“I'm pleased to see you too, Lady Blanche. It seems that you missed me as much as I missed you. Are you feeling well on this wonderful day?” Of course, Cedar had managed to provoke his opponent as soon as she even tried to anger him.
Blanche just lifted her chin and crossed her arms to glare at him. “Are you going to ignore my question? I asked what you were doing here. As an inhabitant of the palace, it is my right to inquire whether you have a reason to be here or not. I will have to ask for the royal guards to remove you if you continue to disregard my words. Naturally, none of us wish for that. So, speak up.”
Cedar let his smile fade a bit and showed her a sad version, which looked real but was as fake as the rest of his personality. “I apologize if my appearance here surprised you. It's good that you feel responsible for matters like this, but this is my brother's task. You don't need to act so serious when he is not here. Remember what I told you?” She refused to answer that question and remained unmoving. That only seemed to encourage the prince to continue his act though. “Are you not going to greet me at all? That's disappointing. It's been such a long time since we saw each other.”
Blanche had to refrain from snapping at him and pinched her own arm to keep herself from throwing him out immediately. “We met a little over two weeks ago at the tea party.” That had been too frustrating for her already, so she was relieved that she hadn't seen him more often. Interacting with him wasn't good for her anger management
Cedar shook his head and put on a serious look for a moment. “That wasn't what I was referring to. I meant a real meeting. Just the two of us.”
The concubine was seconds away from asking Harris to get boiling tea just so that she could show the prince what she thought about that idea. Today, he seemed to be eager to get on her nerves in a manner that was even more frustrating than normal. Was he upset and wanted to vent his anger now? “We never met in private. Theo was always there, and the last time you chimed in without informing anyone, Owen and Stella joined me. There is a person, and mostly there are two people, constantly with me at all times. So, you can save your breath instead of spouting baseless lies. You still didn't answer my question. Does Theodore know that you are here? If he doesn't, I will have to ask you to leave.”
Cedar's smile returned. It was less bright than before but not any less infuriating. It was disturbing how well he controlled his facial expressions, but his words were much more upsetting. “I was looking forward to meeting you so much, and all you do is talk about my brother. Instead of just talking about him, we could go meet him and talk together. Or would you favor being alone with me?”
By now, Blanche was pretty convinced that he was just doing this to push her to her breaking point. Maybe she might truly end up slapping him at some point. But since she wasn't allowed to do that, she might need to resort to other methods in an attempt to wipe that smile off his face. “I won't greet you unless you answer my question, Your Royal Highness.”
Cedar's grin widened a little. It seemed like he had a new topic that he could use to taunt her. “Are you still not calling me by name? I think I offered it multiple times now. How often do I have to repeat it?” Was he doing this to provoke her, or was he distracting since she had interrupted something important? Neither would be surprising.
Blanche had the suspicion that all of this was only fun for him because he knew that it upset her. But the more she tried to calm herself, the more annoyed she got. This time, she was way more disrespectful than normal already, and her mind told her to cross even more borders. But that certainly wouldn't end well for her.
Hopefully, Stella would manage to find Theodore quickly.
The concubine took a deep breath and refrained from yelling at the man in front of her. Instead, she chose to be as composed as possible. Still, she couldn't keep herself from speaking with a sharp edge in her voice. “You can rest assured that I will refuse that offer each time. How could I dare to call the second prince of Artias by his name when we aren't close at all?”
Cedar put his hand on his chest, but his smile didn't weaken. “How harsh. I'm pretty sure that we're family since you're my brother's dearest. But even if that wasn't the case, don't you think that we get along too well to insist on such formalities? I want to hear you saying my name. Can't you do me that favor?”
This time, Blanche couldn't restrain herself. “Ask your mother. She will gladly do you a favor. Look. It may seem like I don't have much to do, but my time is valuable as well. I did not intend on having a conversation that leads in circles. If Theodore doesn't-”
The prince cut her off there. “Then let's have a real conversation. There was something I needed to discuss with you anyway.”
