PG | Chapter 2: The Warrior King

Calistus, feigning deep remorse, spoke. 

“My loyalty to the empire clouded my judgment.”

“Enough. Let’s end this discussion here.”

The Empress admonished Calistus sharply and then helped Aloissia to her feet.

“There, Crown Princess. You’re alright now.”

“…Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Aloissia replied in a small, thin voice. She felt uncomfortable and uneasy around the Empress.

The Empress was benevolent and a warm person. She was also Aloissia’s benefactor, the one who had elevated her, a lowly orphan, to nobility overnight. Yet, whenever Aloissia stood before the Empress, she felt a sense of danger, as if she had become a prey before a predator.

She didn’t know why.

“Come with me. There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

The Empress led Aloissia away, holding her hand.

It was a gentle touch, yet it felt like a vine, constricting her breath.

* * *

The Empress led Aloissia to the audience chamber, her grip on Aloissia’s hand never loosening.

Espers are purified through physical contact with Guides. But when two Espers touch, nothing happens.

It’s just simple contact.

Yet, every time the Empress held her hand, Aloissia felt a shiver run down her spine. She had the strange sensation that the Empress was absorbing her mana.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You should know your place! Why would Mother covet your powers? Espers can’t transfer mana to each other.”

“An orphan like you, brought into the Imperial family by Mother’s grace, and instead of being grateful, you’re suspicious and gloomy.”

“Stop being so overly sensitive and tiring everyone out!”

Aloissia took a deep breath, recalling Felix’s words.

Her husband was right. Just as Felix had said, Aloissia was delusional, a woman who didn’t know her place.

A gloomy, quiet woman, like a living corpse. If she weren’t an Esper, she would have spent her whole life in prayer, rotting away.

Felix was dead, but the  words he said to Aloissia were deeply etched in her heart.

‘Yes, I shouldn’t be so sensitive. Her Majesty helped me.’

Just then, they arrived at the audience chamber, and the Empress released her hand. Before entering, Aloissia mustered her courage and spoke.

“Th… Thank you for believing in me, Your Majesty.”

“Oh my!”

The Empress’s eyes widened, seemingly surprised by Aloissia’s words.

“Of course, I believe you. The Margrave was out of line. You must be grieving the loss of Felix as well.”

“…Yes.”

“If Felix knew you were suffering like this, he would surely… Sob…”

The Empress sobbed softly, mentioning her deceased stepson. She seemed genuinely saddened by his death.

Felix was a distant relative of the Emperor, found and adopted by the Empress after he came of age. Although they hadn’t been together long, perhaps due to the Empress’s affectionate nature, Felix had been devoted to his mother.

Though he had been a brute to his wife.

Aloissia’s marriage had been a nightmare. It might have looked perfect on the outside, but she was rotting away inside.

Felix would often hit her, kicking her in places covered by her clothes. So, no one knew that the Crown Princess was being abused.

He was even terrible at Guiding.

More accurately, he had never properly purified her. Felix abhorred touching Aloissia. He would only briefly hold her hand when her lack of Guiding caused seizures and pain. Immediately after, he would scrub his hands with a handkerchief as if she were a contaminated mass of germs.

And they were asking if she was grieving the death of that husband?

Of course not.

She wasn’t sad at all. She felt relieved, even.

“…”

“Sob… Felix…”

Aloissia patted the Empress’s trembling shoulder. Seeing the Empress grieve for Felix made her feel heartless. It was as if a lump of cotton was stuck in her throat.

“Please calm down, Your Majesty.”

“Ahem, thank you, Rosha.”

Comforted by Aloissia, the Empress wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. After seamlessly composing herself, the corners of her lips curled gently.

“We shouldn’t keep our guest waiting too long. Shall we go in now?”

“Yes.”

Aloissia blinked slowly. She was curious about the person the Empress wanted to introduce her to.

Numerous mourners attended Felix’s funeral. Who among them was important enough for the Empress to arrange a separate meeting?

Aloissia’s question was answered as soon as the doors to the audience chamber opened.

* * *

“Cassius Arslan, at your service, Your Imperial Highness the Crown Princess.”

A bronze skinned man bowed deeply, his large frame bent in a respectful greeting.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

As Aloissia nodded, the man, with his intimidatingly large and solid build, straightened up.

‘This is…!’

Aloissia’s golden eyes widened as she recognized the visitor.

Sun-kissed skin, a physique twice the size of an average man. Taut muscles visible beneath his loosely worn tunic, and large and small scars scattered across his body.

There was only one group on the continent with such bronze skin. The Bedua, the people of the warrior nation.

Despite their small size, the Bedua, comprised of a minority group, maintained diplomatic relations on par with the empire.

Bedua were warriors who surpassed human physical limitations, and they had dedicated monster hunting units. The ‘Nur’ and ‘Ticon’ hunting units were symbols of Bedua, like two wings of an eagle.

These elite few protected all of Bedua from monsters. Considering that most monsters were too powerful for humans to confront, the Bedua seemed to be born with superior physical abilities.

It was even said that when they manifested as Espers or Guides, they possessed immense power.

“…Are you the Black Lion?”

Aloissia whispered to the man who led the delegation. The new ruler of Bedua was known by the moniker ‘Black Lion.’

A wild predator with a jet-black mane, unlike ordinary lions. The Black Lion, a beast at the top of the food chain.

The new ruler was said to be a natural-born warrior who killed a monster at the age of seven.

“My, my.”

At Aloissia’s question, the man tilted his head slightly. His jet-black hair, half pulled back and the rest falling naturally, swayed with the movement.

Thick eyebrows, and beneath them, intensely shining red eyes. A straight nose, attractively full lips, and a prominent jawline came into Aloissia’s view.

She understood why he was called the Black Lion. He was almost too beautiful to be human, exuding the strong scent of an untamed wildness.

“I’m honored.”

Cassius straightened his head and narrowed his eyes. He shrugged his broad shoulders lightly.

“That the Crown Princess of the empire knows of me.”

His deep, resonant voice echoed softly, low but powerful. Aloissia unconsciously raised her hand and pressed it against her chest. For some reason, a corner of her heart ached.

“It’s a pleasure. I am Crown Princess Aloissia Ismene.”

“Aloissia.”

Cassius smiled faintly and rolled her name around in his mouth. Aloissia’s ears burned at the low murmur of his deep voice. His gaze hardened as he casually spoke her name.

“Oh, I apologize if that was presumptuous.”

“No, it’s alright…”

“That’s not fair!”

Someone grabbed Aloissia’s arm and grumbled. Startled, she turned to see a woman with the same red hair as the Empress.

“How could you? You didn’t even say my name.”

“Leda?”

Aloissia looked at the intruder with surprise.

The Empress’s biological daughter, Princess Leda.

Leda linked arms with Aloissia, pouting.

“I heard Bedua don’t address people by name on first meetings. It seems that was a lie. Or… did you do that on purpose, just to spite me? If so, you succeeded.”

“Now, Leda. There’s plenty of time to change that later.”

The Empress soothed Leda’s playful complaint. Aloissia asked, “Later?”

“Cassius will be staying in the empire for a while. I thought it would be good for you to meet him in advance, so I arranged this meeting.”

As the Empress explained, Aloissia felt an intense gaze upon her.

It was Cassius.