Challenges In Anuzyn

8) A Brother's Troubles

Jui's POV

I was fully awake, but I might as well have been asleep. The darkness consumed everything. The silence was enough to drive me mad. Time seemed to be going extremely quickly yet not moving at all.

The chains that tied me down were unbreakable. I was unable to move, unable to talk. My mind was being tortured, and my body was breaking down.

Sometimes, I wondered why I had to endure all this torture. I just wanted to make my mother proud.

'Jui dear, I only do this because I love you. You will be emperor soon, and you need to be strong.'

My mother only wanted what was best for me. Even when she made me undergo unbearable amounts of pain, rendering me unable to feel pain.

'My son, you know I love you, don't you?' she asked as she continually stabbed my foot. She did this to every part of me, making me physically invincible.

After that, there was emotional and mental torture. She always said a leader should not have emotions. Whenever I messed up, I would get locked up in the tower.

'Jui, you should have stayed when the monsters charged. Maybe the tower will teach you to be brave.'

Sometimes, I wonder what she expected from me. Who in their right mind would stay as a horde of monsters charged? But I still took the punishment because I wanted to keep her happy.

I never met my father probably because they never got married. I had been conceived out of wedlock, making my life filled with strange looks and rumours.

Ever since the former empress passed, my mother became even more focused on making me the best. She was foreign royalty, making her a candidate for the new empress.

'When I'm empress Jui, I'll make sure you are the next emperor.'

She said that right before unleashing a pack of wolves. I obviously beat them, but she was not satisfied. That is why I'm currently chained up.

It had been in there for almost a week. I only knew because the guards came once daily to check if I escaped. I was tired and extremely dehydrated. Food I learnt to leave without after the third time I was locked up.

"Open the door," I heard a voice command from the other side.

The heavy doors were lifted bathing me in light. I squinted my eyes to see my mother standing at the entrance. She had a wide smile on her face.

"Jui, all our dreams are going to come true. We are invited to the Anuzyn Palace," she said as she held my face.

That really was incredible news. I would finally get to leave this hell hole. I even dared to think that the torturing would stop.

"Guards, let him free. He needs rest and a lot of preparation,"

I was tempted to run immediately I was released, but past experience held me in place. I bowed deeply while thanking Mother and promising to do better.

"I know you will Jui you are my son after all," she said as she hugged me.

Moments like this are what made me want to make her proud. I did not mind the fact that I was just a means to an end as long as I made her proud.

The next day, I found myself standing in front of the enormous Palace. The carriage ride there had been exhausting, but Mother forced me to take in my future empire.

We were guided to a garden where I could see two people standing near a table laden with food. They were most probably the emperor and crown princess.

As we got closer, I could not help but notice how beautiful the princess looked. She was adorable yet had an extremely mature air around her.