บท 20: 20: The News
The bright light that struck Rowan's face woke him up.
"Urgh! What happened?" He groaned in pain. It felt as though a sharp object pressed against the back of his two eyes, attempting to push his orbs out of their sockets. His whole head was stiff, as though he had been hit by a hard object.
Rowan staggered by the enormity of the pain. He could not even think properly or talk. With every move, he felt like he was scaling a steep and rocky mountain with only one hand.
At this moment, he wanted nothing more than to curl into a ball in his darkened room and wait for the agony to subside.
It took awhile before Rowan finally adjusted to the pain. He slowly opened his eyes. While his vision was blurry, he still recognised his own room.
"What in the…" His eyes immediately widened when realisation hit him like a ton of bricks. He ignored the throbbing and burning sensation that immediately flooded his system with the sudden movement.
"My Prince! What's the matter?"
Unknown to him, his loud scream attracted the attention of the guards stationed just outside his door. They barged in quickly, their weapons ready for combat.
When they were certain there was no danger, both of them finally faced Rowan, who at the time had a blank expression on his face.
"What am I doing back here? Who are you?" Rowan snarled as he glanced at the two.
They both kneeled in front of him.
"My deepest apologies for barging in here without notice, My Prince. We thought that you were in danger."
Instead of answering, Rowan just stayed silent. He had no idea who they might be.
"Please. Allow me to introduce ourselves first. My name is Somir Barrion. The Captain of the Order of the Crescent Shields. This is my subordinate, Glenn Euris. We were appointed by His Majesty, the Emperor, as your guards from this day forward."
Hearing their names, something clicked in Rowan's memory, and he almost gasped in surprise.
'Somir Barrion? The Order of the Crescent Shields!' Rowan stared intently at the two of them.
They wore squared helm armour with two rounded holes, leaving their eyes minimally exposed. Attached to its side are two large antlers.
The shoulder parts are also square, quite short, and quite large. Each shoulderplate is adorned with a large piece of thick, grey cloth that hangs over the edges.
"Remove your helmet. I wanted to see your faces."
"As you wished, My Prince."
Without any further ado, the two older men quickly removed their helmets, exposing their true appearance to their new Lord.
Rowan's eyes immediately landed on the man on his right. He had brown hair and well-sculpted features.
'Somir Barrion, an infamous trainee, rose to prominence by leading a group of knights into the territory of vicious bandits ten years ago. Though less powerful than the other captains, he was smart. His high IQ was what caught the Emperor's attention. It became his ticket to become the captain of the Investigation Squad Knights.' With this in mind, a vicious grin suddenly appeared on Rowan's face.
'If such a man worked for me, then it would be easier to gather evidence against that woman. I needed to know what she did to my mother.' Looking at the two knights in front of him, Rowan finally gave his order.
"You may rise."
"Thank you for your grace, Your Highness," they simultaneously chanted.
"Glenn, was it?" Rowan began as he looked at the dark-haired man beside the captain.
"Yes, My Prince."
"You may leave for now. I have something important that I wanted to discuss with Captain Barrion in private."
"As you command, my prince." With a quick bow, Glenn gave one last look at the prince in front of him.
According to what he heard, this prince had a foul temper. However, it appeared that the reports about him were overly dramatic. The one in front of him was a calm and confident prince who knew how to handle himself despite his young age.
Though he wanted to stay, Glenn could only march towards the door. He was given an order, and he must abide by it.
"Do you need anything else, Your Highness?" Somir finally asked, breaking the silence that hung in the air after Glenn walked out of the room.
Rowan remained silent as he continued to study the man. The captain was already in his early thirties, but it did not diminish his attractive looks. However, his most distinguished feature would be the small mole near his right ear.
"I wanted you to do something for me."
Somir was taken aback. Seeing the expressionless face of the prince meant serious business.
'I had a bad feeling about this.' Somir could only lament his luck. However, he had no choice but to follow.
"I am at your disposal, my prince."
Observing his determined expression, a mischievous grin finally appeared on Rowan's face as he revealed his plans to the captain.
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Rowan was now standing in front of his father, the Emperor. The two of them had a staring contest that began when he entered the throne room.
"Prince Rowan. Do you have something to say?" With a tired sigh, the Emperor finally broke the silence.
