Blood Crystal

"Well, things are more complicated than you think," Raymond pointed out, sighing.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked as she hugged him closely.

"I will leave the empire after today," Scarlett's grip tightened around him, scared that he would disappear if she loosened her grasp. "And I can't possibly force you to come with me just as you can't possibly force me to stay here."

"No, please don't go. Stay here with me," Scarlett pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I can't, Sasha," Raymond grabbed her shoulders and freed himself from her embrace. "I have someone I need to find."

"Whom do you want to find? Tell me, I will use my men to find them for you!" Scarlett spoke, holding back a sob. "You don't have to go."

Raymond's laugh was mirthless as he wiped away the tears gathered at the corner of her eyes.

"Crying doesn't suit you, Sasha," He tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ears. "And it won't stop me from leaving. I have always wanted to see the world for myself. I don't want to be tied down to a place and take any responsibilities that would hinder my dreams. That's why I can't stay here."

Scarlett peered into his eyes trying to find if he was not being honest. Her heart bled at the thought of not seeing him.

Even though she had known him for only a short amount of time, she cherished him dearly. His company always reminded her of the freedom she sought in her life.

"Do you want to break off the engagement?" She asked, her voice laced with nervousness.

"I would have if it wasn't something my old man decided for me," He replied without sugarcoating his words.

A sad smile appeared on Scarlett's face. "So you don't like me? You would marry me just because your father made this arrangement?"

"My father is dead, Sasha," Raymond choked, a lump forming in his throat as he spoke. "I wasn't there when he was being buried under the ground, never to wake up again. I will forever regret not being there to see him one last time."

"I don't know what he was thinking when he signed the marriage agreement between us but I don't wish to be unfilial by breaking off the engagement," Raymond lifted her chin with his two fingers and gazed into her enchanting red eyes. "Plus, you're not too bad, I guess."

Scarlett froze for a second before bursting out in laughter.

"Not…not too bad? You, dumbshit!" Scarlett punched his bare chest. "You're lucky I like you or else…"

"Or else what?" Raymond questioned challengingly.

Instead of the rebuke he was expecting Raymond got himself wrapped in her embrace.

"You shouldn't talk too much. You can be unpleasant when you talk…" Scarlett pulled his head down to indulge herself in a searing hot kiss.

Unlike the first time which was abrupt and short, she took her time now. She hummed into his mouth as his strong arms rested on her hips.

"Haa…for your information, my father would never allow me to leave the empire," Scarlett added as an afterthought, too overwhelmed by the kiss she was sharing with Raymond.

"Let's worry about it later," Raymond rested his forehead against hers. "What do you want? Are you up for an adventure outside the empire?"

"I would love to come with you; trust me, I do," It was painful for her to push aside her dreams. "But I can't. Not without my father's permission."

"Hmm, so you need me to convince your father?" Raymond asked as he cracked his knuckles. "That's easy enough!"

"You will do no such things, Ray!" Scarlett held onto him for dear life, aghast at the thought of Ray fighting with her father. Regardless of who won, it would only end in disaster for her.

"Then, do what you want," Raymond suggested tersely. "But know that I will be out of the empire irrespective of what you decide."

An awkward silence permeated the air which was broken by the sound of a bell ringing in the distance.

-Gong! -Gong! -Gong!

"Hmm, what is that sound?" Raymond asked.

Scarlett's eyes widened in realisation. "That's the justice bell! But who would dare to ring it during the festival?"

She quickly went to a nearby window and looked down. Her frown deepened as she saw her father bristling in anger.

"No way! Why would Duke Denver be here?" Scarlett asked, her expression turning grave. "What is he carrying?" She narrowed her eyes to see the bundle of white being carried by the duke.

"Ray! I think we should go. There seems to be something going on below."

Raymond nodded silently. He had already guessed what Denver was doing here.

'Great, Jasmine! You jinxed it.' Cursing his maid in his mind, Raymond followed Scarlett to the middle of the ground where a great drama was unfolding.

*******

"Commander Denver, you better give a good reason for disrupting the festivities!" Elmer spoke through gritted teeth, barely holding back the urge to lash out at his duke.

"Your Majesty, I am not here today as a commander of your army." Cyril's voice was filled with pain as he laid down the wrapped up body of his son. "I am here as a father to beg for justice. I want my son's murderer to be punished!"

