2 Chapter 2 Leh’s Warning

Leh was ordered by his father to go to the general's household to inform him that his majesty had asked for the general's presence for dinner tomorrow night. Goodness knows for what nefarious plans.

Leh was ordered because if he was asked to, he would have never obliged. After all, according to his father, he hates taking part in politics even from afar. Not that he has a problem with visiting general. On the contrary, he loves visiting the general's household, because then he gets to see her too.

Niya is the most eccentric lady in the whole empire of Jyon. The one who holds his heart in the palm of her hand and has no clue about it.

The only person other than his close confidant who knows about his feelings for Niya is his hateful older brother. And Leh knows he is going to be a problem when Leh tries to get Niya's attention and for that reason, it is best that she is not aware of his intentions yet.

After all, Leh has plans of his own to execute.

As Leh makes his way to the general's mansion he remembers the meeting his father had with his brother that he listened to from the outside.

It happened after lunch hour. Leh's Father, the emperor of the empire of Jyon was sitting on his favorite chair in his study. The chair is made of the richest fabrics available in the whole continent. The only reason Leh noticed so much detail about that chair was because his brother wanted that chair badly just like he wanted everything that their father owned, including his throne. And just to spite his brother Leh had asked for a similar chair to be made for him as his present for his eighteenth birthday.

He could have asked for lands vast enough to be called a small kingdom. He could have asked for wealth enough to sustain his and his seven generations' life. From all the things he could have asked Leh chose to ask for a comparatively simple chair just to spite his brother that is how much hates the crown prince of the empire of Jyon.

The current emperor of the empire Jyon and the father of Leh is not a bad person his only mistake is the judgment of character. He is too naïve and thinks everybody is a good person like him. What he is unaware of is that the so-called crown prince is not the person he thinks he is.

The emperor's first marriage was to Lady Rekolina. It was a political alliance. They lived fairly in harmony and respected each other. The crown prince Sural is the son of Lady Rekolina.

Leh has never seen Lady Rekolina in person as she died before he was born. That is how the emperor ended up getting married to his mother. After Lady Rekolina died most ministers pressured the emperor to get married again but he declined till he fell in love with Leh's mother who was a daughter of a lord from a neighboring empire.

Lady Asulah was the most beautiful woman of her time on the continent. She could have married anyone she wanted, yet she chose Leh's father. Apparently, she fell in love with how simple he was even after being the emperor of the most prosperous kingdoms to ever exist.

She basically fell in love with the emperor because he was naïve nothing else thought Leh as he tried to listen to the conversation between his father and brother.

There was no sound from the room for some time other than the sound of his father sipping on his favorite earl grey tea.

And then his brother started speaking,

"Father, I think we should offer a marriage alliance with Lady Niya of the general's household." Suggested Sural in a calm voice.

While Sural was completely calm in his suggestion, Leh's blood was boiling with anger. This was another wretched trick his brother was trying to play. He still has not taken his eyes off

Niya even though Leh had warned him not even look at Niya ever again.

"Why do you think we need an alliance with their household? Do you not think that the general is loyal enough to us?" the emperor asks.

"General is loyal but like all men, he must be ambitious too. I think we should offer him power instead of him one day betraying us for it. He is a very good ally and he deserves this much power."

"Men are ambitious that might be true. But smart men do not have useless ambitions, Sural. General is old, he is at the highest point in his life, and even if he gains more power using underhanded methods, he has no one to pass it on other than his daughter. Who as much as I know is not interested in the position of empress. She might even hate all the restrictions imposed on her being."

"I understand what you mean Father. But what if you are wrong, what if Lady Niya does want the position of empress?"

All the air freezes in Leh's lungs as he waits for what verdict the emperor would impose. And as if his words do not affect Leh at all, Sural continued,

"All I am asking for is that we offer them the alliance and if Lady Niya is not happy with it then I am sure with how much General treasures his daughter, he would surely reject the proposal."

The general would not. Both Leh and Sural knew that. As much as the general treasures his daughter, his loyalty to the royal family is much higher.

As soon as Sural would let the general know of his wishes to marry Niya. The general would probably agree even before asking Niya. And Niya, Niya who idolizes the general would probably agree too just to make her father happy.

Leh clenched his fist so tight that his knuckles had turned white.

His thoughts are interrupted by his father's next words,

"No, Sural instead of gaining more confidence of nobles who are loyal to us, why do we not try gaining the favor of noble households that do not favor us much? Like the Lusaf's. Why do you not try to increase your friendship with Lady Ashtah?"

"I would think about it, Father."

Little did their father know that Sural was already quite close to the Lusaf's and that Lady Ashtah visited Sural's bed quite often. The Lusaf's were just pretending to give Leh a sense of ease that he still has allies in the capital. Truly, Sural is an idiot to think that there is anything about him that Leh did not know.

"Leave then Sural, if you have nothing else to talk about. And while you go out send your brother. I have some errand for him."

Anyways, the matter of Niya's wedding was over. So, instead of spying on the conversation himself, Leh left it to his shadow guards, one of whom was standing on the balcony and many more were hidden throughout the palace.

As Leh leaves to go back to his quarters before his brother's messenger arrives there to ask for him.

On the way, Leh realizes that this was a mistake on his part too. He should have known that if Sural got to know that Niya is his weakness, he would surely try to exploit it.

Leh remembers the time Sural got to know about his feelings for Niya.

It had happened during one of his brother's weekly parties. His brother has these weekly parties in which he socializes with future heads of the noble households but what he actually does is get drunk with his stupid friends.

It was one of the days he had organized a similar party at his private quarters and at that, Leh was in the royal library with their father.

