Elina:
I'll explain everything later. It's just that it's a bit hard because the main guardians all collapsed all of a sudden.
Aristia:
Did Duke Rass, Veritas and Timberlake also collapse?
Elina:
Yes.
Harren:
Than, are you OK Empress Elina?
Elina:
Yes I am. It's just there's a lot of work to do. On the top of that I have to deal another version of my father along with a woman who's technically my stepmother.
Elina scoffed. But Ruveliss felt worse.
Elina:
This is the responsibility I'm giving to you two Prince Ruveliss and Viscount Demark. Exodus shall come and brief you about the occurrences in detail to the rest of the ton so that they may also be aware.
Later that evening, High Priest Exodus and Extus came to Mirkan, Arkint, Ruth, Allendis, Carsein, Princia and Kaysain ans revealed the shocking thing Emperor Ruveliss did in another dimension.
All of them were horrified to their core.
Exodus opened the a device. A screen opened. Now they could see Emperor Ruveliss and his black haired wife, Empress Jieun.
Extus:
Please do not approach him. And Emperor Mirkan, especially not you. I would feel bad for you as a father to see.
Mirkan:
High Priest Extus…
Exodus:
It goes for all of you. And Emperor Mirkan, Crown Prince Ruveliss and Lady Monique, do you all want to see Empress Diana now?
Garnet Palace For Regents.
The doors to her chambers opened. Ruveliss, Harren, Mirkan and Aristia all entered. The saw a woman reading a document with a cold face, while sitting straight.
Diana:
Greetings your majesty, Crown Prince, Lady Monique and Viscount Harren.
Mirkan:
Are you alright Diana? We were panicked hearing you were sick.
Diana:
It happens.
Mirkan and Ruveliss sat down on her right side chairs . While Aristia and Harren on her left chairs close to the bed.
She really looked pale. And unlike before, it seemed Diana had lost some of her bright spirit.
Ruveliss:
Did this happen because he is here?
Aristia was surprised when Ruveliss bluntly put it out.
Diana:
Not at all Crown Prince. But I did hear he came with my stepmother of course.
Aristia flinched at this statement.
Diana:
I knew about him way before. He didn't only kill Queen mother, he also killed me in the process after of course I got disowned.
It doesn't matter how many children you bear, nor how smart the children grow up to be. They will never become my heir or successor. Do you understand?
Ruveliss and Harren were speechless.
Mirkan:
He said something like that?!
Diana sighed in defeat.
Diana:
I was ready to face this day. I knew I would meet him again some day. There are already many problems and than this…
She brushed her hair back in frustration. Only now they could notice her blood red eyes.
Mirkan:
I'm sorry Diana.
Diana:
It's not your fault…maybe, I guess. You raised him wrong. This was bound to happen. I don't plan to tell him that I'm his daughter. Adrian has agreed to keep our identies a secret. And the rest of the guardians have inclined to keep their distance.
The Peace Conference will also go as scheduled. But I'll be troubled sending the Emperor back.
Harren:
Why so?
Diana:
The Duke will kill him. And… he isn't in his right mind because he's poisened. At most, I'll try to detoxify it. So that he might be able to be in his senses.
Aristia:
It's dangerous Empress Diana! He might hit you.
The Crown Prince was surprised again at this statement.
Diana:
I know. He slapped you and raped you.
Ruveliss:
Diana what are you-?!
Diana:
Crown Prince, enough.
She told him to be quiet. In her hands a golden pin appeared in her hands. It had a sharp tip.
Diana:
This, isn't this the same pin you used when you stabbed your ex-husband?
All:
What-?!
Aristia:
Yes. This is the same hair pin! How did you get it Diana?
Diana:
That's a secret.
She winked at Aristia.
Diana:
Keep this with you at all times. You never know when you might have to use this. And don't worry. Unlike before, there would be no royal guards to drag you out nor will you be executed.
All guardians have been instructed to strike him if he gets out of control. He won't immediately loose his mind seeing how he's held on till now even after getting poisoned but it's better to be safe than sorry.
Aristia nodded hesitantly. Mirkan looked at her worriedly.
Mirkan:
Diana, I don't mean to pry but may we know the reason you are sick? The Monique guardians I read about were people who possess supernatural strength.
Diana:
You can know the reason. Don't be too surprised.
Ruveliss:
We won't your majesty.
Diana took a deep breath. Several scars began to appear on her milky white skin and a few on her face. The tip of her fingers turned black. They also had scars on them as if someone had burned them.
Ruveliss:
What happened to you?
His voice cracked. Diana gazed at them with her blood red eyes.
Diana:
You aren't born a king. You're made one. And that statement goes for me too. Being a guardian had it's challenges. Especially when I knew nothing about the powers that were non existant for more than a thousand years.
When we six became new guardians, we were faced with immediate challenges. Threats from beings, humans weren't aware of. Let's just say one of those beings was a demi-god locked away in eternal prison who was freed by our enemies. We six had to fight it. But during that fight, he also attacked us and gave us these scars.
Mirkan:
Kratos?
Diana:
Yes. That thing. Because he was a demi-god, our scars don't heal. Sometimes they pain, other times they don't.
Harren:
Do King Bartholomew and the others also have these scars?
Diana:
Tristan, Barry, Elina, Adrian and Gradis do. Only the six of us.
Mirkan:
So that's why.
Diana graced a smile. She was very strong but right now she looked very weak.
Mirkan:
I guess this is it. Thankyou Diana, and what have you done with the princesses?
Diana:
I put them into suspended animation. They'll sleep until they return back to your dimensions.
Mirkan:
Thank goodness.
She yawned weakly. Mirkan and Harren got up excusing themselves shortly. Diana got out of the bed to see them off. When Aristia and Ruveliss saw her back, both exclaimed. Diana looked back and signalled them to be quiet.
Four big scar marks occupied her back. Mirkan and Harren both left.
Ruveliss:
Did that demi-god Kratos also gave you this?!
Diana:
It's fine. They don't hurt now.
She chanted a spell. Her scars disappeared. But her pale skin and red eyes remained.
Diana:
You all should participate in the banquets after the Conference is over. Don't worry. No one would recognise you.
Aristia opened her mouth to say something but paused. Diana urged her to go on.
Aristia:
Diana, are your parents aware about your condition?
Diana:
No Lady Aristia. They aren't aware. Parents often claim they know their children the best but that's a lie. I don't tell mine lots of things. It's not that I don't trust Queen mother and father, but to me they are Emperor and Empress before they are my parents.
Ruveliss:
It's not like that.
Diana wanted to laugh seeing both of them looking at her with trembling eyes filled with worry.
Diana:
Ahem! Both of them are retired now. I don't want to trouble them anymore. But I do wonder how my father and mother would react seeing Emperor Ruveliss and Empress Jieun here. Dad sure wouldn't be happy.
Adrian would definately coerce mother into divorce and run away.
Both:
What?-
Diana:
That won't be too bad. But I can't send the Emperor and Empress Jieun back because both of them would get killed. Like that is also not a bad idea. Both would piss and annoy me.