Blanche was sitting in Theodore's office the very next day. Once again, he was going through some documents with her and explained whatever she didn't understand. Most of their tasks were simple, but some laws had been phrased a bit strangely. To Blanche, it didn't make much sense why the constitution had to be written in the fanciest words their language possessed, but it seemed like the original version had been even worse centuries ago.
But more than that, the contracts of some merchants annoyed her. She never failed to comprehend a single thing that was written here, but there were more misspellings than sentences to be seen. That infuriated her more than it should.
Blanche fought the urge to correct the errors once more and fiddled with the pen in her hand. “I feel like we might have to improve our schools and increase the requirements for private tutors. If people like Lady Lemares teach others, our society will be ruined in ten years.” She shoved the contract away and took the next one before putting both of them in the same folder.
Theodore was much faster than she was, but he still rewarded her with a kiss when she finished her smaller stack. “I'm doing my best. We'll need to have a conversation with some teachers. Maybe it would be better to make all children learn how to read and write in general. A bit of mathematics can't hurt either.”
Blanche nodded. “Yes, please. That would be for the best. Though, I wouldn't blame young children for not having learned this when they had no chance to. It's a bit different for those rich merchants, who certainly have the means to buy dictionaries. I don't want to see things like this again.” She opened another folder and gestured to the worst example that consisted of as many spelling errors as words. “I will lose my mind if that man ever shows up here. The ministers have to be a moment away from insanity too. Can't you add a law that requires them to pay a bit more attention to what they write? A few errors aren't bad, but if I can't recognize the words he was referring to, it's pretty problematic. I'm about to tear this piece of paper apart to heal my aching eyes from this sight.”
Leon walked over the last steps to the desk and set down a tray. “Please don't destroy the documents that give us ownership of most of the mines in the south. We need the money if you want to continue being spoiled and eating this much. Here. I got you cookies in return. Apparently, your friend recovered and wanted to show his appreciation for your hard work. Of course, it was taste-tested already. I added hot chocolate milk, which should be enough to ease your mind.”
Blanche's mouth was already watering from looking at the tray. She was greeted by a plate with cookies with sprinkles and countless different flavors. She didn't need a second invitation before already devouring the first piece. It was delicious. She would have to thank Clark later too. She finished the cookie and drank a sip of the milk, which painted a wide smile on her face. “Thank you very much. It's delicious.”
Leon crossed his arms and leaned his hip against the table. “I certainly hope so. I'm not a maid, and still, I went out of my way to make this. Do you know that you eat a lot of unhealthy things? Most of the food you like is very sweet, so you should be careful there.”
Theodore reached over to the plate to feed his lover another cookie, which she gladly accepted. In the meantime, he raised an eyebrow at the secretary. “When I worked alone, I had to beg for even a bit of bread because someone insisted on not being my cook. And now you bring food here every day. I feel like you clearly favor someone over the other, which is a bit unfair. You keep giving her sweets and then complain about her eating them. I bet you also told Clark to bake something because you didn't want to go into the kitchen yourself but wanted to present cookies anyway. You probably bragged a bit about how hard Blanche works, and her friends immediately volunteered to make something.”
Leonard turned his head away and picked up the finished folders to bring them back to the storage room. “This is exactly why you don't get gifts. You complain about something instead of thanking me with a smile. From now on, I shouldn't bring you anything.” That contradicted the fact that he had brought a cup of milk for Theodore too, but no one pointed it out.
Blanche happily sipped on her drink while being extra careful not to dirty the desk or her chair, which had been placed on Theodore's left side. While drinking, she scanned the remaining amount of documents in front of her lover and quickly decided that she would take one or two more to finish for today. The emperor was faster than she could dream to be after all, and she didn't want to draw out his work time by taking longer than him. But she also wouldn't risk hurrying and spilling chocolate milk on important documents. So, she would drink first and read afterward.
She hadn't even finished her cup when Leon already returned from the storage room and spoke up. “I'm a bit surprised that that woman didn't spread rumors about Blanche being your fiancée among the nobles.”
The concubine could guess that he was referring to Camille, who had looked rather shocked upon hearing the news. She had also expected that their secret wouldn't stay secret for much longer after they told the Vasquez family and the dowager empress, but there weren't any rumors yet. She turned her head to Theodore.
Her lover grinned at her and pulled out a handkerchief to clean the corners of her mouth while he replied. “She doesn't want others to know. After all, this would mean that she not only has to get rid of the soon-to-be ex-empress but also my angel. That would cause more trouble for her. She probably hopes that she can kill me before we reveal the news. No one would dare to use her birthday party for an engagement announcement after all. But since that party won't be for her from the very beginning and she will only assume that it is, the issue is solved.”
