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Optimus made his way down the winding halls, letting his pedes carry him as his mind wandered.
Ever since the delegation of the Descepticon Empire had arrived, the atmosphere in the palace had become tense, more so than usual.
Optimus didn't know the details but had learned of the story through his mentor's hushed words - the king of Praxus, Firebolt, had caused an offense of such magnitude against the Descepticons, that the emperor himself had taken up arms and traveled all the way to the north just to exact justice.
The Scourge of Kaon, Champion of the Pits, the herald of Unicron himself – these titles all belonged to the emperor of the Bad Lands - Lord Megatron of Tarn, a conqueror, a warlord and a tyrant who laid waste to anyone and anything that dared to oppose him.
In fact, that was the reason why him and his army were currently stationed in front of the borders of Iacon and Praxus.
Optimus felt a blush rise to his cheek plating as he was once again reminded of the first time he saw the emperor.
As the strongest of all the northern kingdoms, Ultra Magnus, his sire had taken it upon himself to moderate the resolution of the dispute, which by proxy meant that Megatron, the Slagmaker himself and his delegation would be staying in their palace, while the rest of his army would camp in front of the borders of the two kingdoms.
For the occasion, he and his younger siblings, Sentinel and Elita, were fitted with new garments just for the occasion of welcoming the emperor and his entourage.
Optimus along with Elita wore floor length gowns made from steelsilk, jewels adorned their helms and neck cables.
Despite his status as the oldest progeny of the Magnus, he was still illegitimate, a bastard.
As the son of the royal court's whore, he was illegible to inherit the throne. He might have been recognised, as Ultra Magnus' son, but that did not mean that he was given anything else other than the title of Prince and Prime by proxy and the privilege of living in the palace.
Because of his status, he had to follow the rules of the royals but never be a part of them. The irony was not lost on him.
Sentinel, as the future Magnus, had to wear the uniform of the heir, passed down to him from their sire, just like his had done for him before that.
On the other servo, all other offspring, both legitimate and illegitimate, were meat to wear dresses and gowns, representing their place in the royal family as loyal and humble creations of the almighty Magnus.
He had grown up as a prince, been given the education of one, but he still could not wrap his helm around that specific tradition. But as always, he had no right to questions the wisdom of his predecessors, which led him to where he was right now.
Optimus stood still like a statue while a servant painted his faceplate. Usually, this would've been something he would avoid at all costs, but considering the circumstances, he had no choice but to go through with it. After all, it would bring dishonor to his family if he did not look his best for the event.
Next to him Elita stood poised, cold as ice, not even acknowledging his existence with a scoff, which made Optimus sigh internally.
Not too long ago him and his siblings had almost gotten themselves killed while secretly exploring a cave near the capital. Sentinel had convinced them that it held a secret treasure, and he had stupidly followed his younger brother and sister into the unstable cave, because of his sense of duty toward them.
As per his prediction, their little 'trip' as Sentinel had humorously called it had ended in disaster.
That day he made the hardest decision of his life, which almost cost him his sister. In a sense it did.
It was a miracle that Elita had not died from her injuries that orn. Her frame healed with time, but she changed. No longer was she the bubbly femme he remembered her to be, now she only looked at him with hatred, just like Sentinel.
“You are ready Your Highness, may I be excused.” said the servant as she bowed.
“Ah, yes, of course, go tend to your duties.” muttered Optimus as he looked himself over in the mirror. He elected to ignore the disdainful look the femme threw at him when she thought he wasn’t looking. He was used to the servants’ mocking by now. Being the son of a king did not wash away the shame of being the creation of a whore.
“Prince Optimus, Princess Elita, are you ready?” came the voice of their teacher, Alpha Trion, the palace’s archivist, and their sire’s trusted advisor.
“We are ready, Teacher.” called out Optimus as he looked over just in time to see his sister move toward the door before following suit himself. On the other side of the door stood the tall and lean figure of Alpha Trion, their teacher. He looked at both of them and questioned, ”Shall we go then?”
The walk back to the throne room was quiet, the silence only being broken by their pedefalls and the rustling of fabric.
