Assassin's Dream

Chapter 6

The Emperor sighed in defeat as one of his attendants reminded him of what lay in store for him today. Could I have just one day to myself, to enjoy everything I have created? Of course not, because whether I like it or not, I am the heart of this Empire.

Although he loved his Empire, sometimes he hated the tedium and stress that came with his job. He could never make a decision about anything that would please all participating parties in a debate, and would be constantly hounded about other petty requests from others. Most of the requests were about lowering taxes, or sending food to help the people who were dying of starvation due to a famine. It was as if they thought he cared about why every individual person was dying and could find the solution to stop it. Where would he find the time to do this with all of the other paperwork to read and sign, empire tours to go on, citizen hearings to sit at, and speeches to write? And to top it all off, the case hearings for the potential Dream contestants that had to be approved were being held today!

Abandoning his musings for the time being, he stood up and exited his office. Slowly, and with a slight limp, he began the descent from his office on the top floor of the palace to the room located on the main floor where the hearings were being held. His personal guard quietly left their posts by his office door and surrounded him in a protective formation as soon as he set foot outside the room.

This was what Ivy, Wyatt, Callie, and Derek saw as the Emperor entered the library-like room. He glanced them over, looking for any potential. He had already been briefed about their evaluations. This was the last part of their acceptance into the Dream, his approval.

The four of them had immediately stiffened, he knew he must look intimidating, with his guards and stern expression.

Grumbling he decided to get this over with. "Wyatt," he snapped.

The wiry boy looked up, his face was slightly paled but determined. "Yes, sir?"

"You're evaluation was very successful in the blue category. But how will you use your skills within the team?"

Wyatt did not hesitate with his response. "I will lead against any technological obstacles. Cameras and security are not an issue for me. My team will need my input to win the Dream."

The emperor noded his head in acknowledgement before quickly moving to the blond girl at his side.

"And Callie? What could you do for a team?"

"With my talents I could back up my team, either with my bow in back or sneaking up with my knife. I would be the hidden element of my team, the person that joins in last but can save her team."

Again the emperor nodded in approval and moved to the tall boy next to her. "Derek?"

"I would be the challenger in the team. I'm the strongest so the protection and success of my team matters all the more to me."

The emperor studied him for a second, the boy was more protective than aggressive. He was not sure if that was what a team needed.

He then turned to face the last person on the team.

"Ivy?"

She did not hesitate and answered vehemently. "I take the risks. When there's a tough obstacle I will be the team member who will not flinch to end it."

The emperor raised an eyebrow. She had played with the word obstacle, and he was almost positive that she wasn't talking about any challenge he could throw her way, she might the other teams.

Looking her over, he noticed something else. The way her face always seemed to be challenging every person she met. Her smirk deepened into her face, and her head was graced with an unforgettable shade of her black hair.

He felt himself draw a sharp breath.

Was Ivy. . . no. They would have told me if she was here.

But he could feel the nerves and anger beginning to course through his veins.

"They are approved," he says abruptly. Some of his guards looked at him funny, they knew his verdict should have lasted longer than his, but he did not care. He needed to find his advisor, and quickly.

Storming out of the room, he turned on his earpiece and yelled for his advisor. "Cormack! I want you to finish whatever assignment you are currently working on and meet me in my office immediately afterwards! You have 10 minutes, and I do not like to be kept waiting."

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The Emperor motioned to his group of guards, who had quietly and obediently followed him down the hallway, and they stepped into formation around him. Surrounded by this shield of human bodies and their armor, the people who were bowing as he passed them were blind to the amount of fury on his face. He seethed with anger, but silently debated his options.

I could really use some of that new imported Italian wine right now to get that girl out of my head. She shouldn't look so much like her...that should be impossible! The woman I knew would have never kept something like this hidden from me, and I know that her daughter would not agree to the position Ivy is in right now. But what can I do? If I pardon her, I will have to let the 3 other delinquents go as well. And we will also have to postpone the Dream for another month until we find another suitable team.

After he arrived at the entrance to his office, the Emperor dismissed the guards to their positions by the door and took a deep breath. Flinging open the double doors, he strode into the room and deposited himself gracefully on the seat of his desk chair.

"I came as soon as you called, sire. Are you feeling quite all right? I brought a bottle of Italian wine and two glasses, as you wished." Cormack bowed as he strode into the Emperor's office and looked up with questioning eyes.

The Emperor stood silently, with an angry glint in his eyes. "Why did you fail to inform me that Naomi's granddaughter was a guest in our dungeons? Or that she had been evaluated, sent to the torturous waiting rooms, and was awaiting my judgement to send her into the Dream?"

"I was just informed of this matter a moment before the trial, but by that point you had already walked into the room and turned off your earpiece. It would not have done any good to stop the evaluation, either." His advisor straightened from his bow and poured him a glass of wine.

"There needs to be something we can do to pull Ivy out of that situation. Could she be given city work for the next 2 years or be sent as an ambassador to a neighboring empire?" The wine disappeared quickly, and the Emperor held out his glass for a refill. He had a feeling he would not like Cormack's response.

And he was right. His advisor refilled the glass, handed it back to him, and gave him the bad news. "Even if we could pull them out of the Dream, the public would be outraged that you made an exception for one group. They might go as far as starting rebellions in protest against such 'special treatment'."

"Alright. Then I wish for you to assign a group of my personal guards to join them in the group leaving for the Dream competition. Have them camouflage themselves as whoever they want to, but I want daily reports. And if there is any sign of our enemies or other dangers, I want Ivy and her group to be hidden away separately." Although the wine numbed his mind and made this whole conundrum less infuriating, the Emperor still sighed as a pang of fear hit him.

The fear that Naomi and her family would declare war on his Empire.

Their family estate was located on the border between the Empire and his enemy's land, after all. And the leader of his enemies would certainly not turn away anyone who wished to have him assassinated, and his empire torn to shreds.

"Yes, sire. I will inform them of your wishes. Now please go easy on the wine."

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Hey so we are still alive. . . even though it's been like 3 weeks since an update. We just had to work a little harder on this chapter, hope it was wroth it

~lightbeforedarkness

~gloworange13