The War God’s Favorite novel Chapter 122

#122 The New Emperor
A strange silence followed their arrival in the room.
Kairen and Vrehan were fiercely glaring at each other from across the dozens of soldiers between them. They could have been alone, the atmosphere wouldn’t have gotten an inch colder. The poor men stuck between the two Imperial Princes even felt a bit out of place, exchanging worried glances at each other. After all, none of them had signed to be standing up against the Empire’s War God himself! Those men were Imperial Guards, trained to obey the Emperor only, and they would do so until their death, but this situation just didn’t feel right for any of them… Princess Shareen, who was known for her own military merits, was glaring at them like she was seeing a crowd of vermin. She couldn’t believe the nerve of those idiots to side with Vrehan…
The Imperial Princess had a sour expression on. She had abandoned her swords to steal a spear from one of the Imperial generals she had defeated. That weapon was heavy and meant for a man, but she had no problem carrying it nonchalantly on her shoulders. Her stare went to Missandra with a sigh. So things had turned that bad there… Anour, too, was staring at Missandra non-stop, unable to say a word, only scared. 1
“You’re a bit late, brother,” said Vrehan, speaking first. “You missed my coronation.”
Kairen didn’t bother to answer, but Shareen stood forward, furious.
“What coronation! You’re no more worthy of the title of Emperor than you are worthy of putting your dirty ass on that throne, Vrehan!”
Her words angered him, and he suddenly pulled more on Missandra’s hair, making her groan in pain. She was keeping herself from crying, but the young woman was teary-eyed, as he was keeping her neck torn in a weird position, and that blade was held on her skin. Shareen clenched her teeth, annoyed. If he had captured Missandra, it didn’t mean anything good for her sister either… Anour almost stepped forward, but she quickly held his arm and pushed him back towards her mother.
“What happened to that old man?” Suddenly asked Kareen.
For the first time, her voice was cold as ice, but she was strangely calm and composed. The second Prince answered with an annoyed expression.
“He is dead. I am the Emperor now. You’re no longer the favorite!”
This was such a weak insult, it wouldn’t make the proud Imperial Concubine flinch. Kareen’s glare was much fiercer, and it looked like nothing could make her waver, not even the news of her past lover’s death. Either she didn’t believe it, hid her emotions perfectly, or wasn’t affected, one couldn’t tell. She was just standing there, an empty look in her eyes.
From glaring at the concubine, Vrehan’s eyes got down on the baby she was holding. His black eyes opened wider, in a horrified, disgusted expression as he discovered Kassian. Kairen moved right away to stand between Vrehan’s line of sight and his son, glaring right back at him.
“That little bastard…” hissed Vrehan.
Kian who had followed them jumped on Kairen’s shoulder at that moment, and growled at him, arching his back.
“Where is Cassandra?” Asked Kairen, impatient.
This time, the second prince’s face broke into a nasty smile, looking quite happy. He chuckled, his chuckle turning into a crazy laugh. His voice echoed along the walls, making everyone but him rather uneasy.
“You crazy ass…” Hissed Shareen.
“She’s dead!” Yelled the second Prince.
Kairen didn’t move, but his fingers tightened around his weapon.
“You damn, precious witch is dead! That bitch killed herself to escape me!”
“You’re lying…” muttered Shareen.
She couldn’t help but send worried glances at Kairen. If Cassandra was really dead, her brother was really going to lose it… Facing them, Vrehan kept laughing like crazy, amused by the War God’s furious expression.
“You were a War God, Kairen, but now you’re so affected by that bitch’s death? Well, your woman is dead. She dived into the Lake and she never came back.” 1
“It’s Cassandra, Kairen,” whispered Kareen behind him. “She can stay underwater for a long time…
“Oh, you think she could still be alive? I will break it to you: she is not coming back, you idiot. Your women dived into that lake hours ago. Even that witch can’t survive hours under the surface! It’s a pity. I would have loved to show you her dead body, just for the pleasure to see your face…”
Whatever he had hoped to see, Kairen wasn’t going to give him that pleasure. Whether he believed it or not and despite his sister’s worried glances, all of his rage was contained inside. However, they did hear the furious growls of a Dragon coming from the outside. Unlike his master, Krai was going rogue outside the Palace’s walls. Yet here, his master was only clenching his jaw and his fists and glaring like a tiger at Vrehan.