When they finally reached the grand doors which were strangely unguarded, Alpha Trion turned around and looked them over once again, his optics searching for any imperfections, which might bring offence to the delegation of the Descepticon empire.
After he was seemingly satisfied with the siblings’ appearance, he spoke in that grave tone he rarely used, ”Heed my advice, under no circumstances are you to approach, look at, much less speak to the emperor, if not spoken to, understood?”
For the first time in a while, he heard Elita speak, ”Of course, Teacher, we are ready, you have nothing to worry about.” she spoke coolly.
Optimus winced internally as Alpha Trion sighed and shook his helm. The old mech leaned down and whispered gently, “If something were to happen, and this whole ordeal goes south, I want the two of you to run. I’m sure that you both, are well aware of the tunnels and where they lead.” Optimus felt himself tense up at the words, dread crept up his frame as he continued.
“If worst comes to worst, you will use them to escape to the stables, take your steeds and ride until you reach the west border of Iacon, there you will find a mech called Compass, he will be your guide to safety. You are not to share this plan with anyone, even those you trust.”
They could only bring themselves to nod as their teacher brought himself back to his full height and turned around to open the doors. Inside, the occupants of the room turned to look at them.
Ultra Magnus was sitting on his throne upon a dais that overlooked the room. He wore a deep navy-blue military uniform. The legendary Magnus hammer, the symbol of the kingdom of Iacon since the days of old, was resting against one of the armrests.
Next to the king, on a throne similar to his, sat Silver Flame, his conjux and carrier of Optimus’ siblings. And right by the king’s throne stood Sentinel in a lighter coloured version of his sire’s garments.
“The delegation shall enter any moment now. Take your places.” said Silver Flame in a clipped voice.
Elita took her place beside Sentinel, while Optimus stood farther away from them at the bottom of the dais. The illegitimate offspring were allowed to be present for such occasions, but only as a bystander. In any other case Optimus would’ve been a tad annoyed, but knowing the severity of the situation he believed it was for the best that he remained unnoticed.
“Presenting, Emperor Megatron of the Descepticon Empire and his delegation.”
Silver Flame stood up and all three siblings took it as their queue to bow, showing their respect to their guests.
Ultra Magnus stood up, hammer in servo, and began to descend the steps which led him right in front of the emperor. From his still bowing position Optimus could only see the massive black and magenta pedes.
“I, Ultra Magnus, king of Iacon, greet you, Emperor Megatron, of the empire of the Descepticons.” came the authoritative voice of his sire.
“And I, Megatron, emperor of the Descepticons, greet you, king of Iacon.” Optimus felt a rush of something at the sound of the emperor’s voice. It was smooth and confident, nothing like what he had imagined the rumoured warlord to be.
“Ah, where are my manners, please, you don’t have to show such courtesies with me. Tell your family to rise.” his words came as a great surprise to all of them, but they did as they were told.
When Optimus finally allowed his optics to look at the delegation, he had to stop himself from gaping.
None of the Descepticons a single piece of clothing on their frames.
When he finally regained his composure, he planted his optics to the ground. A blush crept up his faceplate as the sight of the stark-naked frames of the warframes replayed in his processor.
He heard a clang to the side, followed by a squawk. Presumably, Elita jabbing Sentinel in the side to stop him from staring. It took all of Optimus’ composure not to let out a snicker.
In Iacon, it was akin to social suicide to have your frame exposed, a single more revealing piece of clothing could mean becoming an outcast in high society for centuries and yet – they were not from Iacon. They were from the south, a place so different from his home.
Optimus reprimanded himself, of course they would have different views on such things. He could remember aristocrats talking about their trips which led them to travel to territories close to the borders of the Descepticon empire, how the heat could kill a bot if they weren’t careful.
And yet…
“What a wonderful family you have. Mind introducing me?” said Megatron as he came closer to the dais.
“Of course,” Ultra Magnus offered the crook of his elbow joint to his conjux who gladly took it as he stepped delicately down the steps.
“I am honoured to be in your presence, my Lord. My designation is Silver Flame, the royal Consort.” he said as he bowed.
“Likewise.” came the short response of the emperor.
