Chapter 4

❤️❤️ Separate Ways (Part 4) ❤️❤️

They soon arrived at the palace and were welcomed with open arms by the palace guards who recognized them.

"Where is the Emperor?" Warlord demanded immediately he get down from his horse.

"He is in his inner chamber my Lord waiting for you, he personally asked me to bring you to him once you arrive." A guard replied to him, bowing his head slighting in respect.

"Lead the way," Warlord said to the guard and then turn to face his daughter, "Juno, you will stay here and do not cause any trouble for anyone, please," Juno nodded her head and he turn his gaze at Rumi, "Watch out for your friend, make sure you both don't get into trouble, but in case Juno doesn't listen to you, you know what to do?" Rumi nodded her head and smiled at him. Warlord Emera went with the guard.

"You greeted my father but not me, am I now too small for you guards to see? Don't forget you all passed my father school who then spoke with the Emperor and you were given this very post, I can take it all from you after my father steps down," Juno said to the guards.

They started greeting her one after the other.

"Next time, don't make me remind you," She said and entered the palace with Rumi.

"You shouldn't be talking to them in that way Juno, they are way older than you, if all of them decide to join hands and beat you, you will stand no chance against them." Rumi told her friend.

"That was why I started learning self defense at the age of two, I know how to take care of myself, and besides, I was there when they came to learn martial arts from my father, I was their senior."

"Even though, just be careful," Rumi said and at that moment, Princess Rica and her two personal female servants were seen, heading towards them in the long corridor. Rumi greeted the Princess, by stopping and going down to her knees and bowing her head, making sure it touches the ground. The servants with the Princess, recognizing Juno, did the same. Rica and Juno both stared into the eyes of each other.

"You again, don't you know the rules yet, you bow down to the Princess, daughter to Emperor Ariadne," Rica said after several minutes had passed and Juno made no movement in bowing down to her.

"And now in that senseless brain of yours, you have spoken like a Princess which doesn't even suit you, don't forget that we risk our lives to protect you and your father, giving us sleepless nights while you and father both sleep peacefully, you should respect us. Anyway, Rica, respect yourself if you don't want to cry and run to your mother," Juno said without fear and dragged Rumi up to her feet, "Let's go." she added and started walking away.

They continued walking down the corridor until they got to the end of the corridor, which led to the back of the palace, where they heard some voices mocking and laughing at someone who crying. Juno started heading towards the voices.

*****

After arriving, Emperor Ariadne took his son back to the room he had slept the previous night, it will be his room from now henceforth.

"I will be back, you can wander around my son, feel free, this is your home," Emperor Ariadne said and left his son before he could say anything.

The first thing he had noticed was his bed which had been arranged. He sat down slowly on the bed and began thinking.

She brought me to my father, he is my father, my papa, but then again, he wondered.

Why would anyone want his mother dead? How did his mother know this powerful man, his father, and why did she hide it from him until now? If this powerful man is his father, why did his mother allow them to suffer for so long? Why lie to him and allow them to beg?

He needed answers.

So many questions, he got so many questions to ask his mother to get his answers. He waited for his father to come but he didn't.

Storm stood up from the bed and left his room, his father hasn't come as promised, he is going to have a look around, and make sure he doesn't encounter the Empress.

His plan to run away using the secret passage in the garden couldn't come to pass anymore, his mother has disappeared all of a sudden, probably kidnapped like his father had said, whoever that took her killed and burned another person, but why?

He walked the long corridor and came out in the open, he saw some servants who were busy with their work. He saw a robust woman with four of her apprentices, all females who were watching her making and mixing some herbs, for tea for the Emperor and his household. When he tried to go closer to peer at the pot, he was pushed roughly to the ground by one of the apprentices and they started laughing at him, which drew the attention of servants around them.

"No matter how you wash that skin of yours, the smell of a street rat's stench still follows you around, you're a ugly black demon, your eyes should be plucked out," the robust woman said, which made all of them start laughing at him.

He tried standing up but another servant kicked him and that sent him flying a few meters away from them, he sat upright, sitting on the ground.

The whispering started and Storm could bear the hurtful words he was hearing anymore, he started crying as he couldn't hold back his tears anymore.

It wasn't a crime to look different?

"What's going on here?" The cold chilling voice of Juno was heard and all the whispering and laughter ceased. Storm froze when the new female voice sounded behind him, another tormentor, he couldn't look at her, he stared at the ground before him.

"We are laughing at this devil child," one of the male servants answered, laughing out a little as he pointed at Storm.

Going to stand in front of him, Juno bends down to lift his head gently with one of her hands, brown eyes widened when it met with two mismatched color eyes. Storm's right eyeball was white and his left eyeball was red.

Juno couldn't look away as they stared at each other. She broke the gaze and stared at his clothes instead.

"Tell me, who among the illiterate mumpsimus made you cry?"