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The Rise Of The Four Graces

In the ancient world, there existed only four stars in the midnight skies until they combusted and rained down to earth, descending as the "Four Fallen Graces". The folklores of the earth revealed four gods. Each of them possessing control of fire, water, air and earth. Twenty years after the stars' disappearance, tragedies would await the four prophesied men who was chosen as the next four gods; one as a Prince, a thief, a beggar, and a son. Would the four strangers finally meet? WARNING: This novel is not appropriate for young readers and sensitive viewers. It contains gore, murder, cannibalism, trauma and suicide that may cause emotional triggers to the readers. Please read at your own risk.

ancientnarrator · Fantasy

Not enough ratings

48 Chs

Chapter 2: Violet Hay

The gift that most intrigued Jian Li's interest was the present his younger brother gave him. Reflecting at the way Morfran behaved at the palace's celebration, it was only natural to think that it was a bit strange. He slowly held the ribbon and stared at it, silently wondering what made his brother upset with him. In the first place, he didn't think he had done anything to make anyone upset, yet in some way, he also understands the reason behind his brother's actions. Jian Li has a sharp intuition, however, it doesn't help to solve the distance between him and his brother. Despite being imprisoned together in the palace, they never really grew close to each other as they both had different hobbies and countering personalities. He found it extremely difficult to approach or even talk to his brother, making him reflect whether they're family, or just strangers. The night went deeper and the clouds passed through the moon quietly. He shifted his attention towards the box again and slid it open. But what happened next startled him. As fast as he knew, a burst of purple smoke exploded out of the box and almost immediately covered his entire face with a sour, rotting smell. Because of the unexpected blast, his nostrils quickly became clogged with the violet powder, inhaling the smoke directly down to his lungs. He jolts up and widens his eyes in panic, yelling inside his head. 'Violet Hay!' For years, there had been many cases of people accidentally collecting this plant around the southern area of the kingdom's territorial forests. Usually, these plants had symptoms that either makes a person hallucinate a week, or sleep in a state of coma for straight two days and throw up all over the rest of the week. If one ingested heavy amounts of Violet Hay, it would cause a year-long coma, or mostly death. This poisonous plant similarly do have the same physical appearance as a forest mushroom, but you can still determine how its color appears to be incredibly toxic that only idiots would eat this. As for the hunters with zero knowledge with toxic plants but has a system that is as strong as a horse, the poison might not just work. But for a young boy who doesn't go out and has not a single stamina, well, who knows whether it might kill him or not? As for the Prince's case, who only remembered this information from reading a book, where its descriptions was listed, it was stated that this plant may smell like freshly-peeled oranges and overcooked cabbages. He could easily recognize what it was, but it was all too late to act. I mean, he already inhaled it. He knew from the medical book that if one ingested this plant, the poison will kick in in a short period of time and could knock the person off their feet. And even if he knew the antidote, he cannot just make it on the spot. What can he do now that he had inhaled it? The cursed box had not stopped stuffing his lungs with the toxin, as quick as he can, he held his breath and desperately tries to save himself through covering his nose tightly with his elbow, throwing the box away from him. 'It's still inside my room, it's not stopping! The smoke will fill my chamber soon, this is bad.' Before be would feel the effects of the poison, he quickly stood up and threw the box out of his balcony, the shrilling sound of the breaking of the glass completely broke out. Its piercing sound so loud that it was enough to gather the attention of anyone. "A-Aren!" coughed Jian Li. The smoke lessens a few because of the window that was now opened by the box that broke it. As fast as he knew it, the Violet Hay was already taking effect. It first narrows down his vision, and he would feel this heavy fatigue overcoming his small body, causing his knees to wobble and make him kneel down the red thick mattress. He tried calling for the soldiers outside his door, but he forgot that it's the time for them to shift guarding positions. The new soldiers to guard his chamber is only on the way to his room. He started crawling towards the door, wanting to open it. Jian Li tried his breath to block his airway, but now, his lungs backfire from not breathing for so long, it wanted to inhale fresh oxygen again. At the same time, he felt nothing but coldness, he felt like he was out on the snow with nothing but his underwear. Jian Li pursued to reach for the door, continuing to crawl and trying not to take in the poisonous gas that was inside his room. After just a few seconds of working hard to crawl around his big chamber, all his limbs had failed to work. The fatigue