Free Web NovelChapter 88: Chapter 88: The Price of a Name
Chapter 88: The Price of a Name
The following morning arrived far too quickly.
Not that Ren had slept.
Sleep implied rest. It implied peace. It implied the ability to close one’s eyes without imagining countless terrible possibilities.
He had spent the entire night staring at the ceiling of his room, replaying the same moment over and over again until it became unbearable.
Aelith’s arm around Aria.
The look in her eyes.
The sound of her voice disappearing.
The emptiness she left behind.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it over and over again.
Every time he breathed, he remembered he had failed.
The realization sat heavily inside his chest, growing heavier with every passing hour.
By dawn, something inside him had already made its decision.
He would bring her back no matter what it cost.
No matter who stood in his way.
No matter what secrets he would have to reveal.
The imperial palace stood proudly against the morning sky, its towering white spires cutting through the clouds like enormous blades. Countless banners bearing the imperial crest fluttered from the walls while golden decorations shimmered beneath the sunlight.
To most people, the sight inspired awe.
Today, Ren felt nothing.
The palace was merely another obstacle.
Another door standing between him and Aria.
The four of them moved through the enormous gates in silence.
Sebastian walked with unusual calm.
Matthias looked grim.
Even Ezekiel, who usually found some excuse to complain about everything around him, had not spoken a single unnecessary word since sunrise.
Their destination lay at the very center of the palace.
The Emperor’s audience chamber.
The guards did not stop them.
No one would dare stop three of the Empire’s most influential young men and the future head servant of the Valen household.
Yet despite the ease of their passage, tension continued building with every step.
Because all of them knew what awaited beyond those doors.
The Emperor.
A man who ruled through authority rather than affection.
A man who viewed people as pieces on a board.
A man who rarely did anything without first calculating what he would gain in return.
And Aria...
Ren’s jaw tightened.
Aria was not royalty.
She was not an imperial treasure.
She was not a military asset.
She was merely one noblewoman.
One extraordinary, impossible, infuriating woman.
But only the four of them seemed to understand that losing her would feel like losing the entire world.
The massive doors finally opened.
The audience chamber stretched before them in all its intimidating grandeur.
Marble columns rose toward a distant ceiling painted with scenes of ancient victories. Golden chandeliers illuminated the hall while rows of nobles and officials lined the sides of the room.
At the very end stood the imperial throne itself.
And seated upon it was the old Emperor.
Age had bent his body slightly but not his presence.
His sharp eyes immediately settled upon the four men entering his chamber.
A faint look of annoyance crossed his face.
Because this audience had not been scheduled.
They had demanded it.
The Emperor rested his chin against one hand.
"Well." His voice echoed throughout the hall. "This appears serious."
Sebastian stepped forward first and offered a respectful bow.
"Your Majesty."
The Emperor waved impatiently.
"Spare me."
His gaze moved between them.
"You look as though someone has died."
The statement struck closer to the truth than he realized.
Because for several long seconds, nobody answered.
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.
Then he noticed Ren.
Not Sebastian.
Not Matthias.
Not Ezekiel.
Ren, a mere servant standing among men who commanded armies and noble houses.
The old ruler leaned forward slightly.
Interest flickered across his expression.
That alone was unusual.
"What happened?"
The question sounded casual.
But everyone in the room immediately understood they had one chance to convince him.
One chance to secure the Empire’s support.
One chance to save Aria.
And Ren already knew it would not be enough.
Because the Emperor would ask a simple question.
Why?
Why should the Empire move for one woman?
Why should soldiers march?
Why should resources be spent?
Why should he care?
And when that question came...
Ren intended to give him an answer he would never expect.
Even if it meant sacrificing the one secret he had guarded his entire life.
The Emperor’s gaze swept across the four of them once more, lingering briefly on Sebastian, then Matthias, before settling on Ezekiel. None of them looked as they usually did.
The arrogance, confidence, and composure that often followed men of their standing seemed strangely absent today.
Instead, there was only tension. Frustration. Exhaustion.
And fear.
The old ruler immediately noticed it.
His expression sharpened slightly.
"Well?" he asked. "I do not recall summoning any of you."
Sebastian stepped forward first, as expected.
"Your Majesty, we are here regarding an urgent matter." ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
The Emperor sighed heavily and leaned back against his throne.
"Everything is urgent when nobles want something."
"This concerns Lady Aria Valen."
The moment Aria’s name entered the conversation, the Emperor visibly paused.
Not because he particularly cared about her.
But because the girl had become difficult to ignore.
The legitimate daughter of the Valen household.
The young woman who had somehow become connected to nearly every influential young man in the Empire.
The same young woman who had turned the banquet upside down only yesterday.
The Emperor rubbed his temple.
"What has she done now?"
"She has been abducted."
The audience chamber fell silent.
Several nearby officials exchanged startled glances.
The Emperor’s eyes narrowed.
"Abducted?"
"By the elven prince."
That finally earned their full attention.
The Emperor straightened.
"The elven prince?"
"Yes."
A long silence followed.
For a brief moment, hope flickered inside Sebastian’s chest.
