Tyrant of the Ruined Sun

Meanwhile, on the other end of the city; the procession that was carrying the royal family from Wahagen had just entered the city.

"The city feels like it did a year ago, when his majesty went to war." Kira muttered aloud as she peered through the window, her hand resting inconspicuously on her thighs, right where she kept her concealed weapons.

"Indeed." Esmerelda absent mindedly replied, her eyes vacantly gazing outside, as droves of troops and horses passed by, their armor donned and their weapons held high in salute. She didn't even notice when she unconsciously tightened her grip on the comb she was using to groom Alisar's hair, causing her to yelp out in surprise.

"I'm so sorry sweetheart. Did I pull too hard?" She quickly said, soothing her daughter's pain with a few gentle rubs.

"Is brother leaving again?" She suddenly asked, worry lacing her words, as she turned around to look up at Esmerelda with eyes on the brink of tears. Though whether these tears came about from the pain or the fright of her elder brother leaving yet again for blood soaked soil was unclear.

Hugging her close to her chest, Esmerelda replied, maybe trying to convince herself more than her daughter "Don't worry so much sweetheart. He'll come back just as he did last time; safe and sound, with the thunderous cheers of the people echoing behind him."

Seeing this heart warming scene, Kira couldn't help but subtly grit her teethe, wishing she could rip Zadkiel to a hundred pieces for bringing such heartache and unease upon the people she cared for most in the world. But then she was struck with the realization that even if Zadkiel were to miraculously materialize before her right this instant, she would be no match for the man. Her rank one martial arts were simply too weak, too fragile, too unreliable.

Kira had always seen herself as a maid first and a member of the Shade Corps second, yet now she questioned that; and for the first time in her life Kira suddenly felt not an excitement or rush, but a desperate need to train her powers, so that if in the future she were ever in the situation to stop the current circumstances from occurring ever again, she would be able to do so.

'Maybe I could ask Horus for some advice?' She quietly thought to herself.

It was then that Esmerelda's eyes shifted from her daughter to her two younger sons, who instantly lowered their heads the moment she looked at them. Esmerelda had always possessed the seemingly omniscient maternal power to read her children's thoughts like they were an open book, and now seeing the reaction of the two, as well as the glimpse of their eyes she had caught before they everted them away, that showcased the absurdly baffling amalgamation of resolution and hesitation, courage and fear, excitement and heartache, joy and guilt; she instantly knew what her beloved sons were thinking in their little heads.

"I will not stop you," she suddenly said "nor will I blame you, so wipe away those ashamed looks on your faces. My boys are far too cute for that."

Nizam and Cyrus snapped their heads up at once, their eyes bulging in disbelief and their mouths agape in confusion. Yet before they could even fully wrap their heads around their mother's sudden words, the carriage abruptly stopped and Abraham's voice resonated from outside, respectfully saying "Your Highnesses, we have arrived at the Palace."

Standing up with Alisar in hand, Esmerelda began making her way down, before saying to her two still stunned children "Come on then, I'm sure your brother is busy and we don't want to keep him waiting."

Hearing this, the rest of the royal family swiftly vacated the carriage. Yet to their disappointment, Alexander wasn't there waiting for them like last time, but Esmerelda already expected this, so she turned to one of the Palace Guards who'd just arrived to greet them and asked "Where is his Imperial Majesty?"

"He's working in his study, my lady. Along with the Grand Vizier and a few other officials and scribes." The man smoothly and professionally responded, probably already having foreseen being asked such a question.

"Thank you." She replied, before turning and saying "Kira you take the twins and Alisar to their rooms to rest, I will be there shortly."

"Understood, my lady." Kira replied as she directed the other servants and ladies in waiting.

Turning yet again, this time to the gleaming giant beside her "Lord Abraham would you mind escorting us?" She asked knowing full well that the Golden Guardian would return to his emperor's side the instant they left.

"It would be my honor, your majesty." Abraham replied bowing, as he made an inviting gesture with his hand.

Quickly the four made their way to his office, with Nizam and Cyrus's hearts beating fiercely in jubilant excitement, now understanding that they not only had their mother's blessings but also her unconditional support.

Reaching Alexander's office, they beheld what could only be described as a conveyer belt of men and women in different uniforms holding important looking scrolls and parchment papers by the handful; walking in from one side of the massive double doors and then scampering out of the other side in a frantic rush somewhere with the same looking documents in their arms.

