The next morning was pretty relaxing, but it was exactly what they needed before the rest of the day would be even more stressful than the last one. The couple had made the mistake of going to bed way too late, so they only stood up in the noon after cuddling for a long time. By the time they left their room, Blanche was already panicking about them accidentally making Linden wait for lunch.

The crown prince wasn't bothered by that though. When the couple arrived, Linden was already sitting at the table with Seraphina, and they happily chatted about something. Their conversation died down as soon as the other couple came in, which almost made the concubine want to offer that they could leave. But thankfully, the empress and their guest quickly began talking again. Linden seemed to be extremely interested in the daily life in the palace and the duties of the royal family, and Seraphina answered his questions like yesterday.

Blanche felt a bit out of place, especially when Theodore began feeding her like he would do when they were alone. He insisted on sharing plates and drinks with her while she hoped that no one would notice. Surely, she enjoyed being close to her lover but not when his wife was there with another important political figure. Her prayers to the gods were ignored as the occasional annoyed glances of the empress proved, so she had to deal with it despite her worry. At least she had her cake for dessert and could focus on that. It wasn't that bad as long as they didn't interrupt the other's conversation. She took one bite of the delicious fluffy dough before giving her lover a portion too.

In the meantime, Seraphina was in the middle of explaining what the empress' job was. “In summary, this position is less political than the one of the queen in Northern Ocrea is. It is more of a representative figure that should support the emperor.”

Linden finished his tea before replying. “I see. But why is the power difference in this nation this great? Wouldn't a partner with the same rights be more helpful? Then the empress could make more decisions and unburden the emperor more.”

Seraphina drank some of her tea too before gracefully setting down the cup. “I fear that our system is a little different. The emperor is without a doubt the most powerful person here. He is in charge of everything, controls the law, and needs to govern the nation. He has a monopoly on both power and responsibility. Most people here would never question this system. It worked fine for the last centuries, and since the royal family has always had competent heirs, there never was an issue. It is not like the empress is unable to do anything either. I myself do quite a lot for the economy of our nation.” She paused and added something in a quieter voice. “As long as I'm given permission, of course.” She sounded bitter while saying this.

That was understandable since Theodore had used to offer her many more ways to influence the nation. Now there was barely anything Seraphina could do.

Blanche grabbed a croissant and bit into it to distract herself from the conversation. She still felt bad about all of this, even if she doubted that her lover hated the heroine for no reason. But she didn't have much time to think about it.

She certainly didn't want to think about it either.

Theodore leaned over to her and whispered into her ear. “Just because something has been like this for centuries, that doesn't mean that it can't be changed.”

The concubine raised an eyebrow at him. She was pretty sure that he hadn't meant what this sounded like, but she didn't speak up.

Linden furrowed his brows slightly while listening to the empress. When she finished, he replied in a serious tone. “Naturally, I do not wish to seem arrogant and criticize your system. I also don't want to ignore your accomplishments, but I am still confused. I do not see why exactly this distinction between the royal spouses needs to be made. Isn't this just made based on the genders? That doesn't make sense. In Northern Ocrea, the ruler can also be a woman. The queen can rule by herself, which is why my sister is such a threat. In my case, it's unfavorable, not because she is female but because she is far too ambitious for her own good. A ruler is only incompetent because of their personality and not because of their gender. That is why I wonder whether this system is helpful for your nation. After all, the royal family not only needs an heir, but it also needs a male one. Doesn't this pressure the empress on having a son too much?”

The emperor looked like he wanted to say something, but Seraphina hurried to speak first. “Theoretically, a female heir is fine, but she will be forced to marry some influential man who would then take over the royal family. The last name might even be changed, so most wish to avoid it. Having a son is the norm. There have never been many issues.”

