Chapter Sixteen
_ The Secret of the Old War Hero
Despite Johann's happiness with his uncle, he felt tense because of what he had said; it indicated that their conversation had been overheard. But Eric, sensing the children's fears, said:
"My senses are just keen, rest assured."
Johann felt relieved, and Ian looked at Eric calmly, giving him a faint smile:
"I apologize, I did not greet Your Highness. Ian di Altan greets the Second Prince."
Eric smiled at the two children, then lowered himself to their level and, in a playful gesture, placed his hands on the heads of the two little ones, patting them:
"What are these crazy ideas you both have...?! "
* * *
The Imperial Palace consisted of several inner palaces: the Main Palace, the Empress's Palace, and the Crown Prince's Palace. The Crown Prince's Palace and the Empress's Palace were close to each other, separated by beautiful rose gardens, followed by a number of distant inner palaces. This was a rule followed in most imperial traditions of any country. However, the previous Emperor had built the Second Prince's palace adjacent to the Crown Prince's, making it the closest palace to the Empress's. Everyone knew the late Emperor's devotion to his younger son, and thus the palace was very near. Eric was training in his palace courtyard, his mind preoccupied:
'Even though much time has passed, she is still the same, as if she returned to that girl I knew in my childhood... and her child... haha'
He continued exercising his muscles thoughtfully when suddenly he heard a dialogue. The conversation was ill-suited for the young, sweet voices:
[ "Have you heard of rare magical stones?! The Wishing Stone, the Memory Stone, and there are many types, but they are very rare and the probability of obtaining one is one in a billion. I read about them even in ancient books..." ]
[ "I heard of some of them, but I don't care... what will these stones offer me? I have my mother." ]
[ "Ian, you are truly amazing; in ancient history books, many wars occurred to win these magical stones." ]
[ "Why should I care for them?! And then, what do you need them for?!" ]
[ "Perhaps to get rid of the Emperor without killing him." ]
[ "..." ]
[ "I may be devoid of feelings for him, but he is my father in the end." ]
[ "Why do you want to remove him?! What has he done?!" ]
[ "My father is greedy; I want to protect my sister, my mother, and this people from his greed. He would not hesitate to kill me if I were an obstacle in his path." ]
[ "If my father were before me, I would not hesitate to kill him; you seem kind compared to me." ]
[ "You are truly strange!! You know? I am not an evil person to kill my father, but I will monitor the matter and decide later." ]
[ "I heard that the Emperor and the previous Duke of Altan were friends in the past; isn't it strange? The age gap between them is large and they have no common interests. How did they become allies?" ]
Eric laughed at the words coming from the children's mouths. He approached them, crossing his arms over his chest calmly:
"The Winter War."
The children's reactions were amusing to him. Eric greeted them playfully, still looking at their anxious faces, then spoke:
"My senses are just keen, rest assured."
The children's expressions calmed. After Ian returned the greeting, Eric spoke cheerfully after patting their small heads:
"What are these crazy ideas you both have...?! "
"..."
"..."
He knew they wouldn't admit the depth of their thoughts for children, so he ignored it and said cheerfully:
"Why don't we talk in a more suitable atmosphere?!"
Eric gestured to a nearby servant and spoke in his easy, comfortable way:
"Their Highnesses are visiting me; I would like a nice table for them..."
The servant bowed and left. Eric looked at the children and winked:
"Don't eat anything at my place unless you have a high resistance to poison..."
The children looked at each other and moved behind Eric in harmony. Johann had visited the Second Prince's palace before, but Ian was amazed to see it; though slightly smaller than the Crown Prince's palace, it was more lavish and much more beautiful. The gardens contained the rarest and longest-living flowers, and the walls were strong—it seemed every corner of the palace had been reinforced with magic and rare, expensive magical stones. For a moment, it seemed more luxurious than the Main Palace..
Ian looked at Johann and then at Eric's back. Many stories about him had reached his ears: the beloved son, the strongest sword master on the continent, an invincible hero, and many, many more tales. But the most important thing that came to his mind was that he was a man who spoke to his mother with nonchalance, and strangely, she didn't hate him or seem annoyed by him. This made him even more curious...
The table was filled with all kinds of sweets and refreshments. Johann looked at his uncle then at Ian, and they sat down. Before either of them could speak, Eric spoke cheerfully to a nearby maid:
"You may leave me and the little ones.."
Ian looked at his surroundings with suspicion, then directed his full gaze at Eric, who was looking at him with a playful smile:
"Let's continue what we were talking about..."
