Nightingale

Chapter XIX

P A R T O N E

Empress Nightingale

Taking the circular stairway, (Y/N) walks through a hallway of exhibits and beautiful murals. She knocks upon the door at the end of the corridor.

"Come in," she overhears from the massive wooden doors.

Gently creaking open the door, (Y/N) slips inside. The office parlor had ornate panels shaped in gothic arches. The sun showed brightly through beautiful mosaics, some partly open slightly as a window, making red curtains flutter gently. Various bookshelves lined against the walls, all containing hard leather bounds. The room smelled of books, the smell of wood-based paper with a faint hint of vanilla.

"Miss (L/N)," Erebus greeted her from his desk. The young man donned glasses behind his red eyes, and strains of his tied red mane fell against his chiseled face. The young father was more friendly with the young woman since she helped him and his son, Magnus. If anything, he felt indebted to her. He began to respect her and appreciate her more. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks, adjusting his lenses to fit the bridge of his nose.

"I wanted to ask how Magnus was doing now," (Y/N) answered.

Erebus's lips curled into a soft smile, "He's good." He then asks, "How's Selina?"

"Down at her crib, taking a nap," (Y/N) answers.

A silence awkwardly lingered between the pair, before (Y/N) finally glanced toward a series of documents on his desk. "What are you doing?" the young woman asks.

Erebus sighs, "Looking through documents. I need to assist his majesty in winning custody against Duchess Lotteshu."

"Have you found anything?" (Y/N) asks.

"No," Erebus admits, "So far, there have only been written accounts of divorce filings and Kaiya's dethroning."

(Y/N)'s brows furrow, "There's nothing against her? How is that possible?"

"I have several papers to go through. I need to keep looking for any reported incidents and investigations on Kaiya"

"What do you mean by incidents?" (Y/N) inquires wearily.

Erebus falls silent. He frowns heavily as pity flashed across his face, "There were rumors of mistreatment from Duchess Lotteshu."

"She abused the emperor?" (Y/N) recoiled.

"No," Erebus shook his head, "She abused Dimitri..."

(Y/N) felt her heart come to a halt. She breathes out, "...What?"

"It occurred throughout the time he was merely a newborn baby," Erebus explains, "During this time, the emperor spent most of his days fighting upon the battlefields and was away most of the time. No one really kept an eye on Kaiya, not even myself as I was busy handling the workings of the country and Galia was handling the inner workings of the palace. It lasted for nearly a month." He swallows thickly, recalling the horrific sight he saw alongside the emperor, "One day, Ambrose and I found Dimitri soaked in urine and feces, his diaper unchanged, and his body more small and frail compared to other babies. She neglected him heavily, spending most of her days drinking and spending sprees rather than focusing her attention on her own newborn son. I had never seen Ambrose so infuriated before..."

"That's why the emperor refuses to allow her any right to see him," (Y/N) mutters.

"Yes," Erebus nods, "But it's for the best. Even I wouldn't want that woman around Dimitri."