At this point, Seraphina was uncertain why she was even trying to fulfill her duties as the empress anymore. She hadn't been able to do anything helpful for a few weeks already, and judging by Theodore's current behavior, this wouldn't change in the future either. In fact, it seemed like even fewer tasks would be hers to tend to. Just today, she had inquired whether she should help organize his birthday party. After all, the empress would usually deal with the events in the palace while her husband reigned.

Theodore had thrown her out of his office without exchanging another word with her.

At this point, his dislike for her was not even hidden anymore. Seraphina had never quite believed that he cared for her much, but she had maintained an amicable relationship with him whenever Lady Blanche hadn't created any trouble. They had had many conflicting opinions, but they had worked together well.

Now those times were over, and Seraphina was not even certain why Theodore seemed to hate her. She was unaware of even a single thing she could have done to attract his rage. Over the course of the past few months, the situation had shifted. Maybe the summer vacation had truly changed their relationship for the worse, especially now that Theodore's brother had appeared and challenged him for the throne.

Seraphina wasn't foolish. She had seen that ring on Lady Blanche's finger and knew what it meant. She had understood quickly even when the other woman had pretentiously denied it. And as long as Theodore planned to marry his lover, any other wife who would always have more rights than his secondary partner might be a thorn in his flesh. Maybe he thought that the empress would cause trouble for him or that she would threaten him with withdrawing her support in this dangerous situation.

Seraphina could not be sure. But she knew that she wouldn't risk handing over the power to anyone but the rightful heir, which was Theodore. Her family had always been loyal to the crown, and that wouldn't change now either. Even if she was personally a bit offended by his behavior.

That didn't stop Seraphina from doing all she could. And while she might not have access to any political tools at the moment, she could certainly use her authority. It seemed like she had to do that now too.

It had been a coincidence that Seraphina had walked down that path in the palace. As she saw a group of people talking, one of them immediately stood out to her. It was none other than Cedar Estien, Theodore's troublesome brother. It was dangerous for him to chat with the ministers since him gaining political support was the worst thing possible at the moment. So, Seraphina subtly interrupted despite knowing that she might not even receive a muttered ‘Thank you’ from Theodore in return.

As she approached the group, most people already looked at her. Seraphina took the opportunity to begin a conversation. “What a surprise to see you here, Your Royal Highness. May I ask what led you here?”

As usual, Cedar Estien faced her with perfect elegance and an unmoving smile that didn't budge. It was almost like he was a puppet with how flawless his appearance and greeting were as he bowed. Much like back when she had met him as a child, Seraphina found it almost intimidating that she couldn't find a single mistake here. “It is an honor to be able to speak to you, Your Majesty. My brother happened to invite me, so I came for a visit. I just finished my discussions with him.”

So, Theodore did talk to his dangerous brother. He could face his biggest rival, but he refused to give Seraphina even a minute of his time. That was certainly frustrating, but she couldn't change anything about that.

Seraphina merely focused on meeting Cedar's gaze and not letting this opportunity go to waste. She rarely managed to speak to the second prince alone. If she was here already, she might as well use this chance. “The honor is all mine. It is rare that we meet outside of social events, so this is a pleasant surprise.” It truly was. After all, Seraphina had wished to try this for a while now. The biggest part of her doubted that she would succeed here. The iron walls of Cedar's faction seemed too impenetrable. But at the same time, this would most likely not create any major disadvantage for Seraphina even if she did fail. In other words, this was a worthwhile attempt. Couldn't this just strengthen her position if she happened to win? So, she would take the risk.

For that, she had to be alone with Cedar though. At least as alone as they would be with her maids and her guard trailing behind them.

Seraphina glanced at the other present people. All of them were ministers who worked for Theodore, so they should listen to her subtle signals easily. She glanced at Lord Bellfaux specifically as she spoke up. “I wish all of you a good afternoon. Have you come here to speak to His Majesty as well?” That she didn't address all of them one after the other showed that she had little time.

As expected, the small signal was accepted. Lord Bellfaux was the highest in rank here, so he replied first. “Yes, Your Majesty. We were just on our way to visit him and happened to meet His Royal Highness. It is an honor to meet you. Though, I fear I must ask for permission to leave already as His Majesty is waiting for me.”

He was the first one to bid his farewell, only to have the other two ministers follow his lead.

Naturally, Seraphina granted them permission to meet Theodore. She already looked forward to them leaving, so she only waited until they entered the next hallway before speaking to Cedar again, attempting to be as subtle as possible. He couldn't know that she wanted to speak to him about something so specific. “It seems that we are alone now. I hope you are not upset because I interrupted your conversation.”

