Her Highness's Second Life

Chapter 5 - The Right People

“Are all preparations complete?”

Kassian nodded, his eyes still studying the map between them. He had memorized the route already and even sent a few of his men to check on the villages and establishments on the way, making a list of any dangers and possible camp locations. Most importantly, they were supposed to observe any places suitable for an ambush.

The arrival of the delegation was anticipated throughout the entire capital now—talks about the riches and wonders of the new continent had started as rumors and evolved into mysterious tales about wizards and magic, about mountains of gold and rivers of diamonds. The temple had tried to suppress that kind of talk, calling it blasphemy, but the people were too excited to care. The more they were silenced, the more the rumors spread, and the stories grew with embellishments.

“Everything is ready,” Kassian said with a slight delay, recalling his brother’s question. He pushed his hands off the table and crossed his arms, locking eyes with Yulien. “I sincerely hope they are worth all the trouble.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to make all those arrangements if I didn’t think so," Yulien replied thoughtfully, rubbing his forehead. The pale, worn-out look on his face added a few more years to his appearance, but despite his tired eyelids twitching, his eyes still held a sharp and lively gleam. "If this one thing goes well, it will help me secure my rule entirely, so I won’t have to rely on power-hungry bastards who want to put a leash on my neck. So please, make sure you attend to them properly on the way. They may be a bit extravagant and strange since their culture is much different from ours, but they do hold a lot of power. Especially His Eminence.”

“I will,” Kassian said, holding back a sigh. He had never heard that desperate note in his brother’s voice—not when their mother died, not when both of them lived in constant danger, not even when the castle was attacked by the Craidal insurgents and they were almost killed. “It’s not true that this guy is actually a wizard, is it?”

Yulien gave him an amused look, his eyebrow rising toward his hair. He had started wearing it in a low ponytail now, probably to keep it out of his face while spending his days hunched over his desk or holding meetings with other nobles and staff.

“Don't tell me you believe in these kinds of things,” Yulien scoffed. “If we believe all the rumors that have reached us about this guy, we are about to meet a god walking about, a man with the power of miracles at his fingertips. No, I don’t believe he is a wizard, but I do believe he is extremely powerful in a different way," he added, rubbing his chin as he looked down at the map where Gaemo harbor was marked with a red circle. “All of my spies on the new continent say that he owns land right between the territories of the kingdoms of Barasea and Sewa. Apparently, his land is a neutral ground where he holds absolute authority, and all the kingdoms pay him tribute if they want to keep his benevolence.”

“If he is not a wizard who can wield magic, then why are entire kingdoms so afraid of him?” Kassian frowned.

“It’s not that they are afraid. They are dependent on him,” Yulien replied, his brows creasing. “I don’t know how much of this is rumor and how much it’s true, but apart from the groundbreaking inventions he is selling, he has the power of foresight and in-depth knowledge on many subjects such as medicine, politics, trade, even military. By providing all those kingdoms with the same level of technology, he keeps them in balance. If someone displeases him and he cuts off his support to them, it will put them at a disadvantage. I’m not sure if he is some kind of genius or if the gods blessed him with that knowledge, but it’s safe to say we need to be very careful about how we handle him. So even if he says something that annoys you, bite your tongue and be polite. We can’t mess this up.”

“I’m not an i***t,” Kassian said. “If I reached for my sword every time somebody annoyed me, you would have become Emperor years ago.” Yulien chuckled, then stepped away from the table and sank into one of the chairs with a sigh.

“You indeed mellowed down these past few years,” Yulien smirked. “If anyone has magic, it’s probably Raena.” Kassian smiled to himself at the mention of his wife. “Oh, another thing. Apart from His Eminence and his entourage, there will be another delegate from Barasea—their third princess, Su Senna.”

“Barasea was the richest kingdom there, right?” Kassian asked as he wracked his brain to remember the details from the report Zariel had handed him so long ago. The new continent had so many kingdoms that it was hard to keep a note of all of them—a few of them were even smaller than some of the Empire’s regions. But the most important were Barasea, Sewa, and His Eminence’s land—they controlled everything from the import and export of the old continent to the navy, military, and the most ground-breaking technology.

“That’s right,” Yulien nodded. “Make sure to be extra nice to her. Even if we don’t get an agreement with His Eminence, if we can work at least with Barasea, it would still be a win for us.”

Kassian nodded, picking up the pile of drawings that he had been staring at for the last few hours. It was supposed to be portraits of His Eminence and his entourage drawn by Yulien’s spies across the ocean, but it was hard to imagine those people drawn with charcoal walking the streets of the Capital with all that power they wielded.

His Eminence himself didn’t look like much—probably around six feet tall, with tanned skin and short wavy hair. There was a note that said his eyes were gray and he had a giant tattoo on his chest that symbolized his power, but the sketch didn’t show any of that.

What worried Kassian more was the look on his supposed aide.

He was a whole head shorter and much slimmer, but his unassuming features, toned body, and relaxed posture reminded him of Yulien’s Shadows before he disbanded them. Maybe it was just the sketcher’s imagination that caused the drawing to give that vibe, but Kassian already knew who would be the first person he’d put a tail on.

“In any case, I think…” Yulien continued when the door to his study flew open without a knock or a warning, and his younger aide, Serill, barged in. The aide stopped almost immediately, leaning his hands on his knees while trying to catch his breath. Yulien slowly rose to his feet, his smile melting at once.

Something was wrong, very wrong. Neither of Yulien’s aides would even think about barging in like that into the Emperor’s office if there wasn’t a good reason for that. Judging by the sweat dripping from Serill’s brow and his flushed face, he had been running as if chased by death itself.

“What is it?” Yulien asked impatiently.

