After a two-hour nap, I get dressed in my mage attire and make my way to the Imperial Palace. It’s a long walk as I have to enter the city to get to the Palace. I’m glad the hood of the cape covers my head, I don’t want anyone to see or know what I look like. A mage’s greatest weapon and weakness is their looks.

The city is lively as always. The more open mages perform small miracles for their younger audience while others use theirs to perform small tasks such as warming food or boiling water.

I do not have time to watch what is happening idly. The Emperor has asked for me, and it can’t be a good sign. He knows about the vials. I am already feeling plagued, if the Emperor pulls something funny, I won’t be able to defend myself.

I arrive at the Palace gates and show the guard the invitation and my imperial badge. He immediately opens the gates and I walk inside and follow the path until I spot the royal advisor, Angelo. I feel my body shiver and I show him my respects.

“You are here early,“ he tells me as he adjusts his glasses.

“Better early than late,“ I respond coldly.

We both know what happened last time I arrived late. I instinctively almost reached for my throat just remembering that time.

Angelo walks ahead of me toward the throne room and I follow behind him. Will this be a good time to give the bastard a tail or a bald spot? I can’t stand the sight of this man.

I clutch the bag with the vials and gulp nervously. I hope he only wants to see my progress and congratulate me.

“Please wait here,“ Angelo says while he points to the waiting room. “His Imperial Highness is attending to a matter at the moment. I will come for you when it is time“

He leaves me alone and I plop down on the couch in the waiting room. That was suffocating. It still is. Emperor Yexirean has treated me well since he took me in, and he never once mistreated me just because I was a mage. But there has been some forceful behavior. Hopefully, he is in a good mood after his prior engagement.

An hour later Angelo comes to the waiting room and escorts me towards the throne room. The guards open the door and we walk inside. Immediately the air feels stuffy and the people seem tense. Yep, he is in a horrible mood.

I stand before the emperor and kneel.

“Greeting to the sun of the Yexirean Empire“

“Remove the hood“ he commands and I comply.

I stand up and remove the hood.

“Still wearing a mask I see,“ he says. “What a shame“

His statement makes me shudder, but I laugh softly. I can’t get on this man’s bad side, not when I can see it in his face how much in a foul mood he is.