I was summoned to court early in the morning and sent to greet an ambassador from a far land. I couldn't refuse the order, and his majesty knew very well that I was looking forward to meeting my Queen. I wanted to be by her side when she was brought to court, to reassure her that everything would have turned out fine.

Yet, I had to have lunch with a foreign delegation.

When I came back, it was already late. Thea was already in the throne hall. Her wrists were tied with heavy chains, and she was wearing the same clothes as when she surrendered.

Her shoulders were straight, and she was gazing around as if she wasn't afraid of anything.

A guard pulled her chains, bringing her in front of the throne. She returned the stares with her royal, solemn face, and I decided that enough was enough.

As I walked towards the throne from the end of the room, every step felt like torture. My hand was itching to reach the sword. And kill everyone on my way until reaching the brat that caused so much suffering to my wife.

There was no need to chain her. They could let her have a bath and change clothes before meeting the court. Someone could have warned her that she wasn't going to die.

Yet, no one thought about her feelings. They simply threw her in the middle of the hall, disregarding her dignity and ignoring her needs.

No matter how much she struggled or ironically glared at the Emperor, he simply observed her with curiosity. He smiled at her as if he was entitled to do so.

«I have another announcement regarding our new co-citizen,» he added.

Martia noticed my steps in the throne's direction, and she walked away looking for a path to reach me, to stop me from overthrowing her dear little cousin. The guard that spotted my march simply moved to the side, assuming that the older cousin of the Emperor has every right to walk in the throne room with a sword at his side.

I had yet to put my hand on my sword, but his majesty understood my intentions better than anyone else. His expression didn't change much, but he felt as if he found a new side to me. A weak point he could exploit to keep me in check.

«The ceremony will be held in the future, but the marriage will be valid from now. You can address her as Archduchess of Kyre.»

What was he talking about? I stopped mid-step, just at my wife's side.

Archduchess?

«Your strategies won the war, dear cousin. It's only just for you to obtain a prize.»

What prize?

Only after those words, the meaning of the Emperor's speech reached me. He had just declared my wife as the new Archduchess.

And I was the Archduke.

I turned to Thea, standing straight at my side as if she didn't care about that brat's blabbing. She glanced at me, and I smiled at her without controlling my expression.

I must have frightened her, but I couldn't stop my lips from curling up. I tried to reassure her with my expression, as much as it seemed impossible in that kind of situation.

We were married. We were husband and wife.

Again.

«I humbly receive your praise and rewards, my Emperor,» I replied. «May I free my bride from her chains, though?»

I needed to get out of there, to breathe some fresh air and understand what was happening.

First of all, why was I married to my wife? I wanted her to choose me. Also, it was early.

«You may,» the Emperor replied, and the guard uncuffed Thea with a slight frown.

For the whole time, Thea stared at me, finally noticing me.

She analysed me from head to foot, wondering if I was the one asking for this. She was not sure if to feel relieved or worried; her wide eyes were so transparent.

She had been trained to hide her thoughts, not to let anyone grasp her intentions. I was one of the few people that could read through her expression back in Polis. It seemed that she hadn't changed much.

I could still understand her.

When her wrists were free, she rubbed her skin. Her mind started to work again at full speed, looking for a loophole. When her gaze turned to the floor for a moment only, she found something she could use to her advantage.

One of Polis's uses returned to my mind. Thea told me about it during a hot afternoon, so suffocating that even walking felt utterly tiring.

She had said, then, that only priests can declare marriages in Polis, was it? Ah, no, it was slightly different... A marriage could be considered valid only if it was approved by a priest. That was it.

She lifted her chin and stared at me as a challenge. I pointed to a point behind the throne with my head.

She followed the direction and observed the High Priestess. The young girl was analysing us, with her painted skin visible and her red gown in place.

She wasn't disapproving of his majesty's choice. Hence, the marriage could be considered valid. My message was clear, and my wife understood it immediately.

Thea's face changed so slightly that I almost didn't notice, but she glared at me and moved her eyes away.

Meanwhile, our silent exchange passed unnoticed to most of the court. It was the first time I had some communication with Thea, and it felt so intimate because there weren't words involved.

I could still understand her, even if we had been parted for decades.

«You can go, now,» the Emperor said, waving his hand as if we were just a small issue he had solved with little work.

I leaned my knee on the ground, already knowing Thea wouldn't play along. Bowing my head, I greeted the Emperor and prepared to drag my wife away before she could make some trouble.

She was stubborn and proud. It was evident that she wouldn't have just accepted everything in silence.

«What are the consequences for refusing to greet the Emperor?» his majesty asked his aide with a rather half-hearted tone.

He didn't care one bit about a war prisoner greeting him or not. Why was he insisting?

After a few minutes of talking with the aide, his majesty nodded and took a decision. I straightened my back, ready anew to use my sword if needed. What was he planning to do with Thea? Hadn't he already done enough damage?