Chapter 7: The Royal Family’s Secret

The palace was less vibrant in Eli’s absence. Lack of sunlight left it suffocatingly dour. Normally, there was an air of excitement here as people anticipated the warmth and fragrance of spring, but instead an oppressive atmosphere had settled over us.

There wasn’t any enthusiasm to be found around me. In fact, the air only grew more frigid and unforgiving.

“I received a report about the shipping delays from the western countries and the archipelagos. The number of cases are within acceptable limits for the average year. There’s no reason to cherry pick this incident and cause a stir, as far as I’m concerned,” I said.

Earl Brandt had marched into my office directly to launch his complaints. I had merely smiled at him as he haughtily relayed the numbers to me, as if he genuinely thought I hadn’t read the official reports myself.

The visit from Maldura’s delegation had driven the bay’s operation to a standstill. Maritime merchants were watching with bated breath to see how things would turn out. This had impeded some of the deals we had with western merchants, among other things. As the earl emphasized the significance of the western entrance, he made distasteful allusions to the important figure supporting him as he tried to pressure me to acquiesce to his demands. It was almost as if he thought it only natural for me to relent.

I humored him by listening and responded with a smile. “I’ll bear your input in mind.”

He frowned, clearly dissatisfied, and opened his mouth to try to add more, but he then paused to smile. “Well, I suppose you are still young, Your Highness. You must want to follow your dreams while you can, but I’m sure in time, you will see what’s necessary.” He spoke those cryptic words before withdrawing, but the way he hastily sped out of the room spoke volumes about his personal feelings.

I glanced after him before dropping my gaze back to the documents in front of me. Normally, I never had to deal with men like him because Alexei would dispense with them as soon as he had a report in his hands, so they rarely made it all the way to me.

I sighed, finding this more troublesome and inconvenient than I’d imagined. If it meant sacrificing some comfort for myself to strengthen Eli’s security, then it was a small price to pay. At least, I was trying to convince myself as much when a carefree voice ruined the moment.

“Wow, I haven’t seen anything like that in a while. Well, I saw it a bit when I first started serving you, though. Alex’s influence must have had quite the impact,” my ginger-haired bodyguard mumbled to himself with a quiet sigh.

Glen was right; Alex was the heir to one of Sauslind’s most prominent duchies, and he was equally cold to everyone regardless of their status or wealth. Part of the reason I hadn’t faced this for a long while was because he was skilled at driving away refuse that would otherwise crowd around my office.

However, he wasn’t the only one. Glen’s father was the general of the imperial guard and the earl of a prominent house. That power helped intimidate and drive people away as well. Not that Glen seemed to realize it.

There was one other person in the room, whose voice was both cheerful and melodious as he spoke.

“Chris, you really are a prince. When I met you years ago, you looked like nothing more than a selfish, self-important, spoiled rich boy.”

“I didn’t know Chris back then,” said Glen. “I was training in the lowest ranks of the military at the time. Though to be honest, he’s always been self-important.”

“Huh? He’s always been like that, then? I’ve got some serious sympathy for the people who’ve been by his side all this time. In fact, it’s kind of a miracle he managed to snag Lady Elianna like that. Wait, let me guess, she doesn’t know about this side of him, does she?”

“Oh, I’m sure she doesn’t, but she’s kind of an airhead herself.” Glen shrugged. “Still, she’s the one with the reins in the relationship, so it’s entertaining enough to watch the two of them.”

I slowly looked up, and the moment Glen caught my gaze, he clamped his mouth shut. I smirked to myself. A government official was standing nearby. He was here subbing in for Alexei. I handed some documents off to him and gave him some orders as I did so. Given that this man was one of Alexei’s subordinates, it was no wonder he was so skilled at reading the air in the room. He responded in as few words as he could before excusing himself.

“Ian,” I said as I took the next stack of documents from my chamberlain. “Stop waiting around here for my order and finish your business. If you have returned to the palace as a member of the Black Wing Knights, then promptly report whatever news you bear.”

Currently, General Bakula had split the most elite of his order into two groups. One (led by the general himself) was accompanying my fiancée, Elianna. The other had left earlier this week to welcome Maldura’s delegation and guard them as they made their way to the capital. The man in front of me was supposed to be a member of the latter group, but he’d returned three days later without any warning. Given that he’d removed the typical black garb that the Black Wing Knights were famous for, he looked like just another soldier and so no one took any notice of him.

