Episode 1: He awakens

  It was another day. Prince Cupid showed no sign of waking up. After summoning the finest doctors and white mages to tend to the prince, he showed no improvement.

  And with each passing day, Draven began to grow more and more furious, and Draven’s servants felt the full brunt of his anger, as well as the subjects of Eros. At this time, Emperor Draven has been staying in Aphrodite Palace. He wanted to stay close to the prince, and he feared that moving him would put a strain on his constitution. After all, the Nyx Empire was located far north; surviving their took a wing and a prayer.

  During Emperor Draven’s stay in Eros, he had seen several rebellions, all of them forced into submission by Draven’s own hands. There were at least twenty assassination attempts that ranged from simple poisonings to full-on sneak attacks. all of which Draven survived, the citizens of Eros got to see why Draven was called the Devil of Nyx.

  Draven, though ruthless, enacted a policy for equality among the class systems, making it so a commoner could achieve nobility with time. Draven also enacted public coliseum executions.

  With him and his wolves as the executioners, seeing as Draven was unkillable, the citizens of Eros began to slowly accept the situation as it was.

  In all honesty, living under Draven’s laws wasn’t all that bad; it was more fair than the monarchy, but loyalists to the fallen king began investigating, trying to find a possible relative of the fallen king so they could lead a rebellion and free all of Eros.

  But that was a slim chance.

  One day, as Draven was working in the office, a White Mage revealed that Prince Cupid had awoken. After hearing this, Draven rose to his feet and began walking towards Cupid’s room; the White Mage was close behind him. Before Draven could open the door to the prince’s room, the White Mage notified Draven that Cupid had amnesia and couldn’t remember a thing.

  This was a blessing to Draven, who slowly opened the door and saw Prince Cupid sitting up in bed reading a book as the sunlight touched his delicate skin; an aura of perfection enveloped him. Draven stood there admiring the beauty of this man, so pristine, so pure; it didn’t take long for Cupid to notice Draven, who smiled warmly at him and said,

  Cupid: Oh, hello there, sir. Can you tell me where this place is?

  Draven: Ah, excuse me, I’m not normally like that. I am Emperor Draven of Nyx, and this is Aphrodite Palace.

  Cupid: I see, so your highness, can you tell me how I got here? I can’t remember a thing, well, except for my name.

  Draven: Well… I was exploring the countryside when my dogs detected a struggle, and they led me to a cottage. It was an outpost for some human smugglers. I detained them and freed the people they had imprisoned. You were too weak and frail to move, so I brought you here to get better. How are you feeling?

  Cupid: I’m fine. The White Mages say that I shouldn’t leave the bed for a bit until they run a few more exams.

  Draven: Well, don’t strain yourself, Cupid. In fact, I have some free time; if it’s ok, may I keep you company?

  Cupid: Oh, that would be lovely. It’s not every day you get to talk to an emperor.

  Draven’s heart skipped a beat when he heard Cupid’s reply. Draven soon sat in a chair by Cupid’s bedside, and the two then had a conversation that seemed to be going round and round in circles.

  This was mainly due to Cupid being unable to remember things, so a majority of the conversation, at least on Cupid’s side, was dedicated to explaining the books he had just read.

  Draven didn’t mind the repeating conversation; he embraced it. Seeing Cupid’s adorable face smile or even get flustered was like witnessing the beauty of a flower blooming right before your eyes.

  Soon two White Mages came into the room to perform an examination of Cupid Draven. He took them to the side and told them to give him certain medicines in exact amounts.

  The White Mages were puzzled by the Emperor’s request, but they knew better than to defy him. Draven soon said goodbye to Cupid, promising to return once he had handled some important tasks.

  Draven took a moment to think as he walked to his desired destination. Draven walked to his room. It once belonged to the King of Eros, but Draven had taken it for himself. While in this room, Draven went to a box on the desk and opened it, and soon a wisp of light flew out, soon taking the form of a beautiful woman with pale, ghostly blue skin and grey hair. Her eyes were as black as night. She bowed to Draven and said,

  ????: greetings Your Highness, is something wrong? I sense a difference in you.

  Draven: Selene Don’t bother with any of that; I require the use of your services.

  Selene: Anything for you, your Highness. I’m honorbound to serve your bloodline till the end of all things.

  Draven: I need you to make me a charm that can suppress reemerging memories.

  Selene: Hmm, such a specific request. May I ask why?

  Draven: Just do it; you don’t need to know why.

  Selene: Yes, your highness, give me a day’s time, and you shall have your charm.

  Selene then transformed into a wisp of light and returned to the box. With this done, Draven went back to the office and continued to work. An advisor soon told Draven that several merchants and nobles had come to seek an audience with him.

  Draven agreed to see them and soon made his way to the throne room. When Draven entered the room, he saw 6 high-ranking nobles and three merchants. They were all smiling, but Draven knew that deep down these cowards were scared shitless. The only reason they survived was because they were cowards who decided not to take up arms and instead chose to secure their possessions.

