The Devil's Spawn

Katia Naia Amira Aragon, the Queen of Lyriboña, glowers while her body is tense and rigid as she stands beside her throne, waiting for Katarina's report. When the massive double doors slams open, and she sees Katarina's anxious face, her hand tightens on her seat. A blood-curling scream explodes from her mouth that rattled even the beautifully crafted jade vase placed a few meters from her right that a visible crack appears on it.

Katarina's steps falter, but her heart starts thumping in a loud staccato that she's afraid the Queen might hear it. Fearing for her life, she stops walking after giving ample distance away from the Queen. And despite knowing what will come out of her mouth, Queen Katia still couldn't control the spike of her magic leaking out of her body. It won't take long before she explodes from where she stands.

Katarina clears her throat, trying to ease her nervousness before delivering her report. "Your Majesty, the temple has given their reply. The High Priestess has ordered that all trod will be closed, and she will come to visit you after she finished her prayers. As of now, she does not wish to be disturbed."

Queen Katia breathed a gulp of air in an attempt to control her anger, but it wasn't enough to curb it. "And how long will that prayer last?" Queen Katia asked, her voice shaking with fury.

Katarina closes her eyes, trying to grasp a sense of strength from somewhere before answering the Queen's query.

"They didn't give any specifics, but from what I have gathered from the same previous occurrences, I think it will take about a month." Katarina evenly declares while staring straight ahead without meeting the Queen's eyes.

Suddenly, the ground trembles and a stifling burning hot pressure filled the air, mirroring the Queen's wrath. In just a matter of seconds, the glass window shattered, and pieces of broken shards of glass flew away in every direction that Katarina has to put up a barrier to protect herself from being cut. In the fit of her tantrum, the Queen looks like a devil incarnate as her flaming red hair flows around her, creating an illusion of frightening sharp talons poise to skewer someone with her green eyes glowing almost ruthlessly.

Despite Katarina's fear, it is her duty not just as one of her courtiers but also as her close companion to guide the Queen and remind her of her duties. That is why she forced herself to speak out. "Your Majesty, you shouldn't use your powers so recklessly."

Katarina looks at Queen Katia and the glowing ruby ring on her right middle finger. "Your powers are limited. And it won't bode well for the kingdom if you suddenly lose it."

Queen Katia glowers at her, but instead of her usual blood-curdling scream, she removes her crown from her head and violently throws it away. The crown crested with jewels shatters as it crashes against one of the pillars. And a muffled scream coming from the entrance of the door interrupts their conversation. The Head Maid looks down while her body trembles with fright. She remembers that the previous Head Maid has retired because of sickness, and this one must be newly hired, considering how she reacted to Queen Katia's temper. It's been known to the royal court how frightening the Queen is when she's angry.

The Head Maid looks at her helplessly, and Katarina smiles, urging her to speak her concern. "La—lady Katarina, His Imperial Majesty Rasmussen seeks an audience with the Queen. His Imperial Majesty is currently waiting out—eeek!"

Without warning, the massive double doors slam open, and the devil's spawn himself walks inside without concern for propriety as his frigid shining silver eyes seek Queen Katia's figure. Katarina immediately bows her head until he walks past her.

His Imperial Majesty, Rasmussen, the Emperor of Ethion, has ascended the throne at the young age of seventeen years old. When Katarina first saw him in his succession ceremony, he may be the youngest in history that ascended the throne. Still, he didn't emanate an aura of a naïve and pampered Prince than any typical royalties out there. It feels like he had already experienced the ruthless world that probably made him who he is for someone so young. It is known across Albion that the Emperor slew all the royal family members to take the throne. There are also rumors circulating that he is an illegitimate son of the imperial family. That's why at a very young age, he was isolated in the deepest and hidden part of the palace to hide his existence and that his family abused him.

It has been twelve years since then, and he continuously holds his position as Emperor of the most influential Empire across the land of Albion. However, what earned him his moniker as the "devil's spawn" is because of how he mercilessly slaughters his enemy without regard for age and gender and his apparent disdain for the Church that served the Imperial family for generations. Since his ascension to the throne, he had won bloody wars and subjugated those who opposed the Empire without mercy while ignoring the Church's counsel. And amid those wars, there is always one person who supports him, the Imperial Knights Commander. Lady Katarina watches as Lord Alastor walks behind him with his usual disturbingly cold and stoic face that frightens even a seasoned warrior.

The Emperor looks at the Queen with icy fury, and his smooth velvety baritone voice roars like thunder inside the throne room. "Queen Katia, can you tell me what's going on? What is that filthy Goddess of yours talking about?"

Katarina bit her lip to stop herself from saying anything out of anger because of the Emperor's rude attitude to their Goddess. Although the Emperor had become a patron of the Temple of Arete, it is not because he shares the same values and teachings of their Goddess, but because of an entirely different reason. For one, he likes to aggravate the Church by further ignoring their existence, and secondly, he had strike a bargain with Queen Katia that even the High Priestess doesn't know about. That is why, despite the Queen's flaring temper, she swallows her anger and greets him politely. Queen Katia slightly bows her head before looking at him with a polite smile, plastered on her lips.

"It is a pleasure to see you again, Your Imperial Majesty. I hope you've been well after your long, arduous travel."

Emperor Rasmussen waves his hand, dismissing the Queen's polite greeting. His silver eyes devoid of any pleasant emotion as he stares at her severely, "Let's skip the formalities, Queen Katia. What I want to know is about the prophecy I've heard when I was on my way here."

