Wicked Reign

Ryzen Theodas Altera

"The Eckrett Empire is not an easy opponent," said a man with a pair of amethyst eyes while reading a scroll. His chin rested on his palm as he lazily sat on the dragon's seat.
His retainer, who was clad in a purple robe with cranes embroidered on its edges, stopped his report and looked up to the man who was seating on the throne in a lazy demeanor.
"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty?"
"The newly crowned king is someone that should not be taken lightly, Shito." His infamous canines flashed to his childhood friend and chosen right-hand man of the dragon.
"Oh." Easing his one-glass eyeglass, Shito answered in a bored tone. Gone was the interest on his face and in his deep voice. "He wouldn't be able to usurp the throne that was meant for the crown prince if he is a simple man."
"Killing his father and brother to win. I guess I am not the only brutal one, no?"
Shito immediately closed the scroll as he answered in a matter-of-fact tone. "Your Majesty is not brutal like the power-hungry Eckrett Empire. Your Majesty only did it because the dragon seat can end our people's suffering."
Ryzen did not answer his loyal subordinate and only merely hummed. He stood from his golden dragon seat and walked to the wide bamboo balcony to his right. "You are right. I did that to stop my people from starving." His line of vision was fixated on the thriving part of the capital city where tents were being used as homes after the great flame that devoured half of the city, killing the innocent people from the slums—the collateral of the party war his brothers were responsible for.
"Your Majesty is right," said Shito.
Ryzen continued, "And because I am right, I will go there and see them myself."
"Yes, Your Majesty is always—wait, what?"
Ryzen grinned at Shito as he clicked his tongue. "Prepare me a gift. We will be going to give our blessings to the next queen."
A passing thought entered Shito's mind. "About the Queen..."
Ryzen merely waved his hand as he turned to walk away. "Don't know and don't care. What's there to know about the Empire's women? They are all the same. Tea parties, banquets, nonsensical love drama, and yada, yada, yada..."
As Ryzen walked away from his council-less throne room, his voice started to dwindle until it was Shito who was left alone.
Shito could only sigh as he shook his head. "I will be doing the emperor's job... again," Shito muttered.

"THIS IS THE BEST proposal you can come up with? Really?" Tori stood in front of the standing Cory with her arms crossed and eyebrows arisen.
With a sweaty forehead, Cory urged his stretched arm toward her once more. "Wh-What should I do then? I got you the biggest diamond that any noblewoman could ever wear plus a tiara with ruby and onyx gemstones." Cory snapped his fingers when he remembered his engagement gift for Tori that he failed to bring along with him. "Oh! And I got you a new throne! It is specially customized with gold and ruby, fitting for you as the queen and my wife!"
Cory's grin reminded Tori of a kid who was boasting his most prized possession, not knowing how embarrassing it was. She seriously could not stop the tugging of her lips.
With her fingers massaging her temples, she took the awfully big diamond ring and placed it on her right ring finger which fitted so well—it was as if the ring had finally found its true purpose around her ring finger.
Cory, whose heart was pretty stuck in his throat, almost jumped for joy when he watched her take the ring and wear it. With gleaming eyes, he said in an excited tone. "You will marry me, right?"
Cory was about to sweep her off her feet when Tori sidestepped. The delight that set him high up in the clouds immediately went crashing down. With tear-stricken eyes, Cory, who was clad in his imperial garbs, held Tori's hand instead. "You will, right? It is a capital crime to make your emperor cry. You know that, right, Duchess Victoria Rozenreff?"
"Oh? Are we seriously doing this the hard way, huh, Your Majesty?" A pair of ruby-red eyes glistened with mischief and love as she wandered her eyes around her.
Black and red roses floated around the grand boat she was on. They were a few meters away from the dock while they stay floated at the center of the lake. The sparkling stars above the night sky failed to outshine the thousands of floating lanterns carved and formed into blooming roses. With the adequate illumination surrounding them, Todi was able to see every emotion beneath his jeweled eyes that remained fixated on her.
I admit Cory did a splendid job to set up this mood. He only failed miserably when delivering the most awaited question.
"Victoria, Tori, my love... What-What did I do wrong? Tell me and I'll make it right!" He fidgeted as if he was not the most powerful person in the empire. Tugging his air in frustration, he wiped his face with both of his palms. "Is it the boat? I'll make it thrice bigger than this. Is it the lanterns? I'll add a thousand more if you want! Or do you want an orchestra to play for us? I can call the top orchestra right now! Is the Queen Regent not good enough? I can appoint you as my Royal Advisor. Wait..." Imagining Tori next to him all day was not a bad idea at all, almost making him drool. "Wait! I'll make a formal announcement!"
Cory was about to stir the boat back in a fidgety countenance when he lost his footing upon being pulled back.
With widened eyes, Cory was met by a pair of sweet lips. It took him a good minute to regain his composure.
The hands that pulled his arms traveled to his nape before linking them around him. Before Cory could deepen the kiss, Tori pulled back, eliciting a moan of reluctance.
Tori whispered, her lips a mere inch away from his. "You failed to kneel, idiot."
Realization dawned upon Cory. She held Tori's shoulders and asked her seriously. "Wait... I will kneel! I will kneel." Shaking his head with an odd smile on his face,
When Cory, the Sun of the Empire, was about to kneel, Tori pulled him by the collar this time as she led the kiss the second time around. "Silly. Of course, I'll marry you. How can I get the title of Queen Regent, right?"
Chuckling, Cory cupped Tori's cheeks before he kissed the tip of her pert nose. "Cheeky queen."

RYZEN THEODAS ALTERA stood at the edge of the naval ship of the Kingdom of Altera. Clad in a black silk imperial robe with embroidered golden dragons and clouds, he watched as they finally disembarked onto the land that he was hoping to gain access to for his people.
Taking the robe off Shito's arm, he swiftly put them on.
Now clad in a tattered robe that covered his stature and face, he said. "Tell them that the king is suffering a mild sea sickness. Make them think I am weak. So weak to the point that they will underestimate us. Got it?"
Shito, who knew Ryzen from his childhood days, did not scream in frustration anymore. After all, he grew up with Ryzen in the most difficult times in the Kingdom of Altera.
As soon as Ryzen stepped out from the naval ship, he was instantly slapped by the reality of the unfair world he was in. In front of him, the docks were bustling with merchants of different colors and locals with contented smiles on their faces—a far cry from the docks in the Kingdom of Altera where only hunger and violence stemming from lack of food would always welcome him.
With a clenched fist, Ryzen hardened himself and observed. After all, it was best to know their future enemies for future leverage.
"Seize that child! He's a thief!" A merchant screamed while pointing at the kid who was racing away from the docks.
For a few moments, the child was sporting a grin on his face as he evaded the docks' soldiers.
But the child's arrogance was short-lived when an arm caught his tiny waist.
"Let me go! Let me go!" The child flailed, completely not letting go of the meager apple in his embrace.
"Filthy beggar! Your presence destroys the prestige of the Eckrett Empire!" said the owner of the apple stand.
"I just want to eat this! I am so hungry and my younger siblings are famished too!" cried the young boy who long stopped flailing.
The young boy's cries fell on deaf ears for the owner, but it was certainly not the case for Ryzen.
With his hand already holding his dagger, a voice made everyone stop whatever they were doing.
"The last time I checked, you are an illegal immigrant to the empire. How can a fraud like you talk about the good of the empire when you are far worse than that thief?"
One by one, aside from Ryzen and his men, the people on the docks kneeled in the direction where the woman's voice came from.