9. Hope Hope Hope

9

Hope Hope Hope

Her office became cramped. Not only with files, but with her husband that came in the morning. At first, she was surprised, and tried to accommodate everything he needed or asked for, but it was strictly about work. Much to her relief and frustration.

“How long have you rooted out the corruption in Esfalee?” He asked her without looking at her direction. His tea still steaming beside his knee, but his hands are filled with papers.

She knows he’s helping her, the pile of papers on her desk swiftly lessen to a hill than a mountain. “It took a few days, but I reserve their punishment to you.”

He raised his brows in question. He has a habit of doing that in the time that they have been together as if she kept surprising her or it was a habit of his, she doesn’t know. “Are they in the dungeons? How did you drag them there without any trouble?”

Sileas smiled sheepishly. “I used my grandparent’s name and invited them to tea, and they came punctually to the palace.”

“Many are still eager to earn your grandparents favor than the emperors?” He questioned her. “The Amertine family is strong still.”

“In part. But they mostly thought they could curry in favors through me, all they know about me is that I’m a sickly child. They thought they could impose themselves on me.” She can’t help but smile at the memory of their faces. That the lamb they thought they could easily exploit was a wolf, stalking them to a corner. “Are there any inadequacies in my work? I could work to change them.”

He shook his head, he looked slightly impressed, and shuffled through the documents again, but this time, she watched as he took a sip of his tea without looking away from the document. “Good job. I will handle the people in the dungeons.” He nodded. Then left.

She blinked. Did he just give me a compliment?

She found herself staring at the door where he left. A strange feeling in her chest, that she hadn’t felt in years, tickled her ribs to her lungs. She slowly licked her lips as basked on the feeling for a few more seconds before she resumed her work.

It was already past noon when she let herself rest. She finally stepped away from the desk and took a robe from the chair to cover herself before exiting her office. These past few days despite it being summer, she’s cooler than the days before, she could easily wear a robe over her chemise and walk around without sweating buckets.

“Do you need anything, my empress?” Feina asked as she walked in step with her. “Do you not need refreshments?”

“Actually,” She smiled. It was still the middle of summer, but she felt cool enough to take a walk around the halls, given she’s still in her chemise with just a robe to cover her decency, but it was better than days ago, where even her chemise is soaked through and Feina had to draw her a cold bath every three hours. “I’m alright, but I would like to visit Lotir. Do you know where she is?”

“Yes, my empress, she’s in the knight’s stronghold.”

“Ah, of course, thank you” She smiled and tried to plot the course towards the Knight’s stronghold from the highest point of the palace, which was her office and his Emperor’s office.

Feina followed behind her, she tries not to slow down her steps because no matter how much she insisted that she walked beside her, the servant refused. She didn’t push her anymore since it truly made the Draconi nervous.

She can’t help but grin at the memory. Her, making a Draconi squirm. That was incredibly unexpected. One of the reasons why the Amertine’s family conditions for the engagement was to only give her one personal servant with no attendants from other families. Her grandparents were scared that she’ll be intimidated to uncover something about the family and made sure that she’s used to having only one servant.

She finally made her way out of the highest floors and to the lobby. Many servants stopped what they’re doing to bow in her direction till she’s gone from their sight. She wanted to excuse such custom, but any nobles visiting the palace would think she’s soft hearted. They shouldn’t know that, never at all.

The air was fresh when she reached the outer courtyard. The arched awnings that overlooked the well-kept garden, and farther into that the large lake that the whole royal family loved. Even on this path, she could see the white blobs of swans and dark ones for geese swimming around. Lily pads were green with a smudge of violet on top of the water.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it, my empress?” Feina smiled at the lake as she did. “Reminds me of my hometown.”

“I didn’t know you had one. I always thoughts you were from the capital” their steps slowed as they languished in the view.

“Oh, my father is from the capital through and through, but my mother was just a provincial noble. Her family was a small baron in a field of wheat and rice. I often went there during the summers, especially for my mother’s fragile health.”

“Ah, is it the Baron of Devo?”

Feina paused. “H-How did you know, my empress?” hands covering her lips in shock.

“It’s pretty close to Esfalee.” She snickered at her face. “Esfalee is close to my heart, and Esrol.”

“Do you have any family there?”

“Only the important ones.”

They enjoyed the quiet of the walk. Enjoying themselves as Sileas reminisced of her memories at home, of the scent of flowers and the humidity for being so close to a body of water. She remembered going on trips with her father to haggle provisions in Devo for the whole villa and some of the peasants her father sponsored. He was an amazing businessman, but an even more amazing haggler.

