"Should I pretend to care while you pretend to answer?"
Onet suddenly appeared out of nowhere while I was stirring some mint into my tea.
"Just don't," I muttered, letting the silver spoon hit the edge of the cup. "Help me prepare for the dinner."
"There are still three hours left until then."
"Did Erzion ask you to find me?"
She nodded. "The usual command to take care of you."
I let out a small sigh after hearing that. I looked away for a moment, trying to steady my thoughts, then decided to tell her her what had happened.
"Isn't that pretty unusual for you? I mean, you hallucinating," she asked at the end.
"I don't know anymore. Everything felt so real."
She crossed her arms, shifting her weight. "Real enough to make you doubt yourself?"
I nodded slowly. "Yeah. For a moment, I couldn't even tell when I was here and when I was there. Erzion was so different too..."
"How different?"
"Well, he... you know how he usually watches over me from a distance, just making sure I'm safe and unharmed so I can keep fulfilling the Sun Goddess's duties. But in my... hallucination, he was different—more forward. Instead of just teasing me with words, his actions were surprisingly bold... nothing like his usual self! Maybe only when he was younger..."
"Could you see his face? His eyes maybe?"
Onet was the only one I have told that I have hard time distinguishing Erzion's eyes. I asked her long ago, when she first came to the court to be my maid, because I wanted to know if it was normal for people to not see his face clearly, but it ended up being only me.
"I couldn't. He looked exactly how he usually does," I answered quietly.
"I see," she murmured, lowering her gaze for a heartbeat before meeting mine again. There was a flicker of something unreadable in her expression—worry, perhaps, but she would never would tell me.
The silence stretched between us, soft but heavy.
"Do you think it means anything?" I finally asked.
Onet tilted her head slightly. "Hallucinations often reflect what's buried in our minds, things we don't say aloud. But... when it comes to Erzion, I believe your connection is a special one."
I took a deep breath, trying to push the heaviness of the conversation aside. So I simply decided to change the subject. "Do you want me to read you that book I started last time?"
Onet blinked, surprised for just a moment, then nodded. "I'd like that."
I smiled faintly, grateful for the shift in mood. We left the kitchen together and passed the ground corridors towards the bright warm glass garden. The scent of blooming flowers wrapped around us like a gentle embrace and I felt a bit more relaxed.
I made my way straight to the bench where I used to sit with Yona and we settled down, the book resting comfortably on my lap.
Time seemed to slip away and I hadn't realized how long I had been reading until Onet finally stood up, brushing her hands together. "We should get you ready for dinner," she said, her tone gentle but firm. "I heard he had some important matters to discuss."
I let out a tired sigh and nodded. "Yeah... I suppose I need to prepare myself. I feel much better now so I will attend."
We walked back towards the room I use as both my bedroom and clothes storage. "I think I want to go with something more casual today," I said.
Onet gave a small, approving nod, and I could feel the weight of the earlier tension lifting, replaced by a quiet determination to face what awaited me.
She moved to gather the clothes I had set aside, handing them to me one by one. "This will go faster if you let me help," she said, this time with a faint smile.
As she adjusted the neckline of the dress, she paused for a moment. "Would you like your scars covered with a necklace or perhaps a shawl with a high collar?"
"Oh, yeah," I said after a second, glancing towards the folded fabrics. "The light yellow shawl is alright."
She nodded, the faintest trace of approval in her eyes, and reached for it before draping it gently over my shoulders. Scars? What about them? Oh, right! I didn't mention them to you when I was describing myself at the beginning. I'm just very used to having them, that's all. I have a few thin scars around my neck that I usually cover up with polo-neck dresses, scarves or chunky necklaces. But that's a story for another time.
By the time I was ready, my hair was carefully braided into two loose plaits that met at the nape of my neck, twisted together into a low bun. I didn't put any of the tiaras I usually wear. Tonight, I preferred to have nothing pressing against my head. This time, I didn't forget my tailored coat, so I was prepared for the cold night walk to the Crystal Veil—and back.
*
The dining hall was already warm when I entered, its tall arched windows letting in the last rays of the day. Almost everyone was already seated. The pretty but uninteresting twins, Miriam and her son, but the chair of the emperor was still empty.
I walked slowly to my place, the hem of my light blue dress brushing the polished floor. Yona spotted me first. The boy's round face brightened as he waved me over. He was sitting on a cushioned chair far too large for his small frame, feet swinging above the floor.
