Just like the first volume, the first few chapters will be quite slow- for the sake of build up and all. But once it begins to take off, I am afraid that even I will not be able to stop it. Bear with me for now. Stay tuned!

***

Noon.

The Royal Palace.

Natural sunlight passed through the ‘reflection’ and ‘refraction’ magic circles of the windows and the corridors, lighting up the hallways and rooms.

It looked as if every one of the rooms, the corridors and the stairways had a sun of its own.

Adrian was walking through one of those hallways. Any servants or maids that would come in his range would step aside and bow. Despite not being a Royal, he was treated like one.

Adrian finally reached his destination. There was a grand door in front of him.

*Bam!*

Let alone knocking, he kicked it open and entered into the room.

Evelyn who was sitting behind an expensive desk and looking through documents slowly moved his eyes towards him. There was a silvery white glittering tiara on her head.

“You are here.” She said. “Come and help me.”

“Do it yourself.” Adrian sat down on a sofa.

“You are my Royal advisor.” She scowled.

“Yes, my job is to advise you.” He looked into her eyes. “Here’s my advice- do your job properly.”

“Yu-!”

She took in a deep breath.

“If you don’t want to do your job properly, why did you take it?” She asked.

“Money.”

She clenched her fists, almost tearing the document in her hands.

“Why are you here then?”

“Something’s troubling you and it’s not those papers, is it?”

She dropped the mildly twisted paper on the desk.

“Yes, the Empire.” She sighed. “They are making suspicious moves. And-“

“It’s too early.”

“Yes.” She sighed again. “Are they preparing a preemptive strike, or is it just a bluff? I don’t know.” She shook her head. “As the queen, I have to come to a decision.”

“It’s a bluff.”

“How do you know?” She frowned.

“Some imperial spies were present in your Coronation.” He casually said.

“Pardon?” Her brows knitted tighter.

“You heard it right.”

She sighed and shrugged. “Okay. If you say it’s a bluff, it’s a bluff then.” After what he had done for the past two years, she had utmost trust in this Royal Advisor of hers. “We will stay still then.”

“Tsk.” He clicked his tongue. “Darling, you are no fun.”

She scowled.

“Bluff them back. Make them pay for their deeds.”

She smiled wryly. “I will go with it then.”

“Just make sure you don’t over do it. Or you might start an early war- not that I mind though.”

Her smile became even more forced. “Okay.”

“And?”

“And?” She squinted.

“Oh. So, you are becoming daring enough to hide things from me.” He showed a smile to Evelyn- an evil smile.

She gulped before shaking her heard with breakneck speed. Sweat drenched her forehead. She clearly remembered what happened a few days ago, on the night of the coronation.

“I… I…” she gave up with a sigh. “It’s about-“

“Your mother.”

She gasped, but calmed down soon. Right. He knew everything.

“Yes.” She looked outside through the only window of the room. “Since I became the queen, she barely talked to me.”

“And the reason- is me, right?”

She took in a deep breath. “Yes, I believe this is the case.”

“No wonder. No matter how many I sleep with, you women’s mind still remains a mystery to me. I am bound to use my de- ahem- superior part of my brain.”

She scowled. What’s wrong with him today? Or was something wrong with her?

She shrugged it off.

“I will take care of it.”

“Really?” Her eyes widened.

“Yes. Everything will be fine between you two again” He nodded. “I made you the Queen. I will take you all the way through.”

“Thank you!” She stood up and bowed; there was a wide smile on her face.

“Now let’s talk about the price.”

“…” The smile ran away at the speed of light.

“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!”

*Bam! Bam! Bam!* *Crack.*

A handsome blonde haired youth was punching a marble pillar, chirping away the pieces slowly.

“Calm-“

“How can I calm down?!” His drunk green eyes looked at the middle aged man. “I lost! I fucking lost! That bitch is now the queen! And I?”

*Bam!* *Crush!*

With one heavy punch, he crushed the pillar into smithereens.

The middle aged guardian stepped forward. “This should be-“

“No!” The prince bellowed. “It’s not enough!” He took in a deep breath. “Worse, now that I lost. Everyone left! The Crimsons took away my fiancée, the Bradley’s took away my best friend.”

“I am left with nothing!” He kicked the pile of crushed marble and stone on the ground. “Nothing at all!”

“Relax, your highness.”

“Don’t call me your ‘highness’!” He roared. “What did the Royal family give me? What did Nemphis give me.” He glared at his guardian. “Nothing!”

“Your highness, you-“

“Yes, You are right.” The prince sat down on a chair nearby. “It’s treason.” He looked at his guardian; his eyes lost any sign of drunkenness.

Chills ran down the middle aged man’s spine.

“But-“

“Tell me, Alfred.” The prince looked right into the middle aged man’s eyes. “Am I wrong?”

“Well…” The man fidgeted his fingers. He wanted to say, ‘You are everything you are now only because of the Royal family.’ But before he could say anything-

“See, even you, a Royal guardian cannot find a single area where my family supported me.” The prince sighed.

“…”

“Maybe I was meant to be alone.”

“You see, I wanted to tell you that-“

“You don’t have to say anything Alfred. I don’t need consolations. What I need is support, but who would ever support a loser.” The prince looked up with melancholy in his eyes.

“I-“

“Yes, you.” The prince suddenly looked back at his guardian. “I knew that at least you, of all people, would never leave me.” A bright smile formed on his face.

“…”

The middle aged man wanted to say something. But the bright smile on the face of the youth he raised like his own son inhibited him from opening his mouth.

“Evelyn, just wait.”

The jolly smile on his face turned into an evil one.

“I will drag you down from the throne and sell you as the whore you are.”