The imperial palace's meeting hall was filled with a tense silence, broken only by cautious sighs and whispers. This gathering, organised completely unexpectedly, had many courtiers on edge. After all, it was the empress herself who had called the meeting, and that alone was cause for excitement.
The empress, whose only daughter had recently been buried with honours, had finally recovered from her mourning and appeared in public for the first time. After all, in the current situation in the country, the empress could not afford to wallow in grief — the fate of the empire was at stake.
Moreover, the topic of discussion this time was truly important. Many were stunned to hear what the empress was about to announce at this meeting.
— I welcome all the ministers gathered here, — Julia began. — We are here to decide the fate of our state at this critical moment. The loss of the crown princess is an irreparable loss, and now our country is faced with the need to appoint a new heir.
A quiet whisper spread through the hall.
— As you already know, in addition to the tragic death of my dear daughter, another tragedy has recently occurred in the imperial city, — the empress paused before continuing: — Her Highness Princess Castrea, His Majesty's younger sister, was killed by mercenaries of the northern lord.
The whispering in the hall grew several times louder. Of course, most of those present had already heard about this tragedy, which had occurred a few days earlier. Nevertheless, the name of the criminal mentioned by the empress was truly unexpected.
That was then. Among the vassals of the imperial court, Count Wolfrey, who was particularly agitated, cautiously opened his mouth.
— Your Majesty, may I ask how you found out that the northern lord was behind this?
The empress sighed heavily, and a dark shadow fell over her face.
— Fortunately for us, although most of these scoundrels managed to escape, we still managed to catch one of them and interrogate him, — she said. — This man confessed that he was sent by Lord Sever himself.
The faces of many of those present reflected sincere shock.
— But why... Why did Lord Sever do such a thing?!
— How can we, people of the court, know what goes on in the minds of barbarians? — the empress spread her hands. — Perhaps Princess Nara wanted to take revenge on the emperor in this way, or maybe she had some other terrible goal. But in any case, it was indeed her doing.
While everyone was stunned by what they had heard, Julia calmly continued:
— Despite the tragic death of the eldest princess, thanks to the quick actions of the imperial guard, we managed to save her son's life. Thus, at this moment, Prince Orion Cassius Ashelot is the only remaining contender for the throne.
"...."
— Therefore, I propose that Prince Orion be immediately re-elected as crown prince. Since the eldest princess is dead and the prince has no other guardians, I will take on this role and become his foster mother, supporting the prince until he comes of age.
Since this decision was too unexpected and raised many questions, it inevitably caused concern among the members of the council. A heated discussion broke out again in the hall, which was more like a verbal altercation.
— Your Majesty, — one of the ministers finally spoke up, addressing the empress directly, — According to the law, the appointment of an heir must be approved by the emperor himself. But His Imperial Majesty is currently incapacitated and unable to make such a decision. Without his consent, we risk igniting conflict and undermining the legitimacy of state power...
The empress raised her hand, calling for silence.
— In my opinion, the current situation in the country is quite clear, — she said calmly. — The emperor is temporarily unable to fulfil his duties, and as long as I am his lawful wife and mother of the empire's people, this decision also rests with me. As I have already said, I propose that my adopted son Orion be appointed crown prince.
A heated discussion broke out in the hall over the empress's words. Some of them took her words with obvious concern.
After a while, one of the court officials, who had been listening closely to the discussion, cautiously asked the empress a question:
— Your Majesty, I beg your pardon, but many of us did not even know of the prince's existence until now! How can we be sure of his origins and that he is worthy of becoming the successor to the imperial dynasty? This question cannot be taken so lightly!
— Then what other options do you propose? — the empress asked coldly. — Are you saying that you have other worthy candidates for the throne?
— Well... — the official hesitated.
— Let me remind you, Minister of Justice Archduke Eberhard. Since the imperial court has not yet chosen a new heir, our empire remains in a vulnerable position. What will happen if His Majesty suddenly leaves us? — said the empress in a trembling voice. — Without a ruler, the country will be plunged into chaos. Not to mention that this instability will make us easy prey for Lord Sever, who is just waiting for the right moment to strike.
