"What are you doing here?"

The venomous words splashed on Red, but he remained stoic, his gaze fixed on the random trinkets he'd been idly examining in the opulent halls of Emir's palace. It was a stark contrast to the simplicity of his original home, and he couldn't help but think how much Merin would love these fine things. He made a mental note to gift her some of them later.

There was more noise from the man trying to get his attention, but Red ignored him. The blood lust that pulsed through his veins was hard enough to contain without adding fuel to the struggle. If Red argued with Emir, a fresh chain of events would follow.

Red spun on his heels and gave the other man a broad smile. The action startled Emir.

"I'm just here to say goodbye to my brother," Red said. He walked up to his brother and smacked him on the shoulder in a patting gesture.

Emir's face contorted into rage and bitterness. "How dare you? You're not my brother. You're just a nameless bastard. You don't have a province, and our father only gave you the naming ceremony for that bastard daughter of yours. She's not even your real daughter. Habrin men can't have daughters."

Mentioning the ceremony was a cruel reminder of the power imbalance between the two. Red had been given his later than any Rutilus in history. This starkly contrasted the natural rights of all Red's brothers, who were easily granted everything.

A Rutilus, a title bestowed upon the heirs of the royal family, must learn to govern on their path to becoming an Emperor. If a Rutilus doesn't learn to govern, they may find themselves at the mercy of advisors with their own interests and intrigues. If a Rutilus isn't given their own province, the chances of success die.

A province was not just a piece of land to Rutilus, it was a symbol of power and control. Where they received their province was just as important. If the land was fertile, they could grow fat off the wealth and use it to win the succession war. If the land is too far from the capital, then they'd have to travel to take the throne and kill their siblings, a dangerous and treacherous journey.

The caustic words landed, but Red's face remained impassive with its solid and chiseled features. Red didn't even bother with the accusation that Alev wasn't his daughter; he knew she was. No one could tell him otherwise, least of all his sniffing brother. Emir, however, grew more incensed. His ruddy, usually meek, and kind eyes started to glow angrily.

Red snorted, a sound of defiance, and walked away from the man, ignoring his taunts. His resilience was a shield against Emir's venom, a testament to his strength and determination. His brothers should have never let him grow hatred in his heart for them. If they'd only held out a hand and treated him as blood should, they wouldn't have to die one by one.

On cue, a dozen men climbed down from the high ceilings. Emir made a startled noise, and Red ignored his cries for help as he calmly strode out of the palace.

"Another brother dead." He said to Acuzio. The dragon sat outside waiting for him. The growing beast was too big to sit on his head without causing active harm to Red. He couldn't rest in Merin's lap either because the dragon had grown two feet in length. The dragon would take his true form soon at the rate he was growing.

Red pivoted on his feet to stare at the palace he just left. He could see the outline of bodies through the walls with his power. The pulsing blood of his brother was singing to him as it fought for its life.

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Red watched Emir fight, but the man was outnumbered and outmatched. His attackers were chipping away at him, and it wouldn't be long before he lost the battle.

Acuzio made a strange noise, and Red broke his focus to look at the beast. It was making noises with its mouth.

"Merin has spoiled you, which is why you've gotten fat," Red said. He could tell the dragon wanted more food. Red wasn't Merin and didn't carry food to snack on; Acuzio knew this.

Acuzio made more noises, and Red nearly flinched as a voice said, "Give me snacks now." The deep, guttural voice was one he'd heard long ago and never since.

Red eyed the dragon, and the dragon stared back at him with its mouth open.

"Get your own snacks," Red said. He looked away from the prickly beast and saw that he missed the moment his brother had died.

Before Red could react to the cooling body pooling out blood, Acuzio bit him.

"He's just a baby!" Merin said as she patched Red up.

Red looked at Merin and said, "That baby nearly tore off my leg."

"He's just growing. He needs more meat, and since he's too fa...big, he can't fly yet."

"Even if he were to grow wings, he couldn't fly," Red said.

Merin gasped at him, but he could tell she was fighting off a laugh. The dragon was more round these days, and after a good meal, it was often seen rolling around instead of walking.

"He will. Right now, Acuzio is eating to grow. He only needs to bulk up and grow some more." Merin said when she regained control over her face.

Red kept his mouth shut this time as Merin was luckily able to replace the torn flesh. The culprit, Acuzio, was currently eating a dog it managed to catch. He tore apart the mutt like it was soft jelly. The dragon chewed on the bones, organs, and flesh and swallowed them all. It didn't even wait for Merin to cook the meat.

"I need to meet with Reu; thanks, Merin," Red said. He didn't wait for Merin to respond, and he did not take the damn dragon with him either.

Red didn't get far because at the spot where he should be meeting Reu had his seed donor instead.

The other man sat at the meeting spot cloaked in darkness. The shadows covering the top half of his face showed off his glowing orbs. The bottom half of his face showed off his sharp teeth, which were pulled back into a smile.

"Aram." His father said.

"Kaan," Red said rather rudely.

Instead of being hurt for using his father's ascension name, he was rewarded with a rich laugh.

"You've killed three of my sons. Whatever shall I do with you?" His father said. "One killed by poison, another by the betrayal of the worst kind, and the latest by assassins."

Red could feel his throat clench as his jaw stiffened. He said nothing because he knew at this moment his words meant nothing. Whatever the Emperor was going to do, he would do.

"Should I start placing wagers on who you will get rid of next? Will it be Akkad? Or me?"

Red listened but said nothing as he stared at the other man.

The Emperor stood up and patted Red's shoulder, similar to how Red had done to Emir.

"I did kill your mother, so that does make us even," Kaan said as his voice brushed Red's ears. "Stop killing off your brothers. You're not leaving me sons to work with Aram. I will take that pretty Russus of yours and add her to my harem if that's what it takes to keep you in line."

Red could feel an inferno of emotions rise at the provocation. He knew his red eye was alight with his feelings, but still, he said nothing.

"It's good that we understand each other."

The Emperor walked away; again, his back was to Red. Red felt a strange brew of rage and shame that he didn't attack his father yet again.

A strange hissing noise drew Red's attention to the ground. His nails had bitten into his palms and drew blood. The blood that fell to the ground sizzled and burned the stone walkway as it splashed down.

Red calmed his breathing and noted how the blood that fell when he was calm didn't burn and melt whatever it touched.

Without breaking stride, Red located a frog nearby. He quickly located the blood that pulsed through its tiny body. It barely took a whisper of a thought before the frog exploded into a splatter of hot blood.

Red wiped the drops that landed on him off and looked down at his hands. He would get stronger, and Merin would get stronger as well. Soon, this farce would be over. It didn't matter what his father's end goal was; he'd kill him before the man could achieve it.