“I remembered the incident after which His Majesty started hating me, by the way. I know the time now, but not the action. Do you think I did something that made him mad?” Seraphina's question was quite odd.
Blanche was a bit worried about saying something wrong, so she thought about it twice before beginning. “I can't imagine you doing anything that could upset him this much on purpose. I also believe that you would have noticed if one particular action was at fault. But I don't think that he would start...disliking someone for no reason either.”
“Indeed. But it seems like we were both wrong about that last part.” The empress turned to the rose arch to stare into the distance again. “He hated me ever since the attack on Duke Lamont's birthday. While we sat in the carriage and talked, everything was normal. But then at some point, we were cornered by mercenaries. Still, he even jumped in front of me to save my life and got hurt in the process. But then it happened. He didn't come to see me after that incident. And when I met him the next time, he rushed into my room to drag you away from me. I don't think you saw his gaze at that time. I told myself that it was because of the recent incident, but in reality, it might have been much more serious than that.” Seraphina almost looked like she saw the image in front of her inner eye and hated it. “When he came in and slammed the door open, he glared at us. I had never seen that expression on his face before, no matter how angry he was in a fight. For a moment, I really thought that he would kill me or execute my servants or something similar. But he just grabbed you and pulled you out while showing us that icy glare. After that, he never was that open again, but that must have been the moment when he started hating me. I still have no idea why though. He wouldn't despise me because he got hurt while protecting me, right?”
Blanche remembered exactly what the empress was talking about. Unfortunately, she also couldn't explain the circumstances. “I can't imagine that he would be so upset about that. But that incident... I know that he was strange after the attack. But that would be normal after almost being killed. Stella said that he looked like he survived a war.” In some way, that was true. Theodore had been through a lot in his life.
A small smile tugged at Seraphina's lips. “He does look like that on some occasions. I feel like he is as ruthless as one would be during a war. In some cases, that is a great attitude to defeat his enemies.” Her smile faded slowly. “But if he sees even his friends as enemies, there could be some serious issues. You will need to take care of him and try to remind him that not everyone is against him.”
The concubine nodded to herself even though the other woman wasn't looking at her. “I will do my best. But I feel like his judgment is much better than mine in that sense.”
“I don't think so. You seem to have a strong dislike for almost everyone that seems to be a bad person. The Vasquez family, their followers, His Majesty's family. All of them are extremely dangerous, and you managed to find that out rather quickly. You also revealed my aunt's plans before anyone could know about them. So, you could say that you are rather good at figuring out how people work.” That probably wasn't true.
Blanche only had the unfair advantage of having information from the future. Aside from that, she had merely decided that Theodore's enemies were her enemies. There wasn't anything special about it. The only ability she seemed to have was reading people's faces. “I may be able to guess what some people are feeling, but even that doesn't work all the time. The rest was based on information that I received from others.”
Seraphina turned to her and looked at her with a completely serious expression. “How is dealing with the information you are given less impressive? As long as you know whom to trust, it will be fine.” She lowered her gaze to the floor and began talking at a lower volume. “That you have people you can rely on around you is important. If you want to feel comfortable somewhere, you need to have some connections with those around you. By that, I mean that you will have to focus on others aside from His Majesty. Even if I can understand why you want to spend every single day with him. Now I do understand.” The empress took a deep breath before raising her head again. Now that sunlight was meeting her face again, the tears on her cheeks were visible as they glistered in the light. “I don't know if you noticed, but I keep trying to avoid the main issue. I need to say it at some point, but I can barely bring myself to do so.” Another tear rolled down her cheek. She reached up to wipe over her eyes.
Blanche would have liked to offer her a handkerchief, but she had nothing with her. So, her only choice was to try to console the other woman. “You don't have to if you don't want to. Sometimes, it's better to wait for a while to calm down before speaking about it. Even if it's important, you still have more than enough time to reveal it at some other point. There is no need to force yourself.” She knew that she had felt extremely relieved when Theodore had told her that.
But Seraphina only shook her head. “There is no need to postpone it when the answer is so very obvious.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she slowly turned to the concubine and resumed in a firm voice. “I love Linden. This is the first time that I ever felt something wonderful like this, and I never want to let go of it. So, there is only one option. For our sake and for yours as well. I will ask you to continue your lessons and do your best so that I will not regret it. I do have to say that I trust you enough to consider this, and it should be an honor for you. This means that you will need to work hard to prove that I was right to do this. Since I will...” She paused once more. “I will ask His Majesty to divorce me.”