Next stepped in Sentinel, without even looking at him, Optimus knew that he had that overly confident look to him, which more often than not made him look like an idiot.
“And this is-“
“Crown Prince Sentinel, a pleasure to be meeting you.” Optimus couldn’t help but cringe at the complete disregard of protocol which his brother showed toward someone of such high status. He wouldn’t have been surprised if the emperor took offence.
Instead, Megatron merely laughed, a rich and good-natured laugh which surprised everyone.
“Aren’t you a spirited one! I believe that you will fare well as a ruler.” praised the Descepticon.
That was… unexpected. Optimus debated on whether to look up at the scene but decided against it. He didn’t feel like embarrassing himself.
“This praise means a lot coming from someone like you. Thank you.” said the Magnus and turned his attention to Elita, ”And this is my youngest, Elita-One.”
“It is truly an honour to be in your presence, Your Eminence.” Optimus could hear the ruffling of his sister’s dress as she did a curtsy.
“Hmm, a family of many virtues. You have been blessed.” Megatron laughed as he bypassed the princess and began to walk, his pedesteps echoed in the silent chamber.
Hurt engulfed Optimus’ spark as he heard the mech speak. Why bother having him here if he was just going to be no different than the ornaments in the room? What was the point of recognizing him if he was going to spend his life being ignored.
An old, deep wound began to tear itself open anew.
Before Optimus could understand what was happening, the shadow cast by the emperor loomed over him.
”And this is?” the prince looked up and up until he met the flaming red optics of Lord Megatron himself.
It took him a nanoklik to find his composure and greet the mech properly. He bowed his helm, bending his knee joints slightly, executing a flawless curtsy in a perfect display of humility and respect.
"I am Prince Optimus, your Imperial Majesty. It is truly a blessing to be in your presence."
The taller mech hummed and chuckled, "Such a well-mannered offspring you have and yet you did not deign to introduce him."
The Magnus cleared his intake, clearly uncomfortable. "Apologies for my oversight. This is Optimus as he already stated, my eldest."
"The eldest you say?" repeated Megatron, "So you must be the bastard."
The words were like a bucket of ice-cold solvent. He was the first in a long time to so blatantly call him that. It felt like pouring sulfur on an already untreatable wound.
Optimus grit his dentae and looked back up at the unreadable optics of the mech and smiled sweetly, "Indeed I am."
Silence reigned for what felt like vorns as Optimus stared at the emperor, not tearing his optics away as the Descepticon scrutinized him.
Dread washed over Optimus as the gravity of the situation finally caught up to him. He had made a mistake. One that would cost him his life if he didn’t apologise.
He opened his intake, but before an apology could come out, the emperor extended his servo, effectively silencing the prince.
Optimus looked back and forth between the servo and the still unreadable faceplate of the emperor. He hesitantly placed his servo in the Descepticon’s. The sheer size difference made him nervous. If he wanted to, Megatron could tear his whole arm off if he felt like it.
Instead, in a display of gentleness, he bent down, brought the servo to his dermas and kissed it.
Optimus’ processor almost crashed at the sight. His audials were ringing so loudly that he almost missed the emperor’s words.
“It is a pleasure to meet you, Prince Optimus.”
Since that fateful day, quite a few things happened.
The night cycle after the meeting, he found a datapad laying on his berth in his quarters. When he unlocked it, he found that the only two things on the datapad were a strategy game, one of his favorites, which he often played with Alpha Trion and a file which read:
‘Care for a game?’
It had been foolish to accept the challenge. He knew that well, but after a night of playing with what he deduced was one of the Descepticons he felt that he couldn’t care less.
They only stopped playing when Hadeen began to rise over the horizon. If Optimus was honest with himself, that night had been the most fun he had ever had, despite losing the majority of the games. His opponent was a brilliant mech whose tactics could only be compared to those of his teacher or his sire. It felt unreal to have someone like that presumably enjoy playing with someone like him.
A ping from the datapad pulled him away from his thoughts.
‘I very much enjoyed our games. It has been a while since I’ve met someone who could pose a challenge for me. Could I interest you in maybe making this a nightly occurrence?’
Even now, Optimus blamed his eager response on the recharge deprivation.
