Gladiator✔️

Unforgiving

Since the founding of the Heriodonus Empire tens of centuries ago, kingship belonged to the one with pure royal blue blood.

In terms of a tale heard about one of the founding fathers who had married again after his first wife died ,it was said that the first empress was the daughter of a merchant and thus never received the blessings of the goddess yet the second wife and empress was the youngest daughter of a tribal chieftain who commanded respect and had nobility deep in her bones.

Even though the tale was a millennium old with unknown origins yet still till today, the six empires of Gaerin, Ambrose, Darrin, The Great Eastern Deserts, and Daxtros believed that the one which did not had noble blood was not suited to sit upon the throne. Commoners believed in it while the aristocrats only bowed down to the lineage much more ancient and more substantial than theirs.

General Azarios was the commander of Ambrose army, had the lion mantle at his name with the most influential people bowing down to him and commoners looking up to his Lotus Mansion yet there was one thing that could not be ignored, once attained such a noble position General Azarios was to die within its constraint. Despite having immense valor none of the common mass or the nobles will ever follow him if he were to usurp the throne because his blood they thought was of a slave.

This was her highness Saintess Helixis's darkest nightmare. It wasn't that her son was docile and out of pure kindness had let Feyore and her children live for so long, only a mother knows her child- and more than anyone Helixis was aware how Azarios had inherited Heun's stubborn character with her own ruthlessness but he was even more brutal and indifferent.

For so long he had played with the imperial family of Ambrose waiting for the day when Emperor Heun will return and take upon his throne once again and Azarios would kill every single human, beast and animal in the imperial family to become the next emperor, bring prestige to his mother who would become the empress, it would be first done in Ambrose, then in Grevian followed lastly by Gaerin yet Helixis did not appear in front of him with Heun.

Furthermore, the monarch whom he had plans to eradicate entered his life and was a little girl and became someone he loved with all sincerity. Empress of Gaerin could have been a chess piece but when it's Lilith his wife who is the Empress of Gaerin- it is his soulmate that he would cherish and the thoughts of conquering Gaerin was discarded.

Currently, when the saintess was informed of what Azarios did, she neither refused that he was her son nor gave an answer to when she was returning with Heun thus consolidating the truth thus the gloomy atmosphere had lightened and the imperial palace was bustling.

"Princess!"

"Fool, don't you see that our ladyship is no longer a princess."

"Your majesty the Empress!One has prepared your chambers." Maids huddled around the woman that stood like a blooming flower amidst of a garden filled with flowers. Although she came in a carriage drawn by seven horses following the General ,people were suspicious of her yet the moment they saw her their eyes could not help but be astonished.

Princess Lilith was not a princess anymore and had been enthroned a long time ago but for the ladies in waiting in Grevian it was difficult to see her as anything other than the woman who first came along with her highness Saintess. From a female that had an imposing attitude of going against the heavens to the gentle serene princess that smiled and distributed invaluable treasures when Princess Artilia first woke up it felt that she had changed yet not changed at all.

According to the rumors if General Azarios was really their Prince then she would be the daugter-in-law of her highness Saintess and Princess of Grevian. Wasn't it all always destined, it seemed as such since despite her majesty Saintess being so cold she was especially lenient towards Lilith, it was as if she could long see how the Empress was to bring prosperity and peace to their empire and such happiness to her son.

No matter what intentions Azarios had to come here and even if he was unable to meet his imperial father and mother the common mass and the aristocrats took his oncoming happily. A few of close confidants of her highness saintess, ministers and old officials that have had the privilege to see him in his childhood spread the word soon that indeed that was their heir after recognizing those features that were now sharpened and grown more handsome than ever.

"Husband has made this one sin......one has betrayed her majesty saintess for you. Now since you have occupied such a position, are you going to oppose her and fight for throne?" When no was watching the smile disappeared and left a melancholic look on Lilith's face as if she could not believe herself and her treacherous deeds.

Upon watching her sorrowful irises the man could not help but chuckle.

"Why would one do that?"

"Then coming here........."

"Wife has great means but could not fathom it, then how will others think of it... Ambrose had Emperor Alexander as their monarch earlier who was suspicious of imperial mother being related to father, thus its must be impossible for him not to send some people of his own to mingle in Grevian and act as his eyes and ears but since now it has changed to Baez that does not mean those people would disappear..just that earlier they followed Alexander and now it must be Baez."

Lilith looked at the man and whispered "There are spies in Grevian's palace?"

"Naturally so. One came here to let the empire know one's real identity yet its not only Grevian that will know...it must be others that will know too and there are some people are in dire straits and need support, with this identity this prince would not approach them but its who that will follow one and come sit inside ones trap."