The carriage ride back to the palace had been full of cuddling and love confessions. Blanche was content just resting her head on her husband's chest and gladly talked to him the whole time. She was still euphoric because of their wedding and couldn't keep herself from smiling for even a single moment.
When they arrived at the palace and needed to change for the coronation, her panic came back though. Maybe it was because she wore such a lavish dress in the royal colors with a navy velvet cape and a sash. Her attire was definitely one an empress would wear, even more so than usual, and that made her understand how serious this was. She gave her best to push away the underlying worries about whether she was even competent enough to deal with politics and being the most powerful woman in the nation. But it was rather hard.
Even when she stood next to Theodore, who was dressed up with as many symbols of influence as she was. The only difference was that he wore a crown. Not just some crown but the main one. The family heirloom of the Estien household, which every emperor wore for the most special occasions.
And in just a few minutes, Blanche would have the exemplar for the empress on her head. No matter how much she thought about it, it was ridiculous. She shifted her weight from one leg to the other and let out the dozenth sigh of the past minutes.
Her lover gave her an encouraging smile and patted her hand. “I know how you feel. It was horrible for me during my coronation too, even though I was raised as the crown prince and used to attention from the public. But you have me by your side now, so it will be fine. I will lead you through the whole ceremony. It's not even that long, so you can relax as soon as we put the crown on your head. Before that, I will just talk about how much I love you for a while. That isn't boring to listen to, right?”
Blanche would like to say that this calmed her, but that unfortunately wasn't the case. “I have to admit that I still don't feel very comfortable with this thought. Even if I adore hearing how much you love me, I won't feel calm at all. We won't be alone, you know? Every single noble from the capital is here and even some others. If I remember correctly, every important aristocrat of our nation will be present, right? You even bragged about that, so you can't deny it. And I have to step in front of them and claim that I will be the person that stands on top of their society. As a young woman that wasn't raised as the future ruler of Artias, I have to say that I'm worried. I need to stay strong from now on and always keep a dignified appearance in public to show that we deserve respect, but I'm already messing up now. How is that supposed to work?”
Theodore turned to her and raised an eyebrow. “Do you actually think that they will disrespect you if you show any weaknesses? You should know that that isn't true. I openly revealed how much I care for you countless times. Then I even carried you through the whole palace while you were unconscious. I can assure you that I didn't look dignified when all I could do was search for the doctor in a panic. There were a lot of incidents that included me not being as calm as I should have been, and no one dares to disrespect me. If anyone annoys you, just glare at them. If that doesn't help, ask if they want to insult the royal family. That shuts up most people. I'll deal with the rest.”
“I don't doubt that. But I will need to start relying on my own confidence more. I need to become a bit more...” She paused and searched for the right word. “Well, like a ruler. I want to be an empress that can actually stand up for herself and the nation. So, I will have to do some things by myself. If that is my goal, I will need to go through the coronation without breaking down though.” She showed him a nervous smile and took a deep breath.
It would be fine. She only had to do what she did during the last balls and accept the crown after swearing that she would do the best for the nation. It wasn't that hard at all. Telling herself that didn't calm her down much though.
Theodore seemed to notice that very quickly. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her nose before stroking over her head. “There is no need to be so nervous. I will be the one crowning you, so everything will go perfectly. If we bring this behind us, we only have six days of celebrations in front of us.” A smirk tugged at his lips. “And the wedding night, of course. You could just look forward to that if you want to distract yourself.”
Blanche let out a snort at that. “That will just keep me from focusing on the ceremony. I can't suddenly blush when you ask me whether I want to be your empress. But the idea is tempting.” She let her fingers trail over his collar. “This time, I don't have to drag you out, right? I can just leave with you without beginning a big fight with the Duremonts. Because you are legally mine too.”
Her lover let his lips brush over her forehead before replying. “Don't think about them during our wedding day. This is about us. And this time, everything is perfect. I will bring you out myself. I could also carry you if you want that. That may be more effective than us just silently leaving. And...” He caught her hand, pressed a kiss onto her fingertips and lowered their hands again while interlocking their fingers. “If you aren't careful, I might also insist on us leaving earlier because I can't wait. I don't mind that, but you may find that a bit embarrassing. So, don't smile at me too sweetly.”
Blanche grinned at him while trying to hide that she would sink into the floor in shame if he actually did that. “Then I already messed up, didn't I? I think I smiled at you the whole day already. But I can calm you. Do you think I can even feel embarrassed? I was the one that stole you during the last royal wedding in the most brazen way imaginable. Now I'm finally your lawful wife. So, it seems like my impudence paid off. Shouldn't I be even more insolent now if I want to obtain something?”