‘I would love nothing more than that. Though I suspect that we won’t be able to do this for the whole night cycle. It may pose a problem for you if you continue like this.’
‘Such care for a stranger, and what of you? You say this like it won’t become a problem for you too.’
The comment made Optimus chuckle.
‘Let’s just say that I have practice.’
‘Very well then, I believe that this little secret of ours will be something we will both enjoy to the fullest.’
Since that night, more than a few decacycles had passed. Sometimes he regretted accepting the… whatever it was, but that feeling always seemed to dissipate with every new game they played.
In fact, his talks with the stranger had become even more interesting to him. These orns they discussed literature, art, poetry and the rare chat about politics along with playing their strategy games.
The bot had many and interesting views on life, much different from his own. They spoke in length about everything and anything they could think of. At some point the bot had begun to call him ‘Little Prince’. At first, the thought of being called something like that had been strange, but with time, he became used to it, he began to like it.
For the first time in his life Optimus felt like he had someone who could understand him. It felt so freeing and saddening at the same time.
Despite his newfound friend, his life had not changed at all.
Ever since the incident, the relationship between the three siblings had deteriorated into something hostile. They didn’t meet up to chat and laugh, Pits, they didn’t even talk to Optimus anymore, more than happy with ignoring his very existence.
Elita spent her time socialising with other young nobles during tea parties and galas she was invited to, while Sentinel was preoccupied with being by their sire’s side during meetings with the emperor and the king of Praxus.
Now, Optimus spent most of his time in the archives of the palace, helping Alpha Trion in every way that he could. The old mech was one of the few that had not given up on him, along with his carrier and one of the old palace medics who seemed to have taken a liking to him. They were the only support he had, and he was grateful for having them.
He enjoyed spending time with his teacher, he was a wise mech who had seen many things in his long life and had no qualms about sharing them with Optimus. He taught Optimus many things throughout his duration as the royals’ teacher. The mech had told him on many occasions that he hoped, Optimus would take his place as the next Archivist when he retired.
It warmed the young bot’s spark to no end every time he remembered those words.
One sunny afternoon, Optimus was arranging some datapads, lost in thought.
The Descepticon delegation had left Iacon not too long ago and just around that time his newfound friend stopped responding to his messages, confirming his suspicions that the bot had been one of them. He had yet to figure out his own feelings on the matter.
When Alpha Trion approached him, he didn’t notice him.
“Optimus, may I talk with you for a second?” he almost jumped at the sound of his own designation. Despite being a prince, his teacher was one of the few who called him by his name, one of the few he enjoyed calling him that.
“Of course, Teacher. Is there a problem?” it was unusual for the ancient mech to look so worried.
“Do you remember what I told you right before your first meeting with the emperor?” of course he did, how could he forget the hushed words of his mentor.
Optimus nodded, allowing Alpha Trion to continue.
The mech let out a deep sigh and looked right at his mentee. Strange, Optimus hadn’t noticed till now just how tired his teacher looked.
“Soon, you might need to follow those words of mine.”
Optimus ran down the halls of the castle as fast as his pedes could carry him. How could this happen? Everything had been fine until recently.
The chaos had engulfed the whole castle. The palace knights were running around, trying to bring order, but to no avail.
The Descepticons had launched a brutal attack on both Optimus’ kingdom and the kingdom of Praxus. At first the armies of the two kingdoms had been enough to hold off the invaders, but they just kept coming. There was no end to their numbers and soon enough they had made their way to the capital, placing it under siege before they could even react.
And now, they were in.
He could hear screams all around him, the stench of spilt energon and the sound of tearing metal made him want to purge.
He needed to find Elita and Sentinel, they needed to get out of here!
A flash of light blue shot through the corridor passing him by, only to come back and stand before him in the form of the knight Blurr, the fastest bot in all of the kingdom.
“Prince-Optimus-I’m-so-glad-that-I-found-you!-Where-are-the-others-wait-no-where-is-the-king-I-need-to-tell-him-that-the-knight-Longarm-is-actually-a-shapeshifting-Descepticon-named-Shockwave-“
Suddenly an elongated arm twisted around the knight, pressing a servo to his intake, immobilising him.
