Prince Linden was a quite peaceful person. Being around him was simply pleasant. He was polite and friendly, seemed to be interested in Artias and good literature and listened carefully whenever others spoke. He was understanding as well, which made him seem like a good future ruler for Northern Ocrea. With how willing he was to learn and compromise with others, Seraphina didn't necessarily worry about why she liked spending time with him.

She only ever began wondering when Theodore, her current husband who wasn't anything like the understanding Linden at all, said something quite troublesome as she left with Linden after dinner.

“You are quite close to our guest. It seems like you understand one another very well. It would be a shame for you to waste this relationship. Please do deepen your bond with him.” Theodore had said that with a far too fake smile, almost as if he was mocking her.

Back then, Seraphina had merely told him that she was getting along with a diplomatic guest in the royal palace, but by now, she was uncertain. She had spoken to many guests throughout her life, and never once had she liked any of them as much as she liked Linden. Maybe it was foolish to even have a personal opinion on a political guest, but she could not bring herself to deny that she held some fond feelings for the prince. Linden was a wonderful conversation partner, so it would have been unfair not to acknowledge that. Spending time with him could not be a mistake either, could it? After all, it was important to improve the relationship between their nations.

In addition, Seraphina had to ensure that their guest wouldn't be alone with any problematic individuals. For that, she had to watch his every step. Even that didn't fully push away their most persistent visitor though.

Linden couldn't quite ask the prince of Artias to leave him alone either, so he was stuck facing Cedar Estien whenever he visited. Due to the emperor's warnings, he at least seemed to understand that this prince was an enemy, but for Seraphina's taste, he was a bit too careless. While he did keep his distance from Cedar, he didn't seem to view him as a threat either, which might be a huge mistake. Linden was so trusting that he even suggested something quite foolish. “I heard that you were a skillful sword-fighter. Even your brother couldn't help but praise your abilities, so I am curious. Would you be willing to duel me so that I could see that for myself?”

Seraphina felt her heart drop as she heard that. Having a political guest and the second prince of Artias aim weapons at one another, even if those were training swords, was far too much of a risk. She couldn't let anything go wrong, so she hurriedly intervened. “Prince Linden, I do not wish to make decisions for you, but I would advise you not to do this. Even imitating combat may seem dangerous to outsiders. What if people misunderstand?”

Thankfully, Cedar seemed to be quite aware of his position as well. He swiftly replied without attempting to find any excuses. “I fully agree with Her Majesty. Even if a duel is held with wooden swords under the watchful eyes of others, I fear that would create an unnecessary risk. It would be troublesome if one of us got injured accidentally. Especially considering that we know that someone here wishes to cause a dispute between our nations. We should not give them such an easy opportunity to create discord.”

Linden had been told that this was a bad idea by two people now, and it seemed like that was enough to make him understand. “That may be the better approach. Though, I am still quite curious. I would like to see you fight once.”

Cedar showed the other man a bright smile as he replied. “I do not mind dueling one of the royal knights in front of you. Though, I believe that will have to wait a bit. We might have to ask Theodore for permission as I assume that he would not be elated to have me pick up a weapon without his knowledge. Let us ask at a later point. Today, we will not have any time for that. My brother ordered me to leave the royal palace after exactly two hours, and those seem to be over by now.” He glanced at the building as if to check whether he could determine the time from here. Then he glanced at the other two again. “I fear that I will have to retreat for the day.”

Finally.

Seraphina caught herself being relieved that she could be alone with Linden now, only to scold herself. This wasn't about her being able to spend time with anyone. She just wished for the second prince, who was the emperor's political rival, to disappear. That should be all she was thinking about. “I hope you will arrive home without any issues, Your Royal Highness. May you have a wonderful afternoon.”

