A Trap?

"Umm brother, are some knights missing today?" It has been an hour since Len tried to show off his sword wielding skills, but no matter what step he showed his little brother, he learned it on the second try. But most importantly, his face did not have any happiness or excitement like he had achieved something great when he was just five years old.

Shouldnt he be jumping with joy? But most of the time he was just looking around as if he was trying to find something?

How could he be so nonchalant about such a big thing? If the empress would know, she would be delighted with joy.

It was not a hidden fact that the empress wanted him to be the next emperor. He shook his head as he did not want to dwell over politics when he was here.

"I did not know you are so interested in my knights that you can even be sure that one or two of them are missing?" Although he chuckled, there was no humor in his voice. "Oh Luci, please. Do not show that you have come here with some ulterior motives. Do you have any idea how happy I was when you cried while hugging me, telling me that you missed me. Do not make that special feeling just a ruse!"

He had been wary of the world, but he had never been wary of his young brother. Since he was just a baby, but if the empress was using her or had he grown enough to make his own tricks?

If that is the case, then…

"No! Sigh. Actually, I have seen two knights of your palace with my mother. I wanted to ask them what they were talking about.

When it comes to mother, I did not feel assured after all, she is a power hungry empress before a human or mother. Who knows what she is planning this time?" Len stared at his brother as if he was seeing a ghost.

Though the young boy had called his mother evil before, but this time the hatred was so strong that Len felt shivers.

Those cold eyes, could iit belong to a five year old kid? And could a 5 year old kid hate his own mother so much? If only the kid knew how precious a mother is?

Not only his position as an emperor, he would trade his life for getting his mother again.

"Luci, have I already told you not to insult the empress? If you don't listen, I have to ask my knights to escort you out!!" in a stern voice and strict face, he chided his brother, who looked surprised. As if he was expecting Lin to join him in cursing the empress.

Then he looked around and noticed the presence of three knights around them and with a meaningful look in his eyes, nodded his head making Len frown further.

Len did not understand why he was behaving so weirdly but did not stretch the topic further. Suddenly he felt that his brother had changed completely in the past month.

"The knights you were asking about, the empress had sent me a message that she wanted to increase my security and also do renovation of the palace since she thought it was never attended to since I shifted here.

Therefore she asked me to send her a knight and a staff that takes care of the palace needs and knows what is lacking.

They have gone out with my permission. So, you do not need to worry so much or blame her either. She is just.. Trying to look after me." though he did not understand why she had suddenly taken interest in these things.

The palace where he was living was made for concubines. He was supposed to live with his mother in the palace that was meant for empress but after his father remarried, the empress palace was given to Luci's mother and he was too young to claim the crown prince palace.

So, he was shifted here. The palace was designed a bit obscenely and had nothing that suited a kid or a man's taste. But it had been 7 years since he started living here. Then did a change really matter now?

There was a time when he was not able to sit on any chair or climb on the bed, but he was totally ignored and unattended except two maids and a knight that were loyal to his mother.

If not for them, he would not have survived these seven years, he was even younger than Luci when all that happened. Yet he could not bring himself to curse the empress.

She was doing what she was supposed to do to maintain her position. Sometimes he wondered, if it was not for the position of emperor, would she have stayed kind with him till the end!

"What? And you believed that?" he heard a loud yell and frowned when his brother had still not given up on cursing the empress. She was his mother for christ sake. What was wrong with this boy?

"Brother what if it was all an act to mix spies in your staff? What if the new staff mix poison in your food and name it a natural death? How could you be so careless!

No! Refuse her! Tell her that you like the place and do not need her help for renovations and hiring new knights. You have to do that right now."

"........."

[ I am a new writer who did not have any experience. Please leave a few suggestions and comments for motivation. thank you.]