Nero sat on his throne, his hand holding up his tired head. His morning had not been the best. After leaving his horse, he had breakfast in his room and had taken his bath just to meet with the royal ministers who had not shut up for a second since the meeting began. He adjusted to the side, and slowly drifted into a quick nap.
"But we can't let the people have ownership of lands....how can we keep the kingdom balanced then?" A minister asked.
"The only way to keep these people on a leash is by letting them know we own them...we own everything they have."
Neron rubbed his eyes tiredly. The officials that should take care of the people's welfare preferred to take their lands with force. Not that it was his problem, as long as they let him sleep. The people and the ministers were all monsters waiting for the right opportunity.
He had seen it before, that twisted moment when the oppressed becomes the oppressor because of the power given to them. Neron had learnt to keep the balance between the poor and the rich as they were all the same rotten souls just with different opportunities.
The thing that weighed his mind at the moment was another thing. Why did the king he met earlier now pretend to be a boy?
It has been a long time since Neron had something excite him like the girl did. How foolish was she to think that she could blend in perfectly without being found out. Even if it wasn't by him.
"Or we can initiate the rice rationing. Seeing that the lands are drying up...we can use that..."
"Or maybe the sweet cubes that our traders recently delivered."
Neron yawned and the hall became silent. He adjusted on the throne. Maybe the girl was trying to get his attention? Neron shook his head. He could see an emotion in her eyes and it wasn't like.
The ministers waited for the king to speak, but he remained quiet, rubbing his fingers on his forehead.
"The officials will seal the royal inventory once famine starts." Another minister began. "That way we can take the land of the stubborn ones."
Neron tilted his head. Why had he ignored the girl even after finding out she was lying? He had never had pure entertainment like this for sometime.
"Or we can take away their sons so they won't have help in the-"
"I should find her." Neron interrupted, standing up from his throne. When he noticed the ministers staring at him. Neron's face changed from one of fascination to disgust in a split second.
"And for you..." his eyes scanned all of them in the room, and he sighed. "Take your sickening greed elsewhere. I am in no mood to listen to your foolish ramblings."
The royal ministers cleared their throat clearly offended by the king's words, but their heads remained bowed.
Neron stared at them with another look of disdain before he left the room. Making his way towards the stable. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do with the girl. Maybe toy with her for a moment or find out why she was actually doing this?
The young king wasn't sure, but one thing was certain: he was bored. And the girl seemed like the only fun in the palace aside spending meaningless hours with girls that moaned without meaning.
Whether it was her innocent gaze or her naivety. Neron was going to find out once he meet her then, he would determine what to do with her.
"Your Majesty."
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Servants and guards bowed as the king walked past them without caring that people were hiding away because of his presence. Some hid not to stand before him others, who saw him too late, bowed with their legs trembling.
Meanwhile, Nero's grin grew wider as he got closer to the stable. He could already imagine the shock on the girl's face when she see him again.
The first person to see the king was the young man who had been with Izrina earlier. Seeing the king, he arranged his collar, fixing his hair before rushing forward to meet the king.
"Your ma-"
Neron walked past the man, going straight to where his horse was resting. He scanned the place. "Zeke...why are you alone? Where is our new...." Neron checked the other horses.
Finally settling his eyes on the young man that still loitered by the corner. Neron stepped outside again.
"Where is Raymond?"
The servant gulped. He moved his eyes to the side. "He...he was here earlier...I just needed to relieve myself." The man, afraid he was going to be punished, continued.
"Young boys like him...they usually hate to work. I'm sure he is hiding somewhere."
Neron stared at the man. His eyes bored and void of any emotions. He could tell the man was just saying anything and most importantly, lying. He had ruled people long enough to know they always try to please people in power even if it means ruining another person's life with a simple lie.
This was what he meant when he thought of people in power and the poor to be the same. They all stomped on each other every little chance they get.
"I will make sure to fin and punish the lazy hovel rat."
Neron was going to speak but hummed at the impressive insult from the man, "Hovel rat?"
The man nodded. "That is how they are! That Godforsaken whelp, born to want, a child of dust that....."
Neron left the stable. Something crossed his mind while listening to the man. Earlie, one of his guards, said something about being attracted to boys.
"Did he?" Neron furrowed his brows. Did a guard take the girl thinking she was a boy? What would happen when he undressed her? Things were getting even more interesting.
Leaving his stable, Neron made his way to the guards' quarters. In hopes he was fast enough before the girl traumatizes the boy guard.
The servants and maids who met the king walking around the palace casually kept bowing to show respect. It was strange since their king never stepped out of his chambers. Strolling on a random afternoon was something the king of Zephyrus had never done.
Neron paused abruptly. His sudden stop caused some maids to run and hide while others remained still, praying their breathing won't annoy the king.
"I don't remember the guard." Neron said to himself. He rubbed his forehead, which now formed lines of growing stress.
Neron turned. All he had to do was send orders for every worker in his palace to gather at the great hall. That way, he would find the girl easily but what if it was too late?
"Too late for what?" Neron asked himself. "Why do you care about what happens to a slave?"
"Your Majesty!" A royal guard genuflected before his king, his face covered in sweat and his breathing hard.
"Speak," Neron ordered.
The guard stood up, his eyes still on the ground. "Someone found a body just near the palace walls... a young girl with red hair. There is a killer in the palace."
"Did you say red-hair?" Neron asked, just then he noticed a movement from the corner of his eye. "We have an imposter among us."