Chapter 36: Assassination Attempt
1562 Words
The morning assembly was held in Solandis' imperial throne room. It was the most glamorous place in the palace.
The high walls and pillars were made of cedar and gold. The high ceilings were decorated with elaborate paintings and dangling huge chandeliers, so bright that they illuminated the throne room day and night with a golden glow.
“Your Majesty, may you reign for a thousand years!” The throne room boomed with all the voices that greeted and welcomed the emperor as he sat on his throne. Everyone bent their heads and knees to pay their respect to him.
But that was all merely a false facade they wore. Behind these masks of loyalty were men who brood ill-intentions within.
Lovis was not oblivious to them. In the four corners of this room, he had no allies. Derethus and Meredith, though, he left with them, but he entered this room without any of his people by his side.
He was left alone and vulnerable.
“You may all rise.” He lifted his hands, as a cue for them to raise their heads. His voice was soft and gentle. And that was something most of the nobles would sneer at.
‘Even the tone of his voice showed weakness.’
“Her Majesty, the empress dowager arrives!”
The knight guarding the door announced the arrival of the most powerful person in the empire – Empress Dowager Alora.
“Your Majesty, may you live for a thousand years!” Everyone bowed to give their respect, and even the emperor of Solandis rose from his throne.
“Mother, I’m glad to see you again!” He beamed. Then Lovis extended his hands to lead the empress dowager beside him.
“My son, I’m more than happy to see you.” She gave him a warm smile and the emperor returned. He kissed the back of her palm as soon as she settled in on her throne.
They looked like a good mother-and-son pair, but under the surface, there are intentions far opposite from motherly love.
“Her Majesty is here. We can finally start the morning assembly,” the prime minister said.
Lovis could only smile bitterly. He knew that his presence really didn’t matter.
“Then can we begin now?” He asked, but it seemed like no one had heard him speak.
“What do you think, Your Majesty?” The prime minister turned to the empress dowager to inquire.
“Of course,” she wryly smiled. “Let’s now begin the morning assembly.”
It’s not unusual for Lovis. It was his everyday life as the emperor.
As they discussed some political affairs, what he only did was sit still and listen.
“Uhm, what do you think of reducing taxes for the common citizens?” He once tried.
“It’s unnecessary.” The empress dowager dismissed the idea. “Let’s talk about the trade with Rocuria.”
He rested his chin on his palm as he watched his stepmother become full of herself as the nobles tried hard to curry favor with her.
He started to get bored and sometimes he would fall asleep on his throne. ‘What a life!’
He might be treated as insignificant, but Lovis had a strong sense of feeling. He could feel, though he couldn’t guess it right, that something might happen.
And it had been bothering him since morning. All he could remember was he dreamed of something not good. Unfortunately, head no clear memories of it.
‘Hopefully, I’m just being paranoid.’ He thought, reassuring himself.
“Alright. I think everything is settled?” The empress dowager declared.
“Your Majesty!” She was about to stand from her seat when one of the nobles spoke, quite loud enough to make her stop and gain her attention.
Even Lovis focused on him.
“Y-Your Majesty,” he stammered. “I-I need to tell you something.”
“Then tell me that later–”
Everyone gasped in surprise and fear when two of the glass windows broke. Shards of glass fell like rain in the air as two masked men holding long swords ran to the throne.
Lovis and the empress dowager were stuck like statues on their own spot. While the nobles around them were running anxiously around to find the exit and save their lives.
“Assassins!” The few knights stationed to guard the entrance were all dead.
However, another glass window broke, the one near the throne. It means another off-limits person entered the throne room.
The two assassins unsheathed their swords. They ignored the empress dowager and instead targeted the emperor.
‘I knew it!’ His eyes went round in terror. He couldn’t even move. ‘Is this the price that I need to pay?’
“Your Majesty!” He heard a familiar feminine voice coming from the side of the room.
He didn’t even hear the glass window beside his throne break into pieces. From his point of view, everything turned slow.
The assassins lifted their swords together, about to s***h the stoned emperor to death.
But their swords clashed against metal, causing a clanging sound. A woman appeared in front of them before they could stab the emperor. She had chestnut wavy hair, clad in a green dress the most superior maids wear. They were stunned. She blocked their attack with her sword in her hands.
Both of the assassins were alarmed. They increased their strength to force the woman to back away but she held them back with ease.
Instead, they were the ones who were forced to take two steps backward.
“Who sent you?” She asked, every word spitting rage from her lips.
The assassins were tight-lipped as expected.
“Run!” she yelled. She said that to Lovis and the empress dowager, who was horrified and stuck on their throne.
Like a wake-up call, they attempted to run away. However, the assassins wouldn’t let go of their target.
The woman knew it. So she simultaneously blocked their every move. Fortunately, the assassins weren’t as quick as her.
Her sword blocked theirs, and once their feet moved she would move in the direction they intended to turn, dragging them back to their own place.
The blocking and escaping from her clutches went on until the emperor with the empress dowager arrived in front of the door. Unfortunately, they couldn’t open it no matter what they did.
Ivanna cursed in her head. ‘These assassins sure got an accomplice among the nobles.’
She made advances as her sword blocked their attack and she intentionally put more force on her every advance. Then simultaneously strengthened her defenses, maintaining them as possible as she could to protect the emperor and the empress dowager behind her.
Seeing an opening as they were forced to step behind, she thrust her sword between their joined attack.
It successfully separated them together.
The assassins were quick enough to gain their momentum. Two versus one was already a great advantage to them, so, they will use it well.
Together, they charged forward with their swords in their hands. Once they finally met, in front of her, they switched places. Swords pointed forward aiming to stab her.
However, she could quickly read their moves. Instead of standing still at her spot, once they switched places, she danced around with them following their rhythm.
Unfortunately, their swords only met the air. And one of them received a harsh kick on his knee. He tumbled down.
Not even having the time to react as his companion fell, he earned a sweep on his feet. Ivanna used one leg to take him down.
She cracked her knuckles and readied to slam her fist on his masked face. She thought victory only needed to follow when one of the assassins she took down earlier, pulled out a small bow.
Once he pulled it, it was already too late.
Ivanna instantly felt a great pain in her chest.
“Meredith!” Lovis screamed an anxious one. He attempted to rush forward to Ivanna’s side but the empress dowager stopped him.
“Don’t!” She grabbed his arm, not letting him go.
“Your Majesties!”
At the right moment, Derethus with an army of knights came and opened the door of the throne room. They instantly made a defensive formation to protect both the emperor and the empress dowager.
He then saw Meredith being struck with a little arrow in her chest. Derethus instantly guessed it was poison. With her hidden strength, he assumed a small arrow could still allow her to move. This time, it was different.
Ivanna felt her knee slowly getting weak. Her body was impending to fall and it did. She completely collapsed to the ground.
‘It’s so heavy.’ Just like the night when she failed to rescue Melody. Will it be the same again? Will she fail to protect the emperor just like how she failed her best friend?
As her eyelids gradually started to shut close, thoughts about her past bombarded her mind. She didn’t even realize her eyes shed tears.
When she was in her weak state, the assassins ganged up to kill her.
But even before they could lift their swords, skilled rangers among the knights fired arrows in their direction, causing them to fall.
- Writer
