“I am not sure whether you truly need to become emperor to assist Artias. Many people push you to be a contender for the throne, but is that truly what you yourself wish for? You do not need the crown to do what you are good at. It may seem like a strange suggestion, but are you willing to listen to me for a little?” That was a daring way to start the conversation. Seraphina might not be sure whether this would work, but she gave her best to at least lure the prince in.

Though, she hadn't necessarily expected Cedar to speak in return either. “How could I not listen to the esteemed empress of our nation? Of course, I will lend an ear to you. Though, I would like to ask for the right to tell you something as well.” His expression was far too soft as he looked at Seraphina. He seemed so kind, only for his words to unsettle her more than anyone else could. “Your goals are certainly admirable, much like your devotion to Artias. Though, I fear that matters will not always be as you expect them to be. If I may say something so audacious, you remind me of a music box my brother once possessed.” He acted like he was talking about a fond memory, but in the end, the warm tone of his voice only felt like it was meant to mock Seraphina. “When you turned the handle of that music box and opened it, a porcelain figure rose and turned while moving a bit. The little figure was always graceful and danced in perfect strides while following the melody a small metal cylinder played. Even after the music had stopped, the figure kept dancing. Almost like it hadn't even noticed that the waltz had faded away and left it to maintain a silent tact.”

It sounded like a useless story, one that couldn't be linked to their current situation at all. But when he met Seraphina's gaze while comparing her to such an object, the underlying meaning became clear.

A figure that kept dancing even though its song was over?

That was an insult Seraphina hadn't heard yet. Her mood worsened rapidly, but she forced herself to maintain an unreadable expression as she responded. “That is an oddly specific description, Your Royal Highness. What do you wish to say?” Her voice had gotten colder now, which was a signal that should tell Cedar to stay quiet. She wouldn't let him make fun of her like that again. That was what she had wanted to tell him. It didn't necessarily seem like he was listening to her though.

Cedar barely seemed to care about her words. As he took a step back and turned to walk forward a little, he didn't even glance at her while responding. “I believe you know that yourself, Your Majesty. You are well aware of what will happen.” He only met her gaze after. It was just a subtle gesture, but it revealed a lack of respect.

That wasn't something Seraphina could ignore. She might find it hard to scold the second prince of this nation, but she could certainly do it. She closed the distance between them and showed Cedar a much colder expression. “You would do best to hold back when proposing such impertinent things. I know that you mean no harm, but as the empress of Artias, I cannot allow you to speak as if my power is on the verge of destruction.”

Again, Cedar ignored her words. He turned to the side and inspected one of the rose hedges while carefully reaching for the flower closest to him. He replied in a far too casual tone while inspecting the flower carefully. “Oh, Your Majesty. I believe you misunderstood. How could I ever have indicated something impertinent as that?” Then he faced her again, his eyes holding so much glee that it felt like another insult.

Seraphina once again struggled to maintain an unreadable expression, but she forced herself to hide whatever she was feeling at the moment. Instead of openly scolding Cedar again, she just decided to keep the conversation on track. “Your little games do not work on me. Do not attempt to hide behind abstract comparisons and foolish words you deny afterward. I do not wish to waste our time with evasive responses and distracting phrases. Allow me to make my offer more specific. I believe you could work together with His Majesty. I would be willing to ensure that your relationship with him improves.” She threw all she had into the game now. She only had one chance, and she had to use it well.

She hadn't expected Cedar to jump at the offer, but maybe she had hoped for a bit more understanding. The prince barely gave away any interesting thought and just turned the question around again. “On what basis are you offering this? I presume my brother did not ask you to speak to me.” He waited for a response here, and when she didn't reply immediately, he spoke first. “I thought so. Then I would like to know why you decided to do this without his knowledge. Would he not be quite upset if he found out?”

That was a given. With how little Theodore trusted his wife right now, it wouldn't be a surprise if he accused Seraphina of conspiring with his enemies after that. So, she would have to be truly careful. But in the end, she was in a position in which she couldn't just hold still. Seraphina had to do something.

So, she would act.

