Imagining that Camille would try to attack them was a dangerous thought. Blanche was rather worried about that no matter whether it could help them by providing evidence. “Then we need to prepare for that. We can't let her gain the upper hand.”

A small smile appeared on Theodore's lips. “Of course not. She will never gain the upper hand. I will be happy to fight back, but we should let her believe that she has a chance. She can't guess that we have an unfair advantage after all. I know her much better than she can imagine, so I should be able to find out what she wants before she does.”

Hearing that calmed Blanche a bit. “Good. But you need to tell me what will happen so that I won't get scared. I need to be prepared too.” Even if she doubted that she could actually do much even if she could foresee the future.

Theodore pressed a kiss onto her cheek and cuddled into her. “Of course. I will make sure to tell you when it's time.” He slowly tilted his head and rested his nose on her shoulder.

Blanche put her hand on the back of his head and patted him while enjoying his touch for a bit. The concubine only realized that they were cuddling in front of others again after a few seconds. She quickly turned her attention back to Seraphina. “Ah. Thank you for telling us that, and thank you for not listening to that woman. We are extremely grateful for the Duremonts' continuous support. We will do our best to meet your expectations and work hard to get rid of the people that wish to harm Artias' peace.”

Seraphina showed her a little smile. “That is good to hear. I am sure that you will be able to accomplish that. As it should be, the Duremont family will be your supporter no matter what. You can rely on us, but I do not doubt that you are very much capable of dealing with those enemies yourself.”

Theodore's mood had been a bit better before, and now it immediately seemed to deteriorate again. “Of course. The emperor and the empress aren't called the most powerful people in the nation for no reason. I'll need a few years to change the law so that those positions are equal, but I will make sure of it. But that is none of your concern. If you are done, you may leave.”

Seraphina bowed her head again. “Please excuse my sudden appeal, Your Majesty, but I would like to ask something as well. Since I am here already, it would be better to deal with it now before I need to come again.” She paused for a moment to check which reaction she received, and when the emperor was quiet, she continued. “I know that this is a somewhat confidential topic, but did Prince Linden already write you a letter regarding his arrival here?”

Theodore nodded. “He will come in about a week. I know. He specifically asked me not to celebrate his visit to avoid any trouble and effort for our people. So, I won't prepare anything but the rooms for him and his people. Since our third party is gone, no one should try to crush him with a chandelier either. Which means that we can be more relaxed now. But I doubt that he will stay long anyway.” A smirk spread on his lips, but it looked like he was mocking the other woman. “He is only here to pick you up after all. You will marry him, which means that you will leave Artias to live in Northern Ocrea, right? Congratulations.”

Seraphina's eyes narrowed, but she kept a straight expression otherwise. “I should not be surprised that you already know about that. You have been certain of the fact that we would marry from the very beginning. I would suspect that you had someone read the letter before I received it too.”

The emperor looked down at his fingers and busied himself with braiding his lover's hair while replying. “Of course. I don't trust you after all. It will be a relief to finally know that you aren't here anymore. Go to Ocrea and make them sign some trading deals with Artias when you become queen. After you defeat Linden's sister. I heard that she is keen on taking away her brother's throne. She's manipulative and cold-blooded, much like you. So, you need to get rid of her before she begins a war.”

Blanche shouldn't have been surprised by that harsh comment. She considered voicing an apology for that, but in the end, Theodore would only do it again. It was best to ignore that. She put on a smile and addressed the duke's daughter after letting out a nervous chuckle. “It is wonderful to hear that Prince Linden will come again. You should prepare to pack your luggage then. After all, you have many things to take along with you. We don't want you to be surprised by Linden's sudden arrival.” As soon as she said that, she worried about it sounding like she looked forward to seeing the other woman leave.

Before she could correct that though, Theodore added something. “Exactly. You could start right-”

The concubine put her hand on his mouth to silence him. He had been mean enough today. She glared at him for a moment but felt how her heart already melted when he pressed a kiss onto her palm. Still, she forced herself to look at their visitor. “I apologize if that sounded rude. I just wish for you to be able to take all of your belongings. It would be a shame to leave them here.” Since Theodore would probably burn them a few minutes later. “We will give you as many suitcases as you need, and naturally, all the servants will help you too. Before you leave, I would like to thank you for your assistance once more.” It would be better to have Seraphina go now before Theodore voiced some even unkinder things.

