“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.”
Camille's eyes had lit up for a moment, most likely because she had hoped for a reason that would allow her to attack the concubine, but now she was already disappointed. She didn't even try to hide her annoyance when she spoke up. “What? I was asking what she struggled with, and those are the only things you can come up with?”
Leon ignored her comment and just explained with a smile. “Lady Blanche has rather unsteady hands, which occasionally causes her to shake when she is concentrating on something. But since our empress will not have to dirty her own hands, it should be fine. She already embroidered a few times and managed to finish her work without too many accidents, so you needn't worry. The bigger issue is that she has trouble memorizing the exact dates of historical events unless they are extremely important. She knows about our national holidays and how they developed. She can read through countless documents and point out mistakes or contradictions and correct them quickly. She can also tell you exactly how the revolution around the year 1200 arose, but she cannot determine whether it started on the first day of the week or the weekend.” His smirk widened as he locked eyes with the dowager empress. “I assume that you know that though. After all, it is extremely important to memorize such a date since pulling out a book to confirm it would be impossible.” Pure mockery was dripping out of his voice while he said that.
He didn't even hide his disdain anymore.
Camille gritted her teeth, and the wrinkles on her forehead deepened even more. “You...must be joking, right? There is no way that this is the only thing that she can't do. Surely, she has no clue about the history of the royal family or about the trading routes in our nation.” She almost sounded a bit desperate when she said that.
Theodore had stayed quiet for long enough and spoke up at that moment. “To me, it seems like you are asking him to come up with something that you can use to criticize Blanche. That is just pitiful. After all, it shows that you have no real arguments against her. That doesn't make you look very dignified, does it?” He gazed at his mother with dismay while addressing his advisor. “Lord Astame, what would you say about this incident? Are there any reasons to question whether Blanche is capable of becoming the next empress?”
Leonard grinned at Camille before neutralizing his expression and speaking in a serious tone. “I will not question Lady Blanche's abilities. But I must address what Her Majesty, the dowager empress decided to do today. If I may speak honestly in front of all of our esteemed guests, I have to admit that this behavior was very unbecoming of a member of a royal family. I find it concerning that Her Majesty deemed it necessary to doubt the abilities of our future empress in front of all the people that will swear their loyalty to Lady Blanche after her coronation. Normally, the dowager empress should guide her successor, but it seems like this is not Her Majesty's intention. This is the second time that she wished to condemn Lady Blanche because of baseless accusations. Needless to say, this doesn't make it appear like Her Majesty is on your side.”
Camille narrowed her eyes at the secretary before whipping her head around to face Theodore. “That is not true!” She sounded much more nervous than before. Maybe the veil of anger that had been clouding her mind was slowly coming undone. Maybe she had realized that causing a scene would hurt her more than it would help anyone else. She turned to Leonard again in an attempt to make up for her mistakes. “If my questions made you feel that it was my intention to pressure you, you misunderstood me.” She immediately faced her son again after that. “I am merely pointing out the worries every single person here has, but they don't dare to voice them. We cannot have an empress that is completely incapable!”
Theodore frowned at her and replied in a freezing tone. “We have a narcissistic dowager empress with hysteria that tried to assassinate her own son a dozen times already while abusing the other. I think even an incapable empress would be better than that. But it seems like you didn't listen properly when we told you how capable Blanche is.”
In an instant, Camille's fury returned with much more force than before. “How can you say things like that, you tyrant? You are the one that murdered-” She was cut off by a person that was completely calm.
Seraphina took a step forward and curtsied before addressing the emperor. “May I ask for permission to speak up, Your Majesty?”
Theodore scanned her for a moment before agreeing. “If you deem your words to be necessary here, feel free to voice your opinion.”
