Cassius Pov

"It is too early to go to the royal palace, your highness" ian repeated the same sentence for the umpteenth time.

"If you want to stay and sleep more, go ahead. I am going now.'' I replied with a slight anger and he shook his head.

"I always follow you, my lord. That's what my work is." he said and I shook my head.

"Take it as if i gave you a holiday."

"But your highness, why do I need a holiday?" he tilted his head and I did not know what I should answer. Should he not be happy that he was getting a leave and that he could rest.

We both walked into the carriage and sat down. I closed my eyes closed, i had left Mariannee alone for the meantime, but i had thought that she would invite me before the last day

I didn't care much about attending the party.?Did she not know how much pressure she had to bear with people who didn't see me there?

I looked at the palace that was left behind. Going faster and farther away, and sighed. There is nothing left to think about anyway. I closed my eyes and prepared myself for the argument again.

"Your highness, we are here" came the voice of Ian, bringing me back from my thoughts.

We walked towards the lonesome chamber almost separated from the rest of the palace.

The maids bowed as i entered the room, the man was sitting on his chair looking out of the window with bored eyes, but i knew better than blue eyes were no less than a hawk, who kept a close control on every step of his prey, his silence was nothing but the silence before the storm. I walked in further and bowed.

"Hail to the glory of the empire, your majesty" I greeted the old man who was once the strongest man of the empire.

"I am not the emperor anymore, Cassius, my son is' ' he replied chuckling, but I knew he still enjoyed the address.

"How have you been, your majesty.'' I asked courteously and he shook his head.

"Talking in a roundabout manner did not suit you at all, tell me why are you here suddenly." he asked as his eyes turned sharp.

"What else could be, your majesty, there is only one things in my mind, which I always request from you." I spoke and he sighed.

"When the empire was formed, the wiltshires were a very strong family, they had all the business of commoner and nouveau riche in their control, they had supported my family in being a strong ruler.

Though their current generation is rotten to the core. They had almost splurge the immense wealth which could have lasted to generations.

But still they are one of the founding members of the empire and cousins of my grandfather too." here he started the same old lecture, i had heard this more than enough times.

"Does it mean that they are free to do whatever they want?" i said sharply than ever

"If raising a voice could solve the problem, everyone would have been shouting at the top of his lungs, would not they." He said in a cold tone.

"If words were heard in a low voice, no one would have ever raised the voice in the first place." i added with the same cold tone and he sighed

"Cassius, I had never said that they could not be punished, I am just saying that no one can be punished without proof. we may be moranch, but we are not dictators or tyrants' ' he added and I clenched my fists.

"From the past two years, I have given you multiple proofs of frauds and forgeries in accounts. I have made them more and more hollow from inside, soon they would lose all the financial support they had. You just have to issue a verdict your majesty." i added, i had done whatever i could but i knew the man would still not be satisfied, he was not the one who had lost everything after all.

"Financial mistakes and criminal activities are too different things, Cassius. You know that better than me.

Do you think if I would issue a verdict of their death, no one would object?`` There was clear mockery in his voice but I wouldn't go without getting a reply today.

"Then let me do that discreetly" I added and he chuckled.

"Since i already know about it then how is it discrete my child" was he trying to create humour now, it would only sound satire to me.

"As you said your highness, you could not do anything without proof, so you would need proof for my crimes too." I added with the same chuckles he had given me.

"And then what, you will be criminal just like them, have you ever thought about Killian, or your wife," he rebuked, but then took a pause suddenly my eyes met his to see the reason when i saw a gleam on his face,

"Your new wife, Marianne, why don't you show the world that you love her a lot, and soon you would have another child." he added the old method and my jaws clenched.

"I had already said, I wouldn't take her innocence just for revenge."

"You had already taken that, when you got married to her, what do you think she would not have dreams that she married to you, or everyone would believe her when she would tell that she is a maiden, you have already used her as your pawn one year ago. I am just asking you to end it early." he added and i knew he was right, i had already done that.

When I saw that Isabella had been chosen to be my second wife, Duke Essendon was like a savior to me. I accepted the offer in a heartbeat without thinking about the consequences. But even if I would have thought, what choices did I have. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I would not touch her."