The Unwanted Prince

Ch 5

Emrys made his way back to his Palace, back to his room and then just dropped on his bed.

His head was throbbing like crazy. He dug his face into the pillow and began to cry out of pain.

But crying only made his head hurt even more.

Without knowing Emrys fell asleep. But even so his dreams were far from good. Calling them dreams was also a bit of a stretch, nightmares was better.

Yes, Emrys was having nightmares as he fell into his slumber.

The memories he had worked hard to seal away, would always come out at times like these, on days when he'd go to bed crying or not in a good mood.

And so once again he had to see those hellish scenes repeat in his head, how his mother was prostrating before the cold blooded emperor. How even after Claude had dug his sword in her chest, she still tried to smile. Throughout her little execution, she looked at Emrys who was hiding under the bed, and she smiled.

'Its alright my baby.' she had told him.

'Mother will have to go now.'

'But you'll be fine. Okay?'

'The emperor is cruel, but he is your father. He won't harm his own child.'

She had hugged him minutes before Claude had arrived at Ruby Palace to kill the concubines.

There was a rumour that Lady Diana had been intentionally given poison by a concubine so as to kill her and the child she bore. But the child miraculously lived, but the child alone survived.

Emrys's mother was aware of Claude's behaviour as she had known him for three years now. If Diana had died and this rumour had reached Claude's ears then he would waste no time to act.

She didn't know who had dared to poison Diana. But she did suspect a few.

Well whoever it was, they were quite dumb. They believed that Claude would listen to this rumour and immediately point at Astoria, Emrys's mother.

Because out of all the women in Claude's harem only Astoria had a child with Claude and now that Diana was pregnant with another one, the other concubines had made it seem as if Astoria had tried to kill Diana and her child out of jealousy.

They thought it was two birds with one shot as they would get rid of both women who were able to attract the emperor's attention and giving birth to a child.

But little did they know Claude's temper wasn't something the concubines could predict.

And so after the news that Diana had died hit the Ruby Palace, Astoria immediately embraced Emrys.

'You're strong child. You're my child.'

'It's going to be hard. Very hard. But I'm sure you'll get through this Emrys.'

'I'm sorry mother can't stay with you. ' She suppressed her tears but Emrys could tell from her expression she was sad.

In her last moments she wrote a letter to her father who was a count, and asked for two things. A nanny to be sent to the Palace to take care of Emrys as she didn't want him to be mistreated by other maids. And a personal knight for Emrys , someone close in age so they can be his friend.

And after the bird carried the letter away, Astoria looked at Emrys again. She smiled, as her legs trembled in fear. She smiled as she hugged him tightly.

'Emrys, you must live. Live and Be happy.'

'Be free.'

Astoria had initially intended to put Emrys to sleep and then leaving the room so her son doesn't see his mother get killed.

She began to sing a lullaby to him as she cradled him in her arms, reaching towards the bed.

But before Emrys fully drifted to sleep, a glass shattering scream was heard outside the room.

Astoria shuddered in fear. She immediately placed Emrys on the floor.

'My sweet baby, listen, get under the bed. Close your eyes and cover your ears. And stay there until its morning. Okay?'

Emrys had retaliated, but Astoria had kissed him on his forehead and stated that she'd be mad at him for eternity if he didn't obey her this one last time.

And so Emrys did as she said.

Under the bed he went, with his hands on his ears and his eyes closed. But Emrys was afraid of darkness and cramped places and he could only hold on for about one minute before he opened his eyes in fear.

And before him he saw, his mother prostrating in front of a blond man he had never seen. The man held a sword and looked scary.

His mother was on her knees arguing with the man, shouting and crying. Emrys had disobeyed his mother. He took his hands off his ears.

"I DIDN'T DO IT!"

The blond man seemed to be deaf to his mothers screams as he brought the sword to her neck.

"IF YOU WISH TO KILL ME THEN GO AHEAD! BUT NOT OUR SON! NOT EMRYS!" She shouted.

All this shouting and that scary sword pointed at his mothers neck made Emrys start crying.

"Who's that?" Claude had asked as per her request to not kill Emrys.

Astoria looked at him with tears in her eyes, rage from his irresponsible attitude, but as she was about to argue further she glanced back underneath the bed to see if Emrys was still fine.

And that's when she saw him listening and looking.

Her previous pained and afraid expression changed into a forced smile. Her eyes and smile trembled, but she had to, for her son.

"Claude, I hope you go to hell." Astoria told him with a smile on her face.

And without waiting a single second Claude's sword penetrated her chest and blood gushed out.

Emrys who had been hiding screamed and shouted as he ran out from the bed and ran to his mother's corpse.

"Mom! Mom!" He remembered screaming until his vocal chords were damaged.

He remembered shaking her corpse, hoping for her to just wake up. And she did, for a few seconds, only to say, 'Emrys, I love you. . . never. . . forget tha. . .'

And Emrys screamed and shouted and when he turned to face the man who had killed her mother, he noticed him long gone.

Emrys woke up with a start. His vision was blurry and he felt his headache hadn't decreased one bit.

But even in his blurry vision he could tell who was standing beside him. Leonardo.

Emrys gathered his energy and moved his hand to hold Leo's.

And right when he did, Leonardo turned and gave Emrys a smile.

"The physician just left. You have a fever your highness." He caressed Emrys's hair.

Emrys laid on his bed, having little to no energy to move. His body felt heavy and his head hurt when he moved it.

Leonardo sat beside him on the bed. "Amy went to get you some soup." Leonardo was constantly caressing his forehead as the little prince was resting with his face flushed from the fever.

"Did you have the nightmare again?" He asked the prince who was hardly keeping his eyes open.

Emrys nodded as his lips trembled.

"Leo. . ." He looked at his knight.

"Don't worry your highness. Me and Amy will forever be by your side. We will never leave you alone. Even if you want us to."

Emrys felt reassured by those words and he'd lost count about the unlimited times Leonardo and Amy had told him that whenever he fell ill or was disheartened by something.

These two were the last remaining gifts from his mother. And he will make sure he doesn't lose them either.

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