54 Drawing the line.
Max was currently glaring at the 11 'Shadow guards' who were in charge of shadowing their lady Nyx and protect her from any possible dangerous situation.
All the guards were looking down on the floor in shame.
"A 12-13-year-old boy? You are telling me that a boy of that age, sneaked upon all of you and knocked all of you out? 11 highly trained shadow guards with years of combat experience?" Max said releasing his killing intent. It's a disgrace to his post as the head of security.
Sweats were forming onto their heads facing the glaring eyes of their boss.
The 11 of the shadow guards couldn't lift their heads and face their boss.
They were guilty and embarrassed was also ashamed of themselves, for not being able to their job right, and letting their boss down.
After all, no matter what they will say, it will just be an excuse for their failure to guard their 'master'.
Max was fuming, seeing all his guards act like that.
He tried to control his emotions, but it was hard for him to do it.
Thinking all about it, he wants to bash their heads on to the floor over and over.
He tried taking deep breaths to calm himself down. After a few minutes, he calmed down and ordered the shadow guards to return to their posts.
He gave them one last warning, to all of the shadow guards. If they failed their job once more, they will be fired.
Just as he left the meeting room, he saw his dear friend Rodney waiting for him holding a lit cigarette on his hand.
He sighed and walk towards his friend.
Rodney gave the cigarette to Max, then he took out a lighter and a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.
He lit up another cigarette for himself, before speaking to Max.
"It was not their fault, you know." Rodney said smoking his cigarette.
"I know, but that damn brat! Who knew he was so skilled." Max said irritated by thinking about what Sabastian did.
"You should watch your words, Max. Sabastian Franz Heilige is one of the candidates for the title of the Sword Saint and lady Nyx's fiancé." Rodney reminded Max about Sabastian's status and his relationship with their lady. It was a warning to Max, that he as her servant should not question his master.
Nyx has already said and made it clear for both of them, what she does is none of their business.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yesterday.
The moment, they learned about what Nyx and Sabastian did to the shadow guards and went who knows where for their 'date'?
Max and Rodney, went crazy.
They boarded the first plane they could find to country Z and arrived in Star city as fast as they could.
They tried their best to find where Nyx went Sabastian but they were incapable of producing any results.
Nyx came home at night at 10 pm.
The moment Rodney, Max and Kira saw Nyx, they pounced on her like hungry wolves.
They were lecturing Nyx and asking where she went, and why did she come home so late.
They asked question after question, but Nyx didn't reply to any of them.
She just stared at them and listened to their lecture until they found something weird about their situation.
They carefully observed Nyx and found them she was staring at them with contempt and disdain on her face.
This was the first te they saw Nyx like that.
Suddenly, an overwhelming intense amount of killing was locked on to them.
They felt fear, the amount of fear they were feeling was immense.
Nyx raising her voice said one word.
"Kneel!!!"
Everyone at the hall present kneeled, hearing the voice. To them, it sounded a chilly grim voice that belonged to the Grim Reaper.
Rodney, Max and Kira were trembling kneeling on the floor.
They were looking at Nyx, with a shocked and fearful expression.
They never saw this side of their master.
Finally, they came to their senses and their face went pale from the realisation.
The person standing in front of them is their 'Master'.
Nyx Aurelia-Rose Prince.
Heiress of the Prince household.
And 'they' are her servants.
"Who do you think you are!!!" Nyx said staring at the three of them.
"Such insolent behaviour that does not show respect! Who do you think you are!!! It seems like the three of you have forgotten your status."
She took out a pocket knife from her purse, then made a cut on her palm of her left hand.
She didn't even flinch from the pain and were staring at the three of them the entire time.
Blood dripping out from the cut on her palm to the floor.
"A servant of the Prince's Blood shall never question their master." She said to the three of them, then she walked past them and went to her room.
No one raised their head or said anything.
They were kneeling on to the floor for half an hour before Rodney got up and took out his handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the blood from the floor.
He then asked the rest of the servants who were at the hall kneeling to get up and told them to do what they were doing before.
Rodney holding on to the white handkerchief, which was now stained with blood, stood in front of the kneeling Max and Kira.
He took out a switchblade from his inner pocket and made a cut on his palm just like Nyx. He wiped the blood from his palm with the handkerchief, put the knife and handkerchief on the ground in front of Kira and Max.
He then turned around and left the residence.
Kira saw Rodney leave with a serious expression on his face.
She looked down at the bloody handkerchief, then proceed to do the same thing Nyx and Rodney did.
Then she gave the handkerchief and the knife to Max.
"We have violated the rules of the "Prince' household, Max. There should have been a penalty for questioning our 'Master' but she didn't. The fact that she never gave any 'formal warning' or even a 'verbal warning' before means that she gave us enough chances to redeem ourselves, but this means she ran out of patience Max." Kira said before getting up leaving Max alone kneeling on the floor.
Half an hour later, Max also cut his palm and hold on to the handkerchief tightly with his bloody hand.
His face was still pale and had a frightened look on it.
He quickly got up and left the residence.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Max exhaling the smoke, took out the bloodstained handkerchief from his pocket.
Seeing the handkerchief on Max's hand Rodney frowned.
"Why haven't you burned it yet?" Rodney said staring at Max who was holding the bloodstained handkerchief tightly.
Max looked at the bloodstained handkerchief.
It is called the 'Blood Warning'.
This warning can only be given when a 'servant' of the 'Prince' violates at least 10 rules of the Prince household.
This kind of warning has many meanings but this 'Blood Warning' symbolizes 'her' patience and this is the last warning for them.
With the 'Blood warning' not only them but also the branch families that Rodney, Max and Kira come from will also be implicated and will be punished according to the rules of the 'Prince Family'.
"Burn it? No, Rodney."
"Yes, it should be burned but we have already acknowledged our mistakes. Why have I not burned it?" Max stared at the bloodstained handkerchief for a few moments before he continued.
"It is a reminder, Rodney! A reminder that she has changed, the person we once knew is no longer there anymore. She has grown up and has drifted further and further away from us. I dont know! What this change will bring to the Prince household, but there is one thing I can tell by what she meant with this."
Max breathing in his cigarette.
"She has lost her trust in us." He said breathing out the smoke slowly.