Fortunately, Seraphina didn't look like she was mad. “I am the one that has to thank you for meeting me this late. I am very grateful to hear that you will assist me when I move out. That day, I will have to trouble you and the staff members one more time. I already took care of the most important things, and I will start packing the rest of my items as soon as I go back.”

Immediately, the concubine tried to respond, but Theodore was faster. “Good. You may retreat for the night.” That wasn't really an offer but more of an order, which earned him a glare from his lover.

But Seraphina remained rather calm. She made another curtsy and bowed her head. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I wish you a good night.” Then she turned to the concubine, which was unmistakably a sign that she wanted to leave.

So, Blanche hurried to reply. “It was a stressful day. I wish you a relaxing night and a good rest, Lady Duremont.”

Seraphina curtsied again. “I return that sentiment, Lady Blanche. May you have a good night's rest and recover from the events today. Good evening.” After saying that, she turned around and left the room without looking back once. The servants that had brought her inside quickly closed the door behind her, which left the couple alone again.

Blanche immediately cupped her lover's face and glared at him. “Theo. You can act like a...a hateful prick sometimes. Don't be so mean to the future queen of Northern Ocrea. You want her to help us in the future, right?”

Theodore put his hands on top of hers as he replied. “Partly. That is the end goal, but first, she will have to survive a political conflict between the two heirs to the throne. And this one will be much more complicated than ours. After all, Linden and his sister have the same strength, and she is much more composed than the dowager empress. So, there will be a lot of trouble for Lady Duremont, but in the end, she may help us. Or she may die.”

The concubine's mouth fell open at that. She took a moment to process this properly. “Is it that bad? I thought that Linden was pretty calm, so he didn't seem to have too many issues.”

“That is not the case. He is definitely under a lot of stress, and a competent queen would help him. Let's see. But that is not our fight. We need to focus on our war.” Theodore leaned his forehead against hers and only pulled back after a few seconds had passed. “If we're lucky, we can end it within the next three months. Last time, it was a bit different, but that woman attacked after losing her temper too. Cedar was a bit...more upset too, but I don't think that is needed for them to act. After a pause of pretending to be quiet, Camille will suddenly prepare her revenge. If they act similarly again, I could predict what they will do and prevent that from happening. It would be easy to eliminate their chances of waging an attack. But...”

Blanche quickly grasped what he was talking about. She listened in curiosity, only for him to stop in the middle, which made her impatient. “But?”

Theodore gave her a faint smile, but his eyes remained completely serious. “If we let them do their thing and act like we have no clue, they might fall right into our trap. The more confident they are, the more rash their attack will be. If we seem like we are careless, they may not prepare for what would happen if they fail. They will believe in their victory, and we can use that against them.”

The concubine was silent for a moment. It was obvious that her lover was proposing a risky gamble. They knew about some weak spots in their defense, and not taking action would invite their enemies. And as soon as their opponents were inside, it would be easier to deal with them. After all, no one could explain why a group of the dowager empress' people had entered the royal palace without permission in secret. And whether they brought in weapons, poison, bribed people or other things, it would be easy to stop and arrest them.

But if they were just a bit too slow, their enemies had free rein to attack them.

Blanche looked up at her lover and shuffled around on his lap. “So, you know that something will happen and won't increase the security measures? It's easy to see why I am a bit worried about that. Of course, I will agree if you think that it's safe, but...” She scanned him for a while before letting out a sigh. “You will warn me when that time arrives, right? I don't want to be too shocked when we are being attacked in some way.”

Theodore's smile faded, and only regret remained. “I would love to warn you, but I don't think I can. Surely, I can guess, but I have no idea when they will move. The more we find out about their plan, the higher the odds of them noticing the investigation and changing it are, so it will have to stay like this. But I promise you that my highest priority is still protecting you.” He took his hands off hers and cupped her face instead while looking directly into her eyes. “You will remain unharmed no matter what. As long as you trust me and know that I won't leave your side, it will be simple. We will go through with our defense plan and win. Remember that, alright?”

Blanche quickly nodded to affirm that. Of course, she had no idea what would happen, but she trusted her lover. He would find a way to protect them even if their enemies attacked in some way. Still, it was a horrible feeling to know that something would happen without them being able to do anything. They knew that Camille would make her move, and the only option was to wait while preparing some traps.

