Her lover carried her to the bathtub and helped her undress before diving into the warm water with her. They sat together as per usual and cuddled while he gently cleaned her whole body and paid special attention to her shoulders.
Blanche was quiet for a long time and thought about random bits of their conversation when she remembered something. “You said that the crown prince of Ocrea would come in a while, right? Did you choose a date?” The empress had mentioned something like that too, so it wouldn't be surprising.
Theodore gave her a soft smile. “Yes. He'll visit us in two months. I plan on giving him a warm welcome after his arrival, just to prove that I'm glad that he decided to come. But no big party since he dislikes luxury. Anyway. Apparently, his father was against him coming here since he still doesn't fully trust us, but this is an important step toward us becoming allies.”
“Congratulations on your successful negotiations. You must have been so convincing that the crown prince knew that he could trust you.”
The emperor chuckled. “It's more like I used an unfair advantage to know what kind of words he wanted to hear. I'm not sorry for that though. It's for the best for both of our nations. If everything goes right, I'll have a personal benefit too. I just have to make sure that no one interferes.” It sounded like he had someone specific in mind.
Blanche turned her head to be able to see his expression better. “Do you think that someone might try to trouble you during that time? Even if it may risk causing a war?” It wouldn't be clever to cause issues when a member of the royal family of another nation was present for peaceful negotiations. That would simply risk the guest being offended and thus worsening the relationship between the two countries. This shouldn't be the wish of people that wanted the second prince to rule. What use would it be to gain power when Artias could suffer greatly due to a war?
Still, Theodore's expression revealed that he didn't have the slightest bit of doubt as he replied. “Absolutely. No one in their right mind will attempt to harm the crown prince, but there will be people trying to do that, and we need to find out who it is. It's definitely not the dowager empress or Cedar. Even those two don't want a military conflict. They are vile and power-hungry but not stupid. They know that the nation would lose more than it would gain because of two consecutive wars. So, they will only cause misunderstandings to make me seem like an incompetent ruler. They will also try to curry favor with the prince, but I already warned him. Since he has a sister that strives for the throne too, he should be prepared for the worst.”
Everything he said made sense, but one thing confused Blanche. “Two wars? What do you mean?”
Theodore froze at that. For a moment, he was silent and seemed to avoid her gaze before slowly beginning to explain. “I might have phrased that badly. There is no guarantee that two wars would happen. But there is a...a specific war theory that makes it seem like that would be a possibility. After the end of the first battle, the winner takes territories and power from the other party. Obviously, the loser will be in a bad position then. They'll be accused of starting the war and forced to pay for the damages. In short, they will be ruined. But that means that they have nothing to lose and that the citizens are fueled by revenge. So, they might use their last resources to begin a second war. I feared that Ocrea would have tried something like this if they had lost a war. They might even appoint a general that is way more bloodthirsty than their predecessor.”
The concubine had never heard about something like this, but that wasn't a surprise. She didn't deal with politics much, and the few lessons she occasionally had gone through with Leon didn't make up for that. Naturally, she wouldn't dive too deeply into such a matter, so it was interesting to hear about this. “Then it's even better that we avoided a war, isn't it?”
Theodore nodded at her and showed her a bright smile. “I still can't believe it. We didn't solve the issue about who bribed the messenger to manipulate the letters, but for now, we secured a neutral relationship with Northern Ocrea, and it can only get better. Since we've been close to the southern part for a long time, those two might get over their cold war too. If the three of us worked together, we could significantly limit Travuan's and Clatos' efforts to gain more territory. We could balance the power within the continent better. So, I'm very content with this.”
Blanche turned around and pressed a small kiss onto her lover's nose. “You did well. I'm proud of you. It's no wonder that everyone in this nation adores their emperor.”
Her lover laughed and pulled her closer to him. “That is not true. Many people despise me, starting with my biological mother and brother. I don't care about them, but many others secretively hate me too. Among the commoners, a lot of people blame me for their poverty. That is precisely why I have to work harder to improve their living conditions as well.”
“See? That kind of thinking is exactly what makes you a good ruler. You always give your best so that everyone will have a great chance in life. It's only natural your birthday will be celebrated by every important noble in the nation.” Blanche couldn't help but beam at him. The thought of him being admired by everyone for a whole day made her happy, even though she didn't have much to do with it. The fact that the people would appreciate all of his efforts on that day was enough to fill her with euphoria.