Blanche could only blink at her.
Of all the imaginable things, she hadn't expected it like this. If the empress had taken a few weeks to make that decision, it wouldn't have been that surprising. But now Linden had only been gone for twenty minutes, and Seraphina was already proclaiming her love for him while finally ending the marriage she had clung to for so long.
The concubine didn't even know what to say. “You will...ask him to divorce you?” She hadn't meant to repeat the same words again, but her brain had refused to work correctly.
But Seraphina didn't seem to mind that. “I will. And since he hates me, he will certainly agree immediately. After all, he can get rid of me like this without enraging my family. If I officially proposed the divorce myself, there will be fewer issues. So, that means that I will finally sign that contract and that he can stop bothering me.”
Blanche turned her whole body to the other woman and almost lost her balance due to her sudden movement. “What do you mean by that?” She stared at the empress with wide eyes, but the heroine was completely calm.
“His Majesty handed me a piece of paper weeks ago. Those were divorce papers. He offered them to me about a dozen times by now with either a bright smile or a murderous glare depending on his mood and nothing in between. It was a rather effective way to keep me from visiting his office. And now it seems like I will finally sign it. He will be happy with that, and you can finally rest too. At the same time, I do not have to stay close to a man that despises me and clearly favors another woman.”
The concubine opened her mouth, but she was cut off immediately.
“Don't apologize. There is nothing faulty with this statement, and in the end, it was already destined to be like this from the very beginning. I should have realized the moment that I first met you and saw how he looked at you. There never was anyone else who received that look aside from you. It should have been clear, but love didn't mean much to me back then. I thought that I don't care about what His Majesty does in his free time as long as I am able to help him govern the nation. But disregarding both his and your feelings as well as mine was foolish.”
Blanche couldn't tear her eyes from the other woman's face. Even though Seraphina said such things, the empress was completely calm. The fact that Theodore had offered to divorce his wife already wasn't too shocking, but that the heroine accepted it this easily was unexpected. “But you were prepared to have this position since your birth. Will you really...give it away?”
The empress turned to the entrance of the plaza and scanned the people there while continuing. “It is true that no one would have expected this. Not even me. It's still a bit hard for me to believe it, but I feel refreshed after finally saying it. You cannot imagine how long I considered this decision. His Majesty absolutely despises me, so I should have been eager to leave the palace. It was stupid not to give in earlier, but the only reason I didn't was because of myself. There was a time in which I would have done anything to be empress.” Seraphina stared into the distance while speaking, seemingly without ever stopping to ponder her words. “Back then, I would have protected my position with every imaginable strategy because I believed that it would be the best for the nation. I was raised to become the wife of the most powerful man in the country and spent years preparing. I learned about etiquette, studied politics and economics. Even when others ridiculed me, I dealt with unpleasant people and kept a straight face. I did everything to be able to rule and help as many people as possible. To think that I would freely give up that position...” The corners of her lips lifted as she stared into nothingness with softness in her eyes. “My parents won't believe it.”
Blanche felt her mouth dry as she turned her gaze to the floor. Right now, she wasn't sure what was worse. Either it was the fact that Seraphina was seriously thinking about divorcing Theodore or the fact that the concubine didn't find it that overwhelming to get used to that thought. All of this meant so much for everyone within the palace and also for the whole nation. Had an empress ever divorced her husband before? Somehow, Blanche couldn't even remember the history of the Estien family right now despite having studied it for weeks.
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Seraphina's voice broke through the confusion in her head. “That is another interesting reaction. You aren't overjoyed nor do you taunt me. You seem shocked, but you aren't trying to stop me either.”
The concubine barely managed to force her mouth to respond. “I...” What exactly was she feeling right now? To some extent, she was ecstatic, but there was something else. She took a moment to sort the thoughts in her mind before speaking. “Of course, I am worried and surprised. This will cause a huge change for Artias. But this is your decision. It's your life, so I could never make that choice for you. No one can. Because you need to do what makes you happy. Since you are a person and not someone that lives for others.” And as much as she hated to admit it, she might be a bit happy at the prospect of the empress not being Theodore's wife anymore and leaving.
