IMPERIUM

Chapter 17

He stared at the throne and imagined it crumbling down into dust. How wonderful it would be to have it all burn down into ashes and see the people who let them suffer get tormented like many before them had. Maybe then would they reconsider their own actions. Bleiz was determined that one day he would destroy the purple Iris kingdom with his own hands and so today was a day to remind them that the enemy was back to devour them all.

He stood in the corner dressed in a black venetian mask and a midnight suit just like what many of the other men wore. Bleiz chose to stand in front of one of the white pillars where he could get a good view of the guards and Killian who was standing in a similar position across the room. Killian, who was wearing something similar to him, displayed the signal by taking a sip of his drink. The coast was clear which meant that the garden was empty. He set his drink down when a butler passed by and walked towards the table of sweets where they had originally planned to walk out. However as he neared the table a girl was sitting on her own, sipping on a drink. As he strolled forward he met Killian passing him in the middle of the ballroom.

"Change of plans, we'll take the right wing instead."

Killian gave him a nod and was about to walk the opposite way when someone suddenly decided to approach them.

"Sir Killian!"

"Miss Lina!"

"How have you been? I haven't seen you in the castle for a while. I thought you might have resigned."

"I have been very well. I just had to take care of some private matters before I could return here. Also how exactly did you recognize me?"

"How could I possibly not?" she said enthusiastically, "If you were trying to have this mysterious persona you should have tried a little more. But don't worry, I won't tell on you," she teased with a wink of hers.

Killian laughed in an attempt to ease the tension coming from the eyes burning into his skull. "Right er this is Arthur, Arthur horseway. A friend of mine."

"Oh I apologize I didn't see you there. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise" Bleiz replied in a stern voice. 'Out of all surnames he had to come up with that.'

"It was lovely meeting you Lina, unfortunately I am supposed to meet up with some comrades and cannot stay any longer."

"Of course. Besides, I need to get back to work."

The maid, Lina excused herself from the two and carried on her way. Meanwhile Bleiz and Killian slowly backed away in an attempt to get out of the crowd while excusing themselves to the restroom as soon as someone made an attempt to speak to either of them.They exited the ballroom to the main hall which led to the castle corridors. Killian was familiar with the way and took the lead. As they walked through the halls Bleiz took a moment to witness the luxurious architecture he wasn't used to seeing.

"You need to stop looking around. It looks abnormal and if one of the guards sees you they will most definitely keep an eye on you. Remember you're a wealthy noble. Now look straight ahead like you're used to all of this," Killian quietly ordered.

Prior to Bleiz's real purpose of attending the masquerade ball he had another mission to complete. Killian led him to the end of the hallway where the staircase to the library was. Halfway through the walk up the stairs they heard noise erupt from behind them. They rushed up the stairs to the library gates that were unshielded since it was a place that wasn't guarded by anyone. The library was gigantic. Thousands of books were stored on tall bookshelves. It was the ideal place for hiding.

They both went separate ways. The sound of heavy footsteps followed into the library. Bleiz had already found a place where he could view the people coming inside. Two men entered the library. They walked to the end of the library. Bleiz heard a stud and suddenly the sound of their steps vanished. His eyebrows furrowed at the sound. He walked between the shelves trying to get a better outlook. Killian seemed to have the same idea. They emerged from their hiding places and tried to find where the men had gone. They searched in the same corner where the steps faltered. However no one was there to be found.

"It must have been some type of secret passage." Killian abruptly stated. "Still, the strange thing was that it wasn't on one of the maps. And those maps included many passageways."

"They used enchantments. There is no way that this is mechanical" Bleiz cut in.

"Enchantments? Are you sure, because all I know is that they possess the power of wealth and healing. How could they use it to make a hidden passage?"

"I don't know, I can just sense it."

"Right, but we can't stay here. They'll come out any minute. We'll have to come back another time."

Although Bleiz was determined to find a way to open the secret passage he knew that time was running out.
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After taking the longer route to avoid most of the guards they finally arrived in front of the rear garden gate. Without a word they split up all around the garden. However it seemed that the garden wasn't fully empty as Killian had told. The guards had not shifted yet making it harder to proceed with the plan. Both of them quietly walked around in the garden pretending to breathe the fresh air. Bleiz ran his hands over a couple of withering irises, as if he was admiring them. They walked further into the garden, hoping that the guards did not see them. A few moments went by when the gate opened and the guards went inside.

They had a plan already set out. It was finally time to teach the royals a lesson that would never be forgotten. Bleiz and Killian took out the sharp dagger hiding beneath their clothing and started cutting down the withering iris flowers. They slashed, pierced and slit everything around them until they reached the fountain. Bleiz had never seen anything like it before. It reminded him of the words he was told by the person who came knocking on his door. He would never understand how someone could be attached to something of unknown origin.
A gust of wind blew his mask off and cut off his thoughts short.

"Is everything alright mate?," Killian questioned.

"Yes, let's just finish this job."

They broke down the fountain and everything that resembled the Iris kingdom.

"There is a greenhouse full of iris flowers. I've heard the royals take pride in the whole thing. Apparently it's some sort of symbol to show their power."

The two went over to the greenhouse. While Killian stood guard, Bleiz took out a set of matches. He lit one of them up and held it in front of him. He let himself enjoy the soothing warmth from the little burning match before he tossed into the greenhouse. For some reason the action made him feel satisfactory. Seeing as the flame started eating the flowers made him feel alive. He smiled and took his last steps out of the greenhouse. Killian smirked as he shut the door.

They finished by leaving a small gift before returning back to the celebration.

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Hello everyone,

Don't we all love some action. Well it has just begun!

S&S