Chapter 15 - Calm before the storm

Operation have Ruby owe me a favour would commence soon, maybe today... if I can just get him to show himself!

Where the hell is this brat hiding?! He's just a child! There's no way he can watch me 24/7 without needing to go to the bathroom or grab some food.

In reality, there really was no way of knowing when he was watching me or not and then there was the fact that there could be more than just one of them watching me.

Damn it....

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Father gave a concerned glance in my direction.

He had bought me and Victor out for tea in the garden. His garden of course, not our one. I didn't mind this and enjoyed seeing the pair interact, but the moment was just so peaceful that my mind couldn't help but focus on my real, more pressing objective.

Trying to escape.

"Father, how many of those people are watching me?" I decided to be upfront about it.

"Hmm... well... enough to keep you safe I would presume", he replied, grabbing a small piece of cake and placed it on my plate.

"Thank you".

"I want cake too" Victor pouted, and with a chuckle the Emperor gave him a piece as well.

"Jirael wants to visit. I'm hesitant to bring him to your house so it would be nice if you two visit the palace more often", he said to me more than Victor, who eat his cake like starved child.

"Does he?" I absentmindedly replied, eating the piece of cake in small nibbles

Now that I think about it Ruby appears when I'm in danger, since it's his job to protect me. Maybe that wouldn't apply if I ran away? Or maybe...?

A smile creeped up my lips as I recalled a moment in the book when the author revealed Ruby's secret. Something even the heroine hadn't known of. It was perfect! Now if I could just get my hands-.

"We're going to war soon", the Emperors shocking words interrupted my scheming thoughts like a bucket of cold water in a blizzard.

"What?" My mouth gapped and in fear my eyes widened. It was happening. No it's supposed to happen now, but...

Father gave me an apologetic smile, "Jirael will be busy managing the administration of the palace while I go to the battlefield. It won't be a quick battle.", with a grieving and pitiful expression he took a deep breath before continuing, staring me straight on, "it will last years".

"Nine", it slipped my mouth in sorrow.

"What was that?" He asked with a frown.

"Nothing. When will you leave?"

"In a months time, if things go according to plan", he clenched his fist, nervously tapping his fingers on the table.

It was strange...

"Why are you telling me this?" As if I had hit bullseye he flinched.

"I know you'll be fine without me. You never needed me to begin with, rather it was the opposite way round", he was still mourning about that... "but... Jirael... he'll need you a lot. He's not used to being alone and his mother..."

He didn't need to say much about the Empress. The ditzy dumb narcissist Empress. He loved her. And she loved the attention she got by being with him. A truly toxic relationship that only resulted in both of their demises. But enough about that! It's time to be the big sister!- er little sister... I guess... whatever.

"Okay. I'll visit him whenever I can. But if I'm doing you a favour, you have to do me one back".

He gave me an amused smile. That's right... it must look so funny having a child stare straight at you trying to barter the better half of a deal.

Ridiculous...

"Whatever you want my child", he gave me the smile that seduced the women in his harem with a wink. In return I gave a triumphed smile.

Because my request wouldn't be something father would've anticipated.

This war was talked about in the book. It was a vital element of the story. Something the heroine would be deeply affected by, which would result in a character that thirsted for justice. That wouldn't silently take injustice and violence.

She wasn't a ditzy Mary-sue. She was a survivor.

And her suffering would last nine long years or the worst of it anyway. Where nobles and royals would be the only ones safe from the calamity outside.

If it could be avoided I would've pushed for that. But the problem with the war was that it wasn't initiated by Blackburn, but by Angolia, a neighbouring country of equal strength which would later be part of Blackburn.

Yeah... didn't work out too well for them...

Edmund had ditched us the moment we came to the palace gardens to find Adrian. He hadn't seen him for a month and despite being well fed and always occupied with toys and games, he would occasionally feel lonely.

Or worse. He would whimper.

It was always random.

The sight of a particularly sharp object. Sometimes it was just a spoon, but he would flinch like it was a grenade and shut his eyes tightly while shaking. At times like this I could only pat him and tell him to open his eyes, that everything was alright and there was no bad guy here.

You assume he would have a tearful pitiful reply, but he would just shout something at me. Shout that he knows. He knows.

I frowned.

His outbursts was like a boy going through puberty despite his way too young age.

So his temporary departure was a bit welcoming. Kids were handfuls. Especially kids with so much emotional trauma... something no child should have to experience yet here we are.

He had come back sooner than expected, dragging along a deep head of red along with him.

"Good morning Victor, Mallory", Adrians voice was warm.

