"Where's the Empress?!" The Empress's personal maid, Prudence, gasped out of paleness as she examined the empress's bedroom and there wasn't any living thing she detected on the bed, cabinet, by the window, and the toilet.
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As she went out of the empress's chamber and opened the door, the other couple of maids gasped in unison and exclaimed, "Her majesty's missing again?! Where does her majesty went this time???"
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They're so occupied to the thought of worryness when they would wake up and the empress was nowhere to be found. Everyday, this is the scenario they're all panicking about. All their pale faces became more paled when they heard the voice of the emperor asking what's the problem from behind along with his personal butler. They bowed their heads, heart's beating loudly fearing that the emperor would punish them for not doing their duty enough. On the other side of their thoughts, they all thought that it was bizarre that the emperor went in the empress's place. It was...It was the fifth time that he's gone here ever since the empress and him come up the throne! It was such a rare occasion! They should mark the calendar right away!
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"I asked what's the problem." The emperor, with his cold hazel eyes and intimidating aura that was surrounding the place, said with a commanding tone of voice.
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Prudence shakes as she responded, "J-Just, Her Majesty is missing, Your Majesty..."
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The emperor clicked his tongue. They all closed their eyes in paleness and fear. "Find her. I have a statement to tell right away and it was urgent." The emperor commanded impatiently.
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As Prudence was about to turn around after he bowed to the Emperor, someone's running footsteps was heard as they turned around to the direction.
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"Prudence! Prudence!" It called her.
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It was the empress! and there was something that she was carrying on her arms---a lion cub! The emperor frowned seeing her sweating all over her face and carrying a bow and a couple of arrows in her back. What made the emperor more frowned was that the one on her arms, the dangerous child of a dangerous animal! It was obvious that she just came back from the forest!
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The empress, unexpectedly least expecting the emperor that only visited her place four times ever since, tripped and lost the lion cub in her arms. Her body and face fell right to the floor as her head bumped unto it loudly.
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The maids, including Prudence, the Empress' personal maid, all thought it was a shame. A shamed that the emperor saw it, since they are all used to see the empress carelessly clumsy in things. It wasn't new to them, but for the emperor, it's really a shame. They thought.
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Their face twisted, only the emperor's face frowned. The other maid carried the crying lion cub as it fell from her, while Prudence helped the Empress get up and wipe her face.
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"Empress..." Prudence's face was so pale as she helped the Empress to get up.
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Freesia coughed as she lifted the hem of her dress to greet the emperor. The emperor snorted, frowning. He doesn't really care what sort of empress she is or what she shows to him or to any other people, he only cares that she won't ruin his reputation and dignity as what the title they were doing their duty in.
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"Get us a tea." The emperor ordered as he head to the drawing room in the Empress's place. The Empress sighed as he followed him, but before that, she eyed the other maids to take care of the lion cub because it was injured.
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In the drawing room, Freesia, the empress, and Logan, the emperor, sat opposite to each other as the tea came in. Freesia sat in a posture that would make her look like intimidating like him, but as she tried hard enough, she realized that it was hard, even though she continuously practice the poised many times, it felt like she won't get it right and would only make her uncomfortable, so in the end, she only sat with a posture and her back straightening.
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The emperor started the conversation. "I hope the empress won't make such stubborn acts in front of me that would make her look like pathetic and undeserving in her status," He coldly stated, insensitively and with pride. "Acting noble wasn't that hard." he added.
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Freesia, who was so used to the attitude of his damaging her dignity, rubbed her eyes because she felt sleepy talking to him, and said, "Your Majesty, I was surprised that you came here without sending a notice. I should've prepared..." She sighed, what she was saying doesn't really make sense. He come and go in her place like it was his own like the past occurrences, so she changed the conversation, "So what's the urgent news, emperor?"
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Logan throw a letter that arrived in the emperor's place just half an hour ago that made him rushed to go in the empress's place.
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"Read it, then you will know."
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Freesia opened the letter as she carefully read the content.
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It was from the wizard of the Aeneas Tower that's located at the north of the empire. He was saying that he needed the empress and emperor's presence in his place and that it was urgent that they both needed to rushed to go there as soon as possible. There was a problem that was difficult to explain in the letter, the wizard could only talk to them in person right away.
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A slight nervousness come upon Freesia as she made an eye contact with him. The emperor only glance at him.
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"Pack your things right away and we will leave in an hour. It will take us three days to get into the north so I'll bring magic stones with me for saving time. If I don't see you in an hour in the palace's gate, I wouldn't care if I leave you behind." In such coldness, Freesia only chuckled slightly. The emperor frowned.
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"Thanks, your Majesty," Freesia rose from where she sat. She thanked him for such effort in sending the letter by himself when he can only passed it to the messenger to gave it to her. Sometimes, she really doesn't know what's going on in the emperor's mind.
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She couldn't understand him at all, but she was hoping someday that she would somehow.
