I decided to call my mother first. It was like starting the game on easy mode, allowing me to stock up on health potions before tackling the bosses.
"Sweetheart, you finally called! I thought I was going to have to talk through Remy for the next four years," she chirped.
"Mother, it's only been a few days. And it's not out of spite. Between school and the party... Anyway, I called to thank you for your help with the arrangements." I gave a slight, formal bow of my head.
"Hmm, strange. I happen to know you hated it. You spent the night sulking on the balcony; people hardly saw you." She crossed her arms.
"Mother, I would prefer if you ceased all forms of spying, through Remy or your maids."
"Hmm."
"Hmm." Complaining about my calls while knowing more about my day than I did was peak parental manipulation.
"Your sisters are furious," she said, finally changing the subject.
"They talked to Father?" I asked.
"No, love. They're mad at you for blocking their numbers."
How could they possibly know? Was it Remy? Sol? Had Sol lured me into a false sense of security only to stab me in the back? You are your mother's son, that's for sure. I couldn't forget she was the primary manipulator in the family.
"You're bluffing." I smiled.
"Am I? You're right, there's no way they could figure it out on their own... so they asked Fin to intervene. His superiors did him a favor."
Finton. I forgot about my brother's tendency to be a simp for any female relative.
"Mother, how are we supposed to show our unity as a family if the constant betrayals never truly end?"
She chuckled, then her expression turned serious.
"I suppose you also know about what's happening with your great-uncle and his sons."
"Yes. Sol told me minutes ago. Even though Seth hasn't died yet, people are already taking sides regarding his succession."
"Did he also tell you that Sisi is being considered?"
My sister, Sistine, was born with a mutation that produced Black Flames, the signature ability and one of the core eligibility requirements for the Huang Imperial Crown. She was one of only ten currently alive with the dark flames of that ancient line.
"No... it will not happen."
They wanted my sister inside that den of snakes? Surrounded by ambitious trash? No. This made her a direct target for Viego, Maliketh, and every other greedy fool who wanted the throne.
"Your father agrees," Mother said, her voice tightening. "But the nobility is pushing this, and it will involve her one way or another if this game keeps being played. She might get hurt."
"Who is leading them?" I asked. I fought hard to remain calm, but my eyes were burning, and my hands shook with controlled rage. Sol, why didn't you tell me?
"It's multiple people, but the ringleader is obviously Shien Rastor. He is meeting your grandfather this Wednesday to discuss this and to officially endorse Sisi's candidacy—if Grandfather agrees. What will you do, my son?"
Shien Rastor. The same creep my sister had turned down twice already. I knew I should have dusted him after the second attempt.
"There's only one thing left to do, Mother. I kill Shien in two days," I stated, my voice dangerously flat. "Then, I find everyone who supported him, hunt down the acolytes, slaughter the lot of them, and use their corpses, stacked neatly, to build a monument of terror as a warning to all those who think they can use my sister as a pawn."
I hadn't intended to sound so angry, nor had I intended to evaporate all the furniture around me. I squeezed my eyes shut, struggling to regain my breath. I needed calm and clarity.
If I killed him, it could start an avalanche leading to a war between powerful families. But if I didn't, and this insanity gained traction among the common people who adored my sister, it would turn our uncles against us the moment Seth expired.
"Mother... I will kill him and those responsible. I'm sorry, but it's something I have to do. I will depart tomorrow night."
"Look at me."
I opened my eyes. She was smiling.
"Your father saw this, and he agrees. So do I. These people making moves against our family only understand the language of violence. I don't care about their intentions. My daughter will be in danger by her own relatives if we don't put a swift end to this. Go, my son. Kill those who would hurt her. Your father and I will deal with the fallout."
My mother might look frail—a noble lady with a healing ability she rarely used—but I knew better. She was the strongest of us all. Without her swordsmanship and her acceptance of a grimly unwashed nine-year-old goblin, I would be nothing.
"I will not fail our family, Mother. I promise."
~
I called my sister Sistin right after Mother's screen went blank.
"Sisi, it's me."
"Stivanstin! You've got a lot of nerve blocking our numbers, and don't play innocent. Fin already told us everything. Cily will kill you."
"Sisi, I know about Shien," I cut her off.
