Theodore didn't have to say much, but everything changed in an instant. “She will be my first and only wife, which will make her the empress of Artias.” Those were the words that made Blanche the official candidate to become empress as soon as she married him.
Most guests only bowed to them and accepted his judgment. Someone else was far more upset though.
Mere seconds passed after the announcement before Camille lost her temper.
The dowager empress was fuming and insisted on Cedar bringing her to the center of the room. She looked like she was more or less ignoring her pained leg because of her fury, which was the only thing steering her right now. “You...” Her voice was trembling with anger, but she was so loud that everyone could hear her. “How dare you? Marrying her is bad enough, but you want to make her empress? You are completely insane! Do you look down on the royal family and nobility that much? You are insulting every single one of our ancestors by daring to bring a dirty commoner here!” Seemingly, the empress' position was her weak spot. The possibility of a commoner having this position made her so hysterical that she could barely pull herself together. That was an ugly sight.
Blanche's hold on her lover tightened. Her first instinct told her to stay quiet and let Theodore handle this. But she only took a second to realize that this wouldn't work out. If she wanted to have the people's respect as their empress, she needed to speak up when she was insulted. She was often rather petty when she was alone with people she disliked. Now she had the rank that allowed her to speak her mind, and she would have to use it.
Blanche took a deep breath before beginning as loudly as she could without yelling. “You are awfully confident to raise your voice in the emperor's presence. You must think that you are in the right. But let me remind you of what I told you before. If you look down on commoners, you are looking down on the very people that work hard for our nation's wealth. You are looking down on the people whom you were supposed to protect. That is not a good sign regarding your ability to acknowledge the ones that are securing your position because they continuously back the royal family. We have their trust, and we shall never abuse it but give our all to pay them back for said trust. That is the very first paragraph describing the royal family in our constitution. To me, it doesn't sound like that matches your attitude.”
Camille's anger was still inflamed. Arguments wouldn't calm her down right now. In fact, the concubine talking back to her only served to enrage her. “How dare you speak to me like that, you lowly-”
Cedar interrupted her by stepping in front of her. “Mother, I really think that you need a drink to calm down. The pain is getting too strong again, right? I will bring you some wine.”
The dowager empress didn't pay any attention to that as she unkindly pushed her son to the side, which caused her to step on her injured leg. She hissed in pain but quickly focused on the discussion again. “You have some nerve criticizing me! You have no idea what it means to be responsible for the nation! You are lucky if you manage to recite a single line from the only book you ever touched. A commoner can't become empress!”
Blanche was unwillingly reminded of what her lover always said. So, she replied with even more confidence than before. “Have you ever read the constitution? I do not think that there is any rule regarding the social background of the empress. Until now, there may have been conventions among noble society, but there is no law that forbids any different customs. It would be good if you could stick to facts while trying to lead an argument. Aside from that, you also forgot something else. Your Majesty, I am not a commoner anymore. I was born as one, and I am not ashamed of that, but now I am a baroness. Theo gave me that title, and I doubt that you can ignore his decisions regarding this matter.”
Camille took another step forward and raised her hand to point at the concubine. “That title means nothing when this blinded fool is the one that gave it to you! It's nothing but an empty piece of paper, which can be ripped apart at any moment!”
“So is your marriage.” Blanche had wanted to keep quiet until the other woman finished, but she couldn't keep quiet. Soon after those words left her mouth, she needed to hold back from giggling upon seeing Camille's shock and quickly continued. “Someone becomes empress by marrying into the royal family, but if that contract was dissolved, you would lose that position in an instant. But no one looks down on the empress because of that. So, why does my title mean nothing when the ruler of our nation personally chose to give it to me?”
The dowager empress stepped forward, but she stopped pointing. Instead, she began to gesture around wildly. “Did you hear that? The empress' position is holy, and she dares to make fun of it! You cannot dirty it with someone like her!” It seemed like she tried to appeal to Theodore. Unsuccessfully, of course. “Can you really not think clearly right now and understand that she is only using you?”
No response followed.
Camille gritted her teeth and yelled even louder. “Didn't you hear me? Can't you give me a reply? Why are you ignoring me?”
Theodore watched her with a grim expression and so much hatred that it was a miracle that Camille hadn't gotten scared yet. He glared at her and replied in a cold voice. “It would be in your best interest if I didn't hear you. I doubt that a hysterical woman like you deserves a response. You will not listen to me anyway and continue to insult Blanche even though I warned you. Doing that isn't clever. It's not clever at all, Camille Estien.”