It was scary.

"You don't greet your older brother?" The Emperor teased his younger brother who scowled at his words.

"I already see enough of you", Adrian deadpanned and with no warning lifted my frame up into the air. Making me sail above him via his outstretched arms.

"P-Put me down! I'm heavy!" I shouted in a startled voice. My heart had almost fell out of my chest at his sudden action.

"No way! You're light as a feather!" He chuckled in annoyingly care free way.

"That's my daughter...." I heard father mutter in a darkly quiet voice.

What the hell does that have to do with this situation old man!? Help me!

"That makes her my niece", I was finally settled down into a normal hold, much to my relief. But, in wariness I had grabbed a tight hold of the boys jacket.

"As a result of being my daughter. She has my blood, hand her back".

What?...

I looked to where the emperor sat and met a man with cold, murderous eyes.

"We share blood too. That doesn't count! And it's not like you gave birth to her".

"I aided in it".

Ewww... gross...

"To much information..." while the duke grimaced in disgust and gagged, Victor, who had picked up this part of the conversation, spoke up.

"It was an accident though..." He muttered in a voice full of innocence, stunning all the adults (including me) around him.

"W-what did you say Victor?" Father stuttered.

Victor turned to him in all his childlike innocence, "mother said. It was an accident. She said Mallory wasn't supposed to be born..."

Oh... I thought it was something much much worse... thank goodness mother doesn't talk about weird stuff around kids. Her one merit I guess...

But i was the only one who was relieved. Adrian had gone as far as to cover my ears and father looked beyond shocked. Victor carried on.

"She said you don't want her"-.

"Stop. Stop it". Fathers face had gone ice cold. He looked so frightening that Victor began to tear up.

"H-How dare she!" Adrians sudden outburst surprised me. I turned to him at the suddenness, his face was red and became deeper at accelerating speed. His body trembled and his jaw clenched. "Talking such about a royal. She must be punished!"

His eyes blazed with so much rage that I was speechless.

They-They're angry for Mallory?

"That's enough Adrian", father stood up from the table, face conveying his foul mood. His eyes weren't facing anybody, they seemed lost. "I'm leaving".

"B-Brother!" At the Dukes cry he stopped, but instead of turning to his brother he turned to me.

"I'll fulfil that favour".

That was all he said before he moodily went off.

I see... so the fact that Mallory was a result of what can basically be called **** bothered him.

To explain why or even how Mallory was born, it was done by mother who after basking in the glory of birthing the emperors first born son was quickly shot down by Jiraels birth. It was an unexpected one since everyone had assumed Empress Cecelia was baron. For mother it was like a slap in the face. What made it worse was the fact that the Emperor attended the birth and held her child, yet he hadn't even visited after the birth for mother.

After two years of enduring belittling comments and snide remarks, the Emperor had finally visited her. Before he could even set eyes on his son he had become dizzy by a single drink of wine and collapsed.

And of course mother did "that" to him.

After all the trouble she had gave birth to a girl. After all the remarks. What made it worse was the child looked like neither her or the emperor. A plain ugly thing.

And thus sprouted disgust for it.

Looking at that, it was true. Mallory by both parents, was considered a mistake. An accident. A bad memory that took a permanent residence on the royal grounds.

"D-Don't cry", I heard my uncle, he stared at me with pitiful eyes.

True to his words, tears dripped down my face, but I wasn't crying for myself. I was crying for Mallory.

I wiped them off with a forced smile.

"It's okay I was just crying because dad looked sad", I glanced at the receding figure.

"Don't worry about him. He'll get over it, but you, you Mallory. You shouldn't listen to the silly stuff your mother says. She doesn't mean it".

Ha... ! Yeah Right...

"Ok".

"Let me make you some of my special ice cream!" In an obvious attempt to change the subject Adrian gave a grin, managing to cheer up Victor. Edmund however was quiet and would be even while he ate his ice cream,

"This is really good Duke Camellia!" I complimented. It was classic vanilla and was better than I had expected.

"Of course it is! Mother is the best teacher after all!" He complemented the dowager Empress.

"Mmm", with the spoon in my mouth and my mind far away from the coming war, I realised that the Uncle could be a vital figure in my plans to escape. "Say duke... could you make some pudding for me?" I looked up at him with puppy dog eyes. It wasn't on purpose... kids just do that naturally when they look up at someone with a pout.

It worked.

He clutched his heart with a gasp and nodded with a pained expression, "of course. I'll do anything for you!"

And off he went. Being manipulated by a child a decade younger than him...

He really was a kid...