As soon as Blanche reached the maze, she used the same trick as always to find the middle of the maze. This time, she found the rose arch so quickly that it almost surprised her. She slowed her steps to not alert the empress and approached the other woman's maids, who were standing before the plaza. Seemingly, even they weren't allowed to go in while their mistress was venting her feelings.
Blanche stopped in front of them and met their worried gazes before speaking up in a whisper. “Her Majesty is at the fountain again, right?”
One of the maids nodded before averting her eyes. “She's...been feeling unwell ever since this morning. Please do not mind it too much if she has been acting unusually. She may have gotten sick during the past few days. It was quite cold when she took her walks in the morning, so we assume that the weather might have troubled her.” It seemed like they were still trying to cover everything up without knowing that they could spare the effort.
The concubine showed them a small smile. “It's fine not to lie. I know about her and Prince Linden.”
The maids tensed at that. The quieter one covered her mouth with her hand and looked like she was about to panic. The other one hurried to speak up and was almost a bit too loud. “Did you tell His Majesty?”
Blanche shook her head. She would have liked to avoid adding anything else since the women seemed so relieved right now, but she would have to be honest. “He already knew before me.”
Immediately, the attendants' shock came back. The quieter one crouched down and held her head while whispering something to herself. The second maid clenched her jaw for a moment before speaking up. “What did he say? Will he punish her because of this?” She sounded like she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
To be honest, even the concubine wouldn't be. Theodore had hinted that he might use this incident against the empress, but she couldn't believe that he would do anything truly harmful. “I...don't think so. He said that he didn't care. He even joked about...well.” At the last moment, Blanche noticed that explaining that the emperor liked to talk about how his wife should go with the prince and travel far away wasn't a good idea. “In any case, he won't do something to her disadvantage. I think.” She hoped so.
One of the maids was about to reply when a voice sounded from inside the center.
“If there is someone there that wishes to speak to me, they may come in.”
The maid stepped aside at that and nodded towards the concubine before locking her fingers, all while still looking as dejected as before.
Blanche swallowed and hurried to go through the rose arch. She only took a few steps before stopping to keep some distance to allow the other woman to see her first. She would probably be sent away within a few seconds, so she didn't want to pressure the heroine by coming too close.
Seraphina was sitting by the edge of the fountain and held her fingers into the water. She seemed utterly serene, even when she moved. When she turned to the concubine, her eyes looked like they were glassy, and her face glittered in the sun. She still looked graceful now, but this small detail changed the whole scene.
The empress was crying.
The stoic heroine that was the personification of strength was crying. Had she ever shed a tear in the novel? Only after Grace's death and while consoling Sophia after that as well as when Evelyn's guilt had been proven. But aside from that, there hadn't been a single scene in which she had cried. This made everything a thousand times worse. The empress should only have lost her composure much later.
The concubine could only stand there without really knowing what to do. What was she supposed to say? She wasn't truly the person that should get involved here. Though, leaving suddenly seemed wrong too.
The empress gazed at her before speaking up. “Out of everything, that was the reaction I didn't expect. I thought that you'd be taken aback or that you would be disappointed. The previous you might have laughed and seen this as a victory. But you are standing here and look like you will cry too. You certainly cry at everything. It seems like I was mistaken about you acting to gain sympathy.”
Blanche wouldn't say that she was about to cry. She knew how it felt like when tears pricked in her eyes, and right now, that certainly wasn't happening. She was concerned but not as sad as she would have been upon seeing Theodore or Stella cry. Obviously, she wouldn't tell the empress that though. She hid her hands behind her back to fiddle with her fingers in secret. “Good morning, Your Majesty. I know that this is a stupid question, but... Are you fine? If there is something I can do for you, please tell me.” Why was she even doing this? It was a bit foolish to wish to get involved so easily just because the other woman suffered from heartbreak now. But Blanche couldn't help it.
Seraphina was quiet for a moment before a little smile formed on her lips. “What would you do to help me then? I fear that it could be quite hard.”
It was true that this offer was useless, but the concubine couldn't help trying to do something to distract the other woman. She had been forced to deal with Theodore's absence too, and back then, she had found some methods to keep herself from crying. Maybe that would work out here too. “I could ask the chefs to make a cake and prepare tea. Or the servants could prepare some books for you to read. I could also search for a few board and card games in the library. You are very good at chess, right?”
The empress watched her with the same little smile as before. “I am thankful for your offer, but distracting me will not do much. I would love to tell you about why I am acting strangely today and come up with excuses, but you already know, don't you? His Majesty voiced enough comments to make me believe that the whole palace is aware by now. Even though I was so careful.” She let out a chuckle. “Well, you cannot keep people from noticing at some point. Now I know how you felt when you tried to hide it.” She let her head sink and covered her face with her hand. She took a moment to compose herself before looking up. More tears were rolling down her face now, but she still looked as graceful as ever without any sobs escaping her throat.