"Hey," I greeted softly, leaning down a little as I took my seat beside him. "Feeling better?"
He nodded eagerly, his curls bouncing. "Yes! No more fever. Nurse said I was brave."
"You were," I said with a small smile. "I'm glad to see you up again. The garden was too quiet without your questions." The last words I whispered, meant for his ears alone.
"Did he tell you what he wanted to talk to us about?" Miriam asked, tilting her head slightly, eyes narrowing with curiosity.
"No," I replied, keeping my voice calm, though my fingers flexed lightly against the table.
"You were with him today,no," she said, leaning forward, as if pressing me for an answer.
"We're not that close," I said, shrugging subtly. "Not close enough to know."
The unspoken tension hung in the air between us, but then Yona squinted up at me with the disarming bluntness only a five-year-old could have. "Are you going to marry Uncle Erzion?"
The question punched the air right out of me. I remembered all the things I hallucinated earlier, my skin felt hot. My mouth twitched before the words tumbled out, calm but sharp:
"I told you. Your uncle and I would sooner set ourselves on fire than get married."
"Good to know," a voice drawled from the doorway. "I'll bring the matches."
I didn't need to turn to know who it was. Erzion leaned casually against the doorframe, dressed in one of his usual flared white shirts and black trousers, with just enough gold accessories to make it look effortless. His smirk was insufferable, carved perfectly for moments like this.
"Uncle Erzion! You are late!"
"Yes, I apologize. There were some matters I needed to take care of after my drawing session with Vila."
Yona burst into a fit of giggles, his tiny shoulders shaking. He asked me such an inappropriate question on purpose. But the sound of his laugh was so genuine, so unguarded, that I couldn't stay angry with him for long. I exhaled slowly through my nose, fingers tightening against the edge of the tablecloth. "You always arrive right when no one needs you," I muttered under my breath.
"On the contrary," Erzion said, stepping into the hall with easy confidence, "I arrive when things are about to get interesting."
Miriam tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "And what is so interesting, then?"
Erzion's smirk widened, the kind that made it impossible to tell if he was joking or serious. "That it's finally time to share the big news!"
I kept my posture calm, though the sharp edge of tension between Miriam and Erzion ran down my spine.
"Big news?" Miriam echoed, a frown tugging at her lips. "What kind of big news?"
"Let's eat first a little!" Erzion interrupted, waving a hand with that insufferable ease of his, as if he could defuse tension with a gesture. Plates clinked, servers moved quietly, and the hall fell into a polite rhythm—but the words he had promised still lingered in the shadows of the lanterns.
After a few moments of ceremonial silence, he leaned back in his chair, smirk returning. "Actually... let's start with this first. My birthday is coming soon."
The twins exchanged a quick glance and I felt Kayana nudged Kiana under the table, urging her to pay attention.
"I assume you all remember Tanya," Erzion continued, letting his gaze sweep the room. "She'll be visiting the palace to help with the banquet and to see her nephew. She arrives tomorrow and will be staying for about two weeks."
I stiffened slightly. Tanya—the younger sister of Yona's father—was known for her cunning behavior and ambition. I could already guess where this was heading. The king of Henio wasn't satisfied enough with marrying one of his sons into this family—now the daughter, too?
Erzion's smirk deepened, calculating. "Now... she probably wants to marry me." Wow, who would have guessed.
Miriam stiffened, lips pressing into a thin line. I could see the sharp calculation behind her eyes, mirroring my own thoughts. Yona was cluelessly eating his dinner between us, unaware of the tension that hung in the air.
Erzion leaned forward slightly, "Don't worry," he added smoothly, "I will make it easy for you. Just keep up appearances, smile. Be close to me like you always do." He was talking to me.
Yeah, like I always do in front of people who don't know us. In reality, we are nothing more than people who hiss at each other. Yet everyone in this world knew that I had been summoned here to one day marry the ruler of the empire. And that I was always supporting him.
"Who is Tanya?" Yona asked innocently.
I gave a tight smile. "Your aunt—your late father's younger sister," I said softly, careful with my words. To be completely honest with you, Tanya was a very annoying young lady, who was adopted by the king of Henio when she was around five I think. As far as I am aware it was his only daughter and thus he loved her with all his damn heart. I met her only once, around five years ago at Miriam and Richard's wedding, but that was all it took to understand what sort of woman she is.
