Chapter Twenty-One: The spoilt Prince

"This is fucking ridiculous!" As Fred kicks the wall.

"Shut up. Do you want us to get caught?" Hamlin says as he looks around the small room everyone is cramped inside a cold and dark room.

Everyone in the group has reunited with no choice, Hamlin, Welt, Xavier, William, Erdmuthe, and Ingrid. Gunter the royal advisor has returned sitting next to Welt.

Fred folds his arms and scoffs at Welt. "First… We lived in palace where we were treated as servants. That alone is embarrassing… Now we are in some weasels basement. Stuck with the smell of Gunter… Never pleasant."

Gunter raises his arm to smell his own armpit. He scrunches his face by his smell and everyone chuckles. He quietly says sorry.

Erdmuthe looks at Fred with annoyance. Rolling her eyes and imitates him by folding her arms. "Could be worse… You could be dead… Or even tortured."

"Why did they move us anyway? I was doing well with what I was doing." Welt says with defeated tone.

Ingrid gently taps Fred's arm. "Everyone listen…We are here because the Black Empire ambassadors are lurking around Zhen's castle. Some incident happened in the city. Apparently they thought it involves them. It was too dangerous to keep us around there… As we all know they like to lurk in the shadows… It's a good thing I had someone giving us information to give us another chance."

"How do you know this?" Xavier asks.

"The tiny man…" Ingrid says with the largest grin.

"The tiny man? The mouse?" Fred says with smug superiority.

Ingrid raises her index finger seriously. "No… He helped save our asses. We should be kissing his ass. The Empress was seriously reconsidering protecting us. We are nothing but trouble. We should be grateful where we are."

As she those words the door opens as the tiny man walks inside.

"Hello refugees. Settling into your new home?" The tiny man says with a large smile.

"Ugh… Not funny mouse…" Fred says with as much disdain he can muster.

"No it is not… Unfortunate what happened to your family. Prince Arman is a good man. Emperor Arman, not so much…" Mali tilts his head as he remembers Emperor Arman Kaiser. A brute of a man whose self-importance outranks anything and everything. Anyone Mali knew hated him... But he is a world figure, so everyone had to put up with him... Mali smiles to himself as he thinks back at Demir's founding anniversary dinner. He is Suravi and a small man so was easily thought to be a slave or just invisible. With people little realizing he is a priest of the Gold Order. He watched on as the great Emperor Kaiser shout obscenities at everyone around him. With Grand Priestess Tulia trying to discuss politics. Afterwards, he recalled her saying that talking to a wall is more perceptive. His pride to take out his enemies has now cost him everything... His children now fleeing for their lives. Mali then feels sadness as he knows what these heirs had to go through. Stein, himself, Aelius and Laelia went through the same thing and failed...

"Watch it mouse… That is my father you are speaking off." Fred continued on.

Mali walks around looking at them all in complete detail. "You know I remember meeting some of you. When I visited Demir many years ago long before the dragon Separatist war ended. Even before that... All of Emperor Arman's sons all lined up in a row, from oldest to youngest. Grand Prince Arman, Bhaltair, Bertrand, Elrick, Garrick, the identical twins Hamlin and Welt, Xavier, Derrick and Frederick." Mali stands in front of Frederick keeping his smirk as he looks at the large angry man.

"Who are you?" Hamlin asks.

"My name is Mali Piccolo and like you, I am a refugee. I was hoping to talk at the palace. But something happened… And here we are. You are welcome…"

Hamlin and Welt look at him in surprise. "That sounds familiar… Wait…" As they both crawl up to Mali to look at his eyes. Bright light green, as Mali raises his hand and a small gold draconium spark releases from his head. In unison, the twins whisper. "Holy shit…"

Frederick groans as he keeps banging his head on the wall. "Who cares! I want to get out of here!"

Mali chuckles. "I remember there was a toddler screaming his head off… The wet nurse trying her hardest to keep him quiet. PRINCE FREDERICK! She shouted. The boy squirmed and swore every single swear word in the dictionary… Rather impressive, like his father. I take it that you are Prince Frederick?" As he stares the man banging the back of his head on the wall. Mali laughs. "So it is you… Haven't changed much."

Everyone in the room laughs as Fred throws a bowl at Mali. However, he quickly mags it and slams it back into Fred. "Don't throw shit at me… Unless it's a full wine casket and a tankard. I could really use those right now…"

"I think we could all use one." Erdmuthe happily says.

"May I ask who you are young lady?" Mali walks over to the only two women in the group as he nods in respect to Ingrid.

"I'm Erdmuthe…"

Mali looks at Erdmuthe closely. Young looking around Fredericks age. She is tall and muscular. Elaborate dark green undistinguishable tattoos covering her left eye and left side of the body. Her long thick black hair tied up into various sizes of braids. But what got Mali's attention is her bright greens eyes... Royal green eyes. He nods to himself. Refraining from asking the obvious. She is Emperor Arman's bastard. Not surprising as many nobles like to stray from their marriages.