Rather than responding, Rowan simply observed his father. Many people claimed that he was an exact replica of the Emperor during his youth. The only difference was their eyes' shades. Even when he was already of age, he still had a lean and muscular body that any woman would find attractive.
As Rowan looked at his father, he could not help, but think about what his mother liked about him. Though they loved each other, he did not make his mother his Empress.
"Well? I am waiting."
The Emperor's thunderous voice abruptly brought Rowan back to reality.
"This brat! You are in His Majesty's presence! Show your respect!" Matheo, emperor's old advisor, screamed angrily. His teeth gritted as his brows met at the center. He was about to lash his whip, but was instantly stopped by the Emperor.
"Matheo!"
Seeing the menacing look on his Emperor's face, as well as the terrifying aura that oozed from him, Matheo's body instantly trembled in fear. He quickly called out his whip, then stepped back to the side. All while secretly glaring daggers at the boy who stood before them. When he saw his expressions, his eyes twitched even more.
''Just you wait! One day, I would personally wipe that smug smirk on your face!'
"Leave us."
"Your Majesty?" Matheo was instantly taken aback. He could not believe his ears. Instead of doing what he's told, Matheo only stared at the emperor. This was the first time the Emperor had given him such a command.
"I would like to have a private conversation with the Prince."
The sharp look in the Emperor's eyes silenced all Matheo had to say. Years of being with this man had taught him that if he dragged what he wanted further, his head would roll.
"As you command, Your Majesty." Bowing in respect, he once again secretly glared at the prince before making his way out of the throne room.
When the old man was finally out of sight, Rowan gave out a small sigh of relief. From the moment he became aware of it, Rowan had never been fond of the elderly advisor. Every time they encountered each other, the old advisor exuded an aura akin to a predator stalking a small rabbit. Like a Python, awaiting the perfect opportunity to strike.
"Third Prince Rowan…"
The cold voice brought Rowan back to reality. He turned to focus his attention on the emperor once more.
"Father?" As much as he wanted to vomit the words, he had no choice but to respect the man in front of him.
"I have a little surprise for you. Bring him in."
With a snap of the emperor's fingers, the huge door suddenly opened. Three men were revealed. Two of them were knights, dragging the battered body of a man behind them.
Rowan narrowed his eyes.
'He seemed familiar.' He was not sure, though, as he could not even recognise the man beneath the thick layers of blood that almost covered his face. He could only look at his father in confusion.
"Tell me, third prince. Was this man responsible for you almost getting killed?"
Rowan's eyes widened at what he heard. However, before he could say anything, a clear and pleasant voice suddenly rang in the room.
"I believed this man was an assassin, sent to kill the Prince, Your Majesty."
The two of them quickly turned to look at the newcomer.
"You!" Rowan's expressions immediately soured at the mere sight of the woman. Though he had to admit her personal style did not shame her lowly upbringing.
They watched how she approached them with grace. Her long, crimson dress with a wonderful phoenix design did not overshadow her feminine features.
"Oh, my prince! Who dared to assassinate you within the empire?"
Before he could utter a word, the Queen unexpectedly lounged herself at him. Her embrace almost chocked the air out of his lungs as he stepped backwards at the sudden action.
"My Queen. What are you doing here? I was having a private conversation with the prince."
"But Your Majesty. Now that Princess Ophelia was gone, it was my responsibility to take care of Prince Rowan as his surrogate mother. My heart ached upon hearing the news that somebody dared to harm the prince right under our noses. It felt like I had failed my job as a second parent to him."
'What? How shameless!' Rowan instantly clenched his fists at what he heard. He gritted his teeth. Seeing the crocodile tears that fell upon the woman's face made his blood boil in rage.
"Father, she…"
"If I only had the authority, then I would immediately put the Assassin's head in the gallotin for the act of harming a member of the Imperial Family."
Rowan was once again cut midway when she spoke. At that moment, Rowan finally came to a realization. She wanted to put all the blame on the man, and killing him would be the best way to shut his mouth forever.
"Indeed, My Queen. Harming a member of the Imperial Family was an act of treason that could get all of his family members to be killed…" the Emperor trailed off. Seeing the look on his son's face as he glared at the Queen, he could only sigh.
"However, we still have to gather evidence that would prove that this man indeed tried to harm the prince. We cannot hold him accountable until we have solid proof."
