" Greeting to The Soul of The Holy Dragons, The Emperor Salem Isaac Malum." said the very nobleman in the very great hall of the Dragon Palace. While this man with fabricated elegant clothes also gives his greeting to the first prince and second princess who are also present. " Greeting, to the dragon's blessing The Second Prince and The First Princess." while having an urge feeling to meet the well-known crown prince who seems left his chair beside the Emperor empty. He feels confused with his feeling when knowing the absence of the one he needs more- especially, when the crown prince is mostly in charge of all international matters. But, even people like him who spent half of his life as the one experienced in the military and serving the imperial family still have a hard time composing himself in the presence of this well-known tyrant family.

How should he describe it? what word that suitable enough to describe this feeling?

Is it 'mysterious'..?

no, it is not only that.

Or maybe, 'intimidating'?'

Yes, of course, but the feeling is greater than that.

Maybe... 'terror'?

Yes! terror from the beautiful human beings in front of him. With their elegance and charismatic beauty- the terror that lingered into his body while being looked at by all of them was so unpleasant. It is like they seduced and poisoned people who look at them at the same time. Even all of the people here who has served the Imperial family for long times, still find it hard to compose themselves too in front of them. If the crown prince is also present, he quite doubted himself to stand for long in front of them.

" So what do you want?" asked the emperor with his deep voice.

The man who is the International Ministry of the empire bowed himself. " It is about international trading, Your Majesty. We've just found out that Jahar Empire broke our agreement and cut off our trade route to the Eastern area."

and he smirks vilely while saying nothing.

and the one who speaks out loud, is the lady with her graceful appearance," Seemed they really don't know when to stop, aren't they." The Lady said. " Sure their head has not worked quite well in a long time. Their king's head should be sliced slowly, maybe."

and the minister coughed. Because every time he heard one of them speaking it is always be like death coming around his lung. "... the report also said that our people or others who have cooperation with us, are being blocked and banned to enter the eastern area. Seems like they declare war, Your Majesty."

" War?! are you saying war?!" yelled the second prince. " Father, if they want it. Just give them what they wanted!"

" But, Your Grace, The Second Prince... they create an alliance with other countries in the eastern. So, please think-"

But that very twelve years old prince gives someone that much older than him with a death glare. " So you are saying, our empire weak?"

" How could I say that, what I mean just-"

" Shut up!" he screamed. " I will reap your mouth off."

and even though they understand that the old man just trying to say something that makes sense, this second prince is too wicked for them to hear their opinions. In fact, all of them are wicked. Yet, it will always be this chaotic if the first prince is absent on his seat. The emperor does not seem to care to lend his hand to take care of his mad son who just jumped out of his seat just because of several opinions that opposed him. While the first princess seems to enjoy all the things that happened as she smiles very beautifully in this chaotic situation. Left the knight trying to break off and save the old man from the little prince.

" What a madness." and a gentle voice was heard while the hall of the throne palace open. A dignified and charismatic woman with her elegant dress entered the hall. Make all of them stop and leave speechless and silent. Because, this black-haired woman that always known as the cursed one, is the mysterious empress that never shows herself in public and rarely comes out from her palace like this.

" Greeting, to the treasure of the dragon, Her Majesty, Empress Nevaeh." and all of them bow at her except all of the Imperial members. " Sit down, Ash." and she gives the mad son an icy glare that shakes him for a while and makes him put his face down.

" ... Okay, mother." and he then obeyed quietly without resistance. Somehow, his madness before gone in a second, replaced by a very dark expression.

" Why you are here, My Empress?" asked the Emperor, who came all the way down to be with his the one.

" I was just checking my children," she said. while then looking at the International Minister. " Let's just cancel today's meeting, Sire, and talk to Ray to reschedule it while the crown prince is available."

and the International Ministry bowed. " I will do as your say, Her Majesty," he said. While the Empress then leaves with the emperor, followed by the imperial children, and leave all of them in the very silent hall.

It was not something new for them for seeing such event. How wicked the one that they serve or how wicked their relationship is, is never been their business. or it more likely, they just try to save their head for not being involved in such matter. The only thing that they know and they aware of is that their power is real. They are all-powerful. So... either the emperor chooses to marry the cursed woman, the children act wildly like an animal, or the monarchy gave out such terror. They will just follow them, as they are truly powerful and are inherited the power of the holy dragon.