The dowager empress froze at the moment that he said her name, which wasn't surprising. His tone had been laced with so much poison that it might as well have been a curse. Still, she didn't give up on complaining even if she at least stopped yelling. “But you have to see this from an outsider's perspective! You took in this...this woman from the streets, divorced your wife for her, and now you want to make her empress? It's obvious that you can't be thinking logically. There is no way that someone like her can ever fill in that position!”
Blanche had acted strict for a while, and it had seemed like she wouldn't get too far with that at first. But one look around quickly proved that the people around them were on her side. Everyone here watched Camille with irritation. It was definitely helpful if your enemy acted like a maniac. Now the concubine could add to that and ensure that the others weren't just against the dowager empress but also supported Theodore's decision. There was no better way to do that than to gain some pity.
Blanche pressed her hand onto her heart and addressed Camille while reminding herself of her family. That was enough to make sure that she would sound sad. “Your Majesty. What have I done to make you see me like that? Have I truly seemed like nothing but a power-hungry manipulator to you? I never wished to make you dislike me. I always wanted you to welcome me into the family with open arms. I'm your future daughter-in-law. Can you truly not even give me a chance before condemning me?”
This plan worked out exactly like it was supposed to. In an instant, many seemed to gaze at Camille with even more skepticism.
But the most important part was that the dowager empress didn't handle such things well at all. Her face contorted with rage as she began shaking. “You...you arrogant little whore! You already offended me when we first met! You refused to bow to me, you-”
Cedar put his hands on her shoulder and whispered something to his mother. But his hand was slapped away, and for a moment, he just gazed at Camille as if he wanted to remind her that they were in public.
And then something that Blanche could never have hoped for happened. As Cedar tried to speak to Camille once more, she pushed him again. This time, Cedar, the oh-so perfect and indifferent prince, seemed to have enough. He raised his hands and stepped aside as if he wanted to signal that he would stay out of this. He didn't try to speak to his mother again and just smiled to himself as if he was struggling to hide his anger about his mother's foolish behavior.
That was perfect.
The prince was the one here that was truly good at talking and convincing others to believe them. If he stayed silent, the odds of Camille, who was way too furious to think clearly, winning were almost zero. Cedar didn't only help himself if he decided to distance himself from this situation.
Theodore already gazed at his mother with a look that would normally be directed at annoying insects. “I don't understand how you can keep up this frustrating behavior. You only remember the things that you want to remember. Don't you think that this is a little unfair? I'm pretty sure that I already told you that Blanche didn't bow to you because I said that she shouldn't. I did that to avoid conflicts. After all, you always used to get angry when Althea greeted you. Was that enough of an explanation? I hope so. Then I would like to ask you to lower your voice and at least pretend that you are sane and respect the emperor's and the empress' authority.”
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Camille balled her hands into fists and clenched her jaw with such force that it wouldn't have been surprising if she hurt her teeth. “What are you saying? You are the one that is ruining everything the empress is supposed to stand for by putting a dirty woman like her there!”
The emperor narrowed his eyes. “I told you to stop insulting Blanche.” His tone was cold enough to silence the dowager empress, but he wasn't done yet. “You keep insisting that I shouldn't make her empress without having a real reason. Maybe you should keep your personal judgment out of this. The only reason you hate her is that I love her with my whole heart. You probably also haven't given up on seeing her as Althea, and Blanche becoming empress would mean that she has a higher rank than you. Your fragile ego couldn't take that.”
Camille was completely overtaken by anger, which was a scary sight. She shook with wrath and seemed so unstable that one feared that she might have a heart attack. Admittedly, that wouldn't be too bad, but it would also gain her pity, which should be avoided. Luckily, the dowager empress didn't collapse and just continued to whine. “How dare you? This has nothing to do with that wretched woman who has been dead for years! It's not about my opinion either. No matter what anyone's personal opinion of that woman is, it is clear that she could never help our nation. She is lacking education, knowledge and manners. Her past behavior should have made that rather obvious. She was always known as the troublemaker among noble society!”
Blanche couldn't refute that, but she still had a response that could invalidate the other's argument. “I have to admit that my behavior was problematic in the past. But it is interesting to hear that you think that you can judge me. You have not left confinement for six years and only met me after I started to pay more attention to my surroundings. How can you come to a conclusion regarding my manners in the past if you never witnessed my public appearances for yourself?”
