Chapter 17: Kaelor's Deal
Queen's Palace
The morning light poured into the Queen's Palace, bright and warm.
The air felt light, almost cheerful.
Maids moved in quiet rhythm, carrying trays and arranging fresh linens.
Staff bustled through the corridors with purpose.
Knights stood at their posts, their armor gleaming in the sun.
Beyond the marble steps, white flowers bloomed in the long gardens, swaying gently with the breeze.
Aella DragonBlood, the Second Princess, walked with perfect poise.
Her steps were measured, her back straight, her head held high.
Every motion of hers spoke of confidence... of royal dignity.
It was as if the air itself bent to her presence, parting before her, guiding her way.
Maids and knights bowed slightly as she passed, their voices soft as they greeted her.
She returned each nod with the faintest tilt of her head.
Before long, she reached the place where she had been summoned.
A towering door stood before her... its surface adorned with gold leaf, intricate carvings, and the sigil of the Ashkar Kingdom engraved deep into the wood.
_______________
Queen's Quarters
Inside, the air was still.
Not cold, but calm... almost heavy.
The room stretched wide, every corner adorned in pristine white.
Fine furnishings gleamed under the sunlight pouring through a great open window.
Beyond that window, the royal gardens lay in full bloom, a sea of white blossoms.
Two figures sat across from one another on a grand sofa set.
Between them, a table held a delicate porcelain tea set.
The First Empress wore a flowing gown of purest white, her presence serene yet commanding.
A fine porcelain cup rested in her left hand, while her right held a document... its seal unmistakably foreign.
Her gaze remained fixed upon the parchment, studying it in silence.
Opposite her sat the Second Empress, dressed in a gown of deep crimson.
The fabric shimmered faintly, the shade of red evoking both authority and danger.
Her posture was poised, her eyes locked upon the First Empress.
After a sip of tea, she set her cup gently back upon its plate.
The mingling scents of jasmine and rose tea lingered between them, weaving into the charged air.
"So… what does it say?" the Second Empress asked, her voice calm but edged with curiosity.
Her crimson eyes met the First Empress's pale silver ones without wavering.
The First Empress returned the stare.
"It is a request from Kaelor," she said evenly. "A request for marriage."
"A request from Kaelor, hmm..."
The First Empress cut her off.
"To call it a request would be too mild," she said, a trace of anger in her voice. "They are offering a deal."
The Second Empress regarded her in silence for a moment, then asked,
"What kind of deal?"
The First Empress set both the document and her teacup down upon the table.
Her expression did not change, but her voice grew sharper... cold and steady.
"They are asking for the hand of Princess Aella… in exchange for a medicine that will aid the King's recovery."
Time seemed to stop.
The porcelain cup in the Second Empress's hand cracked.
Tea spilled forth... yet before it could touch the carpet, it froze in mid-air.
The First Empress's magic held it there, her power radiating quietly.
In the Second Empress's crimson eyes, anger burned like flame.
"So… the news has reached that far," the Second Empress said.
Her voice was low, but the air in the room was still far from calm.
The First Empress flicked her wrist.
The suspended tea, still held by her magic, drifted away from the table and emptied itself neatly into the waste bin.
"It is not something we can control any longer," she said. "When nearly no one has seen the King for so many years, the rumors will spread."
The Second Empress said nothing.
Her crimson eyes stayed fixed upon the First Empress's face, studying it.
It was clear... she did not wish for anyone to know the King's true condition.
The First Empress also held her silence for a moment before speaking again.
"So… what do you think of the deal they have offered?"
The Second Empress's gaze sharpened.
"Can they be trusted? We have tried everything. What possibility is there that they will succeed where all others have failed?"
"I do not know if they can be trusted," the First Empress admitted.
"But I am not placing my faith in them. I am placing it in their skill. Their entire kingdom thrives upon that one field... medicine. The potions they create are unlike any others. And they have treated someone before… with the same symptoms as the King."
"They have treated someone with the same illness?" the Second Empress repeated, her voice now louder.
"So they know the ailment he suffers from. Hmph. Looks like I will have to tighten the system around the kingdom."
The words hung heavy between them.
Neither spoke for a time.
The First Empress simply studied the other in silence... until a knock broke the stillness.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in," the First Empress called.
The Second Empress turned her gaze to the door, her earlier anger still smoldering in her expression.
The door opened.
The Second Princess stepped inside.
Aella was dressed in pure white... a gown, gloves, and veil that mirrored the elegance of the First Empress herself.
It was the kind of attire worn when one wished to impress.
She crossed the room and stood beside the sofa.
Both Empresses fixed their eyes upon her, as though silently demanding something.
"You look well today, Aella," the First Empress said.
"Thank you," Aella replied softly, preparing to sit on the sofa beside them...
"I did not permit you to sit."
The Second Empress's voice was sharp, commanding.
Aella froze and looked at her.
There had always been a distance between them, even though this was her mother.
In the first life, they had never been close.
But now… after returning to the past, she saw her differently.
After losing everything once, she realized how much she had missed everyone... especially her mother.
She remembered how strict her mother had been.
Back then, she had not understood.
But now she saw it clearly... every stern word had been for her benefit.
"I missed you… Mother," Aella said quietly.
Her voice trembled, and her eyes lowered, unable to meet her mother's gaze.
The Second Empress did not answer.
She had not expected such words.
The First Empress broke the silence.
"It is good that you miss her," she said gently.
Her tone then shifted, turning firm. "Now sit. You will answer our questions first."
Aella glanced at her and murmured a single word.
"…Teacher."
Then she sat.
"Yes."
She was sad.
But at the same time, she was happy.
Happy that she could meet them again... even if it was like this.