MISTRESS OF FLAME

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

EMPEROR Gabrien Faberion's harmonious and peaceful breakfast in the empire's garden was ruined by the news reported to him by General Adri, one of the empire's war overlords. The news came from Baron Arnott, the overseer of the moonrite prison.

"Sollel, one of Yther's queens, the Mistress of Flame, has escaped her moonrite prison."

When the emperor heard the news, his hand that was holding the cup of tea trembled in anger.

"Imbeciles!" He angrily threw the cup of tea on the general's leather boots. The cup broke and scattered, but no one moved to pick it up, afraid of the emperor's anger to fall on them.

The emperor, known for his vicious temper, screamed, "Search all the land and drag that woman back to prison! I will not let that harlot or any of you sully my name! For two generations, that woman is our prisoner, and I will not let her escape. Not in my reign, do you hear me?!"

The general who was kneeling on one knee and looking at the ground nodded. "Yes, Your Highness."

Calming himself so he could think of a better plan to drag that woman back to prison, Emperor Gabrien took a deep breath while his lips were twitching in anger. "How did she escape? That prison is made of moonrite—their weakness. And from the report I received, that woman was weak and immobile. How come she could escape that prison?"

General Adri answered with a low voice, hoping that his answer wouldn't anger the emperor more. "We believe that someone helped her."

"A traitor?!"

"We believe so, Your Highness," said General Adri. "All the guards in the moonrite chamber had been killed. No one was left alive. And the door to the prison was destroyed."

The emperor couldn't help his surprise while anger still boiled inside him. "The moonrite chamber has a hundred guards! Who could kill them all?! We have the strongest weapons, an impenetrable stronghold!"

"We do not know, Your Highness." General Adri was scared to say the words I don't know in front of the emperor, but there were really no words to explain what happened. "As of now, we are investigating and looking for the traitor and the woman. We believe that they are together."

"And?"

"Still no report, Your Highness."

In a fit of anger, the emperor's plate made of porcelain was smashed in the general's head, but the general did not even flinch. "Useless fools! Without the moonrite, that woman is powerful! Make sure to find her while she's still weak, or I will have your head together with the baron's!"

The general's head remained low. "Yes, Your Highness."

Letting out an angry breath, the emperor ordered, "Alert the imperial army on every station all throughout the empire to be ready, just in case that mad woman appears. Tell them to ready a moonrite weapon to subdue her. No one is allowed to kill her. Just weaken her." Emperor Gabrien knew how important that woman's blood and presence to the empire were. He couldn't afford to lose her. Not while he's the emperor.

"Yes, Your Highness."

"Leave and don't come back without that woman!"

General Adri lowered his head even more before he got up to leave the garden. On the other hand, the emperor had already lost his appetite and couldn't even take a single bite of his breakfast.

"Sollel, the Mistress of Flame," Emperor Gabrien whispered. His voice trembled for a moment when he remembered how his father warned him about her. Fear consumed him for a second before he discarded it. "What can that woman do? She's nothing now but a slave to the royal family—my slave."