doubling, even tripling. He was just a few more walks away from the door. Just a few more— THUD. He fell down. Sprawled, with his arms laid down unmoving on the mattress, no more energy were left at his limbs for it to support him towards the door. Jian Li is now lacking oxygen inside his system. The Prince's eyes watered in resistance to not breathe yet, but he had no choice but to draw air inside his lungs again. The moment he inhaled, he would instantly regret it as the thick, poisonous gas would burn and fill his lungs fastly with just three inhales. He coughed and coughed, calling out for his personal attendant's name. "Aren!!" He yells out but his voice only echoed back inside his head, like he was underwater and had this blue vision. The cold had now engulfed his fingers to his toes, and the only thing he can do is to curl up in a ball, and maybe pass out. Yet just before he felt like unconsciousness would get to him, he heard thuds of countless of hurried steps heading towards his room. He thought that these were most likely the Prince's servants and his new guards, but surprisingly, the King who was wondering around his chambers, also heard the loud breaking of the glass pane and rushed back to see what happened. "Your Highness?! Is everything alright inside?!" a man with blonde hair yelled with concern in his voice. He is identified as Jian Li's personal attendant Aren Cananeo, whom stood in anxiety outside his chamber doors along with the uneasy servants and the sweating King. "h-help.. A-Aren...!" The young Prince helplessly muttered when he heard his attendant's faint voice. While trembling down the floor, he rubs his palms up and down his arms to create a friction that may lend him warmth. "Your Highness! We're going inside!" Shouted Aren. He motioned for the two servants to open the door, and when they did the purple gas bursted out the door. And coincidentally, the two gasped, inhaling the poison that quickly dropped them down their knees. Aren, the King and the others was still outside the door chambers. While they were dumbstruck, two soldiers stepped in and made them back off quite a distance from the door. Shock was of course expressed on their faces, except the unconscious servants at the floor and the young Prince being so weak at the floor, the King's thoughts would slide on how this situation might have come to happen. "P-poison!" Is all the shaking Jian Li could make out in words. "Quick! Pull out the Prince out of his room! Hold your breaths while going inside!" the Prince heard a deformed voice through his ears, but identifying it, he knew, it was the King. "Father... dangerous!" Jian Li tried to form his words but he felt like there's a lump of beads stuck inside his throat. Despite feeling his eyes crazy aching and throbbing, he raises his head to them and motioned them to stay away. But he only heard soft gasps from the outside through his ears. The King and the others saw his eyes glow brightly like blue sapphire gems. The King had his eyes wide open, his jaw dropped in the air, and let out a sharp gasp. Everyone knew that this unnatural phenomenon wasn't in the symptoms of the poison, but the blue light of Jian Li's eyes would continue to glisten inside the King's black eyes. Their reactions was torn between astonishment and fright at the Crown Prince's sight. After moments, he had finally shut his eyes and lost consciousness. The thick fog continued to escape towards the door, unavoidably, it affected Hongwu and the others, but before the King passes out, he mumbles: "Never tell to others what you just saw!—" and then he fell down and drifted to a long rest. Feeling constant pain in his temples, the Prince's mind awoke, (eyes still closed.). The muffled buzzes of voices around the room sounded more and more clearer inside his ears. "You dare endanger the Prince!!" yelled someone which Jian Li's hearing identified as the voice of the advisor of the King. "And worse, the King! Do you know how much threat you brought to the kingdom by doing——" This man's speaking was so fast that the resting boy cannot process it anymore. The Royal Advisor, a position being in service below the King. The Royal Council, an organization of high ranking nobles who works under the King in service of providing formal recommendations regarding the country's issues, having the power on some programs, and literally being able to make 'advices' to the King. Working as allies behind the throne, they make the Kingdom stronger just like pillars which supports the palace. Hakan Deverus, the Royal Advisor whom was also the head of the Royal Council was constantly yelling towards someone. And this someone was the Second Prince. Jian Li overhead them: "I didn't do it! Believe me!! I do hate my brother but I didn't do it! I swear to the gods!" Yelled Morfran whose voice was near on sobbing. Then later, Jian Li heard his brother's footsteps leave his room with hidden hiccups. It turns out, after the King went to rescue Jian Li, the King had been also affected by the poisonous violet gas and passed out cold in front of the Crown Prince's chambers. The next patrolling guards immediately saw the lying bodies on the hallway and called for emergency at once. All of the unconscious people who was left laying at the floor was immediately rescued and provided the antidote from the Violet Hay as fast as possible. Including this was the