The Evil Emperor's Fragile Heart

Mana dragged Raven to her own room and closed the door firmly behind her.

"Now tell me what's wrong," she demanded.

Raven froze for a moment. "Nothing," he mumbled, refusing to meet her eyes.

Mana sighed. "I won't know if I need to be extra careful of Dawe if you don't me, Raven," she said softly.

Raven's head jerked up. He looked utterly stunned and his rainbow eyes held a faint spark of hope.

Mana's heart softened at the sight. She sat down next to him and patted his arm gingerly. "Will you tell me now?" she asked in a gentle voice.

Raven still hesitated. "What did you think of Rook, Dawe and Enca?" he asked instead.

Mana thought seriously for a moment.

"Rook is like your mother, I think," she said. "A bit of an idiot, but not very duplicitous. If I'm not mistaken, just like Crown Princess Pica, he also respects strength. Once he realises that you're his superior, you'll probably be the star big brother he goes around bragging to everyone about."

Raven smiled slightly. "I don't know about the last part, but the first bit is correct. Rook is just like Mother," he said softly.

"Enca seems to be a spoilt and selfish brat through and through," Mana continued. "Not very bright, I think. You give her something she wants, and she'll take it as if she's entitled to it, and you deny her something, and she'll act like you murdered her favourite relative." She narrowed her eyes. "She seems to have some grudge against you. Did you outshine her in something? Well, I know that you outshine her – and pretty much everyone else – in pretty much everything now – but maybe it was something more specific while you were still in the Obsidian Kingdom?"

Raven's smile grew bigger. "That's absolutely right," he murmured. "How could you possibly know all that within five minutes of knowing her…?"

"Well, I know you, for one," Mana huffed.

Raven flashed her a bright smile before his face turned serious – and a little nervous. He bit his lip and asked in a small voice, "And…what did you think of Dawe?"

Mana frowned. "He presents himself as a sensible and gentle child," she said. "But from your reaction, it can't be that simple, right? Is he like how Astra used to be before we all discovered how deceptive she is? A smiling face with nefarious intentions hiding underneath?"

Raven stared at Mana for a long time with a complicated expression on his face. "You…you deduced all that simply from my reaction?" he asked quietly.

Mana nodded and patted his arm comfortingly.

"You trust me that much?" Raven asked, his voice almost a whisper, barely audible. Mana would have missed it if she hadn't focussed her full attention on the boy.

Mana sighed and put an arm around his shoulders. "Of course," she said. "Who will I trust if not you, Raven?" she asked, her voice equally quiet.

Raven trembled with emotion and then said very softly, "Thank you, Mana."

Mana simply hugged him in response. Her mind went into overdrive, though. It seemed like Dawe was the one they really needed to watch out for. Raven clearly had shadows when it came to this particular half-brother of his…

Mana pursed her lips. Raven was hers to protect now, she thought fiercely. And she wouldn't be the least bit soft-hearted, no matter who it was on the other side!

Raven became much happier after this affirmation from Mana, and his subtle anxiety when facing his half-siblings disappeared. He even agreed without hesitation when Crown Princess Pica sent over a message requesting Mana and Raven to join her for dinner at the Phoenix Restaurant once again.

Rook, Enca and Dawe looked rather miserable when Mana and Raven turned up at the restaurant, again amidst a lot of cheers and blessings from the citizens.

Rook and Enca could hardly believed their eyes when they saw how popular Raven was in the Emerald Kingdom. Dawe, on the other hand, had a speculative look in his eyes.

Mana squeezed Raven's hand supportively.

Crown Princess Pica seemed quite pleased by Raven's popularity, and pride shone in her liquid dark eyes as she regarded her oldest child with affection.

It made Raven feel somewhat unsettled. After all, his mother's affection was something he had desperately craved all his life – but seeing her looking so proud of him now…it failed to give him the immense thrill and satisfaction that he'd always anticipated. Instead, King Jaren's proud, smiling face flashed in his mind and he realised that it was Papa's unconditional and unflinching parental affection that he'd always craved. Still, it was nice to be acknowledged by his own mother – even though he wasn't dependant on her affections anymore.

"What are you thinking in such a daze?" Mana asked softly, leaning over to whisper in his ear.

Raven flushed slightly. "I'll tell you later," he murmured.

Mana gave him a warm smile – care and support written all over her features.

"Are you really as powerful as Mother says now?" Rook asked Raven, staring at him curiously.

Mana laughed. "Raven is more powerful than the last time she saw him," she informed him cheerfully.

Crown Princess Pica's eyes glowed with excitement. "Really?" she squealed in delight like a school girl gaining information about her favourite celebrity.

Mana wondered for the nth time how these two weird characters – Crown Princess Pica and Head Sage Yue – had managed to birth a wonderful child like Raven. She was also a little curious about the fathers of Rook and the twins.

"Oh, yes," Mana said. "You know Crown Prince Mars of the Amber Kingdom? He kept challenging Raven and Raven beat him every single time – fencing, magical combat, swordsmanship – you name it."

Crown Princess Pica clapped her hands happily, and Rook's expression changed to one of delight as well.

"Really? Big Brother Raven beat up that horrible Crown Prince Mars of the Amber Kingdom?" he asked excitedly.

Nothing like a common enemy for fraternal bonding, Mana thought to herself.

She nodded at Rook. "Raven wiped the floor with him!" Mana said proudly and with great relish.

Rook's face flooded with admiration right away and his expression screamed, "Tell me! Tell me!"

So, over a huge (and delicious) meal at the Phoenix Restaurant, Mana narrated several instances of how Raven had completely vanquished Mars, much to the delight of Rook and Crown Princess Pica.

"I never knew Big Brother Raven was so cool!" Rook cried, looking at Raven accusingly. "Why were you hiding your skills when you were at home?"

Raven smiled slightly. "I wasn't hiding my skills," he said quietly. "My magic was incomplete until recently. It is all thanks to Mana and Big Brother and Papa that I had some fortunate encounters which helped fill the gap…"

Mana laughed and poked Raven's cheek with a light finger. "Don't be so modest," she said. "It's all your talent. Is there anyone else in this world that has all five magical elements? And who can compare with your intellect? And Papa says you're going to surpass him in swordplay in less than three years!"

Rook was a complete fanboy by now, and Crown Princess Pica was grinning so widely that the corners of her lips almost touched her ears.

Dawe frowned a little. "This is unbelievable," he murmured. "How can you possibly get so powerful in such a short time?" A hint of greed appeared in his eyes. "Does the Emerald Kingdom possess the legacy of an ancient master which they passed on to you?" he asked Raven.

Mana shook her head. "The Emerald Kingdom doesn't…although it would be rather nice if we did," she said wistfully.

This was absolutely true. The ancient master's legacy inherited by Raven, and shared with Mana, Jules and Fox in parts, was actually in the Sapphire Kingdom. After all, as a former star lawyer, wordplay was nothing to Mana!

Raven kept a straight face while applauding Mana mentally.