Theodore inserted himself into the conversation here despite his wife's attempt at keeping him silent. “The issues have never surfaced because some of my ancestors just secretly brought in children of their close relatives and called them their own. This was only done when there was truly no way of the emperor having any descendants himself because of problems with his health or his early death. They mainly did it to prevent that someone from the empress' family is the only possible heir so that the royal bloodline won't be interrupted. Unfortunately, many also used this method to get their hands on a male heir, and the princesses never had a chance to ascend to the throne.” He paused while knowing that everyone else was patiently waiting before continuing. “I believe that there were only two cases in which a woman became ruling empress, and in both cases, it was because their parents had died soon after each other. Even then, they were only allowed to be crowned after marrying. Otherwise, an empress is only allowed to rule when she married the emperor and he died while his children are still young or heirs still have to be found somewhere. Then she would govern the nation until the children are adults and immediately lose her power on the heir's twentieth birthday. The fact that these stories exist proves that this law is way too old anyway. We'll change it.”

Linden was the only one that received those words with a straight face.

Seraphina and Blanche couldn't hide their shock though. The concubine just stared at her lover with wide eyes.

The empress spoke up with a slight frown. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, I need to voice some concerns. While I personally would be happy about such a change and most women would be too, it will be questionable whether this could work. In Artias, many people believe that only men should deal with politics. That is why the empress' decisions need to be approved by the emperor as well. And it is a fact that the most influential figures of the nation are older men with conservative stances. You being able to convince all of them to change the laws that have existed ever since the foundation of Artias is almost, no certainly, impossible. Especially since those laws decide who the person that rules our country will be.”

Theodore took his time to take a sip from his lover's cup before setting it down and replying. “And how does their opinion concern me? This decision is a matter of the royal family. Like every household, we have a person that is the head of this family. And how we inherit this title is mostly our choice. I can assure you that Cedar will care too little to deal with it and that the dowager empress would be happy about a chance to grasp more power. If the two of them are still here when I make that change, which I hope not to be the case, they will agree. The rest has to be written down in the constitution. I literally just need to add the words ‘or daughter’ and ‘or empress’ a few times, and everything will be fine. I am the one with the final decision for now, and Blanche and I surely won't raise a child that would dream about undoing this change.”

Seraphina was speechless now. She didn't look displeased, but she didn't know what to say about this.

Blanche could understand that. Naturally, it made sense for Theodore to be able to alter the law, but would he truly make a change that had never been considered by any previous rulers? That might cause a lot of people to revolt against him. But despite that, the concubine could only stare at her lover in awe. She had always been convinced that underestimating women and undermining their free will was a bigger problem in nobility than among the commoners and had hated to witness scenes that proved this over and over again.

For example, a woman almost couldn't refuse a man of a higher rank if he asked her to dance, which she had experienced herself. The first time, she had been forced to join Luciano, and she had barely been able to avoid it with Cedar. But the second time had just ended like this because she had known that Theodore would defend her no matter what. Other women were in way more uncomfortable situations.

The ministers' reaction to her being present during the meeting had also proven how dismissive they were when it came to a woman's political knowledge.

So, Blanche couldn't help but look at Theodore with shining eyes when he intended to do something to change that. “You will really do that? So that a princess could become the heir to the throne too?”

Her lover gave her a soft smile as he took her hand in his and brought it to his face to kiss it. “Of course. I always said that one of our children would rule, didn't I? I never mentioned that it would have to be a prince. Our firstborn child will become the heir, unless they do not wish to take over, of course. If we have a daughter, I want her to be able to rule by herself. I surely won't force her into a marriage without love just so that she can ascend the throne with her husband governing everything. That definitely will not happen.”

Blanche beamed at him, and her stomach bubbled with joy. She remembered her mother talking about how important it was for women to gain the same rights as men, which she wholeheartedly agreed with. Surely, this idea here wouldn't change everything in an instant. But wouldn't a female ruler with the same rights as a male one finally work on creating an equal standing for everyone? Even if it were just a few little changes, everything would be a step in the right direction. They would need time to convince the conservative people in their nation first after all. She was content just with this little promise and happily leaned over to kiss her lover's cheek. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Theodore put his arms around her and pulled her closer to him to cuddle against her. “If I had known that you would react this excitedly, I would have told you earlier. We still have to be a little patient, but it will come someday. I will implement that law when we dealt with our enemies. Just so that they can't cause any issues now.”

