Chapter 52: The Explosive And His Match
Eveyr then walked away, flanked by the six golden Imperial Guards. Esme remained standing there watching him disappear around the corner. The moment he disappeared out of her sight, she sighed in relief and turned to complete her conversation with Sylas. But the alcove was empty. Sometime during the exchange with the Imperial Guards, Sylas had slipped away without making a sound.
"What the fuck?? Where the hell did he go!? I want to know what the Emperor knows!!" she muttered in frustration as she stomped her foot on the floor.
"I must admit, I didn’t think he would actually leave you alone," an arrogant voice echoed from behind her.
Esme turned and saw Julian standing behind her surrounded by two guards. He was smiling, a vicious, triumphant smirk spread across his face as he looked at her standing alone. He assumed that without Eveyr’s magic shielding her, Esme was nothing more than the obedient little spy he had sent to the north to die.
Julian walked towards her and stopped just a few steps away from her, looking her up and down with fake pity.
"This dress and jewellery suits you well, Esme. You indeed look like a Duchess," Julian said. "But you and I both know who you really are. A frightened little girl who used to move her eyes to the floor the second I walked into a room."
"I was looking at the dirt on your boots, Your Highness," Esme replied, looking directly into his eyes. "I just lacked the political standing to point it out at the time."
Julian’s smirk widened. He took another step closer to her, trying to use his height to intimidate her.
"The Emperor will keep your husband occupied for hours in the Sun Room. My father has a talent for wasting people’s precious time on useless political debates...which gives us plenty of time to discuss your treason."
"My treason?" Esme asked, raising her eyebrow.
"You betrayed the crown," Julian sneered. "You allied yourself with a beast instead of completing your mission. You made a complete fool of me in the Bloodwood. And after all that ...you have the guts to stand in my palace, flaunting his wealth, thinking you have outsmarted the empire."
Esme glared at him. A few months ago, this man might have had her entire life in his hands. But she wasn’t his little spy who was terrified of him. She looked at him with disdain as she casually adjusted her sapphire ring.
"Let us correct the narrative," Esme said. "You sent assassins to the Bloodwood to kill the Duke Of Aldric. You failed and ended up signing over the Southern Iron Mines to me because you were scared of my husband and choking on your own incompetence."
Julian’s face suddenly turned red with humiliation and anger.
"Do not blame your failures on me and my husband," Esme continued. "I did not betray the crown. I just chose the winning side."
"You insolent little bitch," Julian hissed and pointed at his guards. "Detain her."
The two guards exchanged a quick glance before obeying. They had both seen with their own eyes how Duke Aldric reacted when someone touched his wife.
"Your Highness..." one of the guards said cautiously. "The Duke is still within the palace."
Julian’s eyes flashed with irritation.
"So?" he snapped. "He is locked away in a meeting with the Emperor. By the time he learns what happened, she’ll already be in the imperial dungeons."
The guards still hesitated. Julian took a step toward them as he spoke again.
"Do you serve the crown... or do you fear one Duke more than your future Emperor?"
The guards exchanged a nervous look before nodding and drawing their swords. They then walked towards Esme to grab her by her arms. Instead of begging him to stop, apologizing or shivering in fear, Esme just lifted her chin, exposing her neck to them.
As the first guard lifted his hand to grab her, the blood ward at Esme’s neck reacted to the threat she was facing. It flared with a blinding red light that almost burned through her skin like fire.
The guard froze immediately, his hand hovering just a few inches from her shoulder.
"Do you see that glow, Julian?" Esme said, a cold smile touching her lips. "He may be in the Sun Room but his magic is right here with me. He is feeling my pulse and is waiting for a reason...to kill you."
Julian stared at the glowing rune on her neck, swallowing hard.
"You think you are untouchable just because he put a tracking mark on you?" Julian snickered, though his voice wavered a little. "I can have you thrown in the deepest cell of the Imperial Dungeons before your monster husband even realizes you are gone."
Esme’s smile just widened in response.
"Do it, then," Esme challenged him as she took a step towards the guards, forcing them to nervously step back.
"Arrest me," she said, meeting Julian’s gaze. "Order your men to put their hands on me. Drag me down the stairs in front of the entire court. But ask yourself this one question first, Julian: If Eveyr feels my pulse spike with fear... if he feels your men touching my skin... will your father’s guards be enough to stop him from turning this entire palace into a burning crater?"
Julian finally froze. The guards hesitated again, their hands began to tremble suddenly on the hilts of their swords. The confidence in Esme’s voice had paralyzed Julian. He stared into her eyes, searching for a lie, but he didn’t find any.
"You are just as deranged as he is," Julian whispered in horror, stepping back from her.
"No, Your Highness," Esme replied with a smile and stepped past Julian, moving towards the staircase. "He is the explosive. I am just the one holding the match."
She paused at the top of the stairs, glancing over her shoulder one last time.
"Now, if you’ll excuse me," Esme said, smiling wickedly. "I have a party to enjoy."