It is already like a norm. The terrifying, the terror, or the gruesome. They somehow already adapt to that kind of environment. Even the kind of where maids and servants lying all over the hall in front of the crown prince's room, covered by the blood. While some hold their head that bleeding so much, some are being helped by the other to stand. Others try to tidy up the destroyed room.

Ray, the crown prince's assistant sighed so hard in front of the room that looked just faced disaster. "... I did not tell you to stop the thrice transfusion, right?"

and the butlers paled. "... yesterday, the crown prince rejected it."

" What?! why are you sayi-"

" Well, you are not reaching by the newbies correctly then Ray." said the Empress that suddenly came with the emperor and calmly looked at the scene.

" Greeting-"

" Don't," she said and just walks to his son's room and sit down in the shattered bed while the emperor then stands in front of her. " His power has always been powerful since he was still a child."

and the emperor brushes the empress's hair who is looking around. " He will be okay. I was once in his time too. You don't have to be worried, "and the empress holds his hand with her emotionless expression, closes her eyes in the comfort of the emperor's hand,

and Ray just stands in front of the room while thinking in his thought. The mysterious empress that always buried herself in her palace only come out from her palace whenever this thing happened to her children. Never has she been involved so much in her children's matters or their daily activities, nor has her expressions shown affection toward them. It then becomes an open secret in the palace that the empress hates her child. Only the emperor was the one that she loves the most and the emperor did the same too just like her. As, she is the emperor's treasure.

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So, people in the palace then normalized how the children here became so wicked as the mother as wicked as them in the first place. But only someone who worked in the special division will somehow disagree with their statement. As they could see and want to believe that there is a motherly affection from the empress to her children. But, the empress could not have a word or expression that comes out of her mouth to tell them so... creating this madness misunderstanding to all her children.

***

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She really could not understand the power of nature. Whenever she feels so tired, or she had a bad day, just by lying her body in the grass in the middle of the forest near her company is more than enough to heal her up. So that is why it will be her favourite place to take a little lunch break in here. In the closed forest not far from the company. It was Rosan who told her about this tiny spot in front of a beautiful river and usually if she was not that busy, Rosan will join her too. But now, after spreading out her picnic mat and eating her lunch box, she lies her body while looking at the beautiful sky. Having a little nap while feeling the breeze of the forest that gives a very refreshing fragrance that always calms herself down. Just like in a second, her worry goes away.

" Ah, dragon. " Again, while still sleepy, she looks at a dragon that flies passes the forest and gives a very strong wind, Shaking trees and blowing her mat.

It has been 40 minutes after she took a nap, and it was really a nice nap. She could know about the time as she has her own alarm that she owned and will be vibrating than ringing to wake her up. Her curly hair was messy, and her body was covered with leaves from the trees. This place is surely a very comfortable place to take a rest. Usually if she brings Arisha here, her little sister will also do the same thing or play in the river with the children here.

" I have to come back and finish my other work," she said. While stretching her body nicely and tidy up her things. Then, when she was ready to go back, a sudden burst of wind come from the pathway across the river.

" What?" she surprised as the movement of the wind is so abnormal. It was like a big fan was being shook from that place. " ... Rosan said not far from here, there is also a lake." and she stares at the pathway to the forest for so long before she then decided to put her things under the tree, take off her shoes and hold it while crossing the river.

Her dress sure is not suitable for this kind of exploration but, somehow, she could cross the river safely. She put on her shoes again and walks slowly, while somehow feeling a very strange sensation.

The pathway is quite long, and there is nothing instead trees. After awhile, she thought that she have to come back to her company as this unplanned exploration will just make her late to work, but, the tingling sensation in her lung every time she steps more further make her curious so much. She could not hold herself to just stop while she realizes that there is something in there. Just instinctively, thinking that way but-

" Don't!" and she screamed so hard in her heart while running and reaching her hand out to a person that look like falling down to the lake from a very above hill in front of her.

Her eyes widen as she runs near the hills, and jumped out to the water rake.

It is mid-day, and the two suns rise splendidly above her and give her a very clear sight in the water. Give her a chance to grab a man that drowned far to the darkest part.

" I got you!" and as soon as she grabbed him, his eyes open and looking at her with very bright golden eyes that somehow felt like it choked her. She let out her breath in a sudden and let the man's hand go, as she could also feel the flimsy threat on him.

She coughing uncontrollably. While wade to the shallow part holding her neck.