The concubine tilted her head to press her face into his chest and still couldn't stop grinning. “You don't know how happy I am about that decision. That will slowly begin to change our society, I'm sure of it.” She allowed her lover to stroke over her hair and listened to him quietly humming in her ear.

“Then we share that opinion. I'm glad to have that opportunity too. I did far too little when it came to making grand changes before, so I have to start somewhere.”

Blanche turned her head again to look up at him. “You're amazing. I can't believe that you-” A small motion in the corner of her eyes was enough to remind her that they weren't alone. She whipped her head to the side and wanted to withdraw immediately, but her lover was holding her, so she had to move slowly. She gave her best to avoid eye contact with the empress and the crown prince, but she could practically feel how tense the atmosphere had gotten.

For a moment, everyone was silent before Linden spoke up. “I agree with that idea. I can only assure you that it worked out in Northern Ocrea for centuries. Even when Ocrea wasn't split yet, no issues ever arose because of a queen governing on her own. I have a question about a related matter though.” Linden paused for a moment before continuing in a calm voice. “I truly do not wish to be impolite or pry into your matters, but is there a rule concerning the mother of the royal heirs in Artias? In our family, only the queen and king's children are recognized as heirs because it prevented illegitimate heirs from appearing in case the ruler had concubines. The more children fight for the throne, the more bloody it gets and the more the nation is strained. So, only the spouses' children are allowed to participate since one assumes that full-blooded siblings will hold fewer grudges against one another. I already understood that the emperor of Artias can have multiple wives. Does it matter which one the mother of the children is?”

Blanche wanted to sink into the floor when she heard that. It was obvious that their guest was trying to ask why the empress wouldn't be the mother of the next ruler and how they would deal with both women having children. He was doing it in a really polite way, but the issues still remained uncomfortable for the concubine and the empress.

The emperor opened his mouth to respond, but Seraphina spoke before him. “In Artias, they only need to be related to the royal family. The closest relatives to the emperor are next in line. He can choose one of his children as the heir, no matter what anyone else says. As long as they are his descendants, their age or their mothers don't matter. In many cases, the empress is the mother of the next ruler, but no rule would enforce that.” So, she hadn't even admitted that nothing except for the child of the first wife being the heir had ever become known during the last few centuries. Maybe there were cases in which another woman had birthed the next emperor, but no one had ever found out about that, which made this situation here worse.

The fact that Theodore openly spoke about making his concubine's child the future ruler had to be embarrassing to Seraphina. The empress kept a relatively neutral expression, but her slight smile seemed a bit too forced. But even then, her attempt at keeping her husband from speaking was useless.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Theodore waited until she was finished before chiming in. “If there were rules, I could change them too. Luckily, I don't have to bother with that.” He gazed at Linden. “Since I will only have children with Blanche, hers will obviously become the only descendants of the emperor. And, as I said, the oldest one will take over to crown in a couple of years. Does that answer your question?”

Linden nodded in response. “Yes, thank you.”

Theodore finished the last sip from his cup and looked around at the plates of the other people at the table. “It seems like everyone is finished. Then let us end breakfast here if all of you enjoyed it. Was the food to your liking?”

Naturally, that question was mostly aimed at the guest, Linden, who quickly responded. “Indeed. I thank you for your hospitality. It is great to be able to try other dishes than the ones I am used to. I will have to ask for some recipes before we leave.”

The emperor showed him a small smile. “The chefs will gladly inform you. You could even take some simpler ingredients with you as rations for your journey back. We will take care of that before you leave though. For now, we should focus on our discussions. I do not wish to overdo it or take away your chances of looking around, so I would propose reserving two hours a day for our conversations. Then we would be finished in time for the guests to arrive for the small party this afternoon. Would you grant me the honor of accompanying me to my office?”

“Naturally.”

Theodore raised his hands, and the servants came in to clear the table. That should have meant that everything would go by easily now, but that wasn't the case. Everyone was ready to depart and left the room.

