The Kind of Evil

Isador was taking a walk in the garden on his own, not wanting to be accompanied. When he was deep in thought with a letter in his hand, he overheard the maids and the gardeners gossiping. He listened at their fear and concern when the words had spread, about the lies the Holy Nation and the Angelis family had kept hidden.

Aurelia's words received all kinds of reaction, from understanding, anger, disgust, envy, and hatred. It hadn't been a week, and the effect of the news had an immediate effect. Not a single nation dared to protect or support the current Saint, or what the people called the the Fake Saint. Not only that, Nemu's position had rose higher, making himself the most prominent religious figure in Central Neva.

"Your Highness, Crown Prince... His Majestey is looking for you..." Isador's personal maid came and bowed her head.

Isador turned around to look at his maid, his eyes then moved to the grandiose and massive palace in front of him. He knew what it was all about, and why his father wanted to see him, and the answer would be Aurelia.

"Yes, I'll get going now. Thank you," Isador smiled and then walked toward the palace.

Isador nodded his head at the royal guards that guarded the big double-door to the throne room. The royal knights bowed their heads and immediately opened the door for him. He saw his father, his mother, older sister, and Arandil in the throne room. He was surprised to see his older sister home since she had become the Queen of the Cerdentis Kingdom, Queen Visika, and it had been years since the last time he saw her.

Isador walked in and the double-door behind him slowly closed shut, the silence and the tension palpable. He took a deep breath as he lowered his head before he approached the thrones where everyone was gathered.

Visika smiled softly as she walked down the steps and opened her arms. Isador replied with the same fondness to her and let himself be hugged by her. The way she hugged him, he could feel her trembling hands and breath, the tension and the fear within her, something that she was only allowed to express to the only person that was close to her.

"You have grown even more handsome than the last time we saw each other, Idor..." Visika muttered in a soft and soothing voice, cupping Isador's cheeks with adoration and admiration. "You seem to have grown more mature. Your eyes are of a man, and that saddened me in a way," she smiled weakly as she caressed his cheeks.

"You look unhappy, sister..." Isador said, holding her hands on his cheeks.

"I'm the mirror of what my people feel, Idor, nothing more, nothing less..." Visika said as she slowly pulled away her hands from Isador and wrapped her arm around his. "But we are here not for my well-being, it's about you," she smiled softly and guided him up the steps to be with the others.

Isador looked at his father, Julius and his mother, Esmeralda, the most beautiful flower in Central Neva. He could feel the gazes that were pointed at him, but he wasn't nervous or anxious.

"You must have received the letter from Saint... Aurelia, about the situation that had happened in the Holy Nation. You knew this would happen, didn't you?" Julius asked, resting his cheek on his fist. His voice was quiet and soft, and yet felt so heavy on the ears and the hearts that heard it.

"Yes, father. This was Aurelia's plan all along, after she found out the truth. The truth that we all have kept hidden from the world," Isador answered as he nodded. "She chose to break the chain and destroy everything to the ground because she doesn't want to use even a single brick that was used when they built the Holy Nation."

The room fell silent after Isador gave his answer, and the only one who felt moved by Aurelia's act was Isador. Visika placed her hand on his shoulder, signaling him to calm down. She was trying to become his anchor, his source of comfort for what was about to come.

"You should stay away from her, Isador," Esmeralda said with her eyes closed, her expression unreadable. "Cut ties with her as you're soon going to be the emperor that will rule this empire. I don't want you to show even a hint that you want to support her," she continued.

Isador clenched his jaw, angry and frustrated not because of his mother's words, but because of the expectations of the people. His life was never his to begin with, the only time he felt like himself was when he enrolled into the academy.

"Yes, mother. I understand," Isador nodded as he lowered his head, hiding his frustration.

"If you were in my position, Isador, what would you do?" Julius asked, straightening his back and stared at Isador with a cold and unreadable gaze. "I want to hear your answer, so think carefully," he warned.

