Chapter 122 Past Memories: The Rogue Lion II

"..."

There was no one else in the room, the trio were literally hyperventilating and looking at the Emperor who sat there in silence, his visage dark.

There had been doubts, in her mind, it could be just conjectured, the only thing she was a hundred per cent assured of was that they were family, that silver hair existed only in one place in the entire continent, the way he seamlessly involved himself in their lives from childhood to adulthood only confirmed this fact and made her understand that they were likely closer than she anticipated.

There was no proof, nothing apart from a gut feeling each time she saw the Emperor's countenance. Gerald and Casper had felt the same, but they were boys, focused in their own lives and exploits to try and investigate this relationship, unlike Katherine who felt the necessity to realise what is going on.

Still, supported by her twin brothers, she decided to come today, and who would have expected, that it wasn't uncle, cousin... older brother... it is father.

When her knees gave away, it was then that Constantine flinched and stood up to approach her and help her up, but he got his hand fiercely slapped by Katherine Parcival who was crying desconsolatedly.

"Y-You still dared to lie to me... even when I came and asked... all the way, to my face. You lied to my face!" To Katherine, this was heartbreaking, she had been about to give up... acting rampant was her last card and bet, he had been lying to their face, saying he didn't know, it was only until he found himself in the closest corner that he finally admitted the truth.

Gerald and Casper didn't know what to say, especially the latter, as it turns out he had known that something was done to him, a surgery... their parents never really provided much information, as if they hadn't been there through the procedure, to know that the emperor himself is their father... is too much of a shock, he expected him to be a close uncle.

"..." Constantine offered no excuse, he also didn't apologise... this was his promise with her, they wouldn't know, they wouldn't feel shamed, he'd rather be hated than have them know and feel disgusted of their mother, but now what else could he do? he couldn't keep the lie for long, especially seeing his beloved Katherine... like this.

"Say something..." She begged, all she wanted was for him to start talking and explaining why they were 'abandoned'.

"..."

"Why did you abandon us!?" She knew the Emperor would only allow them to speak to him this way, shrewd and intelligent, Katherine was a aware of what a mental burden looked like, this person would behead anyone that dared so much as to speak a little loud in his presence, he was a tyrant but one that led his empire to the utmost prosperity, evil dared not to exist before him.

But her relentless shouts only met his silence and this time, a mere gaze that contained reluctance.

"I didn't abandon you... you know that, Katherine."

"You're always looking from far away... do you think I can't remember?"

"...?"

"You told me to find you... to count to a hundred... then to look for you, but you left me..."

!!!

"H-How can you-"

"How can I remember? my memory has always been quite good, I wonder if I got it from you or mother... but I knew... something wasn't right, all this time... I love father and mother, with all my heart, they're the best parents I could have gotten..."

"But they were not my parents, I could tell that much, how could I not? we're so different... I had those blurred memories of two silver haired silhouettes, always crying... you two were always crying as if you were sad that we were born!"

"You're misunderstanding everything! we were never sad that you were born!"

"Then why were you two always crying!? who is my mother?!"

"Because we couldn't have you! we loved the three of you, but we couldn't have you!"

"Was your Kingdom more important!?"

*SLAP!!*

"..."

"I don't allow you... to underestimate the love I had for you three..."

"..."

"I would have left everything... you won't get it."

"Then explai-"

"Now this is what is going to happen... you three will go back to your lives and live them, because your parents and us sacrificed plentily just so you could be as happy as you are... you're going to leave this room, you're going to forget about me... and this matter will be closed."

"Who is my mother?"

"Did you not lis-"

"Who is my mother?! tell me who is my mother and I will go!"

"You two take her-"

"Father, please tell us... I know there are things that you can't say, and probably we won't understand... but please, let us know." Unlike the impulsive Katherine, Gerald had enough tact to know that were they to continue asking, things wouldn't end well.

"That is the only question I can't answer."

"She is Isabella Greenwood, right?"

!!!!

It wasn't only Constantine, both of her brothers looked at her agape as if she had gone insane, who doesn't know who Isabella Greenwood is? the Emperor's Mother!