At that moment, she feels her energy is drained a lot and looked at the man that appears not far from her. Then, at that time she could see the man's appearance more clearly. With platinum greyish short wet hair that covered his beautiful face. with a sturdy body that is taller and bigger than her. She could say that he is a definition of beauty because of how handsome he is while walking toward her. Yet, he also gives her a strange and tingling feeling who makes her reflex back off from him. As she could see that the man gives her an intimidating and terrorising her only by his eyes.

'Should she run?'

Yes. She should. That is why she turns her back and tries to run away. She did, and she thought that she already run far enough as her breath and feet felt hard and tired already but, a big hand held and pulled herself in a sudden and dropped her quite hard to the ground. She was still confused about the situation but when she opened her black eyes, she could see the man above her while holding both of her hands.

" Who are you? How dare you bother me?" said him, while of course, she could not understand at all. She could not push him as he held her tight, and could not also do sign language.

" Aa...uh..aa" she did try to say something but, it makes him angrier.

What is this feeling? it becomes hard to breathe now.

" Say, or I will kill you."

and she shakes her head so much. Trying to make him understand that she is not trying to make him mad.

Clak. but then, sudden blood drips into her face with a very familiar scent. She paled as she looks at the blood on his forehead.

the man look at her in confusion because the expression of her changes so dramatically, he loosens his hand and is about to see what she is looking for, but she suddenly let herself go and pushes him back. Yet, when he thought the woman will run off, two little hands touch his forehead suddenly.

" Let go," he said.

but there is no movement from the woman.

" I said let go," he said.

Yet again there is no sign of her letting him go.

" If you are trembling so much, let go!" he then grabs her hand caused her to fall to her knees while trembling with her blood-covered hands. He wipes the blood on his head with his clothes and somehow irritated so much while looking her trembling hands as he then drags the woman into the river to clean her hand off.

Then both of them fell their body in the shallow river.

The crown prince sighed out loud while looking at the blue sky above him. He was came here with the thought to calm himself down from the fucking cursed blood, but an annoying crazy lady irritated him even more. "... why could not I kill you," he said while looking at the lady that still trembling close to him. Trembling so much just because of simple blood and not even realising that someone like him looking at her right now. He then sighed again, while leaning himself back onto his two hands. " Go, when I still have mercy," he said.

But after quite a long time, the woman was still there looking at the water. Make him then shakes her shoulder as she then somehow, wakes up in her thought. Somehow, a paled expression changed into a surprised one. Then of a sudden, she holds his cheeks and looks into his injury. her eyes full of worry and anxiety, and she touches him gently while trembling so much.

Is she that worried, to the point that she did not realize how painful it is to be near me? as his pheromone still spread out uncontrollably. Her sound of breathing is also heavy but instead of realising that she prefers to take care of his small injury with her wet handkerchief.

" Irisha! Where are you Irisha?"

and a very vain woman voice yelled in the near forest. The voice is shaking as the woman seem to know that it is vain to do that.

"... are you Irisha?" and even he asked again, the woman do not move. Then, as soon as their eyes meet, she looks at his lips. " ... you can't hear, huh?" and unconsciously he touches her lips with his big hand.

she looks confused but then holds his hand that touched her lips. Shaking her head while touching her lips and ears with her own finger as if she is trying to tell him something.

" Irisha! Oh please... where are you?" and that's desperately woman, cried out this woman's name.

But, now she is only looking at him with her brown black eyes straight and clearly. This is the first time for him to easily see someone's face like this. The only one that blocked him now is just the wet brunette hair of hers that covers her face.

Then while softly brushing the hair to the back of her tiny ears, he could see the clear freckles on her face. It is somehow tempting to touch her more, but, the woman's voice becomes near so he then stands and walks to the forest leaving the woman who seems confused and too weak to chase him alone.

" Irisha?" and a big woman comes out from the trees, she runs to her in worry and at that time only the woman then realize her existence.

[ Rosan?]

" What happened to you?" asked the big woman while strangely moving her hands. " Are you alright? can you stand?"

and Irisha smiles vainly. [ I can not stand.]

" What happened, actually? why you are so wet. I told you don't go near the river- it's even far from the river, this is a lake!" she said. " Haya, I found her," and she yelled. while then a man came in hurry and come closer to her.

" Oh no, what happened?"

[ Ah, its-]

" Let's talk later, just pick her up first. I will ask for a doctor," said Rosan.

" Ah, you can't stand? Okay. Please pardon me." he said. While holding her up gently and walking out from the forest, leaving a quiet lake. Where above in the tree, the golden eyes seem to be displeased with what he is seeing right now.

***