The Sacred Empire

Chapter 5: Captives

(May contain violent scenes)

He was walking from the town to the deepest part of the woods.

The thoughts about Hidelga keep running into his mind not because she kissed him, that's not a big deal for a 24-year-old emperor. It is the after-effect of what she did. She deals with the writhing pain that he was suffering for years in just a second.

He suddenly stops. 'I shouldn't return empty-handed.' he thought.

_________________________

At the Center kingdom where the Ceremony was held. All the priests and priestesses gathered including some selected visitors. The place was designed with white, themed with the touch of brown and ornaments of gold.

In each each corner, there were choristers assigned when the ceremony begins all of them will sing and a heavenly hymn will resound.

A little later, the Chief priest came.

"Kal" the emperor uttered.

Kal was once a sneaky young boy who snuck up to his mansion inside the palace. He is his only childhood friend.

He came forward and greeted the emperor "By the power and authority bestowed upon us servants of the Owner of everything. We welcome you and acknowledge you as the chosen heir to the throne." The chief priest said scripted according to the custom and for formality.

Then the ceremony begins.

A golden alabaster jar, followed by an incense of calming menthol, along with a long medieval sword with gold scabbard altogether with white flowers carried by 12 young ladies.

The alabaster jar was held to the chief priest followed by the long medieval sword while the boy that was holding the incense stood at the far side from where the emperor was and the 12 young girls who brought the bouquet of white flowers surrounded them forming a big circle.

He removed his diadem crown then the chief priest poured the scented oil from the golden alabaster jar on the top of the emperor's head.

Next, he was asked to kneel facing the eastern direction where the ocean is and where the sun rises.

It's a great dishonor to make the emperor kneel but this case is different. It is a sign of reverence to the Heavens and acknowledging that there is someone who is Greater even Greater than the emperor itself, not the people but the Creator of everything.

Afterwards, the chief cast upon him the unsheathed medieval sword placing it on each shoulder.

"It is said that the first-ever kingdom is held in the heavens and copied on earth," Kal said, taking a much bigger crown and placing it above his head and on Evan's right hand he held a golden scepter.

He turned around to face his audience, his people and everyone bowed to give him a salute.

After the ceremony, the emperor is simply having a conversation with Kal.

"That was fast, aren't you going to surprise me like what my 5 officials did?" the emperor said while holding a glass of wine.

"There's no need," the chief said. "You'll be worthy of the throne if you were able to keep it until you pass it to your heir," he added.

"Any heir yet?" he asked.

He shook his head.

The chief priest smiled. "Do you prefer guys? I told you before. If you confess to me I'm not going to be surprised at all. Although I'm afraid I need to turn you down." he said with a serious expression.

"F*** off," Evan said.

Kal smiled and stated. "How about this? Let me guess, you're inspecting me as well?" he simply asked revealing one of his ulterior motives.

"Wrong speculations" Evan answered.

The priest almost laughed while he was drinking his wine.

"Liar," he blurted to his friend covering his mouth.

"I suggest that you limit the boundaries that your walls cover. You don't need to shut them all up. You just need to choose whom you will trust" he then signals a servant allowing him to come nearer.

The servant came to him and whispered something.

"May I excuse myself, your highness, I should head somewhere" he saluted and left.

Evan was quiet for a while then muttered.

"What's the difference between the days before I became Emperor to the days I have right now? Everything is nothing but troubles and everyone is nothing but problems.

"your highness" a young lad approached him

He bears a poker face, sleepy eyes, and a headband of gold on his head. He bows and greets him. The golden headband was a Sacred gift (not considered a weapon). Sacred gifts were not made for battle or for harm.

It was called the Mirai's Sphere unlike other sacred treasures this Sacred gift does not need to be sealed or unsealed. It functions automatically whether you want it or not. It can be while you are asleep, doing something, or idling.

"I am Han, your highness" he introduces himself as he continues. "The future is a lot more savage than the past and the present," he said.

After a few seconds of silence, he allows him to speak.

"Continue," he said.

"I saw a man that will rise like a mountain then a huge monster will rise and wound this man, everything that he owns will scatter and he will run for his life. The monster will chase him and haunt him down. Then that man will build a weapon, that weapon will trigger another and another weapon then everything will be wiped away by a big fire from Heaven."

