"Have you found her yet" a low deep voice rang in the dark office.
Even though the curtains were pulled back, the sun was obstructed by the thick overcast vast clouds.
"Yes sir, she is currently residing in Duke Edgars fief," a slightly higher toned voice answered.
"Good job" the first voice rang laced with happiness. "You know what you need to do, Cedric, commence with my order, and bring her to the palace in 2 hours" his authoritative voice decreed.
"But your majesty, even with the best carriage it takes at least 6 hours your-", " Did I stutter?" A bone-chilling voice rang through the office.
"Very well your majesty." Cedric said before he gave a slight bow and exited the dark office.
After he left ,Kadul smiled but his eyes staring intently ahead. 'I have finally found you, now no one can take you from me' he smiled possessively.
Kadul Lian Novachtien was an illegitimate child of the previous emperor and a wondering dancer.
This fact played a role in his ostracization in his childhood. The Empress Lotis was livid upon discovering that 'the Emperor had cheated on her with a lowly dancer' , but what irked her was that 'thing', the thing the lowly dancer gave birth to.
She wanted her own son the 1st prince, her own flesh and blood to sit on the throne, after all that would secure her position of being the emperor's mother making her empress dowager.
She had to get rid of it, but owing to the emperor loving that child since he was the fruit of his and the dancer's love, she could not lay a finger on him.
That lasted a short while, the emperor discovered he was terminally ill, causing him to lose all body functionality, basically a living corpse. This of course gave the power to rule to the second in command, the Empress.
From then on she made his life a living HELL. The meals were just the bare minimum of an edible meal.
From first glance the Empress made it so it looked like a loving family. The empress needed support from the liberal faction which consisted mostly of high ranking nobles so she could gain full power so hence the need to keep him alive. So the second prince of such a wealthy nation survived on dry tasteless bread and water, most days. Lotis also severely abused him physically, she beat him almost unconscious every single day while laughing with sadism laced in her voice. So a 12 year old boy had a body of a 9 year old due to malnutrition and scars all over his body, a result of the terrible abuse. Adding the servants hostility and indifference, the boy lost all sense of emotions. He was a walking doll.
On usual days after the beatings, he would sit by the vast lake dedicated to the imperial servants while coping with the pain. The lake was for the imperial servants, vast and beautiful, scenery you could only see if you were very wealthy, after all this was one of the many reasons the profession was coveted amongst commoners. At this point he had no strength in him to cry, that particular day, 4 of his ribs had been broken when Lotis had hit him with a piece of rock, which missed his head and instead ended up breaking his ribs. It was painful he thought, it hurt so bad he felt like he was about to die, it was true his organs had been damaged badly, he was bleeding internally plus he probably would have earned a hemorrhage of the brain. Each step felt painful, Kadul walked just enough before he collapsed by the lakeshore.
"Mom!, I think he is now awake!!!" A young girl could be heard through his foggy consciousness, his eyes fluttered and he slowly opened his heavy eyes.
"Oh okay, calm down Lilac (chuckle)" a woman's distant voice got nearer . "Are you feeling okay, little boy?" A hazy voice was asking laced with worry, a warm hand was touching his forehead where a cool damp sensation was once there.