Theodore brought his hand to the back of her head. “Don't tempt me. I will not break my promise if I tell you that I will ask you to leave earlier with me today. But since I know very well how you would react if I...” He paused and continued in a whisper that made a shiver run down her spine. “Told them that I couldn't hold back anymore because my sweet wife is irresistible in great detail...” He spoke at a normal volume again. “I will force myself to endure it until the ball ends. I refuse to reveal how adorable you are to anyone else. You're all mine. I don't mind showing you that tonight, but we will have to be a little patient.”
When he pulled back, Blanche didn't know whether to be relieved or disappointed. Surely, it wasn't a good idea to kiss too passionately when they had to enter the ballroom in a moment, but she would have liked to tease her lover a bit. Especially since she knew that he would definitely return the favor later. But for now, it was probably better if they progressed with the event. Still, she wanted a small reward now.
Blanche gave him a peck before showing him a bright smile. “Then I guess that we have to deal with the exhaustion for a while. It's just a party without a determined ending, so it should be fine. It's not like some of the guests will probably drink until it's five o'clock in the morning. Do you want to wait until then, Theo? Can you really be patient until the early morning?”
Her lover shrugged. “I don't have to. They can go on for the whole week if they want to. But we don't need to be there too. We will retreat at midnight no matter what. Maybe even before that but not later. I refuse to give up our wedding night, but we still need to sleep a bit. Tomorrow, we will have a banquet, so we need to have recovered from today a little. And since my wife is very tired if she doesn't get enough sleep, we have to make sure that she goes to bed at some point.”
Blanche tapped his chest and looked up at him with a fake pout. “Whose fault is it that I go to sleep so late? It's yours. So, it's only right if you are the one that wakes me up too. You will need to take responsibility anyway.” She gave in to the urge to beam at him at this point. “Since it's our wedding night, it will be fine if I sleep less. Especially since we can stay in bed until noon if we want to. There is no need to worry about that. For now, we should focus on the ceremony. I don't want you to mess up because you got distracted by something. It would be nice if you didn't stutter during your speech because I will need to respond with a sentence that makes sense. But I have the feeling that you don't intend to stick to the norm anyway.”
Theodore replied without skipping a beat. “Obviously not. The past emperors just talked about how their wives needed to help them rule and how the empress is a loyal subject or something like that. I already made it clear that you are not inferior to me in any way, so I will not phrase it like that. I have my own ideas. Those are much more enjoyable, I can guarantee you that.”
Blanche was a bit skeptical. She might truly end up blushing if he talked about her for too long. She scanned his expression for a moment before replying. “I hope that you won't just repeat how much you love me again.”
“I will definitely do that.” Her lover pressed a kiss onto her forehead before grinning at her. “I want everyone to know that your place is at my side after all. I will clear out all misunderstandings today. Everyone will understand that you will be empress for as long as you want to. And they will find out about my plan of giving you the same amount of power the emperor has. You can look forward to seeing their reactions.” She didn't look forward to this at all. The nobles would definitely be shocked, but she would have to go through this now.
She sighed and patted her lover's arm. “I guess that worrying about that won't help us. So, we should go inside now. After all, I want to get it over with. We will just do it now before I can think about what could go wrong.”
Theodore leaned forward to give her another kiss. Then he let go of her for a moment to link their arms. “Your wish is my command. We will enter now.” He only needed to look at the servants by the door, and they immediately opened it for the couple.
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One of the guards quickly announced the arrival of the people that entered the room. “His Majesty, the emperor of Artias and his esteemed wife.”
The emperor gave off a calm aura as always and held his head high as they strode forward. The only difference to any other ball was that he was smiling much more brightly.
Blanche allowed herself to stare at him for a few seconds. If she reminded herself that Theodore was here, it should be fine. A smile automatically formed on her lips as well, and she matched his pace while trying to imitate him. She needed to keep her posture straight and walk without tripping or looking to the side. Even if the temptation to catch a glimpse of the nobles was big, she gave her best to seem as majestic as possible.
Despite that, she already noticed how full the ballroom was. She would even claim that she hadn't ever seen so many people here. Still, the guests all made way for the couple and bowed to them.
