|| Charming (Part 1) ||
|| Chapter 2: Charming ||
Two guards lazily leaned against the Imperial palace's gates' pillars and fanned themselves with their hands. The summer heat made them feel overheated from how they were sweating under their armour. They were bitter and sulky since they lost to rock-paper-scissors to their older comrades which earned them gate duty for the next few days. To distract themselves from the hellish summer heat, they had a casual conversation with each other.
"I heard that this year's summer ball is going to be more luxurious than last year since more foreign guests are coming," The taller one of the two men mentioned with a lazy frown as his short brown hair stuck to his sweaty tanned forehead and his hazel eyes squinted from the bright sunlight. "Yeah," His friend agreed with a small sigh, pushing his long dirty-blonde hair away from his brown droopy eyes as sweat rolled down his skin, "A lot of the servants have been running around like animals because of that."
"Not to mention that the Demonic Beast subjugation in the South ended earlier than usual," The brunette added with a raised brow, appearing impressed yet displeased simultaneously, "To think it only took a month this time..." Silently, they recalled how their older comrades drunkenly babbled about the First Order knights returning from the subjugation a few days ago without the General. They only got a glimpse of the First Order doing their morning training when they headed to their guarding duty.
Playfully, the blonde rolled his eyes and tapped his fist against his armoured chest while doing a comically stupid pose, stating with a bright smile, "Well, if the General chooses me to go with them next time, I bet ya I'll wipe those demonic bastards away like dust!" The brunette scoffed before bursting out laughing, shaking his head at his friend's words. "You're delusional," He teased the blonde and mockingly yet reassuringly patted his shoulder, "As if you're going to be chosen for that - it's a death wish."
To be honest, they had no idea which Grand Duchy led the subjugation this time since they were very new to the Fourth Order Knights - which was the lowest rank among the imperial knights. The knights from the Third and Second Orders usually gossiped about the Grand Duchies' heirs when they were in charge of the subjugation as well as escorting the royal family to neighbouring countries. Their seniors never said who the Commander of the First Order was because they were too scared to badmouth him.
Anyhow, as the two guards continued their mindless conversation, heavy thuds of hooves against the cobblestone grew nearer. They snapped their attention in that direction when the stallion was only a few meters away from the imperial gates, alerting them of a visitor. Immediately, they hunched over and grabbed the hilts of their swords with narrowed eyes. As they squinted their eyes to identify the visitor, they could only see the outline of a muscular man on the stallion since the sunlight was too bright.
However, when the stallion came to a slow stop a few feet away from the gates, the horse huffed and waved its head around as the man tightened the reins. "What business brings you here at the Imperial Palace today, dear sir?" The brunette called out to the man in an authoritative tone, holding his hand over his eyes to block the sunlight. As he lowered his hand, the outline of the man disappeared and revealed his insanely attractive face. The two guards' jaws dropped to the floor and their eyes widened in utter disbelief.
From their perspective, the sunlight behind the ravenette formed a halo behind his head due to the angle they were looking up at him. Unconsciously, his sunset-coloured eyes squinted from the bright sunlight and a few beads of sweat dripped down his chin, landing on his leathered gloves. His messy hair - which the wind made more messier - made him look even more charming.
"My name is Erix Malefic, heir to the Malefic Grand Duchy," His low sultry voice made their spines tingle and their ears grew flushed as he peered down at them with a stern expression, "I'm His Imperial Majesty's Chancellor and Commander of the First Order Knights." Speechless, the two knights tensed up and stared at him with dazed eyes. Ignoring their expressions, he casually took out a small golden plate-lie badge from his breast pocket and recklessly tossed it to the blonde.
Startled, the blonde clumsily caught it and looked at it. "Urk," He loudly choked on his saliva when he recognized the badge that was only used by high-ranking personnel to enter the palace. Only the ministers and members of the parliament, as well as the royal family, had access to these badges. Flustered, the blonde glanced at the brunette and quickly gestured for him to open the gates, which he did with wide eyes.
"Y-Yes, we have confirmed your identity, Your Serene Grace," The blonde stated with a strained smile as cold sweat dripped down his chin and he shakily handed the badge back to him, "P-Please... Please forgive me and my comrade for not recognizing you, Your Serence Grace..." Wordlessly, the ravenette took it from him and shoved it back into his breast pocket. The moment the gates creaked open, he tightened his hold around the reins, signalling the stallion to trot.
As the stallion trotted through the gates, the two knights silently watched him with wide eyes. Almost robotically, they turned to look at each other with pale faces while the gates closed behind them with a loud thud. Even when the ravenette trotted into the palace, people from inside and in the outer areas of the palace took notice of his arrival. The gardeners and messengers sent him warm smiles while nearby knights tensed up before greeting him with a ninety-degree bow.
He occasionally returned the greetings with quick nods of his head. Once the stallion stopped in front of the luxurious stairwell that led to the palace's entrance, he carefully dismounted himself from the stallion. He noticed a young stable boy scurrying towards him with wide nervous eyes. He greeted the boy with a gentle expression and handed him the reins while having a small conversation with him.
Suddenly, the front doors of the palace elegantly slammed open, revealing a middle-aged man dressed in a butler's uniform. His short greyish hair was gelled back, revealing his sunken blue eyes that seemed to gleam with joy and wisdom. Upon noticing the butler staring at him with sparkling eyes, the ravenette dismissed the stable boy with a small smile before turning to look at the butler.
"Chancellor Malefic!" The butler greeted as his wrinkles moved when he smiled, watching how the ravenette ascended the stairwell, "Welcome back to the Imperial Palace! How was your trip to the South?" Amused, the ravenette shook his head and placed his hand on his hip when he reached the top of the stairs. "At least try to hide that 'there's-been-trouble-amongst-the-parliament-again-so-fix-it' expression of yours," He joked with a light chuckle and fixed his blazer when it felt uncomfortable in the heat, "What displeased His Imperial Majesty this time, Albert?"
