The Emperor appeared in all his 3D glory at the center of the room. He was dressed in a black riding suit and looked as if he had just returned from his morning horse ride.
He looked very much like an older version of his youngest son. His long black hair touched with silver at the temples, was hanging loose around his shoulders, framing his large body and masculine face.
Emperor Rex's violet eyes crinkled with delight as he saw his children clustered around an alert and awake Slate.
"Dante, Leo. I trust all is well." At their nods of affirmation, he turned to Lyra.
"You've gotten taller since I last saw you."
Lyra rolled her eyes and gave a pout.
"I just had breakfast with you yesterday morning, Father."
He bellowed with laughter.
"That tells me you're growing taller by the day. How am I going to get you married off if the men around you only come up to your nose? Try to get a little shorter."
He turned to Candace and fixed his gaze on the blonde female with the mesmerizing hazel eyes.
"And there is the Golden Child. I am very glad you are here."
Candace smiled.
"It's all thanks to Dante. He rescued me." She gave the blue haired Second Prince a grateful look.
Dante blushed and looked at his toes, even as Leonardo shot a disgruntled look at the Emperor.
Slate's face was stony and unreadable.
The Emperor's eyes took in all of this, his face never wavering.
"I'm sure you must be upset that I gave the order for you to be traded with Slate." He spoke directly at Candace, but the brothers all spoke up at once.
"Yes, I am very upset!" Leonardo choked out.
"In what world does an innocent civilian trade places with a trained warrior doing his job???" Slate rasped hoarsely.
"You have no idea the extent of my rage." Dante said coldly.
Lyra's bright blue eyes darted back and forth between all the brothers.
"Wait. Candace didn't do this willingly?" She turned back to the Emperor. "You ordered her to go trade places with Slate?"
"I'm afraid so, my Dear. I couldn't take a chance that Slate would be harmed far more than he already was."
"Lyra. Use your brain," Slate growled. "Did it look like she was being forced to walk that glass skywalk?"
Lyra shook her head, her eyes widened with understanding.
Slate hissed with frustration.
"Father. I am a warrior. I put my life on the line to protect the Empire day after day." His dazzling blue eyes glittered with the fire of fury.
"But I cannot do my job if I have to worry that each time I get into a dangerous situation, you will send my woman into danger just to switch places with me!"
He turned to Leonardo.
"How dare you put her in danger??? I would give my life for this woman!"
Leonardo's eyes narrowing with barely suppressed anger.
"I was ordered by Father to take her to Emporia, but even I am not that crass." He turned to Candace with grateful eyes. "She deserved to know the full situation. I came to her and laid it all out."
"I gave her the choice to come with me or stay within the safety of Dante's Moon. She insisted on trading places with you, Slate."
Leonardo turned to the Emperor.
"Believe me Father, if Candace had refused, I would never have taken her there, regardless of your Royal Command."
He took a deep breath. "The bravery of this woman is unparalleled and she has won my heart. Forget the Avgo Event. I want to marry her now."
"Get in line, Leo." Dante shot him a challenging glance.
Dante clenched his fists.
It still enraged him that the woman he had tried so hard to protect had walked away from the shelter he and Slate had erected around her and headed directly into danger.
Dante thought back upon his desperate search through the Raptor 437 for her and broke out into a cold sweat. He had been expecting the worst and was not ashamed to admit that he had been scared out of his mind and crying at that moment in time.
And now the very man who sent her into that danger zone was standing in front of their Father, saying that he wanted to marry her?
Over his dead body!
The Emperor eyed each of his children and chuckled to himself. They were all doing exactly as he expected they would.
Once again, he turned to Candace.
"I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my son. I offer my deep-felt thank you. If there is anything that I can do to repay that debt, please speak up."
Candace shook her head.
"There is no need. I did not do this as a favor to you."
The Emperor nodded.
"Nevertheless, the offer remains for as long as I am Emperor and able to fulfill your request."
He turned back to his children.
"The Empress has decided to throw a fancy dress-up ball in three days' time to celebrate Slate's return. She is expecting you boys to be there in your best outfits."
"Slate is still not well," Leonardo turned to Slate with a worried eye.
"Slate is the only one who does not need to be there if he does not feel well enough to attend. However, she has extended a special invitation to Candace—"
"I will be there." Slate announced without further ado.
"Well then that's that. I've done my job as invitation announcer, so the Empress can't keep nagging at me. And oh, by the way."
He turned to Candace with a smile.
"All the Avgo candidates have been invited to attend. You will get a chance to hobnob with them before the event the next day."
"Even the disqualified ones?" Lyra asked.
"Even the disqualified ones, although I don't think the fish girl is going to be able to make it." The Emperor shook his head ruefully. "Emporia has been beset with problems, much of it self-inflicted."
"How so, Father?" Lyra asked.
"Karma, Child." The Emperor clicked his tongue. "Tch. Tch. It's all karmically driven. The things you do always end up coming back to hit you in the face when you least expect it to."
"So what do you do?" She asked.
"Do?" He laughed. "Why, you just do your best to get hit in the face with love instead of hate."
"Why do the Avgo candidates have to be invited?" Slate asked with a wearied voice. His body was still weak and he was becoming more fatigued, trying to stay awake.
"It's so the rest of you boys can get to know the Avgo contestants. After all, you will get your choice of Avgo females once the winner is taken by the Crown Prince."
"What if the winner does not want the Crown Prince?"
Everyone turned to stare at Candace with slack jaws. Nobody could believe she had even asked such a crazy question.
Whoever heard of an Avgo winner ever turning down the Crown Prince? It was the ultimate prize!
It was like Cinderella going to the ball and then turning down the chance to marry the Prince so she could open up a dress shop with mice and birds to help her make dresses.
The Emperor roared with laughter.
"That's easy.. Just win second place."
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