The Deceitful Monarch

Bright orange rays of the sun streamed past the glass pane walls of Exousia's royal botanical garden, staining the interior with its color. It was already sundown, with the Sun being just above the horizon of the vast mountains that surrounded the nation.

Inside the garden resided its ruler, sound asleep on one of the couches placed in the garden. His brief moment of bliss however was rudely interrupted when he awoke to the sound of paper rustling at a distance, a frown occupying his face to show his displeasure.

"... And this is exactly why I keep all my doors locked." Varen muttered under his breath, overwhelmed by the chaos surrounding him from the moment he had woken up. "I can't even get some damned privacy in my own house."

Sitting upright, he blankly stared at the scenery before his eyes, wordlessly appreciating the pleasant warmth that last sunlight of the day brought with it.

Today however, the once calming sight of the colorful flowers seemed to be having an opposite effect, magnifying the wrath of the pain he felt.

"Just what kind of spell did he cast on me to cause such pain." He frowned, holding his head.

He was in a trance for almost half a day because of the notorious spell caster Rowen, only coming back to his senses in the middle of the night, where he found himself in bed. The damned headache has been tormenting him every since. At one point, he decided to get some of his work done, which resulted in him spending his day here.

With a deep breathe, Varen quickly got on his feet, performing a light stretch whilst he walked towards the oblivious intruder.

"Welcome back home, Ezra." He greeted the unsuspecting 'intruder', swiftly taking the documents away from his hands. "Are you here to give me your report or snoop around my belongings?"

"I was just browsing through out of curiosity." The counselor defended himself, putting his hands up in innocence. "I figured I could help out with some of your work since I'm back."

Varen looked around the vicinity, puzzled to find only Ezra here with him in the garden.

"If you're here alone..." His focus now back on Ezra. "Then where is Sukha and Kango?"

Ezra cleared his throat, unsure of how to break the news. Puzzled, Varen waited for what Ezra could be keeping from him.

"There has been another casualty found at the west front of the barrier by one of the troops heading back to the mainland." Ezra reported, tapping on one of the pieces of paper on the desk. "And they confirmed it to be one of our divisions... Kango's division to be specific."

"That stubborn bastard." Varen swore, upset that his orders were being dismissed yet again. "Didn't I specifically told them to withdraw from the border? Why are they doing the exact opposite and head back?"

"Apparently, one of the villagers had told Sukha and Kango that several children had been left behind unintentionally amidst the chaos." Ezra sighed, showing Varen a letter. "And you know how Kango is with things like that."

"... He's going to get himself killed." Varen said angrily, crumpling the paper. "That thing could be anywhere at this point, what if-"

"Your Majesty." A guard interrupted the conversation, clearly clueless of the tense atmosphere. "Princess Kaari has requested to see you this instant."

"... What perfect timing." Ezra joked with a smile, much to Varen's distaste.

"...Let her in." He ordered, pressing his nose bridge to ease the thumping inside his head.

"I had predicted you would turn me away." A woman's voice spoke. "I can't help but feel touched, Your Majesty."

"Kaari." He turned to the unimpressed princess, a small yet noticeably forced smile occupying his face. "I thought I told you that the meeting today has been cancelled."

"Which is why I'm here." She replied light-heartedly, waving the guard off for some privacy. "This is already the third time you've done this, and I can't help but think you're hiding something."

In the middle of speaking, her words simply began dissipating into the air, never really making it out of her mouth as a sound. It was as if the unsuspecting Princess was miming, her lips and body language still continuing despite the silence. Ezra noticed Varen's eyes flickering a bright red before it quickly dimmed down, his expression remaining indifferent despite what he had pulled off.

"... Can she still hear us?" Ezra asked curiously before realizing how stupid the question was. He continued to watch the Princess in awe as she passionately continued on with her speech with no intentions of stopping.

"I hope not." Varen furrowed his eyebrows at Kaari, checking once more to see if his spell truly worked.

He then turned his attention to Ezra.

"Now back to what we were discussing... what are you planning to do about those two?"

"I've already sent word to the other leaders regarding the issue." Ezra answered, directing his gaze back to Varen. "It might take a while before they receive it, but I suppose it's still better than doing nothing."

Varen nodded his head in approval, but it was clear to Ezra that the emperor was still worried for the safety of his friends.

"They are just below you in terms of their combat skills, Your Majesty." Ezra stated to reassure Varen, who remained unconvinced. "For now, I think it's best you focus on the issue right in front of you."

He gestured towards the Princess who was still talking, her passion regarding her speech still the same as when she had started.

"... Fine." He sighed, undoing the spell with just a snap of his fingers. "Why don't you give Princess Kaari and I some privacy to talk Ezra?"

Taking that as a cue to leave, Ezra simply nodded and left the premises after he half-heartedly greeted the Princess of course.

"... Let's keep this short and sweet, shall we?" He suggested, wishing to get rid of her as soon as possible. "As you can tell, I am no longer in a gracious mood due to some... inconveniences."

"Tell me how far you've gotten with the deal." She cut straight to the chase after the coast seemed clear, not wasting any time. "It's been weeks, surely you managed to convince her to join forces with us by now."

"I wouldn't be keeping quiet about it if that was the case now, would I?" He replied sarcastically, looking through his desk searching for something. "It's still in the works unfortunately and although I'd like to say I'm close, you can never tell with someone like her."

"It seems like they have been dealing with this beast longer than we have." He passed the duplicated reports from the Stygian forces his men had gotten. "Their nation is dealing with casualties they haven't seen since the war."

"Then that means she should be desperate." Kaari furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused. "So why is she refusing help?"

"Simple." He displayed a small smile. "Because she thinks this is not a big enough matter to have outsiders involved."

"Especially when those outsiders consist of both humans and Kaxarenes. Two of the things she despises the most."

"However, I predict she will eventually give in after a few more days."

"... One more question and off you go, Princess." He stated coldly, urging Kaari. "I'm beginning to grow impatient."

The Princess knitted her eyebrows, deep in thought. Finally, she gained enough courage to speak, her glistening eyes showing her determination.

"... Can I trust that your past with the Empress won't jeopardize this?"

The atmosphere immediately shifted, engulfing Kaari in an uncomfortable coldness but she feigned braveness regardless. Her gaze never wavered against the emperor's intimidating glare as her question floated in the tense air, waiting for an answer. If it ever came that is.

Kaari was fully aware of the consequences of pushing the boundaries with Varen however, she also knew that in order for this collaboration to work, no emotions were to be involved.

Then after what felt like an eternity, Varen finally spoke up. However, he did not speak of the accusations Kaari had brought up but instead, explained in great detail of what he was planning to do.

With every sentence Varen spoke, Kaari's question was answered indirectly, leaving no doubt behind. She almost felt foolish to assume that immortals would be as soft as her own kind was.

Where love once flourished between them held nothing else but hatred now. Hatred so deep that is seemed almost possessive, an unfamiliar sight to see amongst the usual cool-headed entities. Betrayal to them is a sin that can never be forgiven. Even if they used to mean so much to one another.

"I can now see why the Roseabelles despise you so much." She commented honestly, not knowing what else to say.

"I'm hope that answered your question." He guessed correctly, his tone bitter with distaste, a total contrast to his smile. "Now leave, before my anger gets directed at you."