Chapter Nine

"Y.....Your Imperial Majesty." Miss Rachel Watson said out in a stuttering tone while curtsying respectfully.

"Miss Watson, I've seen you now get out of the way." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Miss Rachel Watson sternly while giving her a cold look.

"Yes, Sire." Miss Rachel Watson replied softly while moving out of the way of Emperor Roland Vasilias.

"Thank you." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Miss Rachel Watson with a smile on his face before turning to Micheal Vasilias.

"Micheal, I'm so glad you are here." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly with a smile on his face as he walked towards him.

"Hi, you've got a great place." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you." Emperor Roland Vasilias thanked Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Wait, are you my grandfather??." Micheal Vasilias asked Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"You are correct!! I am your grandfather and I'm so pleased to meet you, Micheal." Emperor Roland Vasilias answered Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Now, let me look at you." Emperor Roland Vasilias said further to Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him properly.

"You look so.........Young........Two weeks ago you were looking so skinny and I thought you might pass out if you even try to run for a minute but I'm glad to see that you are looking so fit now." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you very much, Sir." Micheal Vasilias thanked Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling.

"You don't look so bad yourself.......You look so clean, Sir." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Thank you for the compliment but I have a favour to ask of you." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Really? Shoot." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Watson, go and prepare tea and place them in the garden for us." Emperor Roland Vasilias ordered Miss Rachel Watson sternly before turning to Micheal Vasilias.

"Okay.....Can you please stop calling me " Sir?" A lot of people call me "Sire," already........I can't have my grandson among those people too......I'm your grandfather so call me "grandfather," or "grandpa." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Okay, If that's what you want then no problem." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Thank you for granting my wish or should I say "thank you for understanding me?." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him and making Micheal Vasilias to burst into laughter.

"It's okay, Grandpa." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while giggling softly.

"That sounds so pleasant on my ears.......Do you mind calling me "grandpa," again?." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while grinning widely.

"Hahahahaha!! You are so funny, Grandpa." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while laughing softly.

"You think so?." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"Yeah." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while giggling softly.

"It's okay, Micheal! Please have a seat." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a warm tone while asking him to sit down.

And with that, Micheal Vasilias and Emperor Roland Vasilias both sat down while Emperor Roland Vasilias stared at the nervous Micheal Vasilias whose teeth was chattering.

Micheal Vasilias who couldn't bear the silence anymore cleared his throat and said "So.......Ehm..........Two weeks ago before my accident, my nanny asked me to come see you because you wanted to see me and I came because I felt you had something to tell me so shoot."

"Oh! Well, before, I shoot.....I have something I want to give you......Here" Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a warm tone while giving him a diamond box.

"Oh, Ehm...Thank you......Wow." Micheal Vasilias thanked Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly with a smile on his face while opening the diamond box and bringing out a diamond necklace with a tiger head shaped diamond pendant.

"It's the Gladovian Imperial Crest......It was mine when I was young and now I'm old, I'm handing it over to you." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him and gesturing for him to put on the diamond necklace with the tiger head shaped diamond pendant.

"Thank you very much, grandpa.....I'll keep it safe and I'll take good care of it." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling gratefully at him as he put on the diamond necklace with the tiger head shaped diamond pendant.

"So what did you wanna tell me??." Micheal Vasilias asked Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"What I want to tell you is something that I think would have a very big impact upon your life." Emperor Roland Vasilias answered Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him with a straight facial expression.

"My body is already enveloped with braces." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while chuckling.

"No, I'm afraid it's bigger than what you are imagining." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him with a straight facial expression.

"The tea is served, Sire." Miss Rachel Watson who has finished carrying out the order of Emperor Roland Vasilias said to him with a smile on her face.

"Thank you, Miss Watson!" Emperor Roland Vasilias thanked Miss Rachel Watson with a grateful smile on his face as he waved his hand as a gesture of telling her that she can leave.

"Micheal let's go to the pavilion located at the garden and talk over a cup of tea." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a warm tone while getting up from his seat.

"Okay, grandpa.....lead the way." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly with a smile on his face while getting up from his seat.