Blanche understood the last part, but she was more concerned about the first half. “But I'm not your wife yet. So, wouldn't I not change a thing for the dowager empress? I wouldn't take over the nation if something happened to you. ”
Theodore glanced at her before focusing his eyes on the documents in front of him. “It's not the usual procedure, that is for certain. Unless the emperor wrote something specific in some contracts. Then he may also appoint other people as the temporary heirs after his death. They should only reign until the one that is next in line to the throne can take over, but in the worst case, that time is used to get rid of the family members that might have tried to harm the ruler. It doesn't sound very legal, but it happened often enough when some fathers didn't trust their eldest sons and wanted a relative to reign until the younger sons could. Of course, the same rules apply to fiancées. You only need a contract with both signatures and a royal decree.”
That almost sounded like there might be some paragraph in their engagement contract, which she hadn't read properly.
Blanche didn't dare to ask though. As long as she didn't know, she couldn't feel pressured. “I see. And it's really fine like this? I mean, I understand that the emperor is pretty powerful, but isn't this just a tool to get rid of people that you don't want to rule?”
“It is. As I said, some of the previous emperors had no desire to share power with anyone. So, a specific emperor and his successors wrote some rather interesting laws. Along with the fact that the ruler can freely dismiss ministers and ignore the law if he deems it necessary, that practically renders our whole constitution useless. But for some reason, most emperors didn't read the entirety and didn't notice that. We can only thank the gods for that, but at the same time, it is rather stupid. We'll have to change it at some point.”
Leonard cleared his throat and chimed in. “That is very interesting but not important right now. We have more pressing manners. For example, whether you will host a tea party within the next month or not.”
Blanche didn't feel addressed at first, but when both men expectantly looked at her, she froze. Why did he ask something like that? Why would she host a tea party? She hesitantly pointed at herself. “Me?”
The men nodded, which only made her worry even more.
She alternated between gazing at them before opening her mouth again. “Why would I? We barely have any tea parties unless there is a special occasion or we didn't have an event for a long time. But we will have the ball in a month, so there is no need for anything. The only exception would be the annual tea party the empress hosts for all ladies in the capital, and...” While she talked, she slowly realized why they had proposed that.
Blanche had to admit that it was odd. She remembered exactly how she had been sent away because of Evelyn during the last party, and now, a year later, she was asked to host such an event. She not only had no experience and would mess up because of her nervousness, but she also wasn't the empress. How could she host the empress' tea party without being the empress? That would be unthinkable. And it would remind her that the thought Blanche tried to push away so desperately might not just be a delusion.
Theodore wasn't joking about making her his empress, was he?
But even then, Blanche didn't have that role yet. It was mainly her fear of messing up, but she also told herself that this was the right thing to do and shook her head. “No way. I'm not hosting the empress' tea party. I'm neither the empress nor able to host any kind of event on my own.”
Theodore gently patted her head. “I wouldn't have recommended it to you either. The situation with our enemies is too tense. We don't need more events than necessary. It would be better to prepare everything for next year. Then I will help you with the preparation so that you can slowly get used to it. Hosting during the event isn't an issue, as we have seen during your birthday.”
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Apparently, her lover still didn't get it. Certainly, there wouldn't be an empress she could offend next year anymore, but there were still some problems. After all, Blanche was still confused by the fact that she was actually supposed to rule the nation at Theodore's side.
A small voice in the back of her mind told her to face reality, and she told it to shut up instead. Even if she was willing to carry such a huge responsibility, which was questionable, she couldn't take over such a position without the backing of nobles. And no one would accept a commoner on the throne. At least not unless Theodore just forced it to happen, like he had done it with everything recently. That would take a bit longer, so Blanche had time to prepare first.
The concubine just stared at her lover in silence before banning those thoughts. They had another year until then, so she didn't have to ponder it now. Maybe her mind would be clearer by then. “We'll talk about it at that point, alright? I...think I might be able to do it with some help, but...”
Just when Theodore replied with a nod, Leonard spoke up. “I think we'll have a visitor. The person we were expecting should arrive in a moment. Her heels are as loud as always.”
Blanche gave the secretary a confused look. “You surely seem more like a magician than a secretary on some occasions.”
Having good ears was one thing, but being able to hear things from a distance through a wall and a massive door was a bit strange. Surely, one could hear sound from the hallway since the emperor's voice also had to reach outside, but the volume was muffled a lot by the door. Being able to hear someone walk should be impossible.
