"Now, what path are you going to choose, King Elio?"
"I..." King Elio, the King of the Qezia Empire was in dilemma. Seeing Gian take his life scared him. Right now Elio's legs were trembling. His mind was a mess. He didn't know what to do.
'I am not brave enough to take my life like Gian. I don't want to die yet. I don't want to lose my Kingdom. Yet the choices in hands are limited to two. Either I take my life or I suffer in Aditya's hands.' No matter how much Elio thought, the concept of death scared him. Elio was scared of death.
"I.....I surrender." Elio lowered his head and closed his eyes.
Aditya observed Elio's reaction for an entire minute. "Elio, I will not kill you. From now on you will become my slave. You will spend the rest of your life working in a gold mine."
A part of Elio was relieved that Aditya didn't kill him immediately. Elio was more afraid of death than any other punishment in this world. Elio had gone from being the Emperor to be a mere slave who was going to work in mines for the rest of his life.
Henry stepped forward and put a slave collar around Elio's neck. When Elio was captured, his cultivation already had been crippled. Henry then took away the storage ring that Elio had worn. While doing that, he also took out the storage ring from Gian's dead body.
Henry gave two storage rings to Spencer. The Prime Minister was going to put everything in both Emperor's storage rings in the treasury.
"Someone take him away." Two Dragonians soon dragged Elio away. As for what was going to happen to his family, Elio didn't care. Unlike Gian who loved his family, Elio was never that close to his family.
Aditya glanced at Gian's dead body before ordering. "Bring Gian's family." A dragonian nodded his head and then walked out of the throne hall.
"Your majesty, what should we do with Elio's family?" Asked Prime Minister Spencer.
"Correct me if I am wrong, but Elio has two wives and 2 sons right?" Spencer nodded his head.
"Tell me about his family. Are they like Elio or....?"
"Elio's first wife and his first son are just like Elio. Cold, cunning, ruthless, and arrogant. But his second wife and his second wife's son are different. The second wife and her son were always bullied by Elio's first wife and her son. The second wife is a kind-hearted woman. She has raised her son to become a kind-hearted young man. Elio knew about the bullying but he never did anything against it."
Aditya closed his eyes and began to think. "Send the first wife and her son to Elio. The family can spend the rest of their lives working in mines. As for the second wife and her son, bring them to me."
"As you command." Spencer signaled someone to fetch Elio's second wife and her son.
Meanwhile, Gian's family members entered the throne hall. Aditya was expecting the family members to break down upon seeing Gian's dead body but strangely none of the family members made any sound. Tears fell from their eyes. It was as if they knew that Gian was going to die and seeing his dead body they just accepted the whole thing.
"D you not hate me?" Aditya couldn't help but ask Gian's wife.
Wipe!
Gian's wife wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked at Aditya. "I hate you but I have promised my dear husband that I am going to start a new life and not pursue revenge. I had a feeling that this day would come." A long time ago Gian had told his wife and his family, in case the Niwen Empire was to fall and they were captured, Gian wanted his family to start a new life in a new place without thinking of revenge.
The wife and the family members kneeled around Gian's dead body. While gently caressing Gian's hair, the wife continued. "My husband is a greedy man. But he has a kind heart. Since our marriage, I have tried to change him. Unfortunately, I wasn't successful. What happened to him today was a result of his greed."
"You can take Gian's dead body with you. Give him a proper burial." Aditya knew that the people of the western region had different beliefs. The body of their loved ones or their family is buried after properly dressing the dead. The western region people believed that there is a life after death and that burying their loved ones in proper dress would ensure prosperity in their next life.
"Thank you, Your Majesty" Gian's family was grateful to Aditya for allowing them to give Gian a proper burial.
"There is no need to thank me. Spencer, give them 10,000 royal gold coins." Hearing this all members of Gian's family widened their eyes in surprise.
"Your Majesty, I appreciate your kindness but I don't think there is any need for you to give us such a big amount."
"To start a new life, you would need money. And I don't think you have enough money for that." After all, when the members of the royal family were captured, all of their belongings and their assets were also taken away.
"This....." The Former queen knew what Aditya said was right. She didn't wish to receive any support from the enemy. Even if she and her family wasn't going to pursue revenge for Gian, it didn't mean that the royal family didn't hate Aditya.
Seeing the former queen still hesitating, Aditya quickly added. "Think of these 10,000 royal gold coins as me returning some of your assets in cash." Gian's wife nodded her head with a conflicted look. She still found it humiliating to receive money from her enemy. But she knew that this money would help them start a new life.
Aditya sighed seeing Gian's family leave with Gian's dead body. As soon as Gian's family left, a beautiful mature woman and a 19 years old young man walked in.
The woman had black long hair and a beautiful face. The woman is a Peak 2nd-order cultivator. While the young man walking beside the woman is a Mid-2nd-order cultivator. They were Elio's second wife and Elio's second son.
According to what Aditya has been told by Spencer, Elio's second wife's name is Nylah Thomson, and the young man standing beside her was called Isaac Thomson.
"Your Majesty!" Both Nylah and Isaac got to one knee and lowered their heads.
"Stand up. I have something important that I want to discuss with both of you."
After Nylah and Isaac stood up. "Do you know what I have done to your husband and to the Qezia Empire?"
"Yes." Nylah and Isaac have seen Elio being dragged away by two guards. From the Dragonians, Nylah has learned that the Emperor has turned Elio into a slave. He was going to work the rest of his life in a mine.
"I will keep things straight and clear for you two." Nylah was still confused about why she and her son hasn't been punished. Standing in front of the Dragon Monarch both mother and son were feeling nervous.
"The Qezia Empire has four major islands that previously were ruled by Elio and three Dukes. I can't just leave these four islands without a governor. The sooner I find a governor the faster things will improve."
After a short pause, Aditya turned his attention to Elio's second son. Unlike Elio, Isaac was kind and hard-working. Aditya liked Isaac's character. "Isaac, Do you have any experience in governing territory?" Hearing Aditya's question, Nylah was able to understand why the Emperor wanted to meet them. Realizing this, inwardly Nylah became really happy and also excited. She tried her best to not show it on her face.
Isaac nodded his head. Even though Elio neglected him and his mother, as the second prince, he was taught a lot of things. Isaac knows how to rule a territory.
"Good. This makes things easier."
"Isaac, I will give you an opportunity. As of now, you're no longer a prince. Isaac, what do you kind of become the governor of Bursberry Island?" Isaac widened his eyes in deep shock. On the other hand, Nylah was able to take the news calmly but inwardly she was beyond excited.
Previously Nylah saw no hope for her son to become the Emperor as Elio kind of favored his first son and was also thinking of declaring the first prince as the crown prince.
Bursberry Island is the capital island of The Qezia Empire. Even if Isaac was no longer the prince if he agreed, he would become a noble of the Istarin Empire and would become the governor of Bursberry Island.
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