  Each person here took turns swearing their allegiance to Draven, who honestly couldn’t care less. He did, however, put a high tax on them, which caused their smiles and dispositions to change, though they were smart enough not to voice their grievances. They all left infuriated. Draven soon returned to his duties.

  Since Prince Cupid had recovered, Draven was feeling so much better. Normally, Draven was cruel and incredibly sadistic when he was bored, but it would seem Cupid somehow changed that for him. The staff even saw a difference, as well as his soldiers.

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  As for Cupid, he had somehow become weaker and sicker; he was bedridden for days. Cupid didn’t know it, but under strict orders from Draven, the White Mages had been giving him small amounts of poison—not enough to kill but only to weaken him.

  Draven also made sure to only let certain servants tend to Cupid; there were two exactly: a maid named Madea and a butler named Jason.

  Madea was once an incredibly lethal witch who tortured people sadistically with a knife, and Jason was her brother; he too was a sadistic murderer who enjoyed watching people die. Both of these two individuals were sought out by Draven himself, and after a long confrontation, they became his personal assistants, servants, and, if necessary, assassins.

  As you can believe, both Madea and Jason struggled adjusting to their new lives, but with dedication and a great respect for their emperor, they became impeccable servants. On occasion, they would undergo “training” with Draven, who enjoyed wearing them out, so in a way they became close “friends.” Make of that what you will.

  Eventually Selene was able to craft the charm. She made it in the shape of a hair bow, and Draven presented it to Cupid, who loved it. Cupid greatly accepted the hair bow; in fact, whenever Draven would visit, Cupid would greatly perk up. Each time Draven visited, he would tell the bedridden prince about his day.

  And Draven would bring Cupid a flower from the garden. These small gestures made the prince grow closer and closer to Draven.

  One evening, Draven would bring his three dogs into Prince Cupid’s room. The prince would be incredibly shocked, but they would soon grow interested in the giant wolves, and they, for the first time, would nuzzle and become gentle towards the prince. This behavior was incredibly strange for Emperor Draven, who had raised these dogs to be incredibly lethal killing machines.

  Cupid: Your dogs are great. Draven, I think they really like me.

  Draven: I see that it’s a new thing to see them act like this.

  Cupid: Really, I think all dogs are naturally friendly. What are their names?

  Draven would clear his throat, introducing his dogs. The Scarlet Wolf was named Ruby, the Black Wolf was named Phantom, and the White Wolf was named Shiro.

  Each wolf would happily look towards their master upon hearing their names but would quickly go back to doting on Prince Cupid. Draven would watch this adorable scene for quite some time. An hour later an advisor would appear at the door calling for Draven, who would go outside the door to answer him.

  Advisor: My lord, I think I have found some interesting news that you would like to know.

  Draven: elaborate

  The advisor would clear his throat and would hand the emperor a series of files detailing a rare trait of the royal family of Eros. It would seem the royal bloodline is blessed with a certain aura that brings happiness, serenity, and warmth to those who are near.

  This aura pacifies aggression and invites people into a circle of friendship. This did explain why Draven’s dogs and he himself quickly fell in love with Prince Cupid. Draven soon looked into Cupid’s father, who didn’t have this aura.

  This made a lot of sense; after reading all that information, the advisor looked to Emperor Draven and asked what the plan was.

  Draven took a moment and said

  Draven: I plan on keeping Cupid alive; he may be useful as a political pawn or something greater; only time will tell.

  The advisor would then take his leave. Draven then remembered that he had an appointment at the coliseum. Draven would then hop into Prince Cupid’s room and tell him that he needed to step out.

  Draven would soon make his way to the Colosseum and saw that there were five criminals waiting for him. They were all cowering in their cells as Draven walked by, his blade dragging across the floor. Draven didn’t look at them; he just walked by and listened to their terrified screams and panting.

  Soon the main event would begin. The criminals were brought out, and before things could get started, an announcer would proceed to read off their offenses, all of which Draven was ultimately amused by.

  Soon the bell would sound, and Draven would quickly begin the slaughter. The way he killed them was like watching a dance; their blood scattered like flower petals in the wind. The crowd would feel a mixture of terror and amazement as Draven cut each of them down.

  Soon all that would remain of them were fragments and a large bloody pile.

  Draven looked up at the crowd, a cold, uncaring look on his face.

  Draven: Those who shall commit crimes shall be cut down by my blade. May this be a lesson to all of you.

  Everyone would begin to vacate, and Draven would return to the palace. Draven would soon call his advisor over and tell him to set up an investigation into the merchants and nobles. The advisor would then set to work fulfilling Draven’s request.

  Draven would then begin to write a letter to Priestess Persephone; she was currently appointed to govern the Empire during his absence.

