The Sinful Young Master

As the patriarch entered the hall, his towering presence silenced the remaining murmurs. The guests, who had been murmuring in the wake of Jolthar's violent outburst, immediately turned their gaze to him. His sharp, cold eyes scanned the room, but his attention was momentarily caught by the scene where Tolian had been beaten within an inch of his life.

His deep voice cut through the tense air.

"What's happening here?"

Elowen moved swiftly and tapped Maena on the shoulder, gesturing for her to act quickly.

Without hesitation, Elowen stepped forward, gathering her children and guiding them toward the patriarch, her expression calm but firm.

"Patriarch," she greeted with a respectful bow. "Welcome back."

The guests quickly turned their attention toward the Patriarch, their whispers fading into silence. Caelum's commanding aura demanded respect, and even the most curious eyes shifted away from Jolthar and Tolian.

Elowen assured it was nothing and waved it off as just a scuffle between the children. Caelum noticed Jolthar and how he was glaring at him; he returned his gaze back to his wife. And she started asking about his journey.

Elowen didn't want the banquet to be ruined, and they had an important announcement to make, so they can't be diverted by this petty squabble.

Soon they were informed about the arrival of the imperial prince.

-

Maena didn't waste another moment. She ordered Eran to remove Tolian's bloodied and unconscious form from the hall.

Jolthar, still brimming with suppressed fury, was firmly grabbed by Maena and dragged toward a side room attached to the hall.

Inside the room, her grip on Jolthar unrelenting. "Do you have any idea what you've done?" She hissed, her voice low but laced with fury.

Jolthar yanked his arm free, his glare unwavering. "I know exactly what I've done."

Maena opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of voices outside interrupted her.

Johamma and Elowen had taken control of the situation, their calm and composed demeanour working to soothe the gathered guests.

Elowen's voice, sweet yet commanding, reassured everyone that all was under control, redirecting attention back to the Patriarch's presence.

Meanwhile, the whispers about Jolthar didn't entirely dissipate. They lingered like a shadow, carried in hushed conversations among the clan siblings. Stay tuned for updates on empire

-

Back in the hall, the atmosphere began to shift as the guests continued to arrive. The festive air gradually resumed, though the earlier tension still clung to some corners of the gathering.

Just as the patriarch was settling into his place, a man entered the hall, drawing all eyes toward him.

He was young, likely in his late twenties, clad in regal attire that exuded authority and power. Golden-armoured knights flanked him, their polished armour gleaming under the hall's grand chandeliers. The man's presence was magnetic, his sharp features and confident stride marking him unmistakably as someone of great importance.

"The Imperial Prince," someone whispered, and the murmur quickly spread through the hall.

The Patriarch moved forward to greet the Prince personally, his face breaking into a rare smile. "Your Highness," Caelum said with a slight bow. "It is an honour to have you here. We are deeply grateful for your presence."

The Prince inclined his head graciously, his voice smooth and composed. "The honour is mine, Patriarch. I have long heard of your esteemed clan. It is a privilege to witness its strength firsthand."

The exchange between the Patriarch and the Prince drew everyone's focus, the earlier incident now almost forgotten amidst the imperial presence. The banquet began to regain its celebratory energy, though the whispers about Jolthar remained alive among the younger members of the clan.

In a quieter corner of the hall, Isorabella leaned closer to Davis, her curiosity evident. "That kid seemed really angry. Is it true, what he said?" she asked, her voice hushed but insistent.

Wayde, standing beside them, listened intently as well.

Davis hesitated, his gaze flickering toward where Jolthar had been moments ago. "He's… complicated," Davis finally said. Davis was aware o Orimus, Tolian and Elara, they all had been giving him hard time but he didn't really care as it didn't concern him. But seeing Jolthar's outburst now, it seems like they really did pain him a lot.

"You know, our aunt Aelina, after her death, he was treated worse than commoners. I didn't know he was suffering to this extent. I knew Orimus and Tolian were giving him a hard time, but I didn't expect it was to this level."