The emperor was silent comprehending his words and let him continue.

"But through that ending, there comes a new beginning and it shall come from the warmest smile that will welcome you home. From a single way where Hope will flow," he said.

He turned around and was about to leave and waved. "I'll keep that in mind", he said.

Somehow, the only thing that he probably knows for now is the man that will rise like a mountain and the warmest smile that welcomes you home.

The man that will rise like a mountain was him being held in position and the warmest smile that welcomes you home, it might be his lost mother.

'I'll have the position then face such things and will finally find her.' he thought.

He was silent thinking about it during the remaining hours of the day up until he was finally alone inside his room while lying on his bed.

"Anything that bothers you?" Kal asked.

He turns his head following his eyes to see who was speaking although he knows who that is.

He came to visit him. "Your assassin's allowed me to pass,... Yes..." he said telling him what happened so he won't ask anymore and then he gave him a friendly smile.

Evan already knew that his assassins allowed him to pass because they knew that he was the emperor's only friend.

"I remember the first time I sneak up and almost get killed." the chief priest reminisced.

"One of your young priests came to me and gave me an oracle," he said.

"I should stop thinking about it. Since humans can create their own fate though." the emperor said.

"Is it Han? that's my son" he said.

"Get the hell out of here," the emperor said.

Kal chuckled, it was a joke after all.

Then he continues to speak.

"Your highness, do you think that everything can be altered by humans?" he asked.

"Indeed, somehow it is up to us but there are inevitable things. If that comes from Han who is the threader of the Sacred gift of Foresight you have to believe it" he said.

"The Mirai's sphere doesn't give you things that can be altered. It's a sacred gift that will give you the things that you cannot control nor change. It will happen because it was supposed to happen no matter what." he said.

__________________________

Hidelga was in the kitchen when someone knocked at the door.

She was surprised and deeply overjoyed because there's a part of her that was still expecting Leon to come back.

"Just a minute!" she shouted.

When she opened the door her smile changed quickly into a slight shock. Her sight was fixed to the people in front of her door, her whole body was unable to move and she perspired coldly.

"Is that how you will greet your husband?" Sur said with a wide grin on his face.

She moves steps backwards contrary to Sur's steps toward her. She was cornered by her table furniture behind her and when she turned to face him he caressed her face then ran gently playing with her hair.

Her whole body was frozen and her knees were trembling.

"You seem to bloom, you're a woman now unlike the last time I saw you," he said as he continued to caress her hair and draw his face closer to her, nuzzling and smelling her scent.

"I miss the scent of my wife," he said and his hands slid on her side and embraced her.

She tries to move away from him and use her elbows and hands to block his body and face away.

"Sadly, you are trying to elude me," he said. "Don't be like that I'm your husband, it isn't like we once shared our warm nights" he said.

Hidelga slapped him.

He hit her and she fell on the floor. "Get her" the two men standing behind him grab her.

"I know you're curious about how we find you," he said. Sur went inside the bedroom and look for the metal cuff that was removed from her feet.

"This is a poor quality cuff. I thought you would be stup*d and desperate enough to remove it. If that happens you will die with the self-destruct mechanism." he said.

The dying slave who freed her tells her about the trigger-detonator characteristic of the metal cuff that's why she didn't remove it but instead look for an expert and consult them.

"Although, I was waiting for that to occur but the signal we transmit back was rather defusing signals," he stated while throwing away the metal cuff.

"Who on earth remove it?" he asked as he held her jaw. Hidelga wince in pain.

"Ay, Dawn't knaw" she said trying to hide the information from him and enduring the pain.

She's afraid that Leon's(the emperor) identity as one of the emperor's soldiers will be exposed (as what Hidelga knew).

"You're useless," he said as he slowly came closer to her "Same as the child you lost" he muttered in dense emphasis and release his hold.

Sur moves away as she was enraged when she heard what he just said and struggle with all that she can to hit him.

She uses all her strength to escape and even makes a hoarse sound from her voice secondary to her anger.

"You! That's our child" she said with clenching teeth.

When she was not able to escape she ended up crying instead. A loud sound of whining.

Sur releases a loud mischievous laugh. "Can you see how pitiful you are right now? Just how I love this sight" he said with overwhelming joy.

"That thing is already dead," he said.