Seraphina bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” With that, she turned to the guests and began in a confident tone that resembled the one she had always used in public even as the empress. “I would like to speak freely about this arrangement and how it came to be. It should not be surprising that I was aware of this for the past few weeks already. The first concern some people may have is what caused the divorce, and I can assure you that both His Majesty and I were deciding that this is for the better together. Lady Blanche did not get involved, and she did not force me out of the palace either. She did not treat me disrespectfully once even while the divorce was ongoing, and we have an amicable relationship. This should erase any doubt about her being similar to some of the rumors that have been circulating due to some unknowledgeable people's involvement.” She gazed to the side and made it clear that she was referring to Camille with that.
The dowager empress just became more upset, but she had no chance to interrupt.
Seraphina already folded her hands and continued to speak. “There also is no need to worry about Lady Blanche's education. Due to her background, I assumed that she might have to deal with many who would doubt that she has the legitimization to assist His Majesty in ruling the nation. So, I tested her. From history to economics and contemporary laws, everything was addressed at least once. I always asked her a question when we met, and her response was correct each time. I vow on my family name that I never informed her what I would ask her first, and still, she replied to every question with ease. Of course, this is only a sample, and I cannot guarantee that she memorized every bit of Artias' history or can name every member of the royal family. But it is not necessary for her to know that either. As long as she is able to help His Majesty and has a critical eye on Artias' development, her duties as the empress are fulfilled, which she should have proven to be capable of by supporting our emperor and assisting him in his office already.”
Blanche was a bit surprised to see that Seraphina spoke up for her. Certainly, the both of them had gotten along well for the past weeks, but defending your ex-husband's mistress, who had taken your position, required some self-control. The concubine was extremely thankful for that. She also felt a bit proud to be praised by the perfect empress, but she wouldn't admit that out loud. But this surprise wasn't the last one.
Only a few seconds passed before Henry stepped next to his daughter. “I would like to add something else too, Your Majesty.” He waited until Theodore gave him a sign with a wave of his hand before beginning. “Most of them may not be aware of what my daughter just hinted at, but every single one of the ministers can vouch for Lady Blanche too.” He paused for a moment to let the people whisper about that before continuing. “This requires a short explanation, but I am happy to reveal it to you. His Majesty did not inform us, but a couple of the last contracts weren't revised by him but by Lady Blanche. She has helped him with his duties in the office for over a month now. That means that the improved versions of many contracts have been written by her. That is undeniable proof that she is able to learn quickly and that she has accommodated to some of the tasks that His Majesty usually takes care of as well. Since assisting him is the duty of an empress, most concerns should be resolved with this.”
Theodore let him finish before adding something. “It is true that she helped me with many things. This doesn't just apply to coming up with that minister law, which tremendously improved the political stability of Artias, or correcting and sorting documents. That is a big part of my work, but she also took care of other things. She planned this ball herself while I was just trailing behind her. You should have already noticed that the decorations are a bit more nuanced and that her signature was on the invitations, which are signs of her involvement. Planning events is another of the empress' tasks. I do not think that you can criticize much here or in regard to her work in the office, so that should answer all questions. Blanche is very much suitable to be empress.” The emperor's eyes were full of resentment when he gazed at the dowager empress. “The only thing that is endangering her is the fact that there are some people that mock her for no reason. Looking down on commoners publicly is bad enough. But ignoring all of her accomplishments because it doesn't match with the image someone created inside their head is ridiculous. It also makes me question their sanity when they keep on insulting the woman I love despite me telling them that they will regret it.”
Camille was fuming, but she could do little about those words. If she spoke up again now, she only risked enraging the emperor even more. The Duremonts had already clearly positioned themselves on Blanche's side. That meant that Theodore's faction, and certainly the neutral one too because they wanted to avoid trouble, would agree with them. The dowager empress had few chances of actually doing something against the concubine if the biggest part of the nobles didn't dare to utter a single complaint. So, she stayed quiet and kept her anger to herself even if it was obvious that she was trembling with fury.
