Theodore's smirk already revealed that he wouldn't give in this easily. And as expected, he stayed on his knees while smiling up at his wife. “I would stand up for you, but now I'm already down here, so everyone saw. Then I can just finish what I wanted to do.” He gently stroked over Blanche's hands and led them to his face. He brushed his lips over her skin for a moment and looked up at her in a manner that made her heart skip a beat. Theodore only complied with her demand now and stood up after a few seconds of eye contact. Then he sat down on the throne beside her and reached over to hold her hand again.
Blanche almost would have liked to sink to the floor when she saw how the crowd reacted. It was easy to see that the nobles from the capital didn't seem all too surprised while the ones from outside stared at the couple as if they had been overwhelmed by that display. That was exactly why it was so worrisome.
The people that saw the couple often were already used to Theodore going this far. That meant that him slowly showing more affection in public had crushed all doubts about their relationship. Him regularly kissing her without reserve had worked out. No one that knew them found it strange anymore.
Blanche couldn't believe that such a reckless plan had actually created the outcome her lover had wished for. It was ridiculous.
Theodore just beamed at the uproar he had caused among the aristocrats from outside the capital and happily held her hand as if he was satisfied with the whole evening already. It was true that they didn't need to do much from now on, but a lot of small talk would follow. And the couple would receive gifts, which would require them to act overly happy each time. It would be frustrating after a short while.
But it wouldn't be that bad.
Blanche would find a way to manage. She had gotten through the worst part and didn't want to ruin her own mood by being pessimistic. She just had to remember that she was married to Theodore and her bright smile returned in an instant. It wouldn't be annoying as long as he stayed here and held her hand. It wasn't like the nobles were hostile either, so it should be fine. If the couple greeted one after the other now, they would be done in four hours at most, and then they would be able to walk around freely.
Blanche wasn't sure whether she wanted to sit around for such a long time with this heavy thing on her head, but she didn't have much of a choice. Still, she had to voice one complaint to her lover in a whisper. “For the next balls, I'm wearing the light one you gifted me instead. This crown is way too heavy.”
Theodore laughed quietly at that. “Why do you think did I gift the lighter one to you? I wanted to make sure that you had the choice. I didn't have it after all. When I was young, I always admired this crown, and you can't imagine how excited I was when my father allowed me to put it on once when I was twelve. I was so disappointed about it being this uncomfortable afterward. Still, I just accepted it and wore it all the time. I only came up with the idea of creating identical replicas that are lighter this year. I shouldn't have waited so long, but at least we can be more comfortable now. I will take the lighter one next time too.”
Blanche leaned her back against the backrest and let out a quiet sigh. “It's really good that you came up with lighter ones. I would die if I had to wear this thing for each ball. I feel like my skull is being crushed steadily. Is this-” She paused when she noticed that the guests were still watching them. “Theo, aren't you going to open the buffet and the dance floor?”
Her lover gave her a cheeky grin. “It's your day. You should have the honor of doing that. You just have to speak up like you did during your birthday ball.” He was right.
She would need to get used to this kind of thing. Speaking in public was important for an empress, so she had to do it more often. Blanche scanned the guests, and it was clear that all of them were still waiting for an instruction. So, she could immediately begin. “I wish all of you a wonderful afternoon on this joyous day. It is a great pleasure to see that so many people gathered here to celebrate with us. We are looking forward to speaking with all of you personally in a short while. For now, please feel free to test out the famous dishes of the royal chefs. They worked hard to ensure that you will only receive the most delicious meals that will certainly satisfy you if you care to try them. From now on, the orchestra will also play some music for us so that you may dance if you wish to do so. If anything troubles you, please do not hesitate to approach one of the servants of the royal palace. They will gladly aid you. We hope that you will enjoy this ball and the banquets that will follow during the next few days and once again thank you for your attendance. May the ball begin now.”
As soon as she finished, Blanche relaxed and let out a huff of air. She was actually rather thankful that she was done with this part now. Speaking to people in private would make her tense too since she felt pressured by her new position, but at least she didn't have to address the whole group for a while. That was certainly relieving.
Theodore grinned at her small noise and gently rubbed small patterns into the back of her hand. “You did wonderfully. As always. You don't have to be nervous at all, especially not when you don't even make any mistakes. I can promise you that you will start feeling more secure in just a little while.”
She returned the smile. “I hope so. I don't want to be so shaky each time before a ball. But I think that you are right. After all, I just need to get used to my new role and-” She cut herself off when she saw the Duremont family approaching them. “Our first guests are there.” She showed them a soft smile and spoke up louder. “We wish you a wonderful day, Your Graces.”
The emperor followed her gaze and waited for the people to bow or curtsy before he spoke up. “How could it not be a wonderful day? I believe no one would be unhappy during such a beautiful event. It is a pleasure to see you, Your Graces. I hope that the trip from the temple to the palace wasn't too stressful.”
