Warning

Her mind drifted away to last night.

The quill in her hand made blots on the parchment.

She snapped back to reality when Mina came running to her with Ahriman following her pace.

"M-milady! There's big trouble at the second floor." She panted.

She couldn't understand her ranting.

She glanced at Ahriman who explained her the situation.

"It seems like the commander is a bit at odds with two strangers who happened to stay in the fortress due to evening showers."

He relayed her the fuss between them that was not in anyone's control.

He escorted her to the second floor where she saw the familiar faces.

Her eyes widened with disbelief.

She needed a moment to rethink if she was still dreaming.

She stood speechless and dazed by their appearance.

"See? This is why I never wanted to go with your plans!"

"We are in this desolate land because of you. We could've been in the Capital by now had it not been for them."

"Damn you Octavius!" The male with curly sky blue hair cursed the other.

Erebus stood in between them and was about to give in to her temper.

He had just been over with his morning routine of carrying out timed execution of the prisoners that were the imperial orders.

"Octavius?....And Cornelius?" She called them still bewildered by their existence.

They paused their bickering and saw her.

"Y-your Highness!?" They were in a shock to find her in such a remote place.

"H-how in seven heavens-?"

They were stupified as she suddenly hugged them them tearfully with mixed emotions of joy and grief.

"Please God!... please tell me I'm not dreaming." She sniffed.

Erebus and all of the servants who were present at the site were dumbstruck.

They were unable to assess the entirety of the situation.

Jafar glanced at Erebus. His face showed clear signs of distraught.

-"He's Jealous!?"

"Master?" Jafar did not stop him from interfering their joyous reunion.

"Wh-What do you think you're doing?" He glared at both of them. He stood infront of her blocking their approach.

"How dare you show disrespect to her highness the crowned princess!" Octavius snapped at him without any hesitation.

Erebus winced at them.

Cornelius too was frustrated but he forced Octavius to keep his calm.

"My lord!...can we please discuss over it inside?" Luciana was quick to avoid any significant conflicts among them Infront of the servants.

He glanced at her. She felt troubled.

"Be grateful to my wife that your heads are still intact." He escorted her maintaining a distance from them.

-"HIS WIFE-!?" Those words nearly made Octavius lose consciousness.

Cornelius stood gaping at them almost pulling his hair out of his scalp.

They moved to a closest guest room away from all eyes.

Their eyes struck daggers at him.

"I know you two have a lot of questions to ask. But please hear me out...?"

-" They are not even listening to me." She sighed.

"He dared to say that her highness is his wife!" Octavius accused him to treason for his words.

"Your Highness, is what he says the truth?"

Cornelius had the same questions about them.

She did not write about her being married in the letter. Atleast not a countryside lord.

"So what are you gonna do about it?" Erebus was relaxed and inclined to the couch with his arms folded.

Octavius was irked by his response which he found audacious.

"The audacity of this lowlife! To covet the noble crowned princess of the great Holy Empire. Not even killing you would justify your treason." He got up pulling out his blade and pointed it at him.

"You're pretty clever to say that I'm a nobody." Erebus complimented him shoving away his blade with his finger.

"Octavius please!" Luciana said in a clear and louder voice.

-"We're doomed!" Cornelius sat obediently while his memories recalled that angering Luciana is not a good idea.

Octavius insisted to fight him in a duel against Erebus.

He eagerly accepted his challenge. But Luciana did not want to see two monsters causing bloodshed within the fortress.

She threatened him that she would not talk to him until he withdrew his proposal.

"What's wrong with the lily- livered gnat?" Erebus sneered at him.

Octavius' face was red with embarrassment and felt humiliated hearing him without able to get a chance to rebuke him.

Luciana told them everything that happened to her so far. Octavius felt like the ceiling had crashed over his head.

He was unable to accept her marriage. He bit his lower lip clenching his fists tightly and kept his head low.

Cornelius felt sorry for him to be forced to bear with a painful news that felt like piercing his heart.

The door knock shifted her focus away from them. She could hear Nemesis murmuring to Mina.

Erebus gave permission to enter. A servant brought in refreshments with Nemesis tagging along over Leo.

"It's the kid we were fighting over." Cornelius had figured out that Nemesis had pure energy.

"Mami! Look Leo can stand too." Nemesis ran to her and excitedly told her about the new trick he taught the wolf.

"Its wonderful. But can you please give mother a little space? We have guests. It's improper to not greet them." She let him sit on her lap when Erebus grabbed him and let him sit on his left leg.

"I told you to take care of your mother." He ruffled his hair playfully.

He could see their jaws dropped once again receiving another series of shocking truth.

They were speechless.

Nemesis shyly introduced himself and immediately turned away hugging Erebus tightly.

-"It's a nightmare....!" They felt like being swept in vast universe forgetting to breath.

"YOU HAVE A KID TOO?" Cornelius gaped at her and then at them.

"The thing is..." Luciana was about to explain but Erebus cut her off.

"Isn't it normal to have kids when married? You must not know it since you're single-"

"I will rip that tongue and feed it to the crows!" He roared and went for his blade again.

-"He's lost it for good!" Cornelius and Erebus reacted to his abrupt movements that terrified Nemesis and ended up wailing.

Leo snarled at the shining blade sensing hostility from both sides.

" Stop it! All of you. Have you no shame to show such brutal side of yours infront of a young child? Where are your manners?"

She rebuked them sternly and left with Nemesis and Leo.

"Y-your Highness! Please hear me out." Octavius followed her. Erebus blocked his path.

"I will let this slide once. Make one wrong move and you'll find your heads on the spike with crows gauging your eyes." He warned them and turned to leave.

"I will make sure to bring you down with me when time comes." He called out to him.

Cornelius watched him leave them behind. He was found everything too overwhelming for his brain to take in at once.