Valerian, The Legendary

58 Ultimatum.

Vertex did not know where his sister developed such courage to talk back to him, and that too for a mere servant. Azula had never raised her voice at anyone and was always the most compassionate one among the three siblings.

Ignis was a goof most of the time, but he had very high goodwill among the commoners. He was the beloved first prince of the empire, especially in the capital, his words were like sacred commandments.

When he thought of himself, Vertex was only good at maintaining order. He would follow protocols for everything. He was seen as the most righteous person in the empire. While the first prince was beloved, the second prince was the most respected.

This sort of competition was the reason for this internal argument in the royal family. After Azula laid down her words, she was ready to go all out to face her elder brother. Fragrantia saw this and said, “Have I spent too much time away that my children have forgotten the rules in the dining hall?”

The soft tone of the Empress acted like a splash of water over the flaming youngsters. The two princes looked up and they were shocked. They usually did not lock gaze with their mother, but today they saw her face, without a veil in a long time.

Fragrantia will come to the dining hall upon being forced by her husband, but she would not eat anything and keep her face covered with the veil. So, the princes thought she had the same veil on, and did not look at her. However, when the Empress spoke, they subconsciously glanced at the lady and were shocked.

Vertex and Ignis stood up from their chairs, they were both surprised. Fragrantia said, “Sit down and eat, we will talk later.”

The Emperor was still gazing at Valerian, it was not sitting well with him when an ‘outsider’ told him about the rift between his children. Fragrantia said, “Dear, do not worry, eat your meal. I will solve this matter.”

Her words were not superficial. She was serious, as a mother, she knew her children better than anyone else. She was aware that someone was pulling strings in the dark, or how could her son go against his siblings, to the point of killing them.

.....

As the meal continued, the atmosphere grew silent. Valerian did not speak anymore and stood beside Azula silently. The princess actually bought him over to have a meal with him, but Valerian drew a line and stood back like a servant. She wanted to have him sit down, but her second brother ruined it with a passion.

After Azula finished eating everything on her plate, she stood up, and said, “I am done, mother. I will now take my leave.”

Fragrantia was aware that her daughter was angry and it was rightful for her to be so, she nodded and said, “We will have tea in the evening, do not forget.”

Azula nodded and after bowing her head to her parents, she left the dining hall with Valerian. The two people walked through the corridors but they did not talk. The princess was not in a mood to talk to anyone, and Valerian would rather stay quiet.

He may look calm, but at this moment, his brain was working very fast. All the things that happened today were done by him intentionally. The reason was that the second prince gazed at him with an intent to kill. Although he concealed it very quickly. Valerian had spent time facing wolves, and he was now compassionate when anyone stared at him with killing intent.

Valerian did not know what he would do to solve this, but once the conflict between the two sides erupts, it might make him lose the resources he could gain from following Azula. So, he directly took a gamble and made it big.

The princess and her attendant came to the library and they both began to read different topics.

...

Vertex was walking behind his mother with Ignis. The Emperor has left to attend to some issues. Fragrantia did not speak but only called for the children to follow her.

She led them to the garden in the southern wing of the palace. This garden was filled with a variety of flowers and tended to look serene and beautiful all year round. In the center of the garden stood a pavilion.

The architecture of the pavilion was different. In the center of the monument stood a fountain, with a few sets of chairs and tables placed in different spots.

Fragrantia came and sat down on a chair and with her hand gestured for the boys to sit in front of her. The two boys were gazing at their mother with awe. Ignis could not help but say, “Mother, why do you seem to have become even more beautiful after getting cured?”

Fragrantia smiled and said, “You have become glib, I see.”

Vertex snorted with a sneer. He held no respect for his brother. Fragrantia looked at her second son and said, “You sent someone to attack your sister?”

The question was serious but her visage was soft. The second prince was flustered all of a sudden. His mother was known to be blunt but not too much. When Vertex did not answer, she said, “I will ask you again, my dear. If you come clean about this matter, you will not be punished and I will talk to Azula. However, gaining her trust will be a task for you only.”

Vertex clenched his fists so tight that they turned pale. Looking at Fragrantia’s face, he said, “I did it...”

He explained how he asked Azula to give up the trial of freedom and thought that she was running for the throne, and he also told the lady about how Azula in turn made both of the brothers contend against each other. Fragrantia has heard all this from Azula and could feel her agony, after all, how could the princess raise her to guard her brother.

She raised her brows and gazed at Ignis, “Do you have nothing to say?”

Ignis said, “I was there when the attack happened, killed two of the blood guards, and almost died.”

Fragrantia asked, “What do you mean?”

“What I mean is that Valerian was responsible for finding assailants in the Acies City Palace, however, he bumped into me. He attacked me directly, and left my throat with a hole, however, he also cured me. So, that is fine now.”, said Ignis.

Fragrantia nodded, and said, “Valerian is a very skilled child. However, he is not my main concern at the moment.”

She looked at her two sons and asked, “I thought my children were smart enough to understand that, the throne was just a place you sit on. It is your heart and brain that make you the Emperor. When you do something recognized by the masses, you pass through and people look at you with respect. That is when you become an emperor.

Vertex, I can understand that you want to be entitled as the Emperor, but tell me, is that what you wish? Are you willing to spill the blood of your family and sit down on that throne with no one to cover your back?

You have a lot of allies, do you think, if you encountered a problem, will they come to your aid without asking anything?”

Her questions were targeted to not only one, but both of them. When the two people could not answer, Fragrantia said, “Vertex, you have the talent to keep things in order. You have the skills to hold the politicians in line. While Ignis has the skills to gain the trust of people and lead the army. Then tell me what is the dispute about? That one chair in the courtroom? What if I just went there and broke that chair to pieces?”

Her tone was calm, but the aura she radiated scared the two boys. They did not expect their mother to say such a thing. They wanted to calm her anger down, when Fragrantia said, “You two have one night to think. If you believe in the whispers of your so-called allies, I will have you ousted from the family.

If you two trust your mother, then you can stay here, just like always. However, I would like you to hand over the name of the people who whispers to you, your allies, who are dividing and conquering you. You can rest assured, that I will not act without proof. I just want to know, who are we facing.”

This was not a request, she was commanding them and the aura she had did not leave a single step for them to back off at this moment. If they still did, then forget about ascending the throne, you might even have to give up the current status of the prince. The empress had issued an ultimatum to correct their ways or they will suffer her wrath.

Just when the two people were thinking about it, Valerian was also thinking about how to tackle the second prince.