Albrecht’s Pearl 85

 Chapter 85

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"No wonder I take after my father, unlike my uncle's cuckoo cub."

The Emperor spat, not hiding his agitation at Caius's sarcasm.

"Nonsense! You're making up all that crap, and the mark will appear on Leopold, too, because he's still young............!"

Then Caius asked, amused.

"By the way, have you seen Leopold today?"

"What? Why is he..................."

The Emperor's face suddenly turned pale as he shouted.

Then he grabbed Michael by the wrist with the knife. The blade cut deeper into his throat, but he didn't care.

"Yes, you are right. He may not be mine."

Caius pulled his lips into a grim line.

"Yes, I am well aware of that, and that's why I'm going to spare him."

He didn't pause to add,

"By the way, we're still legally cousins, which is why I asked first if he’d like to meet his biological father."

"What, that's impossible......, he doesn't know anything!"

It seemed that even the prince who had come of age was just a child in the emperor's arms. He pleaded with a white face.

“He, he doesn't know who his biological father is."

The Emperor had guessed the truth, after all.

Caius looked down at the foolish old man and clicked his tongue.

The contempt and disgust in his gaze seemed to remind the emperor who the man in front of him was. Karl shuddered and corrected himself.

"No, his biological father is me!"

Caius shrugged.

In truth, it didn't matter to him whether Leopold was the Emperor's biological son or not. The only thing that mattered was that Leopold didn't have a blue half-moon on his wrist.

Caius gave the Emperor a brutal reality check.

"The child, unexpectedly, wants to meet his biological father."

For once, the Emperor was baffled.

"..................what?"

"Put him face to face in front of Count Nasau, they'd certainly look alike, they're both handsome men."

"No, that can't be....................."

"So, Uncle. May you be thankful that there is a surviving Heidenberg."

Having spoken, Caius looked away from the Emperor with an indifferent glance. The Emperor snarled.

"No...............! You are mistaken! No!"

Caius turned to Michael and ordered.

"Avoid the carotid artery, and make it as painful as possible."

The dagger moved at the same time as the order was given.

The Emperor could no longer scream. The sound of blood regurgitating from his throat in gurgles could be heard for several minutes, followed by strained gasps, then silence.

The chamberlain did not enter the room until the emperor was completely dead.

He had served the emperor sincerely, but in his later years he had lost his trust, and in order to save his family, he had to watch his master's downfall.

The chamberlain knelt before Caius, tears streaming down his face in grief and remorse.

"..................Caius Albrecht von Heidenberg. Your Imperial Majesty the Emperor."

As he had hoped, he was led down to the garden to greet his lord, and led to his death.

Now he could only hope that the new Emperor would ensure his peaceful retirement as promised.

Michael took out his handkerchief and wiped his bloodied hands and dagger clean, then slowly and respectfully knelt down on both knees, almost reverently.

A thick smile curved the corners of Michael's mouth.

"Caius Albrecht von Heidenberg, Your Imperial Majesty the Emperor."

The guards at the door and the onlookers stood and knelt in turn.

"Greetings, Your Imperial Majesty the Emperor Caius Albrecht von Heidenberg."

Twenty-one years.

After all that long, long suffering, it was finally right.

Caius pulled the pearl from his pocket and held it in his palm.

He wondered if the beautiful loyal subject he left behind in Burg was happy. It seemed as if he could feel the familiar warmth from the white, solid pearl.

***

The victory feast lasted three days.

Everything was perfect.

The Zagreb protesters dispersed, satisfied that the old emperor was dead and promised an audience with Caius. It was a remarkable achievement, considering that they had been on the verge of pushing on to the imperial palace earlier in the day.

In fact, the protesters' affairs would soon be resolved amicably. Caius had long planned to put an end to their grievances by electing commoners to the council.

The capture of the imperial city with minimal casualties would allow Burg and Nasau allies gathered outside the system to return home.

Of course, the Margraves of Burg and Nasau were greatly honored for their efforts and promised rewards at the banquet on the second day. The support of their private soldiers was a major factor in this success.

The only problem that remained was the sleeplessness that persisted despite his success.

Caius lay in his vast bed and gazed up at the red ceiling. The names of every Hyreth emperor had been embroidered inside.

It was strange, though.

It had been a long-held desire of his to see his father's name written there, but why did he feel a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach at the sight of it?

Perhaps he had left the warmth of the woman who had warmed his bed in Burg.

No matter how long he waited, sleep never came.

Caius finally pushed himself to his feet.

He pulled on his robes and walked down the hall, Michael following quietly behind. The Burg’s servants hadn't arrived yet, so there was no one he could trust to watch over his lord.

Finally, they stopped in Caius’s father's former office.

Emperor Karl had closed his office and built a new one. He did this to make Emperor Wilhelm's mania seem more serious than it was.

So the office would still bear his father's imprint.

"Shall we open it?"

Michael asked quickly. Caius nodded, and a servant with a package of keys soon arrived.

The servant pushed open the locked door and stepped into the room, then threw the windows wide open and pulled back the large cloths draped across the room.

The room was revealed as it had been in his father's lifetime.

With a wistful touch, Caius stroked the dusty desk and worn bookshelves.

The jumbled papers and faded pens seemed to reflect his father's habits and personality. All of them, Caius couldn't remember.

A longing he'd had to bury for so long rose to the top of his lungs.

Opening the desk drawer, a light dusting of dust rose to reveal a bundle of letters.

It was obvious that someone had gone through them and left them there, but they were probably from unimportant friends.

Caius' eyes lingered briefly on the front one, a worn letter spread open without an envelope.

[Dear Your Majesty.

I cannot thank you enough for taking time out of your busy schedule to attend our humble wedding.

We will never be able to repay you for this remarkable and profound friendship, but as long as we have breath in our bodies, Ermoli's loyalty will remain at your side as the fertilizer of Hyreth.

Stefan and Elisabeth.]

Ermoli's Loyalty.....................

Caius put the letter down, feeling his chest tighten.

The couple's names didn't even make him crumple the paper.

There would be no trace of his father in Louise. She had been living her entire life in a slum without even knowing her real identity.

After all she had done for him, the least he could do was offer her a gift.

Caius folded the Ermoli's letter back into its original fold and tucked it away.

"Did Ferdinand leave right away this morning?"

Michael, waiting in the doorway, replied in detail, as if reading his lord's mind.

"Yes, my lord. It will take the Madame a day or two to pack her things, but she is expected to arrive at the castle in three or four days."

Caius nodded and looked down at his wrist. The mark of Heidenberg glowed on the inside of his neat sleeve.

Would she be pleased? Perhaps.

Perhaps she would twinkle her innocent eyes and lower her lips over the blue half-moon.

He imagined her golden eyelashes fluttering like butterflies, and he felt his lower body strangely tingling.

Caius shook his head briefly to clear his foggy mind. It was a ridiculous thought to have in his dead father's room.

"Clean up this room. I'll be leaving."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The servant answered, bowing flatly.

***

The bustle of the early days of his reign made up for the two days of waiting for her.

Finally, on the third day, the Burg’s carriage arrived at the castle. Caius was overjoyed to see her, but it was Ferdinand who greeted him in his office.

"..................Ferdinand? I thought you were staying in Burg."

Ferdinand was accompanied by his servants, but not Louise. Caius was puzzled by her absence.

***

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