Mali then turns to Ingrid. She is taller and muscular than Erdmuthe. It's obvious Erdmuthe is influenced by Ingrid. The Tattoos and braids could almost look like sisters. The only difference is she has dark skin similar to Stein. "THE famous Ingrid. The Prince chose a free-thinking woman and lived a life of crime. The emperor loathed you And here you are protecting his family... Noble... I am glad Empress Zhen let me find you."

"It's what Elrick would have wanted... He hated his father not his family. I can only say thank you for organizing our palace escape."

"You are all very welcome. You all live for another day!" As Mali walks to the obese man as he smiles in return.

Mali points at Gunter. "I have a very good memory! I have seen you before! Gunter? In Mille-Voix? The man who wouldn't move from the buffet table!? At the Demir Anniversary dinner? Caused quite a ruckus... You got into a fight with... What is his name... Rothram!"

Gunter smiles disappears.

Everyone laughs.

"You fought Rothram at the buffet?!" Fred shouts as he laughs. "I would have paid to see that! Two fat men fighting like beasts for food..."

Mali changes to a softer tone. "Sorry, Gunter... You are an advisor. Never underestimate how important you are to your charges. They're going to need you..."

"So Mali what is going to happen to us now?" Welt asks.

Mali leans back on the wall. "Get your home back... But it is going to be a very long process. We are in the process to get another city back... One step at a time."

"What city would that be?" Hamlin asks.

"The City of Loan..."As soon as Mali spoke those words the room went silent.

"You are joking right?" Xavier breaking the silence.

"What if we don't want to help you?!" Fred says in annoyance.

"Well, that's unfortunate... It'll be great seeing the Black Draconium seep their claws into every country in the world. Before you know it, the world will be their dominion... We have to get our homes back..." Mali gets close to Fred. "You, Fred seem to be one of those princes who need the royal life. Don't you want it back? The money, the palaces, the servants, women, even become heroes of your nation?"

"Alright then..." Fred says in defeat. He hasn't touched a woman in months. While Also hating not being taken seriously. Being a servant is not in his nature and doesn't think it should be...

"Where would we begin?" Xavier asking quivering with fear.

Mali opens his arms as he tries to light up the room. "The Black Draconium Empire may have taken your home. But it doesn't mean they have the allegiance of the people... I believe it is why they are keeping Grand Prince Arman alive. Keeping the people in check. However, you would need an army and money. Which you have none... We are starting with Loan as they have had that seat for too long... Those bastards."

Xavier stands up and paces around the room. "And who will rule Dragon-City? Was it the blonde girl?"

Mali opens his mouth in shock. How do they know about her? Iolene what have you been doing? We really need to stalk her... This is so dangerous. I spoke to the empress about these exiled royals. They are being treated as normal servants. They can easily have kidnapped Iolene and use her for ransom.

Fred sits up as he remembers her. "The blondie! She's gorgeous! If I help can I have her?"

"No Frederick... And yes... She is Loans true heir to the Gold Throne. Help us. We will help get part of your home back." Mali rubs his hands.

"What do you mean PART?" Welt shouts. "We want all of our home back!" He stands up and looks down at the tiny man.

Mali raises his arms in defense. He is a tiny man only sizing up to the man's knee. "Half belongs to the Red Empire. We need Red as allies... Bargaining for the Black Empire land is the start of softer negotiations. Otherwise, once you finish a war... Another one with Red will immediately begin. You don't want that... They will wipe you out and you will be back to square one and dead. Get the picture?" Mali looks around at the family.

"We have no choice don't we?" Xavier sighs and holds his knees to his chin.

"Give me a moment while you all think... I will be back..." Mali with quick movement exits the room.

The family sits there in quiet. Sustaining on plain rice balls. Feeling like it was forever until he came back. He looked exhausted...

"What happened to you?" Erdmuthe asks. "You been fighting?"

Mali leans on the wall. "Sort of..." He heavily breathes. "I am making a plan. It is going to be dangerous. For me and for you... I will introduce you to a Red priestess... The Red Priestess will inform her own master. And since many of you are not direct heir's, hopefully, she won't worry as much. I cannot introduce all of you. It will be easier to lie about one prince. Otherwise, it will look like a threat to Empress Vatra and she will demand to have all of you... Not to mention the Shadow Emperor will want a say... Which implicates Empress Zhen. She will hide you, because of previous guilt. But will not save you when caught, her own family is more important than you... So here is my plan."

Mali removes his hat and takes out a scroll and rips it up. He then takes ink and quill out of his bag. "Write a name on the parchment of the person who will come with me... The rest of you will part ways. Remain quiet until needed. Leave the country if need be."

Mali went from person to person as they wrote the name on the parchments. It was a while until everyone is done. Mali in quiet reads all of the notes.

"Well... It was unanimous... The person will be Fred."

Fred looks at everyone in anger. "YOU HAVE TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!?"