Leonard gave her a little smile before he immediately went to a drawer and pulled out matches and a candle. He lit up a blue and a golden candle and placed them on the desk. It seemed like they planned on putting a royal seal on the contract to ensure that nothing could be reversed. That only made the concubine remember that this decision would be final. Her stomach churned, even though this change wouldn't even need her signature.
It was obvious that Seraphina was the one coming. And she could only bring one contract with her.
Theodore didn't seem like he was nervous at all despite this being his divorce. He just seemed annoyed. He narrowed his eyes for a moment, but his expression relaxed a bit. “Maybe she finally has the documents. Then we can sign them and get this over with. Finally.” He turned to his lover and gave her a smile before leaning forward and cupping her face. He kissed her before pulling back and extending his arms to her.
Blanche was skeptical regarding whether she should try to climb onto her lover's lap as soon as she heard that his wife would enter, but she didn't have much of a choice here. When Theodore wanted to cuddle her, she would use every second she got to enjoy his touch. She followed his invitation and shuffled around a bit to make herself comfortable.
The emperor hugged her waist to stabilize her and opened one of the drawers. He pulled out a pen, which he placed on the desk before leaning back while he spoke. “If she doesn't have the contract, I will seriously get mad. There is no need to draw out the inevitable, and I've waited for this ever since I regained my brain. It's been nine months. No, actually, it's been two years. My patience is running thin.”
Blanche almost couldn't believe that the divorce could happen now. Hadn't Seraphina spoken about a few days being left? That had been yesterday. Apparently, the empress wanted to speed up the process too. That might not be a bad idea. The concubine could see how impatient her lover was, just by observing him. For a moment, she watched how he tapped the pen onto the desk and gently put her hand on his. “Don't break the pen, or you won't be able to sign.” She waited until he stopped before resuming. “You're really upset with her, aren't you? She said that she has no idea what she did to anger you, but she assumes that it's been like this ever since the attack on Duke Lamont's birthday banquet.”
Theodore gritted his teeth and wrapped his arm around her. “She never knows. Because she is always the innocent victim that is only being hurt. She didn't change at all.” He said that with so much resentment in his voice that it was quite obvious that something bad had to have happened.
The concubine didn't speak up. Theodore had said that he needed some more time, and she would give it to him. One day, he would tell her about his secret, and she would wait for that day without pressuring him. Maybe he would be ready at some point, and maybe she would be ready then too.
But maybe a part of Blanche was happy to delay that conversation infinitely too. It was just a little voice in the back of her head that told her that not knowing some things might be better. Though, she doubted that she could stay blissfully unaware when hints of what she feared might be starting to arise in the back of her mind.
A knock sounded on the door, and a guard came in as soon as the emperor allowed him inside. “Her Majesty request a meeting. She brought the discussed documents.”
Theodore let out an exaggerated sign. “Finally.” He paused for a moment, which he was definitely doing on purpose, before continuing. “She may enter.”
The guard stepped out, and a moment later, Seraphina came inside. She showed her typical stoic expression and walked to the center of the room, where she waited until the guard left and closed the door. She even stayed at the same spot after that.
Theodore moved around some of the remaining documents and didn't even look up for the first few seconds. He took his time before slowly turning to the visitor. “You certainly took a while. Did you find any strange deals about selling your soul in the contract?”
The empress's expression didn't change even when she was greeted this coldly. “Good day, Your Majesty. The supreme judge reassured me that the contract is fine in every way. There is only one little change I asked him to make. I do not mind giving up on all of my privileges and leaving without receiving a single silver coin, but I would like more time. I need a month to fully prepare everything and inform my parents. That will take a while, so I would argue that this is necessary.”
Theodore narrowed his eyes at that. “That you even demand something while knowing what kind of mood I am in is brazen in itself. But I shall allow it one more time if that guarantees that I never have to see your face here again.”
Blanche almost flinched at the harsh tone of his voice. She put her hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. “Theo.” He was being unnecessarily mean to someone who would move out in a few weeks. They shouldn't risk ruining this when Seraphina was just about to give Theodore what he had wanted for so long.
The emperor looked down at her and stroked over her head while showing her a gaze filled with nothing but love. It was almost disturbing how quickly his mood changed when it came to his lover. He took a moment to smile at her before he lifted his eyes and glared at the empress again. “Bring the documents here and sign them.”