I had a feeling I knew what this was about.

Ian was currently standing in the corner of the room. His brightly colored hair swayed as he moved. He chuckled as he replied, “Can’t help it. When I came to report, I saw someone was already here, haughtily wielding someone else’s status to try to get their way. With nothing else to do, I decided to watch how it played out. And I realized, yep. You really are a prince, Chris.”

And what in the world did you think I was?

I scowled at him, feeling a bit irate with his remark.

He only laughed as he strolled up to me, giving a military salute. “I confirmed the entry of Maldura’s delegation. They have eighteen members. Among them, twelve are bodyguards, two are maids, one is a chamberlain, and three are nobles.”

“So exactly as they informed us, and they’re taking the same course they said they would.” I nodded. “And? They didn’t share the names of the nobles. Did you find out who was with them?”

Ian’s tone was rigid and formal as he relayed the one name I didn’t want to hear. Disgust welled up from my gut, and my throat vibrated with a strangled sound that even I couldn’t distinguish—was I laughing? Or grunting in dismay?

“That loathsome foreigner.”

“Hm?” Ian was back to his regular upbeat self as he glanced at my face. “Now you sound more like the Chris I remember from the past.”

Fortunately, the chamberlain entered right then to report the time. I discarded my broken quill pen, having snapped it moments ago in anger, and handed the sheaf of documents over to Ian. He was going to need to share his report once more during our meeting. I lifted myself out of my chair to start heading that way when Glen hurried over toward me.

He hesitated before saying, “H-Hey, Chris, it’s kinda scary when you don’t say anything.”

I flashed a smile at him. “Glen,” I said, pity in my eyes. “I realize you’re feeling bereft without Alex coldly glaring at you all the time, but I’ll have to firmly decline if you’re requesting I take his place. If that’s where your interest lies, I hear there’s shops in the Luna red light district that cater to that sort of thing. Though I would ask you not to bring whips and high heels into the palace. If Eli were to see, I’d have no choice but to advise her to take pity on you and offer you a candle as a gift.”

“Oh,” Ian said with surprise as he glanced over at Glen. “I didn’t realize the imperial guard here at the palace had people with those sorts of fetishes.”

“That’s absolutely untrue!” Glen screeched at the top of his lungs, voice reverberating. “Chris, stop fueling misunderstandings about me constantly!”

“I hear Earl Kila’s wife hosts a party for people with those proclivities. You’ve been close with her for a while now, haven’t you?” I shot him a knowing look.

“Oh, gods...” Ian edged away from Glen.

“You’re misunderstanding things!” Panicked, Glen raised his voice again. “She only used me to help attract the man she was actually interested in. And now people have mistaken me for being one of her buddies. All the other married women I was close to got the wrong impression, and younger noble ladies started looking at me as if I were some exotic animal on display. I’m a full-fledged victim here!”

His sorrowful appeal was deafening, so I decided it was time to land the finishing blow. I gave him a merciful, saintly smile as I said, “Glen, I know your relationship with women is going up in flames, but you needn’t announce it for the whole world.”

Glen staggered, tears welling up in his eyes as he mumbled to himself. “My luck with women... My star alignment... Maybe I should participate in Orphen’s research society and get a divine revelation from the heavens. Or perhaps I should declare myself Doctor Harvey’s apprentice.” His voice sounded almost hollow.

Even Ian seemed to feel sorry for the man and offered him some words of consolation. The two of them had become acquainted since the Black Wing Knights’ arrival and found it easy to chat with one another. Still, they hadn’t known each other for very long, which was likely why Ian’s next words hit like a blow to the gut.

“Glen, I really do think it’s dishonest to be involved with so many women. You should select one you want to be with and focus on her.” Ian went on lecturing Glen until the conversation eventually devolved into him bragging about his own girlfriend. “Incidentally, I’ve only ever had an eye for one woman. I suppose in that sense, Chris and I are alike. I’m childhood friends with my sweetheart, and she’s adorable. I don’t remember when it was exactly, but she visited my unit one time to bring me stuff and all the guys were so jealous...” He kept going on and on, boasting about his love life, only making Glen’s head spin even more.

