Ch 3: The death penalty [pt1]

If anyone had any doubt that this was a set-up, it should be gone once the death sentence arrived. 

The order arrived within about half an hour of the news breaking out, making everyone aware of how big of a set-up this had been. 

But since this order had come straight from the emperor's desk, it was impossible to refute following it. Meria only had about 24 hours more to live.

The night came faster than Meria expected, and he was locked up in his room. The servants were careful not to meet him as they worked around his room. 

So, when the door to his room was twisted, he knew there could only be so many people who it could be. 

"I am sorry that I put you in such a situation. But it is still not too late for me to"

"Taking my side in this conflict would make step-mother angry with you. You should make your life easier and forget about me for now. You cannot go against your omega, right?"

Meria looked at his father's haggard face, and he felt bad for him. His father was an honest man, but he tended to make reckless decisions.

One such decision had been Meria's mother, whom the previous general had never officially mated. It had been a one-night stand. 

When Meria was born, his father decided to raise him as a beta. That was to ensure his identity as the 'firstborn' would never interfere with his 'actual' mate and child's place.

It had been a cruel but necessary decision. And Meria never regretted being raised as a beta since it allowed him to meet his best friend.

"You! Are you not angry or disappointed in me? You should curse me or throw things at me. Anything would be better than this impassive face of yours. Please, blame me for what is happening to you, child. It will make me feel better."

Meria looked at his father and the way he broke down. And the truth was, Meria did want to blame his father and curse him. But he was too scared to do such a thing.

People looked at Meria and saw a cold and ruthless general. But he was a coward. 

"It'll be fine, Father. I guess my destiny is to accompany his highness after his death. I could never keep my promise to be his guard in this life. Maybe the afterlife is my chance to atone for my sins."

His father went deadly quiet. The older man bit his lip and usually only did that when trying to suppress his voice. 

That should have been Meria's first clue that something was wrong.

But after ignoring the clues of what was happening around him and purposely dimming his senses, Meria could not catch the regret in his father's eyes.

The next day, he was awake before the sun was up.

As per his request, no one was told about his death penalty. He was sure everyone would know about it by the evening, but that did not matter to him.

After all, he would no longer be there to see those scornful and hateful looks aimed at him once he was dead.

.........

"Your Highness, you should rest now. I know that you are…frustrated at your condition, but that is no reason to push yourself. You are a young alpha again, and you...."

Being the emperor's aid was among the top 3 most hazardous jobs that one could get in the empire. And there was only one reason for it.

'I knew I should have denied this job when it was offered to me so quickly. There was a catch attached to the bait after all.'

The secretary dodged the incoming vase and sighed. The cracking sound made the secretary flinch as he remembered that it could have been his head that was hit instead of the wall.

"Keep your mouth quiet. I need some way to get my frustration out since I cannot go out. Do you know how long I have wanted to go out? Why did you tell me about his…engagement only today? Why did 'he' never tell me?"

The emperor asked as he tried to reach for the top of the tall stacks of papers in front of him. 

But the tall stack of papers was too much for the 12-year-old alpha to reach. It made him growl in frustration, and his mood worsened.

His aid cringed as soon as he realized that he would have to take care of a hormonally angry alpha for a few hours.

The sun was not even up yet in the sky, but their emperor was taking his stress out on the paperwork.

"My lord, you are officially declared dead to the masses and are currently pretending to be your younger brother. I am sure that General Meria wanted to tell you, but-"

*Garr*

The aid quickly closed his mouth when he heard that angry sound reaching his ears. Those predatory Golden eyes were looking at him.

These golden eyes were unique since they symbolised royalty and magic. Only one person could possess these eyes at a time. And that person was declared as the emperor.

Finally, those golden eyes looked away from the aid, and he sighed in relief. But that relief was relatively short-lived as the owner of those golden eyes looked up quickly again.

This time, there was panic and agitation in them.

"Hey, secretary, what are these papers? Who sighed them and sent them out?"

The emperor gave the small piece of paper to his aid, and the poor secretary felt his life flash before his eyes.

"M-My lord, I do not know who approved of this, but I will go and find out about it. If you give me some time-"

"Forget about time. We do not have time to waste. The execution will be carried out in about an hour, and I will not allow it. I will be heading out now."

The young alpha was beyond angry, but the secretary still needed to try to stop him.

"Emperor, you cannot go out. Your doctor has not approved this outing"

The secretary was a beta, and he was incapable of smelling pheromones. That was the prime reason he was selected as the king's aid. But even he could not stop his knees from buckling when the young alpha looked at him with those glowing golden eyes.

'A-Ah! I am going to die. Not only me but a lot of people are going to die if General Meria died today. Please, God! Let the emperor make it there in time.'