The concubine just hoped that their enemies wouldn't use poison again. She didn't want to get drugged for the third time, but she doubted that she had a say in that matter. If she did, she would just ask for a solution with as few causalities as possible.

But in the end, the most important thing was that Theodore didn't get hurt. That was the only thing she prayed for while resting her head on his chest and staring into the distance. Even if the story had changed because of her, he needed to have his happy end.

Theodore was the main character. He had to win even if the villainess was by his side instead of the heroine.

As usual, the days passed by without much change while Blanche tried to do her best with learning and helping her lover in his office. She read contracts and dealt with maps while trying to figure out how to take care of a fictional debt. In the end, Leon's tips didn't help her much, and she took much longer to find a solution than expected. When she proudly presented it, the secretary realized that she had chosen a completely different approach than he had. Seemingly, that was good too. That event was the only special occurrence aside from Theodore praising her for each idea that she proposed when they discussed some new laws.

In the background of the palace, much more happened. Despite the emperor not wanting to make a big deal out of Linden's visit, the servants gave their best to prepare for the arrival of the carriages from Northern Ocrea. After all, the future visitors were still esteemed guests from an allied nation even if they didn't want any attention.

But the greeting was less grand than last time. The coaches weren't here yet and would probably only arrive tomorrow, which meant that the entrance hall looked the same as usual. There were no decorations here that would hint at someone visiting.

That was the first thing Blanche had noticed after coming here. She had been on her way to one of her monthly appointments with the royal doctor but stopped upon reaching the empty foyer. She looked around to make sure that she and her maids were alone. Then she went to the middle of the room and stood at the top of the staircase to look at the portrait that was hanging in the center of the wall.

Now that she didn't offend Seraphina with this anymore, Blanche could admit that this gorgeous painting looked perfect on this wall. It had the right size and the right colors to fit into the entrance hall. She gazed at it for a while before commenting on it. “Theo said that we will ask Erneis, the painter of this portrait, to come again after the wedding. He wants us to have a second portrait of us on the thrones so that we have a traditional one and one that has a personal touch. I don't think that he can just put two pictures of us in the gallery of ancestors though.” After she said that, she turned to walk down the staircase.

Darlene was the first one to catch up to her. “I mean... He is the emperor, so he can just put his pictures wherever he wants to have them. There is no need for him to abide by any rules. With how enamored he is with you, it's surprising that the walls aren't plastered with paintings of you yet.”

Blanche didn't like that thought. For some reason, she had an image in front of her inner eyes, and a shiver ran down her spine. She didn't need anything like that. “Don't give him any ideas. I'm just fine with-” She cut herself off when a door opened.

A man moved out of the other room while walking backward and doing his best not to drop the tray he was holding and to close the door quietly at the same time. He looked around in an almost frantic way and froze as soon as he made eye contact with the women.

Stella formed a cone with her hands and raised her voice so that it echoed through the room. “What exactly are you doing there, Clark?”

The concerned man almost seemed like he was embarrassed to be caught and glanced to the side, but he didn't run away. “Good afternoon. I...uhm...am bringing food...somewhere.”

Blanche raised her eyebrows as she finished the last steps of the staircase and approached the servant. “That is very specific. Is there a reason why you can't tell us? Normally, you don't even try to hide the fact that you are stealing food from the kitchen. We barely saw you for two weeks, and now you act like a criminal on the run as soon as you see us.”

Clark avoided eye contact as he replied. “I'm not hiding it now either. I just...didn't want Gloria to see me. So, I used the remote path and tried to be quiet.” He was a terrible liar. One glance at his tray proved that with certainty.

Angelica crossed her arms and watched him until he turned his head away. Only then did she point it out. “You have two plates, two cups and two sets of utensils as well as two portions of food. I am pretty sure that you won't eat by yourself. The only question is why you felt the need to hide that. No one here would be bothered by you taking a break with a colleague.”

Clark slouched his shoulders and groaned quietly. “Alright. I admit it. I stole two portions and am bringing them downstairs now. I wanted to...” He paused and kept his eyes glued onto the ground while resuming in a barely audible voice. “I wanted to bring this to Harris.” He only said that, but he revealed much more than he cared to admit with this.