As soon as the empress mentioned Lord North's name and used it as a threat, the numerous whispers in the hall almost immediately died down.
Satisfied with the effect she had achieved, the empress confidently summed up her words:
— This child is the son of the eldest princess and is best suited for this role. In these difficult times, we need not just a legitimate heir, but a person capable of preserving the unity of the empire. What could be better suited for this than the royal blood of a true descendant of the imperial family?
Finally, one of the ministers, hesitating, cautiously interjected:
— Your Majesty, we understand your position. But if objections arise among the courtiers or other influential supporters of the imperial court, it would be better to postpone this decision until the emperor is restored...
From the very beginning of this discussion, the empress's patience was gradually wearing thin. She pressed her thumb against the inside of her eyebrow, where her head ached. And before she could respond to the official in a raised voice, the situation was unexpectedly saved by the intervention of an outside observer.
At that moment, Chancellor Ardelio, who had been standing next to the empress all this time and closely following the discussion, intervened. Finally, he opened his mouth and said:
— Time is not on our side, Duke Malri, — he replied firmly. — Until the emperor can rule the country, power must remain in reliable hands. I ask all of you to support this decision for the good of the state.
Since this time it was the man known as the emperor's right-hand man who spoke, it made a significant impression on those present. After all, this man, who had helped the emperor rule the country for many years, would surely not support a decision that was doomed to failure. In other words, this was the opinion of a man who could be trusted.
A heavy silence fell over the hall. One by one, the ministers began to bow their heads, acknowledging the inevitability of the decision.
When there were no more dissenters, the empress was satisfied with the work that had been done.
— In that case, if there are no further objections, I order that preparations for the ceremony to appoint the new crown prince begin immediately! — she said.
The ministers bowed their heads in unison.
— Yes, Your Majesty!
Surrounded by a chorus of assenting voices, Julia smiled contentedly, for this was exactly how she had planned to end the meeting. From now on, nothing and no one would be able to prevent her from realising her cherished dream.
***
It was very quiet in Lord of the North's office.
Only two crimson and golden eyes glowed in the dark room without a single source of light. Asil, sitting at her desk, closed her eyes tightly and sighed.
"Damn... I should have killed him..." muttered the princess, but it was unclear who she was talking about.
Late at night, when the clock struck midnight, a guest arrived at the place.
— Your Highness, may I come in?
Asil opened her eyes and looked coldly at him standing at the door. The man, dressed in dark camouflage clothing, bowed his head slightly.
— Why do you ask when you already know the answer? — she asked.
— Your Highness, I thought you might be busy.
The princess narrowed her eyes.
— Boris.
— Yes, Your Highness?
— Sometimes I really think someone else could do your job better.
"....."
As soon as he was called by name, Boris flinched slightly and stepped forward. Making sure the door behind them was closed, he knelt before the princess.
— Please forgive my disrespect, Your Highness. But I have something to tell you at this late hour...
Asil's guess was correct.
— And what is that?
— Today, according to our intelligence report, a meeting was held in the imperial palace...
— .....
After his words, the princess's eyebrows twitched slightly.
Boris seemed to be watching her reaction, then continued.
— This meeting was about appointing a new heir to the throne.
After the servant briefly told the princess the details of the meeting, she smiled slightly.
There was nothing else to worry about. Asil stood up without hesitation.
— Boris.
— Yes, — he replied quietly.
The next moment, he dared to raise his eyes from the floor and look at the princess. He met her cold amber eyes, which were impossible to understand. However, Boris even thought that at that moment the princess was not looking at him at all.
— I think I've been sitting in one place for too long, and now I'm bored. It's time to have some fun.
At the moment when Asil covered her face with her hand, it seemed to him that she smiled quietly.
Her tightly closed eyes were visible between her slightly parted fingers. Her white eyelashes soon turned into thin slits. Inside, eyes flashed, dark as the abyss. His gaze passed through the slit, but just as Boris flinched, the princess removed her hand from her face.
Her open face was cold and impassive, as always. So much so that Boris wondered if what he had just seen was an illusion.