Like before, Cedar managed to give the flawless polite reply, his lips forming a soft smile that seemed far too genuine. “How could I, Your Majesty? I am always pleased to be able to speak to you. And naturally, I could not slow down our ministers when they need to visit my brother. It is only logical that their duties come first.”

Seraphina was a bit displeased by the fact that Cedar hadn't granted her a view of his weak spot even now. She could barely work with anything here, so it was no surprise that coming up with an excuse was hard. Seraphina still attempted it. “I am still apologetic for disturbing you like that. I would feel unwell with the thought of sending you home directly after this too. Maybe I could invite you for a walk first. Would you be willing to escort me?” That was certainly a bit direct, but then again, it shouldn't give away her intentions.

Now it only depended on whether the prince was willing to give her some time of the day. He didn't necessarily have a reason to do that when he knew that she was his brother's wife.

But again, Cedar just showed her that angelic smile. “How could I not, Your Majesty? It would be an honor for me.” He subtly bowed again while offering his arm to her.

Seraphina swiftly linked their arms as she tried not to think about the fact that her own husband hadn't properly escorted her once during the past few weeks. “How about we visit the rose garden? I believe that location would be the most peaceful one to visit.” She began leading Cedar toward the place she had picked.

Cedar didn't seem to mind. “That is a wonderful suggestion. Allow me to bring you there.” With that, he stayed quiet and just slowly walked next to the empress.

Seraphina kept her gaze on the area in front of them as well, but she couldn't keep herself from glancing at the prince again right after. Judging by his expression, he didn't hold any dislike for her specifically. But then again, this man didn't show his disdain for his brother either. He was a great actor, maybe the best one in this whole nation. It wouldn't be helpful to rely on him. In fact, Seraphina should expect the worst coming from him. She wouldn't delude herself into thinking that he was an ally.

But at the same time, Cedar would be a perfect ally. He not only had the social skills and political knowledge to win over many people, he was also a big threat. Convincing him to stand at Seraphina's side in the future would be a great accomplishment.

Naturally, Seraphina didn't plan on betraying Theodore. In fact, it was the opposite. She wanted to be the mediator between the brothers. After all, it would not only stabilize the nation but also strengthen the royal family if the two factions worked together. It might be hard for Theodore to talk to the woman who had killed his mother figure, but he seemed to have a soft spot for Cedar in some way at least. Seraphina had heard the stories of those two playing together as children. If she reminded them of that, maybe she could influence them a bit.

If the empress managed to solve the problems behind the biggest political conflict in Artias, wouldn't that prove that she was knowledgeable? Maybe Theodore would stop trying to push her far away from politics then.

The thought only made Seraphina more determined. She glanced at Cedar as she wondered where she should begin. Even just seeing his perfect smile and his straight posture that didn't give away anything about his current emotions made her worry about not finding a place to start. But there had to be something. This man had been known as a violent child with anger issues and fits during which he would attack everyone around him. How could a person like that be so calm now? Surely, he was just hiding his weaknesses. Seraphina might take a few attempts to find those, but she would try her best. She chose a simple and friendly topic first. “The servants are quite busy at the time. They are giving their all to prepare for His Majesty's birthday. Have you already prepared a gift for him?”

Cedar kept smiling, even though his face had to have hurt from doing it so much. “I fear that I have not chosen anything yet. Theodore was always hard to please with gifts even as a child. He has few things he requires in his position.” That was another perfect answer.

It did upset Seraphina a bit, but she didn't let that show in her voice. “Naturally. Most gifts are not given because the receiver requires them though. They are supposed to be thoughtful presents to bring someone joy. In His Majesty's case, something that can help him with his work might be appropriate.”

Cedar paused for a short moment as if to think before replying. “That does seem like it is worth some consideration. I sincerely thank you for the hint, Your Majesty. Have you already picked your present?”

Seraphina had. Like always, she prepared everything in advance so that no delays in time could trouble her. She would offer her husband a number of office utensils of the highest quality along with a few medals. It was an impersonal gift, but both parts of the gift were related to Theodore's position. Much like he only gifted things to her as the empress, she only gave gifts in return to the emperor. They had always done this, and it had worked well until now. A part of her wondered whether he would even accept her gift this year though.

Naturally, Seraphina didn't voice that. “Yes. I myself followed the advice I gave you. His Majesty always works hard to do well for the nation, and I sincerely hope that my gifts can assist him in this regard so that he may be an even better ruler.” She glanced at Cedar and hoped to see some annoyance as she praised his brother, but she didn't even catch a hint of it.