Before the other woman could respond, Theodore spoke up. “Aside from that, I doubt that you even cared to listen to the full stories. I can assure you that Blanche never got in trouble unless the other party involved did something disrespectful first. There are at least a hundred examples that come to my mind immediately. But you never cared to look into that, did you? You probably just liked that random rumors gave you a reason to hate a person you never met, just because she is my lover. I would also argue that you bringing up the past is ridiculous when you keep trying to invalidate everything that happened seven years ago. Aren't you the one that wants to forget the trial regarding the attack on me? You keep delaying the court sessions for no reason. If you are innocent, there is no need to-”
The dowager empress raised her voice again. “Don't distract me! Even if you'd ignore the past, which you can't, she still doesn't have the qualities of an empress. She will ruin everything!”
Theodore gazed at her with disgust and let out an exaggerated sigh before responding in a voice that was dripping with fury. “You never even took the time to have a proper conversation with her. What do you know? Aside from that, it would be impossible for even the vilest empress to ruin Artias as long as the emperor is there too. I mean, you didn't destroy our nation either.” He ignored how his mother gasped for air and just resumed. “Now that we are talking about you, we can just address some other things too. During Father's reign, you didn't do much, did you? You pushed all your work onto Cedar like the lazy person that you are. That is the most damage an empress can do. She simply doesn't touch politics. Even if Blanche did that, which she won't because she wishes to improve our country, nothing would happen. Do you understand that? You shouldn't talk about the qualities a ruler should possess either. Like I just said, you weren't the best example. You only did things that would signal your power and supported those that backed you when they requested something. And you, who interrupted a ball for the second time in succession, should be careful when it comes to scolding other's behavior too.”
The dowager empress was boiling by now. Her face was getting more red with each passing minute, and she began gesturing again. “How can you look down on me like that? I gave birth to you! I was born and raised under the prospect of becoming the next empress. I received the necessary education and etiquette training. I have the political and economical knowledge to lead the nation to a better future. She doesn't!”
It was getting painfully obvious that Camille wasn't just defending the royal family. She personally felt attacked by her son's decision to make a commoner empress, to let Blanche claim her former position. But while voicing her complaints, she unwillingly helped Blanche. After she pointed out each problem anyone could have and gave the concubine and Theodore a chance to refute them.
Blanche knew exactly how to argue. Her background might be lacking in comparison to the dowager empress', but she was the one in the right. So, she only had to speak calmly, and she would win this discussion. “It's interesting that Your Majesty claims to know so much about my education. I believe that you were not my teacher, who is the only one that could be sure whether I'm suitable or not.”
Camille glared at the other woman and clenched her jaw for a moment before responding. “No matter how skilled and experienced a teacher is, they cannot help you improve the knowledge that wasn't there to begin with. Why would a commoner have any basic skills that help you with dealing with politics or the economy? Even if His Majesty personally taught you, you wouldn't be any better than before. You're still a useless brat.”
Blanche almost had to smile when she saw how offended the guests looked upon hearing how the dowager empress just insulted someone in front of them. This was going perfectly. The concubine forced herself to seem a bit dejected instead of gleeful and replied in a manner that was supposed to seem like she felt wronged. “That is a bit disrespectful, Your Majesty. No person is useless, and just because you dislike me for some reason, that doesn't give you permission to insult me. Aside from the fact that this counts as slandering royalty, for which I could have you punished, I would like to address your common sense. Please do not unnecessarily reveal our bad relationship to the public. Other people may believe that you are trying to put me down if you keep this up.”
The dowager empress narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. This time, she came too close to the guards' liking, and four royal knights stood between her and the couple. She let out a huff at that and stepped back again, but she was still as aggressive as before. “You are so full of yourself. You keep talking and talking while keeping your head held up high even if everyone here knows that you are worth nothing. The only reason you are here is that Theodore is blind enough to-”
“Your Majesty.” No one had probably expected Seraphina to chime into the conversation. She had walked forward at some point and stopped next to the dowager empress while speaking in a calm voice. “While you are the second most powerful woman in this nation, there seems to be the need to remind you of this. Insulting the future empress will not do you any good. Should you not try to maintain an amicable relationship with your daughter-in-law instead of condemning her in front of all of her citizens? If you feel like Lady Blanche may not have as much experience as you do, you should offer your help and not deal with it like this. In case you worry about the empress' position, you should rather back her so that she can rule in a more secure manner instead of undermining her power. Upon wishing to express your doubts, you should have acknowledged that this should be done in private in a calm discussion as well.”
