As the final day of the wedding celebration arrived, I was left with a feeling of cold emptiness in my heart. I moved towards the window to take in the view outside – everything was bathed in light, with rays of sunshine cascading across the landscape.

Today, the focus will be on the parade, led by the imperial couple, with representatives from other regions following suit. This is their way of demonstrating that Marrossi will always hold a position of superiority over the other regions, which were once independent kingdoms.

I don’t belong to this empire. I’m not a noble here but a mere fugitive. There’s no need for me to join. I only have to wait for the moon to show up, and I’ll get home through the passage Azriel was talking about. Still, I do see the need to talk to the empress. I can’t leave without saying goodbye, for I owe her something.

I perused the selection of dresses in my closet, eventually settling on a sleeveless, high-collared peach dress with an overskirt and fabric belt. A maid assisted me in dressing and setting up my hair, after which I added a pair of white sapphire drop earrings. Despite their simplicity, these earrings are among my favorites, serving as a reminder of Evrart, who gifted them to me on my 18th birthday.

Now that I have the freedom to wander around both the crown prince's palace and the main palace, I can't help but wonder – where could the empress be? The parade is still some time away. Once it concludes, lunch will be served, and everyone will be free to depart from the palace.

There's nothing to do, and nobody can accompany me either. It would still feel like trespassing to explore alone, but the garden might not be a bad idea. I need fresh air, after all. I stood up and headed to the hallway, and as I was about to descend the stairs, the empress was on her way up. What a coincidence.

"Good morning, Your Majesty. It's good to see you," she grinned as I curtsied, and she continued climbing up the stairs until she reached my level.

“It’s good that I ran into you. I was planning to visit you. Shall we have a walk? I’m not joining the parade, so there’s a lot of time to spare.” I wasn’t expecting that she won’t join the parade. As an empress, won’t she be expected to be there, leading it?

“I see. If you don’t mind me asking, Your Majesty, why won’t you join it?”

“My life is always at risk when I’m outside the palace. I can get easily assassinated if I’ll take the lead. I don’t like seeing the crowds either. So, I’ll let them be. Hervouet won’t be joining also. That aside, follow me.” She replied, and though I was expecting her to walk ahead of me, she chose to walk at the same pace. We walked side by side, and she decided to break the ice.

“Since it’s the last day of the wedding celebration, what are your plans, princess?” her voice was cold, and it sounds like the conversation would be serious than casual.

“I plan to leave tonight, Your Majesty. It was good timing that we ran to each other because I wanted to inform you about it. I was thinking that maybe I should tell you my plans and say goodbye meantime.”

“Is it because you’re worried about the rumors? I’m sure people will keep wondering who you are and why you’re staying here, but that can be easily dealt with. You’ve probably known that I wouldn’t get the ‘blood empress’ title for nothing. If I didn’t like the action of somebody, I’ll have them punished immediately. I can do the same if rumors start floating around, so don’t worry about it.”

“It’s not mostly about that. Though the Grand Duke of Heryozona Eskal mentioned that he heard the nobles talking behind me, I'm more concerned about my brother. A friend of mine communicated with me and said that he was in a bad mental state, and I know that I'm the only one capable to help him. Also, His Highness needs to give the new crown princess some attention, and I think I’ll be a nuisance here. I will, however, do my word and help him fight Hervouet. I can’t be too visible in Eurhyia either because a lot are after me because of Queen Corianne’s influence. So, I need to gather allies in secret. I talked to the grand duke and he said that he’ll support me. I'll break the pillars of the enemy and make them fall with the final blow when we face them head-on.”

The Ruivenfiere dukes of Alryne, Greizenne, and Beruvia are on his side. It would be presumptuous of me to attempt to convert them into allies without a solid strategy. The Grand Duke of Eskal was more amenable to siding with me, primarily because he is not a Ruivenfiere. Although he didn't express complete interest, he offered his support in whatever way he could.

Each dukedom has its weakness, and finding that is the key.

The dukes remain loyal to the empire, but there is potential to gain the support from the former human leaders who once governed these regions. Azriel's objective is to liberate the regions from Ruivenfiere influence and restore their individual kingdoms, which would result in him becoming the king of Marrossi rather than the emperor of an empire.

Indeed, locating the former leaders of the old kingdoms is easier said than done. It is possible that they have been demoted in rank rather than banished, now holding titles such as Marquess, Earl, Viscount, or Baron.

