Anything For You
Chapter 163

**You and Me by Lifehouse**

~DAWN MOUNTAINS-

"My lady, the sun is just about to set. What would you prefer for dinner today?" asked a maid when Grand Empress was sitting on the porch with Carol at her right-hand side. The lady didn't answer, instead, dismissed the maid.

Looking at the lines of worries and anxiety lingering over her temples, Carol could no longer restrain herself and enquired politely,

"My lady, you look anxious. Is everything all right? I have been watching you for many days. You look like...you aren't even resting peacefully."

Grand Empress looked at Carol through the corner of her eyes,

"Carol, there have been so many things going on lately. I just feel tired." Sighing heavily, she continued with hopeful eyes, "If only Emperor would have been here, I would have been less worried."

Carol wasn't interested in the hidden meanings of her watchful words. Moving a bit closer to the lady, Carol took her hands in hers,

"My Lady, you can ways share your worries with me. And if you want someone else from the palace, we can always summon them. Do you want me to send a word for Prince Emerald or Prince Sammer?" Hoping to get a convincing answer, Carol continued gazing at the old lady's tired expressions.

"No. I am fine. I just feel like something is not right." The old lady whispered; loud enough to be heard by Carol.

"My Lady, You can tell me. I am exceptionally good at keeping secrets." Carol suggested smiling faintly trying to let the worries wither away. The old lady smiled for a microsecond and then went back to her world.

"Empress...!" There was heard a similar voice. The old empress immediately hauled up from her seat startling poor Carol, and started to magically look here and there; which Carol couldn't decipher what!

"Emperor, you...you are here?" The Empress asked looking into a particular direction, where nobody was seen according to Carol and the old lady was going insane because of excessive stress.

"Yes, I am here. We don't have much time. I need to talk to you." Emperor urged the Old Empress to rush towards their room, and the lady followed with a courteous nod. She was overwhelmed with the fact that at least she got to see her late husband once again. She had been yearning for so long.

Just as she was about to step ahead, her wrist was caught tightly by Carol, who was looking dumbfounded and scared witnessing her behavior just now. Stuttering and finding it hard to form words, Carol said on the verge of crying hard,

"My lady.......I think we should...consult the healers. You...you are not in good health. We...we....should talk to the royal doctors once, please."

Listening to her tearful voice, Grand Empress patted Carol's cheeks,

"Sweet child, I am fine. I am perfectly fine and in a sound mind. Don't worry about me. I will be back soon."

"No, I think she should be with us. The danger ahead is peculiar. She is trustworthy, Empress. Take her along with us to your room." The Emperor suggested and Grand Empress nodded looking at him, while Carol was fighting hard to not spill down all the tears she had been holding on to.

"Carol, come with me. I have something to show you." Grand Empress ordered Carol and the latter sobered up instantly tailing around her and following her to her bedroom.

Reaching the bedroom, the old Empress let go of Carol's hand and moved towards the Emperor to gig him tightly. Sobbing softly, she formed the words,

"Where have you been? I was so worried. Do you know why the book said? It left me a death threat, Emperor. What should we do now? I don't understand anything. And where we're you all this while?"

Carol was standing glued to her spot, dumbfounded, not getting a single word, trying to process the things happening in front of her.

"I will tell you everything, but first..." Emperor gestured the lady to look at fear-stricken Carol.

Within a swoosh, the man was standing there in his fullest glory. He looked the same, just as he was years ago. He looked way too healthy for a dead man. Carol gasped and so did the Grand Empress.

"Em...Emperor!" Carol mumbled and was just about to faint when Emperor stabilized her using a gust of his powers. "You...you were... how come you are alive and you look all healthy. I...I can't believe it. My lady, what... What..." Carol was having difficulty understanding and forming the words matching with that situation. Finding her baffled, the Emperor sighed and interjected,

"I am dead. But here I am because of something important and now you know this too. I heard you saying that you are good at keeping secrets. Can you, Carol?" "Yes...yes, My Lord." Carol said without any second thoughts and bowed in respect, buckling up her inner self for the secrets.

Briefing everything, the Emperor looked at Grand Empress and warned,

"Love, you must leave the castle instantly. The leader of Dark souls, Silvan is on his way to Dawn Mountains. He wants you to tell him everything you learned from the Heavenly Book. If he got you anyhow, you won't be able to use your powers and save yourself. I want you to safeguard yourself. I...I can't protect you in this form. You need to leave, now."

"But, it's so late now and the sun has set too. You know we can't leave the castle at this time. It's too dangerous outside. Besides, we have very tight security. He won't be able to trespass in the....."

"Intruder....." Before Grand Empress could finish her words, they all heard the loud yelling of a werewolf soldier warning everyone of an intruder in the castle. In no moment, the commotion was heard and crying and noises started to pierce everyone's ears drums. "I am afraid he had already trespassed. You... you can leave now. If he got you, he will know the truth, and we can't afford it. It's the last chance Emerald and Scarlet have. We need to do something. If something happens to you, the poor kids would never be aware of the past and their truth." Emperor was afraid for her life. If she died here, she won't be able, to tell the truth. Every little effort they had put in and every pain they underwent would mean nothing suddenly.

"Apologies, My lord. Can I help with something?" Carol spoke out of the blue, while the noises of soldiers fighting were getting strong and loud.

"It's not a full moon. You can shift...." Thinking something, the Emperor urged the lady to discard the shawl she had been draping around her shoulders to protect herself from the cold winter weather of Dawn Mountains. "I want to see your mate mark." The lady let go of that shawl and that little 'Mate Mark' started to shine golden instantly.

"Empress, you see this shine. It means whatever you had learned, is permanently engaged in this 'Mate Mark'... If only we can pass the knowledge to either Emerald or Scarlet, you would be safe." The Emperor suggested.

"But Scarlet is still unconscious and I can't connect with Emerald. He had cornered himself. I can only connect with our son." The Empress whispered cursing herself for the moment she had gifted RAGNARA stone to Scarlet and created this mess. "No, Jasper isn't the right one for this," Emperor said plainly, leaving no choice to be thought over.

"I have a suggestion, My lord," Carol said in the politest tone lowering her head.

"What is it, Carol?" Both the Emperor and Empress asked in unison. Carol whipped her head up and looked at them with pitiful gaze and announced,

"If you follow this, you will no longer be mates."