Even Esmerelda was stunned by the sheer volume of work that her son seemed to be dealing with. A feeling which only intensified, when she entered the office. The usually calm and orderly study of the emperor of the Eclipse Empire was bursting with the cacophonic sounds of quills hurriedly and roughly scratching on paper; of dry parchment flapping and crackling as it was constantly flipped and crumpled; of words spoken ever louder as people tried to hear each other from across the room; all the while the arrhythmic clacking of heals on the floor as officials chaotically zipped from one side to the other, like an ant hill when disturbed, constantly rung out stridently with no end in sight.

Worse yet, there was barely any place to even walk in this claustrophobic pickle jar, as two giant tables devoured the space on both sides of the door where dozens of scribes sat ceaselessly working, leaving only a narrow corridor in the middle for people to pass through.

It was only then that Darius, who coincidently raised his head to stretch his stiff neck, noticed the four stunned figures at the door and quickly stood from his seat and slightly bowed to them, which caught the attention of everyone present.

And so the rest of those gathered spotted them and quickly followed the lead of their Grand Vizier, as Alexander, who just raised his head to know why the noise suddenly halted, surprisedly asked "Mother? When did you all return?"

Smiling to hide her own awkward feeling, she replied "We just did. But could the gentlemen give us the room for a moment?" Her eyes remaining fixated on her son. Understanding that she wanted to say something of importance, he looked to Darius and subtly nodded.

Understanding the meaning behind his monarch's actions, Darius loudly spoke "Gentlemen, what say you to an early respite today?"

The present men and women leaped at the opportunity with open arms, desperate for a few minutes rest from the infernal deluge of unending paper work.

As soon as everyone was out of ear shot, Esmerelda quickly and calmly announced, as if it were the most mundane thing in existence "Your brothers will be joining you on this campaign, so make sure you protect them and teach them well."

Alexander's reaction was much Nizam and Cyrus's in the carriage, eyes wide and jaw hung open. Because anyone who knows anything about Empress Esmerelda knows just how fiercely this woman protects her own, especially her children, yet here she is now calmly sending those same most treasured offspring of hers into what is most likely to be a horrendously brutal and bloody civil war.

Knowing what they were all thinking, she softly sighed and said "I've come to terms with the fact that your reign Alex, will not be a peaceful one. And you will have to continue to head off to war, whether I like it or not." Alexander unconsciously flinched at those words, feeling as though she were rebuking him, before she continued as she she stretched her arms out to lovingly caress the heads of Nizam and Cyrus, saying "But I've also come to realize that I will not be able to stop these two from eventually following you. So instead of barring their path and them inevitably doing something rash, I have decided to instead allow them to chase after their own ambitions in a more controlled environment, where they could learn to nurture the necessary skills safely, so that eventually they could eventually accompany you without burden."

Nizam and Cyrus' expressions bounced interchangeably from flushed embarrassment to radiant glee. Embarrassment at having their most private thoughts and feelings aired out in the open so suddenly, and joy at having their mother's full encouragement, something they thought would have been near impossible to achieve.

"I understand your point mother, but... are you sure that... this is for the best right now?" Alexander hesitatingly replied, since even though he would refuse to admit it, he was as overprotective as his mother was; if not more so.

Yet before any of them could reply, a bone chilling voice full of bloodlust, echoed out "Let them join."

Snapping their heads to the door, they saw Haytham just round the corner and come into their view. His deep blue aura flaring unrestrainedly around him, crashing into everything near him like the enraged waves of the sea; his long brown hair that was tied in a long braid was thrashing wildly like a writhing snake, while his blue eyes flared in a ravenous whirlpool of labyrinthine thoughts and clashing emotions.

It was only Esmerelda and Alexander who noticed the haggard condition of his clothes and the state of his bloodshot eyes; it needed no explanation or head scratching, it was clear; the man had cried.

He; the Archduke of the western provinces, the master of Bathisma; the pearl of the west, the Grand Admiral of the Western Armadas and the man hailed as the Blood Tide of the South had cried.

"Like how I was your father's shield and most trusted ally, so will they. And the sooner they grow the better." Haytham finished, still stepping in the room.

Opening his mouth, Esmerelda wanted to speak only to be cut off by him saying in a tone of finality and raw; unimaginable rage "My apologies my lady, but I will not sit this one out. My blade will savor the taste of that traitor's flesh as I carve into it the lesson I should have taught him long ago."

His last few words were spoken with acid practically dripping from them, before he abruptly turned around and left, his back as straight as ever, but an unmistakable air of melancholy now weighed heavily upon it.