Gladiator✔️

Gaerin

At one end of the Ambrose capital, Empress Lilith was telling her story to General Azarios but thinking that the time they were resting in each other's warmth was not spent to plot and scheme was far beyond the truth.

"If Prince Vzeus was punished by the imperial order, then how come you managed to hide him in the Gaerin territory?" Azarios was silent for a long time after listening to Lilith's explanation of her past and wished to know her entire story yet the moment the woman looked at the midnight moon in exhaustion from remembering those painful details, he stopped her from continuing the gruesome tale and instead gave her a light question to answer that might divert her attention.

"My father, starving and passed out while being bound in ropes with his face aghast and lifeless as they kept him hanging on the city gates was the first thing that this one saw while entering the Gaerin capital. This empress remembers feeling bloodthirst at that moment, felt hatred and sorrow like none thrumming through my veins before thus I decided to break all rules and free him.

It was almost a blur, the time was flying when imperial father's clutches were opened and he fell into my arms, he had till then whispered to me that he wished for me to go away....even at the doors of death this one remembers him wishing for my safety yet one could not do so......this one could not bear to see him so helpless.

I took him to a merchant from Eastern Deserts that helped this one in nursing father and applying for medicine overnight, then left him in the caravan of the merchant in care of a physician. They helped me because of my stature in the Eastern Regime, no matter how unwilling one was yet they did not have the heart to betray General brother Casagon."

Silence followed after that, consoling and saying that he was apologetic to what happened to Lilith were like sprouting some meager words which could neither cool down the fire of hatred burning in her nor bring peace. 

Then the only thing left to make his beloved happy was to bring her outside to see and participate in a play.

"Does Tulip wants to bid farewell to lady Cecelia?" The meaning behind the words was extremely clear despite the words being innocently vague with onyx eyes glimmering in mischief.

"Wants" the curve of a smile could not be stopped from forming onto the rose lips.

Lady Cecelia, the eldest and most beloved daughter of Prime Minister Zhan was exiled and was to be thrown out of the boundaries of the capital city. No family member or clan relative was allowed to bid farewell to this once eldest and honorable young lady.

Cecelia could not comprehend when and how this situation escalated to be as such. Her father, Prime Minister Zhan wanted her to get married to King Alexander earlier in the days but when years after Prime Minister Manor started slowly edging closer to Prince Baez faction, the matter of her marriage died down. From then she decided to devote herself wholeheartedly to General Azarios unknown to the thoughts brewing in her father's mind who later lashed at her informing that she was meant to be the woman of Prince Baez......Cecelia was not willing.

The woman remembered throwing tantrums in front of her father several times and being forgiven without punishment, then why was this any different. There were thousands of questions in her mind yet there was no answer to any of them.

A plain white gown made of soft silk flowed like moonflower petals falling down after getting detached on a night filled with billions of stars. Two slaves with a maid lighting a fire torch led her to the carriage. In the darkness, forest grounds appeared to be unfathomable and suffocating, unbuilt roads leading to the clearing which was not visible more or less.

"Young lady, kindly enter." The stern tone lead to no further arguments as Cecelia stepped inside the wooden carriage that seemed to be spacious and bigger than the ones she usually had, there was a lack of extravagance yet the supplies were enough to sustain them for the travel to the border town.