The Evil Emperor's Fragile Heart

"What's that?" Mana asked curiously, peering at Raven's pouch.

"Unconditional royal entry tokens to the Obsidian Kingdom," Raven said. "One for you and one for me. We'll have to drip our blood on it for it to be recognised." He looked up at his mother. "Why?" he asked hoarsely.

"Your Grandfather sent it for you, you'll have to ask him that question," Crown Princess Pica said.

Raven let out a shaky breath.

"Is it very rare?" Mana asked him softly.

"Only royal children with a recognised claim to the throne of the Obsidian Kingdom and their soulmates are allowed to have them. The reigning monarch decides who to issue them to, and the tokens get validated if your blood is accepted by the ancient magic embedded in it," Crown Princess Pica replied proudly. "In your generation, these are the first tokens issued. In my generation, only I and one of my brothers have it. Neither Yue nor any of my other husbands ever got one – well, Father never issued one to Yue, and the other three failed to validate it. My brother's wife was also unable to validate it. The last royal spouse to successfully validate a token was my Grandfather. He was my Queen Grandmother's soulmate."

She pulled out a sharp pin from one of her bracelets and offered it to Raven. "Try it," she said. "Just a drop of blood from each of you on the tokens and we'll know if you're soulmates or not."

Raven trembled with emotion and Mana immediately scooted close to him and threw an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm afraid," he whispered. "I'm afraid of what it signifies…"

Mana caressed his cheek with gentle fingers, saying nothing. She didn't really care much about all this 'soulmate' stuff that she kept hearing nowadays. In her eyes, compatibility, respect and affection were the most important things in a relationship. She also felt that it was too early for love, especially with the disparity in their mental ages. She adored Raven, yes, and she would fiercely protect him. Whether she would love him…that was a matter for much later, when they had both reached adulthood in this world.

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Crown Princess Pica said crossly. "It's not like we're going to break off your engagement with Mana if she's unable to validate it. It just gives you the right to marry others if you want."

And before either Mana or Raven could react, she threw two pins at them, pricking their fingers and dripping a single drop of blood from their fingers on the tokens.

Both tokens, which were originally white, glowed brightly. Raven's token flashed with all the colours of the rainbow before turning black with an intricate pattern in rainbow colours. Mana's token flashed emerald, amber and silver and then finally turned a brilliant emerald green with the same pattern as Raven's, but in black. A black outline also appeared along the edges of her token.

Both Raven and Crown Princess Pica were staring at the tokens with their mouths open and eyes wide. Mana found it a bit funny.

When neither of them spoke for a long time, Mana asked cautiously, "So…is it validated or not?"

Crown Princess Pica was the first to regain her wits. "That was completely unexpected," she murmured, almost to herself.

Then, seeing Mana waiting for an explanation and Raven still in a daze, she smiled slightly. "It's validated," she told Mana. "Actually, it's much better than validation. See how Raven's token turned black and yours has the insignia and borders in black? That's the rarest pair ever. I think the last one was a thousand years ago or so."

"How is it better?" Mana asked.

"The black token is the mark of the chosen monarch of a generation," Crown Princess Pica said. She took out her own token, and Mana saw that it was still white with black markings. "Those who have the capability to be the heir to the throne, this is what their token looks like. I'm the Crown Princess because the markings on mine are darker than the ones on the token my brother has. So, I'm the first heir to the throne, and he's the second. Our other siblings have no claim. If I die, my brother inherit the throne. If both of us die, the next generation will take over." She paused and turned her eyes to the black token clutched in Raven's hand. "But that black token is different. It is the 'emperor' token. It means that no more tokens will be issued in that generation, and no claims to the throne will be recognised other than Raven's. And your token matches his, which means that in case Raven dies, you will be the regent until the next generation comes of age – and it is almost certain that the next monarch will be one of your children."

Mana frowned. "What happens if both Raven and I die and we have no children?" she asked.

"Then another child of your generation will be chosen as a steward to the throne, until an heir is found in the next generation," Crown Princess Pica said.

"And what if I want to renounce my claim to the throne?" Raven asked in a whisper, speaking up for the first time since the tokens reacted.

