The Hathway Kingdom. (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Four.

~Thirty-Four. ~

The glass shattered as it hit the floor before either Romulus or Theodoras could stop it. Theodoras looked up from what he had been looking at and over at Romulus with a rather confused look on his face. He walked over and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder, giving it a squeeze to get his attention.

"Romulus?" he asked carefully, and Romulus looked at him.

"Something is wrong..." Romulus said in a quiet voice and Theodoras frowned as he looked at his friend.

"Where?" he asked carefully as he looked at Romulus, who had looked away from him now and appeared to be staring at the flames that had come to life in the fireplace. Theodoras gave him a little shake to get a response.

"Where, Romulus? Tell me," Theodoras said to his friend, who frowned as the flames flared up the chimney. Theodoras stepped back from them as their heat increased and they flared before Romulus stepped closer as they died back down, and a face flashed across the flames for both to see.

"What was that?" Theodoras asked and Romulus glanced back at him, silencing him with his look. They both turned back to look at the flames again as the face reappeared and Theodoras' eyes widened.

"The Princess Larissa? But...How? General Grey is more a more than competent guard and her Uncle, King Julian, would never let anything happen to her," Theodoras said in a confused tone before he looked over at Romulus.

"I...I don't know, Theo..." Romulus began to say before he looked up at Theodoras now.

"Ready my horse," he said as he made his way out of his study and began to head towards the stables, Theodoras right on his heels.

"Where are we going?" Theodoras asked Romulus as they walked towards the stables together.

"Hathway," he said, and the pair quickened their pace.

Once they had retrieved their horses, Romulus and Theodoras rode for four days straight, barely stopping long enough to allow their horses a chance to rest and have a drink. They eventually came to a rather hurried stop at the front of the Hathway Palace and a pair of guards rushed over and held onto the reins of their horses. Romulus leapt down from his horse and ran up the stairs before he came face to face with Tristan as he opened the palace doors.

"Your Imperial Majesty! What are you doing here?" Tristan asked after he had bowed to Romulus. He looked at Tristan for a moment before he spoke up.

"Take me to Larissa," he said to Tristan and the latter frowned before he looked towards Theodoras carefully.

"I will explain later, General Grey. For now, could you show us to Her Highness?" Theodoras asked him and Tristan frowned before he nodded his head and gestured for the pair to follow him as he led them away from the palace doors.

Romulus and Theodoras followed Tristan as he led them through the palace, ignoring the whispers and muttering that the servants created when they saw the Emperor. The trio eventually came to a stop outside a set of doors and Tristan turned to face them.

"Please wait here a moment, Your Imperial Majesty. I will inform His Majesty that you are here," Tristan said, and Romulus nodded his head, clasping his hands behind his back as he tried to remain patient, with little success, waiting to be let into the room beyond the two doors in front of him. He heard voices come from inside, surprised ones from their tones, before the door opened in a hurry and King Julian stepped out.