Chapter 14: Childish Psychopath but still our son

Meanwhile back in the Capital the Empress Mother Celestine Westborn was informed by her oldest son that not only had the King in the North sucessfully escaped and was nowhere in the city to be found, but also had her sweet little girl been taken away.

"How could you allow this to happen? You're her older brother and Emperor?" Questioned Celestine her oldest son inside her chamber.

Lazily extracting imaginary dirt from underneath his fingernails the Crown Prince turned Emperor asked even more lazily. "And I should care about my sisters marriage because?"

"Are you clueless or just stupid?..." Angrily replied the reinstated Empress before she coldly stated. "... Sir Strong among other things was already married twice and his wives died in so called 'accidents' like drowning in a night pod. How could you want your sister to be married to such a man?"

"Didn't dear old dad make him a Lord?" Looking straight into his mother's eyes with sadistic glee, asked the young Emperor.

Intimidated by her own son's madness, Celestine asked timid but with balled fists. "And why does that matter? You are the Emperor after all!"

"Oh, I was just thinking that you can't expect much compensation from a Knight in case Cyrilla does die..." Explained the Emperor with an ecstatic expression on his face.

That said, the Celestine angered by the Emperor's words slapped him hard before she cursed him. "You're no son of mine, if that's how you think of your sister!"

"Your lucky to have given birth to me, mother..." The young Emperor hissed while rubbing his now swollen cheek. "... Otherwise I would have your had for what you just did."

"Good that you still remember that I am your mother and not one of your playthings..." Replied Celestine suppressing her angrily. "... So, will you help me to get your sister back home?"

Shaking his head with a gleeful smirk on his face the Emperor wordlessly walked out of his mother's chamber. On his way out he bumps into his Uncle. "Ah, good to see you Uncle. I hope you could calm mother down a bit. We wouldn't want her to do anything stupid, wouldn't we?"

"No, we don't want that..." Replied James Westborn taken aback by his son's evil and slightly sadistic side. With the Emperor gone, the middle aged knight rushed to his beloved sister's side. "... Are you okay, Celestine? What did our son do to you?"

Knowing her brother/lover to have a soft spot for maidens in distress, Celestine acted the part and flung herself into James embrace, crocodile tears messing with her makeup. "Oh, James! How can they to this to our little girl!"

"What is it?" Asked James as he looked into his lover's eyes.

Able to suppress a smile, Celestine continued to cry. "Oh, didn't you hear it? Sir Strong has left the capital with my poor little Cyrilla and our oldest isn't willing to annul their marriage!"

"Let me talk to father. He is acting Imperial Advisor for now, may be he can help!" Persuaded the former knight his sister.

Dejected, the Empress's mother couldn't be bothered to keep up her act since she know that it no longer served her case. "Wasn't it father who had her married to that Butcher in the first place and you exiled to Westend?"

"Yes, it was. BUT I could fulfill father's wish and be the heir he always wanted. That way he might be willing to help us have Cyrilla's marriage annulled..." Argued James Westborn.

Her tears dried up, Celestine asked timidly. "Isn't Titus our 'Golden Imp' already doing a great job as the heir?"

"You know how father thinks of Titus. If he weren't such a skilled merchant, father would have drowned him years ago..." Arrogantly confessed James to his twin. "... After all he did kill our mother!"

"Oh, yes! I think you're right about that..." Celestine said, hiding a vicious slime behind the hem of her dress. "... So, you will become Prine of the West for our daughter and me?"

"Only for you!..." Replied James before he started to kiss his sister. "... The things I do for love..."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!..." Exclaimed Celestine, as she lifted the skirt of her dress to give James easier access. "... I will miss you! Why does our son have to such a childish prick?"

Kissing his sister's neck, as he loosened the fly of his pants, James whispered. "Even as a Childish Psychopath he still is our son after all..."

[...]

Meanwhile still travelling on the Emperor's Road, Marcus, Cyrilla, Norman and the King's youngest daughter Annabel arrived at the Crossroads a rather simple intersection of three roads on a huge plane owned by the Lord of the Crossroad, Lord Bradley.

"So, I think this is it then..." Stated Norman Northborn, regret edged on his face. "... Hadn't you gotten me out of that cell, I would most likely be dead, my wife a widow and my children half-orphans. You have my thanks, Lord Strong. If there is anything that I could do for you..."

"Oh, I can already think of two things of the top of my head." Marcus stated, somewhat rudely interesting the King in the North.

With a wide smile on his face the Northern King replied with a humble nod. "Please do tell."

"Thank you, my king..." Began Marcus with a humble nod of his own. "... First of I would like your help to bury Emperor Randell's order to have me travel East to execute that Lightborn Princess..."

"That should be doable..." Replied Norman while looking at Annabel talking to Cyrilla. "... After all I already have to write the King in the East why his brother's 'children' are all illegitimate."

"You have my thanks, my king..." Said Marcus, before he added his second wish. "... Also, could you please persuade the Eastborn's not to draft me for the upcoming war?"