King and Crown Prince. The King continues to rest at his chambers and the First Prince was permitted by the doctors to use his room as his recovering place as for the tainted air was already gone. Right below Jian Li's chambers, the soldiers found the said box that was emitting the gas. But this time, it was only on slight amounts. At first, the investigators had thought of it as an assassination attempt of some hidden organization towards the Crown Prince. However the Jian Police Department's officers found out the culprit by the tag inside the box. Written in clean loops, it stated; From, Jian Morfran To, Elder brother, Jian Li Misfortune will find you! The Royal Council's councilors and officials was enraged by the news and had to request to bring the Second Prince towards the royal court to be investigated and questioned. If proven guilty will be punished severely for his actions towards his scheme of eradicating the important line of royals. The day after the thirteenth birthday celebration of the First Prince, a royal trial was called and the members of the Royal Council and the House of Lords were assembled. Right at the break of dawn, loud thuds of horses pulling golden family carriages resonated in front of the palace. Important people arrived. In mix of greedy or white hearted nobles. Officials holding high positions at the palace came marching down the Grand Hall. Being almost all men, they wore really grand thick robes, as if the clothes they wear would be to define and determine their position at the palace. Whatever their age was, young or middle-aged, they all looked very glorified, indeed coming from an upper-class family. Each and everyone looked dignified and elegant as they all walked grandly as though there was a heavenly parade. At the luxurious golden hall, a King was not found seated on the big red throne that was waiting to be sat on. Positioned on the higher floor, it continues to give off a cold air that makes it the rank even more godly. Like hawks, all of their eyes was settled at the throne. Those greedy yellow eyes sparks and glares at the very seat. Some must've been pleased at this new issue of the royals. A symphony of trumpets played. "Your Royal Highness, the Second Prince of Jian Kingdom has arrived!" Announced the speaker soldier, notifying the Council members that the Second Prince had arrived, then the large heavy doors opened after the noise. The youngest Prince was now dressed in red and had a head garment fastened around his temples that held dangling strings of beautiful white pearls that covered his entire face just as so the identity was still protected, the name and face of the young Prince was not revealed. And so, the debate whether to prove the Prince innocent or guilty, started. "Laugh at yourself! No twelve year olds would do such a deed! What you are saying is purely impossible!" Squeaked a woman. "No one understands how the world of the royals works! The Second Prince was even rumored to hate his brother, that just explains this petty trick." A man defends his side. "Hah. And you fools call yourselves nobles. Makes my stomach stumble. All of your reasonings is just incredibly hilarious! Which position do you hold hmm? One of the peewee idiot Lords? Don't make me laugh." A handsome man in his primes cocked his brows up with a sly grin and confidently said those words. He may be a high ranking noble by how he belittle other nobles like the peas brained rich people. "Why, you—!!" "Enough." A voice thundered the hall as the sound of hard heels stomped the marble floors of the hall. Everyone gasped. It was the King. They all knelt down while the Prince bowed. Eyes were locked towards the very charming King and of course at his grandest crown that he wore confidently. A dominating presence lingered the hall as his red mantle sharply whipped the air as he walk past the nobles. The soft throne hugged the body of the King and the crown brightly twinkled above the King's head. "Stand." He commands, his large voice occupying the big hall. "Your Highness, how is your health?" asked one man from the crowd. "I've had recovered long. I was just asleep, yet all this fuss has been broadcasted all over the capital. All of your mouths are worse than of a bird." The King eyed them down. They all jolted, sweating at the swelling aura in front of them. Then the King spoke again, "For this issue to be cleared out, I order the Second Prince, to state everything that happened at that very night in his side." Suggested King Hongwu, which all of nobles agreed with and shifted their gazes to him. Morfran gulped and stood in front of them. The Prince straightened his back, the veil covering his face clinked together, its white pearls sparkles. Morfran spoke in a small straight voice. "It was witnessed that I, left the Royal celebration early. My stomach was feeling upset so i went and locked myself inside my chambers to rest. That was the events that happened that night. There is nothing suspicious of that I did. My servants can testify of my words." Explained him, the people in front of his eyes doesn't look convinced in any slightest. The King only touched his temples as if thinking heavily. "It has been rumored that the Second Prince loathes the Crown Prince. What can you say about those rumors?" Spoke a person within the crowd. The second prince tried to find the voice, he ended up sighing. "Rumor, was