Decisions

It seemed to be a pleasant enough afternoon for the citizens of Asghavia but for Prince Daegal, it was anything but. 

He had risen that morning with the same disturbing thoughts that had been on his mind ever since his father, the emperor Vulcan arranged his marriage to Lolo Nerina of Sejukgheim. 

He could not shake off the feeling that something was very wrong with her. Every night since the betrothal banquet, her intense blue eyes tormented his dreams. She looked innocent enough that evening but in her eyes was something sinister that he couldn't comprehend. 

Initially, he believed that the uneasiness he felt when he looked into her eyes was just him looking for an excuse not to get married to her. However, after he kept having those dreams ceaselessly, he realized that there was more to her than meets the eyes. 

He could not let himself be trapped in a marriage with her, a person he could not trust; a person whose true intentions he could not fathom. 

"This marriage cannot hold," He declared. 

Emperor Vulcan was stupefied. "What did you say, my son? Repeat yourself." 

"I said that this marriage cannot hold. I cannot get married to Lolo Nerina." 

Emperor Vulcan rose to his feet wearily. Daegal had always been a difficult child who was often ruled by his emotions instead of logic. He had tried his best to raise him to be a strong, capable man and leader who was only ruled by reason and logic. Emotions should never be a sovereign that is allowed to rule the mind. 

He had tried instilling this into Daegal but was unsuccessful on most occasions until his lovely wife, Furia, passed away. Overwhelmed by sorrow, he dedicated most of his time to raising Daegal to be what he needed him to be. He made sure that Daegal's childhood and adolescence were spent teaching him to be a powerful leader, one who could make decisions even when their feelings dared to rear their head. 

However, Daegal proved to be a difficult and problematic child who never wanted to learn. This forced him to get rid of the obstacle that was Daena. Since then, Daegal became more of the man he needed him to be, but less of his son. 

Yet in situations like this, he could feel Daegal's past stubbornness coming to life. 

"If this is about the blood moon that occurred a few days ago, then I can assure you that the Royal Minister and Head Scholar are looking into the issue. Nothing will go wrong with your engagement and subsequent marriage. The blood moon might not even be a sign to us anyway," Emperor Vulcan explained. 

The first blood moon ever sighted in the night sky throughout the five kingdoms served as a message to all the people. The people knew that it was not a good omen though they did not understand the meaning of it. Finally, a fortnight after the sighting of the blood moon, Emperor Babr arrived with his dragons and his soldiers to the kingdom of Sejukgheim; it was there that the great conquest officially began. 

The latest blood moon was the second to be sighted with reports coming from all the kingdoms informing the crown that they had sighted it too. Emperor Vulcan wondered what it could mean but the answer evaded him at every turn. Nonetheless, after the reports of riots going in Alsayf, he was now convinced that that must have been the reason for the blood moon. 

He was well prepared for this. The riots would be crushed once he received the full details regarding the issue. 

"The blood moon has been of great concern to me but right now, it is not what made me come to see you, Father. I need you to call off the engagement and cancel any plans you may have already made for the wedding. I do not wish to marry Lolo Nerina," Prince Daegal said vehemently. 

Emperor Vulcan's weary countenance twisted to one of annoyance. "Daegal, my son, the engagement is final. You must marry Lolo Nerina. I will not entertain your foolish whims. It is your duty to get married and Lolo Nerina is a suitable match, do you understand?" 

Prince Daegal was not going to budge so easily. He knew what he felt and could not ignore it. "This is not a whim. I had thought about this carefully before coming to this conclusion." 

"Why? What made you come to this…ridiculous decision?" Emperor Vulcan felt his blood boil at Daegal's insolence and disobedience, but he managed to calm himself to speak without yelling though he wanted to. 

Prince Daegal took a deep breath before speaking. "I have been having…dreams. Nothing really happens in them but one thing is vivid, clear as day. And that is the eyes of Lolo Nerina. I see those striking eyes brimming with evil and deception every night. There is something she is hiding and I do not want to wait till I marry her before I realize it. It is better to call off the wedding than face the disaster I fear would happen." 

Emperor Vulcan searched his son's midnight eyes thoroughly. His son did not lie often but was prone to being secretive. He wondered whether he was lying to avoid the marriage or if he was hiding something else. Perhaps he wanted to use this as an excuse to avoid getting married so he could frolic around with another whore? 

"Daegal, I will not call off this wedding because you 'feel' there is something wrong with Lolo Nerina. They are mere dreams. Dreams do not shape our future, my son. It is what we do when we are awake that determines the course of our destiny. I want you to put those pesky feelings aside and think of this marriage from a political point of view. 

"Do you recall your history of the Asghar tribe?" 

"Yes, how could I forget? You made me sit through three hours of history lessons every single day," Prince Daegal drawled. His father always made sure that he knew his history well because according to him, the only thing that makes people relevant after their deaths is the stories told about them. If there was no history, then the world at large would be in danger; never able to learn from the past which would leave the future uncertain and prone to destruction. 

"I will forgive that tone of yours," Emperor Vulcan said in warning; Daegal caught the message and held his tongue. "There was something strange about the deaths of all the emperors. Nobody was able to understand it except Emperor Iqbar. He suspected some kind of conspiracy but could not pinpoint what it was. Do you know why I chose Chief Topher as my Royal Minister, my son?" 

"Because they are wealthy and the third most powerful kingdom on the continent?" Prince Daegal replied. 

Emperor Vulcan chuckled. Daegal was wise and intelligent but there were things he would never be able to fully understand. 

"Partially. Daegal, my son, one thing I want you to always remember is that you need to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. How would you know what your enemy is up to if they are out of your reach? I know the Drakos of Sejukgheim very well. They are opportunistic social climbers who want nothing more than to attain the peak of power. They have been like that for centuries and that is why Emperor Iqbar suspected that they had a hand in the extinction of his tribe. 

"That is why I made Chief Topher my Royal Minister. I used my brain and thought rationally. I do not do things on a whim or because I feel like it. I do what is best for the continent. You will marry his daughter and keep her close to you while having your wits about you. You must be more cunning than they could ever be. Otherwise…" The emperor left his words hanging. 

Daegal sighed in defeat. He thought very differently and believed that calling off the wedding would prevent the danger that Lolo Nerina might turn out to be. Unfortunately, the emperor was of a different mind and he had no choice but to accept it as he had been doing all his life. 

He nodded curtly. "I see. I understand, Father. Have a pleasant afternoon then," He forced a stiff smile onto his face, saluted, and left the chambers. 

At his departure, Emperor Vulcan lowered himself to his seat. "Wine!" He called out and instantly, a servant rushed in with a silver jug and poured wine into the goblet in Vulcan's hand. The emperor took a long sip, letting the dark, sweet flavor of the Nebulosi wine caress his taste buds, He always thought of himself as a level-headed thinker who never second-guessed a decision but after listening to his son, he found himself questioning whether he had made the correct call or not. 

He hoped he did. It was his sworn duty to protect the lives of everyone on the continent and this particular choice of his could either make or mar the fate of the continent…and his strained relationship with his son.