As she slowly moved forward, Seraphina made sure to keep her head up. She met Cedar's gaze directly while just ignoring what he had said. “His Majesty wishes for peace as much as you do. That is why I am offering this. You asked for honesty, so we shall have it. I believe your political skills could help us a lot. No one ever hid what people used to call you. The secret empress, was it? That was the title the former servants of the palace gave you. Even as a child, everyone knew that you were reliable. You fulfilled many of your mother's duties, organized events and supported your father's ministers. Who says that you could not take on a similar role again? Having help in politics is always helpful.” She slowly walked toward Cedar again and tried her best to hide how her heartbeat picked up. She was desperate to make this work, but she had lost all hope. Still, she wanted to cling to this option. “You could become the second most powerful man in the capital. You could even influence His Majesty if you do it well. In fact, that might be more peaceful than trying to become emperor. After all, you could try many things. All mistakes would be blamed on His Majesty even if you take risks. You could still ask for recognition for your efforts despite that though. I can personally make sure that your political power is always secured. Would being one of the victors of this conflict not be good for you as well?”

The silence that followed was deafening. It felt like hours passed before the reply even came.

And at that point, the response was already obvious. Cedar's expression didn't shift in the slightest as he opened his mouth. He didn't even pretend to fall for her words. Instead, he let out a quiet laugh. “You truly wish to find reasons for me to agree. You certainly took a while to prepare that speech.” He stopped after that, making it seem like he didn't wish to talk again. A moment later, he did continue though. Now his tone sounded even more amused, and when he met Seraphina's gaze, she didn't like how smug he seemed at all. “I have to say... It's almost cute. This feels like you're doing it for the first time.”

What?

Out of everything, Seraphina hadn't expected to be treated like her political efforts were things this prince could joke about. This was far too serious. She had to fight to keep her expression neutral. “What could you be referring to, Your Royal Highness? I believed that I merely addressed important political conflicts. Please enlighten me regarding what you find so amusing.”

Even her cold voice barely seemed to faze the prince. Cedar just smiled at her like before, his voice as sweet as ever. “You asked me not to use any abstract comparisons. I presume that means that you wish for me to be honest. If so, allow me to give my response properly.” He took a little step forward while lowering his voice to a whisper for only her to hear. “You have to learn quite a lot before you can hope to influence anyone with such clumsy attempts.”

That comment might have been what finally made Seraphina furrow her brows. It shouldn't have been surprising that the prince would find out what she was trying, but it was still a bit upsetting to know that he had seen right through her facade. He wasn't even trying to veil what his intentions were now. Cedar wanted to tell her that she had no chance to do anything here. It wasn't like this would change anything about the current situation, so things wouldn't get worse. She had to give up on a great chance anyway, and that was frustrating.

Seraphina would never admit that though. “I wished to have a sincere discussion about our future. To accuse me of attempting to manipulate you is a rather unfitting sentiment.”

Even so, Cedar didn't seem to mind being honest though. He just laughed at her again before adding something so quietly that it was hard to even understand him. “Having a sincere discussion does not mean that you cannot attempt to influence the other party. I will not blame you for trying. It was merely quite obvious. The idea was good, but if you wish to gain your enemy's trust, you have to use more time. Hoping to win over someone in a single conversation is quite ambitious. If your enemy is strong, you might have to use years of hard work to receive a single family's support. It is a fragile and long-lasting process. But if you try to go without it, your political connections will break before you make a single move.”

Now he was giving her tips on how to win someone's trust. That was more than humiliating. Seraphina knew how to influence others well, and this man just claimed that she was incapable of doing that. She couldn't even retort without admitting what she was trying.

So, Seraphina just avoided a direct response. “You would be correct when it comes to manipulation tactics. Though, I will remind you that naming the advantages someone could earn by collaborating is not manipulation. Do you truly believe that I would so carelessly attempt something like that without preparation?”

But like before, Cedar just always seemed to know how to argue back. “I am not saying that you are foolish. You do understand the basics of what it takes to manipulate people. Though, you may not have enough experience. That isn't necessarily your fault though.” His smile seemed so friendly that his words were just all the more insulting when he voiced them. “The issue is that the people in your life never needed to be influenced. You grew up as the lady of one of the most powerful families in Artias. Everyone in your family loved you from the beginning. Even after that, you only ever found yourself in situations where countless people were at your beck and call and would do whatever you demanded. You simply never had to convince anyone to follow you against their will. That is why you don't have too much experience being manipulative. It says a lot about how sheltered your life was.” He acted like she was a stupid child.

That had been insulting before, and now it only got worse.

Seraphina kept a somewhat unreadable expression despite that. She hated being treated like someone unknowing, but she still decided to continue this conversation, if just to not simply let this man win. “You speak as if I had no experience when it comes to reading people. As the empress of this nation, that would be quite unfavorable. Do you not agree? Ever since I was born, I was taught to become the person at the side of his nation's ruler. To claim that I was uneducated is quite impertinent.” She used a much harsher tone now.