For a moment, it was silent before Leonard walked forward to the couple in the center of the room. He spoke up again in a serious tone. “It seems like the conclusion here is rather obvious. Much like last time, it seems like Lady Blanche was criticized for no reason while people looked down on her background. That people here deem commoners as unworthy even though we swore to protect all of our citizens is horrible, but I fear that the problem may have much deeper roots. Her Majesty, the dowager empress is known to be rather unhappy with Lady Blanche's presence here, even if no one can tell us why. In the past, that was unfavorable, but there wasn't a bigger problem than personal feuds. But now we all witnessed that Her Majesty attacked the future empress for the second time during a ball.” Leon looked around to make eye contact with some of the guests. “She comes here as a guest and then insults the mistress of the house. That is disrespectful enough, but she also does it in a way that could seriously stain Lady Blanche's reputation. Everyone knows that unjust accusations are not only careless phrases but can destroy a person's life. In this case, it is even worse because the future empress has been insulted. That is why I believe that, despite Her Majesty's status as a member of the royal family, a punishment may be in order.”
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Before the emperor could even reply, Camille already raised her voice. “You dare to attack me? I am the dowager empress. You cannot forbid me from stating the truth. Even if I did insult her, she is a commoner! There is no way that I can be criticized for this.”
Duke Duremont spoke up at that point, his expression quite stern. “Your Majesty, with all due respect. Lady Blanche is not a commoner. She is a baroness and part of the royal family. There is no need to deny that when everyone here knows.”
Camille lifted her chin while yelling back as she even seemed to forget to be polite to Henry. “Even so! I am the dowager empress. I could insult anyone within this nation, and no one could ever talk back to me! How dare you even criticize me?”
Leonard cleared his throat. “It seems like Her Majesty is feeling a bit unwell today. Stating things like that is very much problematic when the royal family has vowed to use their power for good and to not abuse it. It seems that she doesn't just see Lady Blanche as below her but also applies this to anyone that has a lower rank. Looking down on your citizens isn't a good trait, but there is little we can do about that. On the other hand, we have more than enough witnesses for this incident here. Her Majesty definitely insulted Lady Blanche a few times. I would even go so far as to see this as questioning His Majesty's judgment and ignoring his words. This could cause some problems if it was discussed in front of a court. Especially since-”
Camille didn't let him finish, but at least she didn't yell anymore. “What are you saying? I never voiced any insult that would justify making a trial out of this. Of course, you would blindly listen to your master, but going as far as to attack me is ridiculous! I refuse to accept being treated with so much disrespect. If someone is going to be put on trial, it will be you. It should be obvious that I, as the dowager empress, will not be charged for voicing my opinion and my worries about this nation.” She sounded much calmer now, but there was her fury was still rather obvious. Despite this, she was confident that she would win this argument. She stood there proudly without wasting a single thought of what could happen if she lost.
Theodore watched her with a cold gaze before speaking up. “I am not sure whether anyone here shares that opinion. If I had the right to decide, you would be dragged in front of a trial immediately. But the one you insulted is Blanche, so she will be the one to respond as well.”
The concubine had expected that already. Everyone's eyes were on her right now, so she had to speak clearly and come to a conclusion that the people would like. She would do her best to live up to their expectations. As an empress, she would have to be strict but not too much. After all, peace was the most important goal, at least officially.
So, deciding on a reply was quite important.
Luckily, Blanche had an idea though. She took a deep breath and then began. “Normally, I would have to insist on a trial because of this case and the one from my birthday. But right now, there is already the trial regarding the assassination attack and the one about what happened at the baby party of the Vasquez family. And I understand that your injury and the pain must stress you, and adding even more stress could lead to even more complications along with those stemming from your medicine. Since I do not wish to trouble you too much, I will do without a trial.” Blanche paused for a moment and looked right into the dowager empress' eyes. “But...” She waited a bit longer to raise the tension. “I have a condition. You have to apologize to the people you insulted. That would include many people. First of all, Theo, whom you deemed to be easy to manipulate even if he showed that this is not the case multiple times. You also owe Lord Astame an apology since you accused him of lying as well. Then you should apologize to the commoners of our nation for saying that all of them were uneducated and dirty, which you can do right now as well, while also correcting your words about being able to look down on all of our citizens. And in the end, I would like to receive an apology too. After all, you said very unkind things about me.”
