The void of Mikhail's Personal Dimensional Space shimmered with Aurora's natural radiance as she stood before him, her beauty somehow enhanced by the serious expression on her perfect features.
"The capital has descended into chaos," she reported, her melodious voice carrying notes of both amusement and concern. "Wei the Unbreakable lives up to his name only in stubbornness - he's been publicly humiliated by the Empress for his 'failure' to protect your father."
"Tell me everything," Mikhail commanded softly, conjuring comfortable seating from the void's malleable reality.
"The Empress has turned the disappearance to her advantage," Aurora began, settling into a chair that seemed woven from starlight. "She's using it to discredit potential threats while consolidating her own power. Wei was just the first victim - she's been methodically undermining anyone who might question her authority as Empress Regent during this 'crisis.'"
"And the investigation itself?"
"They're chasing shadows," Aurora smiled, her perfect features lighting up with pride. "My light manipulation was perfect - no one suspected anything during my impersonation of your father. The readings showed exactly what they expected to see, and I maintained the deception flawlessly until the moment I vanished. The Empress's pet healers are particularly distressed - they can't understand how their 'patient' could simply disappear without triggering any alarms."
She leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with ethereal light. "You should have seen their faces when they discovered the empty bed. I stayed for a while and watched, invisible of course. The head healer actually fainted! And the magical monitoring equipment continued showing normal readings for several minutes after I disappeared - they're still trying to explain that particular mystery."
"What about before you disappeared?" Mikhail asked, his expression growing serious. "What did you learn during your time pretending to be Father?"
Aurora's expression darkened, her otherworldly beauty taking on an edge of righteous anger. "Those 'healers' were actively working to worsen his condition. Every 'treatment' was carefully designed to enhance the poison's effects while appearing to fight them. It was masterfully done - if I hadn't gained Oracle's knowledge of temporal mechanics, I might not have noticed."
She waved her hand, creating a shimmering display of magical formulae in the air. "The poison itself is remarkable - a masterwork of temporal binding and ancient herbs. The complexity is breathtaking. It must have taken decades to perfect the formula. The resources alone..." she shook her head in wonder. "Dragon's breath crystallised at exactly the right moment of exhalation, herbs that bloom once a century, artefacts that had to be recovered from the deepest ruins. The Empress and her family have been planning this for a very long time - perhaps for generations."
"The fact that Father survived at all..."
"Is nothing short of miraculous," Aurora finished. "The temporal binding agent alone should have been fatal within hours. But he's been actively fighting it this entire time, his life force burns bright."
She and Mikhail exited the Personal Dimensional Space and appeared next to the stasis pod where the Emperor lay suspended in temporal stasis, her hand hovering over its crystalline surface.
"I've never seen such resilience in a human being. Once we neutralise the temporal binding agent, his natural healing should overcome the remaining toxins. The Empress's 'healers' were actually the bigger threat - without them actively working to worsen his condition, he's already showing signs of improvement."
"How long will the neutralisation take?"
"With both of us working together with the knowledge we gained from Oracle? A few months at most, depending on the specific characteristics of the temporal interference. Without the healers' interference, the process should be straightforward. Though..." she paused, her perfect features showing concern, "we'll need to be careful. The temporal binding agent is incredibly unstable. One wrong move could shatter his connection to this timestream completely."
~~~ ~~~ ~~~
Later that evening, Mikhail found himself in a very different setting. The interior of his private carriage was a marvel of dimensional engineering, its space expanded far beyond its exterior dimensions.
He'd overseen the crafting of the dining area where they now sat personally. It embodied the Scandinavian concept of hygge that he'd once read about in an architectural blog in his past life as Albert - all warm woods, soft lighting, and comfortable furnishings.
Plush chairs upholstered in soft, warm fabrics surrounded a solid oak table that could have graced any noble mansion. A magical fireplace crafted from honey-coloured stone dominated one wall, its flames casting dancing shadows on walls lined with well-stocked bookshelves.
Thick, intricately woven rugs covered the floor in layers of comfort, while enchanted windows showed gentle snowfall regardless of the actual weather outside. The overall effect was one of absolute coziness - a sanctuary of warmth and comfort.
Magical lights floated near the ceiling, their glow adjusted to the perfect level for intimate dining. The air was perfumed with the scent of subtle aromatics from the enchanted herb garden tucked into one corner. Every detail had been carefully chosen to create an atmosphere of perfect comfort and relaxation.
