Ch 4. Measures.

'Clack .... Clack....' Steps echoed through an empty hallway, the emptiness of it only emphasized the surety and precise movements the individual was taking. This person was a young man with impeccable dressing made out of extremely high quality materials. Long flowing blonde hair splashed upon broad shoulders, a sharp jawline and long nose with thin eyebrows to go with a simple goatee.

He walked slowly, carrying on with his steps as if there wasn't anything that could distract him at the moment painting a serene picture. He finally reached his destination, a huge gilded door and knocked.

" Enter." A soothing and passionate voice sounded out. He opened the door carefully and entered the room. There sat a woman of great bearing and beauty, next to her was her handmaid making her hair. This woman was an almost complete duplicate of the young man, to the point one could see the extreme familiarity between the two.

" Oh Albert it's you, what has forced you to come to me at this hour. I was about to get ready to come down for breakfast." She questioned.

" Mother it such a pleasure to see you, I just felt of coming and chatting with at the moment given our current situation." He stopped and glanced at the maid. His mother quickly took the hint and excused her maid.

" What is so important that you had me dismiss my maid, I thought I told you that we should have conversations such as this in places of utmost secrecy. This castle has too many ears to speak about carelessly." She scolded at Albert who quickly moved to defend himself.

" Oh mother, who would dare to tell on the Empress herself, such a person may sooner sign their death certificate than do that and the information I carry is one that would make you happy I hope."

Yes, these two were both the Empire's crown prince and Julius's older brother Albert von Andromeda and the culprit behind his exile, The Empress Elizabeth Weisenhow.

Elizabeth knew the dramatic nature of her son and given enough time would find a way to exaggerate and lengthen the information he was carrying, thus she gestured him to speak.

" Do you remember that bitch's bastard we arranged to be sent to the barren lands a month ago? word has reached that he has woken up all fit and cured of his sickness three days ago." He paused before continuing," you know what it would cost us if he's no longer sick or dying, the only reason we were able to banish him was due to safety and a healthy environment away from all this being an excuse."

" Should he decide to come back to the capital it would prove detrimental to our plans." The matter of Julius's exile or as they sugar-coated it as a vacation due to health issues was a sore spot to the people who were loyal to his mother. The Empress and her son had done everything to suppress those people, without leadership and against the strongest faction in the empire, some of them rethought their allegiances.

Elizabeth knew what could come from if they allowed Julius to return to court or the capital city. Even without any backing, the rules of the empire dictated all the legal children whether man or woman were eligible to inherit the throne. It was because of this reason that many were willing to resort to underhanded means to get rid of their flesh and blood since any of them could be the next Emperor or Empress.

Albert may be the crown prince, but that was just an empty title given to the Empress's oldest son as a way of status or respect, it didn't mean you were the direct successor. The Emperor himself was the 3rd son and later on succeeded the throne from his father, the results were a lesson to the future generations. Albert could count on one hand the number of uncles and aunts he possessed without them being disabled one or the other. This was one of the reasons him and his mother had done anything and everything to recruit or buy people of status at any cost.

" Don't worry Albert, he won't be coming back any time soon at least. One of the conditions I had set upon him returning was fulfilling the basic duties of a lord at a minimum of one year, during which he had to present results that were positive or his exile would be permanent - as if it wasn't now." said Elizabeth, she had done everything to make sure Julius didn't have any way to return to the capital, the barren lands were known as thus due to the harsh terrain it possessed. No crops grew their, the land was rocky and mountainous, the winter snowed heavily to the extent mobility became hard and the only positive factor was fishing which comprised of a larger portion of the territories earnings.

" Also, I counted viscount Alderson to send some of his men to clean his border and help Julius with any food he may procure until the winter." Elizabeth smiled sweetly with a kind expression talking as if she was sending Julius help. Albert knew what she meant by that, his mother had in simpler terms asked the viscount to send his men to harass Julius and steal any food he may buy from his neighbors effectively starving him and his people to death.

This was killing two birds with one stone, Julius would either starve to death sooner or later or he would succumb to the men sent by the viscount, young men were known to be glory seekers often throwing themselves to their deaths.

He shuddered to think what more his mother had already planned that he knew nothing about. Upon thinking this, he clenched his fists tightly, knowing he was going to be nothing more than a puppet on throne should he be the one to succeed. Three quarters of the nobles in his faction feared his mother more than him, the only reason they were loyal was because of her. The emperor's sickness had made the unofficial ruler of the city with everyone wanting to ride her coattails. How he hated this situation of his.

Elizabeth clearly saw how her words had affected her son. She sighed, the main weakness her son had possessed and one she had tried to rid him off was pride. Pride similar to that of his father, wanting to control everything within their sights or refusing to acknowledge someone as better than them. This was one of the many that made her fall in love with him before he changed due to that merchant bitch, just the thought of her brought a bitter taste to her mouth. She glanced at Albert and reassured,

" You know I'm doing all this for you my son, when you ascend all these will be nothing but trifle to you, so please stop thinking of unnecessary things and let me finish preparing for breakfast. Go on and call Maria as you leave." She ended the conversation there leaving him no choice but to merely accept. She did this often when she didn't want him to ask too many questions. Which was right, the Empress may have sent for the viscount to harass Julius's food source, she also commissioned a different party to do the same should he fail.

Julius had no idea what was coming to him and that his fate had already been sealed or that he was about to be in a checkmate position.