Camille got more furious with each word. It almost seemed like a wonder that she listened until the very end before refuting. “I will not apologize for voicing my doubts about a horrible plan, and I will certainly not apologize to you either. Everyone here secretly thought the same things as me. They just didn't dare to speak up because they knew that His Majesty would react as ruthlessly as he did now. So, they kept quiet. Why would I be punished for telling the truth?” She seemed awfully confident that everyone would be on her side.
Theodore was silent for a short moment before he spoke up. “I was going to say that Blanche's idea was a wonderful way to keep you from being convicted of another case of slandering royalty. But it seems like it won't end that way. Because of your arrogance, you will throw away every chance of avoiding trouble. How unfortunate. Let me dampen your spirits again. If everyone inside this room agrees with you, we will forget that you attacked us. But I would guess that not a single person is on your side.”
The dowager empress lifted her chin and replied in a cold tone. “You are too arrogant. That will be your downfall at some point. There is no way that anyone here supports you if you try to put a woman like her onto the throne! Everyone here is as outraged as me, and I would ask them to speak up now.” Only now, she looked around and scanned the guests. For a moment, her confidence remained, but she quickly lost some of it.
It seemed like Camille finally noticed that the mood in the room wasn't in her favor. Most of the guests looked at her with barely veiled disdain. Of course, the nobles wouldn't be happy about supporting someone who had just had a hysteric episode and had insulted the emperor and the future empress in the process. The dowager empress had not only revealed that she looked down on her son and his fiancée and had given up her role as the betrayed mother. Camille had also made it very clear that she believed to have the right to insult whomever she wanted to insult. Few people would be happy about that, and now this would come back to punish her for her arrogance.
The dowager empress took a step back and looked around again.
No one raised their voice for her. Instead, they just glared at her with differing levels of disdain. She gritted her teeth and turned around her whole body to search for some people. The first person she made eye contact with was Seraphina, who just coldly watched her. Then Camille turned to Luciano, who didn't react either. That made her frown before she muttered something to herself. She took a moment before she straightened her posture again. “It seems like no one here dares to speak freely thanks to someone who insisted on defending his concubine no matter what. I will not allow him to punish any of you. Speak your mind. You can't truly wish to accept that woman as the empress.”
But she didn't receive a response. For a few more seconds, she gazed at the people around her before it seemed like she understood that she had lost.
And like always when she lost, she asked for her strongest weapon to clean up all of this for her.
Camille whipped her head to the side and gave her second son a cold look. “Cedar.” Her tone was freezing, which didn't make any sense when she was clearly asking for his help.
Cedar, who had silently stood a few steps away from Camille while crossing his arms, now met her gaze. And for a few seconds, he just stared back at her, his bright smile meeting Camille's grim expression.
For a moment, Blanche prayed that the prince wouldn't respond. There was no way that he would help his mother because she called for him, right? Just a few minutes ago, Camille had shoved him away in a rather harsh manner. The dowager empress had decided to do this alone despite Cedar's repeated requests to let it be. Why would her son need to assist now after she had messed everything up? She always ruined things and made him deal with it. Even the ever so patient prince would have to snap at some point.
But if the concubine was honest, she knew that Cedar would reply. There was no way that he had been raised in a way that would allow him to refuse. Conditioning a person since birth worked like a charm, and Blanche couldn't do anything about it, even if her heart ached a bit upon seeing that.