Negotiating with Eskal will require the assistance of the grand duke. However, for formal discussions with the human nobles and others, it will be necessary to have Azriel present.

Indeed, transforming adversaries into allies seems to be the most viable option at the moment. By establishing strong relationships and ensuring loyalty, we can provide reassurance that freedom will be granted once they pledge their support. The Ruivenfiere empire will cease to exist, and instead, we will foster diplomatic relations with the former kingdoms as they regain their autonomy and reclaim their lives.

But … will that be enough to wash away the sin the empire has caused? There sure will be a lot more, but if all of those happen, I think it's for Azriel and Kathrynne to handle – once they get crowned as the king and queen of Marrossi.

I doubt that he’ll be needing me by that time. I don’t have the power to get involved further.

But how will the empress react, if she finds out about this? She surely would want to keep the Ruivenfiere legacy for the next generations to come. She worked hard for this after all.

“How clever. Truth is, none of these are surprising. If you’ll trace our family history, it is normal for princes and princesses to kill each other in their struggle to gain the throne. We’ll discuss those plans when you return. But the war and uprising aside, I want us to talk about you and Azriel,” I stopped myself from giving a violent reaction, but even if it’s a taboo that I don’t want to talk about, I know I can run away forever.

"What I want to say is, you can be the empress consort since I don't want you to be a mistress. A clever woman like you deserves power. This nation needs people like you. I hope you wouldn't mind." She added, her face rigid and composed.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“I’ll give it some thought, but for now I have to know how much help the Eurhyian king needs, Your Majesty. I appreciate your generosity and kindness. But I don’t want to immediately come up with promises and decisions without knowing the future circumstances. I’m a woman of my word, and I want to keep it like that.” I answered.

The idea of being an empress consort feels like a luxury I can’t afford. It’s lower than the empress regnant which will be Kathrynne, but I still can’t imagine myself married to a man who’s also married to someone else. It’s funny how I’m planning for Azriel’s future without planning for myself – Eurhyia can't be aware of my return except for those who are in the palace, but I can't afford not to step out of the palace and hide forever. Being in Marrossi would make me become Azriel’s knight, but I don’t want to be with him if Kathrynne is there.

With those in mind, where should I stay when everything’s over? I can’t be a fugitive once again. If I won’t become the empress, I should start living a normal life where I can move on from what I feel towards the crown prince, and I can’t do that by staying in Marrossi.

Do I … really love him? Or this emotion is only caused by our closeness? That for once, there is someone who accepted me as I am, unlike everyone else who wants me gone.

For some reason, I always find myself questioning if it is real love, or simply a fleeting emotion.

Perhaps the true nature of your feelings will become clear once you are separated from him. Time and distance have a way of revealing the depth and authenticity of our emotions.

“This is exactly why I like you. You think before deciding instead of assuming that things will go well immediately. We only knew each other for a while, but seeing through people is something I’m good at. Frankly, you’ll be a better empress than Kathrynne. She’s too emotional and soft, while straightforward occasionally. It’s like there are two people in her body – it’s hard to tell which is true and which isn’t.”

I can’t believe my ears. How can she speak her thoughts as bold as this? These are some of the things people like me shouldn’t know. At some point, it feels like she trusts me enough not to spill what we talked about, and I don’t have to. Regardless of the situation, I can’t be an empress consort. If I will, it can’t be because of my love for Azriel alone. I need a better reason.

“I can’t speak ill towards Her Highness since I don’t know her, but there sure is a reason why her personality seems to be … complicated,” I commented, hoping that she won’t take it as an offense.

“Then I should keep an eye on her, then.”

Time flew fast as I spent the morning with the empress. She invited me to the conservatory of the southern palace and had someone prepare tea for us. It's undeniable that she's interested to know me well because she even asked about the kind of life I had in Eurhyia. Its culture, people, and even a bit of our history. I didn't sense any threat from her, so I decided to know her better by asking things about her, and avoiding personal questions that might ruin the mood.

Spending a couple of hours with the empress while the parade was going on made me realize that, despite her reputation of being strict, and having war as her language – she still showed her soft side, and knowing a bit about her childhood made me understand why she became cruel.

For she was badly wounded herself. Mentally, emotionally, and physically.

“Have you ever wondered why I’m giving you special treatment? Because I rarely talk to people this way,” she said, while putting her cup of tea on the saucer with a graceful gesture.

“I’ve been thinking about that, but I didn’t have the confidence to ask.” I bit my lip, but she didn’t take my words in a bad way. Of course, there are always motives behind special treatment.