The concubine was reluctant to agree. She was well aware that leaving would be better for her sanity, but at the same time, it felt like she would be running away. She couldn't leave this person here alone without knowing what he might do. Blanche didn't dare to let him roam around in the palace freely. So, she would have to deal with him for a few minutes until Theodore arrived. The memory of their last conversation still made her angry, but she didn't have much of a choice here. It certainly had nothing to do with her strange dreams about Cedar. “Since I will not leave without receiving a response about whether you are allowed to be here, I do not have a chance to avoid it anyway. However, I won't stand for you insulting Theo at any moment.”
Cedar pretended to be shocked at that. “What are you saying? I could never wish to offend my beloved brother. We grew up together. Why would I ever intend to say something bad about him when he is the esteemed emperor of Artias? You can rest assured that I will not upset you with such thoughtless words.” It only took a second before the grin lit up his face again. “I will make sure to enjoy this conversation to the fullest, so you should do it too. It's a shame that we barely have any time to interact. So, it seems like we will have to make up for that lost time. It would be nice to do that without prying eyes though.” He turned to Harris. “Leave us alone.”
He gave orders in a similar way to Theodore, but his tone was more mocking in this case. It was nice to have a little differentiation between them. Though, Cedar's whole provoking act did get a bit frustrating.
Blanche originally hadn't liked Harris, but the way that Cedar treated him annoyed her. So, she addressed the man herself. “Harris, you may leave. Would you be so kind and approach Theo on your way back? He needs to greet our guest after all.”
Harris nodded and hurried to leave the pavilion. His fists were balled, and his expression betrayed that he wasn't in a good mood, much like his lacking greeting had.
But Cedar couldn't care less. He stopped the other man once more. “But don't forget the tea. I would like some biscuits too if it isn't too much trouble.”
The concubine might have been a bit petty, but she couldn't help herself. “That won't be necessary. I live in the palace, so my orders have a higher priority than the ones of Your Royal Highness. And after Theodore arrives, I doubt that you will be able to stay much longer.”
The prince just smiled at that while Harris rushed out. This left the group in silence, which was way better than Cedar's infuriating provocations. But of course, he didn't keep quiet for long. “That's much more pleasant, isn't it? But we're still not alone.” He glanced at Owen, which made Blanche's heart skip a beat. “Could I perhaps ask your guard here to give us some privacy as well?”
Both the concubine and the knight replied simultaneously. “No.”
Cedar gazed at them with obvious amusement in his eyes. “That's a shame. May I inquire about the reason for such cold treatment? That a royal guard refuses to listen to the prince's order is a bit unsatisfying.”
Owen's expression seemed to be colder than normal when he replied. “With all due respect, Your Royal Highness. The royal guards serve the emperor of Artias, which is His Majesty. His orders are more important than anything else. Since he requested me to protect Lady Blanche, I am unable to leave her side for even a single second. After the incident during your last visit, it should be clear that I am serious about this matter.” How could anyone have forgotten how he had threatened the prince with cutting his hand off?
Apparently, Cedar didn't care much about that though. He laughed and gazed at the concubine. “You're lucky to have so many loyal people around you. But I admit that this will make the conversation a bit more difficult. There are some things we do not want others to hear.”
Blanche impatiently tapped her fingers on her upper arm. “I don't have anything to discuss that needs to be secret. Open your mouth or let it be.”
The prince chuckled again. “Oh, my. Not just the servants. The masters seem to have a bad day too. But it can not be helped. Everyone has a stressful time at some point. At that moment, a nice conversation will be better than anything else. I'll do my best to distract you, so you can relax. I have to ask you a question and would like you to respond truthfully.”
“I can't promise that without knowing what it's about.” As far as Blanche was concerned, all of his words were weapons that were supposed to lower her guard. She wouldn't be surprised if he tried to coax her into giving him confidential information. Obviously, she wouldn't reply to such a question.
Cedar grinned at her and patted the bench next to him. “It isn't anything bad, believe me. Come on, sit down. It will be less tense if you sit instead of standing in front of me like that.”
The thought of being that close to him almost made Blanche grimace, so she didn't ponder about that offer for even a moment. “I'd rather not. What do you want?”
Cedar barely reacted and continued to beam at her the whole time. “That is fine too. Then allow me to inquire about something. I wanted to know one little thing about what happened during the past years. I haven't seen my brother in a long time, so it's obvious that some things would change. The weight of governing the nation rested on his shoulders for six years in which he didn't have anyone to rely on.” He talked as if he and his mother weren't at fault when it came to that. “Thus, I'm glad that you appeared at his side. But there is something that worries me. I'll be direct. I want to know what you did to my brother.”