Still, Cedar acted like she couldn't hurt him while replying. “I never said that you were uneducated. I claimed that you were sheltered. That is something entirely different. After all, having theoretical knowledge does not mean that you understand the minds of other people. Though, I believe that you are intelligent enough to at least grasp what those around you may plan, Your Majesty. You are quite aware of what Theodore is trying to do, are you not? He will bring a great change to your life soon.”

That comment was what really made Seraphina freeze. This conversation had been about the prince's political influence. How had they switched to discussing what Theodore might want? Especially since this might be connected to a rather troublesome and possibly even dangerous situation for Seraphina. She just lifted her head a bit more before forcing out her reply. “What His Majesty wishes for is unrelated, but if you have the desire to speak about this, do not hold back. What do you claim him to plan that would make such a big change?”

“I am certain that you are aware as well. Theodore has not hidden how much disdain he holds for you recently. I doubt that things can continue like this for much longer. And because you know that he wishes to divorce you, you attempt to pull me onto your side. You hope that you can prove your worth to Theodore by ending this power struggle for him. It was a good idea in theory. It is just a shame that manipulating members of the royal family is not that easy.” With that, Cedar leaned forward a bit to add the rest, his voice sounding a bit too amused despite the problematic topic. “And deep inside, you must know that this effort is wasted as well. It will not keep Theodore from making his decision.”

He shouldn't have known that yet. Of everyone in the capital, Theodore's greatest enemy shouldn't be aware of Seraphina's current main concern. How had he even found out? But then again, Theodore hadn't hidden his feelings much during the past few weeks.

Seraphina hadn't been ignorant of what was happening in the background. She had been well aware of the fact that her husband wasn't just getting more and more hateful every day. She had also seen how he pulled his lover closer and closer. He had even put a ring on Lady Blanche's finger as if to announce that they would marry sooner or later.

It would be impossible for Seraphina to prevent that. And in the end, she saw no need to interfere either. After all, she didn't care for her husband romantically, and knowing that Lady Blanche might soon have a child that would take the burden of needing an heir from the royal family calmed her as well. Since Lady Blanche had started to obey societal norms and noble expectations recently, this should not cause a big issue in the future either.

Though, a part of Seraphina wondered whether this was truly as far as Theodore wished to go. He seemed to hate her now. And if he really wished to have his lover with him as his sole wife, he might see the need to remove the first wife.

Seraphina had been raised to be empress. Now she might lose that position just because her husband loved another woman. She couldn't take that risk. Naturally, she wouldn't endanger the emperor or his lover in any way, but she would attempt to keep her rank anyway. Even though Seraphina couldn't be sure whether this would even work, she had chosen to strengthen her political stance because of that. Though, she had failed miserably.

Even the man she had tried to influence seemed to know what problem she was facing.

But Seraphina would never admit what was happening in front of the prince. She decided to keep this a secret even though that might be a foolish attempt. She would never show her weakness and instead just straightened her back and met Cedar's gaze directly while threatening him much more than she had before. “Your Royal Highness. I would hold back with such claims if I were you. This isn't just daring anymore. You are insulting the empress of Artias.”

She might have forgotten that Cedar was a member of the royal family too.

The prince wasn't intimidated by her at all. “Even though I am telling the truth?” Even though he insulted her outright, he barely seemed to care and even mocked her further. “You should see this as a hint from someone who understands your husband's mind a little more than you do. Even if you were the sole person who is supported by all nobles in the capital, Theodore's heart would still belong to the only woman he wishes to marry. He will make her his empress sooner or later. It would be best for you to finally accept that.” None of this was a lie.

Seraphina understood that the prince wasn't saying anything too outrageous. Due to her current situation, it wouldn't be surprising for people to guess that she was currently dealing with this issue. That would make it hard for her to scold Cedar too much for it, but she wouldn't admit defeat either. “You speak as if you already know more than I do. That is surprising since you haven't seen His Majesty or his lover during the past seven years.” She wanted to tell him to stay out of the decisions of the head of the family after, but she didn't have a chance.

Cedar already resumed. “I still seem to understand Theodore's goals better.” As if he didn't care enough to even meet her gaze, he turned his head to inspect the roses next to them again. He only faced her a moment after to add something else. “Unless I am truly wrong about my brother's current state of mind. But I would say that I am correct. After all, he is quite devoted to Lady Blanche. Some would even say that he is obsessed with her. And since he is quite willing to give her all she wants, why would he not give her the position as his only wife?” He tilted his head to the side a bit. “I may not be able to look into my brother's head, but I think I can see through him better than you do. Not only because we grew up together. Also because he always puts on a strong facade around you. He may distrust me, but he seems to distrust you even more. Haven't you noticed by now? Theodore even lets me call his first name. I don't think he would let you do that.”

