The Departure

                                    

                                          
Brian walked behind the empress as Aria was headed to his children's bedrooms. Aria did seem to notice the pair of footsteps behind him and he just ignored them until he open Aaron's door to which he found the boy and his siblings there playing pillow tag. They were all happy and giggling oblivious of their mother stood by the door. 
All the four head maids of the children were there stood to the side and they saw the empress the wanted to greet him but Aria gestured they keep quiet to which the maids understood and kept quiet. Aria looked at his little children hitting each other with pillows, so care free from the world and very happy.
He'd wish that they'd stay children for the rest of time, but he knew that was an impossible option. He knew that at one point in time they'd grow be a better version of rulers than both their parents. Even if they didn't get the throne because Aria had practically eradicated their chances at the throne himself, he knew they'd still have districts to run as deposed royal children. For some monarchies especially ones with more than one heir, it'd be a dangerous stunt to pull the rightful heirs from their claim at the throne, but Aria had a very strong supportive family and military army. He would know he's children would be fine even in the events of sudden death, for he knew that he'd die one day either from natural causes or 'natural' causes. 
The children were beyond safe if he were to die so he knew very well to keep them the most happiest whilst he was still alive and well. Tyler had once put him in the cold palace as punishment but this time around Tyler has no power over him and Aria can do whatever he wants, when he wants to, whenever he wants to. Tyler wants Aria's army seal and that keeps him at bay and the only reason he was an asshole at the beginning was because Aria let him be one, but now Aria knows better.
"Empress." Brian said as stood by the door leaning on the frame.
"Brother in law." Aria stated back as he looked to the broad shouldered man at door. He genuinely smiled and not the cold smile he always gave Tyler these days and the first prince smiled back and opened his arms for his brother in-law to embrace him. Aria did as gestured and ran into the man's embrace, upon impact the duo fell and a thud arose. The thud startled the children and their head maids, the all turned to look to the sound and found their mother atop of a strange man. Since the first prince wasn't in the palace most of the times, the quad never knew their father had an older brother and they didn't know the other royal princes and princesses other than their own siblings. 
"Mother." Aaron yelled for the empress as he ran from his bed and siblings towards his mother in attempts to free him of the treacherous man who was held onto the empress. Anna, Alex and Ariel also seemed to look towards where Aaron was running to and joined the older twin in his mission to dislodge their uncle from their mother. They didn't want any man to touch their mother, not after what their father did to Aria and by who's mouth had the younglings heard is not known.
"Get of mommy!" Aaron said as he started hitting Brian with his little hands. It looked quite adorable and funny at the same time. 
"Yes, get off mommy!" The other three children all chorused as they also started hitting Brian and the man getting assaulted only laughed at the younglings' antics.
Aria did get off Brian, but as soon as he did so, the quad stood in front of their mother and 'shielded' him from the imposter who had just touched their mother, not knowing that their mother was the actual culprit for sprinting and landing on the other man. The empress did seem to forget he was pregnant and still in the early stages which were very dangerous for the same stunt he just pulled, he crouched down and grabbed his abdomen. This action startled the maids who were watching and Brian himself too, the maids had flinched and Brian bypassed the little shield in front of him and held Aria in his hands.