They stood in the corridor for a moment to say goodbye, but Theodore insisted on Blanche accompanying him to his office at least. She gave in with a sigh and allowed him to intertwine his fingers with hers while they walked. The more unpleasant part was that Theodore offered her to join the conversations as soon as they arrived while ignoring the empress completely. Blanche would normally have agreed if she had been given the free choice, but she couldn't humiliate the empress like that. So, she told Theodore that she wouldn't come in but that she could pick him up in two hours, which she thought to be able to save the situation. Unfortunately, this only encouraged her lover to pull her into a long hug and steal a dozen kisses from her before finally leaving.

When the door shut behind the two men, the concubine was almost a bit relieved, but that quickly changed when she realized that she was alone with the empress now. As alone as one could be with two guards and three maids accompanying them, of course. Seraphina's attendants seemed to have a new reason to glare at her while Stella glared at them.

It was obvious that a conversation would be way too exhausting, so Blanche just wanted to retreat. She doubted that she would have the chance to do so though. She just stood in front of the empress and waited for anything that would give her an excuse to leave. But naturally, she would have to give the other woman a chance to speak first. She hid her hands behind her back and fiddled with her fingers while trying to avoid eye contact. If this silence went on for any longer, it might be better for them to speak.

Fortunately, Seraphina began talking seconds later. “It seems like His Majesty is finalizing his plan now.”

Blanche lifted her head and tried to hide her confusion at that. “Pardon? What are you referring to, Your Majesty?”

The empress gazed at her with an expression that revealed that she was exhausted in some way. “You don't just act like this, do you? You really are oblivious. It should be obvious by now, but I won't say it. You'll find out soon. Ever since I noticed, I just hoped that he would do it in a more subtle way. I guess I should have seen this coming much earlier and acted accordingly.” She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “How are your lessons going? Is there anything that troubles you or a point at which you'd need an explanation?”

Blanche was taken aback by that question. She hadn't expected this topic, but she liked it more than many others. She thought back to the last weeks and tried to find out whether there was anything that Leon had failed to explain. But Blanche couldn't name a single thing. “Uhm... I think we are done with the simpler topics. I still don't like historical dates because I can barely remember them. But otherwise, it's fine, I think. We recently talked about the history of the most important families in Artias. That was rather easy to understand, and the thing about the contract with Clatos regarding the trading route was simple too. The history of the royal family was the worst part to learn, but I think I am slowly memorizing it. So, there weren't any massive issues.” At least she believed that. There wasn't anything she had failed to understand, so she seemed to be doing rather well.

Seraphina nodded at that. “Good. If there are problems, please do not hesitate to approach me. While I believe that Lord Astame is competent, there may be things he does not deal with often. In that case, I might be able to explain it better. For example, he would not know as much about etiquette as I do.”

Blanche listened to that while scanning the other women with skepticism. Why was the heroine being so nice right now? Hadn't Theodore's actions during the past days upset Seraphina? Or did she truly just blame the emperor for this and not the concubine?

That didn't seem likely, and even if it was true, that didn't explain why the empress was so interested in the other woman's studies. Maybe she worried about Blanche embarrassing the royal family if the concubine wasn't prepared properly.

To be honest, Blanche worried about that herself enough, so she always paid attention during the lessons. Thus, she would claim that it was fine for now. If she didn't comprehend something, she could just ask Leon. She would be way too shy to approach Seraphina, but naturally, she didn't say that. “I thank you for your offer, Your Majesty. That is very kind of you. I will give my best during my studies.”

The empress stared at her for a moment with a strangely serious expression. “I hope so. The whole nation will depend on you, so you need to take responsibility. If you do not have anything else to say, I will take my leave now. I need to prepare for the party later.”

The concubine didn't like that way of phrasing things at all.

Blanche was even more unwell than before, but she nodded. “Goodbye, Your Majesty. Until later.” She watched the group until they disappeared at the end of the hallway before turning to her companions. “What was she talking about?” She could only pray that it wasn't what a part of her almost expected.

Stella shrugged as a wide smile appeared on her lips. “I have no idea. But apparently, she learned to show you some respect.”