For once, Henry didn't seem angry or upset. He was completely calm, which Blanche had never seen in her presence before. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty. The pleasure is all ours. As expected, the streets were a bit full due to many guests traveling from the capital to the royal palace and the people that wished to catch a glimpse of your wedding. But aside from that, there were no issues. We wish to voice our best regards about this wonderful event. Congratulations. May your union be blessed by the gods and bring peace and prosperity to Artias in return.”
Elaine used a short pause to speak up as well. “I could not have said it better. Naturally, we are overjoyed to have been invited to such a wonderful occasion and wish to congratulate you on your wedding. It was a touching ceremony, and the temple was as beautiful as always. It was refreshing to go there even if we only stayed for a short while. As my husband said, we did not have any problems during our trip here except for arriving a bit later than expected. But since we had some spare time before the ball, there was no trouble.”
Blanche showed them a soft smile and spoke up. “That is good to hear. We were a bit concerned because of the traffic in that part of the city. Thankfully, it seems like no carriage was stuck anywhere. We thank you for your best wishes. I am glad that the ceremony was to your liking as well. It was a bit different from normal, but we felt like change may be beneficial after a few decades.” In reality, the reason had been Theodore and Blanche wanting it more romantic, but they didn't have to admit that.
Duke Duremont remained absolutely calm even now after being addressed by her, which could only mean that he wasn't too upset with Blanche anymore. That was definitely a good thing. He kept a straight expression while responding. “Good afternoon, Your Majesty. It is indeed important to bring some change to old matters. Since this was your wedding, I would claim that your personal decision was much more important than that though. You merely planned a ceremony that you would enjoy, and there is nothing wrong with that. How could anyone dare to complain about the royal couple of Artias designing events at their own discretion? Even the coronation was a bit different, but there should not be any issues. Congratulations on becoming the nation's most powerful woman, Your Majesty.”
Blanche quickly found out about another thing she would need to get used to. Being called ‘Her Majesty’ certainly felt strange. For one, she simply wasn't used to it. But aside from that, she had always connected that title with Seraphina or Camille. She had to admit that she didn't truly wish to be too similar to either one of those, so suddenly using this title as well felt wrong. Especially since it was odd for her to be addressed as the most powerful woman of the nation all of a sudden. Just because Theodore had put some crown on her head, everything was different now. She couldn't deny that this felt weird.
But even so, Henry's calm greeting might be scarier than that. Hearing the duke speak to her without any resentment made her think that he was holding back with all his might, only so that he would explode later. Though she could imagine that Seraphina's absence made it much easier for him to accept the new empress, it still was a bit concerning. Blanche was used to the duke glaring at her after all.
That Elaine wasn't patting her husband's hand, which she always did to calm him down, was rather relieving. Seemingly, the duchess felt like Henry wasn't going to cause any problems, which was certainly a good thing. She greeted the empress with a bright smile as well. “There is no need to worry about the ceremony, Your Majesty. It was a breathtaking sight. Like each of the events of the royal family, it was pleasant to attend. Of course, we are convinced that the rest of the celebrations will be wonderful too.”
Blanche was content to hear that. It seemed like the Duremont family didn't hold any grudges against her. At least they didn't show them openly. That meant that she definitely didn't need to worry too much. After all, she had enough experience with small talk, so this should be fine. Even if she was the empress now, not much would change during such a conversation. She could just go on like last time during her birthday ball or during the engagement party.
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As expected, there were absolutely no new topics during the conversation, and the Duremonts mainly congratulated the couple and wished them and the nation a happy future. After a short chat, the presents were revealed. As usual, the family had chosen the gifts well. There were some helpful items for Theodore's office and a few pieces of jewelry for Blanche as well as some objects that were supposed to furnish her office later. She didn't point out that she would share the office with her lover and thus didn't need replicas of his utensils but stayed silent about this matter after thanking them for their gifts. It didn't take long before the Duremonts bid them farewell and disappeared among the crowd.
Only a few seconds after that, Theodore leaned over to her to whisper. “I'm pleasantly surprised by their behavior. They didn't bring up any topic that would dissatisfy me.” He didn't need to specify whom he was referring to.
That comment was enough to remind Blanche of something. She turned to him and replied in a quiet voice so that only he would hear her. “By the way, I just remembered. Lord Duremont gave me a small box earlier. Apparently, his sister wanted to hand over a present.”
Theodore's expression changed in an instant. It was almost scary how intimidating he suddenly looked just because she had mentioned a small gift. His expression revealed the wrath that was only reserved for Seraphina, and even his voice had gotten colder. “Did you open it already?”