This was obviously a very polite way of telling the other woman to shut up, but it seemed like Camille didn't get that. For a moment, she just gritted her teeth, but then she remembered to hide her anger better. “You are correct, Lady Duremont. I should have been more composed from the very beginning. Thank you for the reminder.” She turned to the concubine again and narrowed her eyes in a manner that made it seem like she was emphasizing how much she looked down on her. “You claim that you aren't as uneducated as a commoner would be. How about you prove that to us then? You mentioned that someone was giving you lessons. Who is that teacher of yours?”
The dowager empress sounded so confident that it was clear that she planned on making fun of the person that was named. But now it would get amusing. It was almost a miracle that she hadn't understood that the man that was seen as one of the most intelligent nobles of the nation, who happened to be the one that had sprained her leg, was the concubine's teacher.
Blanche held back a smile as she replied. “I have no issue asking him to respond to your questions in person as he is present today. Would my teacher be so kind as to reveal himself?” She gazed at the secretary and hid her mouth behind her hand when she saw how the people's eyes followed hers.
It only took a short moment before her teacher moved. Leonard could barely hide the contemptuous smile that formed on his face as he stepped forward.
A murmur went through the crowd at that. Surely, it had to be surprising that the genius royal advisor had taken it upon himself to study with the emperor's mistress. That only secured that many more people would be on their side afterward, and Leon definitely had the motivation to crush Camille. He showed the dowager empress a smug grin while beginning. “Lady Blanche's teacher would be me. For those who do not know me, I will reintroduce myself. My name is Leonard Astame. I am His Majesty's advisor and have been by his side ever since the year of his coronation. For the last year, I have given Lady Blanche lessons, in which we covered every important matter that an empress should have knowledge about. I do not need to lie when I say that she mastered everything without issues due to her great interest in those subjects.”
Camille's anger flamed up when she saw the man that had hurt her without the slightest bit of regret. This development was extremely uncomfortable for her. She had no way to invalidate the accomplishments of the emperor's advisor. Still, she tried it. “Lord Astame, what a surprise. It is calming to see that a competent person took care of her. But at the same time, you have pledged your loyalty to His Majesty, which creates some questions. Can you even answer truthfully when he instructed you to do the opposite?”
Leon just smiled at her. “Of course, I can. I am free to speak my mind whenever I feel like it may be necessary. That is what an advisor is asked to do most of the time as that is what this position is here for. I can freely tell His Majesty if he has a horrible idea. But since I never argued against making Lady Blanche empress, you can rest assured that I deem her as qualified. She is a quick learner and is interested in most topics, so she can ask critical questions and bring up new ideas after short introductions. As I already said, she excels in history, politics, economy and etiquette, so there is no need to worry. I also worked with His Majesty and Lady Blanche in the office a few times now, and she is very much suitable to assist our ruler. She has no issues using her knowledge in practical situations.”
With every word, the dowager empress' face scrunched up more. She clenched her fists again and glared at the secretary, who returned a gleeful smirk. “That sounds a bit too good to be true, Lord Astame. Are you sure that you aren't exaggerating? Surely, a commoner without a prior education cannot simply jump into reading the most complicated books there are. There must be something she struggles with.”
Leonard bowed his head and spoke in a polite tone, but his grin destroyed the impression of him being docile and meek. “Those are rather personal topics since it is unfitting to address the weaknesses of the members of the royal family, but to ease your worries, I will be honest. I am not exaggerating in the slightest. Lady Blanche is a very intelligent young lady with revolutionary ideas. She proved that numerous times already, for example when she came up with the law that gave the ministers more liberties and power, which greatly improved our nation.” He ignored the murmur of the people and resumed calmly. “There isn't much else I can say about our lessons. We barely learn by using books since their information is outdated and reading them requires a lot of time. In most cases, I am the one that presents her new topics, and we discuss them together. That is much more efficient. Regarding your questions about whether she struggles with something...there is an answer. Her greatest weaknesses would be memorizing dates and performing tasks with her fingers that require great accuracy.”
Blanche had to stifle a laugh when she heard that. It was true that those were her two biggest issues, but she doubted that those would trouble her much if she wanted to become empress.