Steel and Sorrow: Rise of the Mercenary king - Chapter 122

Chapter 122: Reunion (2) Chapter 122: Reunion (2) Valeria’s gaze sharpened, her tone firm as she addressed the guards.

“His lord grandfather called for him, and you brought him here?

He is the Emperor.

It should be the opposite.” The two guards exchanged uneasy glances, clearly unsure of how to proceed.

”Answer damn you!” She spoke in a voice that could not be misunderstood One of them,finally took a deep breath before answering.

“Your Grace…

it wasn’t Lord Marthio who summoned him.

The Emperor…

he went to visit his lord grandfather on his own.” Valeria froze, her thoughts momentarily scattering.

Mesha went to him? Her own son, the emperor, had gone his grandfather-without her knowledge, without her permission.

For a fleeting moment, a rare sense of vulnerability washed over her.

She felt like a child whose dog walked to a stranger even after she called for it.

She said nothing, her face a mask of icy control as she gathered herself.

Without a word of thanks or rebuke to the guards, she stepped forward and pushed open the heavy wooden door.

The guards made no move to stop her, after all they were in her payroll.

The door creaked open, Valeria’s eyes immediately landed on her blood and flesh.

Her father, Lord Marthio, sat at a polished wooden table, his long, lean fingers resting calmly beside a plate of small, delicate cakes.

Opposite him sat Mesha, her son-the boy emperor-who stared up at his grandfather with wide, curious eyes.

Marthio’s cold, usually face bore an expression she had not seen in years-a faint smile, soft and almost warm, the kind he had once reserved for her when she was just a girl, innocent and eager to please.

Mesha’s small voice filled the room as he leaned forward, eyes bright with excitement.

“…and then, when I was playing in the garden, I saw her again-my cat, she was hiding behind the flowers.

She jumped so high when I tried to catch her, and…

and then…” His words came quickly, tumbling out as he described his beloved pet with all the enthusiasm of a child.

There was a time when she had been in that very seat, when her father would tell her stories and look at her with that same fleeting tenderness, before she had crossed him.

Before she had defied him by going behind his back.

He had never forgiven her for that.

Mesha’s words trailed off as he saw his mother standing there, watching.

Mesha’s smile faded, and his excitement melted away when he saw her mother.

When did he start to fear me?

She though her chest aching a bit.

She was her child and yet he seemed more happy when she was not there.

Lord Marthio’s smile vanished the instant the door creaked open.

He turned slowly in his chair, his cold green eyes locking onto Valeria with a look that pierced through her.

His voice, sharp and clipped, filled the room.

“Why did you not knock before entering, Valeria?” he asked, not even bothering with titles.

The warmth he had shown moments ago to Mesha was now completely gone, replaced by the stern demeanor she had grown accustomed to.

Valeria hesitated, stumbling over her words as she stood frozen in the doorway.

For a brief moment, she felt like a child again-scolded, cornered, and struggling to find her voice under the weight of her father’s gaze.

“I-” she started stumbling around like a fool .

She straightened herself, gathering her composure.

“I had asked for you earlier.” Marthio’s expression hardened further.

He gave her a brief, dismissive look before replying, “I had more important guests, Valeria.

I suppose it would have been rude to leave the emperor alone to meet with somebody else” He gestured toward the boy sitting across from him.

”Are you finished, then?

If so, sit down.

This…

actually eases things, as I have matters to discuss with you.” His eyes bore into hers, leaving no room for further argument.

As soon as she sat down, he spoke, his voice calm but carrying the unmistakable edge of authority.

“We will need to talk about how you’ve been running things in my absence,” he began, his words clipped and precise.

Valeria shifted uncomfortably in her seat but said nothing, her gaze falling momentarily on her son.

Mesha, sensing the gaze, rose from his seat.

He glanced at his mother, confused and a little uncertain, before quietly stepping toward the door.

Just as Mesha was about to leave, Marthio’s expression darkened for a brief second, a flash of fury crossing his features as he shot Valeria a sharp look.

