It was actually very surprising. Theodore had just openly threatened someone, and still, no one dared to criticize him. Normally, being polite was crucial for the emperor, and becoming harsh for a punishment was fine, but being this extreme was rash. However, his expression was so sour that even the dowager empress was speechless for a long time. When she did attempt to speak, Theodore took a moment to glare at Camille, who quickly shut her mouth again with utter confusion on her features. Seemingly, no one knew the emperor like this.

Even Blanche was shocked. She had seen glimpses of her lover's wrath in her nightmares, but that couldn't be compared to whatever this had been. It wasn't directed at her but rather the person that had insulted her. It felt like he was even angrier than she was about the insult. She was pretty sure that he had looked like this while they were attacked in the forest and he had killed the person running toward them too. That he despised someone for offending her this much only proved that he truly cared.

As soon as Theodore turned to her, his expression softened, and he let go of her arms to cup her face. “Is everything alright? I'm sorry for not doing more than that. I will offer his doom to you when the time comes. If you wish for it, he will crawl on his knees and beg for forgiveness until the second that his heart stops beating.” It was almost scary how he said such things in a soft voice.

Blanche put her hands on top of his and gave him a little smile. She wasn't happy about being insulted, but by now, she was getting used to it. Those people always called her a power-hungry whore, argued that she had a low rank and claimed that her lover would leave her. It was the same each time.

She didn't care about the first part at all since knowing that Theodore was the only one she had ever loved and the knowledge that he returned those feelings was enough for her. Her rank didn't matter to her either. The third part stung a bit on each occasion, but she knew that he wouldn't let go of her anytime soon. Her lover even wanted to marry her. So, he was planning on keeping her for longer, and this calmed her more than others' comments unsettled her. As long as she was with him, it would be fine. That was why she didn't feel much more than annoyance when hearing anyone insulting her. Maybe she even felt a little pity for them being stupid enough to do it in front of the emperor.

But Blanche couldn't explain all of that in a short way, so she just smiled at her lover. “It's alright. The words get repetitive. If you are here, I don't mind. Especially if you take care of him now. I would favor not ever seeing him again though.”

“I will give my best. There will be two or three meetings at most. Then you will never have to hear his despicable lies again. I adore you with my whole heart and would never let you leave. I will offer the world to you and make sure that no one can disrespect you without suffering from the consequences.”

Blanche nuzzled her cheek against his hand. “I know that. I don't care what others say as long as you are with me. Please be with me forever. I just need you and your love.”

Theodore gave her a soft smile. “There is no need to worry about that. I belong to you. All of me. My heart, my body, my mind and soul. I can't function without you. So, I couldn't let you leave even if you wanted to.” He slowly leaned forward to her, and she was sure that he would kiss her.

Blanche prepared to return the kiss, but they were interrupted.

Footsteps sounded from behind them as Seraphina approached. She stooped at Theodore's right side and raised her voice. “I apologize for this scene. It appears that some people within Artias still do not grasp the true power of His Majesty. But since all of them left now, our tea party should commence. Please sit down.”

Theodore's face showed pure annoyance for a moment. He didn't let the empress steal their kiss though. He pressed his lips onto his lover's for just a second before leading her to the table. Then he pulled back the chair on his left side and guided her to it with everyone watching them.

Blanche would like to refuse, but she suspected that she wouldn't have a chance to avoid this. So, she just sat down and tried to ignore Henry's darkening expression.

Once the emperor took a seat, everyone else found their chair too. The seating order was clearly based on the two factions, with the ones on the left side being Theodore's supporters and the one on the right his enemies. Even that the number of people at the sides was uneven, with only his mother, brother and the remaining members of the Vasquez family being on the right side, didn't matter much. Everyone knew what this meant.

The empress, who had taken a seat across from the emperor, and Linden, who was next to Seraphina, sat at the other end of the table.

Theodore took a moment so that everyone could quieten down. Then he lifted his glass and showed the group a smile. “There is no need to look so dejected. This scene was unpleasant, but no one here would like to imitate this, so you do not have to be worried. We should rather be in a celebratory mood. After all, we have a special guest, and his presence means the beginning of a new era for Northern Ocrea and Artias. Prince Linden, would you like to speak to the people here?”

