The Royal Deal

Chapter 283

“You don’t have to worry. I’ll be right beside you,” Caniel assured her. Caniel waved her hand in front of the door, without touching it, and it slowly swung open. Hand in hand, the mother and daughter entered.

Inside the tower was a void of darkness and silence. It was as if all sensation had been eradicated from the world. They couldn’t even feel their own bodies. Yet, in some twisted paradox of their minds, they could hear silence and feel the absence of touch. It was as if they had become one with everything

Belice trembled in terror. ‘Your Majesty, I’m scared!’ She said the words without making a sound. Her thoughts were completely linked with her mother’s.

‘Calm yourself, Belice. I’m by your side. You just can’t feel it.’

‘I can’t see anything!’

‘Don’t try to see. Close your eyes and focus. Breathe in deep and slowly let it out. Good. You’re doing well.’

Belice only sensed her actions in her head. She couldn’t see anything so she concentrated instead on what she wanted to experience.

‘You’re calm now. Good.’

‘Can you see me?’ Belice asked through her thoughts.

‘I sense you. You soon will sense me as well.’

‘I’m still scared.’

‘You don’t have to fear anything. This is a space outside of space-time. It’s like a tunnel.’

‘A tunnel outside of space-time?’

‘Yes. The Goddess Frostin came to Sehar through this tunnel. Belice, close your eyes and focus your mind everywhere.’

‘I don’t know how to do it. Maybe it’s because I’m not a full empress yet. I’m not ready.’

‘That’s not true. You were able to enter because you are ready. Only those who are chosen can come in. if someone, who wasn’t chosen, came in, they would be obliterated by the nature of this place. Now, focus again. What do you see?’

‘Nothing. Wait! I can feel you smiling. Are you smiling?’

‘Of course. I’m smiling because I am proud of you. What else do you see?’

Belice concentrated. ‘I see a world. But it’s not Sehar.’

‘Yes. There are cracks in space-time that allow you to gaze on every world imaginable. But you must be very careful not to fall through or you could become stranded in a world that is not your own.’

‘It’s amazing! There are so many beautiful and strange things in the world I can see.’

‘Belice, you might find it hard right now since you are young, but once you become stronger, you will be able to see not just worlds, but all of the energies that comprise the world’s existence. You will be able to see a person’s soul. Manipulate it. This is a power that you must treat with the utmost respect.’

‘Manipulate it? Do you mean I can control someone’s soul however I want?’

‘That is the power of your magic. But it is not something you can use whenever you feel like it. The power must be controlled

‘Amazing! Can we stay and observe other worlds? There are so many astonishing things to see.’

‘You have only seen a small part of it. But I think we’ve been here long enough for today.’

The door to the Tower of Silence’s door opened and Belice and Caniel stepped out of the void.

“Your Majesty!” Belice hugged her mother once more when she saw they had returned safely.

“Belice, do you know why I took you into the Tower of Silence?” Caniel asked. Belice shook her head in confusion. “It means that your time is coming soon.”

“That means…” Belice couldn’t finish. She knew what that meant.

“Belice, you don’t have to be complete in your training. But you also can’t become lazy. You don’t have to stand out, but do not give up. As an Empress, you can’t acknowledge your weakness as a weakness. You need to know that the throne you’ll be sitting on is a hard and lonely place. I have faith you’ll do well.”

Caniel patted Belice’s head. “Please don’t forget the person that is inside of you.”

Belice nodded, even though she didn’t fully understand. Caniel smiled at her and thought. Everything is in the hands of the Goddess now.

***

Spin-off 2. The Empress’s absence – 5 years later.

It had been a year since Empress Caniel passed away and returned to the hands of the Goddess.

“Your Majesty…” Karune bowed to Belice.

“The coronation has not yet occured. That title does not yet befit me,” Belice instructed him.

“My apologies. Your Highness, Duke Skad sent you a message.”

“Really? What did it say?”

“He’ll be returning to the Empire soon.”

“Good.” The first thing Alexcent did, when Empress Caniel passed away, was to begin killing all those who opposed Belice. The nobles, who tried to manipulate Belice’s weakness so they could take over Sehar, were charged with treason. The verdict, as always was execution. Thus, the Empress-to-be grew stronger by the elimination of almost the entire senate.

Alexcent’s killings began to get out of hand and he started executing unnecessary lower members of the noble’s houses. Belice was enraged and was forced to banish Alexcent out of the capital, using the excuse that she needed him to monitor the border defenses. She figured this would give him time to cool down, but instead Alexcent used to opportunity to wage war on the countries surrounding the Sehar Empire. The words coming in on reports were calling him a monster or a devil. And now he was returning to the palace.