Hebron's sense of humour had always been a nightmare.
Back in the days of The Academy he used to like to play hide and seek with me, all the fucking time. Whenever we had an assignment together he would disappear into the most ridiculous places and work on the assignment by himself. To be frank, he only did it once. For the two weeks of his disappearance I would storm like a raging volcano around lecture halls, wait for him by the dormitory's many entrances, grill his companions for his whereabouts, I had even climbed into his dormitory room and left him an angry note when I failed to face him. When the assignment's due date neared an envelope was delivered to my room at night, he wrote to me how he had dire circumstances and did not want to bother me or delay our progress, thus he worked on his own and sent me the paper so I can prepare for our presentation. The only problem with his plan is that I had already managed to put together about eighty percent of the assignment, and I refused to follow his guide on how to approach it.
On the day of our presentation I sneaked into his room early in the morning. I had known his roommate took early jogs so there was no issue with a little team-bonding activities. I hung a bag full of water over his bed and put a tiny hole in it, so water could slowly drip on him. I made sure to sneak in some horse faeces from the stables and stuff them into his headboard, not my cleanest work but it was definitely worth it.
Once our professor announced it was time for us my partner did not show up, and I had to apologise in his stead and tell the hundred-or-so students he had explosive diarrhoea, hence why I worked alone and will be presenting alone.
I heard that Hebron requested the assignment's due date to be extended, he ended up acing the assignment and scoring in the top five at second place, right below me. However the story of how he had made a terrible accident on his bed kept circulating the campus for weeks, some people said his roommate had stomach issues due to the horrible smell and requested a room change, but he was denied because of Hebron's excellent reputation, the one I worked so hard to tarnish.
I knew that my plan only worked because he had taken some sleeping pills. I had known that the duke suffered from insomnia for so long, stirring him towards sleeping pills when exams neared was not my smartest move, yet my pride refused to take a win I was only given because my rival was not at his best. I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him I beat him in his best shape.
After that incident Hebron did not run away or attempt to work by himself again, we would meet up right after we were assigned to work together, divide the tasks in the most equal way possible, argue for when and where to meet, twice before the due date in a public place, three times if we agreed we needed more resources, in the library's common rooms on rainy days, and inside of Alexander's room in exams season.
He never, ever, disappeared on me again. Not until now, and I am sick of it.
I checked his room, the place we agreed to meet in once in a dire situation. I checked with Lord Rawclaw and my brother, I asked the knights routinely if they saw or heard about him, I had even checked in my room under the bed, but to no avail.
Four weeks had passed since his departure. Bridget says the conflict had been resolved, Nasir told me about suspicious activities on the frontlines, Leini's citizens speak of victory and a peace treaty that guarantees Esteria more land.
My plate was full as is. I had finally launched a partnership with Lord Rawclaw, my product was estimated to hit the market in another week, my work with the research team had progressed and had passed the first phase of our project. The smithy shall receive our designs any time now, as soon as my father signs the contract, it is a very lengthy process, one that shall not be taking place in the middle of a war.
The old man's funeral went smoothly. I had managed to contact his elder son and buy the bookstore from him, I had also paid for his travel expenses so he could move to Tanery and study at the Academy. It was the best cover as to why I was buying the bookstore.
Nasir was happy to hear I had secured the deal, he searched the place over and over for his mystery box while I had it locked in my drawers. I had waited for Hebron's return to see if he knew anything about it, yet again, he was messing with me.
The emperor's response to my letter never arrived, and I began to worry for my future.
Apart from that, our plan was progressing as we had wished. Reina had been telling me about the growing support I had gained in the past few weeks, apparently the researchers on our team were on my side when it came to my views on academia, my only issue is that none of them would badmouth the royal family of Tanery and Esteria, which meant I could not get the criticism I had wanted.
A knock sounded from the door, "Please come in." I said as I adjusted my headscarf. Bridget walked in with a basket full of roses on her arm. "I thought your room might need some decoration." she beamed at me, her auburn framed face glowing. I had to admit, pregnancy suited some women so well. Bridget had told me a bump was visible, yet I could see nothing under all those layers of clothes. Nonetheless, Bridget would make a great mother, I could not wait to see her kids.
I had never thought about having kids myself. I thought about marriage yes, but kids I did not dwell on having. I did not know what it felt like to have a mother of my own, just like the rest of my siblings, my mother had died before I turned two-years-old. All of the royal consorts had met the same fate, none of them was destined to be empress, none of them to be my father's life-long companion.
I pitied the emperor. Though the curse did not kill him, it did kill his chance of ever finding peace. I saw the agony on his face whenever he saw a married couple. He was to live alone and die alone, he was to never find love and never be wedded to death.
When my grandmother was alive, the empress dowager, she had insisted that my father remarried whenever a wife died. My father hated the idea of forcing a woman into fated death, whomever she was he had bedded would die before the end of the thirtieth lunar month, so far ten of the noblest women on earth lay underground, and he swore to never marry again.
"What's on that beautiful mind of yours, Huaria?" asked Bridget as she sat by me on the couch, extending her swelling feet on a chair as she let out a groan, her back rested on the oh-so-many pillows.
"Do you want some more?" I teased, she threw me a glare as she rubbed her belly.
"The doctor said to rest, and I have been doing nothing but rest ever since, until I had a dream."
"A dream you say? What kind of dream?" I asked, intrigued.
"I had a dream about my son, who turned out to have auburn hair and glass-like eyes." she pouted, "He looked so much like me."
"Great news! The next Lord will charm so many ladies and your line will continue for generations." I told her as I stuffed my face with peach-flavoured pastries. I could never grow tired of these.
"No! That means he will not be like my husband, he won't be as strong and healthy as him!" she complained.
"Or," I suggested, "It means he shall have your looks and his father's heart. He shall be brave and merciful, strong and knowledgeable, he shall be the strongest and most influential man in the south of Esteria!"
"Do you think so?" Bridget said as her eyes welled with tears, I rubbed her shoulder, Bridget's hormones seemed to be all over the place these days.
"Yes of course." I smiled, "So shall his siblings, I believe your kids to grow up and be the greatest men in the kingdom."
"No, I do not plan to have any more kids." she said as she cleaned her nose.
"What? Why do you say so? I thought you and the Lord wanted a lot of kids."
"Not at all, we want one heir. I do not want the bloodbath that happened in Whingston's dukedom to repeat itself."
"What bloodbath?"