She was slightly taken aback by the fact that he didn't even hide this in public and shook her head. “No, I had Darlene put it back in the dressing room before the ceremony.” The dressing room they hadn't visited afterward anymore. Blanche froze. “Ah. She might have forgotten it there too. Maybe it's still in the temple.”
That was enough to calm the emperor down a little, but he still narrowed his eyes. “Good. I don't trust that. There might be poison inside or something else that is harmful. I will have someone with more experience regarding such matters open it. They will tell us what was inside so that you can act like you accepted it. But we definitely won't keep it.” He didn't need to say that twice.
Blanche already agreed. While she didn't believe that the Seraphina from this world would do something that vile, she still remembered how that woman had been in that other timeline. In the past, Seraphina had always put the end goal above the means and hadn't had a problem crushing a person she deemed to be a danger to Artias. This had caused Blanche to end up being executed. If Seraphina, by any chance, remembered the alternative future as well, she might really try to harm her greatest rival. It wasn't likely, but being careful couldn't hurt.
So, Blanche just nodded at her lover. “I didn't intend to keep in the first place. But I will have to read the letter she sent and respond. I can do that after your professional took a look at it though.”
Theodore seemed content with that, but his expression remained a bit grimmer than before. “That is for the better. Even though I would love to just refrain from replying to her. If she congratulates us, I will definitely not see it as a genuine wish.”
Blanche gave him an encouraging smile and patted his hand. “But it should be fine as long as I just send back the usual response letter. You know... I will just thank her for her words and for the gift and buy some necklace for her. It should be fine, and you don't have to do a single thing. I can tell you if something strange was in the letter, so you don't even need to read it yourself.”
“You will have to do that. If I get this thing into my hands, I would burn it immediately. That will have to happen to the gift too. I'm not even this careful about my brother's congratulatory letter, which says a lot.” Theodore squeezed her hand and stared into the distance. He let out a low sigh and brought her hand to his lips to kiss her. “I can't believe I'm allowing something like this to ruin my mood during our wedding day. I promise that I won't mention it again. We'll focus on pleasant matters now.”
She just smiled at him and used the chance to stroke over his cheek. “It's fine. I was a bit worried too when Lord Duremont suddenly gave me that box. He says that his sister handed it to him before she departed though. She definitely didn't remember then, so it will be alright. By the way, he apologized for causing trouble in the past and even expressed his regret regarding his fight with Leon. You know how much they dislike each other. Maybe they can get over their childish grudge at some point.”
Her lover's expression relaxed a little when she changed the topic. He smiled back at her while leaning into her touch. “I doubt it. That man is a coward and does everything he is told. It's no wonder that Leon, who hates people that blindly follow others, wouldn't be able to like him. Especially since our dear advisor always stepped in to protect you whenever someone tried to cause trouble. It's a bit amusing how he tried to come up with reasons why he did that when the real reason was very obvious. I told you that he liked you from the very beginning, didn't I? So, of course, he would dislike the people that came to cause problems for you on a regular basis.” His smile faded away as he moved on to the next part though. “I should have been the one standing up for you then already. I-”
Blanche cut him off right there. “You won't apologize for that again. I already told you that it was important to pay attention to your relationship with the Duremonts. And you apologized a few times by now already too. My response won't change. I want you to drop that subject. I'm your wife now, remember? We don't have to worry about such things anymore.”
Theodore looked like he would insist on continuing this topic, but after a few seconds, his lips formed a soft smile. “That's right. My wife. My one and only. My angel.” He gave her a little kiss after voicing each title. At this point, she was actually worried that he would drop his crown if he kept leaning over to her. But pushing him away obviously wasn't an option, so she gladly accepted his kisses while keeping an eye on the crown.
This went on for a while until Blanche noticed that someone was standing in front of the thrones again. She quickly turned to them, which made her lover stop.
Luciano and Selena Vasquez had arrived. The duchess looked tired. That was the first thing that came to mind upon seeing them. The young duke didn't seem to be too relaxed either, but at least he managed to put on a somewhat convincing smile.
Blanche's thoughts immediately wandered to the incident a while ago. The Vasquez mansion had burned down, and Claude had died in that fire due to the dowager empress' plot. There was no way that the family had gotten over that in just two months. They still had to grieve. No matter how strained the relationship between them and the former duke had been, they would still feel some kind of connection to their late husband and father. She would have liked to address that and give them her condolences, but she wasn't sure whether this topic was suitable for her own coronation party. It wasn't really fitting. It would be better if she stayed silent about this for now.
Theodore greeted the two of them with a polite smile, but he didn't say anything. It seemed like he wanted to let the empress speak first, possibly to show that they had the same rank. He glanced at his lover to underline this.
Blanche held back a sigh and took over for him. “Good afternoon, Your Grace. It is an honor to see that you have decided to attend this ceremony. I sincerely hope that you are doing well at the time.”