The concubine almost rolled her eyes at that comment. “Please don't talk about the empress like that. If people hear you, they would accuse you of insulting royalty.”

Her maid opened her mouth to refute her. “But you are royalty too, My Lady. And that means that she has to respect you as well, so I said nothing wrong.”

Blanche ignored that in favor of looking for a clock. She found one after a moment. Theodore would take two hours to chat with Linden, and she would have to come here again to pick him up then. Before the tea party, they would still have enough time to get ready, so she didn't need to start now. Instead, she could just use her rare free time to do something else for a change. She considered proposing going outside for a walk, but the last two times that she had tried this, she had either run into Cedar or Seraphina. Seemingly, the gods didn't want her to go out, so she wouldn't. “Let's go bake a cake. It's been a while since I did that.”

Her maid happily agreed, but Blanche was still a bit worried. She hoped that wouldn't run into any unpleasant people in the process, even when her prayers were usually ignored. In the end, she was lucky. The kitchen was almost empty except for Angelica, Clark, Darlene and George, who seemed to have volunteered to clean all the dishes while the others prepared for the party outside. They took their time having a nice conversation while Blanche made a little citrus cake with blueberries.

The only issue had been that Clark asked why her picture was hanging at the spot for the empress' one now. After that, Blanche had been struggling to explain why the others shouldn't laugh at her dejected response. She barely managed to finish a small piece of her cake in time before she rushed out while waving them goodbye. She made her way back to Theodore's office quickly.

Since Blanche hurried to reach the office punctually, she just arrived when Theodore left the room.

Her lover pulled her into his embrace immediately and spent the next few minutes cuddling her, even though Linden was standing next to them.

Thankfully, the crown prince didn't seem to care much. When Blanche apologized, Linden said that he wouldn't complain about them showing each other their affection as long as they weren't uncomfortable with him being there. Indeed, it seemed like he was way too considerate and didn't mind accepting inconveniences if it made others happy. Blanche was thankful for that, but she still felt bad about him being forced to witness all of that. The strained situation with Seraphina had to worry him too even if he didn't admit it. But he didn't complain even when Theodore explained that they would meet at the terrace in three hours and that the guest was free to go wherever he wanted in the meantime. Linden just nodded and left without asking any further questions.

Blanche let out a sigh in response. She just shook her head to herself as she pushed Theodore toward the hallway that would lead them to their room. “Really, you are far too careless. Letting Linden run around alone for so long...”

Theodore just beamed in return as he led her up the stairs. “Well, he isn't alone. The empress is with him. Haven't you noticed? It seems like they eat every single meal together even when we don't join them. They keep taking walks together and basically spend every minute awake in each other's presence.”

But Blanche wouldn't read too much into anything. “They are being accompanied by others, so that doesn't matter. Don't exaggerate. Be happy that the empress is taking on so much responsibility while you are lazy.” She quickly opened the door as they reached their room.

Theodore hurriedly followed her while being quick to defend himself. “I'm not lazy. This is part of my plan. Prince Linden has to-” He cut himself off when he wanted to close the door, only to hear Stella squeak as she tried to pull the cake holder back in time to keep it from being knocked out of her hands. Theodore hurriedly turned to her. “Oh, I apologize. I did not expect you to be right behind me. Please enter.”

“It was no issue, Your Majesty.” Stella seemed a bit relieved to have saved the cake and hurried into the room. She placed the metal cover onto the table and then stepped aside to wait for further instructions.

Blanche gave her a little smile before glancing at the clock. “We should get ready for the tea party soon, so could you please prepare some cosmetics and accessories already? No, wait. Eat a piece of cake first. We can do the rest after.” She swiftly removed the cover from the cake to cut off a piece for her maid.

Stella had something else in mind though. “My Lady, I should start preparing already to make sure that we have enough time. Please allow me to finish that first. I shall join you immediately after.” As she said that, her green eyes basically seemed to sparkle with determination. It seemed like she already had an idea for the tea party.

