The central palace did not host residence to anyone, however, the Su'Datheram's study had a luxurious private room where he would often stay when the days were long and tasks were endless.
As a general rule, women save for the Su'Ailfi, or in this case, the Su'Adrit, were not allowed to enter the sovereign study, and this only by a summon and never unaccompanied.
Not even maids entered the room to clean, as that job was entirely handled by junior eunuchs. This was an absolute rule that even the Sovereign followed without question.
However, Su'Datheram Derzev Hellfryne showed a case of flagrant disrespect to this by not only allowing another woman to enter, but even summoning her into the study and sending the First Minister away.
He was left alone in the room with her.
Su'na Velnue frowned. This was not only a breech of propriety but a show of carelessness on the Su'Datheram's part. To allow a woman to be alone with him in such a sacred place as the Sovereign's study… and on top of that, she was not even his woman!
Not only was Viola Grandpire not the Sovereign's woman in any official way, but her past with him was entirely too troublesome. It was already a baffling matter to have the Sovereign's child outside of the palace, but to do so and still remained married to her husband!
The First Minister was completely perturbed by this. He was a man with decades to his life, and had seen many things to consider himself wise.
On top of that, having such a position as that of a man second only to the Sovereign, he learned to discern the motives and characters of others quite well. Viola Grandpire's character did not give him any good impressions.
As he was pondering this, he came across a resplendent figure draped in blue silk. The dress was cut in such a way that resembled the ancient dresses of the old world, and gave off the impression that the wearer was perhaps a timeless spirit from such an era.
Long hair fell down a slender back in ringlets like a thick bunch of ink-black wisteria flowers. As she moved in front of a window, the sunlight caused a strange gloss to shine from the depths of those tresses, as if darkness had swallowed gold but could not suppress its vibrancy.
Su'na Velnue stopped breathing as his normally kind eyes fixated on the mirror image of the late Su'Ailfi. A trace of something burning yet indecipherable flashed in his gaze.
As that noble, peerless figure turned her head to speak to her handmaid, her rosy lips curled up into a smile, yet her gaze remained distant and unattached. The skin of her cheek glittered like a diamond held to the light for inspection.
The First Minister came back to his senses in that instant.
That expression… the shine… Su'na Velnue was a man of experience and intuition, and was quickly reminded of everything that was different about this young woman in contrast to the shattering Ravena Hellfryne.
Whereas the mother had always exuded warmth and kindness, this daughter seemed enshrouded by those attributes, as if she deliberately chose to be warm and kind when she was capable of causing desolation and ruin.
Su'na Velnue had ascended to the position of First Minister only a few turns after the Su'Datheram took the throne. Moreover, he had always resided in the palace.
He was once very close to the late Su'Ailfi, and had witnessed everything from her pregnancy to the birth of the First Princess. He had seen her grow up. He had observed closely the way she barely reacted to her own mother's death, and simply took the newborn First Prince in her arms to soothe him as if that had been her task all along.
Recalling those memories, Su'na Velnue shivered with dread.
Verinia Hellfryne had always been a sensible child, but to be so unfeeling at such a young age… moreover, one week after losing her mother, she was put on the throne and handed the affairs of the entire palace.
Many had been hoping to approach the young girl in order to take advantage of her, but not only was she not fooled by their insincerity, she had personally been the downfall of several Benevolent Consorts in the harem. It was only when she had come into womanhood that the concubines stopped causing trouble for her.
If Su'na Rijad Velnue had not personally witnessed the divine apparition that had made an appearance to name Verinia while she was still in her mother's womb, he would have felt horrified by her.
In fact, he was still somewhat fearful of the young woman, but he strongly felt that this fear was natural, as if her ruthless nature was all a matter of course.
She hid it well. Too well.
Her beauty and sensibility in times of adversity only garnered reverence and sympathy from the unsuspecting subjects who adored her. The good-natured Su'Adrit had fooled everyone.
At that very moment, she turned her head to look at him and smiled.
The First Minister felt his heart freeze into ice.
"Su'na First Minister." Verinia bowed her head in acknowledgement. This was something she most certainly did not need to do, but bypassed social norms to practice. In her eyes, it was simply showing respect to an accomplished elder.
In the eyes of others, it was humbleness.
"Düwer," Su'na Velnue approached with a warm smile, addressing her with the warm title of one's adopted niece. Upon seeing the chain around her wrist and the leaf that hung from it, he asked, "Have you come from the temple again?"
"I have." Verinia caressed the ornament of her chain. It was the Leaf of Life, a common symbol in the worship of the gods.
The Oaltise pantheon consisted of many deities of many ranks. There was the Minor Arcana of Sempiternals, the Major Arcana of Sempiternals, the Supreme Arcana of Sempiternals, and finally, the Maker themselves.
Although the Maker was commonly referred to by male pronouns, they were a force and being in and of their own and could be referred to by any pronoun that took the speaker's fancy.
Of course, in the harsh society of New Oalta, where patriarchy was engrained even in the marrow of the continent's existence, one would rarely encounter someone referring to the Maker as anything other than a male existence.
This was precisely because the legendary old world did not have such thing as a patriarchy, and unfortunately, a woman sat the throne when the curse of The Final See brought its disastrous consequences.
The men who rebuilt the country said that when magic returned, so would the suppression of women end. Verinia was not stupid enough to believe this lie.
Anyone who hoarded power would naturally be reluctant to part with it, but she herself had found long ago that this would be her salvation.
As a woman, she was allowed nothing, therefore, she had nothing to lose. Her mother did not realise this when she had lived, and that was ultimately why Verinia would surpass her legacy.
She smiled sweetly at Su'na Velnue, who had been like an uncle to her since she had been young. The First Minister had once been hopelessly in love with her mother, and ever since the Su'Ailfi's passing, he cared for her children like a second father.
This was solace to Verinia in that she could trust the man with her sibling's safety. He would do anything for them, but his heart was especially tender toward her, perhaps because she looked like her mother.
"Our country is blessed to have such a devoted Lady." Su'na Velnue's smile contained hints of something acrid. "Your mother was not so interested in the matters of the Arcana."
In contrast to the late Su'Ailfi, the First Princess was a very pious lady who had spent long days and longer nights praying fervently to the gods.
This was not an act. Verinia was a believer in the intervention of the Arcana and their will for mortals. She was deeply convinced that her little brother, Halen, was selected by the gods to take the throne, so how could she not devote herself to a life of worship?
Moreover, she was tasked with being a matchmaker for her siblings. Ever since Faeris came of age to marry, she had prayed incessantly to the Triternal, the pyramid of intimacy, to help her choose suitable matches for them.
Even though the Triternal, as a united, divine force, was part of the Supreme Arcana of Sempiternals, the three gods that composed it were not. There was Vaelsa, the god of love and top angle of the Triternal; Calisva, the god of desire and left angle of the Triternal, and Qesma, the goddess of ecstasy and right angle of the Triternal. These three were each, individually, of the Minor Arcana of Sempiternals.
Her prayers and offerings to them were especially fervent now that she had Syvia and Dresderia to find husbands for. This was a task that Ravena Hellfryne would never have to do, because she was little more than a fragment of the past now.
When all was said and candles snuffed, what had the Su'Ailfi done in her time as the Su'Datheram's primary wife?
Verinia levelled a calm gaze with Su'na Velnue as unspeakable things swirled in the depths of her eyes. Unhurriedly, she relayed, "I am not my mother."
The First Minister broke out in a cold sweat instantly.