Slowly, he unwrapped the clothes to reveal the purplish face of Felix Denver.

"What? What happened to Felix?" All of the anger Elmer was feeling left his body. "Cyril, who did this to him?" He asked with a strained voice.

Cyril choked, tears streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, it is my own daughter who did this!"

"When did you have a daughter, Cyril? Why was I not aware of this?" A surprised Elmer asked.

"Your Majesty, forgive me for hiding my daughter. I was afraid her existence would disgrace our family." Cyril said with utter hatred. "She was a jealous creature, a venomous snake. She was so wicked that her entire being was made of poison!"

"Ever since she had awakened her innate spirit as Heartbane, she had been bitter about her fate. That only increased when I named Felix as my heir." Cyril's face fell in despair as he recounted his daughter's story. "She ran away from home vowing to come back and ruin our family."

"I was a fool, Your Majesty. A fool. I didn't take her seriously and let her go at that time." He seethed. "If I had known she would do this to my precious son, I would have killed her with my own hands."

Cyril started slapping himself repeatedly. "I shouldn't have been afraid of being labelled a kinslayer. I should have killed her when I had the chance…Your Majesty, I have let down my son. What am I supposed to do now? Who is going to continue my legacy?"

"Stop it, Cyril!" Elmer stopped his duke from beating himself senselessly. "You have done nothing wrong. It's not your fault."

"No, Your Majesty! Everything is my fault." Cyril broke down in hysteria. "Everything's my fault! I should have killed her as soon as she awakened Heartsbane! It would have been for the better!"

"His Majesty is right, Cyril!" A sombre voice interrupted Cyril. "You shouldn't blame yourself for showing mercy to your daughter!"

A man donned in exquisite silken attire stepped up beside Elmer. He was Clarence Brownheart, a duke just like Cyril. He had a more lofty position as the brother-in-law to the emperor.

His steely grey eyes swept over Cyril as he calmly stated: "Your daughter is the one to blame. Killing her own kin out of jealousy is the gravest of sins. Your Majesty, she should be executed to set an example that our empire does not take kindly to these sinners!" His long brown hair billowed wildly as his aura spiked up in anger.

"That's right, Cyril." Elmer agreed. "I will hand out the just punishment for your daughter! No one will dare to do something like this again!"

"Your Majesty, we must deal with this urgently. Others will call us weaklings if we delay justice!" Clarence declared loudly.

"Clarence is right. Tell us everything you know about your daughter. We will mobilise all the Imperial Guards to find her." Elmer added.

"I am blessed to be your subject, Your Majesty," Cyril said gratefully. "But I can find her myself."

Cyril took out a diamond shaped red crystal from his spatial ring.

"Cyril, why do you have that?" Clarence was quick to recognise the blood crystal. It was banned by the empire since it involved blood magic.

"Do not blame him, Clarence. It isn't the time to ask questions about some harmless item." Elmer commented. He too had a blood crystal made for each of his daughters. As such, he didn't take it as something warranting a severe punishment for Cyril.

Cyril bowed gratefully towards the emperor and bit down on his fingers. He smeared his blood on the crystal causing it to shine brightly.

The crystal hovered in mid air as it kept shining in blinding red colour before it started moving towards the outside of the Coliseum.

It was simple magic actually. A parent would take a drop of blood from his child to craft a blood crystal. Upon adding his/her own blood to the crystal it could be activated to lead to their children.

A century ago, it was banned due to the raising complaints by noble women who were against using their babe's blood to craft a magic item.

"Assemble, my Imperial Guards!" Elmer cried out furiously.

-Clink! Clank! -Clink! -Clank!

Rows upon rows of armour wearing guards gathered in front of Elmer and knelt in obedience.

"Your Majesty, we are yours to command!" Their unified voice shook the entire ground.

"Your Majesty," Rob, who was the remaining Imperial Guardian, asked tentatively: "What about the festival?"

"Shut up, Rob!" Elmer thundered. "One of our own has been murdered in cold blood and you're concerned about the festival?" Rob quickly bowed his head in apology.

"Mark my words, Cyril. If I can't give you justice by the time the sun rises tomorrow, you will never have to show me respect ever again!"

"Your Majesty, I wouldn't dare!" Cyril said urgently though the slight smirk on his lips went unnoticed.