Theodore returned the grin as he lifted his hand to her face to caress her cheek. “Maybe. But do you know what I look forward to most? You giving me your presents and me giving you yours. The thought of that already makes me excited. I can barely wait to hand over your gift, but I won't ruin the perfect surprise.”
That put some pressure on her. Blanche didn't want him to have chosen the best present imaginable for her when it was supposed to be his birthday. Of course, she knew that he would manage to find something that would make her heart skip a beat and cause her to forget breathing. But now he made it seem like it would be even better. In return, she would only offer him a ring, a cake and a self-made pouch. Wasn't that a bad gift in comparison to whatever he was planning?
“Theo, you know that it's your birthday, right? If you give me something too good, I won't feel happy about my choice for you anymore.”
Her lover continued to beam at her without letting his smile falter. “I already said that you were part of the present. You could give me nothing, and I would be content. The fact that you are trying so hard to find something that makes me happy already fills me with joy. Besides, I cheated a bit with your gift. It's not only for you but also for me.”
That only made Blanche even more curious. She could already feel her stomach bubbling in anticipation. It would be a lie to say that she didn't look forward to receiving her gift. “Then I expect you to surprise me with something. I won't even try to guess this time. Last year, I miserably failed.”
Theodore chuckled. “You did ask whether it was an accessory, so you weren't wrong. I might get you something that matches that ornament.”
“That would be wonderful.” She connected so many emotions with that butterfly clasp, and she was sure that whatever he chose now would be as wonderful as the last gift.
Her lover leaned back against the edge of the bathtub and pulled her on top of him. “Everything will be wonderful. I am doing my best to make everything perfect. The preparations for the celebration are already in full swing. The guest rooms will be used for once, so they have to be cleaned more often. The banquet will leave leftovers for weeks, so I need to make sure that the staff members are taking everything for themselves and their families to eat. I don't want to throw things away. Obviously, everything has to be decorated too. The ballroom and the terrace will need to look beautiful for the ball and the tea party the next day. There is way too much to think about. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bother.”
Blanche puffed her cheeks and poked his forehead. “It's your birthday! The most important person in the nation was born on this day, so of course, it had to be celebrated properly.”
Theodore leaned forward to kiss her until she stopped frowning at him. “I never cared much for my birthday, but since we met on that day, it has become my favorite quickly. Even though every day with you is perfect, that one is special. I don't need a whole celebration to clap for my birth. I could go without that. The only reason I want this to be wonderful is that I see it as a party for our anniversary.” It was extremely unlikely that the aristocrats would like to hear that they celebrated the union between the most powerful man in the nation and a commoner.
But still, Blanche felt her heart skip a beat at that. “You really know what to say to make my heart flutter. Are you doing this on purpose?”
Theodore lifted some water in his hand and let it drop onto his lover's back. “Maybe.” He gave her a playful smirk before putting his nose against hers. “Maybe you are just easy to sway too. But I won't complain. My heart also doesn't work normally when you are here.”
“You're way too romantic.” She couldn't stop smiling at the thought of how annoyed other people would be if they were forced to hear them talk. But right now, she wasn't thinking about what others' opinions about them were. No, she only wanted to dwell on the conviction of how wonderful Theodore's birthday would be. Hopefully, she would make him happy with her gifts.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
Blanche looked forward to that most, aside from the prospect of getting to spend most of the day with him. Theodore would have to leave her side during the ball to greet the other nobles and receive his presents while sitting on the throne, but he promised to be with her the whole time, so he would join her again after that.
These thoughts caused the next weeks to pass so slowly that it felt like time stood still.
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Blanche worked hard to sew the pouch and managed to correct some mistakes just a day before the main event. She had to force her lover to leave for a while to bake her chocolate cake, but in the end, everything was worth it.
When she stood there and inspected her three gifts, a content smile appeared on her face. She would give her best to make this day unforgettable for Theodore even when he probably intended to do the same for her.
She was much too excited.
To be completely fair, Blanche had been patient enough to wait the whole week, so she wouldn't force herself to wait the whole night too. She insisted on staying awake with her lover until the clock revealed that it was a minute before midnight.