It was true. Even if Seraphina put in all she had, she couldn't deny that. Even after she had been at Theodore's side for two decades, he had never even considered letting her stay close to him. From the beginning, she had called him by his title and nothing else. Even after Lady Blanche had appeared and been granted permission to call him by a pet name after just a few weeks with him, that hadn't changed. It said a lot about what Theodore thought about her. Especially when he even seemed to be fine with his brother calling him by name.

His biggest political enemy was closer to him than his own wife. It was ridiculous.

Seraphina wanted to deny it, but that would be hard. She didn't even get the chance.

Cedar already kept speaking, his words being even harsher than before. “At the moment, my brother certainly acts like he likes me more than you. That is quite a disturbing revelation if you ask me. Though, I guess you knew that already. But there might be something you didn't know before. Have you found out what Theodore told me in regard to you when I came here?” He beamed at her while adding what had to have been the worst insult he could utter. “He told me not to trust you. He said that you would try to manipulate me to gain power and that I shouldn't listen to any of your lies. His words were quite harsh, especially considering that he warned his hated brother about his own wife. To me, it seems that Theodore doesn't trust you much. That is what you should keep in mind. If Theodore wants you gone, he will ensure that you leave the palace soon. He did it with his own mother and brother. What makes you think that he cannot send you away as well? It would be easier for you to remove yourself from this situation before he decides that his patience is used up.”

That was another harsh insult, one that hit her with far too much force.

Seraphina was used to people criticizing her, but few individuals were actually daring enough to throw things like this at her face. She opened her mouth to talk back immediately, but she struggled to keep herself calm as she tried to silence Cedar. “There is a limit you cannot breach, Your Royal Highness. Threatening me will not do you any good. Our situations are very different.”

And again, Cedar merely grinned at her unpleasant situation. “When did I threaten you, Your Majesty? I merely offered some advice. I would not test Theodore if I were you. Something tells me that this wouldn't end well for you. After all...” He lifted his gaze and demonstratively glanced over her shoulder before letting out a little chuckle. “He does seem to be a bit upset.”

A cold shiver ran down Seraphina's spine. She hoped that Cedar was just trying to scare her, but when she turned, she made eye contact with the very person they had discussed standing in the distance.

The emperor didn't look pleased. In fact, he looked as furious as he hadn't been in a while to the point at which Seraphina tensed and almost expected him to do something bad. But as Theodore approached, he didn't do anything to harm her. He just looked at her with nothing but disdain as he walked past her and greeted his brother. “Ah, Cedar. What a surprise to see you here. I thought you were gone already.” That he fully ignored the correct order of whom he should address first didn't seem to matter. Theodore showed his favor here openly. He even called his brother by name while only distantly addressing Seraphina by her title. The only other person that got this treatment was the dowager empress.

But could Theodore really hate Seraphina as much as the woman who had killed his mother? It made little sense. His wife had never harmed him or his loved ones in any way. Why would he resent her so much?

Even now, Theodore looked at her with such malice that it almost made her take a step back.

Cedar barely cared for his brother's obvious anger. He just put on a bright smile while responding. “I was planning on leaving, but then I met Her Majesty. She invited me for a short walk.”

Hearing that was enough to fill Theodore with even more anger. He glanced at Seraphina while quite obviously giving her a non-verbal warning. “I see. How generous of her.” He didn't even ask what she was saying about this. He just focused on his brother again. “I believe there is still something we should discuss. Would you mind accompanying me to my office?”

Cedar met Seraphina's gaze for a single second as if to signal her that he had been right after all. Then he looked at his brother again. “Not at all. I would be honored.”

And with that, Theodore already prepared to leave. He didn't glance at his wife again nor did he bid her farewell. He barely took a few steps before he addressed Cedar, not even trying to be quiet. “What did she tell you?” Now he truly asked his enemy about what his wife was doing. He trusted her that little.

Seraphina had been aware for a while now, but seeing this so directly stung anyway. She could just stare at the two men who were slowly walking away while desperately trying to keep her composure.

A moment later, one of her maids already came running. “Your Majesty, is everything fine?” Clarissa worried quite a lot, but her concern wouldn't help.

Seraphina was still stuck in a troublesome situation she could barely escape from. It might be a depressing thought, but she should probably make sure to consider alternatives for the future soon. After all, it was getting less and less comfortable for her here.