Instead, Cedar just acted like any other noble would. “That is certainly a wonderful idea. Maybe I will find something helpful for Theodore too. Luckily, I still have a few days.” With that, he focused his attention on the garden again. As he inspected their surroundings, that unpleasant smile stayed on his lips while he spoke up about a completely different topic. “The rose garden has not changed much. It is as peaceful as ever.”

Seraphina slowly scanned the garden in front of them before she met Cedar's gaze again. “That is correct. I barely saw any change during the past couple of months. Though, I believe you can compare more than I can.” She might not be able to address a very important topic quickly, but she could use this to win Cedar's trust a bit. So, she didn't hold back and just addressed her concern openly. “If you do not mind, could you tell me whether you noticed any changes in the palace? A long time passed since you were here, but you certainly remember your childhood home well. Are there any stories you could tell me?”

Cedar looked around the garden again, somehow managing to seem nostalgic with his fake smile as he took in the landscape. “I have to admit that few things changed. Aside from some minor renovations, Theodore left everything as it was before. I believe he is as fond of the palace as I was, so it is only natural. He merely improved the security measures and had people decorate a bit differently. For example, the area around the pavilion is much more beautiful now. Before, it was quite simple, but Theodore turned it into a fairy tale setting.” He seemed to say that without any judgment, probably not even realizing that he reminded Seraphina of how much her husband treasured the place where he spent so much time with his lover. Cedar didn't even leave a pause for her to point that out. “I think he also had the floor in the ballroom replaced since it was getting quite old. Aside from that, the biggest change would have to be the fact that Theodore closed off a few of our special doors, but that was all.”

Everything he had listed had been fine before that. Nothing had been special about his words.

But as Seraphina heard that last bit, she whirled around and furrowed her brows. “Pardon?” Special doors? That sounded like something she should know about. Was this just a phrase the royal family used to describe some specific entrances, or was this about something more important? “What kind of special doors could you be referring to?”

Somehow, it was even more frustrating that Cedar gave her that innocent look now. “Has Theodore never told you?” He paused as if he genuinely expected her to affirm that her husband had told her. When she didn't, he put on that faint smile that seemed far too sympathetic for her liking. “It seems that he didn't. Though, I guess that was to be expected. The empress is not involved in all family matters of the Estien household. Merely the possible heirs of the imperial palace are told about the secrets of our palace. Though, I believe there is no harm done when it comes to granting you the general summary. There are a few secret passageways in the palace. Some allow you to move around between the rooms inside. Others let you leave the royal estate. Those were built to ensure that members of the imperial family could always flee even if emergencies developed and the other exits were blocked.”

That wasn't just any piece of information. That was something quite important. Especially for the empress, who might be targeted more than most others. How could the emperor not inform her about such secret passages when even his greatest political enemy was aware of them?

Seraphina almost gritted her teeth and barely held back. This might as well just be another sign of Theodore's desire to throw her out as soon as possible. Though, the frustrating part had to be that he hadn't just changed his mind this year. He had never even told her about this even back when their relationship had been amicable. Had he just thought that it wasn't necessary for her to know because he would order people to bring her to safety anyway? Or had he truly expected her to betray him if she knew things like that? That thought was quite upsetting.

For years, Seraphina had done her best to become a calm and educated empress, and her husband never even seemed to acknowledge her efforts nor did he trust her. She had been upset about this for a while now, but now it just got worse. Of course, that wasn't anything she could show their enemies though.

In front of the prince, Seraphina put on a fake smile. “I see. In that case, I believe I can rely on His Majesty to decide when to reveal what. In a possible emergency, he would evacuate us without any issues.” But Theodore would probably run to his lover first and forget all about Seraphina in the meantime. It was not like she could fully blame him for acting on his emotions, but she would have felt less hurt if he had at least told her about a single secret escape route.

Just as she thought that, Cedar suddenly stopped.

Seraphina came to a halt too and lifted her gaze to check what had happened.

To her surprise, Cedar stood in front of her and just smiled at her for a moment. As he glanced at her maids and guard, it was quite clear that he confirmed that he could speak without them eavesdropping. Then he looked at Seraphina again. And somehow, his smile seemed a bit more threatening now. “Your Majesty, how about we speak honestly?”

He wanted to address something important. That was a good chance. Though, it was also a bit worrisome to have him start.

Seraphina just hoped that he would speak about an issue she could use against him, something she had wanted to speak about anyway. So, she opened her mouth and tried to take back a bit of the control. “I have spoken nothing but the truth ever since we began talking. Though, I do not mind having a more profound conversation either. Please go ahead and speak.” She straightened her back and lifted her head to seem as composed as possible. Just exuding enough authority should underline her position.

