It was before the arrival of foreign delegates in the Great Eastern Deserts, all the imperial palace seemed to have been embellished with riches as the servants ensured the arrangements of the royal martial relation.
The air was swirling with somewhat cool breeze but if one looked closely there seemed to be a cold desolate place in the imperial palace that looked somewhat barren and without any joy, it were the imperial chambers of the Sultan.
Resembling all days Zexzerus today too looked out of the chamber's windows hoping to see Princess Nevix taking a stroll in the gardens filled with exotic flowers, whenever she smiled it seemed like his lips would without any abandon follow her laugh and smile too. Although he only remembered fractions of memories every now and then while most of the past was wiped out, it was only in yesterday's dream he saw snippets of his past.
He saw himself arguing with a court full of old aged men that seemed to be crying in helplessness as he said that since his Nevix liked flowers then there must be a garden with a variety of blooming species in the imperial palace.
Now thinking about the dream it was absurd but definetly something he must have done. Growing any kind of vegetation in the deserts was a tedious task and if he was willing to do all that for only a smile from the princess......she must have been a very precious person.
There was a knock on the chamber doors to which he replied to enter thinking it must be an official. When nobody replied after entering the chambers for a long time the male turned around only to find an exquisite woman standing stubbornly without saying anything.
He forgot to breathe as he clutched his head as if he just recalled something...
Silence prevailed for a long time and as if annoyed by the person who refused to speak a word of confrontation, Nevix raised her eyes meeting the ones that were intensely observing her for a long time.
"Your majesty"
"This emperor would like to observe the flower of mine from a closer distance, requesting her highness princess to come here." Zexzerus words were polite and calm yet their implications were nevertheless profound. Nevix was guided closer and closer till she was right infront of him and then was ordered to sit on his muscular thigh.
"Your royal highness"
"This emperor would like to enquire if King Qiza, her highness' princess father is suffering from insanity? Sent such a little bud to this one, what does he wish for me to do with you.....shall I raise the little bud till she blooms into a flower?"
"Emperor husband! Zexzerus! What-What is happening?"
"Its Nothing"
"But-"
"Princess of Daxtros- this Emperor said it is nothing."
Just that his fingers were somewhat trembling. When he turned his head away hiding his face from her Nevix had tears accumulating in her irises which she refused to let go and fall.
"Why is the princess here?"
"This one has come to return these back to their master." Zexzerus before his comatose sleep had brought so many jewelery for the princess that it could fill up the entire treasury of Eastern Deserts yet the most valuable of them was their birth rings that they have exchanged before their marriage as it signified their loyalty and devotion.
Today the princess came to return it back along with the imperial crown that she had. When Zexzerus turned around and saw them it was as if a thunderbolt has stricken his heart thus making him look at her incredulously.
"What is this? This-"
"This Princess will find a person who would have my birth ring willingly and not be forced in an alliance like the Sultan is.
About your highess....the Sultan is a powerful male thus there would be thousands rivalling for your favor, your highness should give it to the woman that will either be willing to accept your majesty's conditions or who has won your heart. This princess from today has no connection with this ring and thus this one hopes that your majesty will return mine too."
"What does your words mean?"
"It means that one's brother is coming today, one shall depart with him to Daxtros after the marriage of General Casagon and Princess Artimisia."
Zexzerus did not gave a reply and there was a silence so long that even when the tower bell was rung five times to signify the arrival of royal delegations there was not even a sound from him.
"We must go and greet the guests my lord." Thereafter he followed her with his heart sinking.
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Sultan of the Great Eastern Deserts Zexzerus was a masculine male that had his presence so powerful that it rivalled that of General Azarios. Thus before Baez can question Empress Lilith regarding her Silian silver bracelet that she was wearing the entourage of the Sultan appeared with his Sultana following beside him.
"Imperial brother!" Instead of the gentle, almost perfectury hold Princess Nevix had on Sultan Zexzerus's hand when she left the side of her husband and tugged her brother Rial's arm with joy, it felt so natural and harmonious as the Sultana's maids laughed merrily at her smile that was shown after many days.
It was just that Zexzerus did not liked how happy she was with her brother that even his presence was forsaken.....would it be like that in future?