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She knew he hated her for a long time for such stupid pledge of the former emperor and her grandfather. It wasn't that she hated the marriage and title, she would never, but she already accepted it a long time ago when she was growing up that she's also bound to be tied by someone out of status and wealth like her parents. Love wasn't a thing between her parents, so when her father told her that she's going to marry the future emperor, she just obeyed.
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Growing up, the empress was intelligent in many aspect of things and skilled in archery. Everyone around her told her that she's really fitted to be an empress one day. She liked the compliments, but somehow deep inside her, she could barely breathed.
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It was suffocating her. What inside her mind was to be tied. To be tied in the throne, to be tied from the emperor.
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But unexpectedly, all her worries faded away when she became an empress. She wasn't tied to emperor, she was glad he hated her and doesn't care for her. She came to love the empire's people and did her duties. She came to knew herself. At first, she thought she'll be lonely. But she's fine being alone. Even if this would last for a long time, she wouldn't care. As long as she has her own company, as long as there wasn't anything that's tying her up to something that could suffocate her.
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As Freesia closed the door of the drawing room and rushed to her chamber along with Prudence to prepare, the Emperor then also went out from her place.
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"Prudence, where's the cub?" Freesia asked to Prudence, who's helping her pack her dresses.
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"The little cub was already being cured your majesty," Prudence then snorted and change the topic. "Her Majesty should tell me first where she was going everyday before she left...you're always missing your majesty. The Empress's place was panicking everyday to find where the empress at because she was everywhere! I couldn't find you in your bed, in the closet, in the toi---"
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"Eh? Why would you find me in the closet?"
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Prudence face palm as she thought the empress was really like herself. "Your Majesty, I'm just saying, that, please don't make us worry...I know her Majesty is mischievous and wants to do what she wants. But we also has duties that if we failed to do, we will get..." Prudence sighed.
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Freesia slowly nodded, understanding the situation and becoming red-faced as she admitted her mistakes. "I understand my mistakes. I apologize, I'll be careful next time."
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Prudence nodded, "Thank you, your Majesty."
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Freesia smiled at her, face brightening. Prudence thought, that the empress was really stubborn, mischievous, adventurous and for times, forgetful. But she was doing her duties right and with excellence. Even if she was loud, bold and clumsy, her Majesty was gentle and encouraging. Prudence really admired her.
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"I don't know when we would be back, but I'm pretty sure it will take days," The empress said to Prudence as they're done packing, itching her nape because of the necklace around her neck. Prudence nodded, and fixed the necklace on her. "Do I really need to wear the necklace? It's so itchy. I would die from itching, really." Freesia complained.
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Prudence rubbed her temple. "Her Majesty needed it. Its purposed was for the wizard to know that you are the empress and the emperor's companion. It was the necklace the former empresses wears everytime they visit the wizard. It was a must." Prudence explained.
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Freesia didn't know, because it's the first time she will meet the wizard that she hasn't seen for the twenty one years of her life.
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"Al...alright." Freesia just sighed. She would just removed it in the carriage and put it back again when they reached the wizard's place.
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When Freesia arrived at the gate, the carriage was already there and she was sure that the emperor was inside. Freesia waved and smiled at Prudence and the royal knights.
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"Don't be sad! I'll be back in few days! I'll also request a few rounds of a fight!" Fern waved as the carriage moved. Some of the royal knights' face paled as Prudence sighed. The last time the empress was with the knights, the empress challenged them both at sword and archery and no one defeated her. The smile on the young empress' face hasn't faded even on the fight. She didn't spare anyone pityness while having to fight with them and the knights don't pity her either. She said on the beginning that she will accept her defeat if ever she was defeated, but not of that happened.
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The royal knights's faces whenever she was passing by was becoming pale after that.
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Logan clicked his tongue as Fern sat properly inside the carriage opposite to him. "Stop being too loud, empress."
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Fern gazed at Logan whose legs was on top of his other leg and crossing arms. Fern only spared him only with a bright smile without showing her teeth then she took a bite on the bread she was holding. Logan rolled his eyes and look outside the window.
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This empress...his wife was a vulgar. Really. And it's annoying. Annoying to the core that his ears was aching whenever she shouted words and laughed like a madman. He could only rolled his eyes. He didn't wished for a wife like this, he also didn't wished to have a wife or an empress at all. Because he didn't need anyone. He could live by ruling an empire and expanding his territory by himself.
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But unfortunately, their grandfathers happened. And his plans was ruined.
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"Emperor..."
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Just as he was deeply thinking about it, he became more annoyed when he heard her voice.
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"What is it again." The emperor frowned at her. But as he gaze at her scratching her neck slightly after finishing to eat her bread, his eyebrows raised.
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"I wonder if I can remove the necklace for the meantime."