Theodore led her toward the platform with the thrones, and as usual, they climbed up the stairs. This time, they didn't sit down though. Instead, they stood in front of a servant that carried a grand pillow with the most important family heirloom of the Estiens. The crown was made from gold with countless sapphires being implanted into the frame and navy velvet that adorned the inside. It had to be extremely heavy, so Blanche didn't envy that servant as he had to hold it for so long.
Only thinking about how she would have to balance that thing on her head in a while gave Blanche a headache. The last crown she had worn had been lighter, so she wasn't prepared at all. What if she collapsed under the weight all of a sudden? Thankfully, she couldn't worry for long.
The emperor already spoke up. “It is a grand honor to be able to welcome you to such a joyful occasion. We thank every last one of us for coming here and attending our wedding as well as the coronation. I believe that we have waited long enough, so that there is no need to draw it out much further. I would like to ensure that Artias has a wonderful empress in just a few minutes. So, I will begin the ceremony now.”
Of course, no one complained about that.
Theodore seemed content with that and gave his lover a smile as he turned to her. “As my one and only wife, Blanche Estien has the right to become the lawful empress of Artias. She will be the most powerful woman in this nation and thus share a great number of responsibilities with me. I can personally vouch for her interest in Artias' safety and her desire to improve our nation along with me. Since I am of the utmost conviction that she is competent and very much capable of ruling our country by my side as my empress, I wish to hold the ceremony that will grant her that title now.”
He looked into her eyes, which made it seem like the part during which he would address her followed now. This theoretically meant that she would have to kneel down to him so that he could set the crown on her head later. But her lover not only didn't tell her to kneel, he also took her hands into his as she attempted to stick to that tradition at least. It seemed like they wouldn't do a normal ceremony then.
Blanche should have expected that when he told her that he wanted to make clear that they were equal. She heard the murmur that went through the crowd at that and gave her best to ignore it.
Theodore beamed at her as he began speaking again. “It was only a matter of time until you would receive this position. It was clear from the very moment that we met that you are the only person that can stand by my side. Now we came this far, and you are where you belong. Right next to me. You have been my lover and loyal companion for a long time. You were the person that gave me the most strength and always supported me. As the years passed, you helped me both in my private life and as the emperor. You even developed a law that improved our political situation tremendously and revised countless contracts with me during the past months. You hosted balls with me and organized them as well. You already fulfilled all the tasks that are due to the empress, so it is time to grant you the official title.” He gave her a soft smile, which was only meant for her and made her heart skip a beat. “I love you with all of my heart and wish to have you with me for the rest of my life. You are my wife, whom I adore more than anyone could imagine, and now only one thing is missing. This is why I wish to ask you this. Will you, Blanche Estien, stand at my side as my equal partner and lead the nation into a better future as my empress?”
It was understandable that the crowd began to murmur at that once again. Normally, an emperor would never mention his personal feelings during the coronation. It was always made clear that the ruler was more powerful than his wife to the point at which she would kneel and swear to be his loyal subject.
But as expected, Theodore wouldn't have any of that. He had even called Blanche an equal partner when the empress never had been seen like this in comparison to the almighty and untouchable emperor. He probably destroyed even more traditions with this than he had during the wedding, but what else should happen when such a stubborn person came to a conclusion?
Blanche definitely didn't feel the need to revise these statements. She was happy with being treated as an equal. She had always been equal in their relationship, so it shouldn't be any different now either.
Blanche gave her lover a radiant smile as she replied. “Yes. I wish to be with you in all situations that may arise. I want to support you and the nation of Artias so that our citizens may live the best life possible. That is why I wish to accept this responsibility.”
Theodore mirrored her expression as he stroked over her hands. “Thank you, my angel.” That pet name hadn't been necessary, but no one would dare to complain. The emperor led his lover to the thrones and, to her confusion, asked her to sit down in a whisper.
Blanche wasn't sure what he wished to accomplish with this, but she would need to go through with it. Only then it dawned upon her that he might have wished to make it easier to carry the heavy crown for her. Or he just didn't want her to bow to him in any way.
In any case, Theodore gestured to the servant, who brought the crown over to him, and took the crown to lift it between his hands. He turned to the guests and spoke in a voice that was dripping with confidence. “Today, all of you shall be witness to this coronation so that you will remember whom your loyalty belongs to. I, Theodore Estien, the emperor of Artias, will use the power that has been granted to me as the ruler of this nation to crown my wife, Blanche Estien, to be my empress. If anyone wishes to voice their concerns or doubts, they may do so but will need to take responsibility in case that their words are careless.”