It was announced just a few hours ago that the Emperor of Ethion has arrived in the capital and is currently being escorted to the royal castle when an explosion of immense mana and blinding white light happened and ultimately healed the land. Not long after, the voice that had disappeared for a decade came back with a prophecy. It is enough to throw the whole kingdom into chaos, especially Queen Katia.

"We are currently trying to seek an audience with the High Priestess to ask for an explanation. However, she is presently doing her monthly prayer devotion. That is why I ask of you to give me a little bit more—"

"You're saying that you're going to make me wait. Is that it?"

"Your Imperial Majesty, I didn't mean—"

The Emperor's beautifully carved face that looks heavenly contorted with raw malice. Queen Katia involuntarily shivers because of the suffocating pressure rolling off him in waves.

Emperor Rasmussen sneers as he smoothly delivers his threat. "The previous monarch should be immediately replaced by a new Queen if she loses her divine magic; that's how things are. I'm afraid that I won't be able to give you a new set of magical tools to help you."

He stops for a moment, gauging the Queen's reaction, and after seeing that she had grown visibly paler and shaken, his mouth curves up in an arrogant smile. "I will be staying in the Twilight room for the duration of my stay. I expect to hear good news from you soon."

He rudely turns his back and walks out of the throne room with Lord Alastor on his tail after saying his piece.

Katarina turns towards the Head Maid. "Kindly escort the Emperor to the Twilight room," she ordered calmly, but she gave her a stare that says not to make any mistakes. The Head Maid ducks her head and scampers away from the room

When they were finally left alone, Queen Katia collapses on her throne and starts to massage her aching temples. "I will try to talk to the Te—"

Queen Katia abruptly stands up from her throne and looks at her angrily. "No! Don't try, just do it! Or else I'm going to push my way in!" Queen Katia bellows before storming out of the throne room and leaving Katarina behind with a massive headache. Just like how Queen Katia is known for ridiculous temper, the High Priestess is also someone she's afraid to mess with. Katarina suddenly felt like wanting to retire and spend her remaining time dozing off in a beautiful summer home. It's too tiring to serve two masters at a time.

It is a long twist and turns as they move towards the massive hallways and to the deepest part of the palace until they reach a large dark double door with an intricate sun and moon design on each of both sides. Once he's inside the Twilight room, Sammael Zagan Thorvald Von Rasmussen, the Emperor of Ethion angrily, took off the cravat that's been suffocating him since earlier. The Commander of the Order of the Knights, Lord Alastor, right away, assists him in taking off his long and heavy dark fur coat that reaches just above his ankles and places it on a nearby couch.

The Emperor took off the golden cuff links on his long sleeve shirt while looking out of the window. From where he's standing, he can see the beautifully groomed garden in full bloom, although most of the flowers planted might be probably poisonous used by the royal court to concoct poisons. With the Queen's warped personality, he is not surprised to see a venomous garden inside her residence.

It didn't take long for Alastor to voice out his thoughts and get straight to business. "Your Imperial Majesty, shall I look into it?" Lord Alastor asks with a flat tone of voice. He looks over his stoic guard and exhales noisily.

"Denied, send someone else. It will be troublesome if you run amok and kill people thoughtlessly. Use one of the Black Knights."

Although there are no visible changes in his usually stoic face, the faint twitch on his jaw is enough to show how displeased he was. While he trusts Alastor's deadly skills with combat and sword as well as his keen ability to use magic, until to this day, he can't truly fathom how his mind works aside from his savage thirst for blood. That is why; it would be too dangerous to leave him to his own devices. He's only loyal to him, and he only listens to him. When he's not around, he tends to snap and lose it, resulting in cleaning up heaps of dead bodies one after another without rests.

And when he has the urge to get away, he tries his damn best to rein him in. He can't believe that this wild and crazy bloke would grow attached to him, ultimately helping him get his throne.

"How about Wheepingthorne's village? Should I go check whether the rumors are true?"

Sammael scoffs, and his mouth thinned in frustration. "You're itching to leave me alone, huh?"

Alastor straightened his back and looked straight ahead. Sammael continues talking.

"I couldn't care less if that Prince is alive. I just did what the Council and the Church want to appease their fanatical obsession. If the hired hunters didn't return, just give a report to reject the Council's suspicions. Besides, it would be a waste to eliminate this early a potentially powerful enemy that could give you a heightened pleasure of violence amid the battlefield. I just hope that he could grow some guts to fight off the Empire for their freedom."

Alastor's face remains passive as he takes on and digests his words, but he felt the faint bloodlust that leaks out of his body. This man wants war, slaughter, and bloodshed more than anything else in this world. He revels in it as if it's a powerful essence that keeps him alive. And his obsession in it made him the most powerful knight across the land of Albion and earned him the moniker of the "Mad Dog of the Devil."

Emperor Rasmussen smiles in derision and looks up at the glass mosaic depicting a beautiful night sky dotted with glowing stars. Then in just an instant, a vivid memory of a young dark-haired girl brightly smiling as she looks up at him resurfaces in her mind. He felt a sharp tug on his chest and try to control his breathing.

"Besides, I'm more interested in the prophecy. I believe it would be beneficial to have that child blessed by the Gods on my side. If he's powerful enough, he can be of use to get rid of the real devil, or just maybe he can be the sacrificial lamb that can help fulfill the spell that I've been working on."

"Are you still looking for her?" Alastor asks in a quiet voice, dreading to hear the same answer he had years ago.

And for the first time in a long time, a vulnerable look splayed across the eyes of the cold and ruthless Emperor of Ethion. "Even if I have to open all the doors in this world, I will come and find her. She's all I ever need in this forsaken world," he replies in a determined voice.