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Logan's eyes narrowed, then he didn't agree. "Live up your reputation, you can't just remove it whenever you want. The pathway we are taking was by the wizard's way and anyone on the place might just kick you out not seeing the necklace in you and might think you're some kind of person I brought just for fun. For once in your life, can't you be obedient?"
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With that, Fern was silent by his words. His really cold...and arrogant. Sometimes, she just couldn't take it. Fern took out a blow from her mouth and scratch her neck and nape from time to time because it's really itchy.
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"Eh...okay," was the only words she could say. The emperor was really pissed off even in her answer that really wasn't 'empress-like'. It was more like a stubborn 'five-year-old' toddler.
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Fern pledge to be silent for the whole journey, but she wasn't really used to silence. Her talkative personality cannot be shut up just like that, so she hummed to ease the tragedy she was feeling. Since she noticed that Logan didn't mind, she continued to hummed gazing at the window outside. For the past few minutes when she gazed at the emperor, his eyes was now closed and he seemed to be asleep. Fern continuously hummed as she looked outside the window. The dawn was approaching. And maybe tomorrow, they would just reached the wizard's tower in the help of the magic stones that helped their journey. Fern stopped humming half an hour later as she also felt sleepy. She leaned her head against the window shield and silently fell asleep. Just as Logan opened his eyes, he saw her eyes closed.
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Logan blinked for a second, eyebrows knitting. He wished she would be asleep for a long time, that's when she only looked obedient and tamed. Once again, he closed his eyes and fell unconscious.
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Logan opened his eyes hours later when he felt something was wrong outside the carriage. It wasn't that it wasn't moving, but he felt the instinct that some creatures would attack. It was one his magic powers that was bestowed upon him just as when he was born, or what was called, An Emperor's intuition.
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Creatures.
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Logan's eyes flickered in rage as he shouted to the coachman to stop. The coachman flinched as the emperor step outside the carriage. Everything outside was dark, the only source of light of the coachman was the 2 kerosene lamp on both of his sides.
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"Your Majesty, what...what happened?"
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Logan frowned. "Get inside the carriage and closed the windows. Get the curtains down from the window and don't look outside no matter what happened or no matter what you heard. Prevent the empress from waking up---no, I'm sure she would wake up. Just prevent her from escaping the carriage."
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The coachman, knowing that the emperor was cold-blooded and doesn't like repeating his words twice, trembled with fear that he rushed to obeyed his order. As soon as Logan saw the coachman entered and closed the carriage, Logan took a deep breathe as a fainted blue light appeared in his hands. It grew as blue flames that scattered around. It was the lure for the creatures to appear.
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As Logan heard growls of a creature...no, it wasn't a growl from a monster, neither an animal or anything! It sounds like a growl, of a human! Logan's eyes widened whilst he saw bloody humans like ghouls appeared that surrounds the place. It was...too many!
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"Fuck off!" Logan shouted as a grey whipped with blue flames appeared in his hands. He attacked the humans-like-ghouls fearlessly that he wasn't shaken at all. Bothersome! Why would such creatures appear in such a place like this---a pathway to the wizard's place? Why would this creatures exist?!
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What fucking is this? Disgusting.
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On the other hand inside the carriage, the empress awoke as she heard a growling outside and a sound of many loud breathing creatures. Fern was surprised seeing the coachman inside the carriage covered in sweat.
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"What..." Fern panicked, not seeing Logan. When she looked outside the window, he saw him fighting alone with such disgusting creatures! Her heart started beating fast and has the urge to got out of the carriage when suddenly, the coachman stopped her.
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"H-His majesty said that the empress mustn't got outside!" There was a shake in his voice.
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"No!" Fern tried to open the carriage's door. Logan heard the empress voice from outside and shouted, "STAY THERE!!!"
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The empress, succeedingly opened the carriage and locked the coachman inside, shouted too. "TOO LATE!"
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Logan groaned at her stubbornness and irritatingly ignored her as they both fought such creatures. Logan with his whip, and Fern with her bow and arrow. The coachman only shouted in fear from inside the carriage. Fear from failing the emperor's order, fear from the creatures he was seeing, and fear that both the empress and emperor's lives were at stake.
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Fern shooted an arrow in the creature's head that was supposed to attacked the emperor and sighed at ease. "You don't need to thank me, but you're welcome!" Fern shouted, making the emperor felt annoyed.
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"Nonsense!"
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Fern only shrugged shoulders, fearless too. After a few minutes of killing such creatures, it seemed like the said creatures wasn't getting loss in numbers at all. Fern looked at Logan, who seemed to notice it too.
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"Get the coachman!" Logan shouted. Fern rushed to open that carriage took the arms of the coachman.
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"Empress---"
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"We needed to run, can you take it?!" The Empress informed. The coachman nodded out of panic.
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Fern gazed at Logan killing the creatures who were attacking them and said, "NOW!"
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With that, the empress, emperor, and the coachman both run for their lives.
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