Surely the Emperor would understand the severity of the situation.
Surely he would recognize the implications.
Unfortunately, the old man simply leaned back again.
"And?"
The single word immediately killed whatever optimism remained.
Ezekiel’s eye twitched.
Matthias’ expression darkened.
Even Ren felt his jaw tighten.
The Emperor spread his hands.
"The Elven Kingdom has already been threatening conflict. So this news changes very little."
Sebastian blinked. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
"Your Majesty?"
The Emperor sighed again as though explaining something obvious to children.
"The prince has become obsessed with a woman. That is unfortunate. Yet hardly unprecedented."
He waved dismissively.
"If every lovestruck royal required the mobilization of imperial resources, this empire would have collapsed centuries ago."
Ezekiel stepped forward. His patience had already been hanging by a thread.
"Your Majesty, with respect, this is not some romantic dispute."
"The prince breached imperial territory."
"He attacked a noble estate."
"He abducted a noblewoman."
"He openly declared his intentions."
"And?"
The Emperor looked unimpressed.
Ezekiel stared.
The Emperor continued.
"The Empire is not at war. The Elven Kingdom has not officially invaded. The borders remain intact and the capital remains secure."
His gaze swept across them.
"You are asking me to mobilize military and intelligence resources because one woman was taken."
The words landed heavily.
One woman.
Just one woman.
Ren lowered his gaze.
His fingers curled into fists.
The Emperor never noticed.
Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
The old ruler continued speaking.
"Do you know how many problems cross my desk each day? How many territories require attention? How many border disputes exist? How many merchants complain? How many nobles beg for favors?"
His expression hardened.
"You ask me to divert imperial resources for a single person. A mere troublesome noblewoman."
Sebastian immediately spoke.
"She is not merely a noblewoman."
The Emperor raised a brow.
"No?"
Ezekiel took over.
"She possesses extraordinary mana."
"Then train more mages."
Matthias stepped forward.
"She is connected to several important houses."
"So are hundreds of nobles."
The Emperor looked increasingly annoyed.
Every argument they presented seemed to bounce harmlessly off him.
Because none of them were addressing what he truly cared about.
Politics.
Numbers.
Power.
Results.
Not people.
Never people.
Finally, the Emperor stood.
The movement immediately silenced the room as his aged eyes swept across them.
"I understand your concern."
"No. You do not."
The voice came from Ren which made the entire room freeze.
Several officials visibly stiffened.
The Emperor slowly turned toward him.
The old ruler looked mildly surprised.
Not because Ren had spoken.
Because Ren had interrupted him.
The Emperor’s gaze sharpened.
"And who are you to tell me what I understand?"
The three immediately looked ready to intervene.
Only Ren remained calm.
The Emperor studied him.
A servant.
At least that was what he appeared to be.
A servant daring to challenge the throne.
Normally such behavior would have ended badly.
Yet something about Ren’s expression gave even the Emperor pause.
The old ruler narrowed his eyes.
"You have something to say?"
Ren stepped forward and never looked away from the Emperor.
"You are correct."
The Emperor raised a brow.
"She is only one woman." he paused. "You are correct that armies are not moved for ordinary reasons."
"You are correct that rulers must consider the Empire before individuals."
The Emperor looked almost satisfied.
Until Ren continued speaking.
"Unfortunately."
His voice became colder.
"Lady Aria Valen is not ordinary."
The satisfaction vanished.
The Emperor frowned.
"And why exactly should that matter to me?"
There it was.
The question.
The one Ren had expected from the very beginning.
Why should the Emperor care?
Why should the Empire move?
Why should resources be spent?
Why should the Empire move for one woman?
The answer had been sitting inside Ren’s chest long before he ever stepped into this audience chamber.
For years, he had buried it.
Hidden it.
Ignored it.
Not because he feared the truth itself, but because revealing it would change everything.
The life he had built.
The freedom he had fought for.
The simple existence he had managed to carve out beside Aria.
Once those words were spoken, there would be no taking them back.
The silence inside the audience chamber stretched painfully.
Sebastian watched him.
Matthias watched him.
Even Ezekiel, who already suspected there was far more to Ren than he ever admitted, found himself holding his breath.
Ren lowered his gaze briefly as uncertainty flickered across his expression.
Because revealing the truth now meant surrendering the last piece of himself that had ever belonged solely to him.
But Aria was gone.
And compared to that, secrets no longer mattered.
Slowly, Ren lifted his eyes toward the throne.
Toward the man who had spent years searching.
A faint, bitter smile touched his lips.
Then he finally spoke.
"Tell me, Your Majesty..."
The Emperor frowned.
Something about Ren’s tone made the old ruler sit a little straighter.
Ren took a slow step forward.
"How many years has it been now?"
The Emperor’s expression hardened.
The question made no sense.
At least not to anyone else.
But Ren could already see recognition beginning to form in the old man’s eyes.
Ren let out a quiet breath.
Then, with the calmness of a man stepping off a cliff after finally accepting the fall, he said,
"Haven’t you been looking for me...father?"
