The ghost

Daren closed the door to his private study behind him and turned to look at the girl, who had already settled into one of the velvet-upholstered chairs. He looked down on her, thinking about how she seemed small and harmless, quite the opposite of the impression she had made on him just before.

Candace Roliand... I don’t know anything about her, except that she is the adopted daughter of Count Roliand. How does such a little girl know all these details about me?

"We could have talked tomorrow as I proposed, Mr. Emperor. Your secret is safe with me… at least until tomorrow..." Candace smiled at him with a touch of pity. She almost seemed bored with Daren's behavior, and he felt deeply offended by such an attitude.

How was he supposed to relate to that girl? Was it better to seek dialogue or get her out of the way?

"Silence," he ordered, giving her the most intimidating gaze he could manage, but the girl didn't bat an eyelid.

He took a deep breath and decided to choose the path of dialogue.

"Did someone pay you to threaten me like that?"

Candace simply shook her head.

"Then why make up lies and try to blackmail me?"

"I haven't told a single lie, and you know it well, your majesty."

"You only told lies."

The girl crossed her arms over her chest, crumpling the simple lilac dress she was wearing. "Three stabs in the back," she said, making the blood run cold in Daren's veins. "That's how the previous emperor died. But you didn't kill him, you just didn't protect him. An enemy took you by surprise, you let your father die and then killed the enemy. It was the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. Is that a lie too?"

Silence fell heavily in the room, and Daren forced himself to think with a cool head.

How could she have known such a thing, who could have told her? No one was present at the moment of his father's departure, no one had witnessed it. And he hadn't told anyone about that secret.

He peered in the girl's direction, trying to ignore the flutter of his heart. He had never met anyone who could upset him in such a short time.

Candace still looked perfectly calm and was fiddling with the paperweight that sat on Daren’s desk like a child.

"Such a thing... how dare you..."

"I dare," she interrupted him. "But I have no interest in telling everyone.”

Daren tried to sound confident. “Even if that were the case, no one would believe you. You're just a simple, little girl and I'm the emperor. It would be my word against yours.”

The girl's blood-colored eyes lit up on a mischievous note. "Didn't I say I have proof?"

Daren wasn’t intimidated. "I'm not interested in your proof.” He approached her, menacingly. "I warn you: if I deem you dangerous to me or my kingdom, I will not hesitate to make you disappear."

Candace got up, without losing her smile. "Then let's play a game, Mr. Emperor. Tonight, I'll show you my proof. If you find it convincing enough, I'll wait for you tomorrow morning at the Roliand residence. And don't forget to bring a nice bouquet of flowers."

Daren watched her turn and trying to leave the room. He felt he had to stop her, had to kill her before she did anything. She wasn't like the other girls he'd known. Her words were poison and her gaze a death trap.

"What is it?"

Candace turned slowly. Her expression was no longer defiant or amused, but simply curious.

"What you mean?" she asked.

"What is it you want from me? Why are you trying to blackmail me?"

Candace smiled, amused. "I want a really simple thing: to be next to you. I want to be the future empress."

Daren watched as she left the room, and when he was alone in the darkness he laughed.

Future empress? It was such an impossible thing that it seemed ridiculous to him! He had long ago decided that no one would ever occupy that position. He would never have tied himself to someone voluntarily. How could he give up his freedom, how could he risk creating a nightmare like what his family had been for him? He would never have voluntarily condemned himself to something like that!

I have to kill her... There is no other choice, he told himself, plopping down on one of the sofas in the corner of the room.

I can't risk her going around talking such nonsense, some nobles might use her words against me, and I don't want such trouble.

Suddenly the peaceful and quiet life he had built himself with so much effort, seemed to be collapsing before his eyes. He couldn’t allow such a thing, never.

He stared at the big snowflakes that kept falling, embroidering a white carpet everywhere.

Someone knocked on the door at that moment. It was Eldan.

"Your majesty... what happened? Who was that girl?"

Daren continued to stare out the window as if nothing had happened. "Candace Roliand," he replied.