Blanche had never seen the empress cry before like this, but one glance was enough to know that she hated it. It actually made her grateful for the fact that their enemies never cried, or she would feel pity for them as well. Right now, she couldn't help but sympathize with the heroine even if their situations were as different as one could imagine. Even if she felt a bit stupid for that. Seraphina didn't need her pity, and yet, she couldn't help it. Blanche was quiet for a few seconds to give the other woman a chance to calm down before speaking up. “There were some rumors, but most people don't believe them, so it should be fine. I don't think that anyone will talk about it in a few weeks from now.”
Seraphina turned her head to the side. She lowered her gaze to the water and drew some patterns on the surface while replying. “You are naive. There is no way that His Majesty would ever ignore this chance of finally doing what he was waiting for. It gives him the perfect reason to act without offending my family. It was my mistake. But I couldn't help listening to what my heart was saying. If it makes everyone happy, it can't be a mistake, right? That's what you said. I hope that is right.” After that, she stared at the water and got lost in her thoughts.
Blanche shifted her weight from one leg to the other as she watched the other woman. Maybe she should return to the palace. It didn't seem like the heroine was eager to distract herself. So, leaving her alone might be better. “Your Majesty, if I am disturbing you-”
“Then I would have said something. Do not mind me being silent. I am thinking about what to ask. Give me a moment.”
The concubine was taken aback by that response and could only stare at the other woman.
Seraphina continued to look at the water, but she withdrew her fingers. After a while, she turned back to Blanche with her usual cool expression. “What are the most important sources of income for Artias?”
Blanche was so irritated by this that she could only blink. “Pardon?”
“Answer the question.”
Blanche took a moment to get over her surprise before replying with a small frown. This was common knowledge, so what should this question do? “We mainly sell the products of agriculture. There are huge fields in the south and some in the east, and we have soil with a lot of nutrients. The northern part of our country is full of small cities of fishers. Salmon is being caught the most, but there are other kinds too. In some areas, pearls can be found as well. Out of the nations near the ocean, we are the one that is most open to trading, so we can export many of those products. We also have mountains in the south and some smaller ones in the west. The mines there are full of gold, iron, lead, amethysts, opals and sapphires. Many of those goods are being sold to other countries too. The trading market within the nation is stable as well with many wealthy people living here, which makes us one of the most prosperous countries of the whole continent.” Which basically every inhabitant of Artias knew.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
Seraphina wasn't impressed either. She didn't hesitate before adding another question. “What is the main conflict between Travuan and Clatos?”
Blanche was still confused, but now she had been prepared for something like this and could respond quicker. After all, Theodore had talked about this conflict often enough for her to understand it. “Officially, it is about Batra, a very small nation that is being led by a religious group. Both Travuan and Clatos claim that there are documents that would prove that the territories belong to them. Since Batra has similar soil and mines with the same contents as Artias' valuable ones, it is a very attractive plot of land. That is why both refuse to back down. Travuan and Clatos stationed troops near the border of Batra in their own territories. They even sent some of their soldiers there to slowly prepare everything under the guise of wanting to protect that nation from the other party. The fact that the religious leaders of Batra refuse to create an army is beneficial to them since that nation won't be able to defend itself. The only reason they cannot attack is that Artias is Batra's ally, which is why they may be planning to destroy our relationship with them.”
The empress spoke without looking away from the other's eyes. “And the unofficial story?” Why did she want to hear this?
Blanche paused for a moment. What had Leon told her about this? She just remembered in time. “I believe there are speculations that the conflict is much bigger. Both nations have a lot of land and are rather wealthy. Both are governed in completely different ways but are dictatorships. And they have the goal of expanding and growing even larger. So, they will both try to wage war, and they need metals to produce their weapons. Batra has a lot of helpful materials, so neither nation will give up, even though none of them actually have a right to claim the territory. I heard that the rulers of each nation may also have a personal feud, but I am not sure whether that is true.”
Again, Seraphina's next question followed without a pause. “What was the cause for the revolt against the last ruler that caused the Estien family to become the royal one?”
