Chapter 1
“You could have been his son instead.”
Those were the first words the Master of Death had heard upon being reborn. They were whispered softly, as if his new mother was careful not to wake Harry. At least she was thoughtful enough to keep her voice low as she rocked him slightly, indicating that she cared for him despite being seemingly disappointed at who sired him.
Harry sighed. Death had warned him about rebirth, although the entity assured him that this was not a permanent occurrence. Even now, Harry vaguely remembers the afterlife, of being happy and content in wherever place the beyond had been.
‘You are one of the rare anchors of creation, Master. Your presence alone stabilizes a world. As such, there will be times where you will find yourself as a babe again.’ Death chuckled. ‘A side effect of being one of the most valiant souls to have ever existed. Do not worry, however. I’ll make sure to have a talk with Fate, to gift you sweeter circumstances this time around. No more snake-faced fiends throwing death curses at your face, yes?’
Death was a bitch.
Still, Death told him reincarnation was real, anyway. It happened to ordinary souls, not just him. So in retrospect, Harry was just starting life with a little perk of having his memories with him.
Oh, and magic. His magic never left him.
Harry sighed and snuffled further into his new mother’s embrace. This was his first round of being reborn after all, and he was sleepy.
It was weeks later when Harry finally had an idea of the world he lived in.
This new world of his was magic as well, although it was limited to very few talented people. This was relieving news to Harry, as it meant he didn’t have to fully hide his magic. His mother could do magic too, and was part of the Black Tower, a position that his new grandfather seemed to disapprove, judging by the loud voices Harry could hear whenever he argued with his mother.
This country, the Obelian Empire, seemed to be stuck in the Victorian ages, with all the castles and ballgowns and all the finery known by that age, ruled by nobles and royalty alike.
Which brings Harry to his current predicament. Being stared down by harsh, bejeweled blue eyes.
“Glory to the sun of Obelia.” His mother murmured, gracefully curtsying despite having Harry in her arms. The room was empty, save for the two men who had been waiting for them when they entered the lavish room inside the Royal Palace.
The blonde man in front of them stayed silent, staring at what was visible of Harry with an unreadable face.
He was undeniably handsome, wearing loose robes in an arrogant sort of way that still made him look like the muse of an expensive painting. He had a poker face worthy of Malfoy Sr., staring with half-lidded eyes that reminded Harry of a lazy predator that couldn’t be bothered.
So this was his father. The Emperor of Obelia, Claude. Harry had heard enough about him from that new grandfather of his, a grandfather who kept threatening his mother to reveal Harry to him. It seems whatever threat the old man made was serious enough for his mother to finally act.
“Lady Elsbeth Monroe.” The red-haired knight beside his father greeted them with a genial smile on his face, although the man couldn’t hide the clear panic in his eyes as he darted back and forth between the Emperor and Harry’s mother.
“Your Majesty.” His mother addressed the Emperor, her face hardening. “Allow me to be bold. A year ago, you had visited the Black Tower in regards to your… ailment. If you remembered, you awakened a forbidden artifact confiscated from an extinct clan of succubus. Try as we might, the effects could not be dispelled by magic. We had to take care of it… in the traditional way.”
Harry grimaced at the imagery. He got the gist of it while his grandfather and mother had their screaming match. His mother had apparently been the only woman inside the Magicians’ Black Tower, the only woman of her generation deemed talented enough to work there. She had been also nearby, affected by whatever artifact that had also struck the Emperor, which was something like an aphrodisiac. Two drugged up people who couldn’t properly consent, so no one was technically at fault here.
‘Great, I was conceived accidentally.’ Harry thought. ‘What’s sweet about this circumstance anyway? What happened to talking with Fate to give me a peaceful time?’ Death was such a cop-out. His new life, while not as fucked up as before, seemed extremely complicated.
“You told me you took care of it.” The Emperor finally spoke, his voice low and displeased.
“And I did.” His mother’s hold on Harry tightened. “I did as you asked. I drank the potion that you personally brewed and saw me drink. I didn’t know I was pregnant until the fifth month. As a magician, I risk my mind and body if I ever attempted to end my pregnancy at that term, Your Majesty.”
So she had thought about terminating him. Harry didn’t hold it against her. From what he remembered, the Victorian era was sexist towards women, and the shouts of his grandfather didn’t paint a pretty picture about the way his mother was treated in her household.
His mother, Elsbeth, had fairly powerful magic even at a young age. However, she was a noble woman and could not escape her fate of being married off for more wealth and connections. Fortunately, she had married a high-ranking knight, who loved her and permitted her to study magic during her free time. She was talented enough to be invited to study in the Black Tower, which her husband surprisingly allowed.
Her husband, the man who she wished was Harry’s father instead.
