Happiness...

Sadness...

Hate...

Love...

What were they? I will never know. They had forbidden me to feel any kind of sentiment for this will lead me to my self-destruction.

Emotions were venomous to the heart and mind; I should never have them for they will lead me to an insurmountable pain that would taint the pureness instilled in me at birth.

          I was the purest among my kind and it must stay that way. My mere purpose was to exist— nothing more and nothing less. Questioning such would only lead to my punishment bestowed by the law of my kind and the law of which I represent— the law of the Ochi sto de Scarlet Austarch (No to the Scarlet Autocrat).

It was a law passed on by the Higher Order of Ancients who survived from the tyranny of The Scarlet Emperor— a ruler almost considered as the perfect sovereign but became a slave to his emotions when he fell in love with a Cysgod (Shadow) Knight.

I ran my gloved fingers against the wooden wall of the hallway as I sauntered towards the dining area. My fingers dipped into the crevices of the intricate swirls of the ivory wall as my feet took gentle steps on the ebony carpet. I made sure that my feet made no sound as I trudged because even the slightest and gentlest sound could be a source of entertainment.

          My father and mother were already seated. My father sat at the end of the overly lengthy stygian table with my mother sitting perpendicular to him.

The servant pulled the chair for me at the far end of the table, opposite to my father, and I bowed before them before taking my seat.

"How was your day, Lucian?" Father asked me sternly.

I kept my gaze lowered to the empty space on the table, keeping my hearing alert for their inquiries.

"Good father.”

"Do you feel ill?" Mother asked me next.

The tone of their voices had no hint of compassion or affection of a parent which was suited for this conversation and for my benefit. 

"No, I feel nothing," I answered. 

I always had and will always be empty as I should be.

More servants arrived in their black uniforms, placing a bowl filled with bread in front of me and a glass of water. They were careful not to touch me for doing such was punishable by the law.

I took a bite of the bland bread; we ate in total silence. No further conversations were exchanged among us and not even the servants dared to utter noise unless their services were requested by my father or mother.

I slowly drank my water as soon as I finished everything in front of me. I rose from my seat, bowing before returning to my bedroom.

My chamber was located on the left-wing of the castrum (castle). Only a few personnel were allowed inside, specifically the chosen servants and the handpicked ippótes.

I sat by the edge of the white semi-soft lectus (bed). My eyes focused on my lap and then at my window. The view was blocked by vines; they were purposely raised there to hinder any possible entertainment or distraction that could elicit emotion from me.

As far as I could remember, for the last eighteen blue moons, this had been my quotidian life. It was unchanging, ascetic, and monotonous just as what I had expected.

I lied down on my lectus, shutting my eyes. I circled the castrum earlier to waste time but made sure not to push myself to exhaustion.

As I attempted to catch some sleep, my door crept open. The bed sank from the weight of the intruder. A hand brushed on my forehead and a shaky breath was released as the hand stroked my head in a manner that was forbidden by the law.

"Oh, Lucian... my musuko (son)..." she whispered. "Te iubesc (I love you) ..."

My mother had always been a lawbreaker. She was the type to let her emotions get the best of her and this was one of those occasions. She should face the consequences, but it was not too late to save her from the poison that lived through her rotting form.

There was still time. 

I opened my eyes, turning my head to face her. She was startled and looked ashamed from her actions. I merely bore my eyes at her.

"You are tainting my purity mother. What are you doing here?"

She opened and closed her mouth in obvious edginess. Her blonde hair cascaded down to her waist and framed her small face. Her clemency, though opposed by the law that I was under, was still considered a treasure to the Kingdom of Florencia and to the many who hadn’t deposited themselves under the grasp of the Higher-Order.

The law shall be applied only to those willing and those who had dipped their hands in blood for the kingdom. The Higher-Order was still fighting for its equal application, but the late King Genshi did not allow its mandatory utilization.

"I..." she trailed off, lost on what to say.

She seemed to be holding so many emotions inside of her that it was obvious that she was being destroyed by them. She should have undergone the training with me. This kingdom did not need a fragile queen.

"You should not be here. Please manage your motherly instincts. You are endangering my life and you are violating my rights."

She closed her mouth, pursing her lips to conceal her shameful acts but was failing miserably.

"Of course... omlouvám se (I’m sorry)," she murmured hurriedly.

She rose, leaving with her head lowered. She closed my door, lightly releasing an audible click, and her footsteps became louder as she evidently departed in an upset sprint.

The night passed. I awakened to perform my daily routine of grooming. After bathing and cleaning my teeth with cloth smeared with a special paste that had no taste, I suited myself up in an ebony blouse with puffy long sleeves. I slipped into the same shade of fitted pants, wearing my ivory high boots.

A servant knocked on my door to inform me that breakfast was prepared; I thanked her flatly. The same bread was served to me and while I consumed it in small bites, I noticed that my mother did not have any appetite as she played with her food.

Her emotions must be eating away her manners.

"Okaa? Otou?" a deep and baritone voice resonated from a near distance. Both of my parents looked at each other in shock. 

Mother suddenly stood up, causing the chair to fall back down to the floor. She ran towards the source of the voice.

"Lucius!" she yelled out in joy.

"Okaa!" the male replied blissfully.

Father followed suit but glanced at me as if he wanted to urge me to get up but remembered something. I was left alone to continue with my meal.

Three bodies emerged from the tall and wide arched threshold. My parents surfaced with the person they gleefully welcomed. A blonde-haired male who was taller and more built than father frantically looked around. As soon as he spotted me, his already wide smile grew more in width and if possible, his lively aura became livelier.

"Chii!" he addressed, charging up to me with wide arms.