"Roliand? She is only the daughter of a count… How dare she look at you like that? Did she tell you something? Did she disrespect you? In case we can..."

Daren interrupted him: "Eldan. We will take the necessary measures. Now I want to be alone."

The other hesitated for a few seconds, then took his leave and left the emperor in the dark with his thoughts.

Candace Roliand... tomorrow you will die along with the proof you speak of. Be prepared.

* * *

Daren didn’t return to the party and refused to meet Marcel, who asked the servants for him again and again.

Candace's words had disturbed him to the point that he couldn't even close his eyes to sleep. The more time passed, the more the emperor became convinced that Candace was dangerous and had to get rid of her.

Should I worry? Could there be someone lurking in the shadows and using her to arrive to me? He wondered. But it seemed to him an implausible possibility.

Candace didn't have any type of power in society, she didn't come from an important family that could put him in trouble, if there really was someone behind her, they would certainly have chosen a girl with more power to use.

But why does she want to become empress? Maybe she wants power? Or maybe she fell in love with me?

He shook his head immediately. It was such an improbable eventuality... That girl had the gaze of a predator and had seemed to him like a proud and wild animal that no one could ever tame.

He was convinced that the kiss she had given him had been nothing more than an excuse to approach him, because she didn't seem the least bit interested in love or similar things.

As much as I despise her, I can't help but admit that she's intriguing... But I have to eliminate her, or she will affect the peace and tranquility that I have built so hard.

Maybe it wouldn't have been necessary to go as far as killing her, he thought at one point, maybe he could just lock her up or exile her... maybe that was a good solution.

A gust of wind hit the window and it burst open. Daren gasped, and then he let out a long sigh, running a hand through his white hair as he listened to the rapid pace of his heart.

it's just the wind, he thought.

As he stood up to close the window, an all too familiar image flashed before him and he flinched.

His eyes widened, and the purest disbelief flooded them.

Before him, pale and ethereal, stood the former emperor.

"... father..."

"Daren," the vaporous figure hissed. "You killed me. Daren… it's your fault!" That accusation was so faint that it could be confused with the howl of the wind, but Daren understood it perfectly.

He backed away again, and his hand raced to his sword. He grabbed the latter and unsheathed it without hesitation, hurling it at the unstable figure. This dissolved for just a few moments, then returned to reform itself and spoke feebly again: "You, murder! Murder! You don't deserve to be emperor!"

"Shut up!" Daren's scream coincided with a decisive blow, which definitively dissolved the figure. He found himself gasping for breath, gripping the hilt of his sword as if it were a lifeline. His ice-colored eyes were filled with anger and a spark of fear.

"Your majesty!" Jared burst into his room at that moment. "I heard you screaming, did something happen?” he asked, looking around with a worried expression, probably to understand why the emperor had picked up his sword.

Daren said nothing. He kept staring at the blade of his sword, glinting in the silver moonlight, and listening to the violent pounding of his heart.

“Then let's play a game, Mr. Emperor. Tonight, I'll show you my proof. If you find it convincing enough, I'll wait for you tomorrow morning at the Roliand residence.”

He tightened his grip on the sword again, until he hurt himself.

It can’t be a coincidence… that's what she was talking about... she's really a demon...

He couldn't afford to joke with that girl, he couldn't take her lightly.

He couldn't understand how she could have done such a thing, probably she must have made a deal with a demonic entity or be one herself for real. He was right when he had accused her of being one.

"Jared," he said, as he sheathed his sword. "Make all preparations to go to the city."

"But Your Majesty, it's still night..."

"It doesn't matter. We'll leave as soon as the sun comes up."

Jared bowed his head. "All right, your majesty, as you wish... But are you sure everything is fine?"

It's not fine, not at all... Daren thought, but replied: "Yes, absolutely."

He looked out the window for a moment, where the darkness of the night was beginning to clear a bit.

“Don't forget to bring a nice bouquet of flowers...”

"Jared," the emperor called again.

"Yes, your majesty?"

Daren looked at him with a serious, intimidating expression. "I don't care how, but get me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers you can find."