Honey : The Empire's Treasure 453 Dinner with the Devil

As she reached the ground floor, Saavi spotted and stopped her.

"Mikaela…?" Looking up and down at her outfit she wondered where her friend was heading off to.

Mikaela pulled Saavi over to the side, "The King has asked for me…"

Looking stunned and frighten for her, Saavi planned to tag along but Mikaela stopped her. 

"No, not this time. I'll go alone."

"...but Mikaela!"

"I need you to do something else for me."

"...What is it?" Saavi leaned in, seeing the serious look on Mikaela's face. 

"Uncle Cohnal has finally made his move and is trying to gain control over the Amara clan."

"What!" Saavi never thought so many things would happen at once.

"En...I need you and Celaena to travel back home and…" Mikaela explained her plans to Saavi before leaving to make her way to the palace.

Like the last time, Mikaela didn't bother to take her own shuttle. Instead she rented one out from a shop located near the school.

Once inside, she placed several of her nanos inside the shuttle's mainframe and took off.

At the Imperial palace, King Rychell was looking at himself in the mirror as Princess Tiriana gently placed a new masked over his face. After one potion and several charms decorated his body, Rychell was looking young again.

Princess Tiriana was happy that her father needed her to keep up his appearances, because it allow her to get special favors and treatments the other family members couldn't get. However, these days her father was needing more and more charms and masks, which was eating into her collection.

As of right now, she was going to need to spent the entire month creating charms and masks to replace the ones she have given to him in the passed thirty days.

"Father, I must remind you that I will not have any masks and charms for thirty days...so do be careful with the ones I'm given you today."

"Yes, yes, I have heard you. Don't worry, soon I won't have to ask for these things from you anymore." Rychell smiled in delight.

Hearing that Tiriana looked at her father with an excited expression.

"Father have you and Lord Voron finally succeeded!"

"Soon…"

"Father…"

"Don't worry, you and a selected few will join us." He stopped her from reminding him of their agreement.

Tiriana smiled in relief. She had worked hard after finding out truth of what happen to Queen Analise and King Calico.

Fascinated by those two, she had unknowingly stumped upon her family's dark secret. Scared, but also delighted that she was meant to be more than what she is now. Tiriana wanted to know more about what happened. 

After years of digging she found Lord Voron and saw all the work hey were doing.

She knew she wouldn't be able walk away with her life after finding out the deeply held secret. She would died before her lips could ever form the word murderer.

Instead of confronting her father directly, she looked for what could make her useful to her father. She found it one night when King Rychell had gotten drunk. 

After fail attempt after fail attempt, Rychell had grown wearily of ever being able to succeed in their experiments. Drowning his feelings in liquor, he hold on his beauty spell wore off.

When Tiriana saw his real appearance after sneaking a peek into his room, she was stunned by how old he actually was.

Yet, glee soon bloomed in her heart as she knew what she had to do to get his attention. 

Over the years since, Tiriana strived hard to make a name for herself making beauty charms and potions strong enough to almost combat aging. 

After trying her products out, Rychell could no longer live without them. In return for her help in this matter, he introduced her to Voron personally and decided to let her be one of the few individuals who will ascend with them.

With his life long dream almost being completed, her life long dream will almost be achieved.

"Tiriana."

"Hmm? Yes, father."

"I have a guest arriving here tonight and I need to look my best..." Rychell reminded.

Getting the hint, Tiriana finished up her last minute touch ups to complete his youthful appearance.

"Good." Rychell said as he admired himself in the mirror.

Tiriana wanted to ask who this guest was that made her father go out of his way to look good for, but she knew when to mind her own business.

Grabbing her things, she reminded her father one last time about not having anymore masks and charms before leaving.

Making her way to the cloister, she saw a steward coming from the opposite direction leading a fledgling female.

When they passed each other she could recognized the young fledgling.

Isn't that youngest brother's female…? Is that who father is waiting for?

Tiriana knew her father and youngest brother have been at each others throats lately. 

Sigh...Unfortunately, Ailwin's female got is caught in the middle of it. Shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders, Tiriana gave up caring and whistled as she left the imperial palace.

Mika saw the unique looking female as she passed by, but was too tightly strung to care.

When she first arrived at the palace, the royal guards made sure to search her before letting her walk inside. 

Satisfied that no weapons were on her, a steward who waited at the side took her to meet the King.

Mikaela's nerves were all over the place. She needed to handle this meeting with care. She didn't want to be involved to another fight with the King.

Turning the corner, the steward stop after a distance at a door.

Knocking two times, they waited as the person inside gave them permission to enter.

"Come in."

Once the doors were opened, Mikaela was greet to a dining hall, lit with warm lighting and a long table set for a meal.

King Rychell sat at the head and a seat was left open to her at the other end.

 "Mikaela, I'm so glad you can join me. Please, sit down."

The steward pull her chair out and Mikaela couldn't stand there like an idiot, so she sat down.

 Soon dinner was served and the two were left alone.

Back at the school, Saavi rushed to find Celaena and get a shuttle of her own.

Please go to to read the latest chapters for free

Chapter end