That she would leave him and live with Rial in Daxtrors and maybe marry someone else in future?
"This Sultana is extremely joyous on the arrival of my friend Empress Lilith and her beloved General Azarios, may goddess' blessing be upon you."
The greetings were answered by the General yet Lilith did not say anything but instead smiled at the Sultan.
"The daughter of Prince Vzeus and noble Princess Lyra greets his majesty Zexzerus."
Words were like split water that had unfathomable meanings.One had to know that when Sultan Zexzerus was struggling for the battle of succession he was just Zexzerus but Lilith was still the imperial princess of Gaerin.
Zexzerus was the Warrior, Lilith was the royalty.
He was the person seeking help and her father was his benefactor.
So what she said with no reference to either her being the 'Empress' but daughter of Prince Vzeus and Zexzerus not the 'Sultan' but His majesty was some sort of hostile warning.
Zexzerus did not remeber his past but was informed by General Casagon of the great sacrifices Prince Vzeus had done and the lengths he went to for supporting Zexzerus.
"This Sultan greets the Empress Supreme and her betrothed Crown Prince Azarios."
If it was the previous Zexzerus he must have laughed at the rage of Lilith and said words to pacify her but neither was the female innocent as her childhood nor he was his old self thus the male smiled and refused to address Azarios as Lilith's husband as if refusing to acknowledge the martial relation between them.
After that the cold surroundings were intensified by the hostilities thus Nevix took upon herself to guide each delegation to their assigned pavallion.
It was only Azarios that stood behind upon saying that he had to deliver the Saintess's personal blessings thus the Sultan invited him to the Emperor's study.
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"This Sultan has heard that her highness Saintess Helixis had been blessing this one even when the conditions for her highness herself were unfavourable. It is this Sultan's fortune to have her guidance. Anything that the Saintess gives......one will preserve as a treasure."
The words were very pleasing to hear but the joy or sorrow in them could not be detected.
It was as if the monarch recognised that Azarios had nothing about the blessings but his intentions were entirely different.
"Help those that can be helped and support those that deserve to be supported so that if one rises to the top there would only be good outcomes to consolidate one's power."
Azarios looked at the emperor that served wine and he himself sat down to accomodate himself after saying the words that meant that there was no support without a reason, The saintess helped him and now was the time to return the favour.
"One has also heard alot about your valor....truly you are the goddess's son."
The raven irises resembling a new moon smiled seeming amused. This Sultan was a worthy opponent
.Azarios looked at the Sultan that was in no way saying things out of flattery, Zexzerus was too arrogant to give face to anyone let along flatter thus the words must have pleased the General yet itactually did quite opposite.
"If only this Prince could say the same for the Sultan."
Tangerine eyes mirroring a sun's heat looked at the male and if it was another they might have went on their knees and begged for mercy yet this impudent general still had the heart and leisure to drink tea and look down at the chessboard pretending to be thinking.
"When one was young, one heard how the brother of the Empress of Eastern deserts came to acquire the throne with his own courage and power and felt that it would be a man of honor, so in this life if one met then would pay my respects yet this present monarch is too unfamiliar.
Of all the blessings that Imperial mother- her highness Saintess had given Princess Nevix was the biggest one.Yet now the Sultan seems to be too calculative that cannot even recognise his people that are loved and loyal."
"Nevix?" There was a laughter that chilled the hearts of listeners as if thousands of raging demons were fighting.
The Sultan covered his eyes with the palm seemingly amused before the laugher ceased and he looked at the male infront of him.
"My general Casagon, my ministers, Empress Lilith and now you....what do you want to do with this one and one's Sultana....impudent people Nevix is mine so one has naturally no intentions to let go!"
There was rage in Zexzerus but an errie smile on the face of Azarios.
"Your Sultana has been so close to this one's wife that its making this Prince feel raged.
It was nothing that this prince should have been concerned with naturally but your actions are such that it is making one's wife unable to breathe properly.
The relations between Gaerin, Daxtros and Eastern deserts was always bound to your marrige Sultan and because of your deeds that relation is breaking apart and thus one's woman is bearing the weight of it too.If this Prince's wife suffers Sultan, one will make sure that you, your Sultana and your entire Kingdom will suffer too."