Chapter 18: Aven Interruption
The room was silent.
Aella sat beside the First Empress, her back straight, hands folded in her lap.
Across from them, the Second Empress... Anevra... leaned back against the sofa, her gaze unflinching.
Her crimson eyes locked on her daughter.
When she finally spoke, her voice was low.
But beneath it, there was the edge of a blade.
"Aella… did you take my permission before moving the King to your residence?"
The question hung in the air.
Her red eyes did not leave Aella's, holding her there, pressing for an answer.
Aella lowered her gaze... only slightly... but the stubborn set of her jaw matched her mother's.
"No," she said quietly, "but I was going to ask you… Mother."
The First Empress's voice broke through the stillness, calm yet firm.
"Aella. You understand this is no small matter. Anything concerning the King is to be discussed with us... or with Anevra first, as she is the one watching over him."
Her words were measured, but the weight behind them was clear.
The Second Empress's gaze sharpened.
"You will come with me. You will correct your mistake. And then… you will face punishment."
Aella said nothing at first.
Her fingers curled slightly against her cloths.
Then, in a steady voice... not defiant, but unwavering... she replied,
"Mother, I will accept whatever punishment you see fit. But I believe it is time we move the King.
It has been too long… and by now, the rumors will have spread far. Keeping him in the same place will only grow more dangerous."
The words lingered in the space between them.
The two empresses exchanged a brief glance, neither speaking.
"…Perhaps you are not wrong," Anevra said at last.
"But for you to act without informing me… And your palace's defenses are far weaker than the King's."
Aella lifted her head, her voice soft but sure.
"Mother... Teacher... I have been working on a spell.. and I have completed it."
The air in the room seemed to still further.
Both empresses listened carefully, knowing well that no DragonBlood, least of all a princess, spoke lightly of their own magic.
"The magic I created," Aella continued, "is suited for Father's condition. I ask that you see it for yourself before making a decision."
Her tone carried something more than words... quiet conviction, a depth of certainty that could not be feigned.
Anevra's eyes narrowed, still not convinced.
But the First Empress lifted a hand, stopping her.
"Very well. If you are that confident, someone will go and see this magic you have prepared."
"I will visit today," the Second Empress said.
Her voice was cool. "You had better make sure it is ready."
Aella's lips curved faintly... almost a smile.
"Yes. I will show you."
The warmth in her voice betrayed her surprise.
She had not expected them to agree.
But the moment was short-lived.
"Now that we have settled that," the First Empress said evenly, "there is another matter. Before you arrived, we were discussing the deal we received."
Aella's expression shifted instantly.
She knew at once which deal this was.
The air around her seemed to tighten.
Her crimson eyes darkened, the anger behind them barely contained.
Both empresses noticed.
The First Empress let a subtle wave of mana spread into the room... calm, steady, cooling.
"It seems you already know," she said. "I do not know how you heard of it… but now that you have, tell us. What do you think, Aella?"
Aella's gaze lowered.
For a time, she did not speak.
It can wait, she thought. Their end will come from my own hand.
When she finally looked up, her voice was quiet but absolute.
"They cannot be trusted."
The First Empress nodded slowly.
"I know. But their letter carried confidence. And their potions… they may truly do something."
There was something in her eyes then... hope.
The kind that was hard to ignore.
"I will not send you there permanently," she said.
"You will go. If the medicine does not work, you will return... and they will pay the price. If it does work, and you still do not wish to remain, we will call you back and repay them another way."
Aella did not look pleased.
But the hope in her mothers' eyes was not something she could refuse.
So she said nothing.
Only remained silent.
Aella did not answer.
She already knew the outcome. She could refuse if she wished... yet the look on her mother's face, filled with fragile hope, held her tongue.
But she had to refuse.
This time… it was necessary for her to remain here.
She parted her lips to speak...
Knock. Knock.
All eyes shifted toward the door.
No other appointment had been set. And for someone to arrive without notice… that was unheard of. Visitors always passed word to the guards or the maid. The maid would knock and call from outside.
This time, there was only the knock.
No voice followed.
The Second Empress kept her gaze fixed on the door, her expression unreadable... though perhaps she already sensed the aura.
"Come in," she said at last, her voice low but carrying across the chamber.
The door opened.
Aven, the First Prince, stepped inside.
The air in the room shifted instantly... heavier, sharper.
He moved forward, bowing with polished ease.
"Mother. Teacher." His eyes slid to Aella. "It seems you are all gathered here… Sister."
From childhood, the First Prince had spent more time with the Second Empress. The Second Princess, meanwhile, had remained closer to the First Empress. It was a matter of inclination... Aven was drawn to the sword, while Aella favored magic.
In the DragonBlood royal family, there was no such thing as a bastard.
If the blood of the dragons ran in one's veins, they were royal heir. Even if the child was not of the emperor's blood, they were considered the Empress's own.
At present, there were two empresses and one consort. There was no hierarchy between them. The son of the third wife could still inherit the throne.
Inside the palace, this was law.
Outside… people saw, and treated, them differently.
Here, however, there were only two mothers, one son, and one daughter.
Aven approached the Second Empress and took a seat beside her, his crimson robe falling in elegant folds.
The First Empress's pale eyes locked on his red ones.
"Aven. You require permission before sitting there." Her tone was clipped, her gaze unyielding.
The prince looked back at her with a faint smile.
"Mother, may I sit here?" He was already seated, the mockery in his voice unmistakable.
Steel flashed.
A sword halted just before his neck, leaving the thinnest cut across his throat.
Yet Aven sat as though nothing had happened, his composure unbroken. He looked at the blade, then at the one who held it... Anevra, the Second Empress.
"So, Teacher… why point your sword at me?" His voice carried a feigned innocence.
Anevra withdrew her blade, her voice ringing through the room.
"This is the last time I will let you go, Aven. Insult the royal family again, and you will face punishment."
Aven stared at her for a long moment, about to speak...
"Anevra." The First Empress's voice cut through the air, edged with disappointment for him. "Leave him." She turned to the prince. "So. What brought you here, Aven?"
Aven's gaze shifted to Aella.
"I have some business with Aella today… but it appears she is occupied. So I came."
Aella's glare hardened. His lack of respect toward the empress was deliberate, and she would not entertain it.
"Then let us speak after I leave here."
She rose to her feet and addressed both women.
"Mother. Teacher. I know you expect me to go there… but the medicine will be of no use. I already have the recipe to make it."
"How?" The First Empress's voice was sharp with surprise.
"I came across it. I purchased it at great cost. If their offer matches the recipe I already possess, we can cancel the marriage. Let the king try it... and see if there is any change."
Anevra opened her mouth to speak, but Aven interrupted.
"Before I came here, I already received news from the messenger. They are offering a potion… in exchange for marriage."
His tone turned colder.
"But before we even consider this, tell me... would Father ever allow it? A potion in exchange for a DragonBlood?"
Silence fell.
Aella's thoughts grew still.
Would Father… truly allow this?
Neither empress answered. The mention of the king had shifted the air, heavy with unspoken truths.
Aven's voice broke the quiet once more.
"But if this is our only chance… why not give her the opportunity? Let her prepare the recipe. If it matches the one they bring, then we refuse the deal entirely."
As the silence fell into the room once again.