"But Your Majesty! We almost lose our prince."
"Are you questioning my decisions, Luana?"
The Queen immediately closed her mouth, but she stood her ground. Seeing the Emperor's expression, she knew that he would not change his mind, even if she begged him to. She could only comply to his wishes with a seething heart.
"Your Majesty, I should take my leave for now." She took a quick bow to cover her wicked expression.
"I should take my leave for now, Your Majesty. I still have a lot of things to do in my palace." Before leaving, she simply glared at the boy. Though she looked calm on the outside, her insides were like a boiling volcano that would explode at any given moment. Her steps were heavy as she made her way out.
"Father. Since I am involved in this matter, I would like to take responsibility for investigating this man." Contrasting his personality, Rowan kneeled in front of his father.
'I remembered now. This man was also present when the one named Lucas initially attacked us in the mountains. I needed to understand what transpired just before I lost consciousness. He would also be my greatest weapon against the Queen,' Rowan thought. This man was his only recourse for some answers.
"Granted." A small smile appeared on the Emperor's face as he observed the determined expression in his son's eyes.
'Are you seeing this, My Ophelia? Our boy has finally matured. You would have been so proud.' The Emperor's face suddenly turned serious. He already knew all the dirty things that Queen Luana had done behind his back; however, he took no action.
'One day, I hope that you will realise why I am doing this. When the time comes, know that it would be my greatest lesson to you as your father.' He wanted the prince to be able to handle and solve his own problems without relying on someone else.
"Thank you, father. I would leave you to your thoughts."
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"If I remembered correctly, then your name was Porteur, right?" Rowan inquired as he sat in a chair facing the man.
Glenn was only a few meters behind him; his hand gripped his sword, ready to strike if the captive tried anything funny.
"Sir Eurice. Leave us." Glenn was dumbfounded at what he heard.
"But My Prince. How could I leave you alone with a criminal?" He tried to reason, but the murderous glare that he received from the prince made him think otherwise.
"Alright. I would be waiting outside." With a serious look on his face, Glenn finally walked out of the dark room.
Meanwhile, a cold chill ran down Porteur's spine. Though they only had a short meeting, the boy still remembered such details. He rolled his eyes, trying to find a way out. However, all he saw was a large, dark room with no windows.
Realising that he had no way out, Porteur smiled. "Indeed. Are you going to kill me now?" He acted normally in order to hide the nervousness in his voice.
"It would depend on your answers." There was a hint of murder in Rowan's voice; however, he suppressed it quite well.
Hearing this, Porteur could not help but laugh. "Your Highness. Please do not forget that I am, but a mere mercenary. How would I know how to answer your enquiries?"
Rowan's eyes twitched in irritation at what he heard. If he did not need information, then he would never plead with his father to hand this man over to him. He could only take a sharp breath before looking at the man again.
"I wanted to know what transpired after I lost consciousness on the falls. You better tell me the truth."
"Ah! So you wanted information? Though I owed you my life for rescuing me from that woman's clutches, I must apologise. Please know that it was not my place to divulge such gruesome tales. I firmly believed that there was only one individual who could provide a more thorough explanation than I could."
As soon as the words escaped his lips, Rowan's eyes instantly widened like saucer plates. Only one name registered in his mind.
"My Kalliste," he whispered to himself.
"Where is she now? Tell me!" Even though they already parted ways before his abduction, Rowan still wanted to get her back.
"What are you waiting for? Tell me where she was…"
"Your Highness."
Rowan did not get to finish his sentence when the man abruptly interrupted. Instead of becoming angry, Rowan shut his mouth. He wanted to hear what he wanted to say first.
"Did you not know?"
This got Rowan's full attention. Observing the serious expression on the man's face, Rowan suddenly experienced an ominous feeling. Something struck him deeply, and for an inexplicable reason, he experienced a sensation of his heart shattering into countless fragments.
"What do you mean? Tell me now!" Without hesitation, he grabbed Porteur on his neck as he yelled in exasperation. His eyes burnt with rage as he looked at the man with a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Your Highness. The little lady that was with you," Porteur paused for a second. He gave out a deep breath before meeting the gaze of the boy.
"She… died while trying to save you from the clutches of a monstrous creature."
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