That’s right. Ian has a younger lover as well, I remembered, recalling the distant yet vivid past, back before the flowers of youth had bloomed for me. At the time, I still held my memories of Eli near despite lacking the power to override her father or to steal her away by force. The only thing I could do was grit my teeth, vexed by how impotent I was. I was just so desperate then. It was around that time I met Ian, as well as my direct subordinate, Alan Ferrera. Back then, even I realized I needed to mature more before I could do anything.

Honestly, it was such an embarrassing period of my life. I was still wet behind the ears, and yet I constantly tried to brandish justice like it was a weapon. If I could white out those memories, I would. Likewise, I didn’t want to share anything about them with Eli, but she seemed to be interested in knowing more.

I was happy she felt that way. Eli was only ever interested in books or things that happened to personally intrigue her. Everything else might as well not exist as far as she was concerned. It was humbling to know she was invested in my past. If I didn’t feel joy over that, what other happiness was there in life? Nonetheless, I still didn’t want to talk about my younger self.

As I contemplated how I might weasel my way out of revealing anything from my shameful past, I recalled the moment we’d shared together a few days ago, before she left the capital.

It was a sunny, winter morning.

“I’ll be off then, Your Highness.” Her expression was unusually clear as she made that declaration, and I found my hand unconsciously reaching toward her.

I got the feeling if I let her go now, she would never come back. Dread and unease clawed at me. Ignoring the eyes watching us, I pulled her into my embrace and gazed down at those ashen gray eyes so I could remind myself of the promise we’d made to each other.

“You remember what I said, right, Eli?”

It was adorable the way her cheeks flushed as she hesitantly nodded. In an instant, regret flooded my heart, threatening to swallow me whole. Why had I made the decision to send her so far away? This might be my last opportunity to make excuses and keep her here. I could lock her in my arms and keep her deep within the palace—where she would be safe, where no one could touch her.

For an instant, that thought did cross my mind, but it was extinguished by the glimmering light in her eyes.

“Your Highness, I’m trusting the Maldura matter to you.” The warmth in her gaze made it clear how much she trusted me.

I hesitated, and second doubts cropped up over and over. Was this really the best course of action? Was there really no other way? Wasn’t there some other option here?

After struggling inwardly, I finally arrived at a conclusion: I didn’t want to keep Elianna locked away in the world of books. I had told myself if a time ever came when she stepped out and faced me, I would support her. That was already something I’d sworn to myself. It was too late to take it back now. We had to take this path so we could have a future together come spring.

It had taken a long time to arrive at said conclusion; I had spent numerous nights piecing together plans and stayed up until dawn going over them again and again. I hadn’t made up my mind until the very last second, and now I had to remind myself of that determination.

Think back, remember the ashen gray eyes of the girl you had locked in your arms. Trust Elianna.

That was where my thoughts at last settled—on my fiancée, who was traveling farther and farther away from me this very moment. A few days ago, it had been difficult to let her slip away. I remembered the embarrassment she showed as I held her warm body close to mine. And I also recalled the boorish old man who’d intervened in our romantic moment. I had my own qualms with him. Fortunately, whatever he tried to pull, I’d already taken measures to counter it.

There’s only one problem, I thought to myself.

Right then, Alex’s subordinate hurried over to me and handed me a couple of documents.

I scanned the pages. The moment my eyes caught some disturbing information contained within, the malice I usually kept hidden away inside me spilled out.

Glen was sensitive enough he reacted to it instantly.

Tensions were high in the palace as we waited in anticipation of the foreign delegation’s arrival. I couldn’t be seen in public wearing a grave expression, lest I fuel people’s anxiety. Thus, I kept a smile on my face even as my thoughts moved at a dizzying speed. I tried to tamp down the panic gripping my heart.

I’d looked at this matter from various angles, and there was no mistaking it.

My hands clenched, and my lips grew taut, strained from trying to maintain the lighthearted expression on my face. Glen was perceptive enough, or rather, had enough survival instincts to suss out what that meant. Both of us fell silent. It was difficult to suppress the hostility I felt.

The trend in this information pointed to one thing: someone very close to Elianna and me was a traitor.

~.~.~.~

The air in the carriage had frozen over with silence, but after a few awkward moments, the stifling atmosphere passed.

