CHAPTER 10

He could hear his heart racing as he walked into the hall that the banquet was being held at. They arrived a bit late and the Saintess didn’t seem worried at all. He knew she was like that but anyone who comes late to events like this usually got reprimanded.

He never thought he would be here one day after what happened back in the past. This used to be his home; he was born and bred there. He was born a prince even though his mother was just a concubine but she was his father’s favorite.

One day they left the palace for hunting, he was ten and yet he wasn’t exempted from it. He rode his horse chasing a deer that he had just shot when everything turned sour.

He didn’t really know when he became the hunted instead of being the hunter. Arrows were suddenly shot at him and the only thing he could do was run for his life. His bodyguard was killed trying to fight off assassins.

He ran as far as he could and yet he almost died in their hands. He fell off the valley and rolled down and yet they came after him. He hid in caves but he was heavily injured. He was about to end it all when the Saintess saved his life and killed those assassins.

He never returned back since a funeral was held for him. He was dead to the world and even his mother didn’t know that he was still alive. Even after that his mother was still his father’s favorite concubine.

Now he was here, walking into the place filled with people who had his blood on their hands to congratulate his mother on giving birth to another son. Did she even miss him a bit? She seemed to be enjoying her life more even after losing him. Was he not that important at all?

“Calm yourself sown Xavier or I will confine you,” Valery said.

“I’m sorry, I will not sell myself off,” he said looking at her.

Valery, the Saintess was always a mystery especially to many people. No one really knew her face since she always covers it during ceremonies like this. She could even pass you by and you wouldn’t recognize her unless you know her well.

Everyone looked at them as they walked in. they were shown to their seats, he helped the Saintess to sit down and took his seat afterwards.

The Emperor arrived with his harem and the guests fell on their knees, he actually smiled as he saw how the Saintess remained seated. She grabbed him so that he wouldn’t go on his knees like the rest were doing. He always thought the disciples lied when they talked about how the Saintess remains seated every time the royal family comes in.

The Emperor and his harem sat down and so did the official.

“I would like to thank you all for coming today to celebrate the birth of another son of mine. I hope you will have a great time here,” the Emperor said.

Everyone all agreed and cheered for him but the Saintess was busy taking her wine. Was she trying to annoy the Emperor?

He knew that his mother was bestowed by the Saintess to the Emperor as a way of making peace between the two and they would be no way the Emperor would try to strain that relationship.

The nation had more than five hundred thousand soldiers and the mountain had less than four thousand and yet it was scary to go to war with the mountain than another nation.

One soldier of the mountain was equivalent to a master and dangerous alone. So many words were spoken but his gaze was on his mother. She looked perfectly healthy and fine.

She looked very happy too, for a second her gaze was on him and he saw how her face changed after that. Did she recognize him? He wondered about that. He looked at the Saintess and poured another cup of wine for her.

“Don’t get yourself drunk,” he said.

“I will never get drunk. If I knew this would be so horrible, I wouldn’t have come,” she said sipping her wine and he smiled.

She was bored and he could tell. He never really understood why she hated banquets like this. She didn’t even celebrate her own birthday. It was as if she hated children but he never saw her mistreating one before.

She treated everyone equally; she was very fair and just. She rewarded those who did good and punished those that deserved it.

They began to offer gifts one by one and it was their time to offer one too. He knew the Saintess would never stand up to give the gift and he was the one in charge of it. He stood up and Nora followed him. He bowed down to his father and mother who looked at him as if he was a ghost but he was glad they knew it was him.

“On behalf of the Lotus palace and the Saintess, I congratulate the Noble Consort for birthing another royal prince. May you be blessed for many years to come,” he said and offered the gift.

Nora opened the gift and he heard the whole people appreciating the gift. The Saintess had gifted a luminous pearl so huge it was the first-time other people had seen it.

“That’s a very huge pearl, may I ask the Saintess where you got it?” the Emperor asked.

“That would be another story for another time,” the Saintess replied trying to cut the story short.

He smiled and returned to the Saintess side. The ceremony finally came to an end and the Saintess was called upon by the Emperor.

“Wait for me,” she told him.

He didn’t know what they would talk about but at the same time he didn’t know what to do there too. The maid that served his mother came to him. He remembered her; she was by his side all the time. He saw her look when she approached.

“Noble Consort would like a word with you,” she said avoiding attention.

Xavier followed the maid even when he knew that he had been instructed to not go anywhere. He wanted to look at her and ask her a lot of questions before the Saintess do anything.