The Third Prince Of Darkness

**Violet's POV**—(Luciana's daughter)

When I arrived at the palace, a flood of emotions surged within me. I had lived some of my best memories here. For now, since it was very late, and I was quite tired, after a brief hug and crying session with my mother, I went to my room and laid my head on the pillow. I don't know how tired I was, but I must have been very tired because I passed out as soon as I laid my head on the pillow.

The next day, when I woke up, I used the palace's rose-scented bath. There was no such luxury at the dragon academy. After the bath, my mother came to my room, and we had a long conversation and had breakfast together. I could tell from her eyes how much she had missed me. She also talked to me about Ethan. When she told me what had happened after I left, tears streamed down my face. Ethan had told me he was going to the rebellion zone and after that it was just a minor mishap...

Ethan's inability to tell me about such an important event left a wound in my heart, but my mother said that he didn't tell me because he cared about me. She also explained that Ethan had changed a lot after this incident and that he had become a grown man.

Later, she told me that they had discussed my political marriage with Ethan, but he had refused it. After talking about this for a while, my mother told me that I shouldn’t become a victim of a political marriage. We then continued with a regular mother-daughter conversation.

After some time, I said goodbye to my mother and told her I would visit Ethan. She nodded and, after a long hug, let me go.

After walking for a while, I learned that Ethan was in his study, which was also close to Isabella's room. When I finally arrived at the room, I took a deep breath and knocked on the door to see my younger brother, whom I hadn't seen for years.

A deep, strong voice from inside said, "Come in." After pondering for a moment whether this voice belonged to Ethan, I opened the door and walked in. Was it really true that this large man in front of me was Ethan?

His broad shoulders, muscular body, and blue eyes that seemed to see into my soul caused me to freeze for a moment, but a smile quickly spread across my face. I closed the door behind me and walked toward Ethan, who was smiling at me in the same way.

"Welcome, sister Violet," he said in that deep voice of his.

Now that I think about it, I missed his kid years. But after all,I wasn't even there for him during his most painful days. Am I really a good sister?

Ethan saw me walking towards him and stood up. Oh, my God. I was barely reaching his chest! I remembered this kid was a baby just yesterday! Damn, I wish I were as tall as he is. The closer I got to him, the more his massive body seemed to grow.

He opened his arms to me, and I jumped into them and hugged him.

I felt safe in Ethan’s arms; the longing for years vanished in an instant. After a brief silence, Ethan gently pulled his head slightly away from mine and said, "It's really wonderful to see you, Violet." His voice held both happiness and a touch of sadness.

"I missed you so much, brother," I replied, trying to wipe the tears from my eyes. "You see, seeing you like this makes me happy and reminds me how quickly time has passed."

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** (Ethan's POV)**

When I saw Violet enter the room, I felt a warmth in my heart. A mix of longing, happiness, and a bit of guilt came together. Hugging her felt like filling the void of all these years. Although I feeling her rest her head on my chest warmed me inside.

She didn’t let go for a while, and we just hugged. Then I sat her down on the couch and took a seat across from her. We talked about the times we’d been apart and she told me some stories about the Dragon Academy.

"But Ethan, you should know that I’m upset with you," she blurted.

"What did I do?" I asked.

"You told me you were going to the rebellion zone and after that you said there were just some minor setbacks. But you were almost dying!" she said, raising her voice suddenly.

"Yes, I’m sorry about that, but it’s been a while and I’m fine now," I said, taking a sip of water from the table. "Besides, you needed to focus on the academy....Also, me too upset with you. You never told me you were going to make a political marriage just for me" I added, trying to quickly change the subject.

Seeing that my attempt to change the subject was successful from Violet’s expressions, I continued.

"I don’t want that from you, sister. Don’t worry; I already have sound plans to secure the throne."I said

"Well then, tell me those plans!" she raised her voice.

"I’m sorry, I can’t do that. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but... I just can’t explain," I said.

"Then I’ll go and carry out my own plans without consulting you" she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Hah... Who are you planning to marry?" I asked, trying to understand her better.

"I don’t know... Right now, I only have one name in mind that is both beneficial for you and the kingdom" she said, pausing occasionally as she spoke.

"Who?" I asked with curiosity.

"Alpshar. I’m sure you know who he is. The man who is uniting all the southern clans and will soon declare his empire. He’s also very young, and I think he could be an excellent ally" she said.

I was surprised for a moment, but on reflection, he really was the best option. There were other princes of the Tamerid Empire, but among the contenders for the throne, the strongest prince was about to marry Fiona’s daughter. The Tiamat Empire didn’t have a suitable candidate and was not as strong as the Tamerid Empire in neighboring kingdoms. The remaining two options were to choose the only prince who would become the next king of the island federation or to choose Alpshar, the Conqueror of the South. Since the island federation was much farther away from the Asina Kingdom and was entirely a naval kingdom, Alpshar was the best choice.

"It’s not possible" I said simply.

"Why not?!" Violet asked angrily.

"Because it’s not possible. I know more about Alpshar than you do, and trust me, he wouldn’t make a good husband. Besides, he already has several wives and many concubines" I said calmly.

"Every king has a harem and many concubines. If I want to marry someone strong, it’s a fact I have to endure."

The mixed feeling of anxiety inside me was growing, but Violet’s determined look showed the seriousness of what she was saying. During our conversation, I realized that Violet’s thoughts and plans over the years were of great importance.

"Violet," I said, taking a deep breath. "This is not as easy a decision as you think. What you’ve said about Alpshar’s marriages and relationships might be true, but we also need to consider what kind of person he is and his impact on our kingdom."

"Then why aren’t you telling me anything? Tell me everything you know about Alpshar" Violet said.

"Alpshar comes from the lineage of the Conqueror Ogedion, who ruled much of the continent a long time ago, and like his great-great-grandfather, he wants to conquer the entire continent. Do you understand what I’m saying? He wants to conquer us, too. And it seems he has the capabilities to do so. Therefore, strengthening him further will put us in danger in the long run" I said, taking a sip from the light drink glass instead of the water on the table and continued.

"Moreover, let’s say you marry Alpshar and I ascend to the throne. How do I know that Alpshar won’t use you to gain power in the Asina kingdom? Or worse, if he captures you and threatens me, what will I do? Alpshar is more cunning than he appears and never shows an honorable character in war. He’s the type of man who will do anything to win" I said, finally letting out a sigh.

The look of shock on Violet’s face clearly showed the impact of what I had said. Despite her determination, it was somewhat reassuring to see that my words had such a powerful effect. Her eyes were filled with concern and thought; it seemed she was considering what I had said about Alpshar.

"Where did you get this information?" she asked.

"I earned a high-level badge from a guild with the best intelligence network on the continent. Accessing this information wasn’t very difficult for me."

"But does your concern mean this person won’t make an excellent ally? We need to find a truly strong ally right now." she said.

"Leave the task of finding an ally for me" I said, taking another sip from the glass.

"Who do you have in mind?" she asked.

"Princess Catherine of the Tiamat Empire, who is alone and weak but incredibly beautiful..."