As usual, Cedar returned a far too convincing smile. “Naturally, I wish the same for you. I hope that you two will enjoy the rest of this day.” He turned to Linden to meet his gaze. “If there is anything else you require, do not hesitate to inform the servants. I assume that there aren't any problems with the service you receive here, but if you are discontent with anything, please tell me. I shall visit again in two days. I hope you will have a peaceful time until then.”

Linden could simply have bid him farewell, which Seraphina hoped he would do. But when he scanned Cedar for a bit too long, it already gave away that he wanted to discuss something. His expression was unreadable, but even so, Seraphina could guess what this would be about already. “I am truly grateful to receive so much care even though I am merely staying here for a short time. I will always remember this.” He left a short pause that already announced that the tone of his words would shift a bit before he eventually spoke. “Though, I would like to inquire something if you do not mind, Your Royal Highness.”

Cedar should have guessed what this might entail by now too, but he didn't let that stop him and kept acting friendly. “How could I mind? Please feel free to ask about whatever you wish to hear.”

That was all Linden needed before resuming. He just openly voiced his concern despite knowing that he would never receive a direct response. “If you are aware of the fact that Northern Ocrea would always support the righteous ruler of Artias, why do you put so much effort into meeting me? Wishing to create diplomatic connections between our nations is one thing, but it seems to me that you may have a more personal goal.” It was useless to ask that in front of Seraphina. After all, the odds of hearing the truth were always low, and they were even lower since another witness was with them.

The topic was quite serious, and still, Cedar kept smiling like nothing was wrong. As expected, his reply barely gave them anything to work with. “It would be quite selfish of me to bring forward a personal goal when we have just established friendly bonds between our nations. I believe I should avoid such rash steps. Though, I can imagine what goal you believe me to have.” Those words were enough to make Seraphina tense as she carefully listened, but much like she had expected, nothing substantial followed. “In that case, I can calm you. I do not expect you to care for our family feud. How could I? The political matters of our nation are not something Northern Ocrea could be asked to be involved in. Naturally, that is not something you would need to worry about.” What a perfect answer. He just seemed to know how to act neutral.

Seraphina had to admit that Cedar wasn't bad at doing things like this. If she herself hadn't spoken to him a few times already, she might have doubted Theodore's description of his manipulative brother. Even though she knew that he was dangerous, she had caught herself being uncertain about whether he was acting at all times already. But ever since their private conversation about a possible truce between the factions, Seraphina had given up on that fully. After all, the prince had just told her that she would soon lose her position as the empress back then.

It wasn't like he had lied, but that comment had still stung.

Linden didn't seem to trust Cedar too much either. As he met the other man's gaze, he kept his composure fully despite most likely being annoyed about being fooled like this. “That is what you claim. But in that case, you would not need me as an ally. You must have a reason to come see me whenever you can.”

Of course, Cedar had the perfect reply prepared for that as well. “I share the same reason that brought you here.” He put a hand on his chest and spoke with far too much softness in his voice. “I want the best for my home nation. Even though I cannot be sure whether my words will change anything, I at least wish to share them. That is what brought you to Artias too, correct? That is what made you trust us despite previously believing us to be your enemies.”

That wasn't anything Linden could deny. After all, it was the truth. Though, he still forced himself to respond. “It is true that I came here with the intention of letting our nations bond. I do not doubt that you hope for that too, but there may be another reason as well.” He didn't let his expression budge, even though he slowly seemed to become a bit frustrated.

Cedar still didn't change his approach. His voice just seemed to become softer. “I know what Theodore is accusing me of, Prince Linden. I also know that you trust my brother's words. It is calming to know that Northern Ocrea will support our emperor no matter what. But in the end, how did he earn your trust?” He left a short pause in which he just smiled at the other man. Then he resumed, his words merely becoming even more manipulative. “He contacted you first. Even before you came here, Theodore sent you letters revealing how he views this situation. That is why you support him. I cannot blame you for that. But if the order had been different, you might have viewed it from another perspective. That is all I wish to say about this.” It had been too much already though.