And with that, Emperor Roland Vasilias led Micheal Vasilias out of the living room of the mansion, straight to the pavilion located at the garden.

Arriving at the pavilion that were heavily guarded by the bodyguards of Emperor Roland Vasilias, Emperor Roland Vasilias sat down on one of the seats and gestured for Micheal Vasilias to sit opposite him.

As soon as Micheal Vasilias was seated, Miss Rachel Watson immediately poured some tea into the tea cups of Emperor Roland Vasilias and Micheal Vasilias.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Micheal Vasilias thanked Miss Rachel Watson warmly before sipping his cup of tea and placing it back on the table.

"I'm impressed with the way you drank your tea.......It looks like you were brought up gracefully." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a warm tone while smiling brightly at him.

"Yeah, I was brought up well by my late mom and my nanny." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while smiling.

"I can see they both did a good job in raising you up." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while sipping his cup of tea and placing it back on the table.

"Heh heh." Micheal Vasilias giggled softly because of what his grandfather said to him.

"Micheal.........Have you ever heard of Richard Magnus Princeps Vasilias??." Emperor Roland Vasilias asked Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"No." Micheal Vasilias answered Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while sipping his cup of tea and placing it back on the table.

"He was the Crown Prince Of Gladovia." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias softly while looking at him emotionally.

"Hmmm!! What about him?." Micheal Vasilias asked Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"Richard Magnus Princeps Vasilias.............Was your father." Emperor Roland Vasilias answered Micheal Vasilias emotionally which made Micheal Vasilias to burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing??." Emperor Roland Vasilias asked Micheal Vasilias while looking at him in a baffled manner.

"Yeah, sure, my father was the crown prince of Gladovia." Michael Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias while chuckling as he sipped his cup of tea and placed it back on the table.

"Yes." Emperor Roland Vasilias replied Micheal Vasilias while looking at him in a baffled manner.

"Hahahahaha!! You are joking." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while laughing as he sipped his cup of tea and placed it back on the table.

"Why would I joke about something like that??." Emperor Roland Vasilias asked Micheal Vasilias feeling confused.

"No.......what you just said is making me feel yuck cos if he's really a prince then I am a.................

"Exactly!! You are not just Micheal Vasilias......You are Micheal Magnus Princeps Vasilias, Prince Of Gladovia." Emperor Roland Vasilias interrupted Micheal Vasilias while smiling brightly at him.

"Me? A Prince? Shut up!!" Micheal Vasilias said out in shock while putting on a disgusted facial expression, startling Emperor Roland Vasilias who was drinking his cup of tea.

"I beg your pardon.........Shut up?." Emperor Roland Vasilias who was startled by what he heard from Micheal Vasilias said to him while looking at him with a shocked facial expression.

"Your Imperial Majesty, In America it doesn't always mean that they are asking you to keep quiet......Here it could mean an expression of disbelief or amazement or astonishment such as "Wow! You've got to be kidding me, don't joke around," or in slang "stop fooling" or "quit hosting." While these statements are commands, the implication is that the speaker believes he or she is being deceived in jest. If the listener were to obey the speaker's request, they'd stop talking, or "shut up", hence the introduction of the command as a similar expression of disbelief." Mr. Benjamin Smith who was standing beside Emperor Roland Vasilias the whole time painstakingly explained to Emperor Roland Vasilias so he wouldn't misunderstand his grandson."

"Okay, I understand, thank you." Emperor Roland Vasilias thanked Mr. Benjamin Smith with a grateful smile before turning to Micheal Vasilias.

"Nevertheless, you are the Prince of Gladovia and I am Roland Magnus Princeps Vasilias, Emperor Of Gladovia Empire." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Okay, but why on earth would you pick me as your prince??." Micheal Vasilias asked Emperor Roland Vasilias in a baffled manner while looking at him with a shocked facial expression.

"When your father died, you became the natural heir to the throne that's our law..........You are the first-in-line to the throne of Gladovia Empire who would one day rule all of Gladovia." Emperor Roland Vasilias answered Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling brightly at him.

