"Kneel!"
His voice crashed through the broken jade pillars like thunder splitting stone.
Emperor Rong Zhen stood above us, his eyes were filled with disdain. That was the gaze of a man who saw us all as nothing but irritating beasts beneath his feet.
Beside him, his daughter sat upon one of the throne chairs, I could see a trace of disgust curling on her lips. We made eye contact for a brief second, I could see her mocking smile clearly. Then she looked elsewhere like I wasn't worth more than another minute glance.
I stood among the corpses of my kin, the throne of Spirits now stained red. My father, Emperor Li Fengxian of the Yuehua Dynasty was on his knees, blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. My mother, Empress Han Yuyan, had been bound in soul-suppressing chains of black iron.
But I Li Kaien, the Crown Prince of Yuehua did not kneel.
Even as a hundred armored soldiers of Chiyan surrounded me and the ancestral qi of our bloodline was sealed by forbidden cursed talismans. I refused to bow to such a disgusting vicious man.
"No!" I said through clenched teeth, blood trickling down my brow. "I will only bow to the heavens, and never to thieves like you. You don't deserve it."
My mother's voice was hoarse with panic. "Kaien, no! Just do as he says please.."
Everyone knew of his ruthlessness but I'd rather die than submit to him. I stood strong even though I was severely injured.
Emperor Rong descended from the throne that once belonged to my father. He walked like a god, his crimson robes swept the shattered floor.
He took one step at a time. It was filled with both authority and power.
He stopped before me. His eyes filled with murderous intent, it was clear he didn't like being defied.
"Actions," he said slowly, "have consequences."
Then without warning he stepped forward and crushed my father's hand beneath his feet.
Crack.
"FATHER!"
I surged forward, but four guards slammed me down. My qi was suppressed. My werewolf bloodline, the Moonfang Spirit, was sealed by a binding rune that was forced into my chest.
Rong Zhen's lips curled into a mocking grin. He unsheathed a black-forged saber filled with heavenly fire.
Then
Schhk.
My father's hands fell to the ground. Severed. Still moving a bit due to muscle retention.
"This," he said coldly, "is the price of disobedience."
My knees trembled. The fury in my chest was volcanic. But still, I did not kneel. I wanted to rip his heart into shreds. But I barely had any power left.
"Kaien, please," my mother cried out to me. "Before he does much worse than this."
He raised the saber again.
I didn't care about dying but I didn't want to hurt the ones I loved the most.
So I threw my pride away and knelt.
"I submit," I whispered, my voice trembling.
But it came too late.
A scream pierced the air. "Xiao Lian!"
She'd thrown herself between me and the incoming sword.
Lian'er!!!! my maid since childhood. My friend. My protector.
His blade sliced straight through her chest.
She collapsed into my arms, her blood soaking into my royal robe. She smiled so gently at me, still trying to reach for my face as she was dying. "Don't blame yourself, promise me that you won't. I…. It's an honor to die for you, my crown prince." She said and then lost consciousness.
I held her tightly, refusing to let go."I I knelt…" I choked. "I already knelt!" You
"Why? Why did you still—"
Rong Zhen didn't answer. He calmly wiped his blade clean on the robes of a nearby guard, as if the blood was an irritating thing to him.
Then he walked over to me slowly and then he knelt down until we were face to face.
"So much hatred," he whispered, gripping my jaw with his cold fingers. "Do you wish to kill me? Do you so badly want to make me pay for everything I've done to you and your family?"
I glared at him with rage.
I wanted to do that so much right at that moment.
He smirked. "What can you do? Your wolf is chained. And your flame is dim. You're just a caged cub. If you really want to hate someone, hate Wei Lan for her betrayal. I mean if she didn't feed you all with the elixir of moonsign. How would I be able to easily crush you all?"
He turned without another word and walked back toward the throne.
As he reached the final step and sat back down, Princess Rong Mei rose gracefully from her seat. Her voice came out, cold and detached.
"Father, I'm tired of watching this boring spectacle. Can I leave now?"
My vision narrowed. She reduced my entire family's suffering and my dead people to a boring spectacle.
My fists were balled into fists.
Her father gave her a slight nod of approval.
Then she began to descend from the dais. She even yawned a bit.
But as she passed beside me—
I lunged at her.
I slashed my claws across her flawless face.
A long red gash bloomed on her flawless cheek. The injuries made by the claws of a werewolf were only curable by the werewolf that left the mark. I hated her so much at that moment but since I couldn't directly kill her, that's what I could do temporarily to avenge the humiliation of her words to my people.
She screamed loudly, holding her face in pain.
Qi surged around me then shattered me.
Another burning talisman lit across my spine, and I fell.
I could hear my mother's voice breaking. My father was in total silence. His head was still bent down towards the floor.
Guards tore me from the hall like I was filth.
Then as the darkness claimed me, I heard her voice.
The princess's voice.
"Make him suffer," she whispered. "I'll carve Yuehua's name from this world."