Ciro (POV)
Birth
Love
Care
Heartbreak
Betrayal
Hate
Acceptance
Repeat…
This… this is … yes that how many times I have come back now… right? …and yet everything is still the same. Same place, same faces, same smiles, same masks, same lies, same tricks, same puppet master, same pain, same everything….So I thought. A loud roaring sound like heavy rain. Heavy hot rain that is burning the inside of my throat and pulling outward onto my skin.I can't moving, can't see, can't speak. Panic come over me, eyes wild in the darkness. The sounds getting louder and louder til… stone silence.
"Ciro, my son" echoes of a woman gently voice.
My eyes shot open in shock as I quickly grab my throat where the pain was burning me only to realise that there was nothing and that it was a dream. The same dream again that one dream that I never could remember but always felt the burning pain just before I wake up. That is the only indication that I know it wasn't just a dream but a nightmare but most times that same dream or nightmare doesn't feel like either of them…most time it just feels like a memory a very old one at that. I let go of my neck and push myself up from bed to look over my large emaculate room where all the uncomfortable gold and white fame chair with velvet red cushions with to many count gold, white and red embroidery plush pillows, floor to ceiling windows framing the walls with a long red velvet curtains with a golden lion emblem roaring out flames in the centre curtain material and a golden rope that opens the curtains hanging on the sides. Large black and gold vases all along the other side of the wall that have been passed down from one Emperor to the next from the Saints temple to bless each new Emperor. Like that ever helped.
Getting up from the overly large emperor size bed before any of the servants comes I stand and walk up to the large floor to ceiling windows and throw open the curtains to either side stretching both my arms wide in the process then dropping them moments after. I look outside to the dim morning light and still air on the palace ground and breath in deep and out.
"Still the same" I said to myself while looking outside.
I stood longer by the window watching the sun rise from the dark corners of the horizon to hang just above the far mountains. Thinking of the day ahead. A dark excitement creeping through me of knowing the plans I have set . Being an Emperor may sound like a glamorous job but it's not. Especially when you have been the Emperor over and over again and realising that some people and things don't change for the good and others just learn how to hide their real self and put on a mask to please the masses. Me on the other hand I don't wear masks …while not anymore. Before all this I can admit I did wear a mask to hide my true self. I had to for an Emperor had to act a certain way to keep the peace among the people and his house. They say you must have the balance of a just and kind Emperor with a true heart that is what the many teachers taught me and that's what I did. Well that a lot of horses shit. I spent my whole life destroying myself and separating my family from me to be the "perfect Emperor ". Then I found out after burning myself way that only reason they taught me all that was for them to manipulate me and make sure I play they twisted game the way they wanted an chess piece that can be placed anywhere they want me to be. My father was that that chess piece for them. For years I watch my father be fooled by his close advisors to make 'decisions for the good of the empire ' but those same so called advisors only made those'decisions' to line they own pockets leaving the people with nothing. After the first few times I came back I tried to change things, change them and make them understand that the choices they made was killing the land killing the peoples but they didn't care. Then I saw why they didn't care, the true reason, they true masks and that's when I made my own decision to rip my f@#king mask off and show them the true Emperor I am.
The door open to the bedroom and before the person enters I already know who it is. There is only one person in this kingdom who does not fear me and that is my advisor and right.
"Good, I see you are up early your majesty." He said as he walks in the bed room. He made his way and sat on the plush couch by the fireplace then leans over to put down a stack of documents on the table making a thunk sound. At that moment I felt my soul sink to the floor.
"Yes of course," i said as I stood by the window looking straight out into the palace ground my focus intense. While I was also trying to activatly ignore the pain in the ass documents that my dearest best friend and advisor left for me.
The man blew out a heavy sigh as he turned to me with irritation with his round glass and dirty blonde and said "Are you going to stand there all day your majesty?"
"Can't I Hans? I mean It will make other peoples lives much more easier if I just stood here and waste all my days and nights into dust and they would live longer and turn that dust to black ash." I said Hans sigh again while still keeping his honey brown eyes on me.
"Yes, you are right you could just stand there and do absolutely nothing for the empire. Just be the hollow Emperor you were taught to be and let the ministers run the empire. Let them break, stave and burn the cities while you watch from your little window and be that hollow Emperor. Hell, at least you will have a front row view of the action." Hans said in his cold tone.
Silence fall between Hans and I as the sounds of the crackle of the burning wood in the fire place. The morning light shine through the one open curtain onto my body and thoughts of the same empire in flames as Hans said. The people crying tears of blood with pale thin bodies, ripped old clothing and others are killing one another to survive while the rest just waiting to be killed thinking there is a better place than here. My mind pull itself beeper into my memory in which I thought it was just a dream that turned into a nightmare but my soul knew it. It wasn't just a dream nor a nightmare it was-.
"Your Majesty!" Hans called out. I snapped out of my thoughts and turned to see him standing up brow knitted together with a worrying expression on his face.
"Should I…call the doctor your majesty?"
"No, its fine. I wasn't myself for a moment but I'm fine now Hans." I said as I walked up to him. I sat a cross from him on the single couch as he still stood up observing me. I lean back on the chair and looked up to him.
"Now Hans, are you going to stand there all day?" I said with a smirk. Hans clear his throat and sat back down on the chair and started to go through the papers that were on the table.
"Yes, well let's get started." He said as his handed papers to me. "This is the report on the project you wanted also the list of finances of it. At first we saw nothing the money was use to buy the right material and also pay and feed the people who were working in the district but then when we evaluate the payment cost it didn't add up. There were things that came up short that didn't make sense. Then I found it." Hans said with a grin on his face as he handed over a piece on document to me. I scanned the paper looking at all the errors and missing money that were underlined by Hans and why they moved the money.
"Are you share about this Hans" I said.
"Are you really questioning my skill after all this years your majesty." Hans deadpan. I smile behind the paper.
"Fine,if you know it's right gather them to the hall. Also make the arrangements for the gift." I said as I stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
'Well this is going to be interesting' I smiled as I thought to myself.
"All of them your majesty?"
"Yes, Hans all of them. Oh and don't forget the thing.You know how fun is it to have it there." I said before closing the door behind me.