Blanche slowly got used to the sudden inquiries, so she replied without batting an eye. This topic was quite important, and Leon had told her a hundred times, so she could easily recount this. “The revolt was caused by his incompetence in general and the stupidity of his council as well. That man did not pay attention to developments in the nation and left everything to corrupt people to live in luxury. Around the year 1200, he planned a great celebration that would cost a fortune despite the citizens barely being able to keep their children from starving. Then there was a harsh storm accompanied by two weeks of rain. Almost all the harvest for that year was destroyed by that. At the same time, an epidemic caused a whole region to be deserted, and the fields there couldn't be used either. The people appealed to the ruler and asked for help, which he ignored. He even insisted on having his banquet and inviting every noble of the nation while wanting to prepare so much food that it could never be eaten. He wanted to throw that away to show his wealth. There was a famine, and he just didn't care, which naturally caused the citizens to revolt.”
Even while explaining that, Blanche felt anger rise inside her. She remembered this story so well because she had been fuming while Leon had told her. Having such a selfish ruler had almost caused the death of millions, and for hundred-thousands, the help had come too late. Thankfully, there had been someone to help though.
Blanche quickly continued the narration with a few more pauses as she tried to come up with words that described the events she remembered best. “At that point, the younger and less conservative noble families rose in rank, at least a few that cared for their citizens. The one that quickly became the leader of those was the Estien family. They didn't do much at that time with their little resources, but they ensured that the people in the capital were fed for the most part and managed to retrieve crops for the next year. That was enough to make everyone support them, and then after a few weeks of revolts all over the nation, the head of the Estien family followed the citizens' wishes and led them.”
If she remembered correctly, there was a long story about that famous first emperor planning how to attack and how brilliant his strategy had been, but she doubted that Seraphina wanted to know that.
So, Blanche skipped to the end of the revolt. “He defeated the opponents' army without many problems and took it upon himself to guide our nation to a better future. He founded a new country to be able to ignore all the previous laws that were only supposed to create opportunities for the council to enrich themselves. He was crowned the emperor and began improving the nation. The first few descendants of his did their best to increase our wealth and traded with countless other countries, which is why we are so prosperous now. Sadly, the ones after them only rested on their predecessors' accomplishments. But Theodore's grandfather began working again, and his son and Theo have continued to give their best to improve our nation's situation.”
Seraphina watched her while she spoke. When the concubine finished, she replied in the typical aloof tone she normally had when she talked in public. “I did not ask for that much information.”
Blanche fiddled her fingers behind her back. “I'm sorry.” Maybe she had been too eager to share what she had learned from Leon recently.
But the empress shook her head. “There is no reason to apologize for knowledge. But I see that this sort of question does not faze you. Let's add two short ones. What caused the fourth empress' death, and how many years ago did Ocrea split?”
The concubine tried to keep her expression neutral as the other woman asked for a specific date, but when she heard the rest, she was relieved. All of those were the most basic questions. Even when she struggled with the time frames, she did know about the royal family's greatest mystery and the war that had troubled their neighbors. “The empress was poisoned with something that is still unknown today. The poison had to have been put onto her utensils or at the edge of her glass since her food was safe. Ocrea's civil war happen forty-two years ago, and afterward, the nation split.”
The empress slowly nodded. “Good. It seems like he expected this.” She let her stoic mask drop at that point. “It almost upsets me how strategically he was planning all of this.” The traces of anger quickly disappeared off her face though. “But I feel like it might have been a good decision to start this early. Your lessons certainly did help you. Since when did you take them?”
Blanche had to pause for a moment to think about that for a moment. “I think Leon started giving my lessons when Lady Lemares left. He barely had any time back then, so I rarely saw him, but now we almost have lessons every day.”
Seraphina's expression darkened at that. “That was ten months ago. Are you really telling me that he decided that back then?” She covered her face with her hand and took a deep breath before speaking up in a softer voice. “You can come closer. You don't need to stand at the other end of the plaza.”
The concubine slowly complied with the request. She walked forward and stopped in front of the empress, who patted the spot beside her. Blanche sat down at some distance from the other woman and watched her from the corner of her eyes. She wasn't sure where this conversation was headed, and she worried.
She felt like something important might happen today.
The heroine wasn't crying at the moment, but her eyes were still wet with tears. She stared at the rose arch for a moment before turning to the concubine. “I am surprised that you didn't notice it yet. I assumed that you would be overjoyed by this development, but well...” She paused for a few seconds and turned away again. She was silent for a while before speaking up without looking at the other woman. “I dreamed about the grave again today. I didn't have a nightmare for the past weeks and just skipped drinking the tea for one night. And immediately, I was greeted by something that will haunt me for weeks. I am pretty sure that this is because I keep ignoring others' advice to continuously drink my tea.”
Blanche watched the empress and waited for her to resume. When that didn't happen, she opened her mouth. “If you want to, you can tell me again. Of course, you don't have to though.”