Linden took his glass in his hands and did the same as the emperor. “I have to admit that I am not good at giving speeches, but I will do my best. I speak as the crown prince and thus future ruler of Northern Ocrea and can assure you that the people of our nation are overjoyed at the thought of forming a bond with Artias. We were honored to receive an invitation, and I gladly accepted it. His and Her Majesty and I merely had a few conversations until now since I only arrived yesterday, but I can already sense that we will get along well. I will be overjoyed to stay a bit longer to finalize some contracts that will allow us to work together even more in the future. May our nations become close allies and support each other to reach the best for our citizens.”

Theodore smiled at him when the other man finished. “You are completely right. Naturally, we will be happy to help Northern Ocrea when we are able to. If there ever is an issue, do not hesitate to write a letter, and we will figure out what we can do. May Northern Ocrea and Artias continue to blossom and develop splendidly in a peaceful environment. Please join me for a toast so that we can pray for the future we are envisioning.”

The guest all raised their glasses as well and drank a sip when the emperor and the crown prince took one.

Theodore set his glass down after that and grinned at the group. “Now then. The sweets in the middle of the table are here for everyone. Feel free to eat as much as you wish. Those delicious treats were handmade by the most skillful cooks in Artias, and I am sure that you rarely had the pleasure of enjoying them to the fullest. Since we are only a few people today, it will be a rather calm meeting. The servants are waiting to attend you and will offer you some tea. Choose whatever kind you favor. I can assure you that all of them will be mouth-watering. While you are beginning to eat, we should start the introductions. Will we commence with the usual order?” He glanced at the dowager empress with enough disdain to reveal what he was thinking.

Camille regarded him the same way, but then she changed. She always had an icy glare when it came to her eldest son, so one often forgot that she could act differently. But now she sat there with a straight posture and turned her head to the crown prince to greet him with a soft smile. It didn't reach her eyes, but it was certainly enough to make unknowing people believe that she might have good intentions. “It is an honor to be able to become acquainted with you. I am pleased to hear that you visited our nation, and I shall promise that every single person in Artias is happy to welcome you. My name is Camille Estien. I am the previous esteemed emperor's wife and His Majesty's mother. Thus, I am the dowager empress of this country. I am not exaggerating when I say that I am speaking for everyone that ever set foot into our nation when I say that this is the starting point of a new era of friendship between Artias and Northern Ocrea.”

Linden nodded toward her. “I can promise that I am just as pleased to meet you. The people of our nation are very cheerful at the prospect of this development as well. We would be happy if we could have grown to become one of Artias' most important allies in a few years.”

Camille seemed to be extremely pleased by that. She rambled on a bit while just repeating how satisfied and relieved she was.

Everyone listened respectfully, and only Theodore seemed not to care at all. He already took a piece of cake from one of the plates and began eating it without paying attention to the fact that this was somewhat disrespectful. He happily placed a small portion of the cake on his fork and brought it to his lover's face.

Blanche looked at him in annoyance for a moment but opened her mouth and let him feed her. This earned her a glare from Duke Duremont, but as soon as she looked at him, he turned away with a conflicted expression on his face. Seemingly, Henry had some issues deciding how to deal with her after she had saved Grace. The concubine felt a bit bad about it, but in the end, her glee upon seeing Camille glare at her for eating during her speech was greater. Blanche purposefully fed Theodore some small treats while the dowager empress talked, only to stop after that to show respect for every other speaker aside from that woman.

The introductions went on without any special events.

Cedar just spoke up with a grin and repeated the things his mother had said in a way shorter version. Linden replied to that, and everyone that followed after that did the same.

Henry was rather calm today, even though Blanche was sitting on the empress' seat. That probably had something to do with Seraphina speaking to him while the fight had been going on. Elaine was as polite as always, and just as normally, Allen spoke up curtly.

It only became a bit different when it was the Vasquez family's turn. Selena did her best to greet the emperor and the crown prince calmly, but it was obvious that she was way too nervous to think properly. She almost tripped over her own words and barely managed to keep herself from stuttering.