  "Dear Persephone, the Occupation of Eros is progressing smoothly i believe a trade route should be possible in a months time i suspect the lower ranking Merchants and Nobles are corrupt and are trying to work in their own interest i have an investigation in the works in other news i have looked into the assets of Eros and as we thought Eros has abundant harvests plentiful ore deposits and a steady supply of resources all of witch will greatly aid Nyx i have also found a rather interesting treasure i look forward to your response sincerely Draven"

  Draven walked to the aviary, and he placed his letter into the holder strapped onto the Frost owl’s back. Draven then told him where it would go; soon the Frost owl would take flight towards Nyx.

  Draven took a deep breath and made his way to Cupid’s room. Gently opening the door, Draven would see Cupid sleeping on the bed and Draven’s three dogs sleeping beside him. Draven’s heart then started to swell once again with so many sweet emotions. Draven would soon sit in a chair and watch as the sun would beat down on this glorious scene.

  Draven would stay there until Madea would walk in. Her gown was styled to resemble a maid’s uniform; her dark purple hair was long and straight; a maid bonnet would sit on her head; she had a tray in her hands. It was Prince Cupid’s dinner.

  Madea was unfazed by the sight of her emperor; she simply giggled, saying

  Madea: My, my, my, has the Devil come to see his beautiful Angel?

  Draven: Silence; do not disturb him.

  Madea would snicker. Draven would then take his leave, shooting a death glare at Madea as he left. Draven decided to unwind, so he went to his room and called for one of his servants, this one being Noah.

  This servant had a reputation for being the one who relieves Draven’s boredom the most.

  Noah was a twink who wore a standard butler uniform but wore a purple and white collar that basically told the other staff what his true purpose was.

  Noah’s hair was a silver color and was styled in the pixie cut.

  Noah would soon walk into the room, and he would see his emperor; only he was shirtless, wearing only tight black jeans and his cape still hanging on his shoulders.

  Noah: *blushes* Oh, um, you called your highness.

  Draven: Remove your clothes and assume the position.

  Noah would gulp and begin to take off his clothes. Draven would then speak up and say

  Draven: Stop. Go slow, my pet.

  Noah would begin to blush greatly and managed to squeak out

  Noah: Yes, your highness.

  Noah would then proceed to undress slowly, all the while Draven’s face would remain unchanged; his emotionless expression hid his true feelings. Soon Noah would be completely naked, sheepishly covering his body.

  Draven: Come here, my pet.

  Noah would nod, shaking like a leaf, and slowly walking towards Emperor Draven, soon the petite twink stood before the towering man. Draven would then gently take hold of Noah’s sides, his face still cold and emotionless.

  Meanwhile Noah was a nervous wreck, his heart racing like it always did. By this point, Draven would then begin to passionately kiss Noah; he was slowly embracing this tender moment. Draven would then lift Noah off his feet and begin to push him onto the bed.

  Pulling away, Draven would loom over Noah like a predator who had just cornered his prey. Noah was panting softly, his arms in his chest. Noah resembled a helpless kitten, and slowly Draven’s expression would slowly morph into a face of pure passion and ecstasy. Draven would then slowly and gently show Noah a world of pleasure that seemed completely out of character for the emperor, who would mercilessly kill anyone who showed disobedience.

  Draven’s actions that night were incredibly sincere and responsive to Noah’s feelings. the moment Noah showed the slightest form of discomfort, Draven would stop and do something else.

  After three hours of relieving boredom, Draven would pull away and move to the opposite side of the bed, letting Noah recover and sleep. Draven would stay in the bed for a few moments before going to the washroom to clean himself up.

  As Draven was soaking in the massive hotspring tub, he thought of Cupid the Angel, who ignited warmth in his heart for the very first time with Noah. The relationship is more akin to a master and slave setup, but Draven honestly had feelings for Noah, though their social standing is complex. The Monarchy of Nyx has a long history of using servants for boredom relief, and all the while, the one rule is that they cannot be anything more than master and servant.

  This greatly bothered Draven, but he knew if he showed sympathy or weakness, it would greatly affect the Nyx Empire.

  The reason for this is because Nyx resides in a frigid wasteland where only the strong survive; the weak are put out of their misery without a moment’s hesitation. Even the Emperor is subject to this rule. In fact, the entire process of choosing an heir is cold. Upon birth, the heir is taken away to a fortress named Cradle, where they are trained to be strong. The methods for training them are inhumane; for that reason, the Emperor must bear multiple heirs. The one who survives becomes the next emperor while the others are killed.

  There were eighteen heirs at the time Draven was born, and he was the only one who came out on top.

  Draven had to do terrible things in order to survive, and because of it, he came out cold, cruel, and heartless, but meeting Cupid greatly changed everything.

  Draven now had to think: would he start a harem like his predecessors and live the way they did, or would he team up with Persephone and try to redact the laws that have caused nothing but senseless bloodshed and bred generations of cruelty?

  What could Draven do?