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Many forget that she is adopted but those who do remember wonder if she is some secret child my father had. The honest truth is she is nothing like that; she was actually the daughter of two poor merchants my mother had once known. Mother even took her in when they could no longer keep her. This was three years before she was married to my father. 

Her brown eyes look me over before her hands grab hold of my pale shoulders. “Veran are you okay?” She asks forcing my eyes to look into hers. 

I pull the corner of my lip to give a small smirk. “Just spinal compression and dislocated shoulders.” I say sarcastically.

“This isn’t a joke” She glares, shaking her head.

With the movement of her head and the gentle shaking of my shoulders her hair sways like silk. This is the only similarity she had with my mother, long straight hair. Whereas my hair is wavy like fathers.

I quickly shove her hands away and then make sure I am convincing as I reassure her. “I’m okay.” She glowers at me and then pouts her bottom lip with doubt. “I really am.” I smile. 

She crosses her arms and looks down at me. “Is my concern so insignificant to you?” She asks, raising her brow.

“Of course not.” I shake my head in denial. “The truth is I really am okay.”

She obviously wants to say more as she taps a finger on her bicep but she kindly changes the subject. “This is the third time in just two months.” She gestures one hand up. “Every suspect has died after being in prison for only a day. It’s strange that these people are so determined to kill you.”

I nod my head. “It is indeed strange.”

Copecka opens her mouth but turns her head to her lady in waiting who stands silently beside her. “Vanessa,” she mumbles and the maid bows in obedience. “Please get my brother a shirt, leather boots and a wet towel,” she pauses and looks at me. “Perhaps a comb as well.” She smiles gently. 

“Of course, your Royal Highness.” She raises her head and hurries away.

Copecka looks back at me. “So what will you do Veran?”

I scratch my head and look out the window to the shadowed trees in the courtyard below. “Obviously I’m not just going to let them kill me.”

She nods, a soft smile crossing her rosy cheeks. “Of course, but you must be sick of this so any ideas on how to prevent this again.”

I meet her eyes as I try to stand the tallest I can. “Well obviously we now know that they have access to the castle so I could look into leaving the Imperial City but this is probably the safest place especially since we don’t know if one of the royals is behind this.”

She presses her lips into a firm line as she considers disagreement to the accusation but she knows just as much as me that it is a possibility. There has of course been times when the Realms fought one another for the title of Emperor but as of now they all appeared content with their positions. 

Well except for the Dessert Queen who constantly craved more power.

I walk to the window that is bordered with deep red voile and lean my hands against it’s sill. “Do you know if the Councilors and Generals are awake?”

She is hesitant then clears her throat and walks beside me. “Yes, though they will leave as soon as morning breaks.” She folds her hands in front of her and looks up to the moon. “I advise that you discuss this with them, they only come once a month.”

I lower my head then look up to her. “I need people I can trust, I need to create allies in the castle.” I look back outside. “I need people who are not here because they were merely hired to be.”

I look back up to her and she furrows her eyebrows while squinting her eyes. “I know,” she says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “It is hard when you are the Crown Prince before you are Veran.” She pulls her hand away and tucks them both into her sleeves. “Johnathan has been watching over a new group of guards. 

“May I ask why you are telling me this.”

“They’re all young but very skilled, perhaps this is the group you can turn into your personal entourage. I have seen them on countless occasions and can guarantee they have no strange affiliations. After all, he only takes the best.”

“Are you trying to tell me that these guards could be the people I trust?”

She smiles and looks behind us at Robulent. “Robulent is one of them.”

I look back at Robulent who gives a formal bow and then stands back up. “Are all these men truly admirable?”

Copecka nods her head. “There are three girls and yes they are.”

I did my best to hide my shock but Copecka still smiles. Women in the army were not unheard of but this is the first time Johnathan has any to train himself. 

The lady in waiting named Vanessa comes rushing back down the hall and quickly helps me to put on my shirt. “Give it some serious thought.” Copecka says giving me the comb to brush my hair. “They were trained to be guards but would most likely be friends as well.” She shrugs her shoulders. “You will be given a change of personal guards either way.” 

Once I was a little bit presentable, Copecka smiles and gestures down the hall. “Now hurry to the throne room. I’m sure father is already discussing with the others what they should do about your safety.”

I hand the comb back to the lady as I place the boots on. “Thank you Copecka.”

She smirks and begin to walk down the hall. “Anytime.” She calls turning down a corner.

I take a breath looking back at Robulent who still stands behind me, stonic and cold. “Is she telling the truth?”

His expression melts away to curiosity. “Excuse me.”

I beginto lead the way to the throne room that is practically on the other side of the castle. “Do you think that you can be a guard as well as someone I trust?”

He chuckles like it's a dumb question. “Of course.”

I turn away, he would say that. It wasn’t like he could say no.

I run my hand through my bleach blonde hair and wonder how does one live with their life constantly being hunted by strangers? Probably not comfortably and most definitely not with all their sanity intact. Well at the very least I still have most of that but I can most definitely say that my paranoia is spiking to a point I did not know was possible.

As we approach the throne room more and more of the castle staff clutter the halls, each one exchanging words of gossip that fall silent at the sight of me. They then pretend to clean but I know they have no need to be so close to the throne room except for the desire to hear what could be heard from down the hall. Typically it would only be snippets of a conversation but if my father was angry and yelling they could hear everything.

I took a breath as the staff fell into low bows and then disperse rushing farther down the hall. 

The people of this castle either adored me or hated me. Why they hated me was for a whole other reason I still didn’t know. Perhaps it was in fact jealousy of the golden spoon I was born with or maybe it was just because they did not agree with the monarchy at all.  I can no longer trust anyone except for myself and my family. 

I take a deep breath and look to the ceiling wondering if I should begin to hunt down the perpetrators myself. It wasn’t an impossible task for me but I still lack enough connections to find just who is the mole in the castle. Maybe there are multiple traitors. That is the most likely case.

These are thoughts I will have to sort out later.

I look behind me. “Speak freely,” I say, hoping Robulent knows I am talking to him. “If I am going to take in Johnathan’s subordinates we might as well be familiar with one another.” I add.

Robulent matches my strides. “I think you will be just fine, Prince Veran. I have only ever heard good things about you so I am sure that if friends are what you are seeking as well as guards we are the best option you can choose.”

I slide my eyes to him and raise my eyebrows. He is much more enthusiastic then he presents himself to be, I will give him that much.

I look forward and take a deep breath as the enormous, twenty foot tall, mahogany double doors of the throne room tower before me. They were purposely made to be huge so that people such as me would second think entering the throne room. Especially after a meeting had begun. 

I take a deep breath trying to ease a new sense of tension that courses through my veins. I need to be calm, controlled and collected. That was expected of me, of the future Emperor of the Seven Realm Empire.