Linden seemed to be unsure what to respond with, so he merely looked at the prince.

Seraphina didn't like the way this situation was going at all though. She swiftly decided to interrupt as carefully as she could without giving Cedar a chance to confuse Linden more. “Your Royal Highness, it is completely unnecessary to bring internal political struggles into this conversation. Prince Linden is responsible for Northern Ocrea and not for our own issues.”

But Cedar just smiled at her. “Naturally, Your Majesty. I am aware. I shall merely respond to Prince Linden and then drop the topic.” With that, he faced Linden again and then spoke. “As I said, I am not asking you to act in any way that would benefit one party our the other. Our political situation will resolve itself without any influence from the outside. But I would ask you to at least trust that I do not wish any harm to Artias. Aside from that, I merely hope for the bond between our nations to grow and wish for you to stay safe despite the issues we encountered recently. I do not wish for more.” When he said that with that much too warm smile, he did seem quite convincing.

Previously, Seraphina had been certain that it would be fine since Linden had always assured her that he would support the emperor and no one else. Now she worried a bit. After all, it was true that Linden had no knowledge of what was truly happening in this nation. He could just rely on what others told him. If he happened to believe Cedar more than Theodore, that might cause a huge issue in the future.

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Seraphina tried to find out what Linden was thinking by looking at him, but it was hard to read him. She just decided to discuss this as soon as the prince was finally gone.

Thankfully, Cedar didn't add any further issues after that. He merely bid his farewell and then left as intended. The others watched him walk away from the training square while staying behind.

It didn't take long before Linden spoke up. “He wants me to keep being Artias' ally should he take over the crown and rule. That is what he truly asks for. He doesn't need my support. He just needs me to acknowledge him as a possible emperor.” He slowly turned to Seraphina and merely looked at her for a moment.

Seraphina met his gaze while already understanding what he was concerned about. As the heir to Northern Ocrea's throne, Linden couldn't risk refusing to acknowledge the ruler of Artias. If Cedar happened to take over, Northern Ocrea's entire royal family would treat the new emperor like the former one. Linden most likely felt guilty about that. But in the end, Seraphina would not blame him. “It seems like that is what he aims for. It is true that you could never be involved in another nation's power struggle, so of course, you can just accept the result. Either way, peace between our nations should be secured. That is why you will not have to worry about this.” Even if any person within Artias had to worry.

Linden nodded weakly, but he talked back quickly. “Though, having an incapable ruler in our neighboring nation would still impact us. I cannot judge His Royal Highness' skills well enough to decide whether it would be wise to trust him, but...”

If Seraphina was fully honest, she couldn't judge this too well either. She had heard mixed things about Cedar Estien, rumors ranging from calling this man a violent monster to those that praised him as a genius. She couldn't even be certain about whether many stories that circulated were true. Seraphina could only rely on what she knew for certain. “It at least seems that His Royal Highness impressed his teachers from a young age onward. He did learn how to rule a nation due to his mother's request. I presume this means that he is capable in theory. Though...” She glanced to the side to confirm whether anyone unwanted was listening to them. Thankfully, they were almost alone, so she could speak to Linden without letting anyone eavesdrop. So, she stepped a bit closer and whispered to him while not daring to be too loud. “I would be more worried about the influence of his personality on his rule. As well as his mother's presence. The dowager empress herself is the bigger threat. At least I believe that.” It wasn't like Theodore told her a lot about this topic though.

Linden listened carefully as he seemingly took in every word. He spoke up a moment after she had gone silent. “Then...His Royal Highness received training to become the possible heir as well? Even though he was never truly appointed as the future emperor?” When he asked like that, it did sound like that decision had been foolish.

