The Sage of Einar

In the morning of the next day on the Motte within the capital city of the Duchy of Gautier, Adelaide woke up in a soft bed and scratched her beautiful green eyes as she felt the warmth of the sun pouring in through a wooden window.

When she got up, she started to walk to the window and watched as all the people worked. Some were walking to the market while others worked their daily chores.

But something had in common all of them and it was that they did not have a depressing face but that they had their faces full of hope.

'I suppose they must be happy for our arrival, I can't imagine what kind of things they had to endure during these times ...'

The door to the room suddenly opened and Gautier entered "Princess, there is something I want you to see and it is very important."

Adelaide turned her head and looked seriously at Gautier, before starting to follow him, knowing that something very important must have happened.

On the way, Gautier took a deep breath and stared at the road "A few moments ago a boy came in carrying ahead with him.

The guards when checking the head found that your brother belonged. From what we have been able to hear from the boy, it seems that a group of bearded and dirty men was handed over to him.

According to the words they said to the boy, he had been captured, tortured, and later murdered in the most horrible way possible.

Although I am quite angry because I could not take my revenge with my own hands, I think that because of the fractions that the face of your brother's head has, he suffered a lot.

This brings me a bit of peace of mind, although I am not entirely happy with it, although the ideal is that you see it personally so that you can judge.

But in any case, this death of your brother changed many things since it will be much easier to be able to negotiate a surrender with all the territory that your brother controlled.

Which will save us from making stupid or unnecessary deaths. "

When he finished saying those words, he opened a wooden door and a horrible aroma surprised him for a moment before they could see that it was coming from the severed head of Germanicus.

The head had its tongue sticking out and where its eyes were supposed to be there were only empty sockets, which were extremely hideous as they seemed to have been hurt with spoons or some metal.

Adelaide just smiled and walked towards her brother's head "I guess that's what you earn after you have betrayed our father.

All the stupid things you did you paid for and look how you were, most of your body disappeared and you only have one head that has no eyes or ears.

Your soul, my brother, I am sure that it will end up in hell, as soon as your head I will personally take care of taking it to our father so that he can see the end that you deserved.

As for your family brother, I will see to it that everyone is sent to monasteries where they have no right to demand anything from the throne of the empire.

But that's all I'm going to do for you, brother, and I want you to remember my words. If any of your children try to rebel against the empire, I will not have mercy on them.

First, I will defeat them, and later I will make them suffer the worst misfortunes you can imagine, for the end to end their lives with my own hands.

Not because I am a woman does not mean that I do not have the courage to end the lives of my relatives, because if something I have learned throughout this time is that in the reign there are no brothers, only competitors. "

After finishing saying those words Adelaide turned her head and looked at Gautier "Do what you have to do so that my brother's territory ends up in our hands before the month is out.

Also, ask someone to do taxidermy with my brother's head, it is very important that it be kept as well preserved as possible because I am sure that my father will have uses for it.

By the way, I would like you to find those in charge of killing my brother, I am sure that we can use them to our advantage when a murder is required where we cannot do it.

Also taking advantage of the fact that with the death of my brother and the conquest of his territory, we will have a road to Constantinople.

I want you to prepare an expedition in charge of Guido to speak with the current emperor of the Byzantine empire; I have to find some answers and I need information. "

Gautier, seeing Adelaide's determination, was surprised and held his chin "It may sound rude what I'm going to say princess, but why do you need Guido to go to the Byzantine empire.

I understand that you want to find your brother's murderers to reward them, but what happens in the Byzantine empire that requires your attention. "

Adelaide crossed her arms and looked seriously at Gautier "Gautier I know you are loyal to my father but what I am going to tell you is very important and has something to do with our family.

I'm sure one of my brothers won't take long to find out, but it's good that you know now.

My grandfather Emperor Charlemagne had a relationship with Empress Irene of the Byzantine Empire, from his love my aunt named Kassia was born.

The problem is not that my aunt was born, but that my grandfather wanted us to take care of her, the problem is that he left the order with his former praetorians.

So it is normal that the information has not yet come to light, but when it does, it will be a race against time to find it before some pretender to the title of the empire does.

Because I promised Guido that I would find her and give her a quiet land where she could live the rest of her life.

I think it's the least I can do for an aunt who hasn't done anything against the empire. "

Gautier sighed and wiped the sweat from his forehead "Princess if what you say is true then your aunt may be in grave danger because she is a time bomb for both empires.

Asking the Byzantine emperor directly may be a bad idea, but I suppose that considering the current situation in the empire, it would not hurt to have his help.

We just have to pretend that we also want to kill her aunt Kassia, that way it will be much easier to find her. The only drawback with that plan is that we have to bring her to the empire first.

Later we will only have to find a substitute woman with whom we can fake her death, that way her aunt will be able to live a quiet life for the rest of her life.

As for your father, it will be necessary to keep it a secret and pretend that we know absolutely nothing when he finds out from your stupid brothers.

This would have to be a secret between you and me until your father dies, otherwise, things can be completely complicated for us. "

Adelaide walked over and left the room because the smell of putrefaction on her brother's head was unbearable.

When she left the room, she breathes deeply and wipes her nose with her hand "I think the suggestion you gave is very good. From today you will be in charge with Guido to discover the whereabouts of my aunt.

You have total freedom of movement and troops to find my aunt, when she is emperor you will receive even more help so that you can work without worries and problems.

But remember, I want her alive, as she will be one of the few family members I will have alive, including my sister if she survives the siege in Paris.

I really don't want to have to kill another relative, I hope you understand, and now I think I need a good breakfast."

Gautier left the room and closed the door behind him, leaving the head of Germanicus in the cold and darkroom.

"You can count on me to keep my promise to bring her back alive princess, but I agree with you that we need breakfast.

I believe I have heard some of the servants say that breakfast would be some white bread with meat and some beer, although I would like to give you a larger breakfast the recent invasion has created problems in supplying food. "

Adelaide only laughed at Gautier's words "You don't have to apologize for that Gautier, I am a woman of simple tastes even if you give me black bread and water it would be a meal more than enough to keep me awake during the morning.

I think there is no solution for me in that sense, I just have the habits of the army too ingrained since I was a child.

I do not know how I will be able to get used to it when I am empress of the empire, perhaps the only positive thing is that it will be very difficult to poison myself because my meals will be simple so it will be easy to find strange flavors.

Of course, caution is never too much. "

While the two of them were walking in the darkroom where Germanicus's head was, a strange light appeared, and from it came Erika who walked towards the head.

Where she put her hand and took something out of it, after that it simply disappeared, leaving the darkroom completely silent again.