"What would I do? I wouldn't hesitate to declare that I would support Aurelia. Not out of loyalty, not out of pity, not out of friendship or connection, but because it's the right thing to do. I don't want to be a hypocrite, and I will do the same to this nation. The world might need stability, but this is also a chance to break everything to the ground and rebuild it into a better world. Not based on lies and deception, but truth," Isador answered as he stared into Julius' eyes, not showing any fear, guilt, uncertainty, or hesitation in them.

"It's the right thing to do? By who?" Julius asked with his brows raised.

"By me. I'm not a tyrant who believes my words are always right, but I know what's necessary. If the world sees me as evil, then so be it. It's still better than acting righteous but stepped on a mountain of dead people just to claim myself righteous," Isador answered, not wavering in every word he said. "I will make mistakes, I don't know what kind of hardships I will face if I chose this path, but I knew that I wouldn't look back and regret every thing I had done to reach that moment."

Isador's words echoed throughout the room, and everyone was looking at him as if he was a different person. The son, the little brother, and the crown prince of theirs seemed different than what they knew. Since both Julius and Esmeralda were emotionally distant to their children, they couldn't understand where or when their son became like this. However, they wondered if it was because of Rasmus, the one who taught their son at the academy.

"Is this what you learned from the academy in that short time?" Julius asked with his brows raised. "You're learning this from Count Blackheart?" He stared into Isador's eyes with a cold gaze.

"No, I learn this by not believing every righteous acts are righteous, just an excuse to make their acts to feel justified," Isador answered, staring back into his father's eyes, something that he wouldn't dare to do before.

Julius hummed, nodding his head with his eyes closed. Isador didn't know what that gesture meant to him, if his father was satisfied, disappointed, or even understand him.

"Speaking of Count Blackheart, there's something that you need to know," Julius said as he pulled a small piece of paper from under his sleeve and offered it to Isador. "Read it..."

Isador took the piece of paper and slowly unrolled it to see the content inside. His eyes widened, shocked and petrified when he found out that the Refenus Kingdom had been attacked. He read the information thoroughly, finding out that the whole capital city was flattened and the heads of the royal family were all being hanged on the palace wall for everyone to see. The most devastating blow was when it was revealed that Rasmus was the one who caused the chaos.

"What do you think of this, Isador? What do you think of your former instructor, the man taught you in the academy?" Julius asked, leaning his cheek on his fist and resting it on his fist.

Isador was speechless, he was in disbelief, not knowing what to say. He knew that Rasmus wasn't someone who dwelled on morality, but to kill innocent lives and even the whole royal family, it was questionable. He knew the history of the Blackheart family and the Refenus Kingdom, but he never thought that history would repeat itself, and this time nobody stopped him.

"He's sending a message..." Isador muttered as he pushed his hands down and looked at Julius. "I don't know everything about Count Rasmus, but he's not someone who dwells on the past or someone who seeks revenge. He's not dwelling on emotion, and this isn't out of revenge, but a message that he's pointed at at someone..." he continued.

Julius glanced at Arandil who had been silently listening to the whole conversation. Arandil gave him a nod, knowing that King Relius appeared during the meeting with Aurelia when the real Relius had died in his own palace.

"Yes, we believe so, but is it justified that he killed countless of innocent lives?" Julius asked.

"Are we? Are we justified our actions of killing countless of innocent lives to stand where we are right now?" Isador asked back to his father's question, something straight out outrageous and unmannered, but he didn't care.

Julius could only smile and let out a soft chuckle, shocking everyone, even Esmeralda because she had never seen or heard her husband chuckle like that.

"You can go now, Isador. I know Visika would love to spend her time here with you, so go, and be with your sister," Julius said as he nodded his head.

Isador bowed his head and left the throne room with Visika.

"You have become a man, Idor. I'm so proud of you," Visika smiled and leaned her head over Isador's shoulder. "Truly proud of you..." She said in a soft mutter.