But Seraphina had to defend the previous emperor's decision a little. “Yes. It sounds foolish, but this was the best solution. The head of every household is able to freely decide which of their children will be the future heir of the house. At the moment, male heirs are preferred over female ones, but aside from that, no rules remain. Usually, the oldest son is chosen, which the previous esteemed emperor did as well. When His Royal Highness was born, the decision wasn't altered to ensure that no political trouble would arise. Though...things didn't go too smoothly for long. His Majesty lived a quite dangerous childhood. When he almost died a few times, it was recommended to prepare for the case that he may not be able to take over the nation. So, His Royal Highness received the training to be the emperor as well, merely with other teachers.”

Regarding that decision and the princes' childhood in general, many different stories circulated. Seraphina could never be certain which ones were fully true since Theodore barely spoke about that.

So, she merely said what she knew for certain. “His Royal Highness showed quite promising results as a young child. Since the former empress also supported him and he revealed great social skills and political knowledge, people began to speculate whether he might not be a rival to his brother. Since they had many competitions even as children, first worries about a future political fight also developed. Even so, the previous esteemed emperor decided to let His Royal Highness attend his lessons like before to grant him access to all the education he could receive. Partially so that he could replace His Majesty in an emergency and partially because he may have hoped for them to work together as allies. As you can see, the decision was meant to support Artias, but it turned out to bring some unpredictable consequences.”

Linden paused for a moment as if to consider all of this. After thinking about it carefully, he spoke again. “If His Royal Highness once prepared to be emperor, he should not be willing to harm Artias though. Shouldn't he...be wary of creating problems for this nation?” As he met her gaze directly, his question was already clear.

Seraphina checked their surroundings again before stepping closer and whispering to him. “I am aware of what you mean.” This was about whether the prince and his mother might be connected to the assassination attempt on Linden's life. Of course, she couldn't make any decision based on clues since they had none, but she could guess. “I would personally still consider them, both him and his mother, as the possible perpetrators. His Majesty insists that his brother would not start a war with Northern Ocrea though. I...am not certain whether he can judge this objectively, but he may know His Royal Highness better than I do.”

“He is certainly hard to read. His Royal Highness, I mean.” Linden seemed distracted for a few seconds, only to look at her with a slightly grimmer expression after. “But also His Majesty. He...has been saying some things I fear I may have misunderstood.” Oh, no. If someone as composed as Linden got worried, it had to have been upsetting.

Unfortunately, Seraphina could guess what this was about. She swallowed and then quickly forced herself to calm down before asking, even when her heart skipped a beat. “Regarding...our frequent meetings?” She barely dared to say that despite usually being so confident, which just made her more self-aware of how nervous all of this made her.

Linden didn't seem to be too happy to discuss it either though. As he averted his eyes, he sounded like he had to force out his reply. “Yes.”

That was all Seraphina needed to hear to be certain. It seemed like Theodore hadn't just made inappropriate comments in front of her but also in front of their important guest. That was quite humiliating for the entire royal family. But of course, she couldn't tell Linden how unwell this made her. She just tried to give a response that both admitted the emperor's fault and calmed the prince. “He has been telling me things like that as well. Please do not take it to heart. His Majesty can...lack tact in some situations.”

Linden didn't meet her gaze as he responded. “I have noticed that. He does not treat you too well.” After that, he got silent as if he wished to stop here, but he decided to speak again a moment later. His voice was quieter now. “Do you wish to take a walk with me?”

It seemed like the rumors wouldn't stop them after all. Previously, they had agreed to interact less to keep people from suspecting troublesome things, but they had ignored all of their promises right after. Maybe that was foolish of them, but...

Seraphina couldn't keep herself from being relieved. She knew that she shouldn't act like that, but her true feelings quickly slipped out. “Gladly.” She once again ignored her responsibility to keep rumors away from the royal family in favor of her selfish desires.

The couple took the same path as always when they walked around together. They were much too close to one another despite trying to keep a distance that would prevent strange comments about them, which once again showed that they couldn't bring themselves to care about the rumors. That was merely because they were fond of one another in a platonic way. Seraphina had never met anyone she could relax around this much ever before, which was why she would love to have Linden as a good friend. Nothing more.

