Anmutig keeps tabs over the controversy the days following Michelly’s foolishness. Calls for her arrest and execution have been floundering social media for quite a while.

Boycotting the show is the first thing that fans did. Then the show became a trending topic for all the wrong reasons. Currently, Verrat is in their bedroom writing a post explaining how he supports the future Queendom.

Anmutig chooses to remain silent, even if it may be beneficial. These matters are delicate and must be handled with caution.

If Anmutig is to portray herself as a ditzy woman with no regard for intellect then her battles will be wise. Perhaps she can feign excitement over marriage and thus not realize the gravity of the situation.

Zachary had given no clues about her family’s situation, just the obvious bit of them being in danger. She almost regrets letting him walk away.

Sometimes she reminds herself of a tumbling wave about to smash against the deck of a ship. Destructive but expected. Every decision she’s made has been her own starting from the age of eighteen.

How did Zachary feel watching her grandfather die? Perhaps joyous from the profit he’d later gain. Were his eyes sparkling? Did he let out a chuckle? She does not know the answer.

Baron Stein, or Lord Stein, is the illegitimate son of Emperor Omari, Regis of the Empire.

For years Stein has been advocating for his legitimacy over his aunt Princess Upendo but his father will not entertain the notion. If he’d been anyone else, Stein would’ve been executed or jailed like the others who advocated for him.

Anmutig muses that she and Michelly will end up in the same place very soon.

…

She grows restless. The kind of unease that makes one pace without reason. Paranoia overrules everything until something breaks.

Caution is her usual motto but the fear of sleepless horror grips her. Perhaps cursing her parents is a right course of action for holding onto a dead legacy. She cannot do such a horrid thing however.

She knows she’s done too much, but somehow it’s not enough. It never will be. Who will she have to threaten?

There are far too many egomaniacs slithering around Begonia.

Her family will die. Verrat will die. Anmutig will die.

Most of the blame goes towards her family for interfering with the Empire but that has been their legacy for generations.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The Strogameers have done the dirty work behind countless Regis’s for as long as Begonia has strived. So many people were happy to throw away the Strogameers for mere wealth.

She quits pacing and unclenches her hair.

So many of their former allies have no respect for them. For her. They see her as a remnant turned into silly fantasies. Of course they’d been waiting for her family’s downfall before her birth.

A joke to the nobility. They see her as nothing but the face of a forgotten House.

She wanders to a camera less room and takes out a small tablet. It projects a video on the wall. Verrat won’t hear. He never does.

The video starts with a beautiful shot of the imperial palace and the Emperor Rajabu. A crowd of dark and pale nobles stand behind him. It is a gloomy day as the clouds have not parted yet. It is drizzling, yet the nobles haven’t moved to shelter themselves. Their red eyes gleam in anticipation.

A dark skinned man is hunched over with ropes binding his wrists.

Emperor Rajabu steps upon him and the crowd laughs. Even the peasants aren’t barred from throwing objects at the bound man.

“Chumadolch, your betrayal has destroyed me completely. You drove my daughter mad.”

His foot connects with his skull before continuing.

“Chumadolch, you sold information to Vetursigra which caused me to lose Stigmata.”

He’s cracked his skull by now.

“Chumadolch, my daughter drowned herself because of your schemes. You destroyed my lineage, friend.”

Rajabu still had a son, but everyone knew they didn’t favor.

He leans down and whispers, and for the first time, Chumadolch’s eyes widen, but only for a fraction. The Emperor continues.

“Chumadolch, I will destroy your lineage in turn. Dolch will be spared however. That is the only mercy you’ll get because of your House’s lifelong devotion. He will never bear your name.”

He falls face first and the nobles holler in delight.

“Speak. Do you claim innocence?”

“I was not believed the first hundred times.”

He breaks his nose.

“Chumadolch, I trusted you.”

He signals for the executioner. He drags him through the mud until they force him to his knees.

“Any last words?”

He straightens and despite the mud, blood, and broken bones, his eyes gleam with wrath. The wine color of his eyes have never shone so bright.

“The world is a dark and cruel place except for those privileged enough not to witness such things.”

He stares at Dolch.

“The House of Strogameer has faced the empty and dark foes for as long as the Empire has been alive.”

He chokes on his own blood, but resumes his speech.

“1,300 years ago the Strogameers were betrayed by their allies and slaughtered.”

“900 years ago the Strogameers were stripped of their titles and hunted down by Omari the Horror.”

“500 years ago the Strogameers fought to the death over personal matters.”

“40 years ago my brother tried to kill me for my title. Our father gave me the title despite being second born. For his insolence, father slashed his neck to prevent another massacre. However, he only delayed the inevitable.”

Dolch squirms.

“If father could see me now, he would’ve killed me the day I was born. He would’ve been justified. I wish he would have, because I only saw the Empire as something to nurture.”

He half bows.

“I committed no crimes against your majesty or the princess, but as a servant of the Empire I bow to you one last time.”

“I apologize your majesty, for not preventing your daughters death. I apologize for being useless. I apologize for not being my father.”

He looks the emperor in the eye.

“However, make no mistake my Regis, for the Strogameers will crawl from the depths. If we cannot devour each other we will devour the betrayal.”

Chumadolch nods at the executioner.

“Long live the Regis.”

Those are his final words.

…

They say on his death bed Rajabu saw the Empire for what it was, but it was too late.