I stared back at the duchess. As much as I wanted to doubt my ears, the grave expression in her icy blue eyes told me I’d heard her correctly.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it by cracking a small smile and saying, “I knew I’d surprise you if I said that.” Her tone was airy and light, but the lingering tension made it hard to believe she’d only been joking.

My mouth snapped shut.

She let out a quiet sigh and hesitated for a moment, eyes darting back and forth. As the carriage vibrated beneath us, she readjusted herself in the seat and hardened her resolve.

“I’m sure this conversation must be unpleasant for you, given how close you and Chris are to Theodore. However, this is one of the royal family’s secrets. You will be part of us come spring, so you need to be aware of these things. Moreover...” She paused, drawing her brows before continuing. “This particular matter concerns our destination, as well. His Majesty and Queen Henrietta both approved of me sharing this with you. Lady Elianna, I assume you know of my mother?”

“Yes...”

In other words, the late Queen Amalia. She was born into an earl house within the kingdom and met the late king at a garden party. The two fell in love at first sight and marriage talks began. Queen Amalia and her husband were later blessed with three children: Duchess Rosalia, King William, and Prince Theodore.

Most people knew them as an intimate, loving couple, but if the whispers circulating high society were anything to go by, they’d grown estranged in their later years. It wasn’t baseless rumor, either; a few years prior to her death, Queen Amalia moved away from the capital and lived by herself. The king also led a secluded life after passing the crown to his son. He moved to a royal villa near the palace where he passed the rest of his days with a different female companion.

Everyone always spoke about how wise Queen Amalia was. During her husband’s rule, the couple overcame two enormous wars. She also made prodigious contributions in the aftermath, helping to financially compensate victims and support restoration efforts. It was difficult to think such a person could commit adultery—I certainly didn’t believe it.

My skepticism must have shown clear as day on my face.

Duchess Rosalia dropped her gaze, looking forlorn as she said, “My mother—Queen Amalia—was a secret Ryzanian.”

I swallowed hard. “The Queen was?”

“Yes. Well, originally it was her mother who was a believer, and that had a huge influence on my mother. Legally, Sauslind recognizes freedom of religion within its borders. The Ralshen Region is a good example of that. But that doesn’t mean it’s acceptable for royalty to believe in whatever they wish. My mother’s faith came to light forty years ago during the Continental Highway War.”

When the war happened, Queen Amalia advocated strongly for diplomacy with Norn. Norn was using the persecution of Ryzanians as pretext for their hostilities. Thus, she argued, if Sauslind were to publicly recognize the religion, it would work in their favor during negotiations. The previous king ignored her advice and approved of a battle plan that would abandon the people of Ralshen, most of whom were Ryzanian themselves. This was the catalyst that created the chasm between them.

“My mother was deeply affected by the casualties in Ralshen. She devoted herself to financing and supporting reparations. The gap between her and my father only widened in the meantime. Then, she discovered she was pregnant and later gave birth to Theodore.”

“But still, that doesn’t mean...”

There being distance between the two of them isn’t enough evidence to claim Prince Theodore was born of adultery. I couldn’t shake my disbelief.

The duchess’s eyes went icy cold with conviction. “Seventeen years ago, my father fell ill. When Will—the current king—succeeded the throne, there was an unsuccessful attempt on his life. The culprit was a researcher from the Pharmacy Lab. They wanted to prove the existence of a cure-all medicine. They tried to poison the king so they could gain fame by curing him, using an antidote they’d developed themselves.”

I sucked in a breath and froze. I’d already heard a little bit about the incident shortly before I left the palace. It was a taboo and a scandal for the Pharmacy Lab. Silently, I stared back at the duchess.

A derisive smile ghosted her lips, one that reminded me of her son. “When Will was crowned, a noble approached the royal family about an engagement between his daughter and the young Theodore. At the time, their family had as much power as the royal family, and they stood in stark opposition to us politically. I’m referring to Duke Slade of the Eidel Domain.”

She spoke dispassionately, sharing only the facts without letting her emotion filter through. That had the opposite effect, however; it made her true feelings all the more apparent.