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

The next person to speak was Luciano. For a change, he didn't grin at the others but showed a rather serious expression. After introducing himself and repeating the same phrases everyone had used today, he addressed the issue that was obviously more important to him. “I apologize for bringing this up again, but I feel like I need to mention it at least once. I would like to sincerely apologize for my father's behavior. I know that I cannot excuse what he did or justify his actions by saying that he wasn't thinking clearly. But I can assure you that he did not speak for our family and only for himself while he was in a bedazzled state. Ever since my sister has been born, he barely slept, so he has some trouble understanding the situation occasionally. I deeply apologize for this scene in the name of the Vasquez household.”

Theodore sipped his tea while glancing at the other man with a cold look. He slowly set down his cup and put on a fake smile. “I never blamed you. Naturally, I would only punish the person that is responsible for this and no one else. So, do not worry about this situation. I won't forget it, so it doesn't have to burden your mind too. And before you ask me, you cannot offer an apology in your father's stead either.”

Luciano nodded at that while seeming slightly dejected before turning to Blanche. “I am aware that I cannot make up for the awful things my father said, but I still wished to give you my sincere apologies. I wished to tell you that whatever left his mouth today couldn't be further away from what he truly thinks. Naturally, our whole family respects you deeply and would never dare to voice such insults while thinking clearly.” It almost seemed like Luciano had understood what this was truly about. Upsetting Blanche inevitably led to Theodore's anger, and Luciano tried to pick up the shards of his father's broken image where it had been destroyed.

It was only unfortunate that Blanche knew exactly what he was doing. She felt like scolding a duke's son was something people would dislike her for, but after Claude's display here, she was in the right to at least talk back. To not destroy the tense situation Theodore had built up, she needed to act a bit like the emperor. Blanche doubted that she could truly do it like him, but she attempted to speak in a confident voice while lifting her head high. “Of course, I am aware that His Grace was in a mental turmoil while voicing those things today. But that does not change the fact that he publicly attempted to humiliate me. And do you not know that there is a saying about people speaking their minds when they are fueled by anger?”

Luciano should have been a bit surprised to find Blanche arguing back like that, but he wasn't. Instead, he just gave all the best he could despite being in an almost impossible situation. He looked like he felt quite cornered while meeting Blanche's gaze, and his voice might have been less confident than usual too. “I fully understand why you would question that after my father offended you on multiple occasions. But as the heir of the Vasquez family, I can promise that those words were just my father's careless ramblings during one of his worst days. They do not represent what our family is thinking.” He glanced at Theodore. “Usually, we would never offer such a display to members of the royal family, especially not one that was filled with such careless words. We are naturally fully loyal to His Majesty and would never consciously disobey his orders.” Clearly, Theodore wasn't impressed, so Luciano looked back at Blanche as if he hoped to find a bit more help here. “This is why I wish to speak in the name of my family when I apologize for the fact that you were treated like this, Lady Blanche.” He had spoken for such a long time already, and he still didn't close his mouth.

Blanche frankly got sick of the excuses, so she quickly stopped it while remembering the times Luciano had made fun of her well. “I appreciate your sincerity and desire to make up for your father's mistakes. Though, you should know that apologies do not weigh much when they are voiced by another person. Especially when the first incident in which His Grace disrespected me is so fresh in my mind. One time may be an accident, but people will always remember repeating events, Lord Vasquez.” She thought that she had been a bit too brazen here, but seemingly, she was in the position of power even now.

Luciano tried to pacify her still. “I am aware. That is why I swear that it will never happen again. We shall bring Father to a doctor to confirm what led to his current state. We hope that this incident did not taint your image of our family too much.” Maybe he wanted to say even more, but Blanche might have looked a bit too impatient. He stopped apologizing to her and finally addressed someone else, who happened to be Linden. “This should not have happened during such a wonderful event, especially not when an honorable guest is present. This shouldn't have been something you would be forced to witness. Your first visit to Artias should not be linked to such scenes.”