Seraphina's face revealed a slight hint of annoyance by now, but she didn't complain. “With pleasure.” She stepped forward to the desk and carefully placed two stacks on the table. “These are two copies of the same contract so that the both of us can keep one to avoid future difficulties. You may read through it once more. Lord Astame should already have confirmed that we only made one change though.”
Theodore shoved the pen over to the other side of the desk without showing much compassion. “I know. I don't have the time to read that again. Hurry up and sign.”
The empress probably fought the urge to roll her eyes, so she just took the pen and leaned forward to write on the first contract. Then she did the same with the second one. She barely finished when the emperor already pulled back the pages and wrote his signature with another pen.
It didn't take more than a few seconds, and still, it changed the whole noble society. Seraphina wasn't the empress anymore. She wasn't the most powerful woman in this nation and only the eldest daughter of the most influential duke. She wasn't a member of the Estien family anymore but would be addressed as a member of the Duremont household now.
And Seraphina wasn't Theodore's wife anymore.
Blanche's insides tingled at that, and slowly, the sensation spread through her whole body. Accepting that this was reality and not a dream was hard. She didn't know how to feel.
Was she shocked about Seraphina giving up the position that she had been supposed to have since her birth? Definitely.
Was she worried about Theodore's seemingly unexplained anger and about remembering why he was so hateful? Possibly.
And was she maybe a bit happy because her lover didn't have a wife anymore and because Seraphina would leave the palace? Blanche had to admit that this was true too.
Surely, Theodore had never had an interest in Seraphina, but knowing that Blanche would be his only wife, filled her with joy. Now she didn't have to feel bad about clinging to her lover anymore because she was allowed to do that even by aristocratic norms. She could finally say that he was hers in every way, including the legal one. Their marriage hadn't happened yet, but she was already his fiancée, and that filled her with bliss. The concubine had to hold back a smile at that and felt horrible about it.
Theodore was more vocal about his joy. He had a bright grin on his face and reached to his hip to pull up the pouch, which Blanche had gifted him for his birthday, and retrieved the ring with the royal crest from it. He blew out the golden candle before dripping some wax on both contracts and repeating the same with the blue candle. Then he put on the ring and pressed it onto the wax drops.
Like this, the royal seal appeared on the contracts, and the documents were basically untouchable. No one would be able to find a fault with them or complain about the contents in retrospect. Apparently, having secured this was the last thing the emperor had needed.
Theodore's smile widened even more, and he put the ring aside to rest his hand on his lover's cheeks instead. He pulled her closer to him and kissed her so passionately that she was completely out of breath by the time he moved away to give her a break.
Blanche thought that it was over at that point, but she received another kiss. She barely managed to keep up with Theodore when he added a third one too. When he started planting dozens of kisses onto her neck and collarbone, she slowly tried to stop him. It was absolutely unnecessary to do this in front of Seraphina. But her attempts to calm him down weren't successful. So, she tangled her fingers in his hair and just hoped that he would be less euphoric in a minute. It was a bit mean to act like this when his ex-wife was still here, but she couldn't do anything to contain her lover's joy right now.
Seraphina looked rather calm despite somehow being made fun of. She waited for a moment for the wax to cool before picking up her contract. “I did not expect you to be so trusting, especially since you always seem to think that I am plotting against you. I could have added something after Lord Astame checked the documents. I thought that you would read everything before signing. These documents cannot be changed now, so you might have brought your family in danger because of your impatient actions.”
Theodore's mood immediately deteriorated again, but he kept his smile upright. Only his eyes were much colder than before. “That wouldn't have happened. Do you know why? I can tear up and burn those contracts each time and get rid of witnesses if it's needed. Contacting the supreme judge and inquiring about everything he wrote was a bit easier though.”
Seraphina looked like she held back a sigh at that. “I can be relieved that the Duremont family is not your enemy. You changed quite a bit after that attack, Your Majesty.”
The emperor leaned backward and gazed at her with a mix of disgust and resentment. “I woke up. And I thank the gods for that each time. It made me remember what's really important after all. By the way, Lady Duremont. Will you not bow to the members of the royal family?” Now he was going a bit too far.
When that woman had entered the room, she had been empress, so she obviously hadn't lowered her head. Only a minute had passed, and everything was different now, but there was no reason to be so harsh.
Seraphina probably hadn't curtsied to anyone during the past two years, so she would have to get used to it again. Thus, it was surprising when she obeyed without a discussion. “I sincerely apologize for my insolence.” She made the most graceful curtsy the concubine had ever seen and waited for the emperor to tell her to rise. She had probably done that to avoid being scolded, but the words she was waiting for didn't follow.