But lying to herself might only help for so long.

Linden was quiet for the first minute of the walk. Then he spoke up quietly, almost so hesitantly that it seemed like he barely wished to talk. “May I ask how you two got engaged?”

Seraphina was a bit surprised by the question, but a moment later, she understood. She disliked talking about Theodore when he was the last person she wished to mention around Linden, but she forced herself to reply neutrally. “Our fathers decided on this union when we were quite young. I believe I was five and His Majesty was six. It was a purely political union. The engagement was established in a contract that year. Ever since then, I have visited the palace to attend events at His Majesty's side, but it would be a lie to say that we were especially close. We only started to meet more often when our marriage was about to occur. Even so, we...stayed quite distant.”

It had been the truth and nothing else. Then why had she been so focused on mentioning that she wasn't close to Theodore? Normally, she didn't feel the need to specify this.

Linden seemingly hadn't even noticed that emphasis. He had noticed something else. As he glanced at Seraphina, he even seemed a bit dejected. “That means he met Lady Blanche when you were already his fiancée.” Oh. He wanted to pity her now.

Seraphina truly didn't wish to discuss her husband now, but she hoped that the truth would make the topic fade quickly. “That is correct.” That was all she said. Then she looked straight ahead again.

This should have been a sign to drop this, but Linden spoke again. He didn't ask further questions though. Instead, he seemed rather disappointed when he spoke. “Then he did betray you after all.”

That made Seraphina turn to him again. “Pardon?”

Linden came to an abrupt halt. As he suddenly turned to the empress, he looked right into her eyes while responding, his voice almost hoarse. “You must know what I mean. You told me that you only married His Majesty after Lady Blanche arrived here. Thus, I thought that you consciously decided to accept this situation. But he had already been promised to you before taking in a lover.”

That wasn't a lie either.

If she wished to deny this, Seraphina would twist the truth. So, she decided to stay quiet instead. There was no need for her to defend her husband, who seemed to despise her so much for no reason. But as she waited for a few seconds, she did feel uncomfortable. Not because Linden criticized Theodore. No, that part was welcome. It was more because Seraphina saw him pity her. She didn't like that at all, so she hurriedly tried to reject that idea. “We were never in a romantic relationship, so I did not see this as a personal insult. It is quite normal for the ruler of Artias to have multiple lovers. Besides, few arranged marriages end in love. I was aware that this could happen from the very beginning.” She didn't need to be known as the pitiful deposed empress after all.

But Linden didn't seem to give up on this. His brows furrowed a bit as he unconsciously reached for her hand. “Even if it may be socially acceptable, it was still a betrayal on his side. He-” Linden stopped himself right at that moment, just before he grabbed Seraphina. He abruptly pulled his hand back and made sure to keep the expected distance between them. Still, she could see that he truly cared as he kept speaking. “If...His Majesty planned on marrying you for political benefits and you were both truly fine with this kind of relationship, I could not...blame him for losing his heart to someone else. But then he should have stood at Lady Blanche's side. It created unnecessary trouble for him to marry you, only to hurt all three of you for political gain. He seems confident that he will be able to secure the capital without your family now. Why could he not make up his mind before?”

It was nice to hear someone being on her side. Someone who spoke about this with an understanding of both the political and personal reasons for Theodore's actions. Seraphina's family often antagonized him in their narrations, and while a part of her held some dismay for his treatment of her, she did enjoy talking to Linden, who rather argued that Theodore should have made the decision to fully devote himself to Lady Blanche instead of demanding for that woman to be thrown out.

Maybe that was the case because Linden seemed to understand what it meant to love despite political problems. Because he didn't just say that powerful people should throw their emotions away for political gain.

Maybe Seraphina wanted to hear that because she felt like she was facing a similar situation at the moment. And while she had previously told herself to simply ignore her personal feelings, she wasn't certain whether she could keep doing that for too long.