“Duke Slade,” she continued, “committed treason and talks of Theodore’s engagement to his daughter were dropped. Yet even after Will took the throne and Queen Henrietta gave birth to Chris, the faction backing Theodore refused to disappear. That was all because of my mother’s favoritism. Queen Amalia had built that faction for him.”

“That can’t be!” I gasped. Saying that was tantamount to saying Queen Amalia was the true culprit behind the attempted assassination on King William—her own son.

In the face of my outburst, the duchess only flashed a smile. The blue of her eyes was like a frozen lake in winter, quiet and desolate. “I speak only the truth,” she said. “Will and I were closer to our father, so she favored Theodore and shunned the two of us. She opposed Will’s ascension, and she was chief among the supporters backing Theodore to succeed in his place. The assassination attempt on Will happened around that same time.”

No matter what time period, a king’s ascension was inevitably surrounded by controversy and scandal. History had taught me that much. Still, I could only imagine the mental anguish Duchess Rosalia and King William must have faced, suspecting their mother of such a betrayal. My heart ached for them.

“I know that none of this is Theodore’s fault,” the duchess continued. “He’s merely a victim my mother drew along in her schemes. But I can’t lie and say I don’t sometimes think, ‘If only he’d never been born.’”

I bit my lip. There was nothing I could say to that.

“People change.” Prince Christopher had told me that before. At some point, Queen Amalia took the wrong path and chose betrayal. There was a reason people revered her for her intelligence. Before she lost her way and favored Theodore, she had once loved Duchess Rosalia and King William equally. They had also respected her and adored her as well, I was sure.

Duchess Rosalia took a deep breath before she went on. “Honestly, the only people who really know whether Theodore is illegitimate or not are my mother and father. But the fact remains that their relationship soured completely in the few years preceding his birth. There were doubts about his parentage when he was born.”

I kept silent and stared steadily back at her. My mind was grappling with all the information she’d given me, and then I recalled her saying how this related to our destination. I blanched as the puzzle pieces came together. The late Queen Amalia had gone to great lengths in compensating the Ralshen for its losses. The person ruling over the region at that time had tried to protect the Ryzanians living there, which meant...

I swallowed hard and searched the duchess’s gaze. Her eyes were like the arctic, frozen and unwavering.

“Theodore refuses to visit this land. That tells me all I need to know,” she said. That was her answer to my suspicions.

My hands had been resting in my lap, but unconsciously I hunched forward and squeezed my knees. I felt positively miserable, but I couldn’t clearly identify what was bothering me the most.

Prince Theodore was not proactive politically. He had an amicable relationship with Duchess Rosalia. I’d seen firsthand that he was on good terms with King William, as well.

I struggled to swallow back the emotions welling up within me. I was an outsider; I had no business commenting on the ties between siblings. Still, I found myself longing desperately to see Prince Christopher. I wanted to hear his usual scathing banter with Theodore again. Their witty quips had always exasperated me, but now they seemed endearing. Moments I had taken for granted now felt precious and irreplaceable.

As I tried desperately to quell my sentimentality, Duchess Rosalia gently called out my name. “Lady Elianna?”

I lifted my head. Her eyes were filled with concern.

“The reason His Majesty and I decided to talk to you about this was because we don’t want you treading the same path. You have made many policy proposals since your engagement to Chris. Of course, most of those have succeeded, in no small part because Chris did the groundwork necessary for them to flourish.” She giggled, but her smile soon slipped away. “If there ever comes a time when you and Chris don’t agree—if there’s ever a time when Chris staunchly opposes and disregards your opinion...will you be able to stay at his side despite that?”

That question was like a dagger to the heart.

Simply put, Duchess Rosalia was asking if I could continue to trust Prince Christopher even if we had a difference of opinion on a political matter. The previous king and Queen Amalia had faced a similar situation, and it had fractured their relationship. They had remained unable to repair it, and that was why there were suspicions linked to Prince Theodore’s parentage.

“Because we don’t want you treading the same path.”

Hypothetically speaking, what would happen if Prince Christopher were to oppose me and step into a war? What if a time like that ever came? What if, as the crown prince, he had to make a decision like that? Could I firmly swear I would stay by his side despite that? Could I really continue to trust him? If the prince crossed a line I refused to budge on...what would I do?

My heart was shaken, and I could find no answer to give Duchess Rosalia.