It's hot outside. Thankfully, the Empress Grandmother invited me over to have some cold tea together.

She has some delicious recipes for tea, I have to admit it. And mouth-watering snacks. I'd move here if only it wasn't so far from Alexander's chamber.

«I haven't talked like this with anyone for years,» the elder sighs. «You're the first one I tell that I am not that crazy.»

Well, pretending to be a madwoman is a whole new level of crazy. I'm impressed she didn't get used to the role as much as to believe in it.

«I'm honoured, your majesty,» I reply.

«Once, I considered telling Alexander. But then, I saw in his eyes part of that same light that was in my son's before he turned completely crazy. Maybe, it's a family trait.»

Oh, my Duke is crazy, indeed. But he's not dangerous. He has everything under control.

«I'm sure my husband wouldn't have done any ill to you.»

«I couldn't find the courage, Theodora dear. I was still frightened of that beast...»

«Your son, the late Emperor?» What a weird way to call one's offspring.

«Oh, no. My son wasn't a beast. He was ill...»

Her eyes become dim, and she sighs at the memory of something that happened a decade ago. Or maybe, even before.

«The beast is the one that caused him such suffering. It's someone aiming at power.»

I tilt my head, considering her words. The Emperor did have some obsession over power. He saw threats everywhere.

In Alexander's first life, these fixations made the Emperor send my husband to a faraway land. He became paranoid that someone would have taken the throne, and all that followed happened.

Both times, the one to inherit the crown was an illegitimate child. I wonder if the woman in front of me has any role in his majesty's coronation.

If it weren't for the actual Emperor, who would have become the ruler of such a vast Empire? The Dowager Empress? Is she the beast the Empress Grandmother refers to?

«And did that beast poison the late Emperor?» I inquire. There is a chance that his life was cut short both times by someone in the dark.

«Yes, the beast did,» the elder sighs. Her eyes fill with tears, and she stares at a specific spot on the floor. The cup in her hands shakes as she remembers. «Every day, one drop.»

Every day? Is this a metaphor? Like: there isn't any poison, but the simple presence of a person made the late Emperor fall ill?

I'm confused.

«She continued until he lost every bit of sanity. My son became a madman, and his illness caused the death of his brother. The beast has both my sons on her conscience, but she won't ever suffer because of this.»

So, it is a she.

«Actual poison, your majesty?»

«Yes, Theodora dear. I've discovered it halfway, and, as a result, she attempted at my life. After failing at protecting my offspring, I retired here and hoped she would stop her plan. But she didn't. She continued till the end.»

«But she didn't succeed.»

«Not yet. She might do so if we're not careful. The Emperor is in danger every time he talks with her. Not just her ploys, but also her words are poisonous.»

«Your majesty, you're saying bold words.»

«Who cares? It's not like I'll live long to pay for them. And you won't tell anyone. In your state, you won't risk your child just because of the blabbering of an old hag? I need someone to hear my mind. After that, I'll have some peace...»

I lean back on the couch and wait for the rest. However, the Empress Grandmother doesn't talk.

«I will be listening, your majesty,» I say after a while.

«How is your business doing? Have you sold my paintings?»

«Not really,» I chuckle, hiding my annoyance at the sudden change of the topic. I wanted to hear more about what had happened before Alexander started regaining his memories. Yet, it seems I'll have to come back here again.

It must be a plan. I don't need a reason to visit her, though. She could just ask me if she feels so alone.

«I haven't sold all of them, your majesty,» I specify. «I've sent a couple to Asteria. I believe it will come in handy, one day, to have a connection that doesn't pass through my family. No matter how greedy their Emperor is, not everyone is evil within their borders.»

«Mhm, you're the right person to be the wife of someone like my grandson. I feared you would manipulate him, at first, but it doesn't seem the case.»

«It's not easy to manipulate him, your majesty. He isn't as naive as he sometimes seems.»

«Indeed. But he's a man.»

I'm glad he is. It would be impossible to live with him if he was a demigod. I wouldn't have any chance to get my way.

«I'm still looking for a way to trick him,» I reveal. «My every attempt has been discovered in a matter of seconds.» Sometimes, even before I conjured the whole thought.

«He's not as dumb as his uncle, then,» she sighs. «I'm relieved. He won't be manipulated by any woman.»

She grins as if remembering something.

«Maybe, just by his daughter,» she adds. Her words are harsh, but her tone and expression are gentle. She seems content at this moment.

I caress my stomach, remembering the thousands of dreams about Elias. My husband isn't the type to be manipulated even by a child, that's for sure. But he will spoil him to no end if I don't take control over the matter.

«Returning to our conversation... What about the rest of the paintings?»

«One is hanging in the Dowager Empress's chambers. She bought it at one of my auctions. I participated as well and raised the price, your majesty.»

She laughs at the oddness of the situation.

«Her majesty can't start imagining whose painting she observes with so much interest,» I comment.

«I see. Have you auctioned the rest too?»

«Only a few.»

I sip some tea and reach out for a snack on the table. It's a simple short pastry with cream and fruits, but it's delicious. Does the Empress Grandmother have her own cooks?

It would make sense. She lives in fear of being poisoned to madness or death.

«The rest is still in my storage. I will sell part of it, indeed, but I've already decided whom to send some. Also, I'd like to ask for permission to take a couple of your majesty's paintings with me to Stoneyard.»

«Stoneyard?» she murmurs. «Sure, why not?»

She stares at her fingers for a moment. When she raises her head, her eyes are firm.

«How do you find Stoneyard, Theodora dear?» she inquires.

«It's beautiful. At first, I was afraid it would be cold. But I've spent the whole winter without a shiver. The servants know how to turn it cosy. The glass of the windows has been replaced recently, a couple of years before I arrived, so now it's full of natural light.»

«Is that so? What about the secret passages?»

«Oh, we had some problems because of those. Alexander didn't know a thing about secret passages, and neither the guards noticed.»

«Oh, it's because one is supposed to find them on their own. One can't call himself Lord of Kyre if he doesn't know about the passages in his own castle.»

«I'm also surprised, your majesty. I can't understand how no one noticed. What more, my husband is very attentive. I thought he would see traces everywhere. Yet, I found out before him.»

«Hmm, that's funny.»

«Well, we had issues with assassins coming in and out of the place. It turned out that they used the passages, so I had to inform Alexander about it. In the end, he looked at me with such a surprised expression... I will never forget it.» It's saved in my brain, and I think about it often to be sure the memory doesn't fade away.

It's the first time I managed to surprise Alexander to the fullest. The only thing that made him lose his shameless voice.

He even forgot that I endangered myself to bait the killer out, after finding out how that woman walked into the study unbothered.

«Assassins?» the elder mutters, making me realise that my tone isn't that of a frightened woman.

«Yes, that's right,» I reply. «It must be all settled, now.»

«Would you mind telling me how you solved it?»

«Why not? It all started with a certain Duke Grahm wanting his granddaughter to take my place...»

«Grahm? Ah, they once were loyal subjects. Power went to their heads, and now they're craving for more. Once, they were decent people... Oh, I'm talking about the older generation. We were once friends. Before the old Duke fell ill and let his son take the power. By the time my dear friend died, the greedy new Duke had already chosen his path.»