Clashing with the Empress 1

It was the day after Enki had visited the Supreme Commander's mansion. After spending the evening with his sister, he had gone back to the palace and gone to sleep while taking immense joy in Darren's plight. The Barca family, as a military house, were sticklers for rules, so he was certain that they wouldn't easily let his half-brother go.

Upon waking up the next morning, Enki went on to do his official duties as usual. Hours went by uneventfully, with just Madelein with her expressionless face keeping him company in his office.

But when he was going out to grab some late lunch from the kitchen and was passing by the throne room, he heard a commotion.

Stopping in his tracks, Enki edged closer to the closed doors of the room, ignoring the reproachful looks that the guards in front of it gave him.

Stopping in front of the door, Enki pressed his ear against it and started to listen.

Within the throne room were the Emperor, Empress, Duke Lapius, and the Imperial Guard Captain. Enki could clearly hear the Empress shouting at the Emperor, demanding that he write an official edict, forcing the Barcas to free her son. But the Emperor had no intentions of doing so. Doing so would antagonize one of his only few allies, and for what? To help the Empress, who was scheming against him and undermining his authority, free the brat that was eyeing his throne?

While the Emperor was trying his best to ignore the Empress' rantings and let them flow in from one ear and out of the other, Duke Lapius was doing his best to calm down his daughter. He knew that this wasn't the way to try to gain help from the Emperor. It would simply make the man more reluctant to aid them.

"How can you just watch as they have your son locked up? He is your heir for the love of God!", The Empress screamed, not caring about the consequences of her actions.

Hearing the words "your heir" come out of Anastasia's mouth, the face of Duke Lapius fell completely, while the Emperor's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What did you just say?", the Emperor asked in a low voice, barely suppressing the boiling rage he felt towards this shameless woman. He knew she had married him for his status, but he had been naïve and young back then, and truly believed he could earn the love of the woman as they spent their years together.

Years flew quickly by and their daughter Priscilla was born. A year after that, the Empress was pregnant again and the Imperial doctors declared that it was a boy. The Emperor, who had been the crown prince back then, had been overjoyed. While he had married two other women during these years because of political reasons, Anastasia was the one his heart belonged to.

But instead of turning out to be the joyous occasion he thought it would be, it turned out to be one of the most painful experiences of his life. The moment the doctor had declared that it was a boy, Anastasia had leaped up with joy written all over her face. But when she turned to look at Anatheus, that joy was replaced by scorn and ridicule.

"Now that I'm finally bearing an heir to the Empire, you have no longer any business entering my chambers.", she said flatly, with no traces of her previous affectionate self that had always sweetly smiled at him. The smile he had grown to treasure above all else during their years of marriage.

Shocked and unable to comprehend what was happening, Anatheus stuttered in disbelief; "W-wha-what are you talking about? O-our family will now be finally complete with the little b-boy you have always wanted."

Smirking at him, Anastasia simply shook her head.

"You truly are a fool. No wonder your brother was chosen as the crown prince before you. He would have probably inherited the throne had he not fallen on the western campaign. He would truly have been someone worthy of me.", Anastasia said, exasperated. The man was truly a fool.

With those words, the future Empress walked out, leaving a heartbroken Anatheus in her wake.

This incident had left Anatheus an empty shell of a man. He had become distant and uncaring, never truly recovering from the mental trauma Anastasia had inflicted on him. Only one person had managed to bring some color to his otherwise dull and gray world. She had been a commoner, a simple dancer, but still so full of life, her smile full of joy and warmth.

While the Emperor never loved her, she had brought him some peace of mind and her bright and open nature truly fascinated him.

But the Empress had taken her away from him as well.

Waking himself from the unpleasant memories of the past, Anatheus glared at the woman before him. If it were not for the Duke, that was her father, Anatheus would have killed her long ago. But the Duke Lapius was someone Anatheus couldn't afford to cross.

"I said, how can you let the Barcas keep your heir locked up!", the Empress screamed. Had this buffoon not been listening to her?

"Last time I checked my HEIR to the throne, also known as CROWN PRINCE, is safe and sound in the Imperial palace, not being kept locked up in the Barca mansion!" the Emperor thundered, finally snapping. This woman truly thought she could do whatever she wanted.

"HE IS NOT THE HEIR! HE WILL NEVER BE THE HEIR! ONLY MY SON HOLDS THAT RIGHT! THAT BASTARD OF A LOWLY COMMONER ISN'T GOING TO TAKE AWAY THE FRUITS OF MY LABOUR! I SUFFERED YEARS BEING WITH YOU! HE ISN'T GOING TO MAKE MY SACRIFICE BE IN VAIN!", the Empress screamed at the top of her lungs.

How she hated that southern slut and her bastard son. The slut had always looked so at peace and happy within the palace that it had frustrated Anastasia to no end. While she had to live there with a man she detested, the lowly commoner whore dared to look so happy? And the brat? Disappeared to study for five years and upon returning everything was handed to him on a silver platter! Why should he have everything she had worked so hard for so easily? She would only let the brat ascend to the throne over her dead body!

"Guard Captain Zeon, please escort the Empress back to her chambers. She isn't allowed to leave them until I say so. She is to stay there and reflect upon her actions.", the Emperor said with a voice dripping venom while his body was shaking from fury.

'She is the one who suffered? She was the one who had used me and upon getting what she wanted, threw me aside, like a piece of garbage!' the Emperor raged within his mind.

Looking at the Imperial Guard Captain that was dragging his daughter away, Duke Lapius couldn't help but shake his head. He loved his daughter, but she truly was too rash and impulsive. The Emperor had once deeply loved her and the Duke had held high hopes for the pair, only to find out what her daughter had done.

He had been truly baffled and had hoped to repair the damage caused, but upon seeing the Emperor for the first time after the incident, he knew it was hopeless. The man had completely changed. The bright crown prince that he had known was nowhere to be seen.

'Maybe I should pay more attention to what my children and grandchildren are up to?' the Duke thought. First, it had been his daughter and then Darren. His problems always stemmed from his offspring.

'Did I raise them wrong? No, that shouldn't be it. My son is an upright man and shows great promise.' the Duke pondered.

While considerably better when compared to Anastasia and Darren, the Duke's son was no saint either. He owned several brothels and underground casinos and laundered money from criminal organizations. The Duke was truly cursed with incompetent offspring, none of them living up to his expectations or adhering to his teachings.

"May I be excused your Imperial Majesty? I think we should postpone the issue of Darren for now. Maybe it will do some good for him to stay with the Barca's for a while.", the Duke said while giving the Emperor a small bow.

"You are excused Duke.", Anatheus replied with a wave of his hand.

The Duke walked out and could see a glimpse of a young man walking towards the palace kitchens.

'If only Darren was more like you.' he lamented while glancing at Enki, before leaving the palace and heading to his mansion in the capital's Noble Quarter.

Meanwhile, Enki was mulling over what he had just heard. The Empress had basically declared war against him. Not that she had the courtesy to do to his face.

'I need allies, otherwise, I will be completely at her mercy.' Enki contemplated while going through his options. Sadly, he was drawing a blank. Other than the Barca's he wasn't close to any family. Sure he had met Bismark's and Ragan's parents, but there was no way in hell that they would be willing to take part in the internal struggle of the Imperial family.

'I should probably have Elise ask in my stead? The Barca Elders seem to have a soft spot for her.' Enki mused.

While Enki was weighing his options, a pair of dark eyes watched him from the shadows with a thoughtful look.

'Should I help him? But that isn't part of my mission. I'm simply supposed to study him and give an evaluation of him. Maybe I could give a small nudge to the right people?' the person within the shadows thought.