But it didn't seem to work on Cedar. Even though they stood at the same height, it was hard not to feel small when his smile became a bit wider. Cedar seemed genuinely amused now, like he had trapped her without her even knowing her. As he whispered now, a shiver ran down Seraphina's spine. “You never wished to invite me out here to chat about my brother's birthday nor about the secret passageways. You had a more calculated reason, did you not? Please go ahead and address what you wished to tell me. I take it's connected to the political situation at hand.” Of course, he had guessed that.

Seraphina had expected him to find out that much. At least she still had the chance to speak about this issue first now. She wouldn't allow Cedar to control the conversation more, so she quickly began. “Naturally. I did not mean to pressure you, which is why I began the conversation in an a bit more friendly tone, but you are aware of the true issue as much as I am. I may not be a blood-related member of your family, but as the empress and your brother's wife, this concerns me as well. Much like you and His Majesty, I wish for a peaceful solution that will not bring Artias to the brink of destruction. There are different ways to proceed here, but I believe the best option would be to find a solution all factions are happy with. Since this conversation might be a bit emotionally loaded due to your family feud as well, it would be best to involve a neutral third party. That is why I wish to mediate between you and His Majesty.”

She was content with her speech. After all, she had presented herself as neutral without necessarily antagonizing one side. She knew that the dowager empress was a vile and troublesome person, which would make it impossible to involve her in such negotiations, but Cedar might care for Artias at least a little. If he was honest now, maybe they could make him sign an official document that would have him reject the throne in return for some other benefits. Then the royal family would at least be partially united again. That could only be better for all of them.

But maybe it had been foolish to expect Cedar to even acknowledge the issue. He didn't even reject her outright. He tilted his head to the side and put on an annoyingly innocent expression. “Why would we need a mediator? Theodore and I get along well, do we not?”

Seraphina should probably have expected that reply. Though, she still couldn't keep herself from being a bit annoyed upon hearing it. She took a deep breath to calm herself. “You are well aware that personal feelings are not always connected to the political duties you may feel you have. Even if you two are brothers, your goals are conflicting. That alone will create political tensions. You are aware of the fact that the capital is split into two factions due to this, which is already troubling our nation's stability. It will only get worse if we do not interrupt now.” Would that work? She doubted it.

And as expected, Cedar didn't reply to that with an affirmation. He kept acting like he was an outsider to all of this. “What makes you think that I would dare to trouble my brother, Your Majesty? That would be a worrisome accusation.” He said that, but in the end, he didn't seem to be mad about it. Needless to say, he was very aware of what his faction was truly doing.

Seraphina knew that she couldn't just end the conversation here. If she wanted to begin a serious discussion with Cedar, she had to hand out more playing cards. Giving him an opportunity to find a fault with her words would be unfavorable, but she wouldn't have a second chance like this. So, she had to progress a bit quicker and with more certainty. It was certainly a risk, but it was one she would have to accept. First, she had to win Cedar's trust at least a little. “I speak with nothing but respect for you. I could not blame you for wanting power. You were raised as a possible heir to the throne and have always shown promising results. The ministers spoke about you with a lot of praise when you proposed laws to them despite your young age. The teachers reading through the essays and documents you prepared could only call you a genius, no matter who I asked.”

Of course, it wasn't that easy. Cedar just chuckled quietly and then replied in a tone that made it seem like they were discussing the weather. “That is too much praise, Your Majesty. I never did anything special. As the second prince of Artias, it was my duty to work hard on improving myself.”

“I do not doubt that. But still, your behavior shows that you are very capable. That is why I understand why you would wish to lead our nation to a better future.” Seraphina should have said enough to at least show that she was willing to give him a chance. That she trusted him when it came to gaining some kind of influence. But she also had to remind Cedar that he couldn't become emperor. “Though, you must also be aware that His Majesty is a great ruler as well. Trying to take his throne would only destabilize our capital far more than it would do us any good. That is why you should plan your future carefully.” Seraphina took a small step forward and met Cedar's gaze directly while lowering her voice. “I am not sure whether you truly need to become emperor to assist Artias. Many people push you to be a contender for the throne, but is that truly what you yourself wish for? You do not need the crown to do what you are good at. It may seem like a strange suggestion, but are you willing to listen to me for a little?”

Now it all depended on what Cedar would reply with. Would he give her a chance to explain herself? Would he even allow her to tell him what he might not wish to hear at all? She wasn't entirely certain.