Johann wanted to inquire about something, but Ian spoke quietly:
"You said the previous Duke allied with the current Emperor in the Winter War. I don't understand... that war was a long time ago.."
"Mmm, you're right. A war more than twenty years ago, while our current Emperor is only thirty-six. It's simple..."
Johann focused intently on his uncle's words, and Ian looked at Eric, feeling for a moment as if he were facing his mother's provocative style...
"Do either of you know why Sardia's forces attacked Winter—which was essentially on the brink of destruction and was previously an ally to Sardia?"
"I don't know much; I heard it was because of my father when he was Crown Prince.."
"I want to know how the Duke got involved in the war?!"
"It's simple. The person for whom the previous Emperor would lose his rationality and forget all treaties..."
"You ... I mean Your Highness.."
Eric laughed deeply as he looked at Ian and Johann. He was speaking to them about a subject he had only shared with a few he could count on one hand. He hadn't wanted to bring it up, but these two children challenged his desire to keep it secret...
"You are your mother's son ... correct, I am the reason.."
"But how, Uncle?"
Eric looked at Johann then at Ian. It was no longer fun to stall or be dramatic; he had to finish his talk, for there were many ears eager to hear secrets..
"I won't stall further...
It was when I was about six. I was kidnapped by people claiming to work for the King of Winter. In truth, they were a group of traitors to Winter, and their goal was to exploit their collapsing country's situation to take control. Winter's situation was the spark to achieve the goals of three people: two of them succeeded, and the last failed...
The first beneficiary was the previous Duke of Altan, to return the insult of the King of Winter when he refused the Duke's marriage to his princess. The other was the son aspiring to gain his father's approval: the young Prince Arthur von Di Roshan. The losing side was the rebels from Winter; their goal was to become kings, but they harvested the death of their country... I don't deny it, Winter was and still is a target for many kings because it is rich in magical stone mines."
"What you mean is that my father exploited your kidnapping to improve his status.."
"Johann ... you've come close to the truth. The situation in Winter was chaos after the death of many people, especially the royal heirs there. There was a mission from Winter to Sardia to ask for help, but the mission was stopped before it reached the Imperial capital by the rebels who wanted to exploit the opportunity. They allied with the young Prince, who was only fifteen and a cunning fox; they kidnapped the Emperor's younger son, and the elder son would go to rescue his brother...
Arthur was a smart child who moved many 'big heads' for his benefit. He exploited the situation completely, and to hide his crime, he killed everyone involved except for the previous Duke of Altan. The Duke became his loyal dog after Arthur took the throne..."
The little ones' mouths were open at hearing such great horrors. Eric laughed. Although the matter was heavy, their reaction was rational compared to how he had felt as a child when he sensed the betrayal. He hadn't told anyone, not even his father or his brother—who never realized that Eric had understood the truth while he was surrounded by the Winter rebels. His heart kept telling him not to believe that his brother wanted to exploit him for his own interests, but in the end, he accepted the truth: his elder brother did not love him and never would...
Ian looked at Eric, who was smiling calmly as if the matter concerned someone else. He didn't understand the thinking of adults much. He knew he had ideas unsuited for his age, but he knew the man before him was strong enough to endure the betrayal of one he loved...
"The previous Duke was evil..."
"You are a disobedient child, speaking of your father like that..."
Eric spoke with a laughing voice, as if viewing Ian's behavior as something amusing. Ian tilted his head and said:
"He is only my biological father, but my mother's blood is what runs in my veins..."
Eric leaned forward slightly, placed his hand on Ian's head, and smiled cheerfully:
"You resemble your mother very much..."
"Everyone says I resemble the previous Duke..."
"Really? Maybe a little ... the hair ... some facial features. But I see you resemble the Duchess more..."
Eric moved his hand under his chin like someone examining a specific jewel. Eric's playful observation had a beautiful impact on Ian's heart; it filled him with happiness. He had always hated the hints that he resembled his father, but this man told him he resembled his mother. Ian pretended not to care, but his ears turned red, and Eric noticed. He smiled, ignored it, and then said with a bored air:
"You both will be late for your mothers.."
Ian stood and bowed politely:
"Thank you for your time, Your Highness..."
Johann rose slowly and bowed:
"Thank you for your time, Uncle..."
"You're welcome, visit again..."
Johann spoke enthusiastically:
"Next time, teach me some of your sword moves..."
"I will..."
Eric looked at the quiet Ian and spoke cheerfully:
"Perhaps the Little Duke won't need sword skills; he is a genius at magic.."
