking to find some remnants of Ministers, Sahara could only frown, as she didn’t see them in the normal places in the palace.

Telling this out loud, she continued, sure that it would be worth a look at the prison or dungeons, perhaps even the cold palace…

And that was a good idea! After seeing nothing in the prison, it seemed that the cold palace had been holding Ministers!

Letting go of her star, Sahara looked at the Emperor, “How many Ministers do you know that are loyal to you?”

The Emperor frowned, “They should all be loyal to me!”

Sahara sighed, “There was only two in the cold palace. I don’t know where any others are. I also am not sure which ones they are.”

After all…It could be a trap…

And then there was one more vague thing that was deep in her mind, that Sahara didn’t dare think of…It was about how she might have made this situation happen, perhaps when it might not of, by replacing bodies…Could she have really started this…Bloodshed?