“I believe that this is quite enough, Blurr.” a cold voice came from around the corner from which the arm had appeared. Heavy steps echoed in the hall as a towering Descepticon finally came into view.
The fuel in Optimus’ lines came to a halt as he finally took a good look at the bot.
An empurata.
The mech’s other servo shot out and grabbed a tight hold of Optimus.
“As much as I would like to keep both of you alive, I have orders to complete.” the hold of the Descepticon tightened, slowly, but surely crushing both bots’ plating.
Optimus gasped, trying not to scream as pain bloomed all over his frame, he gasped for atmosphere as the edges of his vision began to slowly turn black.
“Well then today’s your lucky day, Shockwave. Lord Megatron wants both of them in the throne room immediately.” came an amused voice from above.
When the arms pulled back, Optimus fell down on his knee joints, coughing as he desperately tried to vent. He turned his helm, looking for the knight only to see him in fighting position before him. How had he recovered so fast? And more importantly – why did the emperor want him alive?
“Ah, Deadlock, what a wonderful surprise.” spat Shockwave venomously.
Instead of responding to the insult, the supposed Deadlock landed in front of the pair of Iaconians, “If you value the health of your royal brat, you will do as we say, knight.” said the dark painted mech glowered at them.
Optimus watched Blurr stiffen and say, “How-do-we-know-that-we-can-trust-you-when-you-literally-tried-to-offline-us-a-klik-ago-in-fact-we-ought-to-take-your-every-word-with-a-grain-of-mercury.”
Deadlock looked at Shockwave with puzzlement and the empurata only sighed and countered, “If we wanted you dead, we would have killed you by now. Now follow us, his Lordship does not enjoy waiting.”
“Your Highness.”
Optimus looked at the speedster, “Yes?”
“I apologise, but the best way to protect you right now is to follow them.” the blue bot was seething as he looked down at what were well-placed injuries to his knee joints.
“There is nothing to apologise for, let us go.” Blurr looked back at him with surprise in his optics as Optimus stood up and began to walk towards the Descepticons. The knight followed suit shortly, walking by his side, glaring daggers at the two Cons before them.
When they reached the throne room, Optimus froze in shock. The room was filled with the Descepticons which had been part of the delegation. His sire, siblings and their carrier were all kneeling, tied up, before the dais on which were positioned the thrones. And atop his sire’s throne sat no other than Emperor Megatron, who was twirling the Magnus hammer carelessly between his servos.
When he noticed the new arrivals, he grinned predatorily and spread his hands, “Finally! Our last guest of honour is here! Now we can begin the trial.”
Trial?
“What the slag are you talking about!? The only one who should be put on trial is you, you glitched out scrapheap!” barked Sentinel.
Megatron tutted and said, “Soundwave, if you’d be so kind. I’ve heard more than enough from this bumbling buffoon for one lifetime.” the short teal and gold coloured mech beside Sentinel raised his battle axe and hit him with the blunt side, making the prince hack out energon.
“Sentinel!-“
“The next bot to interrupt me will face much harsher punishment.” proclaimed Megatron coldly as his optics looked over the occupants of the room.
Once he was satisfied, he began speaking again, ”Now then, where was I? Ah yes, Ultra Magnus today you stand trial as an accomplice with the now deceased king Firebolt, in the assassination plot which was carried out out against me not too long ago. How do you plead?”
“What!?”
“There is no way that is true! Your Majesty, please say that it isn’t true!”
“What?” whispered Optimus in disbelief. His sire would never such a thing! Would he?
“Tsk, tsk, such a devoted family, and for what? For you to betray their trust and have them killed because of your foolishness.” goaded the Descepticon emperor as the Magnus bowed his helm, looking defeated.
“They had no part in this, if you are to punish someone, then punish me, leave them out of this.”
The room fell deathly silent. Had they all heard that right? Ultra Magnus, the king known for his benevolence and righteousness had taken a part in such a dirty act? Impossible to believe and yet it was the truth.
“Hmm, well I suppose I could spare them and only take your life, but that would mean them losing everything they’ve had up until now. They will fend for themselves in this cruel world. Is that what you want?”