Seraphina replied with a nod. “That is what truly matters. Do you know that His Majesty told me that you made him into a real person? Before he met you, he only saw himself as the emperor, but ever since you've been with him, he felt like he was finally free to have his own ambitions and wishes.” She paused and made eye contact with the other woman before resuming. “I thought that it was ridiculous. It sounded like some sort of fairy tale, and from the very beginning, I didn't believe it. But then I spent time with Linden. And suddenly, I was questioning whether I should act like I would to please the aristocrats of this nation. Even if my feelings were clearly telling me one thing, my mind was saying the other one.” A faint smile formed on the empress' lips. “But then I remembered what my parents always told me. More than anything else, they wanted me to be happy. Being the empress and helping the nation flourish with my decisions fills me with joy even when I haven't been able to experience that for months. But even if I did have the chance to continue like before, it wouldn't compare to being with Linden. It's foolish to talk about true love after knowing him for a little over three weeks, but there is no other way to describe it. We fit each other perfectly. And that is why I cannot imagine being another man's wife any longer. Not when he loves someone and that woman has to watch me being called the one by his side even if that title doesn't hold any meaning.”
That was true. But Seraphina's future wasn't the only thing that was shaped by this decision.
Blanche was silent. She slowly lifted her hands and rubbed over her eyes as thousands of thoughts ran through her mind. The nation needed to have an empress, and if that position was vacant, others would try to claim it. There would be so many greedy hands that were grasping for power, and they would pressure Theodore. Knowing her stubborn lover, he would probably refuse. But even if he did, it would mean that he could never marry her since the first wife would become the empress.
And there was no way that he could ever consider making Blanche empress.
She paused at that thought and stiffened. Theodore wouldn't be that foolish and try to give the position of the most powerful woman in the nation to a commoner without political experience or support.
Right?
No, he definitely wouldn't.
That very thought was so ridiculous that a nervous chuckle escaped her throat. There was no way. The concubine rose to her feet and leaned down to reach the water to wet her hands with the cool liquid. She pressed her hands onto her face afterward in hopes that the cold water would calm her.
It didn't.
Blanche's heart was still pounding in her chest as she imagined what could happen in the future. Every option seemed horrible. She wouldn't be able to watch Theodore marry another woman without breaking her own heart in the process, but becoming the empress herself wasn't an option. So, there might not be one at all. Theoretically, it wasn't necessary as long as Blanche had children and one of them was named the royal heir. However, it was questionable whether the nobles would accept that.
And wasn't her Theo certainly foolish enough to try something insane like this?
The concubine reached down to slash another portion of water in her face. It still didn't make anything better and only wet her hair.
Seraphina, who had to have watched this for some time, spoke up at this point. “Getting sick will not help us in this situation either. It may not be too cold at the moment, but what you are doing is risky. You should return to the palace soon and get a towel.”
Blanche nodded, still without being able to process all the things in her head. “That might be a good idea.”
The empress scanned her for a moment before responding. “It is. Before you leave, I must ask one thing of you though. Do not tell His Majesty about this. I am not asking you to lie, but if he doesn't ask, don't address it. I am rather sure that he already knew about my decision before I did, and that is somewhat frustrating. But I will take care of it myself. After all, it will not go by too fast. Before we sign the documents, the supreme judge will get involved to make sure that everything is dealt with properly. It will take two months at least. So, you can relax for a while longer. But don't neglect your studies.”
The concubine just nodded again and stepped away from the fountain. “I won't. I...uhm....” She had no idea how to say goodbye after such a confusing conversation. Everything suddenly went too fast for her to keep up.
Seraphina showed her a little smile. “You may leave. I wish to stay alone for a bit longer. It is rare to see others here, which makes it quite a pleasant place to let go for once when everyone expects you to be perfect. Maybe it will be of use to you in the future too. Don't forget to take care of your hair. It's still wet.”
Blanche stared at the other woman for a little longer. She took a moment before faking a faint smile. “Take care of yourself too. It's fine to feel weak sometimes too, or you may break under the pressure of holding everything back.”