The concubine hugged him and stared at the hands of the clock that were slowly moving forward to signal the beginning of the day she had been so eager to experience. Only a few more seconds, and it would finally be his birthday.
Theodore watched her with a smirk and pressed a kiss onto her forehead. “It seems like you are more excited about this than I am.”
She quickly gave him a short kiss too before staring at the clock again. She couldn't miss the moment. “Of course. You should be more excited too. After all, you'll celebrate your birthday in half a minute.”
“Oh, yes. I'm finally twenty-seven. How I longed for that.”
Blanche ignored his comment and silenced him by holding her index finger to his lips. “It's time. Just a bit more.” She almost yelped when her lover began nibbling at her finger and pulled her hand back with a jolt. “Don't distract me!” She whipped her head around to the clock again and counted the last remaining seconds in her mind. The hand finally arrived at the twelve and allowed her to say the words that she had prepared to yell for the last days. “Happy birthd-” She didn't manage to finish.
Theodore was on top of her and had her pressed to the bed within a second.
She could only blink at him, but his lips crashed onto hers before she could comprehend what was happening. She took a few moments before realizing what was going on and mirrored his passionate kiss. This gave her a rather obvious image of what he intended to do, but she wouldn't complain. Blanche tangled her fingers in his hair as she pulled him even closer to him and allowed herself to show him all of her love through the kiss.
When he moved away to let her breathe, he was smirking down at her.
Despite having trouble getting air into her lungs, Blanche put on a wide smile. “Happy birthday, Theo!” She stretched out her arms to him, and he immediately dove back into her embrace.
Theodore pressed his lips onto her neck and began nibbling at that spot until she couldn't hold back the small noises escaping her throat anymore. This would definitely leave a love mark, but neither of them had something against that. When he was content with what he had created, he raised his head just enough to meet her gaze with a playful glint in his eyes. “Then I can have my birthday gift now, right? You'll be all mine for today. Happy anniversary.”
Blanche accepted his kiss on her forehead and returned his beam. “Not just today. Always. I'm yours for eternity. Happy anniversary, my beloved. Will you claim your first present for the day? You don't have to be patient when I'm right here.”
Her lover's grin widened. “Then I won't hold back.” With that, he leaned down to her again and captured her lips in a kiss. In the end, they might have slept little that night, but they didn't mind that much when all they could think about was each other.
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The next morning was like it had come right out of a dream.
Blanche woke up and opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was Theodore's angelic sleeping face. He looked so peaceful that she could just lay there for hours and admire him. But of course, that wouldn't do. After all, he would wake up soon, and until then, his gifts had to be ready.
So, the concubine pulled back the covers and put her naked feet onto the floor as slowly as she could. She couldn't make a single noise, or she would disturb her lover's sleep when he could still have a few minutes. She carefully climbed off the bed and took one step at a time while avoiding walking too close to any furniture with decorations and vases that could fall off. Then she sneaked to the dressing room, in which some of her clothes were stored, and bowed down to pull out the presents that she had hidden here in the bottom drawer between her scarves.
The cake would arrive later along with breakfast, but Blanche could give the rest to Theodore already. The thought of that made her giggly even though she had to be silent under any circumstances. She straightened her posture again and carefully balanced the gifts in her arms to avoid dropping or making them clatter. She closed the drawer with as much care as possible and gave her best to refrain from stepping onto the floorboards that were creaking on the way back.
Her efforts granted her mediocre success. She didn't make too much noise, but she still cringed at every slight squeak and glanced at the bed.
Theodore hadn't moved at all and also didn't make any attempt to open his eyes while she climbed back onto the mattress.
Blanche grinned at him and resisted the urge to pat his head to take care of the presents. She had prepared a basket with some bows and small ribbons of cloth with fancy patterns, which she had created while trying to sew the pouch, and put that onto the bed. She rearranged some decorations and placed the gifts inside in a manner that looked as aesthetically pleasing as possible. At least she tried that, but her mind came up with new ideas every few seconds.
It took a long time before she was actually finished. She observed her hard work with a content grin and was about to turn around to carefully wake her lover. But before she could do that, she felt a kiss on her shoulder and jolted at the sudden contact. She whipped her head around and was face to face with Theodore, who showed her the most wonderful smile that she could ask for.
“Good morning. Someone seems to be very busy this early.”