Normally, the emperor would allow his citizens to express their concerns now. In reality, no one ever spoke to attack the possible empress, but the question was still asked. But making it into a threat hadn't been part of the goal.
As expected, no one even dared to move after that.
Theodore was obviously satisfied with this. He turned around to his lover and stepped to the side of her throne. He gave her an encouraging smile before he whispered to her. “Unfortunately, this is a bit heavy. Please hold on for a while.”
Blanche immediately straightened her posture at that and stared into the distance. It felt like her heart was jumping around in her rib cage, and she barely managed to keep her fingers from digging into the armrests. This was definitely too nerve-wracking, but she gave her best to smile. “I will do my best.”
Her lover was quick to notice her tension. He tugged a strand of alabaster-colored hair behind her ear and used that chance to stroke over her head in an affectionate manner before he whispered again. “Everything will be fine. I'm here to prove that you own my heart and are the most powerful person in this nation.” Then he raised his voice so that the guests could hear him too. “From now on, Blanche Estien shall be known as Artias' empress, the only person that could ever rival the emperor's power. I will now grant you the crown of the Estien family that may prove your position to anyone that doubts my words.” Once again, he had twisted the words so that the empress' position wasn't defined as being less powerful than the emperor's one.
But Blanche had no chance to think about that when the most important part already followed.
Theodore gently set down the crown on her head. He made sure to let go slowly so that she could get accustomed to the new sensation.
Blanche was pleasantly surprised until she noticed that it hadn't been the whole weight yet.
When her lover completely let go, she almost winced and asked herself why in the world someone would create something so heavy to wear on your head. Unfortunately, an answer would not help her. She could curse the jeweler that made this crown, but it wasn't logical to condemn a poor person that lived a few hundred years ago and had just wanted to obey the orders of the royal family. Still, it was almost ridiculous how anyone could value looks over keeping his head intact when it came to a crown.
Blanche gave her best to keep her expression from showing her emotions. She would just focus on this being her wedding day and beam because of her happiness instead of complaining. She had to voice her vow to Artias anyway, so she at least had something to do. Upon gazing at the guests, she almost lost all confidence again, but she didn't allow herself to yield. She had repeated this even more often than her wedding vows. She would definitely be able to do it.
Blanche took a deep breath before speaking up. “I am honored to receive such an important position. I will not disappoint the trust that has been put in me. I, Blanche Estien, the empress of Artias, swear to act with our nation's best interest in mind. As the most powerful woman in this nation, I will protect the citizens of our country and strive to improve whatever I can. I will be our emperor's partner and support him in all of his endeavors so that he as well as our nation shall flourish. I wish to express my gratitude for your unwavering loyalty to the royal family and ask you to aid us in the future as well. In return, we shall do our best to make Artias the most wonderful place for every single one of our citizens.”
When she finished, she would have liked to slouch her shoulders, but she needed to keep herself upright no matter what. After all, she shouldn't ruin the following scene.
Among the guests, three men and two women stepped forward. The three dukes and the two duchesses were the first ones to bow and curtsy while the rest of the nobles followed a moment later.
As the most influential person aside from the royal couple here, Henry spoke up. “Greetings to His and Her Majesty, the emperor and the empress of Artias. We, as loyal subjects to our nation and our citizens, once again pledge our loyalty to the royal family. May the Estien household continue to reign for the next centuries and bring as much prosperity to us as they did in the past.”
This was it. The ceremony was over now.
And suddenly, the concubine had become the empress. It was almost ridiculous how such a big change could happen in an instant, and yet, it had occurred just in this moment.
Blanche wanted to breathe out in relief at least before a movement in the corner of her eyes caught her attention. She immediately panicked and grabbed her lover's hands to get him to stand up. “What are you doing?”
Theodore gazed at her as if the emperor kneeling to someone was completely normal. He brought her hand to his cheek and gave her an innocent look. “I'm pledging my loyalty to you. Can't I, as your husband, do that?”
Blanche narrowed her eyes and whispered to him in an attempt to hide this incident even though everyone had to have seen already. “If you insist, you may do that later in our bedroom but not now. The emperor has to show his superiority at all times. You can't just kneel in front of someone.” She already knew that this wouldn't convince him, so she added an argument that had a greater chance of success. “Theo, you didn't want me bowing to you. Likewise, I don't want you to do this now.”
Her lover seemed to understand that at least. “Alright.”
He shattered her hopes immediately though.