Blanche found it cute when Stella acted like that, so she wouldn't talk back here. “I see. Then we will do it like that. I am curious to see what you came up with.” She watched how her friend left the room and couldn't hold back a small chuckle as she saw the other's bright smile.

Theodore, who had stopped next to the table and now watched the treat she had prepared, seemed to find something else amusing. He chuckled too as he raised an eyebrow at her. “Did you bring me a cake right before the tea party, where we will eat cake anyway?” Well, yes.

Blanche had to admit that she should have reconsidered. “I...know that this wasn't super clever. But I really wanted to make one of these now and bring you this. You see...” She paused for a moment as she stared at the cake in front of her. For a second, Blanche was unsure about how to address this, only to remember that Theodore knew now. She wouldn't have to hide her past anymore, so she might as well speak about things like this. Blanche still took a moment to compose herself as a small smile spread on her lips. “Blueberry citrus cake was my mother's favorite meal. We often made the recipe together, so it means a lot to me. I really wanted to make this cake today, so I thought I could bring you a piece too.”

And even though it usually seemed like her lover somehow knew everything she had never told him, Theodore was actually surprised here. He probably remembered how often she had brought him this cake and only understood the meaning now. His expression became so soft that it made Blanche's heart tremble. “I see. It's something so important to you. I'm honored that you want to share this with me.”

Blanche beamed at him in return. “Of course. You're my family now, so it's only right to give you this. I can't do it quite like Mama always made it, but... It's close enough.” And even though the memory of making this cake with her mother was nice, this thought upset her again. She hurriedly lifted her hand to hide her eyes.

Theodore was by her side within a second. He cupped her face gently and made her look up at him while showing her a smile that couldn't hide that he found this topic quite emotional too. “You made your family recipe into a masterpiece. I will gladly eat this delicious treat every time you want it. You can even teach me how to make it later. Then we can add it to our chef's official register.” To have a recipe be added to something like the royal family's favorite treats was quite an honor. While the palace had a very similar dish the servants sometimes prepared, this would be a chance to actually have the royal cooks make the cake just like Blanche's mother had made it.

That would certainly create a divine pie her mother would have loved to taste.

Blanche had to swallow at the thought before she replied. “That sounds like a good idea. Do you want a bite?”

Theodore didn't let her wait. “Of course. Let's take our time and enjoy it properly.” He pulled back a chair for them and sat down before offering his lover a hug. She didn't hesitate before climbing onto his lap and then cutting the cake. Theodore kissed her neck while he put the plate right in front of her and offered her a fork.

Blanche accepted it quickly and brought a portion to her lover's mouth first. Then she ate too. Once again, the soft taste of her favorite childhood dish filled her as old memories resurfaced. Somehow, having this after openly acknowledging why she loved it so much just made it taste better.

Seemingly, Theodore felt the same. He barely finished his bite before whispering to her. “It's godly. Absolutely perfect. I always loved this cake when you made it with its fluffy dough and the fresh berries. You perfected it more each time. I don't think anything else can be better than this. Your mother was a great creator to have come up with something so wonderful.” He was exaggerating. Blanche's mother had hardly invented something new nor had her baking skills been especially good.

Still, hearing this just made Blanche's heart melt. She returned a soft smile while nuzzling against her lover's chest. “Mama would have been proud to hear the emperor say that.” Her mother had been so happy to cheer others up with her baking, so this would be the best reward she could have gotten. The thought made Blanche close her eyes.

For a moment, it was quiet as they just ate bite after bite of the cake.

Then Theodore spoke up, his voice barely audible as he whispered to her. “Blanche?”

Thankfully, Blanche had calmed down a bit so that she could at least respond, even when she only did it while pressing her face against her lover. “Yes?”

Theodore gently ran his hand down the back of her head and continued to caress her as he whispered again so softly that she could only fall for him again. “Your family would be proud of you. I just want you to know that.”

Somehow, hearing him say that was wonderful. She wanted to believe it too.

“Thank you.” She couldn't bring herself to say more. Blanche had to stay quiet in an attempt to calm herself after.