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Blanche's face scrunched up before she could prevent it. “What do you mean?” She was pretty sure that she hadn't ever done something that might remotely seem like she had done anything special to her lover. The only thing that came to her mind were some baseless rumors. “If you are referring to the gossip about me manipulating him, don't bother. I didn't do anything that would influence his feelings. I just stayed by his side and showed him my affection.”
Cedar tilted his head sideways and scanned her expression with an amused smirk. “That is not what I was referring to. I heard about that, but other things worry me much more. I would like to know what you did that made him change into a completely different person. Like I said, Theodore and I grew up together. Until I was fifteen, we both lived in the palace and saw each other once every few days. If someone can tell whether he changed, it's me. He never used to be like this. So cold and indifferent to others' emotions. I'm pretty sure that he doesn't even regret what happened in the trial back then anymore even when he used to be so upset about it. We were falsely accused of treason because of him and spent six years in confinement.”
The more he talked, the more Blanche had to hold back from interrupting him. How could he dare to say such things when he and the dowager empress had tried to kill Theodore to gain more power? They were the cold-hearted and disgusting party here. She balled her fists to keep herself from snapping at him and forced herself to stay silent until he finished.
“Yet, he didn't apologize even once. In fact, he is doing the opposite. He keeps Mother and me in a rundown mansion at the other end of the royal estate. He never visits us, and when I come here, I get chased away. We barely have chances to speak to each other anymore except for when we interact at public events. And even then, he seems like he doesn't want to be near us. It would be understandable for us to be upset because we were innocent and got punished anyway, but why is he mad? That unsettles me a bit. Maybe he had issues and needs help, but because he doesn't allow us to get close, we cannot help him. Do you perhaps know why he keeps us away?”
Now Blanche was finally allowed to speak and could vent some of her frustration. She put on the sweetest grin she could muster through her anger and replied. “To think that you would not know that, Your Royal Highness. Please forgive my insolence, but are you possibly senile? If you cared to remember what happened back then, you would realize that Theodore is the one that deserves to be angry. If you were almost killed by your so-called family and your real mother was murdered in front of you in the process, would you not be upset? Would be able to forgive those people? I doubt it.”
Cedar's smile widened as he lowered his gaze. “I see. He is still convinced that we targeted him, isn't he? How upsetting. That my own brother thinks so lowly of me and our mother is disturbing. But I'm surprised he told you about Althea. He usually seemed like he would like to keep the past in the past.” He slowly lifted his head and beamed at the concubine. “But he really told you everything, didn't he? He must trust you a lot. Is there something you don't know?”
Blanche wasn't sure. She only knew that Theodore would definitely inform her about everything important. “I am aware of everything that I need to know. For example, I learned that someone's gift for Theo's birthday was based on a fond childhood memory. Maybe you know what I'm talking about.”
She could swear that Cedar was stifling a laugh at that. “So, he told you that that was a sword our father used to have in his office? We sneaked in to look at it countless times. Whenever we did that, we almost got caught. But in the end, it was worth it because we managed to catch a glimpse of that magnificent sword. I'm glad that he remembers it as well as I do. But we are digressing. I wanted to speak about something else.” Cedar paused for a moment to make sure that she was listening before continuing to talk. “What I truly wanted to inquire was whether you knew why Theodore suddenly became so merciless. If you know everything he is doing, you should be aware that he is giving us a hard time right now. Yes? He uses some...interesting schemes and always manages to have the upper hand. It's odd.”
Blanche actually wasn't fully sure. She knew the basic idea, but she hadn't gotten involved directly. She regretted that a bit. Maybe she should help Theodore more in the future. For now, she would do that by gathering information.
Cedar looked to the side while blabbering on. “No matter what I do, he seems to be aware of it. Since when is he so good at reading people? And doesn't that scare you? I'm pretty certain that he could easily manipulate you into doing everything he wants. He just needs to look into your eyes and ask you to help him, and you would do it, right? Isn't that terrifying? He not only has your love, but he also makes sure that you monopolize him. He is the person that your life revolves around. You live in his home, wear the clothes he gives you, eat what his servants prepare. Without him, you wouldn't know what to do at all. That is a bit unsettling even for me. To know that a person has so much control over your life must be upsetting. You could never even leave him without fearing that you will become homeless or end up in prison because of it.”
