2
1999 Words
The Eldrida Empire, known for its rich history, cultural heritage, and powerful soldiers, erupted in loud victorious screams as news of their victory spread.
Loud victorious screams could be heard from afar in the Eldrida Empire, as the Eldrida soldiers victoriously and fiercely approached the palace.
The people gathered in front of the palace, eagerly awaiting the return of their soldiers. The emperor and the royal family were also present, joining in the celebration.
The young women and girls were singing and dancing happily, the men roaring.
Some of the people were there to witness the soldiers' arrival, to see if their relatives or loved ones would be among the survivors. Because sadly, some people will definitely mourn while others celebrate.
The two princes could be seen ahead of the soldiers riding on their horses, the other soldiers followed suit. With the feet of their horses stamping fiercely against the ground, and the loud cheer from the people all making a sweet victorious sound.
They all finally arrived at the palace, coming into contact with the crowd waiting for them. All singing and cheering loudly and happily. The horses all halted at once.
Crown Prince Castor quickly jumped down from his black horse, standing firmly on his feet. Imperial Prince Caspian did the same, and only then were other soldiers allowed to alight from their own horses as well.
Prince Castor stood there looking cold, fierce, and tired at the same time. His armor was a bit broken, slight injuries could be seen over the visible parts of his body. But this didn’t stop his unique chiseled features and piercing eyes from commanding attention as usual.
“Greetings!” The crowd chorused simultaneously, bowing their heads in respect to the soldiers.
Emperor Alexander, a just and fair ruler, but also a proud and boastful one, smiled broadly as he greeted his sons, his eyes shining with pride.
“Welcome my sons and capable soldiers, you have once again all made Eldrida proud” Emperor Alexander announced, smiling boastfully.
“Thank you, Your majesty” Crown Prince Castor uttered in his usual cold tone on behalf of the soldiers, bowing in respect.
“Eldrida!” The chief soldier called out.
“Always victorious!” The soldiers responded in unison.
And just then loud cheers arose, the dancing and singing to welcome them started in full. It was such a happy moment for Eldrida.
*
Moments later, after the entertainment and address from the emperor, the soldiers had all gone home to take their rest and be properly welcomed by their families. Some of the subjects left in pain mourning their loved ones who never returned from the war. And as normal, after the burial, the families are gonna be hugely compensated.
All members of the royal family were seated at the banquet hall, with lots of dishes displayed on the table. This is not a usual meal time, it was a big feast. The air was thick with the scent of roasted meats and freshly baked bread, making everyone's stomach growl with anticipation.
The Emperor sat at the head, with his empress in his left hand. Crown Prince Castor, his crown princess, his concubine, also imperial prince Caspian, his princess, his concubine, and the princess of the empire were all present at the table seated in order.
The sound of laughter and chatter filled the room.
Normally, the feast would not begin without an official speech from the emperor. Now that they were all seated and settled, it was time for the emperor to begin his speech.
The emperor sat comfortably and elegantly on his huge chair, he cleared his throat and then began his speech.
“Royal family of Eldrida” he started calmly.
“Greetings your majesty” they all bowed in unison.
And while the emperor was about to go on with his speech, he discovered he couldn’t utter a word anymore. He sat there battling within himself while they all watched him casually, oblivious to his situation, and waiting for him to go on.
Prince Castor sat quietly watching his father directly from where he sat with his cold eyes, he could tell something wasn’t right. And just as he was about to inquire from his father, something shocking happened; The emperor slumped forward, his body rigid, and nearly tumbled from his chair.
“Hold the emperor!” Crown Prince Castor commanded swiftly, getting on his feet immediately.
And luckily, the emperor was speedily caught by a guard behind him.
“Your majesty!” Voices screamed in terror! The emperor had passed out.
*
Ophelia’s little siblings, a set of twins, a boy and a girl were a bit more cheerful that day. They both sat on the wooden floor of their little hut, playing with the handmade toys their father had made for them.
The children had this funny thing that went on between them. They could be crying this second, and next second they are smiling brightly at each other as if nothing ever happened.
Ophelia and her mother who were both totally engaged in something more important, paid no attention to them while they did all that. They were busy setting up the table anticipating their father.
The perfectly roasted lamb was placed attractively on the table, the aroma filling the whole house. Other meals like pottage, a plate of freshly made fish and seafood, and a jar of beer were also placed neatly on the table.
They all knew he would be tired and would need some rest after fighting and not eating good food for months. So it is their duty to treat him like a king when he returns, and let him have a long rest.
Ophelia was busy setting the plates on the table, when a knock came in. They were almost done and were expecting him at any moment, so everybody assumed it was Eugene at the door.