He slowly raised his sword.
“You’re going to die,” he whispered.
That simple sentence erased all smiles from Vrehạn’s lips. The second prince stood up, and showed Missandra, his blade on her throat tracing a thin red line on her skin. Shareen clicked her tongue.
“Oh, no, I don’t think so. You are going to throw your weapons, or I’ll slice that woman like a pig in front of you. Both of you,” he added, glaring at Shareen as well.
“You scum. And what happens if we refuse? You only have one hostage, once she’s dead we would have no problem killing you!”
“Oh, I don’t need to kill her right way,” chuckled Vrehan. “I can slice her pretty skin little by little, until you obey. Her skin is way to neat, compared to her older sister, isn’t she? I could even chop off a few limbs…” 1
“We have Phetra,” declared Shareen. “How about we do the same thing to your precious younger sister?”
Vrehan laughed loudly again, his horrible laugh making Shareen roll her eyes.
“Do you think I care about my sister? She was only useful for some time! Princesses aren’t as watched as the Princes, you see. She was very helpful in making more allies within the Senate…”
“I knew that bitch opened her legs…” hissed Shareen.
“You two are such idiots,” continued Vrehan. “All you can do is fight, you are not fit to be Emperor!”
“Oh, right, we are not some vile scheming rat like you!”
Just as she said that Vrehan got even madder, and his dragon growled furiously, too, taking one step forward. They couldn’t have missed his eyes, both completely covered in a dry dark liquid that ought to be blood…
“Your dragon doesn’t look in top shape, Vrehan,’ snickered Shareen.
That sentence didn’t help make him any calmer, and without warning, he suddenly raised his weapon and carved a long, deep line on Missandra’s arm. The young woman screamed in pain, closing her eyes and crying out.
“You bastard!”
“Keep making me mad, Shareen. I still have plenty of surfaces to keep on that little bitch’s body!”
That’s when Kairen recognized the weapon Vrehan was holding. It was Cassandra’s dagger, the one that formerly belonged to Phetra. This time, the War God saw red and stepped forward. However, Vrehan was quick to react and put his sword back against Missandra’s throat.
“Uh-uh, no, Kairen. If you take another step, I swear I’ll butcher that little bitch!”
The third Prince stood there for a second, his eyes on the young girl. Missandra was crying in pain, her blood dripping from her injury. That bastard had cut her deep on purpose, to make her injury more painful and impressive. He didn’t want to give him any victory, but she was still Cassandra’s younger sister… He glanced at the blind dragon and snickered. He threw his weapons.
The two swords resonated on the marble floor, and even the soldiers in front of him looked confused. The War God was giving up on his weapons, to save a woman? Behind him, Shareen was just as annoyed, but after hesitating, she was about to throw her spear when Missandra spoke.
“Don’t! Please don’t care about me! I’d rather die than let this scum survive!”
“Missandra!” Called out Anour, horrified, a second too late. 2
“Shut up, little vermin! Or I shall cut you some more!”
Vrehan put his threat to execution right away, stabbing Missandra’s shoulder. She screamed again, and fell down on her knees, in a horrible state of pain. Her voice resonated throughout the Palace’s walls, making even the soldiers uncomfortable. This situation was really not one they wanted to be in…
Meanwhile, Shareen’s hands were almost turning white from holding her spear so tightly. In her head, she was already playing the scenarios of what she’d do to that scum once he was dead… Next to her, Anour was the most horrified. The young boy looked like he was about to faint, his eyes on Missandra, in utter shock. He couldn’t do anything but watch that horrible display of violence on her.
“Vrehan, enough!” Yelled Kareen.
“Shareen still has her weapon,” he retorted, staring at his half-sister.
“Don’t!”
To everyone’s surprise, despite her tears, Missandra still looked fierce and determined. Down on her knees, holding her bleeding shoulder, her lips trembling, she was still able to look at Shareen from across the hall. The
girl ought to be in an excruciating state of pain, but she still acted as if she wasn’t.