And again, someone used those exact words in an attempt to make Theodore uncertain. Though, this wouldn't work, especially not when it wasn't the empress saying this.
Blanche pressed her lips into a thin line to hold back an insult. What did Cedar know about her relationship? The person she faced now couldn't have any idea about any of her previous worries and fears. “You should hold back with thoughtless comments about things you have no clue about. Theo and I are very happy together, and neither of us is interested in ending our relationship. We will be together until the very end, and no matter how many liars come between us, we won't give in. About him being merciless, there is only one thing that I can say. He treats people that deserve it like this and no one else. So, if you are complaining, you must have realized that he won't let you play your games without intervening.”
Cedar just grinned at her. “I don't know if I would call it complaining. I'm just worried about you. Your position is not a very stable one, and I fear that the power difference between you two may influence your judgment. His presence itself must be oppressing. Doesn't the fact that you aren't on equal standing with him bother you? And still, you stay at his side. You really are loyal without a fault. There is something else I want to say about that, but that is only destined for your ears. So, if your guard can't leave, would you step a bit closer?”
Every fiber in Blanche's being seemed to tingle at that. She didn't want to get closer, especially since she knew that Cedar would only begin talking about everything he deemed to be her weak spot once he got the chance. She'd rather not show him her biggest fears. He would use them against her otherwise. “Say it out loud. It should be fine if you don't have anything to hide.”
“I don't have anything to hide. But I still don't need everyone to know about my private issues. I guess that we have to do it a bit differently. If you wanted me to move, you should have just said so.” He stood up and took a step toward her. There still was some distance between them, more than enough so that they wouldn't touch no matter what, and he hadn't done anything special. Cedar was still as composed and relaxed as before.
Still, the concubine's instinct told her to back away. She would have liked to move back as far as possible, but then she would admit that she was scared of the prince. Even if he couldn't do anything to her with Owen here, she felt like he would attack her any second. He wasn't much taller than her, but it still felt like he was looking down at her from a mountain. She felt much smaller under his gaze than she actually was. Theodore was way taller, and still, she didn't feel like that when he was present.
Though, Cedar's eyes had to be worse. Their brown color wasn't anything like the blue of Theodore's eyes. Though, their eyes gave off a similar calming feeling. When looking into Cedar's eyes, Blanche doubted that anyone would distrust him. Merely his constant fake smile ruined the impression of a calm and polite young man that would listen to all of her worries while offering her comfort. She hated the fact that his eyes gave off that feeling though. She didn't even want to look at him.
It was because she hated him. This was what she should feel and what would make it easy to fight back since Cedar clearly deemed her an enemy. He couldn't know how unwell his presence made her.
Blanche repeatedly told herself that in hope of defeating her own uncertainty and stood at the same spot. She wouldn't give in and show her unease this time. “What do you wish to tell me?”
Cedar met her gaze with the same irritating smile, but his eyes seemed to reveal a bit more amusement than before. He spoke up in a whisper. “I will be frank with you. I already mentioned that I believe that someone's efforts should be rewarded appropriately. But you aren't receiving as much as you give my brother. You are devoting your life to him, and what does he do? He visits you when he is bored. That's unfair. You should have noticed that by now. No matter how often you use your love as an excuse, that doesn't justify him keeping your rank this low. Theodore will never marry you even if you deserved to be empress since you are the one supporting him the whole time. He didn't even increase your status otherwise. He could have granted you some position with more influence, but he only made you a baroness. That is the lowest rank of nobility. It was obvious that you being next to the emperor like this will cause problems. Why do you still stay loyal when others would give you much more?”
Blanche narrowed her eyes and fought against the anger burning in her veins. All of his words made her blood boil.
Until he mentioned marriage.
In an instant, Blanche needed to focus on hiding a wide smirk. How shocked would Cedar be if she told him that Theodore and she were engaged? That would probably wipe the smile off his face for good. She wanted to reveal that so badly, but she couldn't. If the prince knew, the rest of the nobles would be informed by tomorrow. Some people would use this against her lover, so she would keep quiet no matter what. Even when a grin was tugging on her lips. “You still don't understand, do you? I will summarize it for you in one word. Love. There is nothing more powerful than that emotion. So, we won't ever change our minds.”