"Rule?!" Micheal Vasilias asked Emperor Roland Vasilias in shock while looking at him with a terrified facial expression.

"Yes, rule." Emperor Roland Vasilias answered Micheal Vasilias warmly while smiling at him.

"Oh, no!! No! No! No! No! No! No! You really have the wrong guy!! I've never led anybody......Not my classmates, not even my juniors!! I can't even talk at a debate or in public without freezing or faltering.........Emperor Roland, My expectations in life is to be invincible and I'm very good at it so please..........

"Micheal, calm down." Emperor Roland Vasilias interrupted Micheal Vasilias while holding his right hand and caressing it as a way of comforting him.

"Micheal, when I was your age, I also had expectations and dreams.....In my widest dreams, I never expected to be the ruler of a big and powerful country but when my older brother passed away in an early age.......I became who I am today and did you think I wasn't terrified??." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"Well, I don't know." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias warmly while taking a deep breath.

"Micheal, you are the legal heir........The only heir to the Gladovian throne and I will accept the challenge of helping you become the Prince that you are. Oh! I can give you books!! You will study languages, History of Gladovia, Art, Political Science...........I can teach you to walk, talk, sit, stand, eat, dress like a Prince.........Give it time, I think you will find the Imperial Palace In Gladovia a very pleasant place to live in." Emperor Roland Vasilias explained to Micheal Vasilias warmly while caressing his right hand as a way of comforting and assuring him that every thing would be okay.

"Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!! Rewind and freeze!! I'm no Prince and I refuse to be one!! I refuse to move to and rule a country........Do you want another reason?? I can never be a prince." Micheal Vasilias said to Emperor Roland Vasilias angrily while getting up from his seat and storming away from the pavilion.

"Micheal! Micheal! Micheal! Micheal, come back here!! Guards!!!" Emperor Roland Vasilias called Micheal Vasilias while getting up from his seat and running after him but when he couldn't catch up with Micheal Vasilias, he called his guards to block the path Micheal Vasilias was going to take in leaving the garden.

"Move out of my way!!!" Micheal Vasilias yelled at the bodyguards angrily but the bodyguards didn't budge.

"I said move out of my way!!! Emperor Roland, tell your bodyguards to move out of my way this instant!!!" Micheal Vasilias yelled at the bodyguards angrily before turning to Emperor Roland Vasilias and asking him to order his bodyguards to move out of his way.

"Fine, I'll tell them but first listen to what I have to say." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias warmly while looking at him with a pleading eyes.

"You've got two minutes." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias sternly while staring at him coldly.

"Your father, my son, died on his way to the Gladovia Imperial Palace after he came to see you.......For ten years of his life the only thing that kept him going was November 31st which happens to be your birthday..........It was the day he writes and send you letters and gifts, looking forward to the day he could meet you and when he finally met you......He got into a terrible accident." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a sad tone while shedding tears.

"I grew up without a father and yes, there was someone who calls himself my father and sends me letters and gifts on my birthdays but I haven't even met that person but what did you just said to me?? That my father died after he came to see me?? That's ridiculous because I have never met anyone who introduced himself to me as my father." Micheal Vasilias replied Emperor Roland Vasilias sternly while smirking at him.

"I see.....So you haven't met this person?." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias in a sad tone while bringing out a photograph from his inner suit pocket and showing it to Micheal Vasilias as tears fell down from his eyes.

Looking at the photograph, Micheal Vasilias gasped in shock.

Grabbing the photograph from Emperor Roland Vasilias, Micheal Vasilias burst into tears and said "I know this man!! He came to me on the day of our Lincoln Park High School Junior Prom and made that day memorable for me.........He made the girl I have a crush on as my date that day and asked his chauffeur to take me and my date in his limo to our school.......I still remember going out with him for some snacks, street food, and ice cream.......We even played some arcade games."

Looking at Emperor Roland Vasilias, Micheal Vasilias said "Are you saying the man in this photograph was my father??."