"Katherine, what are you!-"

"Just tell me, was it she?"

"... No."

"Okay, I will leave now, your majesty... thanks for the audience."

"You're welcome."

"I won't be coming back here..."

"You don't have to... you have already grown, you're going to marry a man that loves you, your mind should be somewhere else, Katherine."

"You're still invited."

"I won't go."

"I see..."

"Do you hate me?"

"I hate you with all my heart... I hate you, father."

"That's okay, so long as you don't hate your mother. For your sakes she did what I couldn't... she didn't even care about my feelings, so long as she could give the three of you a life that you could be proud off... no one will ever love you more than she has."

Katherine, Gerald and Casper's steps resonated until they reached the big room's door, they opened it but didn't leave right away.

'Dear please don't let them go!' Aurelianne couldn't take it anymore, this was too sad... why wouldn't he forsake her previous ridiculousness?

'During that time, it was me...'

'Why did you do that?!' Isabella realised that their wills had been constantly imposing themselves regarding this taboo subject, she didn't care about anything... she didn't care about her children realising their seniority or whatever, seeing this sad scene only further convinced her that what Nova had done was wrong.

'They're our children with our son, Isabella! It wasn't right!' Still, Nova, who was already aware of her children's future, knew this was the best choice.

'But-!'

"Will you ever tell us... your honest opinion?" Katherine interrupted her, speaking once again.

"What?" Constantine didn't initially understand her question, he was at his limit. His mind was a mess, he desired them to leave, but he also desired them to stay...

"What do you really think about us...? beyond your facade of an emperor, beyond you trying to follow everyone's will except your own... will you ever tell us what you think about us?" There was still hope in Katherine's voice.

"..." His hand shivered and he smiled self-deprecatingly.

"I-I would have hoped... that you wouldn't hate me..." Seeing her father's tears, Katherine resisted.

"I committed a mistake that I didn't regret... I don't regret one minute of it, I'm sorry... I am so... so sorry... I love the three of you-" He began, but his words stuttered midway, interrupted by Katherine's coldness.

The beauty's tears welled, but she didn't back off, "Thanks for your honest thoughts, your majesty. It shall be done as you ordered, we will leave and forget this ever happened... Goodbye."

While Constantine looked at the ground, sobbing in disbelief, all he heard was the sound of the door closing... the last time he would ever see his beloved children face to face.

"U-Ugh..." He held his pained chest, the tears wouldn't stop... his hand extended towards that closed door, from the adjacent door he saw Caroline come running and yelling his name together with Phoebe and also, August.

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"M-Mother..." His gaze never left that door.

Meanwhile, Aurelianne, crying disconsolately... tried desperately to hold his body that had fallen on the ground, contorting, but she couldn't grasp even a single atom; this was for her and Nova who was also looking. The ultimate heartbreak.

She saw how Constantine grasped August as tight as he could, holding the confused 'little brother' as if he wanted to merge with him, crying disconsolately as he had never cried before. This was without doubt Emperor Constantine De Castile's saddest moment.

And it had been her fault, because he never desired this. Right now, he bore the brunt of her decision.

'Stella, were we wrong?' She asked herself and her late 'sister' together with Nova, walking limply through the hall until her body phased through the main door, she couldn't believe Katherine had been so merciless to him, her daughter... how could she treat him like that?

It was then that she saw on the other side of the door, her two sons holding her daughter with tears in their eyes, trying to get her together, she had passed out with tears in her eyes.

This was a happy ending for nobody.

Still, with tears in his eyes, Constantine's eyes opened and he met those blue orbs of Aurelianne's... she seemed to regard him with expectation.

The only response she got was his embrace around her hips tightening as he squeezed his head in her boobs.

"Have you seen everything so-"

"Don't call me son..."

"..."

"That status... has hurt us enough."

As a response, the goddess of life held his face and planted a deep kiss on his lips as they lay together, this was the first kiss after realisation.

The realisation that Isabella Greenwood -his mother- and Nova -the Goddess of Space and his mother-in-law- are in fact Aurelianne, the Goddess of Life who is also Nova's avatar.

This is also the most important person in his life.