The butler - Albert Idris - tried to hold back a smile but failed. For the last four decades, Albert has been working as the Emperor's butler. He met the ravenette when the previous Head of the Malefic Grand Duchy brought him to the palace eight years ago - it was just before the Great War that happened on the Malefic's borders. Teenage Erix was a quiet child, who silently followed and obeyed his father's orders.
However, his father suddenly disappeared without a word, leaving them to go on an unknown voyage. This forced the sixteen-year-old boy and his siblings to participate in the Great War when it broke out by the Malefic borders. As he recalled the day the ravenette returned to the imperial palace after the three-year-long war, a sympathetic yet bitter frown appeared on his face.
"Is something bothering you, Albert?" His sultry voice knocked him out of his daze, startling him a bit. "N-No, not at all, Chancellor Malefic," He quickly reassured with his usual smile, waving his hand around as he chuckled, "I was just thinking that I should try my best to keep His Imperial Majesty in check whenever you're not in the Capital." With a gesture of his hand, he bowed his head to the ravenette and stepped to the side to escort him.
As he escorted him, the ravenette paused with a raised brow when he was met with the palace's extremely sparkling lobby. It was shining more than usual. "Was it always this clean?" He asked out loud with a deadpanned expression and his gaze flickered over the freshly mopped floors. A triumphant smirk appeared on Albert's face when he heard his confused words, feeling proud that the servants paid more attention to their work after hearing that Erix had returned from the South.
Silently, the ravenette glanced around the room as Albert continued to escort him up the stairwell. In the middle of the lobby hung a large diamond chandelier while the floors were made of white marble. The marble floors were covered with crimson velvet rugs and several portraits and artefacts decorated the cream-coloured walls. At a relaxed pace, the two men walked through the inner court's maze-like hallways and corridors.
Several servants hovered here and there, fulfilling their work duties. Some of them sneakily stole glances at the ravenette when he walked past them before yelping when Albert sent them a scolding glare. Soon, he and Albert arrived at a large smooth marble door. The ravenette could hear the muffled voices of many men arguing behind the doors, hinting that the parliament was in disagreement with each other again.
He could already feel his blood pressure rise from imagining the chaos in the closed-door room. While Erix mentally prepared himself for the disaster, Albert gestured to the doorman to announce their arrival to those inside the room. With a clear throat, the doorman announced their arrival as he opened the heavy doors, "Suzerain Erix Malefic, heir to the Malefic Grand Duchy and Chancellor to the Aeonian Empire, is now entering!" Immediately, the arguing voices quietened down and everyone turned to look at the doorway.
Slowly, the ravenette opened his eyes while his face remained stoically cold. His gaze was met with a spacious room; a large circular table was in the middle of it, accommodating fifteen men on either side of the table. Some of the men were around his age while others were in their fifties. At the head of the table was a tall man, it was the Emperor of the Aeonian Empire - Ascian Santos Aeonian. He was notoriously known across the continent as 'The Tyrant of the Aeonian Empire.'
The sunlight that peered through the looming windows behind him illuminated his short platinum-white hair while his wine-hooded-coloured eyes darkened. No wrinkles were seen on his sharp face, making him look as if he was in his mid-twenties and not in his mid-forties. He had porcelain white skin that looked as if it was made from marble. He was dressed in a loose cream-coloured silk shirt that was half unbuttoned until his abdomen and tucked into a pair of brown trousers. Black military boots decorated his feet, showing that he was at the training grounds before the meeting.
Cautiously slow, the ravenette walked into the eerie silent room and heard the doors close behind him. Step by step, he could feel the tense stares of the parliament members as he walked towards the Emperor, who was watching his every movement like a hawk. For Erix, it felt like his feet got heavier with each step he took. Once he was next to the Emperor's seat, he kneeled on one knee and bowed his head to him.
He could feel the man's icy cold yet bored gaze flickering over him before pinning on his gloved hand that rested on his bowed knee. Unconsciously, his gloved fingers twitched and tightened their grip around his knee as his heartbeat thundered against his ribcage. "I, Erix Malefic, heir to the Malefic Grand Duchy, greet the 35th Rising Sun of the Aeonian Empire," He formally greeted the Emperor in a calm and collected voice with his gaze lowered to the floor, refusing to lift his head to meet his gaze.
"This humble servant has safely returned to bring news about the First Order's victorious subjugation in the South," He quietly added, ignoring how the Emperor shifted in his chair to face him. Immediately, at his words, the room burst into soft murmuring voices before they went eerie quiet again when the Emperor frowned in displeasure at their disrespect. A low hum escaped Ascian's lips before he gently placed his slender fingers on top of the ravenette's head, patting him.
"Welcome home, my boy," A low yet charming voice mused from above the ravenette, who tensed up at his patting gesture. The parliament was gobsmacked at what they just witnessed. One of the men, who was seated at the second head spot, gritted their teeth in anger. "I do not wish to converse with the top of your head so rise to your feet," Ascian mentioned in distaste as he pulled his hand away from Erix's head to lean his cheek against his fist.
With a slow nod, the ravenette rose to his feet and straightened his posture, folding his hands behind his lower back to hide them from the Emperor's gaze. "How was your journey back to the Capital?" He queried with a strained smile, squinting eyes at him. "I pray that no pests dared to harm you on your journey, hm?" He playfully sneered with a crazed yet irked gleam in his wine-coloured irises as he gestured him to take a seat at the other second head position.