Crown Princess Pica was horrified. "You can't!" she cried, grabbing his hands. "Raven, you're the hidden gem which none of us realised the value of…but this black token puts you on a pedestal for everyone in the Obsidian Kingdom. Your authority is now almost at par with the reigning monarch of the Obsidian Kingdom – other than your Grandfather and myself, everyone in the Obsidian Kingdom must pay obeisance to you. You have to come back home with me!"

"I don't want that," Raven said quietly. "All I ever wanted was a bit of affection from my family, not the throne."

Crown Princess Pica looked a little guilty.

Raven looked at his mother. "I finally found what I wanted in the Emerald Kingdom with my new family." His eyes flashed with determination. "I won't give it up just for the throne of the Obsidian Kingdom."

"But…" Crown Princess Pica began and stopped. Finally, she said. "I'm sorry for how we have treated you all these years, my child. But…this is your inheritance. You can't turn it down in such a cavalier fashion."

Raven remained silent.

Crown Princess Pica sighed at the sight of his stubborn little face. She turned to Mana. "Talk some sense into him, Mana," she said.

Mana shook her head. "I will support Raven in whatever he wants to do – whether he wants to be a king or a wandering scholar or something else. It is his life, and it has to be his decision. I respect his choice," she said firmly.

Crown Princess Pica stared at Mana in shock. "And what will you do if he really does choose to become a wandering scholar?" she challenged.

Mana smiled. "I'll go with him, naturally. We'll have a good time as long as we're together," she said. "In fact…it might be a good idea to take a few months off and travel across the world when we're a little older. We'll gain a lot of experience, and it'll be fun." She looked at Raven. "What do you think?"

Raven's eyes were impossibly soft as he looked into her bright green orbs. "Good idea," he replied, his voice caught between a choke and a sob.

Man patted his arm comfortingly. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Whether you're the emperor of the world or a wandering scholar without a coin to his name, you'll always have me. And Azar, and Big Brother and Papa. So choose freely, and choose what you really want, without any other considerations, all right?"

A single tear dripped down Raven's cheek, and he lowered his head, embarrassed.

Mana didn't say anything more. She simply held his hand, lending her support silently.

Crown Princess Pica, meanwhile, seemed to have figured out something. She leaned forward eagerly. "Raven, could it be that you want to renounce your claim because you're afraid that others who covet the throne will target Mana to get to you?"

Raven's silence was reply enough. Even Mana was surprised. This little boy wanted to give up the throne for such a reason…?

Finally having understood, Crown Princess Pica shook her head at her son. "That won't work," she said. "Even if you turn it down, the throne would fall to Mana and she will have to act as the regent in charge until the next generation's heir is settled," she explained. "So, in the end, isn't it better for you to recognise your own position and strengthen it, so that you can keep her safe?"

Raven bit his lip anxiously.

Mana patted his arm again and turned to the older woman. "Does the appearance of an 'emperor' token need to be announced publicly?" she asked.

Crown Princess Pica shook her head. "Father must be informed, naturally, but the public only needs to know that the tokens have been validated and that you are the soulmate of our Raven. The fact that it is an emperor token doesn't actually need to be disclosed until Raven comes of age," she said.

"Then I request you to give us some time to process it," Mana said softly. "Mother, please let Raven stay with us in the Emerald Kingdom for now." She stood up and bowed formally.

Both Crown Princess Pica and Raven were taken aback.

"Yes, of course, Mana," Crown Princess Pica said hurriedly. "I have no intention of separating the two of you. I only want you to consider the matter of Raven's claim seriously. If you really don't want the throne…at least give me a grandchild big enough to take the throne for me when I need to retire, all right?"

Mana and Raven flushed.

The rest of the meal passed amicably, with the serious issues being carefully avoided. Crown Princess Pica was curious about Raven's daily life in the Emerald Kingdom, and she was amazed at how much he'd managed to learn in just a few months. It made her feel rather guilty at having ignored and mistreated this eldest child of hers all these years. She looked at Mana speculatively. Perhaps…it was not too late to try and repair her relationship with her son…?

It was quite late by the time they finished, and when Mana and Raven finally stepped out of the restaurant, they found King Jaren waiting for them, with Azar in his arms and Jules and Bella by his side.

The four of them smiled when they caught sight of Mana and Raven, and a group hug ensued.

Crown Princess Pica watched quietly from the shadows, an unclear feeling welling up in her heart.