Luciano bowed to the royal couple and showed a smile in return. “It is an honor for us to be allowed to attend. I sincerely thank you for inviting us to such a joyous occasion. I can assure you that there aren't too many issues at this point in time. Since this ball is not about us, it would be unfitting to talk about that. Congratulations on your marriage. It was a heartwarming ceremony. I will definitely not forget witnessing it for my whole life. I hope that the gods will bless your union and bring you happiness and posterity.”
Blanche beamed at him. “Thank you, Your Grace. It is pleasing to hear that others enjoyed the ceremony even though it was a bit special.” A part of her wanted to ask whether Luciano's burn wounds had fully healed, but she didn't dare to do that. He had said that he didn't wish to talk about that after all. So she addressed the other question in her mind. Before doing that, she quickly repeated the rules of nobility in her head. She still had to call Selena the duchess since Luciano had no wife yet, right? It should be like that. She forced herself to swallow her uncertainty and spoke up. “It is surprising to see you here, Your Grace. I expected you to stay home due to Rebecca's need for constant cuddling again. Were you able to calm her down today?”
It seemed like this title hadn't been wrong since Selena gave her a little smile, but it couldn't hide how tired she was. “It is a pleasure to be invited to this joyful celebration. Congratulations on your marriage and your coronation. May Your Majesty remain on the throne for many years to come and bring Artias a new decade full of peace. I could not refrain from attending this important event, so we needed to go out for a while despite Rebecca's unwillingness. We attempted to leave her in the guest room with some maids, but she did not seem to calm down. That is why we, unfortunately, had to cause some trouble by taking her along with us. She is currently sleeping, and her nursemaid takes care of her, but I will need to pacify her a bit as soon as she wakes up. I sincerely apologize for any noise that may occur once she opens her eyes. And I apologize for possibly leaving the ball earlier so that Rebecca can go to bed.”
Theodore greeted her with his unmoving polite smile as well. “Good afternoon, Your Graces. There is no need to worry about that. We do not mind. Naturally, Rebecca's health is more important than any celebration. You may take your leave whenever it becomes necessary. The same holds true for the rest of the week as well. We thank you for your regards.”
Luciano was the one that replied. “We thank you for your consideration regarding Rebecca. It is only normal for us to wish the royal couple the best for the future though. This coronation certainly will be known as a very special one among historians. Your Majesty, would it be alright for me to ask a question?” He looked at Theodore and continued when the emperor nodded. “I was merely curious. Your Majesty announced that Her Majesty would be your equal partner. You never were the type of person to speak carelessly. Did you hint at some of your future plans with that? Could it be connected to you wishing to allow women to succeed the family titles?”
Theodore grinned at that. “There isn't much to say about this matter. I definitely did not voice anything I didn't mean. I fully intend on strengthening the position of women in our society. Thus, I will need to start slowly and bring up laws that allow a person to lead a household regardless of gender. Naturally, that would apply to the royal family as well. So, a princess could also become empress without needing to marry anyone. That also means that the rank of the empress will be as powerful as the one of the emperor. This way our nation will be governed by two people at least, which could certainly help if we ever have a problematic emperor. But aside from that, I just want Blanche to take her rightful place by my side. I want her to be with me without her being asked to bow to anyone. So, it's only natural that I need to clarify my intentions from the very beginning.”
The empress almost expected a shocked reaction. For centuries, ever since Artias had been founded, the emperor had been the most powerful person in the nation. His wife had only been someone that was supposed to bear the heir and support him and not an equal ruler. Now Theodore suddenly tried to change that. It was obvious that some people would oppose this.
But at the same time, she had also expected that when he announced that he would make a commoner the empress. Apparently, no one had dared to refuse that, so it was questionable whether anyone would voice concerns about this too.
Still, she had believed that the nobles would wrinkle their noses at least. So, the reaction was unexpected.
Surprisingly, Luciano didn't seem to be too averse regarding this idea at all. He showed the couple a bright smile and spoke as if he truly didn't have a problem with this. “I understand. Then I know which kind of laws I can expect in the near future. It is good to hear that our emperor wishes to promote equality. It will be hard in the beginning, but it will pay off in the end. Once progress in our society begins, it will slowly spread throughout the whole nation. Our family will gladly support you in that endeavor.”
That was a bit surprising. Apparently, he seemed to be quite happy about that idea. Maybe that was related to him growing up with a mother that was forced to yield to whatever his father had said. Maybe this was just his personal opinion too.
Blanche wasn't certain, but she was happy to receive support from one of the ducal families for this matter for sure. Since Fiona wished to succeed the Lamont dukedom, the Duke of Lamont would agree too. Most likely, Henry would also wish to support the position of his beloved wife and daughters. Maybe all three ducal families would agree. That would make all of this much easier.