Free Web NovelChapter 13: The Empress’ Husband
The clouds above Aethelgard began to shift, swirling in a slow, deliberate spiral. Their color changed, deepening from white to grey, then to a deep crimson, as if the sky itself was bleeding. The suns dimmed, their light swallowed by the growing darkness. The temperature dropped, and a heavy silence fell over the land.
Everyone in Aethelgard was alarmed by this unknown phenomenon.
What was happening that could cause such disastrous changes?
Even the strongest experts couldn’t find the source of it.
At the castle, everyone was anticipating the full appearance of the throne until a loud crack disrupted everything.
When they heard the crack, most instinctively glanced at the cause.
Gasps of surprise could be heard, making the rest check what had happened.
A crack had appeared on the awakening crystal.
Before their very eyes, this crack began to expand like a spiderweb.
BOOM!
Everyone watched as the awakening crystal burst into particles of crystal, ceasing to exist.
Silence fell over the crowd. They were trying to comprehend what was happening.
This shook everyone, because this was the first time this had ever happened in Aethelgard.
"Did the awakening crystal just get destroyed?"
This first sentence shattered the silence. The scene erupted into utter chaos as everyone began to discuss what they had seen.
"SILENCE!"
This roar shut everyone’s mouths as Darwin looked at them. Those who couldn’t bear to meet his gaze turned away.
"Everyone should return to their respective duties. If anyone discusses what happened today, they will be severely punished."
His cold voice sent a visible shiver through the crowd.
"You may disperse."
The crowd dispersed immediately, leaving only Darwin, Seraphina, Kelvin, Ignis, and the twenty Originator experts of the castle.
"Darwin, what is happening?" One of the twenty Originators stepped forward, his voice low and urgent. "We’ve never seen anything like this."
Darwin shrugged his shoulders, his expression unreadable. "You will have to wait for Young Miss to answer that question."
His reply confirmed their suspicions. This was the first time they had seen the Empress bring a stranger to the castle, and a male at that. The commotion that Lucien had caused was not to be taken lightly.
As for Seraphina, her gaze and attention were fixed on where the shadow of the throne had disappeared.
For some reason, when the throne shadow first appeared, she had felt a tug in her heart, as if it was familiar. An ache she couldn’t name.
She tried to think of where she had seen it before, but no occurrence with it had ever happened.
This was the first time.
And that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.
---
Lucien opened his eyes, looking at the empty dark iron stand that had once held the crystal.
Even with the fact that fifty percent of his talent had been concealed, the awakening crystal hadn’t been able to contain its power.
Confusion beguiled his mind.
Dragon Soul. Blade Soul. And one capable of causing such phenomena.
Even though Lucien had been awakening, everything that had happened hadn’t escaped his senses.
For the Blade Soul, he could still think of his Veyrion Clan. They were experts of the blade; it was what they were founded on.
For the Dragon Soul, he was absolutely clueless. But if he thought carefully, he might have gained it from his mother’s bloodline.
Everything about his mother had been a mystery since he was a child.
He let out a foul breath.
Thinking of this was a stress on its own. It wasn’t that it was something bad; he would just wait for them to meet and get his answers from them.
Speaking of his family, he wondered what their reaction would be if they found out about this.
He turned and saw numerous unfamiliar faces. His gaze landed on Seraphina.
"How did I do?" Lucien asked, his lips curling up into a smirk.
His words and attitude angered the rest. Someone planned on stepping forward to reprimand Lucien, but Seraphina’s words made them all freeze.
"You did well, Darling." Seraphina smiled, her figure moving fast as she appeared in front of him. "You deserve a reward."
"Oh? What’s the reward?" Lucien’s eyes squinted.
Seraphina leaned closer and whispered into his ear, her voice low and teasing. "Wait till we enter the bed. It will be a reward you will never forget."
Her hot breath tickled his ear, making him no longer keep up the act.
He coughed and maintained his distance. He didn’t forget he hated the figure before him, or did he?
For a moment, he felt confused.
---
Meanwhile, the experts of the castle were stumped speechless.
Their mouths were open wide enough to contain a large stone.
It wasn’t their fault. Who could believe this scene, where the cold and ruthless Empress they knew was behaving like a lovesick partner?
"Are you guys seeing what I’m seeing, or is this an illusion?" Kelvin whispered, his voice betraying just how shocked he was.
They didn’t know how to respond. Had Lucien used sorcery on their Empress?
But with his strength compared to that of the Empress, there was a vast difference; he couldn’t possibly harm her.
They were trying to believe the situation they were witnessing.
"Oh, I was trying to keep this a secret, but alas, it seems it’s fate." Seraphina’s voice woke them from their daze. They looked at her, holding Lucien’s arms like a devoted couple.
Lucien wore a helpless smile; there was nothing he could do.
---
"These are the elders of my clan. My father’s subordinates," Seraphina introduced them.
Lucien smiled. Even though he was weak, he could partially feel the strength they possessed from their auras.
He didn’t bother appraising them, knowing that the result would be nothing but question marks.
Meanwhile, the elders were confused. The sentence structure was a bit off, but how dare they say anything?
They smiled, even though they didn’t fully comprehend the situation; it was better not to anger the Empress.
"It’s a pleasure to meet you," Lucien said, extending his hand in courtesy.
Seeing his enthusiastic manners, they wanted to shake his hand. But an oppressive killing intent descended upon them.
As for the culprit, it was Seraphina. Everyone who tried to touch Lucien or shake his hand felt the weight of that intent, forcing them to maintain strained smiles.
"Haha, we don’t deserve your handshake," Kelvin laughed, a hint of bitterness in his voice.
This left Lucien confused, forcing him to withdraw his hand.
Seraphina smiled warmly. "Darling, no need to stress yourself."
"Well, some of you have already met my Darling. Let me formally introduce you to him." Her voice carried a cold edge as she spoke. "He is my husband, the husband of Seraphina Drax."
She mouthed each word slowly, deliberately, her eyes cold and unwavering as she scanned the elders’ faces.
The elders felt as if thunder had struck them.
A/N: Continue to support this author with Golden Tickets, Power Stones, and gifts. Your support is my greatest motivation.
Let’s not forget the reader missions — keep this author busy.