Miriam's eyes narrowed, her voice sharp. "That strumpet will be staying in the palace? I won't allow it!"
"Mind your language," I said coldly. "Your child is here."
Erzion raised an eyebrow, his smirk unwavering. "Strumpet? Really, Miriam... must you always overreact?"
"Miss Vila, what is a strumpet?" Yona tugged at my sleeve.
"Eat your dinner," I replied, keeping my tone firm.
"She has no right to be here, disturbing us!" Miriam shot back, her voice rising.
Erzion leaned casually against the table. "Disturbing. Oh, please. No one wants her here, but I do not wish to start a war at the moment."
"Make her leave right after your birthday party then!" Miriam snapped, her hands trembling slightly with anger. "Why extending her stay with another week?!"
I felt Yona tug once again at my sleeve. "Do you remember my dad?" he asked quietly, looking up at me with his wide-open childish eyes.
"Yes," I said softly, brushing a strand of red hair behind his ear.
"Tell me more about him!" His small voice was eager, insistent.
I shook my head, quiet but firm. "No... not now, your mother is pretty scary and I'd rather not provoke her further," I said, just as Miriam's voice rose again, carrying sharply across the hall and bouncing faintly off the tall glass windows surrounding us.
Meanwhile, the twins were dining quietly, their lack of character almost painful. Sometimes I half-wonder if one of them starts choking, will the other help, or start choking too just to stay in sync... Pathetic.
Yona's lip quivered for a moment, then he smiled faintly, raising his voice as well. "Okay. I'll bring you cake tonight again, and you tell me more about my dad!"
Miriam froze, her eyes widening in shock and disbelief. "Is that what you were doing instead of sleeping and then you got sick?!"
I let my forehead drop onto the table with a solid thud, the sound echoing faintly in my ears. I am so done of today honestly. This couldn't get any worse.
Yona blinked at his mom, tilting his head innocently. "I wasn't sick because I wanted to... I just like listening to her stories and-"
Miriam's jaw tightened, a mixture of frustration and worry flashing across her face. "Stories? At this hour? That's reckless!"
I let out a quiet sigh, rubbing my temple, feeling the familiar thrum of irritation. Why does everyone insist on complicating the simplest things?
"Alright, Miriam, calm down, we get it. You don't want her here, and I don't think anyone really does. But it's just for a brief period, and it would be much easier if we simply waited it out and let it pass. So relax."
Nope. Scratch what I told you. It got worse.
Miriam's face flushed, her hands clenching into fists on the table. "Worse? Worse!? You expect me to just accept this?" Her voice echoed sharply.
Erzion leaned back in his chair with that infuriating calmness he always wore. "I don't see what the problem is," he said smoothly. "It's only temporary. You'll survive."
The argument continued relentlessly, Miriam lashing out at him even as she picked at her food. The twins, silent and expressionless as ever, quietly left the room after some time. Few minutes after, Miriam sighed, swept her son—who had dozed off mid-argument—into her arms, and left in a flurry of anger and frustration.
And just like that, I was left alone with Erzion, the hall suddenly quieter.
"I will go now, thank you for the meal," I said, rising from the table.
Erzion's eyes followed me as I walked towards the door, the quiet between us carrying a weight all its own. I reached for the handle, pushed it open, and stepped into the cool evening air.
"Shall I join you?" he asked, falling into step beside me.
I didn't answer, letting the soft crunch of gravel under my boots fill the silence as we made our way in the garden. The scent of flowers and trimmed hedges replaced the stifling atmosphere of the dining hall. Lanterns glowed faintly along the paths, casting long shadows that danced across the neatly arranged flowerbeds.
"I see you're feeling better," he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"Not anymore," I replied, rolling my eyes. "Your sister's screams were enough to drive my mind completely crazy again."
Erzion chuckled, shaking his head. "Haha, she does have a... unique talent for chaos, I'll give you that."
As we reached the split in the garden paths, Erzion stopped, lingering at the crossroads and watching me with that calm, unreadable expression. Unreadable, because his mouth was set in a simple line and I couldn't see his eyes. I continued straight, towards the temple, pulling my thick coat tighter around me as a shield against the chilly wind.
"Hey!" Erzion's voice rang out behind me.
I stopped and turned, raising an eyebrow. "Huh? What?"
"I need to ask something from you," he said, stepping closer.