The empress gazed to the side. “I know. It's not about that though. I do not mind being weak at some point as long as I'm alone. I just hate crying. After a while, it hurts, and you can't breathe properly. So, I try to hold it back until I forget about it. But that will not work this time. I miss Linden already.” She swallowed and pressed her lips together as she lowered her head. She covered her mouth with her hand and closed her eyes. “Please ask a servant to get you a towel.” This was the kindest possible way to send someone away.
Blanche quickly hurried to comply. “Of course, Your Majesty. Have an....” Wishing her an enjoyable day would probably sound like a taunt, so she let it be. “I hope that you will feel better soon.” With that, she rushed to the rose arch and was about to step out. She stopped at the last second and turned around one more time. “I...would offer you my help if you ever need it. Goodbye.” She didn't want to say more than that and just prepared to leave.
Then she passed the maids by the entrance to the plaza and gave them a little smile. She greeted her companions in the same way before getting lost in her thoughts. Stella was curious enough to ask, but she kept quiet after looking at her mistress.
The concubine just wanted to do something to distract herself from thinking about all the trouble that would arise when the royal couple divorced. She almost couldn't believe that her lover truly had been right about Seraphina giving up her position. She didn't want to think about all the ladies that were suitable candidates to fill that vacant seat. But the more she tried to push away those thoughts, the more her mind forced her to think about them.
Thus, her heart skipped a beat when a pair of arms wrapped around her as soon as she left the labyrinth. She whipped her head up to see her lover beaming at her.
Theodore immediately leaned down to her and whispered in her ear. “Did you hear good news for us?” The way he looked at her almost made it seem like he already knew everything
But Blanche didn't complain. She wanted his certainty now. She wrapped her arms around him and leaned into his chest. “I have no idea what we will do now. All the options are awful.”
Her lover stroked over her hair and gently guided her to look at him. “I told you that everything will be fine, right? This will be our happy end without anyone else meddling. The only one for me is you. That is why there is only one choice for who will be-”
The concubine cut him off. “Don't say it. That's not... You know that it's not possible. I don't want to think about things like right now, please.” None of the options in the future would make them and the nobles happy. There would only be bad choices for them, and she hated thinking about that. She doubted that Theodore would accept another wife, but the other possibility would be the absence of an empress until the next ruler ascended to the throne. That was a horrible choice too and would cause the aristocrats to protest.
A small voice in her mind told her that her lover had something else in mind, but she didn't want to listen to that. Because there was no way that that was a valid option. She felt like everything around her was spinning already, and she didn't need even more confusion.
Thankfully, Theodore was kind enough to drop the subject. He allowed her to bury her face in his shoulder and patted her head while whispering to her. “It's alright. We have time. It will still take a while anyway. We need to focus on one thing after the other. And do you know what will come first in only two weeks?”
Blanche slowly shook her head without looking up.
Her lover brought his mouth directly next to her ear, and she could basically hear him grinning while he spoke. “Someone I care a lot about will celebrate their birthday soon. You couldn't have forgotten, could you?”
Of course, she hadn't forgotten. She just hadn't thought about that in a while. After all, they had had more than enough other problems during the past weeks. That's why she hadn't even considered pondering an event that Theodore would use to shower with gifts. He was undoubtedly planning it already, and she wouldn't have to do much at all.
Blanche paused at that thought and lifted her head to narrow her eyes at her lover. “During the last week, I saw many servants run around with boxes. I thought that they were packing our guests' items, but that might not have been the case. It was a bit strange that some of them ran to the ballroom, the third floor or just hid when they saw me. Don't tell me they weren't helping our guests.”
The emperor beamed at her. “Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't. I couldn't possibly know what all of our servants are doing at all times. It would be unfair to demand that of me, correct? So, you will have to wait two weeks and find out when your birthday approaches.”
Blanche held back a sigh and gave him a little smile. “I would like to remind you not to overdo it, but I feel like you will just ignore that again.”
“Exactly. No one in this world will keep me from pampering my lover, not even you. So, you can give up and focus on matters which don't include me being this stubborn. For example, you could tell me if there is something you want. I will make sure to bring it to you, no matter what it is. It can be the most expensive thing in the world or an action or anything else. Don't hold back.”
Frankly, Blanche didn't need anything. Now that Theodore would marry her and she would be his sole wife, she didn't have any wishes he needed to fulfill. She was also too uncreative to come up with anything else, so she decided to be honest.