Without hesitation, Toma quickly walked up to the door and opened it with a bright smile on her face. But her smile soon died down as she saw it wasn’t who she expected.
“Caro” she called out in disappointment.
Caro is her neighbor in the market where she sells.
“Toma your attention is needed at Vorgar market square right now” Caro announced, panting heavily like someone who had just run a marathon.
“Why? Are the soldiers not back yet?” Toma asked, feeling really confused.
“Yes they are all back” Caro responded, still panting.
“So?” Toma furrowed her brows.
“You are asked to come identify Eugene’s body.”
Ophelia froze at the spot immediately she heard this. How could she unhear this, because she didn’t want to believe what she just heard?
“I don’t understand, what do you mean?” Toma asked impatiently, her heartbeat tripling.
“Your husband died in battle Toma” Caro dropped the bombshell.
Toma's eyes widened in horror as she stumbled backward, her hands flying to her mouth. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she staggered backwards.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!” she screamed at the top of her voice, and then passed out immediately.
*
King Apollo stormed back and forth across his chamber, his face twisted in rage. The air seemed to vibrate with his anger, making it palpable even from a distance. He slammed his fist on the table, making the cups and plates rattle.
“How could we lose again?” he bellowed, his face red with fury.
He could not believe he lost the war. Again! His kingdom is in shackles, they lost more than half of his soldiers in this war, while Eldrida rejoices in victory. The thought of it makes him go crazy!
However, as he continued to pace around the room, his anger seemed to dissipate, replaced by a calculating glint in his eye.
Is it that his soldiers are incompetent or Eldrida is just too strong?
What’s really going on?
“No Alexander, I will not let it be this time. Vorgar Kingdom will not accept defeat this time around, and I will not accept defeat. This is a promise!” King Apollo roared.
*
Crown Prince Castor stood by the window, gazing out at the kingdom below, his expression unreadable. The dim light from the window highlighted the sharp planes of his face, making him appear even more imposing.
He was in the emperor’s chamber, with its high ceiling and large windows. The emperor's chamber was dimly lit, light coming from a few flickering candles that cast eerie shadows on the walls. The air was heavy with the scent of incense and something else... something sweet and medicinal. The sound of the emperor's labored breathing filled the room, a stark contrast to the silence that otherwise filled the space
Crown Prince Castor was looking calm as usual. Yet, when he turned to face his brother, his eyes betrayed a hint of worry. A whole lot was running through his mind.
Imperial Prince Caspian sat close to his father who lay on the bed, terribly ill. He held his hands and looked into his eyes passionately.
The Emperor was moved to his chamber immediately after what happened at the banquet hall. The princes were the only ones allowed in the room with the imperial physician.
The emperor's face was pale and clammy, his eyes sunken with fatigue. His breathing was labored, and his chest rose and fell with a shallow, rapid rhythm. The physician's expression was grim as he examined the emperor.
As they watched the physician perform his job on the emperor, they could not believe their once energetic father was the one lying helpless on his bed. They couldn’t help but wonder what just happened, and why it happened. They curiously waited for the physician to be done and give a report.
The royal household was in great tension, and the members dispersed to their chambers, as instructed by the crown prince, anxiously hoping for the emperor's recovery. This really came as a shocker.
About an hour later, the physician was done with his job. After examining the emperor properly, and administering him with some emergency medicine. The physician could finally give a report.
He moved back and started packing up his stuff. Seeing this, it was clear that he was done with the emperor for now.
“So?” Caspian inquired curiously.
On hearing this, Castor quickly turned from the window and started walking towards them.
“What is wrong with my father?” Castor inquired calmly, but firmly.
“Your highness, hmmm” the physician stressed, not knowing how to begin.
“Speak!” Castor ordered. They were both getting impatient already.
“Your highness, his majesty is suffering from a hard pulse and it’s already at a critical stage.” The physician announced heavily.
“What? How come? How did it even get to that?” Caspian was utterly shocked.
“Well, it seems his majesty has been nursing the symptoms for long and refused to speak up. Sadly, it’s gotten to a critical stage that was why he passed out earlier” he further explained.
“What? Why would Father do that?” Caspian questioned no one in particular, looking really confused.
“Can he still get back on his feet?” Came Castor’s cold voice, his eyes not leaving his father.
“I can’t say because I’m not sure of it, I would have been really certain if this had been discovered earlier,” the physician breathed sadly. “For now we can only hope, because this case is a really serious one. But in the meantime, I’ll try my best to sustain him and see how it goes.” He added, getting no response from anyone.
“I’ll take my leave now, your highnesses,” he announced bowing, and then soberly walked out of the room.
Immediately he shut the door, there was total silence in the chambers.
- Writer