But then, just as quickly, his face softened, and he called out in a warm tone, “Mesha, please feel free to visit me whenever you like.

Next time, I’ll tell you a very nice story.” Mesha’s face brightened with a wide smile.

“Yes, Grandfather,” he said happily, before disappearing through the door.

The moment the door closed behind Mesha, Lord Marthio’s calm façade shattered.

“What the hell have you been doing in my absence, Valeria?” His voice, though quiet, was laced with fury.

His eyes, cold and sharp, bore into her as he leaned forward, the once gentle grandfatherly warmth now gone, replaced by the ruthless lord she had known all her life.

“This is a damn shitshow you’re running,” he spat, rising from his chair.

“How are you treating my grandson?” Valeria winced, her fingers clutching the armrest of her chair, but she said nothing.

“Isolating him from power?” Marthio continued, his voice rising.

“He’s the Emperor now, Valeria!

He should be getting his first taste of rule, learning what it means to be a leader, not wandering through the palace like some lost child!” Valeria lowered her head, unable to meet his eyes, feeling the weight of his accusations settle like a boulder on her chest.

“And why the hell have you refused every suggestion of companions for him?

No friends to speak of, no guidance, no one by his side to teach him or prepare him for the future.

Instead, you leave him alone in his rooms with a teacher , or wandering aimlessly through the palace halls!” Valeria’s throat tightened.

She wanted to say something, to defend herself, but the words wouldn’t come.

“And then, the cat?” Marthio’s voice was filled with disbelief now, his anger turning into something darker.

“Why the fuck did you kill his cat?” Valeria’s hands trembled ”It was killed by a w-” ”Don’t give that Shit to your father!” he roared in anger ”You think that the people that surround you are under your payroll or mine?If the boy wanted a cat to play with , let him have that damn thing.Everything that happened in his walls is known to be before it is to you, so don’t try to play coy with me…Was once not enough?You wish to do that again?” The last sentence hurt her deep.

He never forgiven her for that .

Valeria finally spoke, her voice shaky but defiant.

“I was trying to man him up,” she said, lifting her gaze slightly.

“He’s the Emperor.

He needs to be strong, and I thought…

I thought a cat was too fem-” “Man him up?” Marthio cut her off, his voice filled with contempt.

He slammed his hand on the table, making Valeria flinch.

“You’re a fool, Valeria.

A damn fool with ideas of Grandieur…who thinks herself too smart for her own good” Valeria’s face tightened at the harsh words, but she didn’t respond, she did not know how “You’re not making him stronger.

You’re raising him like a lost child,” Marthio continued, his voice heavy with disdain.

“He’s not learning anything about ruling, about leading men or making decisions.

All he’s learning is how to do nothing unless his mother tells him what to do!He is becoming a goodamn joke.

Behind every strong man is an equally strong woman, you are proving that on the opposite side….” Valeria felt the sting of his words, but she forced herself to meet his eyes, even as her heart sank deeper.

“You’re not helping him,” Marthio growled.

“You’re only protecting your own damn power.

A blind and greedy fool….

You’re so desperate to keep control that you’re smothering him, making sure he can’t act without you hovering over him.” His eyes narrowed, voice filled with venom.

“He’s the Emperor, not some puppet for you to manipulate.” Valeria looked down again, her grip tightening on the chair.

She could feel her father’s disgust, and she knew he was right in part, but admitting it felt like swallowing glass.She had noticed the behaviour of her son, but she did not know the source of that or maybe she did .

For a moment, the room was filled with tense silence, broken only by Marthio’s sigh.

He straightened, folding his arms as he paced across the room.

When he spoke again, his voice was calmer but still sharp.

“Things are going to change from now on,” he said firmly.

“Mesha is going to learn what it means to be an Emperor, not just some figurehead for you to hide behind.

He will now partecipate on matters’ of state.

He’ll have companions, people who can actually teach him and help him grow something like a backspine.

You’re not the only one who gets to decide his future, and from now on you will have no say in that entirely.

I am here now and things will change.”