The prisoners here got enough food, and from what it had sounded like, Theodore was rather generous with Harris for some reason. So, there was absolutely no need to bring him food unless one wanted to eat with him. There was no way that Clark would have done that if he hadn't rekindled with his former best friend. Apparently, he was still in denial about it though. But the people here wouldn't judge him for that. It had been clear that he wanted to talk to Harris after finding out that his alleged enemy risked his life to protect him.

Blanche showed him a little smile. “I see. That's good. He will miss talking to other people if he is alone there the whole time. Then I would like to ask you to greet him. He only has to hold on a bit longer, and then this will be resolved. After he testifies, Theo will release him again.”

For a moment, Clark forgot to hide his expression, and his face lit up with hope. “Really? He can stay here?” He only noticed that he had sounded way too enthusiastic now and cleared his throat before resuming in an indifferent tone. “I mean... That is good for him.”

Darlene put her hands on her hips and gazed at him with a smirk. “Do you know what I think? George might have to deal with the same problems as Stella does soon. In that case, I won't pity him at all. He used to tell us that he was the only normal one in a group of idiots. Seemingly, the idiot, along with Stella, is the only one without a part-”

Angelica cut her off by beginning to tickle her stomach. The two started giggling after a few seconds and were lost in their own world.

Blanche grinned at that before turning to Clark again. “In any case, we wish you a nice meal. We won't keep you busy any longer. You probably need to hurry before your break is over, right? Go on.”

Clark nodded while giving his best to hide his relief. He stepped forward but stopped after a few seconds and turned around. “Uhm... I know that this is sudden and...somewhat, well...” He interrupted himself and began once more. “Could you perhaps help me get down?” He looked extremely embarrassed while asking this, but he continued his appeal. “I usually need to discuss with the guards for ages and bribe them, or I have to wait for them to change shifts. But if you told them to let me pass, I could avoid wasting those minutes. Of course, I understand if you don't want to do that and are busy or...” He didn't finish the last sentence, and he didn't have to.

It was easy to come to the conclusion that he had visited Harris a few times and that nothing bad had happened during that time. It was obvious that Clark cared about his colleague, so there was no need to deny this favor.

Blanche smiled at him. “Sure. I don't have much time, but we can go downstairs for a moment. Will you lead us there? I have no idea where Harris' cell is.”

Clark's face lit up as she replied, and he immediately moved forward. “Yes, of course. It will only take a moment.” He didn't seem to notice that he wasn't hiding his euphoria and hurried down the hallway.

The concubine had to stifle a laugh as she followed him. It was somewhat adorable to see how motivated Clark suddenly was. Everyone else almost needed to run as they tried to catch up to him.

Clark only stopped when they reached the staircase that led to the cells, which was already guarded by at least a dozen knights. Then he spun around and scanned the group behind him. “It would be better if we went down with fewer people. One of your maids should be enough.”

Stella chimed in immediately. “Let the lovebirds stay here. We'll go down together.”

Blanche glanced at Darlene and Angelica, who were still teasing each other. “I agree. We'll be back in a moment. Until then.” She waved toward them before approaching the guards. Most likely, she would have to explain why they were here now and possibly even wait until Theodore gave them permission. She had expected that and not that the knights would bow to her and step aside to make way for her. She blinked a few times at that before realizing that this was for the better.

They could just go in now without trouble.

Blanche quickly lifted the hem of her dress and began climbing down the stairs. The staircase itself was rather dark since there weren't any windows, but enough candles illuminated it in a way that made the shadows of the passerbyes dance on the walls. The hallway was relatively broad, which allowed guards to stand at both sides while still allowing two people to walk down side by side. If one looked down from the top, it looked like it was rather long too.

The group had only reached the first steps, but Stella already spoke up. “Being the emperor's fiancée and the future empress has its perks. You have free access to such creepy places. Great.”

The concubine would like to refute this by saying that nothing about this staircase was really creepy since it was just dark. But she couldn't deny that there was some aura of intimidation that was connected to this place. In reality, she was much more scared than she wanted to admit. With every step, she took it felt like she was getting closer to a place that she despised. She tried to distract herself with happy thoughts, but it still felt like there was a hole gaping in her chest while doom waited for her at the bottom of that staircase.

A shiver ran down her spine, and she couldn't suppress it. Was this because of the nightmare that she had had months ago? Probably. Her only memory of this location was based on that dream. It was pretty stupid to be scared of that, but she couldn't do anything about it.