HEIR OF LIGHT Book1: The lost prince

CHAPTER 20

MARXIS

The halls were bursting with life as marxis moved across them. Something made the slaves alive with fear and excitement, he had to find out the cause, marxis motioned for two shadow warriors to step forward and bring him a slave.

The shouts of mercy rang in his ears as he stood at the window overshadowing the fields of the palace, the shadow warriors dragged in a woman who was weeping, marxis stayed silent for a while as he contemplated his questions,

"It would do you no good to stain my floors with your tears woman" he said still facing the fields,

She became quiet at once, marxis could feel her fear as it radiated off her, he loved the feel of terror they all had near him, basked in it really.

He turned to the woman, she still looked young, a new slave perhaps, she would do well as his bed comforter, right until the time when he would either dispose of her or give her to whoever made him happy at that particular period.

"What is your name?" marxis asked coolly,

She looked up at him, blue eyes boring into his soul, marxis froze in place. There was something about her that unnerved him, he shrugged it off, of recent he had been on his nerves, on edge as news were coming in from all around the empire, of rebellions on the rise, martyrs rising for the cause, every hour brought news of reinforcements needed everywhere.

Of course if only he could send the army after jason, that would only validate the truth that the prince was back, marxis wasn't sure he could handle such, the empire was already on edge as it was, the people never fully accepting him in the first place.

"I believed I asked a question?" marxis repeated,

She shook and stuttered before she could answer. Marxis should feel exalted for that sort of reaction, but instead he felt guilt in his stone-cold heart. He frowned, where were all this emotions coming from?,

"Gerita my Lord" she whispered looking down,

"You look at me when I am talking to you gerita" he said,

She looked up immediately, marxis pushed himself off the railing and walked towards her, she maintained eye contact,

"Why are the slaves bickering?" he asked,

"A-a rumor my lord" she replied,

"And what is it about?" marxis asked turning back to the railings,

"That the prince is back my lord" she replied,

Her voice no longer carried terror, they had fear and a glint of hope, hope marxis would extinguish.

Marxis had begun to regret his decision to release derora, she had become another problem for him, the fabled dark general of the abyss was beginning to show signs of loosing her touch, to think an amateur prince could manoeuvre around the only one to go head-to-head with herega was hilarious, marxis had to lay the basis of this mission for her, it was a matter of time before the whole realm heard of the return of the prince.

He turned back to the woman, marxis did not want those rumors to cause revolt among the slaves, frankly speaking they would cause a slowdown in the work rate should he go culling their numbers, and to start another tribute period was him literally begging for the people to blow up into full straight revolt. Order was needed again even though it was ironic as marxis served the daughter of the primordial of chaos.

"Do you wish to leave this palace gerita?" marxis asked,

She nodded timidly in return, trying her best not to let the obvious hope that had began to light up in her heart reflect on her face,