“Because you’re likely to be the last alexandrite Izavene alive. Your race was forgotten by most, because of me. His Highness probably told you this already – but I ordered all the alexandrite Izavenes back then to surrender their rings, because those rings can produce a shield to protect Marrossi, including myself. With you alive, you can be the new beginning of your race. If you’ll have children, they can be alexandrite Izavenes, and the rest will follow. That said, I want to apologize for using your people for my selfish desires.”

I couldn't believe my ears. She apologized and admitted that she did that easily.

“You are … the new hope of your race. You can be the beginning, but you can also be the end. You’re a smart lady, and you sure know what I’m talking about.” Her intense look passed through me, and I can mentally imagine myself melting out of intimidation. But I still managed to keep myself elegant, and prudent, but also solemn.

"I understand. Although I didn't give it some thought, it's an issue I didn't realize until now," she's only saying one thing – I have to marry an Izavene and have a child, which will lead me to Azriel … again.

She wants to ensure that I’ll fully commit my life to him. But why do I keep having the feeling that I’ll get in trouble if I’ll follow the future that they wanted me to have?

──•~❉᯽❉~•──

The moment has arrived. I have gathered everything I need as I prepare to leave this place for the first time. It feels surreal, but deep down, I know it is for the best.

I looked up at the sky again, realizing that the sun had set, and the stars were shining bright.

After taking a walk, I teleported back into my room to savor the final moments in this place before departing. To my surprise, Azriel was standing in the darkness, casting an icy gaze upon me.

"We should go before the passage closes," he said, not even giving me a decent greeting. I knew that our love can fade and disappear over time as footprints washed away from the beach and waves. Maybe this is the best for both of us – and the next time I'll return, my heart won't be set for love, but for war. A war to protect him with my life.

Although I wanted to question why Azriel was suddenly distant, I realized that our previous intimacy did not warrant any expectations for a deeper connection.

This … might be for the best.

Everything ends when I enter the passage – in the mirror room in the basement he brought me in where there’s a swirling vortex of light on the mirror’s surface.

The silence between us felt heavier than a thousand words. Should I wish him to be happy before leaving, or will it sound like a mockery? I no longer know what he wants to hear from me.

I walked closer to the mirror, and he followed my pace. As we stood before the mirror, I recognized that it was the moment to express my final thoughts. I doubted that he would initiate the conversation, so it was up to me to take the lead.

“I’ll be back in a month or two. I’ll do my words and I hope you won’t see this as my way of running away from you. Hervouet’s plan would take at least seven months, so we have time to spare. All I have to focus on is helping my brother gather himself up because I don't know how bad the situation is. The empress and I had a long conversation earlier, and you can ask the rest to her. You already know the rest anyway."

The sorrowful look in his eyes made my stomach turn, and I averted my gaze to shield myself from its impact.

“How about us?” he asked, his tone low and hesitant.

“I don’t know. But all I can guarantee is I’ll return and fight for you. That’s the role I have left,” I wanted to add, ‘because I love you’ but I decided not to. Expressing my feelings will lead to complicated situations.

The corner of his lip twitched, and he gritted his teeth as he looked away. “ ‘Role you have left,’ my foot. That's one way of saying that you'll leave me after all this. How can you give up on us easily?"

"I didn't give up on us, but I don't think I have the right to ask or demand anything. What won't change is, that we're friends, and I treasure that. That's why I'll return. We all have our time," I concluded, and when I noticed that he wouldn’t say anything else, I stepped out of the mirror without looking back.

As I crossed through the passage, the swirling vortex of light vanished, leaving behind nothing but an ordinary mirror. Confusion filled my mind as I realized that the room I entered bore no resemblance to Queen Corianne's quarters. It appeared abandoned and altered, devoid of any trace of her presence. I began to question whether Azriel was certain that this was indeed her room, as it seemed unlikely for her to have an empty and neglected space.

I gently opened the door, trying hard not to make a sound. The hallways are dim, but the layout of the place is the same as how I left it almost two months ago. There’s no doubt that this is the Eurhyian palace.

Considering the distance between Evrart's room and Queen Corianne's room, it would not be advisable to wander around late at night. Fortunately, with the help of the hand chain Azriel gave me, I could effortlessly teleport myself to Evrart's room.

But to my dismay, I found him lying on the floor, accompanied by a broken glass of wine.

"Evrart!" I called out, but there was no response from him.