An Emperor begins his morning by a wake-up call from his butler. The sun rays flow into his bedroom almost immediately after the curtains were pulled to the side to be tied.

The Emperor will, later on, slip into his silk robes and head towards the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom. The warm water that was previously prepared by the same butler had already cooled down to a suitable temperature for the Emperor to take a bath.

While waiting for him, Indio, the butler ordered the servants to tidy up the bed. In the meantime, he will personally choose the Emperor's clothes for the day according to the appropriateness of the weather and the activities that he will be doing.

Of course most of the time, things don't go as planned. Nonetheless, what's more important is that the Emperor will feel comfortable with whatever he was doing. Including when he is murdering or torturing his enemies, those days laundry was a hard thing to do.

But today was an ordinary day for the Emperor who will be spending his time in his study room working on mountains of documents and discussing problems about the Empire with his advisors till late hours. The Emperor had a habit of always been too absorbed of his work that without the help of him, his trusted butler, to remind him to take some break or to have a meal, the Emperor will stay in his study for weeks without end.

Indio could only sigh to himself. He couldn't even begin to imagine what will happen if he had decided to retire early at the age of sixty. His hair was no longer in its lustrous youth. There were more wrinkles on his face now; proof of his ageing self. Yet, he was still as capable as when he was first assigned to his Imperial Majesty.

Taking the clothes out from the large walk-in wardrobe, he placed them neatly by the bed allowing the Emperor to wear them by himself. After years of working side by side with him, Indio knows the man better than anyone has ever could.

For instance, the Emperor hated- no, loathed it when someone touches him. Not caring if it was by accident or with a purpose in mind, in the end, the poor individual will still suffer greatly. Of course, this rule doesn't seem to apply to one person. To everyone's surprise. Not him, of course.

After the bath he will present the clothes for the day, the Emperor's reply was his usual deep hum, a sign of acknowledgement. While he waits, Indio will always make sure the food that was placed on the table is according to the Emperor's taste and diet. With a satisfying nod, he signalled for the Emperor's servants to stand to the side close to the walls. Only when their assistance is needed will they be allowed to move from their station.

While the Emperor eats his breakfast, Indio will notify him about his schedules and any information that worth him knowing. It was a rude thing to do while a person is eating which he had never stopped reminding the Emperor about. His reply to the report was a silent nod while he continues on eating.

All throughout the meal, it was silent. The only sound that was made was the clinking of silverware against the plate. It was a quiet meal. Well, before a young knight came into the room seeking for the Emperor.

"Your Imperial Majesty", the knight saluted before he reported. "Her Imperial Majesty wishes to go to The Royal Library."

The spoon that was about to enter his mouth halted. There was a deathly silence for quite some time, scaring the poor young knight. At the end with an unreadable face, "Is she taking the right amount of knights according to protocol?"

The knight seems hesitant to answer the question but he had too anyways, he was just a mere knight without any stable position in the ranks who were unlucky enough to cross paths with the Empress who was on her way out.

"Her Imperial Majesty only bought along two knights and one handmaid with her. But, Your Imperial Majesty shouldn't have to worry about it for both of the knights that were with her are one of the elite knights that you have placed to guard Her Imperial Majesty. The Empress also promised to be back before sundown until then the first prince is under the care of her maids."

The comfort of the knight's words managed to appease the people in the room, well for a moment. As an Empress, she has to firstly ask for her husband's, the Mighty and All-Powerful Emperor, permission to venture outside the palace.

Ophelia knew of it and so was her people but she also knew that if she waited for that man's approval it'll take forever and she doesn't have forever. Her burrito's condition is something she couldn't just wait thus she went out anyways. If the man decided to punish her she could just push the blame onto little burrito with a side dish of 'it's for the greater good' cliche.

The Emperor's face turns dark by his words the opposite what the knight wanted. "Foolish woman! How dare she left our son to the care of unguarded and unprofessional people! Careless!"

With a slam on the table as he stood up, the Emperor marches across the room not giving the knight a glance as he passes. The Emperor's lack of attention towards the knight was a good thing. He could be in worse position if the Emperor's top priority at the moment wasn't the first prince.

Indio followed behind the man in large steps and behind him were three elite knights. The Empress's bedroom was located on the West side of the building while the Emperor's was in the East.

According to protocol, the Empress was supposed to sleep in the same room with the Emperor but somehow she seemed to have made a room out of her delivery chamber adjacent to the nursery.

The most surprising event when that had happened was the Emperor hadn't even opposed of the transfer in fact in Indio's eyes the man simply shrug it off letting the woman do whatever she wants even though he was reluctant about the matter. 

Arriving near her chamber, the two knights stationed in front of the door straighten their posture as they salute towards the Emperor. Without even bothering to knock on the door, he simply slammed it open startling everyone inside the room.

Indio followed the Emperor inside while the elite knights remained outside as claimed by etiquette that it was not appropriate to enter a woman's bedroom without any good reason especially if that woman was the Emperor's wife. The maids who were previously cleaning the room immediately stopped whatever they were doing and bowed as soon as they realized who had just barged in.

"Where's the first prince?"

"He's in the bedroom, Your Imperial Highness", the second in command among the maids while Sandhya was away quickly stepped forward and answer. The woman may appear calm on the outside but only she knows how trembling her legs were.

The Emperor once again without reservation walks inside the bedroom. Stepping inside the Empress's bedroom a faint scent waft into their nose. The furious and tense Emperor previously manage to calm down.

From the back, Indio saw how the man's shoulder gradually relaxed. It was a familiar scent for both of them. It was the scent of the Empress's favourite flower, the lavenders. The Emperor's bedroom once also had home the same scent but the calming and sweet smell slowly began to disappear with the wind that came inside his room every day.

The Emperor did request to place vases of lavenders around his room and study. But, it was different. So much different. But, the Emperor was too stubborn to admit and so here they were. Inside the bedroom if the Empress's very own bedroom together with the first Prince.

Inside there were two other maids who stood close to the wall of the room not daring to even lift their heads. Indio doesn't have the courage to wonder his eyes around the room too much. He only noticed a wooden crib placed close by the bed. Locating the infant he focuses his gaze only to his master's side profile.

Indio watched as the Emperor slowly and quietly walks towards the crib. The man gazes down at the infant for a while before leaning down to carry him. At first, he was stiff and extremely cautious about it but slowly he began to once again relax.

Most people will thought this master of his is incapable of expressing a soft look, they will surely have their eyes gouged out from their sockets if they saw how gentle and soft this tyrannical Emperor is towards his only son.

There was a gentle smile on his face as he leans his forehead against the Peter's. He whispers something to him and the infant's only reply was incoherent babbles. There was even a trail of saliva flowing down the corner of Peter's mouth as he did so. Instead of being disgusted, the Emperor smiled even wider as he wipes it off gently using the blanket that was wrapped around Peter.

The Emperor continues to stare down at the small bundle. Now that Indio sees it, the first Prince's wrapping reminds him of spring rolls that the Emperor once ate before.

"Indio, add a crib in my study. I want you to buy more baby toys as well. For now, place some of it inside my study from that room," the Emperor's order snapped Indio's gaze back to him.

Lately, the Emperor has shown quite a lot of interesting things for this old man to see. He had always thought that the Emperor will live the rest of his life with killing and conquering lands but now seeing the young boy who always had an indifferent face even when he kills could express such look toward his own flesh and blood. Perhaps, maybe he could see himself retiring one day.

But for now, he'll enjoy watching over the Emperor and his family.

"As you command, Your Imperial Majesty."