The Magnus looked at his family, a pained look in his optics that made him look so much older. He nodded, ”I wish for them to live, I know that they will be alright.”
Megatron sighed, clearly disappointed, “Very well then, Soundwave, proceed with the execution.”
“Affirmative.” the bot lifted his axe, “At your command.”
“NO!” screamed all three siblings as they tired to get to their sire, but it was a futile endeavour. Sentinel and Elita, bound as they were, did not take more than a step before being caught by a Descepticon. Only Optimus, who up until now had been quietly standing to the side, reached the executioner and tried to wrench the axe from his servos.
The teal bot kicked him in the abdominal plating, crushing the vents there. Optimus fell down by his sire’s side, coughing.
“Optimus! Are you alright?” asked Ultra Magnus as he tried to move his frame so he could better see his son.
Slow clapping came from the direction of the throne. An amused chuckle emanated from Megatron as he spoke, “How touching. Anyone else care to do that?”
“Free me and I’ll show you what I can do!” snarled Sentinel as he fought against the binds around his servos.
“Oh, I have no doubts about that, in fact, you have given me an idea.”
“I will allow you to choose between your own lives and that of the king. I will spare the Magnus if one of you volunteers to take his place. In fact, I will allow him to keep the throne and let the kingdom of Iacon become a vassal of the great Descepticon empire! Unlike Praxus, you are given a choice. So, what shall it be?”
Silence reigned for what felt like a vorn. Elita and Sentinel looked at each other with sacred expressions while Silver Flame turned away, not willing to look at what was going to happen.
“Really? Not one of you is willing to take the place of the king?-“
“I'll do it!”
All optics turned to Optimus who was still kneeling beside his sire.
“I will take his place.”
An animalistic grin stretched across the emperor’s faceplate as he laughed cruelly, ”Out of all the bots that could have chosen to sacrifice their lives for you, it is the creation who you pushed to the side that is most willing to help you in your time of need.”
“No…” Ultra Magnus looked at Optimus with sorrow in his optics.
“Of course, you can always choose to not accept the offered help and take on the punishment yourself. In the end it is up to you to decide whether the life of your bastard is more important than yours in the grand scheme of things.”
Optimus looked at his sire and whispered, ”It’s alright. I will not hold it against you, do what you think is right.”
In reality Optimus wasn’t ready to die. He desperately wanted to live, but he knew that if he hadn’t offered himself, nobody else would have.
But he really did mean what he had said. He would not hold it against his sire if he chose to save himself. His spark would break, but he would not go back on his word.
The Magnus looked at him for a long time, taking in his features as if he was trying to memorise what his son looked like before he sent him to his doom.
“Well? What will it be?” asked Megatron impatiently.
Ultra Magnus took a deep vent and let out a sigh as he turned his face away from his son, making his decision known. It took all of Optimus’ self control not to cry, but he held out. He could not show fear now.
“It has been decided then. Soundwave, Shockwave, destroy the voice boxes of the king and his heir.”
What?
In two swift motions, energon spilled on the marble floor as both creator and creation fell to the ground.
Optimus could only look on in horror as Elita and Flame screamed.
“This is not what we agreed on!” screeched Silver Flame as he tried to get to his conjux.
“I have decided on another arrangement. From today onward, Ultra Magnus is no longer king, and Prince Sentinel will not inherit the Iaconian throne. This honour now belongs to King Optimus, rightful ruler of these lands and his heir Elita-One. Optimus Magnus shall rule for the time which it takes to train his heir and pay off the debt which your kingdom now owes the Descepticon Empire.”
“Debt? What debt?” asked Optimus, still trying to understand what was going on.
“The one you owe me for the attempt on my life, of course.” Megatron stood up and made his way down the steps of the dais, hammer in servo.
“Shockwave and Deadlock shall stay behind and help you run the kingdom. As a sign of benevolence, I shall allow you to keep the Magnus hammer. Your sire and brother will be separated from you as to not instigate any riots. Aside from that, Shockwave will deal with any unwanted situations.” Megatron stood in front of Optimus and bent down, placing the hammer beside him as he whispered in one of his audials.
“So…shall we play this game, Little King?”