CASSANDRA: The Unfavored Princess-Chapter 174: Goosebumps

"Did you feel it?" Duke Crawford said in a worried tone.

"Feel what?" Duke Bentham asked as he raised his eyebrows. "It might be a small earthquake. You are thinking too deeply."

They were sitting at the Duke Crawford mansion, discussing the future of the Elvira Empire.

Duke Garfield "I hoped Salvador was here. He knows how to deal with such things."

"Such things?" Duke Crawford said as he raised his eyebrows.

Duke Garfield knew that Duke Crawford might have understood something wrong. He shook his head as he said in a soft tone. "With the Empress being dead, and Emperor locking himself in the room alone, It wa .."

"The Duke should be clear on his words." Duke Crawford said in rage. "Do you mean that I do not know how to handle the situation?"

"I never said that .." Duke Garfield said as he shook his head. "You are the most experienced one of us. How can I even think .." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

"But you said the words?" Duke Crawford laughed but it wasn’t a happy one.

"Stop it." Duke Bentham said as he hit the table with his hand. "We are facing something serious and here you are fighting." Duke Bentham looked at Duke Crawford as he explained. "Duke Garfield meant that the Emperor listeners to Duke Salvador more. If Aiden was here he might have been able to get the Emperor out of his room."

"But why aren’t we focusing on more pressing things?" Duke Crawford argued. "Princess Valeria have gone out, not even returning to see her dead mother once. Prince Cedric is not here. There is panic in people and the Emperor refuses to open his door. The royal family is not suitable to rule."

"So is Duke Crawford suggesting we oppose them? Aren’t we being a traitor?" Duke Garfield said.

Duke Crawford sighed. "Is there anything else we can do? We all know the prophecy. If Princess Valeria is showing her powers then it is next to confirm that she is going to be the next ruler. Do you think she could care for the people then?"

Duke Garfield and Duke Bentham were in deep thoughts. The room was silent as if there was no living soul in it. It was Duke Bentham who made up the decision. "Let’s attack then."

Duke Bentham was never happy by the way the Royal Family had taken charge of everything. They were always carefree but they did care about their people. Although all the dukedom were loyal to the people alone and not to the royals, they still maintained a facade of the outside. But that facade was only known to the main family of the dukes. Their subfamilies thought that they all were loyal to the throne.

If Duke Bentham was not wrong, Lord Bentham had already informed him what the Vivere Kingdom’s people had planned. His adopted son had also told him that Duke Salvador hid his identity and went to the Vivere Kingdom as a guard. Although it was unbelievable it made sense seeing how the Duke that stayed back reacted to situations.

’He was an imposter.’

Duke Bentham thought as he smiled. He had to know Duke Salvador for so long and yet he could not find this out.

"Are you sure?" Duke Garfield raised his eyebrows. He was not a big supported of the war but if it comes to this, then he did not mind raising his weapons,

Duke Bentham and Duke Crawford looked at each other. There was silence in the room and soon they nodded.

But before anything else, they felt a huge wave of energy moving through them. Their throat was trying as they started feeling uneasy,

"My powers are vulnerable." Duke Crawford said. He was the oldest and knew much about the powers he possessed. A slight change could not affect him, but if he could feel his powers moving around in his body, something huge might have happened.

Duke Bentham knew that the witch might have been woken up. He did not want to tell the other Duke’s anything. Even if they help, nothing would happen. They only needed the fifth Princess who could save them.

When the energy stabilized they all swallowed. There was sweat on their forehead as their heart was in pain. They knew what they needed to do. This was not a common occurrence.

"We need to talk with the Emperor. If we are suffering like this, the others would be suffering too." Duke Bentham said.

None of the two refused his words. They had only one person in mind, the Emperor.

—----

"For how long have you not cleared this road?" Duke Bentham asked Duke Crawford. Every Dukedome had a secret tunnel connecting it to the Royal Palace.

A more safe and secret route. But even after so many centuries, it was hardly used. Maybe it was in use before when the Empire was unstable and needed continuous interference from the dukedom.

"You are telling this to me? Do you use your tunnel a lot?" Duke Crawford moved forward telling them the way.

The tunnel was not straight. It was a maze of tunnels with only one right way out. And only the Duke of that dukedom knew. All the tunnels were different, difficult to understand.

"My tunnel is much cleaner than this." Duke Bentham said. He walked behind Duke Crawford as he knew the road well.

Duke Bentham swallowed as he looked up. There was nothing, only darkness even if they have a fire liting the road.

’I hope Achard is successful and nothing happened to the fifth Princess.’

The road was not very even. Although they were having difficulty they still reached their destination. They kept quiet as they did not want anyone to find them out.

Once they were inside the royal palace they moved towards the Emperor’s study room. He was only there, after his wife, the Empress’s death.

Duke Garfield looked around but there was no guard standing near the closed door. "This is odd."

Everyone thought so. Even if the Emperor was not going out anymore and just staying in the room, behind closed doors, the guards should be there.

The room was too quiet. Too silent for their liking. Duke Garfield took a step forwards as he touched the door but to his surprise, the door could not open.

He thought that the Emperor might have locked it from inside. Although he could shout, but he knew it was of no use. The noises outside can never enter inside. Duke Garfield tried to push the door but it was too tight.

Duke Garfield looked back as he shook his head. "Something is wrong."

Duke Bentham suggested. "Let’s tore it down."

They all nodded. It was the only way that was remaining. Duke Bentham, Duke Garfield, and Duke Crawford combined their power as they hit it on the door. The door that was bounded with elemental power burst into pieces.

Everything scattered around. There was dust that covered their gaze. It took some time till everything settled. The blast was strong and it created a huge sound and yet the guards did not come out to see. It was a surprising situation.

The Dukes entered the room as they looked around. Their eyes looked at every side trying to locate the Emperor but to their surprise, he wasn’t there.

"Where did the Emperor go?" Duke Garfield asked in confusion. The Emperor should have been there. How can a monarch leave them like this? But when they thought about it, the room was closed from inside. And if the Emperor is not here then he would have gone somewhere. But where?

All the three Dukes thought the same. It was not possible for the monarch to disappear in thin air but now they think about it, it could happen. After all the guards were absent as well.

"The Emperor might have left the room." Duke Crawford said as he observed the room carefully. It has been used as if someone was there. "There should be a secret passage."

Duke Bentham and Duke Garfield nodded their head as they started searching for one. If they had a secret passage to enter the royal palace it made sense that the royals had made some changes in the outline of the palace to save themselves when it was required.

One cannot think that it was impossible. Everything in life was possible when it came to one’s life.

"Let’s search then." Duke Garfield said as he looked at the other two. If it was really the case, they needed to get to the Emperor soon. The man was the key to everything. They needed to get it clear what the Emperor was thinking? Was he really going to hand everything to Princess Valeria? And what about the energy wave that they felt? Everything was getting messed up for them.

"What is this?" Duke Bentham saw a small statue that represent all the elements on the table. But it was heavy. He had always seen it in the same position, but when he moved it today a small passage below the desk opened.

As the Dukes were about to enter it, they heard a loud scream that gave them goosebumps.