Seraphina let her wait for a moment before replying. “I already told you the first part. Then I can also add the second.” She moved around on the edge of the fountain and pressed her palms onto the cool stone before continuing. “It began with me sitting in my room while crying. I don't know why, but I was devastated. My maids were consoling me despite me just not calming down. But then some servant came and brought the news that there was a fight. I immediately jumped up and ran into the forest. I could barely breathe and focus on where I was going, but my feet brought me to that glade. There were two men there. One of them was holding a bloody sword and stood next to the other one, who was lying on the floor. The victim was definitely in pain, but he was smiling.”
That didn't sound like a pleasant scene. In fact, that situation sounded so terrible that it made Blanche shiver unwillingly. She averted her eyes quickly and only forced herself to look back a moment later.
The empress paused and stared into the distance. Her eyes were full of sadness while she continued. “That man on the ground... He was resting on the grave and reached for the name that was inscribed on the stone with a bright smile. But for some reason, I wasn't surprised. Because I knew that both the murderer and the victim had given up on life long ago. The victim was overjoyed to finally die, and the murderer was jealous as he stared down at the other man with nothing but hatred in his eyes. I ran to the victim's side and tried to help him. I called for help and told him to hold on. But he didn't pay attention to me. He shoved me away with so much force that I crashed to the floor. He didn't care and reached for the grave as he whispered to the person that was buried there.”
Blanche had to close her eyes as she vividly imagined such a scene despite absolutely not wishing to do so.
Seraphina was silent for another moment before continuing. Her voice cracked a little as she spoke. “I think he said he loved that person and that he wanted to be with them if he had a chance. And he apologized. He repeated that over and over again and apologized in between saying how much he adored them. For some reason, that broke my heart. He died without looking at me a single time. And I just sat there and cried while the murderer gave the victim a cold look. He said that the other man didn't deserve the sweet release that death offered. Then he turned to me and claimed that he should kill me too but that living with the knowledge that I ruined the life of us four, whomever that may refer to, would be harder. And he promised that he would crush everyone I love and make me suffer until the end of my life so that he could get revenge. Then he left and returned to the palace with no one stopping him.” After the empress finished explaining, she began shivering for a second before forcing herself to keep still. “That was horrible. I don't know why, but that was the worst one yet. Even though I could barely make out anything in that dream.”
What a nightmare.
Even the description was enough to make Blanche more than unwell. She shook herself as she had to gather her strength to reply.
Blanche waited for a bit longer to make sure that the other woman wasn't trying to add something. Then she spoke up in a soft voice, even though she still felt like her tone might not have been friendly enough when the very topic somehow made her chest hurt. “I can imagine that being awful. Even if you don't know who that was, seeing another person die is terrible.” She vaguely remembered experiencing that in real life, so she understood why the empress was taken aback by that nightmare. “I can only recommend you keep drinking your tea daily from now on. Regarding your dream, I would like to help you too, but there is little I can do. But maybe it would help to visit the glade again. After all, there is no grave there, and you can remind yourself of that. You never were at fault for someone's harm, not to mention their death. So, you don't have to blame yourself. You never ruined anyone's life either. I believe that you may have saved a couple of lives with your ideas though. You always tried your best to prevent any conflicts and wanted to make sure that the citizens were doing as well as possible. If you were a bad person, almost everyone in this nation would be too.” She shouldn't feel so dishonest while saying that, but at least her words came across properly.
Seraphina let out a quiet chuckle, but it sounded more bitter than anything. “I still find it strange that you are the one cheering me up.” She paused again, lowering her gaze and then just sitting there and staring straight ahead. “Did you know that my brother has similar nightmares to mine? He said that he dreamed about meeting someone and confessing that he lied to them. That caused the other person to break down completely before they tried to kill me and aimed a sword at my neck. He also told me about a dream in which he wanted to apologize to someone in prison, who only asked if he was happy with destroying their life for my satisfaction. I don't know why we are both dreaming such things, but we feel incredibly guilty. At least he didn't have nightmares after drinking that tea anymore. So, I guess I will have to start forcing myself each day.” The empress was silent for a moment before turning to the concubine and looking directly into her eyes, changing the topic repeatedly again. “I remembered the incident after which His Majesty started hating me, by the way.”
Blanche almost jolted at the sudden interjection. “You do?” Her voice was more high-pitched than usual as she felt her stomach churn. She was extremely nervous when it came to this without knowing why. One half of her wanted to know about this, but the other half hated that thought. She didn't know why she didn't want to hear it. But she forced herself to ask anyway. “What was it?”
Seraphina gazed into her eyes and let her wait for a while. “I know the time now, but not the action. Do you think I did something that made him mad?”