"This is absolutely delightful," Aria exclaimed, running her hand along a particularly soft throw blanket draped over her chair. The fabric seemed to shimmer slightly at her touch, adjusting its warmth to her preference. "I've never seen a carriage interior quite like this. The attention to detail is extraordinary."
"It's perfectly designed for both comfort and functionality," Valerie observed, her researcher's mind clearly analysing every detail. "The dimensional folding is particularly elegant - see how the spaces flow into each other without any of the usual magical turbulence? And the environmental enchantments are seamlessly integrated. I might have to abandon my own carriage and impose upon your hospitality, Mikhail."
"Oh?" Aria's eyebrow rose slightly, her perfect courtly manners barely concealing her displeasure. "How forward of you, Lady Valerie. Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by such... aggressive tactics."
"Not at all," Valerie replied smoothly, taking a sip of perfectly temperature-controlled wine. "There are two guest rooms, after all. Though perhaps you're concerned about being too far from your betrothed? How charmingly traditional of you."
Mikhail found himself smiling at their banter, momentarily caught up in the comfortable atmosphere. The magical fire crackled soothingly, and the enchanted windows showed fat snowflakes drifting past, creating a perfect illusion of winter coziness despite the summer heat outside.
For just a moment, he felt almost... content.
But then memories of his past life crashed over him like ice water - Aria's betrayal, the poisoned cup, her cold satisfaction as he lay dying. His expression frosted over instantly, the warmth in his eyes replaced by calculating distance.
Aria, ever observant, caught the change. A flicker of hurt crossed her face before she masked it with perfect courtly composure. She'd seen this pattern before - moments when Mikhail seemed to warm to her, only to suddenly turn cold for no apparent reason. It had been happening throughout their betrothal, and she still couldn't understand why.
"The soup is excellent," Lydia interjected smoothly, sensing the sudden tension. She and Bella moved around the table with practised efficiency, serving each course with perfect timing.
"Indeed," Valerie agreed, clearly grateful for the change in subject. "Though I'm most looking forward to dessert. Bella mentioned something about cloudberry tarts?"
"My speciality!" Bella beamed, her cheerful nature brightening the atmosphere. "Made with berries preserved in magical stasis from last season's harvest. The dimensional stasis field in the kitchen's storage area keeps them perfectly fresh!"
The conversation drifted to safer topics as they enjoyed their meal. The carriage's interior continued to work its cozy magic, the comfortable setting making it easy to forget the capital's chaos.
"I've decided," Aria announced as Bella served the promised tarts, their golden-orange filling gleaming in the magical lamplight. "I'll be staying here as well. As Valerie noted, there are two guest rooms, and it would be foolish to waste dimensional space of this quality."
"How practical of you," Valerie remarked, delicately cutting into her tart. "Though I'm sure your decision has nothing to do with maintaining proper supervision of your betrothed?"
"Just as your decision has nothing to do with finding excuses to spend more time with him?" Aria countered, her smile sweet but her eyes sharp.
"Ladies," Lydia interrupted firmly. "Perhaps we should discuss sleeping arrangements after dinner? The tarts are getting cold, and Bella worked very hard on them."
Mikhail watched the interplay with carefully hidden amusement. Despite everything - the unconscious Emperor in the research carriage, the political upheaval in the capital, the complex web of plots and counterplots - there was something almost normal about this moment.
"Well then," Lydia said as she began clearing the dishes. "Shall I prepare both guest rooms for occupancy?"
"Please do," Aria and Valerie said simultaneously, then shot each other looks of mixed amusement and annoyance.
"I'll help!" Bella volunteered cheerfully. "I know exactly which linens will best complement each room's existing decor. The blue silk for Lady Aria's room, I think, and the emerald damask for Lady Valerie's..."
As the servants bustled about their tasks, Mikhail excused himself to his private study - another of the carriage's many dimensionally expanded rooms. The door closed behind him with a soft click, shutting out the warm atmosphere of the dining area.
He had preparations to make, plans to refine, and a father to heal. But for just a moment, he allowed himself to appreciate the strange family dinner he'd just experienced.
The comfortable atmosphere, the gentle bickering, the simple pleasure of sharing a meal - it was everything he'd been denied in his past life.
Then the moment passed, and the cold mask of the calculating prince slipped back into place. After all, he had an empire to save, and comfort was a luxury he couldn't afford to indulge in for too long.
In the dining room beyond his study, he could hear Aria and Valerie still playfully arguing about room arrangements, while Bella's cheerful humming and Lydia's practical instructions created a soothing backdrop of domestic normalcy.