“It's Her Majesty The Empress…” Serill said, his voice cracking at the end. He swallowed with difficulty and licked his lips before raising his eyes to meet Yulien’s. “She collapsed in the garden and hasn’t regained consciousness ever since.”

Kassian felt his heart drop as the words rang in his ears like an ominous echo. Could she have been poisoned? Attacked? How did it happen? What did the doctor say? All those questions erupted in his head instantly, but his body was much faster than his mind. He got up, ready to run out and find those answers himself, when he realized that for the first time in their lives, Yulien was quicker than him.

The Emperor ran out of the room without a word, and Kassian and Serill followed after him. The aide fell behind once he ran out of air again, while Kassian caught up with his brother, and the two continued silently toward the Empress’s quarters, sending maids and guards into panic at the sight of them sprinting, with the Emperor's bodyguards following suit.

The guards in front of the Empress’ quarters hesitated when they saw them, but quickly opened the double-winged doors. Kassian slowed down, allowing Yulien to go in first, and watched as his brother looked around frantically.

Kassian was just about to suggest they check the bedroom when the door leading out of the anteroom opened, and a maid stepped out, carrying a handful of linens. She froze mid-step as she saw them and quickly doubled down in a respectful bow. Yulien rushed past her without a word, and Kassian followed until they finally reached the Empress’ bedroom door. More maids and attendants were there, everyone fussing around with quick movements and concerned expressions.

Just as Yulien was approaching the bedroom door, it swung open, and Raena stepped out. Kassian’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t even known she’d be at the palace today, and the realization that she was with the Empress when it happened made him shudder. He examined her from head to toe, searching for any signs of wounds or struggle, and sighed in relief when he found none.

“How is she?” Yulien asked, trying to look past her while she was still blocking the door. Her expression had changed from concerned to angry, but Yulien didn’t seem to notice.

“She is resting,” Raena replied in a harsh tone, and Yulien finally looked at her. “The Imperial doctor examined her thoroughly and said that she collapsed due to stress and overwork. Elene caught her when she fell, so there was no harm done to her body or the baby.” Yulien’s shoulders slumped down in relief, but Raena’s eyes remained just as unforgiving. “You know this is all your fault, don’t you?”

Yulien’s back stiffened at once, and he raised his head slowly. Kassian couldn’t see his brother’s expression from where he was standing, but judging by the way Raena’s body tensed, it wasn’t a good one.

“You would do well to remember who you’re speaking to,” Yulien said, his voice sharp enough to startle Kassian. In all his life, he had never heard Yulien speak with such intensity, not even to his enemies. “You may be family and Arina’s friend, but speaking that way to the Emperor can get you locked up in the dungeon just as easily as committing treason. Now leave, both of you.”

Yulien circled her, opening the door and stepping into Arina’s bedroom. There was a commotion inside, but Kassian kept staring at his wife who stood perfectly still, her body trembling in what he thought might be fear as much as anger.

“We’re leaving,” he announced and Raena finally looked at him, her helpless anger shining brightly through her beautiful eyes. Kassian caught her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers before pulling her toward the exit of the Empress’ quarters.

Raena remained quiet the whole time they were walking, which made him uneasy. He switched another few corridors and, when he was sure there was nobody in sight, he stopped and pulled her into his arms. She didn’t hug him back, just stood stiff and unmoving, her hot breath warming his chest.

“I know you are worried about Arina,” he whispered, running a hand over her soft hair. “I am too. But you are smarter than this. You cannot say such things to the Emperor, especially when there are so many people around. I will always be on your side, even if it means choosing death, you know that. But it’s not just the two of us anymore, so please, please be more careful next time.”

She said nothing, but he felt her nod. Her hands wrapped around his waist, and she pressed herself against him, squeezing him tightly. Kassian let out a relieved sigh, nudging his cheek against her hair.

“Don’t be so harsh on Yulien. He is doing his best under the circumstances. Between preparing reforms both in the trade and agriculture sectors, trying to figure out what to do with the empty treasury, and dealing with backstabbing nobles every day, he can’t stand by Arina’s shoulder and scold her every time she pushes herself too far.” He let go of her and pushed her away so he could look at her face, but she kept staring at his chest. “He and Arina are a team, just like we are, and if she was stressed and overworked, I’m betting my right arm it was her stubbornness that led her to that. Yulien already told her to delegate her responsibilities to her ladies-in-waiting or any concubines of her choosing, but she refused.”

“So you also don’t think this has anything to do with him getting another woman pregnant?” she asked in a low voice, still refusing to meet his eyes. Kassian licked his lips, then caught her chin gently and pushed it up. When she met his gaze, her jaw was tight.

“I’m sure that part of her might be a little unsettled, but Arina is not like you and me,” Kassian said. “She is the Empress. There is no place for jealousy in her life and she knows that. The Empire comes first, her family second. If killing herself or either of us would save the Empire from demise, she will do it. Without hesitation. And so will Yulien. That’s why they are the right people to lead us. In this complicated world, you cannot always have it all. To hold that kind of power, you have to sacrifice something. Happiness. Love. Friendship. I can’t do it and I don’t think you can either. But they can. And they deserve your respect and understanding for that. Even if you don’t like it.”

She stared at him silently, then leaned her forehead on his chest, letting out a chuckle.

“When did my husband become so wise?” she scoffed, and he felt the heaviness in his chest lighten a bit.

“Your words sound like a compliment, but they feel like an insult,” he teased her, kissing her forehead. “Let me walk you to your carriage. I have a bit more work to do in the palace, but I’ll be home later. I don’t want you out after dark.”

Raena just nodded, so he squeezed her hand, pulling her down the corridor.