He won’t let a penny escape him, he’s a penny noble. One merchant said. Then the title caught on around town. No matter how many times her grandmother denied it, the people had made up their mind.

The title doesn’t bother their family, and her father seemed to grow even more confident because of it, while her mother just sighed at the strange rumors the humans called her husband.

The knight’s stronghold is an reinforced and largest tower in the walls that surrounded the palace. The stone bricks even glistened in the sun, which made it even hotter to her. but she can’t deny the beauty of this one tower of the gates. It was taller than the wall, with many windows for archers and canons. It was rectangular with iridescent glass like stone on the exterior, and at its feet is the training courtyard.

Lotir had been busy. She continued to train every day with a passion that she couldn’t understand, but she respected. She could recognize strong will and admire it, as she had a will of her own to live.

The Archduchess is dressed in trousers and a thin white shirt tucked into the high waisted trousers. She held a sword aloft in her hand as many of the knights were practicing in front of her. she towered over most of them, she stood in her full height and doesn’t bow her back at the very least. She even tipped her chin up to glower at everyone.

“Come on, lazy asses!” She spat. “You’re meant to guard my family! better be competent enough to train in this heat.”

That made her look at the knights. It was only then she noticed that most of them were human. Dark eyes against light ones. She met some of their eyes as they spot her.

Then her eyes met one that stopped her in her tracks.

“Oh no,” she sighed.

“What is wrong…” Feina trailed. “Oh, forgive me, I forgot to mention his highness is here.”

“It’s alright” She touched Feina’s arm in comfort. “I’m just surprised that’s all.”

The memory of this morning made her nape heat up all over again.

He stood just behind his sister. In the shade and shadows, hence why she wasn’t able to spot him immediately. She only noticed when he did step out to the sunlight and the beams caught his silvery glass hair. He is both a feminine and masculine beauty that her breath is caught in her throat.

She tries to pull herself together as she stepped towards them.

Lotir smiled at her. “Okay everyone, I would let you go for a few minutes. But don’t relax yet as we’re not done.” A collective stifled groans echoed her words. “Not. At. All” she teased them with a chomp of her teeth.

The knights receded towards the shade of the covered pathway of the courtyard. Far from her that they haven’t even noticed her in their exhaustion. Most crumpled to the cool stone to cool off, but the humans stayed standing. Their sheer will to not bow their spines against the exhaustion is apparent.

She can’t help but admire them. She quietly stepped towards Lotir and the Emperor. Finally coming into full view of everyone, and the knights crumpled on the ground stood upright in a flash and saluted her.

“At ease” She said as she swept her gaze back to Lotir and Eitr. “I greet you your highness.”

Lotir made a face. “That title still doesn’t suit him.”

Eitr threw a glare at his sister but eased when it met Sileas’ eyes. “You shouldn’t call your husband that.”

“We’re in public” She looked at the faces around them. They weren’t looking at her, but they were definitely listening.

“These knights are an extension of us.” Lotir explained. “They could be trusted, hence this is private.” She smiled at Sileas the same way she always did. Affectionate and confident. Lotir exudes confidence. “What made you come here? Did my brother do something unsavory this morning?”

“No” She smiled. The thought of Eitr doing anything other than stare at her and dimiss himself, is funny in itself. “I’m here because you have been busy. How on earth did you manage to come back here this early?”

“A shifter never tells her secrets.” Lotir laughed. “I still need to travel towards my fief after this, but it won’t take long. Why? Do you not enjoy my brother’s company?” she teased.

Eitr had stepped back into the shade of the courtyard. Eyes trained on the both of them, and she could never not feel his gaze on her, as he always observed her like a bird in a cage.

“No, no such thing. I was just concerned that you were overworking yourself to… cover for my inadequacies.”

“ha! You? Inadequate? You manage to keep the country afloat in the midst of this war. You maintained my mother’s regulations and the economy while this lumbering fool is on the frontlines. Having the time of his life” Lotir threw a look over her shoulder at her brother. “But you know, a break does sound nice. How about we all have tea by the lake.”

Sileas’s insides churned at the thought of spending time with Eitr again, whether it’s good or bad, she isn’t sure yet. But she nodded and her servant was already scurrying back towards the kitchen to tell her colleagues.

Lotir locked her arm around hers. “Let’s take our time before getting there, I think they’ll need to prepare a bit more for it, right, brother?”

Eitr shifted momentarily from staring at Sileas, to his sister. “We do have the luxury to do so.”

“Oh,” Lotir paused, taking Sileas with her. she looked at the knights who were still sweating and panting. “Barbossa would take over the training. Your break is still five minutes, don’t think I’m not counting.”

The guards were open enough with their feelings that they all collectively groaned again. but that was it.