Tragically, her husband died during a battle a few years ago. Rather than to be forced to marry another man, especially as she was grieving, Elsbeth begged the Tower for asylum and was granted an official position as one of the rare female magicians of the Empire, an honor in itself. Her family had no choice but to cover up her escape, making it seem like they meant to allow her to enter.
Harry had to salute his mother for that. She seemed as capable and fierce as Lily Potter had been.
“It has been a few months since he was born.” The Emperor drawled, tilting his head. “Why did you come now?”
His father said nothing about his mother’s words, nor did he show surprise, so Harry deduced that his father knew. Knew about his mother’s reasoning, and knew about his existence, apparently.
“My father,” His mother sneered the last word. “Had kindly informed me of the crime of hiding the existence of royal children. He also threatened to create rumors about my son, about the royal family, if I hid him any longer.” She tilted her chin defiantly. “I knew it would not end well. For my family, that is.”
As she finished her sentence, a miracle seemed to occur. The Emperor’s mouth twitched, a ghost of a smirk gracing his face. It seemed his mother’s boldness amused him.
‘What a sadist.’ Harry sniffed. ‘An absolute knothead.’
The Emperor gestured to the red-haired knight with a lazy wave, and the man tipped his head at his mother. “May we see your son, Lady Monroe?”
Harry was jostled from his comfortable position, for only his eyes and the tuft of his hair had been made visible prior. His mother carried him upright now, showing his face clearly to both the Emperor and his knight.
The soft ‘oh’ from the red-haired man didn’t distract Harry from the flash of surprise in his father’s eyes. For once, the dull and piercing look on his face was replaced with genuine shock.
“Sir Felix?”
The knight, Felix, coughed. “Ah, forgive me, Lady Monroe. The sight of his bejeweled blue eyes makes me happy!”
The mother and son both deadpanned, knowing it was a load of bullshit.
“Ambrose.”
Elsbeth blinked. “Your Majesty?”
“His name is Ambrose. Ambrose de Alger Obelia.”
Claude stood up, walking towards the mother and… his child. The baby seemed to scowl at him. Those familiar features, distinct yet softened with baby fat, pouted at him with cupid bow lips and a wrinkled button nose. His heart squeezed, although it did not hurt this time, did not bring him agonizing pain as it did… the other one.
“Ah. I… thank you, Your Majesty.” Elsbeth looked at him with a pinched expression.
Any other woman would have been overjoyed, would have been triumphant at bearing a child recognized by him, the Emperor. He was giving her son an eternal name, fitting for the Obelian Royal Family. And yet, she looked slightly displeased even as she gave him a stiff smile.
Instead of being irritated however, Claude felt further amused. His son, Ambrose, also had the same annoyed look on his face and waved one chubby arm at him, as if batting him away. He caught it, startling the baby who looked at him with wide blue eyes.
“Hm?”
There was a faint rush of… clarity entering his body. Foreign mana that did not feel intrusive was gently washing into him, like the lapping of soft sunshine.
It felt… warm.
He didn’t even know he felt cold before this…
Elsbeth stared at him with a knowing look, swaying his son without breaking Claude’s hold on the tiny hand.
“He… Ambrose, seems to have an abundance of mana. More than most babies. And… my late mother’s family had ties with the Holy Church. His mana is similar to those who have taken an Oath.”
Felix hummed. “Is this why you retreated to your family house, Lady Monroe? Despite disliking your family’s decisions, you chose to retreat to Earl Lumley’s estate instead of remaining in the Black Tower.”
Elsbeth glared at Felix, fully dropping her polite mask. “As much as I respect the Black Tower’s thirst for knowledge, I was not about to subject my son to any of their experiments, no matter how they insist. They have been dying to get their hands on a royal child. I’ve seen their research on the unique mana of the Obelian royal family. Adding to the fact that he seems to have inherited the purifying properties of my late mother’s mana? He would have never seen the light of day.”
Elsbeth’s harsh tone seemed to distress the baby, making the newly named Prince squirm and whimper. The Emperor continued to hold on to the tiny fist, making it awkward for Elsbeth to rock her son.
“Then you will be staying at the Jadeite Palace.”
Elsbeth stiffened. “What?”
Her disrespectful tone was ignored. “As the mother to a child of the Royal Family, it is required of you to reside within the grounds of the Royal Palace. The Jadeite Palace shall be refitted for the Prince.”
“Ah—”
“The Jadeite Palace is a splendid castle, Lady Monroe. It was newly built for future foreign dignitaries, fit for Kings and Queens. A few changes shall be made to accommodate Prince Ambrose.” Felix interjected gracefully.