Cedar met Camille's gaze for a few more seconds, and then, as if they exchanged a silent battle, he stepped forward to stand next to his mother. He bowed to the emperor and began talking. “It seems like the mood has gone sour once again. We sincerely apologize for this situation. We are deeply sorry for causing a commotion during the ball and-”
Even though him talking until others listened was the best option, Camille cut him off, yelling once again even when Cedar hadn't caused any of this. “What are you doing? Don't apologize! Tell them that I don't deserve to be punished. I did nothing wrong.” It was almost sad how sure she was about this. She was so certain that she was in the right that she didn't even question it once.
But it was obvious that Cedar wouldn't be able to help her at all if she kept insisting on that. He smiled at her before replying in a soft voice, actually daring to talk back for once, probably just because he knew that it was the only option. “No, Mother. You insulted the future empress of Artias. It should be clear that you will need to apologize properly.” Maybe Blanche imagined it, but she could swear that a hint of annoyance seeped through his expression as he stared right at his mother.
Camille's eyes immediately widened as she was filled with anger, but her son kept her from exploding. He put his hand on his mother's shoulder and leaned to her to whisper. Whatever he said enraged the dowager empress and made her snap back in a whisper, but when Cedar corrected her numerous times, she kept her mouth shut and let him speak.
Cedar waited for a moment to ensure that his mother would stay silent. Then he turned to the thrones and began. “I am very much aware that this is an unforgivable incident and that you must have been deeply offended. There is nothing we can do about this now, no matter how much we wanted to. So, of course, the logical conclusion is that Mother will have to apologize to you. And of course, I agree with that.” The prince made a small pause that revealed that a catch would follow now. “But there is one special circumstance that explains her inconsiderate actions just now. I would ask you to be forgiving just this once because of that. As many of you already noticed, Mother was a bit more emotional than usual today. Of course, that isn't her normal personality.”
Now it started.
As always, Cedar managed to put on a perfect show and voiced lies without batting an eye while truly seeming like a concerned son. “There is a reason why she was so distracted during this whole ball. You are aware that her leg is sprained due to the horrible actions of the criminal that was arrested a short while ago, yes? Due to Mother's extreme pain, we didn't want to come here at all. But we didn't wish to miss out on this wonderful ball, so we gave her some stronger pain medicine. We hoped that she could endure the pain for the evening with that. The unfortunate part is that the medicine may have made her a bit drowsy. It also caused her to be more sensitive to light and sound, so she has been irritated and slightly short-tempered. That is the only reason why she acted like this today. She was emotional because we suddenly received the news of your planned marriage, and that must have overwhelmed her. She never meant to insult any of you, I can promise you that. So, please allow me to be audacious enough to ask you to see it in your generous hearts to forgive her just this once. After she sincerely apologized, of course.”
How many lies he had spouted just now. It was almost ridiculous.
Blanche considered letting her lover deal with it, but she reminded herself not to stay quiet. She had been insulted, so she had to speak up in response. She took a deep breath before beginning in a cold tone. “Just this once? Did I hear that correctly? Saying that when she already ruined my birthday party is a bit unreasonable. This is the second time that she dared to interrupt one of our balls to cause a scene and the second time she expects you to clean up the mess she made. Surely, I wish to forgive her, but hearing an endless amount of excuses is tiring. I do not want a reason, unless she can tell me why she hates me. What I want is an apology for my Theo, Lord Astame and me. Not from you, from your mother.”
Cedar nodded to her. “Of course. I understand that this incident must have hurt you greatly. As I said, we are truly sorry and regret that this happened deeply. Mother is going to apologize now.” He turned to the dowager empress. “Please, Mother. It is your turn. Please speak honestly about the pain medicine you received. Naturally, you didn't mean to offend anyone and only voiced your concerns out loud. That is what we can apologize for now as well.” It was painful to see how hard he was trying to save this lost situation despite seeming like he was at the end of his patience too. But none of this truly depended on him anymore.
Even if her son asked this of her, it seemed unclear whether Camille would bow her head enough for this.