[WMMaP] Elias de Alger Obelia

Extra Chapter B

"Your highness, have you awakened?"

Elias clenched his eyes before groaning in displeasure of waking up in the morning. Mornings were never his favorite time of the day especially mornings where he had to leave the warm comfort of his blankets.

"Prince Elias, his majesty has invited you for tea."

At that, Elias immediately pushed himself up and stumbled out of bed.

"Liora! Liora! Call Nikolas! I have to get ready immediately!"

Elias ignored the chuckle behind the door before it opened. Nikolas entered the room and made his way to the closet while Liora approached Elias to help him up.

Liora smiled sadly at the prince who looked to be excited. Liora and Nikolas knew better. Although the prince looked excited, he was actually starving from attention.

The relationship between the prince and the emperor was not strained but it was somewhat disconnected.

"Up, up!"

Elias hurried Nikolas the moment he was done dressing the young prince.

The attendant swept the prince up and proceeded to take the prince to where the emperor was. Liora followed close behind.

Elias hummed as he looked outside from the passing windows.

It was bright and cloudy. Leaves fell which told Elias to expect a light breeze to caress his being.

It was a great day to have tea and on such a great day, it was fortunate his father was feeling well enough to invite Elias for tea.

They had made their way to the garden and when Elias caught sight of blond hair, the prince tugged on Nikolas's shirt to be put down.

The attendant placed the prince on the ground as Liora came beside and presented the prince's cane.

Giving a quick thanks to both of them, Elias made his way to the emperor as fast as he could.

"Father!"

The emperor, Chrysanthos de Alger Obelia, was sitting and looking somewhere before he blinked and turned to Elias. He had a tired look on his face and his eyes shifted once in a while. Nevertheless, Chrys gave his son a smile.

"Elias, good morning."

"Good morning, father! The weather today is beautiful, don't you think? Ah, but of course it doesn't compare with your beauty, father."

Chrys shook his head at his son's silliness. Elias stared at the tea cup his father lifted to take a sip.

"You always loved this kind of weather. Just like him..."

Elias blinked as his father started to space out. His eyes unfocused as they were lost in melancholic memories.

Him...

Elias knew his father was referring to the man who died because of a curse. His father held that man so close to his heart. He was also aware that there were times his father saw that man in Elias. Apparently, the prince looked like that man.

Suddenly, his father's eyes sharpened in wary fear and turned to look behind him. Elias watched his father flinch again. Chrys made it as unnoticeable as possible to look around with his eyes before settling back to Elias. It was something Elias had grown used to seeing his father do and did not comment on it.

They were having tea together in the afternoon. It was a rare event. It was as rare as seeing a Jeweled Winged Butterfly. Elias was not going to ruin their rare time together by mentioning Chrys's behavior.

Chrys did not often see Elias. The emperor always kept a distance from the prince. The only thing that kept their strained father and son relationship going was the constant letters they sent each other and the rare tea times.

This days, they were able to see each other more often because Chrys was able to sleep in the afternoon.

Elias knew why Chrys kept his distance.

The emperor slept very little and believed he felt safe enough to sleep in the afternoon. With so little sleep, it was difficult to fight the illusions the emperor would see at every corner of his eyes and harder to ignore the whispers that he heard.

To make matters worse, Elias reminded Chrys of Claude. The prince could see the regret and guilt that killed the emperor.

The prince did not want much. He was grateful enough to have his father spend a bit of his time with him.

"Father, I believe it is time to sleep."

Elias commented when he saw his father's eyes struggling to stay open and nodded in agreement.

"I am sorry, Elias. I will be retiring for the day."

"Of course, father!"

Elias smiled and watched as his father was escorted back to his room in Garnet Palace. Once the silhouette of Chrys disappeared, the smile disappeared like it was never there.

"I am glad the drug is working. Make sure we do not run out and that no one is aware of the purchase.

Elias commented as he leaned back on his seat and took a sip of his drink.

"Of course, your highness."

"My prince, Duke Alpheus wishes for an audience with Emperor Chrysanthos."

Elias's eyes sharpened.

"Decline. Tell him that if he has business with father then his business is with me first. Otherwise, he will not have an audience at all."

"Yes, my prince."

Elias hummed as he swirled his drink. He had drugged his father with a very strong sleeping pill and a pill that would make his brain numb to hypnotize.

It was Elias who made Chrys feel like it was safe to sleep in the afternoon. He was still in the process to direct Chrys that the "ghosts" he saw would not bother Chrys at night.

Since it was still in process, Chrys was not in the state to be working official duties so Elias had announced his father was sick and temporarily took on the mantle. Once his father got better, Chrys resume official duties.

Going through several assassination attempts on both the emperor and crown prince, Elias had lost all kind of humanity and morality towards the nobles and people involved.

"Have Andreas torture the assassins I caught yesterday. Mangle their limbs, fry their brains, do everything and get them to speak. Get information on who is behind this."

"Yes, your highness."

Elias felt satisfied with the little humanity he felt in today's tea time and stood up. He had official duties to uphold, a father to keep safe, nobles to hunt.

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