'Thing?' she thought.

"If you want another, let's have one again," he said with a lewd look.

He grabbed her from the 2 men who were holding her and made her lie on the bed.

She keeps on screaming and struggling and even bites him. Sur hits her for that.

"If you'll just be obedient for tonight, you'll enjoy i-" something was thrown that hit his head.

From the door, a cloaked man entered.

"Leon" Hidelga uttered.

"Disgusting." the man said as soon as he entered the room.

Sur was curious about who he was and even dared to ask him.

"I said you're disgusting" he boldly and bravely repeated it again in his face.

The two men attacked him.

He unseal his sacred weapon and paralyze the 2 of them then speak. "kill one another" and they began to hit each other and wrestle around the room, picking everything. It doesn't matter if it's a chair, a bottle, or a knife.

They were like two large beasts who have nothing in mind but to kill the other one.

"What the? are you the one who remov-" he was abrupted when his mouth zipped while he was still speaking that is when Leon muttered the word "Silence"

"Yes," he said with a descending look.

"A manual punishment fits you better," he added.

"Kneel" he commanded. "Stay still," he added.

He kicked him hard on his side that he fell on the floor and curled up in pain.

Evan pinned him to the floor by his neck and made him face him. Then he sits over him and beats him until he's unconscious.

After, he sealed his sacred weapon and went to Hidelga.

He was looking at her with such an expression that can be either pity or concern.

Hidelga continuously cries.

"Thank you," she said while she was covering her body with the blankets on her bed.

Right now, he was seeing a helpless being who can't even protect herself just like the people he killed before.

He sat beside her and held her face to wipe her tears.

He moved closer and muttered.

"Give me a reward"

"What?" Hidelga muttered, demanding to repeat it again. She was puzzled and probably she might have heard it wrong.

He kissed her.

One and it slipped then another and another until their lips were locked together.

Hidelga was surprised and pushed him away but he forced himself more.

She was not able to speak but made the sounds (It's the Mnhm sound but struggling).

Now his head and body were drawn to her.

'What on earth is wrong with these guys?!!!!' she thought.

She was struggling again but this time no one will save her.

__________________________

The Ceremony was finished and the Temple remained neutral as expected. Everything turns quiet after but that is for the meantime only.

Kal already left so he went to the training ground. Later on, another list of concerns will be held but for now he uses his rest time to shoot and release all his stress away.

A gun, a riffle, a bow, and a crossbow all were lined in front of him.

He tests them one by one.

The training ground has a slightly C-curved hallway that allows you to see the whole elegance of the palace's training grounds. This well-built structure goes well with the emperor's whole stature standing and aiming at every target.

The imperial princess went to that hallway, passing by with every step, slowly crossing column by column, and watching the perfect figure that is aiming and firing with grace.

The honorary lady was present at the priest's welcoming ceremony. Although she just stands and watches from a distance.

'Prove yourself worthy for your position and don't make me disappointed like your mother'

The Emperor's statement rings into her ear as she gazes upon the scenery that made her stop and enter the training hall.

She gives a salute to the emperor when he turns to face her.

"What is a woman doing here at the training ground?" he asked.

The other soldiers and the general were watching the emperor right on the corner and seemed to laugh at the idea of the imperial princess' presence.

She stood up straight and unmoved by all the jeers.

"I will prove myself worthy, first to the one who believes and selected me, then to you, your highness," she said.

He looks at her serious face.

"Is that the previous emperor?" he asked but he already knew that it was the previous emperor.

"I almost forgot. I'm not the one who placed you in that position," he said and shot.

"However" he aimed again.

"I might be the one to remove you," he said, warning her after hitting another bull's eye.

The other men were amazed.

'The imperial princess has her weaknesses but always walks with her head up and eyes straight to what is in front of her' he thought.

'Show me and those who are mocking you right now that you're not just a lady with a title.' 

'But a humble imperial lady that is fit to be called queen and.. a Warrior that is strong enough to fight in the battlefield' he thought, expecting her to do the right thing at that very moment.

She picks up the weapon one by one that are all lined up in front of them and aimed.

She never missed not even once.

'As expected,' The emperor thought.

'The threader of the Amigine is a sharp bull's eye lady'. he smirked while all the other men were dumbfounded.

"Fine then, show me, princess," he said.