"Lady Daphne"
"I cannot bear to let such a magnificent flower wither in the countryside. I ask you to join my imperial harem as my favored consort."
A cold stillness fell over the court.
Alaric's fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his breath hissed through his teeth.
The Duke's face was filled with pure, unadulterated terror.
Breaking the silence, the Duke Thomas, his usual dignified composure replaced by a desperate courage, stepped forward. He bowed before the Emperor, his voice trembling but firm.
"Your Imperial Majesty," he pleaded.
"My daughter… she is but a simple girl from the mountains. She is too young and too inexperienced for such a great honor. Her health has always been fragile, and she has only ever known the quiet life of our Manor. She is innocent and knows nothing of court and its ways. I fear she is not suited for the rigors of the imperial harem."
Lady Elizabeth, standing behind her husband, "Yes, Your Majesty"
The entire court held its breath, waiting for the Emperor's verdict.
Daphne knew her father's plea, while brave, was not enough. To simply refuse would spell ruin for her entire family.
She had to act.
Taking a small step forward, Daphne bowed her head, not in submission, but in defiance.
"Your Majesty is most generous," she began, "but surely a great ruler such as yourself has no lack of good women by your side?
"The Empress is a beacon of grace and wisdom for our nation, and your honored consorts are unparalleled in their beauty and charm. Your Majesty is already blessed with the finest women in the empire. I am but a simple, rustic girl, undeserving of such honor."
A wave of shock rippled through the court.
She had not only spoken directly to the Emperor, but had done so with a combination of defiance and flattery that no one had ever witnessed.
The Empress's blazing fury faltered, replaced by a look of surprise.
The Emperor, caught completely off guard, simply stared. His eyes, sharp and calculating, studied Daphne. Her clever words, rather than extinguishing his interest, had only fanned the flames of his intrigue.
A slow smile spread across his face, a dangerous expression that sent a shiver down Daphne's spine.
"A simple, rustic girl, you say?" he mused, "What if I were to bypass these trivialities of circumstance? What if I were to issue an imperial edict?"
The Emperor was not asking for permission, he was stating a fact. An imperial edict would make her his consort by law, a move that would immediately elevate her to the rank of first consort, second only to the Empress herself.
A wave of fury washed over Alaric. He wanted to burst forward, to pull Daphne away from the dais and declare her his own.
But he couldn't.
He knew the court would turn on her in an instant. His public aversion to women was well-known, and if he were to reveal his affection for her now, she would be seen as a weakness, a tool to be used against him by his many political enemies.
This would endanger her life. He had to tread carefully.
The Empress's carefully constructed mask of composure finally shattered. The possibility of a first-rank consort was an insult to her authority and a direct threat to her power.
She had made sure that position remained empty for years.
She had worked for years to secure her position and she would not allow it to be usurped by a girl who had just appeared from the shadows.
The Emperor's question, a clear prelude to an Imperial Edict, hung heavy in the air. The Empress's eyes blazed, she knew she had to act now.
With a sudden, dramatic gasp, the Empress swayed, her hand flying to her forehead.
"Oh," she murmured, her voice weak and laced with the perfect amount of fragility.
The color drained from her face as she seemed to lose her footing. She collapsed gracefully into the arms of a nearby lady-in-waiting.
Chaos erupted in the hall. "The Empress has fainted!" a voice shrieked.
The Emperor, whose attention had been solely on Daphne, turned with annoyance, his face a mask of concern for the public eye. "A physician, at once!" he commanded.
The entire court swarmed around the dais, a sea of worried faces and rustling silks.
The Empress was carefully lifted and carried away to her private chambers, her ladies-in-waiting fussing over her as they went.
The spectacle had successfully distracted everyone.
Daphne stood frozen, the veil still in her hand. A cold relief washed over her, but it was quickly replaced by a new, more dangerous dread. The Empress hadn't backed down, she had just delayed what may be inevitable.
"It seems our conversation must be postponed, Lady Daphne," the Emperor said, his voice low enough for only those nearby to hear. "But rest assured, this is not the end of our discussion."
With a nod to his guards, he dismissed the court and began to walk briskly out of the hall.
The ball, which had started with joyous music and laughter, now ended in a frenzied, chaotic dispersal.
As the nobles began to scatter, Alaric finally let out a silent breath. The crisis had been averted, for now. He turned on his heel and followed the Emperor. He knew he had precious time, and he intended to use it to lay his claim on her.
Daphne's family rushed to her side. Lianna was the first to reach her.
"Daphne, are you alright?" Lianna asked, her voice filled with worry.
Her mother, Lady Elizabeth, reached out to pull her into a tight embrace. "Oh, my dear girl. You must be terrified. What was he thinking, to say such a thing?"
Aidan stood close, his hand resting protectively on his sword hilt, his eyes scanning the thinning crowd for any threats.
Finn was silent and confused by the sudden chaos.
Daphne's body flinched at her mother's touch.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice curt and clipped, a stark contrast to the melodic tone from moments before.
She pulled away from her mother. The last thing she wanted was to discuss the matter in public.
She looked at her parents, her eyes pleading with a silent urgency. "Please," she said, the single word a plea. "Let's just go. I'm too tired to talk or think."
The Duke, understanding the exhaustion in her eyes, nodded immediately.
He turned to Lianna and her parents. "We must take our leave. A thousand apologies for this chaos."
Lianna's father simply smiled with understanding. "Of course, Duke. We will speak soon."
Lianna squeezed Daphne's arm gently. "I'll see you tomorrow," she whispered, her eyes conveying a world of unspoken sympathy and concern.
Daphne gave a brief, tight nod in return. The Duke wrapped an arm around his wife, and Aidan and Finn fell in behind them.