it?" Morfran grew irritated. "Even if i did, would you actually poison your brother just because of petty hate?" The little boy answered back with another question. "I did not sent that box." He clearly stated. A silence occurred, their eyes contradicting at what the Second Prince just said. Morfran continued, "And what proof do you have against me besides my name to accuse me as the culprit?" asked the Prince towards all of them. The King smiled, proud of his son. Far from having one more proof, they couldn't really tell if it was the little Jian Morfran who actually sent the poison, a child, and a royal. They gritted their teeth and agreed little by little. "The Second Prince might be framed. This has happened before at the last generation. I suggest we conduct a more deeper investigation about this." The head of the Royal Council spoke, the King eyeing him and nodded. "Sir Deverus, could you promise us that the culprit will be dragged down to the dungeons?" A woman with a small pitiful looking pretty face, commented. "Time will come when that offender will be punished and hanged. By the names of the Royal Council to the King, we assure you, we will have the face of the man to be shown to you." Knelt Deverus and bowed his head. The Second Prince was dismissed, he bowed towards the King and quietly went back to his chambers with few servants tailing him along with Royal Council head, Hakan Deverus. In between of the dangling pearls, Morfran saw with his eyes that there were two more soldiers stationed beside his chamber's door. Which might be because of the palace officials still being wary and suspicious about his innocence towards the assassination. The small boy clenched his fists and walked straight in. "Do not follow me inside." He growled lowly. His palace servant would nod their heads gently and stayed outside the chamber, giving each other nervous glances. Like any other chambers inside the palace, his room was neatly kept and it was very spacious, the golden lines and patterns filling his walls. Morfran was stomping across the room, greatly frustrated about the accusing of him as the traitor of the palace. He was so angered by the looks the people gave him, he felt more hatred towards his brother for destroying his image to the important officials of the palace. He grits his teeth under the headpiece the moment his mind flashes the faces the nobles made thinking that Morfran cannot see them. He was so frustrated that he began silently crying. "Your Highness, It's Royal Advisor Deverus. Can I be permitted to enter?" The voice startled Morfran. He sniffed his snot away and wiped his tears, answering: "Do as you like." Both the doors opened and slow sounds of a leather heel walking by the mattress reached the Prince's ears. "Another lecture?" the Second Prince said, mostly growling. The headpiece was long forgotten somewhere, giving soft jingles when it plopped down the floor. Morfran's face was bare and handsome, resembling his father everywhere. Looking just like a baby lion cub. "Earlier at the morning, I am very sorry Your Highness." Deverus bent one of his knees down to match the height of little Morfran. "Earlier i… I hope you can forgive me, for immediately raising my voice.. my Prince, I—" The Prince cut his sentence. "You know I-I didn't do it right?" Deverus looked up, he saw the Prince with both eyes dripping with warm tears, it gave him a slight gasp and panic. "Why do everyone looks at me like I did it?! I'm telling them the truth! Why won't they believe me?!" yelled in a tiny, breaking voice, the Prince cried out, his hand clenching his chest, absolutely loathing the new emotion. "Please do not sob, my Prince." Deverus' heart broke, his guilt from raising his voice to him would beat his chest. Deverus reached for the boy's head and pulled it to his chest, hugging him. Morfran was startled but then left it as it was. Slowly liking the feeling of having a dependable person by his side. The warmth would remind him of a fatherly presence. "Those tears torture my heart when they slide down your face." The man's brows draws together, his face wearing a frown. "You must have felt so lonely." The eyes of the Second Prince almost popped out, his tears uncontrollably flowing down while he hiccups continuously. The way Deverus said those words without beating the bushes hurt the boy's ego and heart, he could only sob. "The kingdom and the First Prince took away your father, and now they are taking you away farther to him, it pains my heart to see Your Highness filled with jealousy." Deverus strokes the boy's hair with a very ached face. "I know, you couldn't have done this to your brother. I believe you did not do this. You are very clever and a cunning young boy. I see potentials of a King inside you more than Jian Li. You are smart enough not to do this. Your Highness, I believe you." Deverus caresses his cheeks. "I promise you, I will catch that traitor, and i will name you innocent. Believe me." Said the man with an earnest, determined face. Morfran sniffs, his palms in a ball as he stares at the man in front of him. "I side with you." Ever since that night, the Second Prince of the kingdom, Jian Morfran, placed his entire trust to the Royal Advisor, Hakan Deverus. The first ever man to have trusted him and acknowledged the Second Prince, Jian Morfran.

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