Empress Natsume ✓

XLVI

"Calm down, your highness"

Her blood instantly boiled when she heard Eiji said that. Calm down? How can she calm down when her son is being driven away to the Northern border?

More importantly, what was Raiden thinking to take his very own son to the Northern border while he's in war against Xue.

"Prepare the carriage!"

This is definitely not good.

Her steps were fast that she's almost running. Her shoulder was suddenly seized by Eiji.

"Let go!"

He turned a deaf ears from her complaints and dragged her away from the waiting carriage.

"I said let go or I'll sentence you to death!"

Her words just passed in his ears as Eiji continued to drag her away.

"Where are you taking me? I have to go now!"

"I'm taking you to the throne room, you have morning meetings with the ministers, remember?"

Natsume resisted with all her might, she even bite his right hand.

"What the--? Does an empress bite hands?"

"Can an empress be dragged by a mere subject?"

Eiji whistled at her retort. Nevertheless, he grabbed her shoulder again when she tried to turned back.

"Let. Me. Go"

"No way. If you bite my hand again, I'm going to gag you"

"Impudence!"

He nodded his head repeatedly "yes, yes. I'm and it's an honor. You know what? you just have to trust Raiden. I'm sure that he doesn't have any bad intentions"

"Trust him? How can I trust him when he didn't told me anything. He's being secretive!"

When they're almost near the throne room, he let go of her shoulder and faced her.

"Do you know something I don't?"

He shrugged.

"I don't know either"

"What? That's absurd! He must have mentioned something important to you. Why else would he give you an order to 'restrain me'?"

Now that he thought about it. He actually remembered yesterday when he was eating his meal around noon, Raiden came around in the army field and told him something but he can't remember anything about it. He was too focused on eating to understand his words, he just keep nodding his head. All he catch up was when he finally finished his meal and Raiden said that he must restrain Natsume and then explain the situation to her.

And how the hell will he explain it to her if he didn't know it himself?

"Actually... He told me something... But I don't remember. I don't think it is important though"

Eiji scratched the back of his head and tried to wrack his brain to remember what Raiden told him.

"God... You're useless..."

Natsume muttered, and Eiji instantly reacted.

"Hey! I'm not useless! I'm useful"

"If you can explain to me what's going on here, I won't follow them to the Northern border"

Eiji thought for a bit.

"I can't remember what he exactly told me but I do remember some certain words like... Dark Cultists and... Yuan Kang. I don't know what does the king of Xue has to do with the Dark Cultists though"