Are you questioning me?

"Where did you get this blade?"

Zecane was on his knees as the king's anger flurried around the throne room. The king examined the blade. It appeared like a dark relic as he pointed it up to the candles.

"I don't know your majesty," he cried out afraid

"You don't know?"

Fear. That's what it felt like, every person in that room has yet to have seen the full wrath of the King. The council and the royal family were present in the throne room.

"I very well know that it is quite common for siblings to have a little riot but this is uncalled for Zecane! Harming your sister with a blade that only the highest order can use!"

It was surely unsettling how calm and frightening the king's voice was for the rest of the room. Zecane shut his eyes tightly and dared to look up.

"The blade had been in my collection for a very long time your majesty, I do not know when it had appeared in it. I had only taken it these last few days for it looked appealing to the eye."

The king then turns to his queen with a scrutinizing gaze. "I shall only ask of this once my Queen, did you or did you not know that 'our' son was carrying such a weapon?"

Queen Athena looked at her son and then at the king, "Of course not your majesty, I am also surprised by this predicament. I did not expect their little spat would cause the crown princess to end up in such a state,"

By now everyone in the entire realm knew of King William's illicit affairs and how Queen Athena always sought out her revenge. Everyone knew of the scandals the royal children even brought especially the cruelty laid upon the crown princess. Walls have ears and for caelestians, it's a different case when every caelestian is born with an essence.

And once the essence is shattered in the body, the caelestian can never hope to be reborn again. Even though Iracundia is known as the realm of darkness that has the most dangerous and evil creatures, once a caelestian's primordial spirit is destroyed, they cannot hope to ever reincarnate again.

It is considered treason to harm a royal member with a relic that is forbidden. And everyone in the throne room knew that. The caelestian wasn't just anyone. It was the kingdom's checkmate in the war against Avarice.

"Their little spat almost caused me to lose my daughter!" The king slammed his fist down on the handle of his chair. Almost everyone in the room flinched from his anger.

"Your Highness, it is quite common for siblings to have arguments so how about we let this slide, after all the princess is not in any life-threatening danger-" Eduarda suddenly spoke as the council all turned to glare at her for interrupting the king.

"It does not matter whether her life is out of danger or not, what matters right now is how I am going to punish the crown prince for using such a weapon," The king looks at the blade again and then he summons his dark essence as it engulfs the blade making it turn to dust.

"All of this began because I elected Serah to be his bodyguard. Zecane is to receive 10 lashes with the burning whip. And so from now on you will be her bodyguard until she recovers completely. You both hate each other and I am sure you won't try harming her like that again unless you want a crueler punishment," The king's eyes turned golden as he glared at his son.

"I accept this as my punishment your majesty," Zecane could not look at the king in the eye, instead he bowed to him and left the throne room with a scowl on his face.

A soldier stepped inside the throne room kneeling, "Your majesty, the caelestians that you have requested has finally arrived,"

The king, "Oh? That was quick on their part,"

The soldier, "They said it was urgent they arrived and that they didn't want to keep their old acquaintance waiting after receiving such a letter."

The king stood up, "Then we should make haste at once."

•°•°•

"I don't see why we have to waste our time in this forsaken realm,"

A boy with mid-length, midnight black hair and striking silver eyes had his arms crossed over his shoulder with a scowl on his face. He wore dark navy blue long robes with a sword tied to his waist. He was no older than 14 years old.

"Now now little one, don't be such a fussy baby,"

The white and black long-robed lady says as she fanned herself, her long hair styled in an ancient way pinned back with a distinctive hair stick of her clan. A veil covered her face to hide her features.

"Master, this is just ridiculous, being summoned to save their precious princess," he was about to walk out of the castle when the Master waved her fan and the boy stopped walked turned around, and came back to her side.

"Little Dante, where have your manners gone too?" She teased the boy.

Dante rolled his eyes, "it got lost in the wind,"

"Silly child," the Master smiles, closes her fan, and lightly taps it on his head.

"Welcome to the kingdom of Obscurum Master Baiyue," the King steps through the corridor as Master Baiyue and Dante bow at him.

"Thank you for the invitation, I couldn't refuse an old acquaintance when it's his own very daughter's life that's at stake,"

Master Baiyue's green eyes were cold when she said those words. King William only frowned at her as their old history brewed between them. Dante glances at his master and then at the king.

"I do hope you don't mind, I brought Xiao Lin's disciple here along with me," she gestured at Dante.

"Xiao Lin's student?" The king struck his gaze at Dante. But the young lad was not afraid of this king as he stared at the king with disinterest.

King William chuckles at Dante, "like master, like student,"

The air seemed to be lifted at the remark and Master Baiyue just smiles under her veil and glances at Dante and then stepped forward.

"Where is the blade that was used?" Baiyue asks

"I destroyed it,"

Baiyue sighs, "King William, why would you destroy the weapon?"

"Are you questioning me?"

"Well, considering I am here to save your daughter then yes I will question you."

Dante could only look at Master Baiyue in shock as she dared to speak anyhow to a king of a kingdom and in the realm of Iracundia. This predicament had uplifted his spirits as their time in the kingdom wouldn't seem so bad.