Chapter 5

The usual sequence of initiation ceremony has begun. The sounds of my footsteps echoed as I walked towards to the podium to deliver my pledge. A new maker must undergo in the significant ritual made by our family called "Oath of Poison"

I stood there, holding my breath and clenching my fist against the podium. I feel queasy in a moment. I never thought this would be hard as fuck. Everybody's eyes glued upon me. They are as if waiting me to commit mistake and so they can give their plea to not accept me as their Empress. Like them, I didn't want this. I just want a LIFE to LIVE. Do you all get me? A life where I could tell the world I don't really care and they can kiss my ass for that. But seeing this people staring at me with nothing but doubts and envious in their eyes made me want to quickly claim the throne and prove myself. Besides, Regina Valorem's blood runs on my veins.

Thruth to behold, this is my depths and destiny I had fled before.

I roamed my eyes to the crowd. I saw familiar and unfamiliar faces. I'm not really that close to anyone in the organization except for Thalia. She waved at me while wearing an ear to ear smile like a Mom cheering for her daughter in a school event. She's in between Ivy Fellers and Zack Walton. The three was the son and daughters of the three Primes family inside the Familia named Macquarie, Fellers, and Walton. Ivy and Zack gave me a nod and a wide smile. Though, I'm not really that close to the two, I still treat them as my friend. I smiled back unconsciously and quickly returned it into a poker face.

The Primes are the second in command in the Organization hierarchy of the Familia. Their lever of authorities varies but they are ready to take the bullets and kill for the Emperor at any given moment. They are greatly respected and widely feared by the subordinates. The Emperor has the only one that has power and authority over the Primes. Thalia was the only daughter of the Head of the Primes named Mr. Moris Macquarie. Their ancestor was the right hand of our late ancestor, Regina Valorem. From then, the bond between the two Familia became strong and thicker. Primes are the one who hold control to different countries which are under the Valorem's Mafia control. They resolves dispute. To show how much power they holds, the President itself of a certain country under their noses works for them. They are the one who chooses a person to sit in the power and so they can put easily the country in their hands.

The Chairman of the Commission of Consigliere, Caporegime, Soldier, and Associate are all present. They bow their heads to show their respect when my glaring eyes landed on them. Everyone looks in disguise like a knight in shining armor and a Princess riding a carriage. I've seen many freakin' faces but Dad was nowhere to be found.

'He said he'd come though.

Honestly, I don't know what to say. I did not make any preparation speech 'coz I thought it will just flow naturally once I stood here. Minute have passed, I didn't speak nor do they make any complaining sounds. And all I could say is 'What the fuck was this?' should we just proceed to the crowning?

I bite my lower lips when my Lolo--the Godfather cleared his throat. I'd never thought this would be too much difficult for me.

'Really Vivian? When was the villain ever lose?'

"A Good evening to each and every one" They responded with bowing their heads. It is a teaching to the Mafia Organization not talks back once the highest are not giving you a permission to talk.

'Cursed this awkward situation. I supposed to be stayed unbothered like the 'N' in Solemn. But standing infront of this thousands of mob makes me wanna run again and this time, I'll never come back.'

My opening pledge of allegiance continued though I'm already in between the thought of running and staying.

"In this most awaited evening, in the silence of the nightThe roaring sound of the new era of the Familia has begun. Under the gleams of the moon and the rises of the sun, Ill take here with us the Mafia road that was paved well even more than before." The crowed made a loudest applaud I'd never heard.

Finally, I could be at eased. Atleast, I gave my most sincere heartwarming speech.

"Im not agreeing nor denying that I'm not capable of becoming your Empress, I know I have a lot of things to do to be worthy of this title. " I continued.

An Empress should become a highly capable person in making decisions and solutions about stuffs that the Familia will encounter along the way to its pinnacle of success.

"The Crown and this throne are not the one who will make me an Empress." I made a side glimpse to where the Godfather was sitting. He frowned at me. "Only the burning hell inside me could bring the devil out of me." I said while staring at his eyes. And I mean it.

I just met my devil inside and that's makes me fearless to welcomed his cold stirring eyes.

It was when I was four when curiosity grew upon me. I was too young to understand 'murder and racketeering' I dont know what it meant. Until one sunny noon time, I heard a disturbing breaking of glass in my Daddy's Library. I ran towards thinking something fun was happening there.

Little did I know, I will witness a terrible 'whiteshot gun' scene. It was when a subordinates will freely kill himself. Until their last breath, to save their family because the mistake they have done, they'll volunteer to kill themselves. 'Coz their master should not be stained by the sinners blood.

A child with an innocence heart completely vanished the moment I opened the library door.

The young mans' blood sprinted all over my face. His head with gushing out so much blood captured my two widen eyes, flustered by the dreadful scene. It was when my Dad shouts my name, I snap back to reality. My eyes became blurry, I might cry any moment. But that was too quick. He ran towards me, sat infront and hugged me carefully. "A Valorem never cries" He uttered. It's like a spell that makes my tear feared the thought of falling.

Dad told me, "What goes on in our family stays behind these walls.We shouldnt let other people know about us." I remember confusedly wondering why it was such a huge secret. I feel strange, why such gruesome scene happened to our home. Why Dad didn't stop the young man from killing himself? He told me I might start hearing things about our family and he will explain it to me in the best way he knew. He confessed to me that our family is a leader of a secret group and vowed always to protect each other and our family even if it meant taking grenades and bullets or hurting other people. It didn't sound scary to me, it was nice and safe to know we were being protected and looked after.

That's when I realize how different we were. Dad has variety of Guns inside his Library and in his secret room in his bedroom. I found out that our house has an underground facilities were different types of war weapons was present. And has a laboratory were people mixing different chemical elements that looked so cool to me. Over the years, I knew the Mafia was accused from small to biggest crimes and I couldn't imagine myself being a gangster. I wasn't totally naive to be not aware of different black markets transaction that undergone by the command of my father. He was a cool Dad to me before even though he swore a lot and it didn't change. Its just that, he has two personality, and the other was a monster image to me, him being the Emperor of the Mafia Valorem.

When I was 17, everything changed. A person who resent and honor the Mafia Valorem coexist within me.

-To be continued