Emperor Roland Vasilias who was in tears nodded his head softly.

"Oh My God!!" Micheal Vasilias gasped in shock as he stared at the photograph.

"Your father died after coming here to make an unforgettable memory with you." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias with a pause while using his handkerchief to wipe his tears.

"Do you think your father just died in an accident?? Don't you want to know what or who actually killed your father?? Don't you want to know who took your father away from you??." Emperor Roland Vasilias asked Micheal Vasilias emotionally while looking at him with pain-filled eyes.

"I want to but I don't need to...............

"Are you stupid, foolish or dumb? Huh? Do you think you can find out who killed your father without being a Prince??." Emperor Roland Vasilias asked Micheal Vasilias sternly while glaring at him.

"Yes, I can and I will prove it to you." Micheal Vasilias answered Emperor Roland Vasilias angrily while giving the bodyguards a look that says get out of my way.

"Do you think you will be safe on your own without my protection as your grandfather and the protection your status as a prince could give you?? You need your power as a prince and a loyal vassal by your side in times of need for you to be safe otherwise.......I don't even want to think of what could happen.......Two weeks ago, you came to see me but someone who wants you dead sent their men to infiltrate my bodyguards and one of their men shot you and you barely survived that incident but here you are telling me that you don't wanna be a prince?? Don't be stupid, boy!!" Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Micheal Vasilias sternly while signaling his bodyguards to move out of the way so Micheal Vasilias could leave if he wants to.

Micheal Vasilias heart was pierced deeply by the words of Emperor Roland Vasilias but he pretended that the words of Emperor Roland Vasilias didn't got to him and stormed away from the garden angrily.

"Your Imperial Majesty, are you just going to let him walk away??." Mr. Benjamin Smith asked Emperor Roland Vasilias while looking at Micheal Vasilias as he walked towards the exit gate of the resort.

"Yes! It seems he needs more time to digest what he just heard today." Emperor Roland Vasilias replied Mr. Benjamin Smith warmly while walking back to the pavilion and taking his seat.

"Well, that went well, didn't it??." Miss Rachel Watson said to Mr. Benjamin Smith warmly while looking at him.

"You think?." Mr. Benjamin Smith replied Miss Rachel Watson with a cold glare on his face.

"Benjamin, can you help me?." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Mr. Benjamin Smith warmly while looking at him inquisitively.

"With what, Sire?." Mr. Benjamin Smith asked Emperor Roland Vasilias in a warm tone while looking at him inquisitively.

"I want you to be his chauffeur, temporal head of security and babysitter." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Mr. Benjamin Smith warmly while getting up from his seat.

"What?! I'm your chief secretary and assistant and yet you want me to be a babysitter, chauffeur, and temporal head of security??." Mr. Benjamin Smith asked Emperor Roland Vasilias in shock while pouting.

"For the time being, Yes! The child needs protection and guidance and you are the only one perfect for the job." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Mr. Benjamin Smith in a warm tone while smiling at him and patting his shoulders before walking towards the exit gate of the garden.

"Your Imperial Majesty?! I can't be a babysitter or a temporal head of security nor a chauffeur." Mr. Benjamin Smith protested while running after Emperor Roland Vasilias with a pout on his face.

"Benjamin, I'm not pleading with you or asking you for a favour.......I'm giving you an order as your Emperor!! It's an Imperial Command." Emperor Roland Vasilias said to Mr. Benjamin Smith sternly before walking away from the garden, leaving the shocked and frustrated Mr. Benjamin Smith behind.

"Cheer up, Mr. Smith." Miss Rachel Watson said to Mr. Benjamin Smith with a smile on her face while patting him on the shoulder as a way of comforting him before walking away from the garden, leaving him behind.

Mr. Benjamin Smith couldn't help but sob as he dropped down on his knees thinking of how to put up with Micheal Vasilias.

"Taking care of him these past two weeks wasn't easy but.........(Sobs! Sobs!! Sobs!!!) Mr. Benjamin Smith said to himself while sobbing profusely and shaking his legs vigorously on the field of the garden.