I walked around the imperial gardens on my own for a while after my tea with Empress Medea. It was something I had asked for ever since our first meeting, and she allowed me to stay as long as I wanted. Likely because she was busy applying on my shop's latest product.
I had never toured the imperial gardens when married to Roman. His land was cold and remote, and we stayed at the palace in the Northern territories for most of our marriage. Perhaps he had felt regretful over that. Sometimes it felt like he hated the North.
The imperial gardens, despite my hesitance to admire them, were beautiful. The flowers were dutifully taken care of and trimmed, resulting in huge explosions of flowers and gentle leaves. The layout of the garden was pleasing to the eye, and trees lined the interlocking paths.
I normally wandered the palace without a purpose, simply admiring the different gardens, but Ethan was going to war soon. I knew what I needed to do, and this was why I even continued meeting Medea in the first place.
It was exactly as he had described it. Towards the East, past the imperial gardens and the glistening swan lake, was a crumbling palace. It was small, and abandoned in a patch of untrimmed woods, but beautiful. Huge slabs of grey stone and glistening purple wisteria surrounded it. Willows sighed and creaked under the soft breeze. Not a single voice could be heard, but the silent whispering and whistling of wind was enough.
To the right of the abandoned palace, was a particularly thick grove of wisteria. Its branches, so old and low, brushed down to the ground. Beyond that, curled up on its roots, was a boy.
I pushed past the soft purple flowers and made my way towards the twisting trunk.
It was exactly as he had described it. The boy lay there, sleeping, dark hair nearly blending in with the wisteria's bark. He wore a thick black coat which had its hems embroidered with golden swirls. He looked thin, and young. A sheathed sword sat at his side, left carelessly on the ground. He probably didn't expect anyone; the palace had long been abandoned.
For some reason, despite the cold demeanor I tried to hold onto, despite my hate and anger and fury I couldn't help but soften while looking at him.
I had never met him at this age before. The most I saw of him before our marriage was a glimpse at the occasional imperial party. And even that was rare.
Lying under the soft glowing light of the wisteria, he seemed so young, and so breakable. My heart shattered into pieces as I thought of Medea laying her hands on him.
Quietly, I walked over to where he lay and knelt onto the ground. His hair was dark and thick, as I had remembered. Eyes closed, his lashes lay thick and flush against his cheeks.
"Listen to me, Roman." I said softly. "You have to save my brother."
---
There was a woman with long, silver hair holding his hand. For a moment, he couldn't blink because of how breathtakingly beautiful she was.
"Roman," she led him forwards, laughing. She pulled him down until they both tumbled into a patch of wildflowers. Daisies were poking out along her hair. He couldn't take his eyes off her.
"Roman," she murmured, turning to him. Her eyes, as pure and clear as a summer stream, locked with his and she smiled with those beautiful lips.
"Roman, I love you."
---
He opened his eyes.
My heart almost jumped into my throat, but I quickly swallowed it down and met his gaze back. Surprisingly, he was still. I felt the urge to smack myself - I should have kicked his sword farther away. What if he drew it? Of course he would have drawn it, everybody in the palace hated him and now there was suddenly a strange girl standing over his sleeping body.
"I'm not going to hurt you." I said, trying to make my voice as smooth and even as possible.
He sat up silently, pulling his body up as if he hadn't moved in years. Well, I suppose that made sense. Roman always used to tell me about his napping that went on for hours under this exact wisteria tree. And it was an ideal napping spot - silent, and shaded, and beautiful. The purple flowers glowed around us.
"I'm trying to help you, actually."
My experience, anticipation, and preparation over the past two years seemed to fall apart as I looked at him. I wanted to hate him with every fiber of my being - but for some reason I couldn't, as I watched this young, forlorn boy pull himself into a sitting position.
He didn't feel like a power-hungry tyrant. He felt like my Roman - the one I met when we married, and the one I fell in love with.
How childish, I thought, blinking back tears. There were some things you couldn't forget so easily. I thought of Ethan's irregular, frantic breathing as I shielded him with my body. I thought of the sound Roman's sword made when it scraped past my bones.
"You need to save my brother, Ethan Aedile, in the upcoming border assignment."
He had fixated his piercing blue gaze on me, and I fidgeted under it. I couldn't meet his eyes.
"On the sixth day of the mission, there's going to be a sudden ambush by a group of rogues. The princes' troops will be separated, and overwhelmed."
He was still staring at me.
"You have to stay with my brother, Ethan Aedile," I said again. "He has pale pink hair and green eyes. He's energetic, and careless. He's going to be fighting the rogues, and one of them will attempt to attack him from behind."
I stared down at fallen wisteria blooms, bright and brilliant against the dark dirt.
"You have to kill his attacker. You have to save my brother, and the Aedile duchy will be in your favor."
I looked up again, squaring my shoulders.
"Do you understand?"
He stared at me still. I couldn't read him. Was he apprehensive? Did he acknowledge my information? Was he going to do as I said?
"You're Valerie Aedile?"
I flinched back. "That's unimportant," I snapped. "What's important is that you save my brother, Ethan Aedile —"
"Why are you telling me all of this?" His clear blue eyes were filled with wonder, and doubt. "Why are you giving me this information" His gaze darkened.
I took a sharp breath in, making sure my voice was as still as possible.
"You want to be Emperor?" I said.
His eyes glinted.
"Then you'd better save my brother on that battlefield."