Seeking

When dinner was over, The Emperor and Ailen bid farewell, and Ailen went back to Sapphire palace, accompanied by Meredith, Irma, and several other maids who were assigned to attend Ailen from now own.

Ailen let the maids prepare his bath, let them scrubbed his back, rinsed him, and put on his nightgown. Ailen ordered them to leave him be in his room so he could read The Empress' journal.

It's almost midnight, but he's too determined to learn more on how to use the bond. He tried thinking of The Emperor to create a feeling of fear. But nothing happened. He tried thinking of his life back before waking up in this foreign world. Again, nothing happened. He's stressed, frustrated, and scared, but those didn't trigger the bond.

So what was he missing?

Ailen heaved a heavy sigh, plopping down to the bed as he stared at the ceiling with a frown.

When Ailen was about to get up and figure out more by reading through the journal, he didn't realize he's slowly drifting asleep. Before his consciousness went away, he saw a blurry figure beside him. Murmuring soothing words that he couldn't decipher.

He fell asleep when a gentle hand brushed against his fringe.

.

.

.

"Your Highness! It's time to wake up!"

Meredith's ear-piercing yell, and how she brutally drew back the curtains and let the blinding rays of sunshine penetrated Ailen's eyes caused the twelve-year-old-boy to squirmed on the soft covers, grunting in annoyance as he tossed his body to the other side.

Meredith didn't let Ailen be— she yanked the thick covers off of Ailen, and Ailen whined when the cold breeze touched his skin. He shivered, hugging his knees as he tried to go back to sleep.

"Nu-uh, you have to wake up Your Highness. Your magic assessment ceremony will start in a couple of hours," Meredith put her hands on Ailen's shoulders and tried to shake him.

Ailen only mumbled incoherent words, eyes half-lidded.

The maids who were just assigned to attend the Crown Prince still can't get used to how Irma and Meredith treated him. But it's understandable since those two have been taking care of Ailen since he fell asleep for three years.

The others were rushing in, preparing Ailen's clothes for today's schedule, bringing trays filled with food for his breakfast, and preparing his bath.

Ailen didn't get the chance to be fully awake when he was pulled out of his bed and forced to eat breakfast by Meredith. Irma then dragged him to the bathroom; other maids followed and cleaned him up. Ailen then sobered up when he ate breakfast, listening to Irma's words about today's schedule.

He'll attend his magic assessment in the public chapel in the center of the kingdom where aristocrats and commoners could see him for the first time. The pope would bless him at the same time and in the same place. Then, he will have to attend his first social gathering with other aristocrats back at the palace to celebrate his awakening and the bond he inherited for his last event.

It'll be hectic.

But it's better this way.

He would have to gain as many followers as possible, make them loyal to him when The Emperor was plotting on getting rid of him.

Yes, he'll need a lot of help to find out why The Emperor wanted to kill him.