Isora frowned, her expression sceptical. "What? Why didn't you stop them if you knew?"

"Well, I thought it was nothing. And it didn't really concern me, you know. Why would I interfere?" Davis said, to which Bella looked at him angrily. "You did see what he did to Tolian. If he finds that you had known and done nothing, then he may come after you too."

Davis raised his eyebrows in shock as he was not expecting that. He clearly saw just how powerful Jolthar's aura was, and he didn't even budge when the head knight, Clifton, tried to stop him.

Davis cleared his throat; his fear was evident. "Well, it wasn't only me; a lot of people in the clan were aware, and they didn't do anything. I think even Mother was aware. He is an outcast in the clan, and no one took him seriously."

Wayde's brow furrowed as he glanced toward the door Jolthar had disappeared through. "After what he did to Tolian, they might start taking him very seriously," he murmured.

Isora's gaze lingered on the door, her expression thoughtful. "Maybe. But that kind of attention might do him more harm than good."

As the banquet continued, the air buzzed with a mix of festivity and underlying tension. Jolthar's name whispered among the siblings of the clan, seemed to carry a weight it hadn't before.

-

Elara and Orimus stood just outside the hall, their faces half-hidden in the shadows as they watched the aftermath of the earlier altercation.

Orimus was visibly trembling, his breath shallow, and his palms clammy. He couldn't shake the memory of Jolthar's glare—it was a look that had frozen him to his very core. The boy they had mocked and dismissed all these years had transformed into something far more dangerous than they'd ever imagined.

Elara, on the other hand, wore a smirk that seemed entirely out of place. Her surprise at Jolthar's outburst quickly gave way to a twisted kind of enthusiasm. The light in her eyes was unnerving, a blend of excitement and calculation. He had gotten a lot stronger, more than what she had expected, and to him, listening to her, to have him follow her like a dog, that feeling excited her, and a twisted fantasy formed in her mind as she thought about Jolthar.

"Are you scared of him now?" She teased Orimus, her tone mocking. "He's stronger than before, I'll admit, but he's still just a loose cannon."

Orimus didn't respond, his mind racing. He wasn't sure what frightened him more: Jolthar's newfound strength or the grin that spread across Elara's face.

-

Jolthar paced the room, his rage slowly subsiding but his frustration still palpable. Maena sat in a chair near the window, her arms crossed as she watched him with exasperation.

"You need to calm down," she said firmly. "What you did out there… it's going to have consequences."

"Let it," Jolthar snapped, though his tone was quieter now. He stopped pacing and leaned against the wall, his head tilted back.

"I don't regret it. Not for a second." His knuckles were still covered in blood, the fire in his eyes burning with an intensity that she had never seen before.

"You haven't forgotten, have you?" Maena got up and asked him, looking him in the eye.

Jolthar understood what she was asking, and he replied, "I didn't, nor will I."

Maena sighed and said, "We will talk after the banquet is over, and until then, I need you to keep quiet and shut up your drama."

Jolthar stared at her a second, 'Fucking cunt.'

He took a heavy breath and sighed, calming himself down.

Then she walked out of the room, and Jolthar wanted to get the fuck out of the place and leave the clan. But he didn't want to run away. No matter what, he would face them. There were two others who still hadn't got what they deserved, Orimus and Elara. He will not let them be.

He wasn't afraid of anyone, not even the patriarch of the mightiest clan. Those words said by Tolian were still lingering in his ears, he wanted to slice him into pieces and beat the shit out of him in front of Orimus and Elara.

He would wait, just like she said. He will wait and kill them in front of the whole clan. Jolthar wasn't thinking about what would happen afterwards.

He sighed once again and stepped outside. He scanned the room, and all of them were focused on the figure of the patriarch as he said, "My second son, Wayde, will be the next patriarch of the clan, after me."