This Princess is an Extra-Chapter 44: Drayce is Desired

"But what intrigues me... is the purpose. That part, I admit, took us some time to uncover. So, Prime Minister, what precisely were these men using the stolen silver for?" Drayce finally paused his footsteps and he turned his face to look at the man with the scar.

However, the smile that had been on the brink of Drayce’ lips faded swiftly upon hearing Marvyn’s reply, "It was used to smuggle slaves into our kingdom, from Ocerian."

Silence fell between them, Drayce was looking at the Prime minister with a shock ridden face, trying to decide if his ears had heard him correct. His words stir something in his stomach.

"Ha... Ha... Ha!!!" his loud laughter broke the silence.

Then in one smooth motion, he drew the closest guard’s sword and his arms swept down cutting Lord Rowen’s wrist. The man’s loud, whimpering scream through his gag echoed in the cell.

Glancing at the man now sprawled on the floor, bloodied and painful, Drayce’s seething fury transformed into a dark, deadly rage.

"Now shall we be honest, tell me...." Drayce crouched face-to-face beside the man, who had crumpled on the floor, blood pooling near him, while Drayce rested the bloodied sword against the ground on it’s tip. "Should I drain you dry right here... or carve you apart piece by piece?"

"Your Majesty, their punishment will be settled in court, come tomorrow." Marvyn’s voice cut through Drayce’s rising fury, to earn a predatory look over the shoulder from Drayce.

He ignored the middle-aged man and was about to continue his madness when he heard him again, "Your Majesty, rest for tonight. You have only now returned to the capital after so long away."

Quietly letting out a deep breath he stops and with a flick his hand, he threw the sword to the ground and left in anger.

After instructing the guards to tend to the maimed noble, Marvyn followed Drayce down the corridor. Drayce tried to sound calm and collected but he was still fuming on inside as he walked out of cell and headed towards the stairs, "You know I do not appreciate you stopping me there... godfather."

"They once stood at your side, Your Majesty, when you were just a nameless prince." he reminded Drayce as they walked by. "And I have taught you, men like them do not stand alone. The noble houses are closely knit, if we pull one thread too hard the entire tapestry get strain."

"Had it been only corruption, the law would have pushed for a smaller punishment. The fire, however.....they won’t be able to walk away from this... and it gave us cause to banish them entirely from the capital and sever their influence at the root."

"I can already see appeal letters flooding through." Drayce said stopping and regaining his composure.

"As for the slaves," Marvyn added, "you and I both know that beyond these borders, such practices are... quite common. Even here, despite your ban, many nobles still turn a blind eye in private. If you were to make an example of them for that alone, others would not see it as justice."

"What would you have me do, then... godfather?" Drayce’s hands clenched in anger. "If killing breeds dissent, and mercy invites decay, what path remains?"

"This path, the court and exile with quiet erasure is the cleanest solution...for now." Saying this, the Prime minister got closer to the young emperor and placed his hand on his shoulder, "I will see you in court tomorrow, rest well tonight, Drayce."

Although night had long since fallen over Auxor, the capital of Vortalis, the city itself did not sleep. The palace corridors gleamed brighter than any day with light from different sources, for the master of the empire had returned after a long absence. Music drifted faintly from the grand ballroom, where a lavish welcome had been prepared in the emperor’s honor. Yet, Drayce showed no interest in any of it. Ignoring the festivities, he crossed the open courtyard instead, as he made his way towards the Obsidian crown, where the emperor’s private chambers awaited.

Young noblewomen who had draped themselves in finery even as the hour was close to mid-night, refused to retire for the night and were full of energy. They lingered not in the welcome ballroom but along the upper corridors and balconies, watching him in loud awe as he passed below.

Most of them harbored beautiful, yet dangerous dreams of capturing his attention; some, no doubt, for power, others for wealth and prestige, and others simply for desire. For the gods knew, he was beautiful in that perilous, untouchable way. The sort of beauty meant either to be worshipped... or bring forth ruin. Though he was feared throughout the empire for his brutality, there were those for whom that very ferocity was his greatest allure.

And so they stood there, making no effort to hide the fact that he was desired. He had shared his bed with a few of those ladies, yet he had never offered a fragment of his heart nor the promise of marriage or engagement to any of them. For every whispered fantasy of warming his sheets, there were ten hushed tales of what befell those who dared cross him.

Drayce’s gaze passed over them like drifting mist. The soft laughter of the ladies dulled when they realized he had taken a turn away from the Obsidian Crown in the opposite direction. This path carried him toward the only noble woman absent from the gathering, the Prime Minister’s only daughter, and the strongest contender for the empress’s seat. Naturally, such favorable treatment was cause of jealousy amongst many.

Stepping into the desired chamber, the quiet scratch of needle on fabric was the only sound he could hear. There were only a few who can lift his mood up and the occupant of this chamber was one of them.

He nonchalantly walked towards the bed, dropped his gloves onto a side table and promptly made himself comfortable.

"How many times must I tell you not to lie on my bed in those outside clothes?" The young woman spoke without looking up, seated in a low chair as she worked an embroidery needle through fabric stretched in an embroidery frame. Her red hair caught the candlelight as strands of fire, glowing softly against her pale skin. Her head was slightly bowed and lashes were lowered in focused concentration towards her work.

He ignored her and held his one arm beneath, resting his head on it as he stretched out on the bed onto his side and watched her through half-lidded eyes. "Your longest friend returns after a year and a half, and this is how you choose to greet him?"

"I haven’t greeted you yet. I’m still deciding if you deserve one. You greatly overestimate your charm, Your Majesty." She replied as a smile formed in her face and not pausing in her needlework.

"I’m just here to check upon you, Eggie." His eyes zeroed on the needlework she was doing and he asked, "And what are you making this time?"

"I’m good and boring as ever and don’t call me that." she said finally lifting her head as she closed her eyes releasing a long sigh before looking back down at her work. "It’s nothing important; just continental embroidery. A skill I picked up over the past few months." Her needle moved again, "And, Your Majesty," she added calmly, "would you kindly close your mouth? I am trying to concentrate." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Fine," Drayce replied, clearly amused to have drawn even that much of a reaction from her. He shifted his attention to the candlelit room, noting how it had changed since his last visit. It was now filled with more art and craft; quiet evidence of the time spent alone. Then he heard her ask "Ah, right! My father was fawning over your absence recently. Where were you? Hiding somewhere scandalous?"

"And here I thought my absence might have gone unnoticed."

"Where were you, exactly? Perhaps, hiding a treasure of yours, again?"

"Now, what could I possibly hide from you?" he replied. "I needed extra information on Elarion." his thoughts clearly wandered elsewhere.

The lady’s brow furrowed slightly. "Elarion?" she asked. "Did you happen to see something interesting there?"

"Ah, curiosity is a dangerous flaw of mine." his gaze drifted past her, "I went to give them a warning... about their apparent future." he said before turning fully to stretch on his back with his hands folding behind his head. The motion drew a subtle reminder of the wound beneath his clothes. It should not have pained him anymore after this long. Yet he had refused to let it heal quickly, deliberately slowing the treatment because he wanted it as a reminder, that anchored him to the moment she had dared to pierce him with an arrow.

He turned towards her once more, "There is something else I wish to tell you. I found something more, than what I was looking for."