Theodore chimed in at that while glancing at Luciano for a moment as if to tell him to finally stop talking now. “I would like to add my apologies too. I should have made sure that no one would invite him. Please forgive this outbreak of mine when he suddenly showed up.”

Linden was completely calm when he responded. “Please rest assured that I do not feel displeased about this situation just know. I am well aware of the fact you will have to protect your position by acting accordingly when impudent people show up. If they ignore your orders, you cannot be lenient at all times. Naturally, you will need to defend your-” He corrected himself at the last moment. “Lady Blanche from being attacked for no reason. I assume that was the man you had mentioned before.”

A small smile graced Theodore's lips. “Indeed. I am glad that you remembered that. I have to agree with everything you said. I will gladly protect the people I care about, and the ones that attempt to hurt them will not be treated kindly.” He glanced at the people that were the most likely to try anything and stared at them for a moment, with mainly Camille being glared at, before turning back to the crown prince. “I think I made that clear though.”

Seraphina spoke up with an aloof expression. “Yes, you did, Your Majesty. It is surprising that there still was the need for this, but now everything should calm down. If not, I am convinced that you have enough ways to deal with it.”

Theodore ignored her for a few seconds before nodding in agreement. “Naturally. And I can promise that I get upset quickly when people don't understand it when I tell them the first time. I don't wish to be mean, of course. But I have to admit that I am also not able to ignore my emotions completely.”

For some reason, Cedar seemed to find that amusing, and his smile widened. He had been rather quiet the whole time and now suddenly decided to chime in, which couldn't mean anything good. “Oh, in the past, you have never hidden your emotions well. Since you are the emperor, that isn't an issue though. People should know what you are thinking. Only like this, they can try to please you. Though, I found something odd today. I fully understand why you banished His Grace, the Duke of Vasquez from the palace. But I was a bit confused by you putting him on trial for insulting royalty. When exactly did he do that?” His smile dimmed while he said that.“ I am aware that he said vulgar things to Lady Blanche, for which he deserves to be thrown out naturally. But did he ever insult any member of the royal family? If so, I did not hear it.”

Blanche almost choked on her cake when she heard that. She had been content too early. Of course, Cedar would try to make them reveal their engagement like this. Saying it himself had probably been too boring to him, so he chose to act like this. The concubine felt blood rushing to her face and opened her mouth without thinking about it, just to cut off Cedar. “His Grace might not have directly offended the royal family, but he did ignore Theodore's orders repeatedly. Ignoring the emperor's words in his own home in front of an important guest is certainly insulting, is it not?” She felt like her face was glowing red by the time she finished, and she could just hope that her words made sense.

Thankfully, Theodore only glanced at her once before joining in on her explanation. “Certainly. I don't know how else to call it but insulting royalty. I will put him on trial for this, so this name seemed the most fitting. I could also claim that he personally upset me to the point of me not believing that he is able to be an influential noble in the capital anymore. After all, I only allow people that obey me among the aristocrats. I would have to worry about him revolting and send him to the countryside first. But that would be boring, don't you think? I made a promise to him today, and I intend to keep it.” He was still smiling, but his eyes held a glint that made it clear that he wasn't in a good mood. A mix of anger and possibly anticipation made it rather obvious that he wasn't keen on letting Duke Vasquez get away with this.

Cedar simply laughed at that. “Oh, of course. I should have thought about that before. I apologize for not understanding when you said it back then. Though, I'm glad that we both share the same opinion on promises. They are not to be broken. By the way, may I ask where you put Father's sword? The one I gifted you for your birthday.”

Blanche narrowed her eyes when she heard that. She remembered the story about Cedar swearing that he would kill his brother with that very weapon when they were children. He surely was brave to say that in front of everyone here.

Theodore had better control of his facial features. He put on a smile despite his eyes being cold. “I put it in my office. At the same spot that Father used to hang it. It belongs there, don't you think? I believe that it's rather unpolished though, so I will have to ask a smith to restore it soon.”

Cedar beamed at that. “That is a wonderful idea. It needs to shine brightly for its special moment in a few years. Or weeks. Who knows.” That bastard. Now he provoked them on purpose.