Ian's ears reddened, and he tried to pretend not to care:
"Thank you, Your Highness, but I am still learning magic too..."
"Alright, next time I'll see your skills as well ... and you, Johann, train well.."
"Alright..."
The two children left and did not look back. Eric took a piece of a special biscuit that children usually prefer, took a small bite, and laughed after realizing the contents. He stood up, took a small paper from his pocket, and read the sentence again:
[ The game will begin. Choose which team you will join...
First hint: What the Second Prince offers the Crown Prince is death...]
"My team is already decided, Elite Bryant!!"
He whispered with a smile and a feeling of euphoria and vigor...
* * *
"It seems the children passed by the Second Prince's palace..."
Sophia spoke after her maid whispered the matter to her. Elite smiled and said calmly:
"Children are very curious to get to know others..."
"Does the Duchess not mind a friendship with the Second Prince?!"
"Why would I mind?! .... My princess, do you like biscuits?"
Elite was talking with Sophia while enjoying playing with Lydia and talking to her, which aroused Sophia's wonder...
"You truly love little ones..."
"At first, I thought I only loved my own child, but it seems the little ones find their way to me..."
Sophia laughed, seeing Elite as a different person from what she had heard...
'The harsh woman' seems just an empty title ... she is strangely kind.
Even Lydia was happy to be close to Elite and was truly admiring her:
"The Duchess ... is like a fairy..."
Elite laughed softly at the little one's words and said:
"The Princess is as sweet as a fairy too ... I think fairies should become friends..."
Lydia looked at her mother with pleading eyes overflowing with excitement:
"Mama, I want to become the Duchess's friend.."
"I am also the Duchess's friend, so it's alright for us all to become friends..."
The little girl stood up and raised her hands enthusiastically:
"I am Mama's and the Duchess's friend..."
The two women laughed at Lydia's sweet behavior.
"Dia, my little one, go and play with your toy there with Maya..."
Lydia nodded enthusiastically and moved a little away from her mother to play. Sophia sighed then looked seriously at Elite and said:
"Duchess ... what were you hinting at yesterday?!"
Elite smiled calmly, looked at her surroundings quietly, then looked at Sophia:
"It seems the Empress truly cares about her children..."
"??! "
"Do you think His Majesty will be satisfied with his beloved prince?!"
"What are you saying?!"
There was real concern in Sophia's voice, a fear stemming from a mother's heart.
"The Emperor who obtained everything by sacrificing others.."
"Duchess, he is their father. How could he sacrifice his children? Perhaps he acts like a mad emperor and puts his son's life at risk for his insane vision of Johann being strong ... but why? Why would he hurt them?!"
Elite felt Sophia's heart and looked at her with a sad gaze...
"Do not trust him ... he has no heart ... so take care of your children.."
Sophia's heart trembled; she had thought he was just a madman. Elite took her hand and said in a warm voice and a reassuring look:
"I will support you.."
Sophia felt a bit of relief and strangely felt that this woman before her had lost much...
Elite looked at Sophia and smiled kindly:
'We lost much in the past. You lost your daughter and your heart's peace, and I lost my child. Perhaps you were wrong in the past too, but I got a chance and I will help you get your chance as well...
Ian will not die, Lydia will not die ... and Eric will not die either...'
* * *
"How was the Crown Prince's palace?"
Ian looked at his mother with a smile and spoke with a kind face, but his answer was lukewarm:
"I enjoyed it very much..."
Elite was silent for a bit. Ian had been quiet in the carriage since leaving the Imperial Palace, and they had come very close to the Altan palace in the capital, yet he remained quiet..
"Ian, I heard you went to visit the Second Prince..."
Elite didn't want to start an investigation into her child's state and preferred he tell her himself, but she felt afraid; she hadn't seen Ian act in such an isolated way before. So she decided to act as a slightly stricter mother..
Ian looked at his mother. Though he was just a child, he was perceptive of her and felt her slightest changes. He realized his mother's concern for him, so he sighed softly, stood up to sit in his mother's lap, and hugged her quietly...
"Mama is very wonderful ... and I resemble her, so I am wonderful, aren't I?"
The puppy eyes with which Ian looked at his mother were sweet and very tempting. Elite hugged her child deeply and said:
"I am wonderful because I have a wonderful child like you..."
Even if Ian didn't tell her what was occupying his mind now, she knew he would tell her or that she would find out in her own way.
'Let the little ones enjoy a bit of privacy...'
... To be continued ...
Note: For those who would like to see pictures of the characters, you can find them on my Wattpad account or Telegram channel.
@sara_luffy11