Cedar gave her a wide smirk as he leaned forward slightly. “Would your decision still stay the same if I told you that I could make you empress?”
That sentence was enough to make her satisfaction fade again. There were too many things that made her angry about this. She didn't even know where to start. Apart from the fact that this was impossible since Seraphina held this position and since a commoner could never rule over the society of nobles, Cedar was also doubting her sincerity again. He promised things that could never be obtained while ignoring her feelings and trying to manipulate her. He was truly despicable. Maybe he knew that. Maybe he just wanted to see her reaction and compare it to the stories of her trying to claim the empress' seat and status. Unfortunately, it was hard not to show him rage in response.
“My answer would never change. You could offer me the world, and I would trample on your words.” She spat those words out with as much hatred as possible.
Her annoyance made her consider things that she shouldn't say. For example, she would like to remind him of the fact that he would never defeat Theodore and that he had never experienced real love if he thought this lowly about trust. But she bit her tongue and kept quiet. Her lover had told her to avoid the topic of love around his brother and to refrain from provoking the prince. So, she wouldn't do what he warned her about.
Cedar straightened his posture again and laughed at her, but his eyes still seemed to be trained onto her, which was a tell-tale sign that whatever he said was just supposed to get a reaction out of her. “Oh, I got rejected so easily. It's almost pitiful. You didn't even think about it for a second. Do you dislike me that much?”
Only now, Blanche understood that he hadn't referred to her being Theodore's empress. That just served to let her mood deteriorate. “Quit making fun of me when we both know what you are doing. Saying things like that is more of a death sentence. You know that your mother would slaughter anyone that even tried to get engaged to you.” Somehow, she was convinced of that. There was a reason Cedar had never gotten engaged despite obviously needing the political support of some influential houses.
Cedar, who should know his mother best, didn't even deny it. Instead, he laughed again. “That is true. It seems like you aren't as clueless as you pretend to be. Mother already hates you enough for the fact that Theodore loves you, so it would be best for you not to get involved in any jokes that might make her despise you even more.” How could he say that so carelessly? Had he just made that joke despite being aware that it might risk the concubine's life if anyone from his faction heard?
Blanche narrowed her eyes at him. “I don't know what's worse. That you know how sick your mother is and still support her or that you make jokes about this. Don't waste my time. Do you actually think that I'd consider looking at you for longer than I have to? You have nerves. To keep saying things like that when-” She cut herself off here. There was so much she could list here to remind Cedar that he was making a foolish joke despite knowing what response that might trigger from his mother. But it wasn't helpful to point out that he had hinted that he wanted to take over his brother's position. If she said this, he would just deny it again. So, she could spare her breath and spend the time with something else. Maybe she should leave. That sounded like a good idea.
But before she could propose this, Cedar spoke up. “So, you two truly share unconditional love. You and Theodore. Of course, you do. At least you claim to. That would mean that you trust him no matter what, right?” His eyes seemed to be piercing her soul and keeping her in place. It felt like he was laying out even more traps while she had no way to avoid them.
Blanche balled her fists and forced herself to stay calm. She would simply need to deal with this for a moment, and then she could leave. “Of course. I know that Theodore wouldn't do anything without a reason.”
Cedar's grin widened. “Really? Then let me ask something.” It felt like a noose was tightening around her neck while he spoke. “You think that he is always so righteous and kind while we are the bad ones, right? And that he tells you everything? There is a short story that I can tell you that might change your view. It's not even a real story though. It's just a sentence. Did you hear about the rumors about him being a tyrant emperor? That those rumors surfaced because he killed our father?”
He said that with confidence. Too much confidence, even for Cedar.
Blanche didn't want to respond. She had a bad feeling about this, but she opened her mouth anyway. “Yes.”
Cedar took a step forward. “How would you feel if you knew that those rumors weren't baseless?” He moved forward another step. “If I told you that no one came up with mere lies to damage his reputation?” He stopped right in front of her and brought his face closer to hers while lowering his voice. “What will you say if I tell you the following? Theodore murdered our father. That wasn't a lie.”
Somehow, this didn't feel like it was a lie either.