The emperor mirrored his brother's expression. “Indeed. Let's see about that though. I feel like not every promise has to be kept. Only the ones that come from the heart and not the ones that were planted into your head by vile people, who unfortunately influenced you for way too long.” He glanced at the dowager empress but didn't give her a chance to speak up. “Now that we discussed this, shouldn't we continue the greetings? Your Grace, would you do us the honor?”

As he was asked, Duke Lamont continued and after him, only Fiona spoke up, still without making any attempts at causing trouble in any way. In fact, both the duke and his daughter were even more willing to swear their loyalty to Theodore today. This was good. The Lamont family was a needed supporter when they had to go against Cedar's faction. And it would be pleasant if Fiona wasn't trying to gain power through Blanche's fiancé in the process.

The tea party ended after a long time of shallow conversations and repeated phrases of wishes for a good relationship between Artias and Northern Ocrea. In the end, the underlying insults that Theodore and Cedar exchanged were, unfortunately, the most interesting thing about the afternoon.

By the time that the guests finally left, Blanche was tense from sitting there stiffly. In addition to that, she was quite exhausted from talking so much today. Usually, she had tried to keep quiet during such parties, but due to the few visitors today, she hadn't been able to avoid being involved in many conversations. The emperor's supporters had basically talked to one another the entire time to underline their connection to the same faction, and naturally, Blanche had needed to join them. She had been involved in most of Theodore's discussions, so she had heard a lot about the capital while needing to listen to many people that condemned Duke Vasquez's behavior from before. Though, she didn't mind it too much when she could avoid speaking to less pleasant people, including Selena and Luciano, who had been quite tense during the rest of the party, as well as Camille, who was still fuming.

But her strategy hadn't kept Cedar from chatting with her despite her curt and sometimes harsh answers. He put on the same look from the day before and acted like he was the victim, which only made her want to say even worse things. Naturally, she held back, but it was hard. Thus, she was overly relieved when he finally disappeared. If everything went well, she wouldn't have to see him for a while.

Unfortunately, that hope of hers didn't seem to go well.

Cedar visited almost every day to speak with Linden in hopes of impressing him, and before he left, he always seemed to walk around the palace for a bit longer. That had caused Blanche to barely move around on her own in fear of meeting that person. At some point, Theodore limited Cedar's visits to every second day, but that was bad enough. It felt like that idiot was planning something, and they had no idea what that was.

It was quite concerning that Cedar had interacted with Prince Linden in private a few times, but Theodore had made sure to limit the damages right after each time. That seemed to work well since Prince Linden still kept his distance and announced that he was on Theodore's side openly. Though, he didn't seem to fear Cedar, which he had proven by asking the prince for a sparring session. Blanche had only heard rumors about the result, but it had been expected that Cedar would refuse to avoid accidentally harming the crown prince of another nation. It seemed like that insane idiot at least had some sort of understanding of their situation.

Aside from that, Blanche shouldn't complain. Her lover pampered her and spent as much time with her as always. He only went to his office for two hours to speak to Linden and sign contracts, and they ate with the crown prince and the empress. This didn't mean that Theodore was less affectionate despite being watched. He still shared his plate and drink with Blanche, as if no one could be offended by this. In general, she was a bit worried about how often he clung to her while his guest was there. Even when he told her that it was fine because he wanted Linden to have time to himself, it seemed odd.

After all, Seraphina was the person that mainly dealt with the crown prince. She showed him the less important rooms in the palace and visited the library with him. She had even invited him to a carriage ride through the royal estate after the emperor had allowed it without asking questions. It seemed like the empress and Linden got along well.

Blanche was rather happy about that. Her lover had more time for her, and the two others had fun for a change while forming a bond between the nations. Most around her didn't mind either and just looked forward to Artias and Northern Ocrea working together more.

For some people, it seemed like Seraphina and Linden got along too well though. The palace was the perfect realm for rumors, and those spread within days. When Blanche eventually heard about it, most servants had already chatted about it at least once so that there wasn't a single staff member who didn't know.