“I… that’s not—” Elsbeth faltered, looking between the two men, her stomach sinking. She came to the Palace because it was required of her. She knew the Emperor was aware of her son, knew that he was somehow watching her every move, disinterested he may be. She didn’t even dare name her child even though he was now a few months old, fearing that the Emperor might be offended if she presumed to make such a decision. And despite the smile Felix Robane was currently giving her, she knew how ruthless and informed the Knight of Crimson Blood could be.
She thought, with the way the baby Princess was treated, that she would be turned away or be dismissed by the Emperor after a look. She had the means to take care of herself and her son after all, she didn’t need to have her son be involved in the bloody and messy world of the royal family. She thought she’d be ordered to keep her son to herself, paid to remain silent, or sent away in a remote place.
She would have preferred it that way.
But now there was no chance of leaving. Not even her plans of escaping could work now.
‘Father would be overjoyed.’ Elsbeth thought hysterically. She steeled herself and stared at her son, who seemed to be looking at her with worried blue eyes. She felt a rush of love towards her son. He had always seemed sensitive towards her moods. He was a quiet, good baby. Her baby.
She sighed.
‘For her son...’
“Thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty.” She bowed, finally making the Emperor drop her son’s tiny hand. “We shall follow your orders. Glory to the sun of Obelia.”
“You still look displeased, Lady Monroe. Is there anything that upsets you?”
“Please drop the high formality, Sir Robain. We’ve known each other since children.” Elsbeth said, looking onwards as Felix escorted her and her son back to their carriage and her father’s house. “We went to the same tutors, even though we took different paths as we grew older. Tell me, for I didn’t dare ask His Majesty directly… what had changed his demeanor towards my son?”
Felix smiled at her, then at the baby in her arms.
At least he wasn’t denying it.
“Are you aware of His Majesty’s mother?” Felix asked, gently guiding her as they passed through a corridor.
Elsbeth shot him a confused look. “The late Consort Rosena? What about her?”
“There are no portraits of her in the main Palace, so naturally, you are unaware. However, Prince Ambrose looks very much like her.” Felix said, eyes at the very alert-looking baby. “You’d think that a baby’s features would be indistinguishable at such an age, but it’s uncanny. His eyes, his nose, his little chin…”
“I thought he looked like His Majesty.” Elsbeth said, dumbfounded. Is this why the Emperor had a sudden change of heart?
“He does, but he looks very much like his grandmother more.” Felix chuckled. “His Majesty loved the late Consort dearly. I suppose that’s why he bestowed such a name to his son. The eternal meaning behind the name aside, Consort Rosena’s family used to call her Rose as a nickname. Their ‘beloved Rose’, I remember.”
“Ambrose.” Elsbeth said in disbelief. “The Emperor… he named my… our son after his mother?”
“That’s what I thought as well.” Felix said, pausing in front of the carriage. “A proper royal name for immortality, and an ode to the Emperor’s mother. Such a fitting homage, is it not?”
“She was prepared to run.”
Felix blinked at the Emperor, having just returned from escorting the new Prince and his mother to the Lumley estate. The Lumley patriarch had been over the moon at the sight of Felix, the Emperor’s personal guard, arriving with his daughter and grandson. There was greed shining in his eyes, no doubt thinking of ways to lord over the nobles now that his grandson was an heir to the royal throne.
But judging from the sneer on Lady Monroe’s face, she wouldn’t let that happen any time soon.
“No? The lady was perfectly calm, no signs of fleeing. I’ve left a few guards with her, just in case.” Felix said.
“I meant earlier, here. She was wearing a teleportation talisman on her wrist.” Claude said, looking away from the window where the carriage had left. “Not that it would help her since we have barriers. But she was prepared to take my son away.”
“Ah.” Felix didn’t know what to say to that.
He understood the Emperor’s newfound interest in his son. Felix’s mother was Claude’s head maid, as such, Felix had been around Claude since he had been the unfavored prince. Felix witnessed firsthand how much Claude loved his mother, how numb and devastated he was after she died. Seeing such a vulnerable baby with almost the same features as her staring up at him… it would melt anyone’s cold heart.
His thoughts flashed towards another child, another baby who was currently abandoned at the Ruby Palace. Felix didn’t know what Claude did to himself, to be left even colder and unfeeling more than he had been before Diana entered his life, but he knew Claude did not wish to be reminded of it. And yet even if he didn’t look it, even in the haze of his indifference, Felix knew Claude was still mourning in his own way.
Still, how ironic was it…
One child had a mother who was deeply loved by the Emperor, only for her child to be forgotten once she died. The other had a mother who the Emperor could care less about, and yet the child was given a name by the Emperor himself. Was being bestowed honors his little innocent head could not yet comprehend.
Ambrose. Immortal.
How cruel and kind fate could be.