Five years had passed slowly, painfully so for Kaelith.
He stood at the window of his room, staring at the cloudy spring sky. The season had changed, but the coldness in his grey eyes remained. Everyone still treated him like a child.
'If only they knew,' he always thought to himself.
He had learned a lot about the new Empire and how it had become different from what it used to be hundreds of years ago.
"Kaelith!" a cheerful voice rang behind him.
Kaelith closed his eyes, irritation already dancing in them. He didn't need to turn around to know who it was.
"Kaelith," the voice called again. But he chose to ignore him.
Then he felt a tug on his sleeve.
"What?" His voice was calm and nonchalant.
"Mother told me to tell you to get ready, the Patriarch is coming back," the voice beamed.
Kaelith turned to face his half-brother, Scarlet. His cold eyes ran over his features. Blue eyes and brown-blonde hair. Scarlet was the epitome of beauty.
Scarlet's eyes widened at Kaelith when he didn't say anything.
"I know I am very beautiful… but haven't you gotten used to my looks yet?" he blinked innocently at him.
Kaelith's gaze darkened, but he didn't say anything.
"Tell Mother I'll join her when I'm done," he replied curtly.
"Okay. But do you think the Patriarch will like me?" Scarlet looked at him with eyes brimming with hope.
'I don't think so. You are nothing but a weakling. A future sacrifice to the throne, and you think the Patriarch will like you? Keep dreaming.'
"No."
The hope in Scarlet's eyes disappeared, his shoulders slumped.
"You are so mean," he said before turning around, stomping out of the room.
Kaelith scoffed.
"Too much thinking for a kid." He clicked his tongue in annoyance. He had wished every day to snap that little pretty neck of Scarlet every time he opened his mouth. He had never met anyone that annoyed him as much as he did, always taunting him with his beauty.
Kaelith stood in front of the mirror. His grey eyes had become sharper, and his jaw was sharp although there was still baby fat. His raven-black hair was slicked back, with just a few strands falling over his face.
"I'm handsome too," he muttered before proceeding to change his clothes.
The Patriarch had disappeared for six years now. And now that he was returning, the palace had suddenly felt more alive and busy. But he knew some people were not happy about this. Especially the Emperor.
"Time to watch some drama unfold," he muttered under his breath.
He wore a dark grey tunic with black designs along the edges and a high collar. He had slim black pants and soft boots that made no sound when he walked. A dark blue cape hung over one shoulder, held by a raven-shaped pin. A thin leather band was wrapped around his waist.
He took one last glance at the mirror before walking out of the room.
As he stepped outside into the hallway, two servants dressed in grey clothing stood with their heads bowed.
"Prince Kaelith," they greeted.
But he didn't answer them; he just walked down the hallway heading to the throne room. On his way, servants glanced now and then at him. Some had a look of awe on their faces.
'Insolent servants. They don't know how to keep their eyes to themselves. Now my hands are itching to pluck them out of their sockets… That would be a good plan. Maybe I can just start my demonic cultivation again. That would be exciting.'
He stopped at the tall golden door. To him, it looked like a giant door. Seeing him, the servants quickly rushed to open the door. Kaelith clicked his tongue at their slow service.
Before he could step into the room, another boy around his age bumped his shoulder against his, almost making him lose his footing.
Kaelith turned to look at the child who had the audacity to bump into him. His gaze darkened more when he saw no one other than Draco. If Scarlet was annoying, Draco was infuriating.
Kaelith tilted his head to the side, as if to tell him to start apologizing.
"Why do you stand in the way? Didn't you know the crown prince was coming?" Draco folded his arms across his chest.
Kaelith held his hands behind his back, raising his head slightly to appear intimidating.
"Crown prince?" he asked mockingly.
"Yes, as the eldest child of the Emperor, of course I am the crown prince," Draco spat out, his face contorted with anger.
"Just because your mother could pull some strings doesn't make you my match. You are just a filler and a complete nothing. Believe me, you will never amount to anything… not on my watch." He barked in Kaelith's face. Draco's face was already turning red from the anger that was rushing inside him.
"Take your face back. You are almost spitting on my face. Are you an imbecile?" he asked coldly, not batting an eye.
"How dare you… HOW DARE YOU CALL ME AN IMBECILE!" Draco's shout echoed through the hallway down to the throne room.
Before anyone could come to question it, he walked away from Draco, who was burning with anger.
When he got nearer, Dimitri sat confidently on the golden throne, his presence was overwhelming.
'For weaklings,' he thought inwardly, as a smirk formed on his lips.
Beside him sat his mother, Agnes.
She had a warning look on her face, almost as if she were begging Kaelith not to cause trouble. But when had he ever caused trouble? He couldn't help but wonder to himself.
"Emperor, Empress," he said without offering a bow.
Dimitri hit his fist on his armrest, sending a shockwave through the air.
"How insolent!"
Agnes closed her eyes before pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Is this how you train your child? He doesn't even know the proper etiquette of being a royal. Or even as a child!" Dimitri turned to Agnes.
"Kaelith, bow and greet the Emperor," Agnes ordered.
"I already greeted. And my neck is too stiff, I can't bend it," he said nonchalantly, as if he were talking about the weather.
Artherine scoffed. "So this is the child that wants to compete for the throne?"
"Bow!" Dimitri's voice carried weight like a thunderous storm.