The Evil Emperor's Fragile Heart

"Grandfather!" Rook cried happily and rushed to hug the man, not even realising Raven's discomfort and Mana's protective stance.

"You're right that they're all very protective of Big Brother Raven!" Rook chattered away happily. "Big Brother Raven has become really awesome! And really powerful! And really clever! And he just taught me the concept of sovereignty!" he gushed.

Mana didn't move, still shielding Raven. She didn't withdraw the rising green haze around her, either.

The man – who Mana now knew to be King Corvus of the Obsidian Kingdom and Raven's grandfather, and the man who had thrown Raven to the Emerald Kingdom as if he was cannon fodder – raised his lips in a sarcastic smile as he looked down at Mana and Raven.

"This is a surprise, indeed," King Corvus said, his voice laced with curiosity. "King Jaren is actually permitting a foreign prince to learn governance in his own home?"

"Big Brother Raven attends lessons with Crown Prince Jules of the Emerald Kingdom," Rook reported faithfully. "Big Brother Raven also beat up Crown Prince Mars of the Amber Kingdom! Isn't that really cool, Grandfather?"

Rook was brimming with pride – as if he were the one who beat up Mars instead of Raven!

"Sister Mana is also pretty cool," Rook admitted, still completely oblivious. "She's not as awesome as Big Brother Raven, but pretty close!"

King Corvus chuckled and patted Rook's hair, effectively silencing him. He looked at Mana and Raven again.

"Aren't you going to greet your grandfather and your monarch, Raven?" he asked in a mocking tone.

Mana glared at the elderly man. "Perhaps you need memory boosting potions, King Corvus," she said in a pleasant voice. "I hear that people of advanced age often forget things – even important things like relinquishing all familial rights."

King Corvus blinked, and powerful dark magic burst out of his body. Rook stepped back in alarm, and Raven grabbed Mana and pulled her back, throwing up a barrier.

The wave of dark magic dissipated harmlessly.

Raven's eyes flashed a dark, liquid black, and a bouquet of colours danced around him, making the very air tremble.

Rook, who had fallen to the ground on his butt by the pressure exuded by Raven, clapped his hands in delight. "Big Brother Raven is so amazing!" he cried, his eyes filled with wonder. "You can even stop Grandfather's magic!"

No one paid him any heed.

"Hello, King Corvus," Raven said coldly. "Welcome to the Emerald Kingdom." He met his grandfather's eyes squarely and steadily. "I must remind you that using harmful magic in public areas or attempts to harm any member of the royal family of the Emerald Kingdom will result in immediate deportation."

King Corvus laughed. "I wasn't attacking anyone," he said lightly. "I was simply testing my grandson's magic."

"You have lost the right to call me your grandson," Raven said in a flat tone. He turned to Rook. "Please escort your grandfather to the imperial guest house, Rook."

Rook finally realised that something was wrong. But since no one was willing to explain anything to him, he could only suppress his curiosity and do as Raven instructed him to.

"I'll show you to the imperial guest house, Grandfather," Rook said, picking himself up from the ground. "It's really nice and there are fruit trees in the garden for the guests to pick if they want, and then there's…"

Rook's chatty voice faded away as King Corvus allowed himself to be pulled away by his younger grandson.

As soon as the figures of Rook and King Corvus disappeared, Mana grabbed Raven's hand and brought him back to the imperial palace. She took him to King Jaren right away.

King Jaren, who had just finished attending to court matters and was heading towards his study with Azar, took one look at Raven's pale face and pulled the two children into his study.

"What happened?" he demanded.

"We met King Corvus," Mana said, and quickly explained what had happened.

"I'll throw him out right away," King Jaren said, his green eyes glowing with fury. "And I'm cancelling the Obsidian Kingdom visit from our side."

"Papa, don't! It might cause a war!" Raven said urgently.

King Jaren laughed in anger. "Let them do whatever they want – I won't stand for anyone bullying my children!" he declared.

"It wasn't really a harmful attack," Raven said quietly. "Papa, I didn't realise it until after grandfather's magic hit the barrier I put up – but that magic wouldn't really have harmed Mana at all. In fact, it would have simply passed through her."

"Maybe it wouldn't have harmed me," Mana said angrily. "But what about you? Would it have harmed you if it hit you?" she demanded. "Even if you hadn't moved forward to save me and erect the barrier to protect us – if both of us had stayed right where we were – It would have passed harmlessly through me. but it would have hit you instead because you were right behind me – isn't that right? What would have happened if it hit you?"

King Jaren, too, narrowed his eyes at Raven. "So – it was a focussed attack which only works on people with dark magic?" he demanded. "King Corvus meant to harm you and not Mana?"

There was an identical dangerous gleam in three sets of green eyes as King Jaren, Mana and Azar stared unblinkingly at Raven.

Raven looked away. "It wouldn't have been fatal," he murmured. "And it wouldn't have caused any long-lasting or serious injury, either. At most, I'd have a couple of cracked ribs and cough up a few mouthfuls of blood. Nothing serious, really!"

Mana was aghast. Cracked ribs were nothing?!

"How is that not serious?!" King Jaren demanded angrily. "That's it – King Corvus is going back home right now! I don't care if he starts a war – there's no way I'm letting him anywhere near our Raven!"

Raven shot Mana a beseeching look – the last thing he wanted was to sour the relationship between the Emerald Kingdom and other nations. No one knew better than him how capricious and how dangerous his grandfather was – and the Emerald Kingdom didn't even have a huge army of its own!

He couldn't let his new home be destroyed – and even if King Jaren hired the best mercenaries from other kingdoms, the damage a war would bring to the citizens of the Emerald Kingdom would be colossal. Raven didn't want the citizens of the Emerald Kingdom, who had accepted him so whole heartedly and showered him with affection that his native citizens of the Obsidian Kingdom never had, to suffer on his account. He would rather deal with his evil grandfather himself than bring harm to these good people!

Mana met Raven's eyes, but pursed her lips and shook her head. It wasn't that she wanted to start a war or anything – but she didn't want King Corvus looming over Raven's head like a terrible shadow. Perhaps they could find another way to deal with the man once Papa had calmed down a bit.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," King Jaren called.

Jules stepped in with Bella. "Papa, are you busy? Some people from the Obsidian Kingdom are here to see you. I put them in the third meeting room and asked our staff to serve refreshments," he said. Then he noticed the terribly enraged expressions of King Jaren and Mana and the pale – almost crying face of Raven.

Concern filled Jules's handsome face immediately. "What happened?" he asked gently.

Mana explained quickly.

Jules sighed and rubbed his temples.. "Papa, I do understand your fury, and I completely agree with you that we should throw him out, but…I think Raven's point is perfectly valid, too," he said quietly.