“D-don’t,” she begged. “Don’t let that bastard win…”
“Shut up, I said!” He yelled.
Vrehan kicked her injury and pressed his shoe on it, forcing Missandra to bow lower and lower, in a horrible position. His shoe sole was soon completely red, but the girl did not advert her eyes from the little group across the room. Never had she looked so much like her older sister.
“That bastard murdered my sister and raped his own sister!” 2
“Shut the fuck up!”
“He did what…?”
This time, even Kareen looked utterly shocked and baffled.
“You rotten rat… What did you do…?” Muttered Shareen.
“I said shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up!” Yelled Vrehan, absolutely furious.
He kicked Missandra restlessly until the girl was completely lying underneath him, half-conscious.
A heavy silence followed that horrible scene. Even if he hadn’t said a thing, Vrehan’s anger at the girl’s word made the truth obvious. Everyone in that hall could understand that.
Suddenly, Kian squealed, and jumped down Kairen’s arm, running in the opposite direction, leaving the room.
“Kian, no!”
“Lady Kareen!”
The baby dragon disappeared in the corridors, while Lady Kareen ran after him, still holding Kassian. Evin immediately ran after her too. He didn’t have his place in a fight against so many soldiers anyway, and the Imperial Servant was concerned about Cassandra’s baby. Anour glanced at them leaving, hesitant.
“…Go with them,” said Kairen, his eyes still glaring in Vrehan’s way.
His younger brother hesitated. He wasn’t comfortable letting their mother and the babies run away, but War God or not, Kairen was in an unfavorable position there. Moreover, he had already thrown his weapon, and he knew he and Shareen wouldn’t risk Missandra getting killed either. Vrehan was a poor fighter, but he still had his dragon… Yet, he had trouble leaving. When Missandra was like that… (1
“…Are you sure?” He whispered.
Kairen didn’t answer, which was the equivalent of a definite answer from him. Shareen gave him a nod, too. Anour swallowed his saliva, a bit bitter to have to leave them. However, he wasn’t stupid. He wasn’t on his older siblings’ level, he would have been no better than a hindrance here… After one last glare towards Vrehan, trying not to look at the injured Missandra, Anour finally ran out, to catch up after Lady Kareen. Once he was gone, the War God and his sister were suddenly left alone with an army of Imperial Soldiers, Vrehan, and his dragon.
Shareen sighed.
“About two hundred men? Really, Vrehan, you’re such a coward…”
“Drop your weapon, Shareen, and recognize me as the Emperor,” hissed the Second Prince. “Or I swear I’ll finish that girl and you’ll have to watch her bleed out!”
Shareen glanced down at Missandra. The young girl was still not moving, one couldn’t tell if she was still breathing. Only her eyes were still teary, turned towards them. After a few seconds of staring at each other, she very distinctly saw Missandra nod.
Shareen sighed.
“You’re not too rusty yet, brother?” She said, her eyes on Vrehan, making her spear turn between her hands.
“Stop playing.
She snickered. Suddenly, her eyes went up on the Red Dragon.
“Enough!” Yelled Vrehan, feeling what was going to happen. “I am the new Emperor! The council already agreed! You can’t kill me, I am the Emperor!”
Shareen laughed.
“Oh, Vrehan, you’re really the Emperor of rats. The council you said? You convinced a bunch of scum like you to sign some paperwork, and just like that, you think we should leave you Father’s throne? Don’t worry about the council. I think it will be time for some serious Spring cleaning once we are done with you!”
Vrehan’s eyes opened wide, and he stepped back. Shareen was still smiling like a cat about to eat a bird.
“You know what? I think we need fresh blood on the Council’s seat. How about we start with yours!”
Just like that, she suddenly threw her spear across the room. Her weapon flew far above the head of the soldiers and, with a horrible sound, dug deep in the red dragon’s shoulder.
The gigantic beast growled furiously in pain and anger and jumped to attack, coming their way. The first ranks of soldiers, distracted by the dragon, turned their heads back a second too late. They met Kairen’s furious glare from up very close and, a second later, the War God’s fist began wreaking havoc around him.