She was silent for a second, then sighed. She was the spitting image of Mother, inheriting her green eyes and golden hair.
"It's nothing you need to worry about. I already refused both his offers of marriage and support for the crown..."
"You know it doesn't matter," I said, my voice hardening. "When Seth dies, those looking to ascend will kill you just to clear the field and better their claim. If the people get behind you because the Rastors keep pushing this, it's going to be an all-out war with our own family."
Shien's grandfather was the Second Hand of the Emperor and Duke of Korea. Our relationship with the Rastors used to be cordial, but they'd changed their tune after Sisi's denials.
It was time to end them.
"Besides, it's already decided. I've got permission from our parents. I'm joining Grandfather's meeting with that cockroach sometime in the coming days. I know your flight is soon. Once you land home, stay there with Sicily. Mother will explain everything." I needed her to understand that the action was already set in motion.
"You will kill him?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
"We need to nip this in the bud, Sisi, before it gets out of control. We can deal with the Rastors, but not our uncles. If I end Shien with Grandfather present, nobody can say it wasn't a family decision. They can't retaliate, and by ending this now, we still have imperial support from Viego and Maliketh."
Her silence conveyed her distaste, but there was nothing to be done. I swore I'd have words with Sol for withholding this. I was angry at my grandfather, too. Mother's careful words left him out of their unified support, meaning I might have to fight him on this.
"I understand. I'll leave it to you, Stivanstin. I'm sorry..."
Her apologetic face broke my heart and only fueled my rage.
"You didn't choose your ability, Sisi. None of us can. This is not your fault. Please, just go home and don't leave the estate. Where is Cily? Is she there with you?"
"She is, but she's still angry at you. When she saw you call, she went away and is sulking in her room. She refuses to talk to you as punishment."
"Fine. Tell her I don't want to talk to her either. Believing proven data and science over my own word is unacceptable."
It was nice to hear her laugh. I needed to protect that sound, whatever the cost.
"Sisi, call me after you land tomorrow, and please don't think too much about this."
"I'm okay. I promise I will be. I love you, and be careful."
"Promise. Hug Cily for me and lay some groundwork for my apology. I love you."
~
I felt a surge of relief that my parents were behind me. They valued our happiness above political games. Footsteps approached. I didn't need to ask who it was.
"You seem determined, Young Lord. Have you considered His Grace's opinion?" Remy asked.
He knew everything, of course.
"There's nothing to consider, Remy, whatever their plans may be."
"What happens if his plans don't align with your own, and your noble parents'?"
"If they're willing to sacrifice my sister's happiness for their own gains... but that's impossible. It has to be something that benefits us in the long run."
"Let's say that is the case. Are you willing to change your plans and let Shien Rastor live?"
"Of course not. If it comes to it, you and I will kill him and his retinue in secret. No bodies means no crime, etcetera. After all, I did promise him last time we met to keep even his thoughts away from Sisi, or I would send him straight to hell. Oh well."
"I understand, Young Master. I will make preparations, just in case, and devise a training plan for tomorrow in the meantime, for maximum efficiency." He sounded genuinely enthusiastic.
He must be bored. Who trains to step on ants? But I had missed Mother's bloody, nightmarish training.
"Yes. I'll leave it to you, Remy."
I was worried he might oppose Plan B, given his primary oath was to my grandfather, the Duke. But he was also fiercely loyal to my father.
"There's no need to thank me, Young Master. My duties are to see you through school for the next four years. Is there any word on your upcoming field trip?" he asked with a flicker of hope.
"You're not coming, Remy. Now get to the—the—get to it."
He bowed slightly and left.
I lay on the floor, staring at the empty space where the couch used to be and watched the light dancing on the chandelier. Everything was getting out of hand so fast.
All of this, I suppose, Father foresaw. The man was an enigma. What did it feel like, knowing the future and having the ability to change it? It must make him lonely.
I kept seeing Sisi's sad expression.
If she'd awakened a normal ability, she would have had an easier time. In the Capital, those with Black Flames were viewed as demi-gods, leaving her either worshipped or completely isolated.
I need to make sure her life, and Cily's, are filled with happiness and peace. I chuckled, imagining my sisters as kittens running away from a pickle. I missed them.
My resolve hardened: I would kill Shien and do whatever it takes to keep my sisters' smiles unchanged.