Edward spoke, his voice calm
"Remove your hand from the boy's collar."
The tutor obeyed immediately, his fingers unclenching from my shirt. A wave of relief washed over my neck. Edward spoke to the guards without looking away from the man.
"Stand down."
The spears lifted. Both guards returned to their posts without another word.
Then Edward gestured with a single motion..
"Inside. Now."
I stepped into Edward's study tentatively. The room was massive, thousands of books lined the walls, the spines of each book trimmed with gold, each shining in the sunlight that poured through a gold-trimmed window. Stacks of paper, ink pots, and scrolls formed piles on his desk.
In my previous life, it would have inspired awe. But in this one, all I could feel was the weight of what I'd said.
Speaking Ill of the emperor isn't just blasphemy, it's treason. Someone of a lesser house might get away with it, but when a child of House Ascelyn does it, it's not just the passing words of a child.
It's a threat.
Edward would be inclined to punish me. For the principle, if not for the politics.
The tutor stepped in behind me, a smug grin spreading across his face.
"Lord Ascelyn, Young lord Lior had some rath…."
Before the tutor could finish his sentence, he was cut off.
"You will wait until I'm seated before you address me."
Edwards' tone was laced with Ice, his words freezing the tutor in place; the smirk the tutor carried was now all but absent.
Edward turned his back to us and made his way to his desk, slowly lowering himself down into his chair. He grabbed an ink pen, looked down at a scroll, and spoke.
"Close the door behind yourself."
The tutor hesitated.
"Now."
The doors slammed shut with a hefty thud
"Speak"
"Ye.. yes Lord"
The tutor paused for a moment.
"Your son… he spoke against the laws of the Empire. Claimed the world you helped build wasn't worth protecting. He called the Emperor's ideology disgusting and dismissed my teachings outright. Words like his, at his age, aren't just troubling. They're dangerous. You of all people should understand that. You can't just let him say whatever he wants."
Panic welled up in my chest as I rushed to defend myself.
"Father, I only asked a question."
Edward didn't look up as he spoke, his words heavy.
"You will remain silent."
"What possessed you to teach a child so young concepts he cannot possibly grasp? He is four. His words are conjecture, nothing more."
"You were hired to instruct, not to pass judgment. If you continue overstepping your station, you won't just lose your post; your entire family will bear the disgrace of this moment."
"My lord, with respect, you don't seem to grasp the severity of this."
"For a child to be saying such things, perhaps... he learned them from within these walls. From someone closer than you'd like to admit?"
Edward finally looked up. At the tutor.
"You believe my house breeds traitors?"
"Then you understand why you must act. My lord, I can personally help root out the traitors if you wish."
Edward rose from his chair.
"Foolish. Do you believe that I'd let you live despite your veiled attempts at blackmail? Do you think your family has any influence over me?"
"Did you think I wouldn't notice how you manhandled my son? The ruffled collar of his shirt, the worn skin on his neck? You dragged him through the manor like a dog."
The tutor raised his voice as Edward approached him.
"Get away from me!" the tutor snarled, backing slowly toward the door.
"I'll make sure the Emperor hears about thi..."
Before he could finish, Edward's fist struck his chest. The force of his punch sent a shockwave that knocked me off my feet and sent the tutor crashing into the bookshelf. Books tumbled, pages scattered across the room, his body bloodied and broken but still breathing.
The tutor wheezed, pain contorting his face. His defiance gone, replaced by desperate pleas for mercy.
Edward crouched down
"Mercy?" His voice, mocking.
"A child came to you with a question, and you twisted it into a pitiful attempt at power. You don't respect the Emperor's teachings; you see them as a tool to further yourself."
He paused, eyes narrowing. "But very well. I'll show you mercy."
He called toward the door, voice still calm.
"Guards."
The doors opened at once.
Edward looked down at the man, then asked, "Do you recall where the button from Lior's collar went?"
The tutor coughed, blood dripping from his mouth. "Y-yes... the teaching room."
"Good." Edward nodded.
"The guards will escort you there. If you find it and return it to my son, intact, I'll consider mercy."
"But I- can I- can't even walk."
"Then crawl."
The man who had once been my tutor dragged his lifeless body across the office floor, blood smearing behind him. The guards followed him silently. Every inch forward came with a wet cough.
Edward stood motionless. He waited
Minutes passed.
Finally, the man dragged himself back into the room. He reached Edward, his arm trembling as he raised the button, its golden hue dulled by crimson.
"Th-thank you," he gasped. "F-for your… mercy…"
Edward glanced down at him. Then his gaze moved to me.
"I said," Edward murmured, "return it to Lior."
"What?"
The first spear punctured his throat. The second is his spine. His body collapsed instantly, blood staining the floor.
Edward stepped over his corpse and approached me. He knelt, took my hand in his own, and placed the button in my palm.
His voice was calm.
"Your words carry weight, Lior. That man's greed killed him, but without your words, he would still be alive."
He rose and looked at me one last time.
"Prepare for your duel with your eldest brother. It'll be on your birthday."
He turned back to his desk, then paused for a moment.
"And go tell your mother you'll need a new tutor."
With as much composure as I could manage, I turned and walked out of the room.
Only when I was sure I was out of earshot, past the guards, did the adrenaline finally begin to drain. My legs went weak. My hands trembled, and I fell to the floor.
And then I vomited.