Blanche attempted to look annoyed for a moment, but she quickly gave up when she realized that she couldn't be upset with her lover, especially not on his birthday. So, she gave him a bright grin instead. “I needed to get something ready. Everything has to be perfect after all. Here. This is for you.” She gestured to the basket while keeping her eyes on her lover to scan his reaction.
Theodore didn't lose any time to move next to her and pull her against his side. He kissed her forehead and continued to smirk while he spoke. “I saw how quiet you tried to be. It was adorable.”
The concubine froze at that. “You saw me? So, you were awake?”
“Of course. I always wake up before you.”
Blanche pouted at him. “That's not true. Shouldn't you be more exhausted than I am? But that doesn't matter now. What matters is that you already spoiled the surprise. You meanie. Well, now you have to be extra happy to make it up to me.” She grabbed the basket and moved it closer to her lover. “Go on. Open the gifts.”
The emperor listened to her request without her needing to invite him a second time. He grabbed the small box with the ring and put it onto his palm before opening it.
Blanche kept her eyes on him to catch his first reaction. She wasn't disappointed. The way his eyes widened before a radiant beam spread across his face made her stomach churn, and she couldn't help but press a kiss onto his cheek.
“Thank you. This is wonderful.” Theodore took the ring out of the box and lifted it to his face to inspect it from up close. He examined the item for a moment before speaking up. “You have a good eye for jewelry that I like. It's elegant but beautiful at the same time. And if I see it correctly, it might be practical too. Is that a stamp?”
The concubine nodded and mirrored his content expression. “Yes. You often need to put the royal seal below documents, and for some reason, you only own one of the stamps. Since you always have to move that one from one room to the other, I thought that it might be better for you to have two. Like this, you could take care of your work both in the office and here without needing to send someone to grab the necessary objects first. Does the ring fit you? Leon gave the jeweler your measurements, but I want to make sure that they are correct.”
Theodore chuckled to himself. “It's ironic, you know? But well... If you want me to wear it, you have to put it on for me.”
Blanche complied with a wide grin. She carefully took the ring from him and moved her hand below his. She lifted his hand to her face and pressed a kiss onto his skin before slowly slipping the ring on his finger.
It fit perfectly.
She inwardly raised a fist in victory and congratulated herself for getting Leon's help. The jeweler had done a perfect job so that the accessory looked like it had been made for the emperor, which was true in some way. She had ordered it with her lover in mind, but she hadn't expected that it would be this ideal for him. Not only did the measurements fit perfectly but also the style. Theodore often wore elegant things with few accessories, and when he put some on, they were simple. Surely, this ring would go well with each of his uniforms. Even now while they were lying in bed naked, the emperor looked wonderful, and the ring only supported that.
The concubine intertwined his fingers with hers and beamed up at him. “It's good, isn't it? It's not too tight or loose, right?”
Her lover happily pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. “It's perfect. You know me too well. And you were so considerate again. You chose something that I could use for my work even when I didn't complain to you about that issue in the last weeks. You always think about how to make me happy, don't you? And this will certainly be of great use. I will only get even more efficient with this. Every second I work less is a second more with you, so I can surely say that this is a wonderful gift. Thank you.” He kissed her a few more times before she began giggling.
Blanche's stomach tingled and made her feel lightheaded. She could only think about how glad she was that her lover liked her gift. But that also made her more excited about the next present, the one that she had made herself. “Theo, here. The third will arrive later, but you can already take the second one.” Blanche was so energetic that had to hold herself back from bouncing up and down as she pointed at the basket.
Luckily, Theodore didn't make her wait but listened to her immediately. He lifted the second, slightly bigger box and opened it before pulling out the pouch.
The concubine had tried to make a simpler version of the patterns on his handkerchief and sewed the royal crest onto the bottom of the little bag. Naturally, she had stuck to gold and navy, with the background being blue and the decorations in gold. In addition, there was a golden cord that allowed one to close the pouch and bind it to any part of a uniform. She had put so much effort into this and worked hard despite her shaking hands so that even Stella was impressed by the result.
The bag looked good. It might not seem like a professional had made it, but Blanche could proudly hand it over without feeling ashamed. Her lover had already adored the handkerchief, and this was much better, so he had to praise her again, right? Hopefully, he would like it.
She could barely wait for the emperor to react to her gift and scanned his face carefully while he inspected the item.