Suddenly Sural entered the royal library,

"Father, Brother." He greeted them with a drunken tone.

On any other day, the emperor would have reprimanded him but that day was Leh's mother's death anniversary, and the emperor wanted to mourn in peace so he ignored his elder son's misbehavior.

"Leh my brother, I know you are sad, why do you not join us? It might uplift your mood." He said while stumbling on his own feet.

"Sural!" warned the emperor.

"Father." Sural immediately bowed his head in obedience and sobered up.

"But father, Leh must take up responsibilities one day too and he must mingle with nobles. He did not even attend the royal ball."

Sural had targeted the weak spot of their Father. After the death of Lady Asulah, Leh had completely changed he had stopped taking part in politics altogether and the emperor was worried about the future of his younger son. Hence, he instantly agreed.

"Leh, go"

"Father" Leh was surprised that his father would ask him to indulge in alcohol on his mother's death day.

"Leh, go your brother is right you should have attended the royal ball, since you did not this is your punishment."

Leh knew it was useless to persuade his father anymore so he left.

"Come brother" Sural kept his rested his arm on Leh's shoulder but as soon as they got out of their father's line of sight Leh removed it like he was disgusted by Sural's behavior.

Sural did not say anything he just laughed sardonically.

When they entered the room in which the party was ongoing. Leh noticed several things. The whole place stinked of alcohol all the so-called friends of his brother were lying down on pillows and soft carpet. There were musicians at one corner playing sultry music to get them in the mood. And all of them including his brother had their hands wrapped around different prostitutes while the women fed them and served wine.

Sural knew Leh hated this kind of environment. As much as Sural had seen Leh was practically living as a monk. The only reason Sural had brought Leh here was to disgust him on the day of his mother's death.

Leh was calm, he ignored the debauchery around him and took a seat on the carpet while resting against a cushion.

Sural noticed that as soon as Leh entered the room all the women had started looking at him instead of the crown prince himself. He got jealous. He hated the beautiful face Leh had just like his mother who had bewitched the emperor after Sural's mother Lady Rekolina had died.

Sural knew that women chose him because he was the crown prince and future emperor of the empire of Jyon but deep in their hearts all women were bewitched by Leh himself. Even Ashtah, who might invite Sural to her bed but still has designs on Leh.

Sural points at one of the scantily dressed woman standing at the corner and touching herself sensually for show.

"You, what are you waiting for serve the second prince."

Seeing that she was asked to serve the most handsome man in the all-empire the woman excitedly came forward and tried to touch him.

"If you wish to have your hands intact, do not even dare." Warned Leh with an icy tone the woman got scared and backed away.

Sural tsked and asked the woman to come to him. He pulled her down and made her straddle him while she kissed his now-naked chest. Sural kissed the woman on his left while dry-humping the one on his lap.

By this time most men had either left the party quarters with the woman or most were passed out on their places in a drunken stupor.

The only three people who were relatively conscious were Sural, Leh, and Vlase.

Vlase is a highborn noble and Sural's good friend and just like him lecherous. Vlase was known throughout the empire for the debauchery he partakes in. Even at this party, he is not behind. He has a woman currently pleasuring him with her hands down his pants while he is moaning Ashtah's name, and the funny thing is Sural does not even care.

Leh was surprised seeing this he asks his half-brother,

"Does this not bother you?"

Sural just scoffs, Ashtah might share his bed, but he was not the only one she invited to her bed.

Hearing the question Leh asked Sural, Vlase got interested in knowing too, so, he asked,

"If not Ashtah, who do you think of when being pleasured by whores? Surely you do not think of the whore you are fucking?" after asking this Vlase groaned in pleasure and came all over his pants. He took off his pants turned the woman who was pleasuring him, tore the flimsy skirt she was wearing, and started fucking her on the spot.

Leh turned his head not willing to see all this. The whole room was filled with the smell of sex, sweat, and alcohol. And there were sounds of Vlase groaning, the woman's moans of pleasure, and skin slapping against skin.

It was clear that Vlase was no longer interested in the conversation and seeing all this Sural just smirked. And looked at Leh with a sardonic smile and answered the previous question.

"Why would I need to think of somebody else? When these women are beautiful enough?" he said while he inserted two fingers inside the woman sitting beside him. The woman moaned loudly and started riding Sural's hand.

Sural continued talking,

"You know what I am thinking about Niya these days a lot. Maybe I would try taking her to my bed. You know her attitude makes one wonder what it would feel to make her submit---"

Before he could finish the sentence, Sural felt a sharp object placed on his neck.

As soon as Sural said Niya's name the only thought that came to Leh's mind was that Sural must die. He took the hidden dagger from his boots and placed it against Sural's neck. The women screamed and got up and ran to the corner of the quarters.

Vlase did not even notice the chaos going on around him. Everything in the room remained the same but tension rising was noticed by only two people, Sural and Leh.

"You can have any woman you want. I do not give a fuck. But the next time I hear you say Niya's name or even have thought about her. Mark my words I will destroy you."

The icy anger in the eyes of Leh sacred Sural a little but he still tried to reverse the power back into his own hands.

"Oh, so Niya is the one you are celibate for." Leh pressed the dagger harder against Sural's neck and whispered,

"What did I say?"

This time Sural was really scared he could see the devil in Leh's eyes. He knew Leh was quite competent but never to this degree he felt threatened by him.

"Did you understand?" Asked Leh,

Scared to death Sural just nodded this time.

Leh tucked the dagger back in his boots and left the quarters.

Sural looked at Leh's back and thought of the strange feeling he got before from Leh. He touched his neck only to feel warm liquid. Leh had nicked him.