Yibo's pov

I had an idea because Zhan had told me, but of course I did not believe him like a fool.

I just shook my head and my mother spoke, "the reason we Wang family is so loyal to the crown is because the crown had saved us long back. Have you ever wondered why we never go to the temples? Because we were cursed by goddess ankh, abandoned by her.

Our family was doomed to die and the one who saved us was the crown."

I just listened to her, taking in this new information, as she said, "long ago, we had an ancestor, Roderic, he was a tyrant, a cruel man, he loved to hurt and torture people. One day he attacked a tribe who were great devotees of goddess Ankh and was cursed by that tribe, that he will die a horrible death.

That his body and his entire family will rot, they would develop abscess and would be covered in pus, his entire family would loose their mind and would suffer from several disease and nothing would cure those diseased they would be in so much pain and medicine could cure them, they would die a slow and painful death, and if they killed themselves to escape from that pain, their souls will never find peace, so they would have endure that pain.

Roderic's sister was the emperor's beloved and unable to see her like that the emperor and his family who were also the devotees of goddess ankh went to the temple and asked for a solution, he prayed to the goddess day and night and then one day a priest told him that if the Wang family devoted their lives to the crown they could be saved.

The lives of people of Wang family is not their, it belongs to the crown. They entered a soul contract which made us the slaves of the crown. Yibo... the reason people who betray the crown are branded because they slowly go mad, they get sick and their bodies slowly rot till they finally die, they might attack other family members as well and  they cannot kill themselves because then your souls would be trapped forever,so the process of dying is speed up by starvation.

You will slowly loose your mind , and in ha state you might attack others, and harm others as well, you will be a danger no better than an animal. My son, please it's a horrible death." my mother joined her hands in front of her heart, "if you want to die so bad, it would be better to die on a battlefield but not like this."

I had no idea what to feel after hearing this, so even if I go to Zhan, I would be nothing but a burden to him, and I might hurt him. So this chest pain was because of the curse. In the end I will never be able to stand beside Zhan.

I slumped against the wall, so it's either fighting against him, or hurting him when I loose my mind. In both ways he will only get hurt.

"Yibo." my mother spoke.

"Mother, after seeing what I saw, I cannot support the king. I would rather die. Besides I supported that monster for so long, I defended and I hurt someone I cherish the most because of him, I deserve to such a horrible death. It's nothing compared to the suffering he has cause to those innocent people." I said and besides Zhan will hate me more if I stood with the king.

"Yibo!" my mother shrieked and cried, in the end my father and brother came back the room and my mother left the room.

My father looked at me with fury and sadness, while I caught my brother's hand shaking as he brought the iron rod with the seal on it. He handed the rod to my father and my father took it with shaky hands.

"Yibo... son... are you not going to change your mind?" my father asked, his voice was shaking and I shook my head, my father's eyes were filled with tears and I smiled, "do your duty father... it's alright." I spoke with a smile, besides after hearing what my mother said, I understand them, I don't want them to meet an end like that.

Maybe I can beg Zhan to spare their lives, I hope he would listen to me.

My father's hand shook, while my brother looked away and my father asked, "you can struggle or try to run."

"Just do it father." I said. And my father moved the rod ahead and I yelled when it made contact with my skin, burning my flesh, marking me as the traitor, as the one who is about to die.

The rod fell down from my father's hand and he took a step back and I slumped on the ground breathing heavily, the pain was unbearable.

My father clenched his fist and I saw his tears spill before he walked out of the room, my brother stared at me for sometime before he left the basement too.

After a few hours my brother came to the basement and spoke, "the crown prince has summoned you."

"Why?"

"I don't know, he says that he wants to talk to you."

"Are you not going to the emperor?" I asked and my brother spoke, "we will, but he is busy at the moment, go and meet the crown prince."

~~

After yesterday's horrible scenario, I couldn't stand to be in the same room as the crown prince, I was disgusted by him. I hated him and I wanted to strangle him.

How can I miss his twisted nature all these years.

I stood in my office, and the crown prince was already there, he was seated at my place, I was dressed in my uniform, my wounds were still aching and my burned skin was painful as well.

"Yibo, come in." Gideon said as he got up, "I am so happy to see you." he said as he kept his hand on my shoulder and I immediately moved back, and glared at him.

He smiled and said, "what happened Yibo? Why are you so cold to me today. You did not even greet me when you came inside, it's rude you know." he moved closer and said, "and it was rude that you did meet me yesterday at Nathan's party."

I looked at him sharply and he smiled, "come on you really thought I would not know, I would not recognize you? You hurt me Yibo. By the way how did you like my performance last night? It was nice right?"

I clenched my fist and he continued, "and I also heard that, that boy is still alive."

I couldn't take it anymore and said, "you are disgusting."

Gideon looked at me with shock and started laughing, "oh, you are so cute dear, I am disgusting? but that's not what you thought while working under me right?"

I was nauseas again and he said, "why isn't that boy dead yet Yibo, and why haven't you left to slaughter that tribe yet?"

"What is the real reason?" I asked, "why you want that tribe gone?"

Gideon laughed and said, "because I want that land, that land would be a good place to make a pleasure house. And also that land has abundant resources, and is home exotic flower and plants, those illiterate tribal people do not deserve that and they don't know it's value."

"That land is someone's home!" I yelled, "how could you!"

Gideon laughed and said, "don't question me Yibo, just do as you are told."

"I refuse." I said, "And I resign as the commander of the royal knights."

Gideon stopped smiling and his face turned cold as he looked at me, "what did you say?"

"I resign, I will no longer work for you!"

Gideon spoke, "I will have my father... order you, and you would have to follow that order."

"No." I said, "I would rather die. If you are angry then kill me., but I will not work for you anymore and I am leaving." I said and turned to leave.

"If you leave, then don't blame me for what happens to Zhan." I stopped dead in my tracks when I heard that, I looked at him with dread filling my stomach.

Gideon smiled, "if you will not follow my order then your family will, I will send them after your precious Zhan and his family, I can very easily frame them for treason, besides he has been close to brother Simon anyways. Your family will hunt the Xiao family, I will have them killed and I will have their bodies lie naked on the streets.

Even if you die, I will make the torture then times worse, I will never let Zhan live, I would capture him torture him, humiliate him and then parade him naked on the street, kill him and hang his naked body from the palace walls.

And I will not stop there, your Wang family is so loyal to me, I will ask them to go and capture your soldiers, your battalion, your soldier's who are so precious to you and what I will do to them and their families is so much worse then what you saw yesterday Yibo and it will be all because of you."

"No." I said, "you can't hurt Zhan you can't do that to my people..." I said, "you can't."

"I can and I will." he spoke and suddenly turned to walk, "maybe I should."

"No!" I said as I came before him and kneeled, "no crown prince please... please don't."

Gideon grabbed my jaw and asked, "then will you listen to me?"

I nodded, "Yes."

"You still want to resign?" He asked and I shook my head, "I will do whatever you say."

Gideon laughed and said, "okay then... kill that boy and slaughter that tribe."

I closed my eyes and did not reply. Killing an entire tribe, killing all the innocent men, women, and children, by body trembled as I imagined the bloodbath and the cries of those people.

"I am waiting Yibo." he spoke, and my body shook. But when he suddenly started to move I quickly spoke, "yes, crown prince. Yes. I will do it."