Tyran had been indoors all day feigning mourning or rather leaving the entire empire in the dark on the prince's State of health.
He had skipped the mourning assembly, had stationed more knights to guard his quarters and reinforced the anti teleportation barrier around his quarters to prevent unexpected visits.
Only the food testers and servers,were allowed in to serve his meals which he clearly turned down on purpose to ignite and cause rumours of his mourning to spread.
When the stars glittered above the sky and the night gave him a perfect cover,he appeared at Fiona's quarters dressed in a loose white mourning outfit and was greeted by the knights he had stationed.
His face was keenly made up with coal rubbed around his eyes on an unwashed body which gave off an offensive odour,his eyes reddened as a result of the Tycha root he rubbed on them.
Tyran was greeted by the stunned knights he stationed by the barrier.
"Your majesty!"One of them sobbed upon seeing him and Tyran lowered his head as he slowly walked passed them.
This only meant his deceitful act had worked after all.
"Your imperial majesty!"Tyran heard a familiar voice from behind.
He spiraled around to see kings Jamek and Maximilian standing outside the anti teleportation barrier.
Tyran turned their way and their jaws dropped at the sight.
"Your majesty have you been—"
A gasp escaped the king's lips as he blinked severally resisting the urge to cover his nose in front of the emperor.
There would be no greater disrespect than doing that.
"I was told you needed to see me...what do you want from me"Tyran mustered a shakey voice,the final touch to make it look completely real.
"The Prince had fainted during his birthday celebration,none of the kings has returned back....Everyone is concerned,the entire realm is and your imperial majesty....I do fear for your health as well"King max said,his tone laced with concern.
"Is the prince de—"
"Silence Jamek!....how can you utter something so abominable"King max sparked,cutting the king off,his brows furrowed deeply as he motioned towards Tyran with his hand."The emperor's countenace is thus because his highness is simply ill,he will surely be back on his feet.
King max turned to Tyran who had stormed off.
"Your majesty we will wait to hear from you!"he called out.
Tyran shook his head as he walked further,a part of him saddened that he had worried the king so much.
When they were much younger king max had always be concerned enough to freak out when he had something as trivial as a little cut.
He would never let him walk with it and carried him on his small back whenever the need arose.
Tyran smiled at the thought.
Nevertheless this was something he must do,this was his net to catching a lot of poison fishes who corrupted his ocean.
Gerald had warned him to trust no one,that included his best friend.he didn't know what he would do if the king ever turned against him.
He turned down a long well lit empty hallway,the sound of his footsteps echoing loudly against the polished floors before arriving at the barrier's entrance.
Ramses sat on the bed facing Ren.He backed him immediately he entered without stealing a glance his way.
"I do not want to see you right now!"The prince snapped.
"It's not your place to decide when and when not to see me"Tyran shot back coldly."You will come over here right now and offer your greetings!".
Ramses hesitated for a while,his arms folded tightly across his chest,his lips pressed together in defiance.
This was the first time his father had requested an official greeting for him.Was this the beginning of an all out strictness?,would his father make him start performing his princely duties at four?If that happens his childhood would become even more miserable,it would be such a hassle.
With his gaze lowered he climbed down the bed and approached Tyran holding his breath.
He fell to one knee with an arm on top his flexed knee just as he had been taught without lifting his head.
"Greetings your imperial majesty"He muttered.
Tyran crouched to his eye level to rub his hair with a broad smile.
"Lift your head"he said and Ramses raised his head to lock eyes with him.
"Arrrrrggghhhh!"
Ramses screamed on seeing him,his expression that of confusion and amusement."What in the world!".
"Here...I brought you something"Tyran said as he unwrapped the clean piece of cloth he carried.
"Sweets?"
He had perceived it before his father was done unwrapping.
"Is this your way of bribing me?"He raised a brow.
"Who knows"Tyran said with a smile.
"Hmmm"The prince eyed it before snatching it from him to throw one of them in his mouth.
"The sweets are not sweet enough for a bribe"He muttered nonchalantly.
"Well this isn't all—"
"Why are you like that?.... you look terrible"He said Mid-chew,his face scrunching.
"You're dead".
Ramses stopped chewing.
Me?"
"Everyone thinks so or at least I want them to".
"Why?"Ramses asked but Tyran ignored the question,rising to his feet.
"Has he awaken?"
The prince shook his head.
Tyran frowned.
"Other than that he appears fine"
Tyran walked over and touched warm skin before pulling the sheets closer to his face, carefully tucking him.
He wordlessly stared at the general for a while as Ramses watched him closely.
His father had never been this worried about anything before.
"I think he will awaken"he reassured.
Tyran nodded.
"That which I promised is not to far from here,come with me"
They walked out the barrier before turning down an open walkway into a garden nearby.
"Is it safe to walk this freely?...what if someone sees me".The prince muttered glancing around.
"Do not bother,all workers have been dismissed and this place double checked before shutting down"
Ramses studied his surroundings.
The area was well lit with candle stands encased in a transparent covering that allowed just the right amount of glow to seep through them.It consisted of mostly newly erected buildings flowers,statues,the building unfamiliar structural architecture entirely different from that of Fiona's quarters.
He had never been to this part of Fiona's quarters before actually he was barely allowed anywhere outside Delu.
"This is but an extension of your mother's quarters,it is connects to our destination...I have erected an anti teleportation barrier around the entire area and from now on you are allowed to roam these areas".
The large gate ahead flew open as they neared it allowing Ramses to take in the most beautiful scenery he had ever seen.
A vast area of land with an elegant fountain in front of the walkway that lead to a flight of stairs rising to the entrance of a building in its center.
Next to it was two smaller wine colored buildings,one looking more majestic than the other in appearance.It's rooftop adorned with gold shimmering softly under the moonlight's warm glow.
Two statues had been erected on each side,each holding a burning torch that the wind could not put out.
"What is this place?"Ramses asked in awe.
"The crown prince's quarters,your new quarters.It had been in construction even before you were born....but this isn't the highlight of it all".
"I am the crowned prince?"Ramses turned to him eyes widening despite not knowing what it was.
"It's not yet official but you certainly are"Tyran grabbed his hand to approach the smaller building.
He pushed the door open and they walked into an entirely different world.
A brightly lit grand expanse of books stacked on various towering spiral book shelves.
Each shelf stretched into the next in deliberate patterns as though whispering a different tale from the other.
The windows towered above,as tall as the building itself,it's gold lintels merging into the white spotless walls that were lined with a special kind of lantern responsible from the library's extreme light up.
"This is your library boy,your birthday present".
The words resounded in his ears as a delighted Ramses walked further in, his small figure swallowed by the vastness of written knowledge surrounding him, drowning him in every detail of its breathtaking architecture.
From behind,The emperor watched him with a smile, delighted with the prince's interest in books but unbeknownst to him all the books present had been revised,with the existence of humans erased from them.
It would be better he knew nothing about them,this was but another step to securing both his and Delvin's future.
"Your study is just next to your bed chamber. You can move books from—"
Tyran's voice trailed off as the prince's arms wrapped around his legs, his head pressed firmly against him.
"I love it, father… I really do… this is indeed the best gift ever."