WMEEM Ch 3

Two Gentle Hands

Though I didn't know Batizo's exact age, he appeared long past the typical age for marriage.

Raff had married before even reaching adulthood and already fathered children, yet Batizo remained unwed. Perhaps laws differed across empires.

Regardless, according to Terkan, the throne of Kellinev's empress sat vacant, and he had urged me to claim it.

Why me?

The question hovered endlessly in my mind, but I brushed it aside. Becoming Empress of Kellinev was my only path to survival.

My steps toward Batizo felt heavy as I agonized over an offer he couldn't refuse. I needed a plan before reaching him, yet my mind felt paralyzed. I wished the distance between us would stretch to buy me time, but reality granted no such mercy.

Even as I offered him a formal greeting, the proposal and my bargaining chip consumed my mind. I forgot the watchful eyes fixed upon me. A chance like this, perhaps my first and last, had arrived.

I had to seize it, no matter what.

Batizo handed me a glass. I took it in a daze and sank back into thought. I glanced at Terkan, who stood between Batizo and me, before looking away.

Had Terkan consulted Batizo about this proposal, or was it purely his own scheme? Surely he wouldn't decide his master's marriage on a whim. Perhaps Batizo himself had commanded it. In fact, it was almost certain.

Had Terkan not stated that Emperor Batizo wished for my presence at the banquet? He had even visited my annex in person. Then why? Back to square one.

Why me?

I would likely obsess over the question until I found an answer.

To craft an offer that satisfied Batizo, I needed to discern his true motives. I wracked my brain for every rumor I had heard about him.

As far as I knew, Batizo was a tyrant and a warmonger, a killer without equal. Though things had quieted recently, rumors claimed he was still steadily expanding Kellinev's borders.

Was he here to claim Calyx's territory?

I glanced up at Raff, who sat upon the high dais. As he received greetings from the court, he looked unsettled and fidgeted in his seat. He repeatedly glanced in my direction, but my presence might not have been the source of his anxiety.

My brief deduction brought me to one conclusion: Raff had never invited Batizo to this banquet. Batizo had crashed it.

His objective was singular: Calyx itself. Since conquering an empire in one bite was no easy task, he was likely scouting the terrain and delivering a silent threat.

I took a deep breath and set my glass to my lips, pausing just long enough to speak.

[Celeste] "What brings you to Calyx?"

[Batizo] "Well now."

He glanced at me, swirling his drink lazily in his glass.

[Celeste] "Marry me."

The swirling glass abruptly halted.

[Batizo] "How sudden. Asking why I came to Calyx, only to follow it with a proposal..."

A scoff escaped his lips. He downed his liquor, eyeing me sideways as if anticipating my next move.

[Celeste] "I will give you Calyx."

He laughed again, this time with a sneer.

[Batizo] "Do you think I need to marry a princess to take Calyx? A brief conversation with your Emperor right now would suffice."

No matter how feared Batizo was, no Emperor would surrender his empire over a mere conversation. At most, Raff would yield a barren patch of borderland.

[Celeste] "I am aware. Yet you would obtain only a fraction of it. Is Your Majesty's ambition not far grander?"

Confined to the annex since childhood, I had no concept of how vast or grand Calyx and Kellinev were. Yet I knew that a war between empires inflicted astronomical losses.

[Celeste] "Though I have never experienced war firsthand, I know it demands astronomical time, wealth, and countless lives. Even for the victor, recovering from such devastation is no easy feat. Therefore..."

Batizo leaned in slightly, listening. Though one side of his mouth remained curled in a sneer, his attention anchored upon me.

[Celeste] "I am offering to help Kellinev claim Calyx without losing a single coin or soldier."

Despite my bold words, my throat burned dry. Sweat trickled down the back of my neck, and my trembling legs threatened to collapse beneath me. My heart hammered against my ribs so loudly it echoed in my ears.

I raised my glass with effort, wetting my parched throat with liquor.

[Batizo] "A princess who holds no love for her own homeland."

[Celeste] "You saw my back. The rumors surrounding me, spread far beyond Calyx and into Kellinev, are not mere slander. Were you in my position, could you love this empire?"

[Batizo] "Even so, selling it out is quite another matter."

[Celeste] "I had no idea Your Majesty was a man of such high moral standards."

A low chuckle escaped Batizo, gradually swelling into a deep, booming laugh. His laughter reverberated across the banquet hall, drawing every gaze in the room.

Though heat flushed my face as he openly mocked me, I refused to break eye contact. His laughter went on for what felt like an eternity before finally subsiding.

[Batizo] "A princess possesses no such power."

[Celeste] "You need only grant it to me."

If I possessed real authority instead of a hollow title, nothing was impossible. I would leverage that standing a hundredfold to hand him Calyx on a silver platter.

[Batizo] "So that is your reason for wanting to become Empress of Kellinev... Hm. Yet you are far too young. Taking a bride I must teach sounds exhausting."

[Celeste] "I learn quickly."

[Batizo] "Learn quickly? You don't even grasp what I mean by 'teach.'"

His eyes narrowed, gleaming with an intoxicating, suggestive light. I met his gaze desperately.

Less than two hours had passed since our first meeting. Whether Batizo had orchestrated this or not, I had to seize this chance. It was a gamble I was forced to make to escape and survive.

Holding my breath, I waited for his answer, praying my desperation reached him.

Please. Please say yes. Answer me. You want something from me too.

Whether it was Calyx or something else, he clearly sought an advantage. The underlying reason could wait; his consent came first.

His brow furrowed slightly. Instead of answering, he drained another glass in silence. Moments stretched like hours until he finally parted his lips.

[Batizo] "You had better keep that promise."

It was permission. Joy surged through me so violently I nearly embraced him. Suppressing the urge, I bowed my head.

[Celeste] "I will."

I would do whatever it took to escape Raff. Ignorant of what future lay ahead, I gave my word without hesitation. I had no choice.

---

The banquet raged on. Dizzy from unaccustomed liquor and relentless tension, I slipped outside.

With everyone indulging in the festivities indoors, the garden was entirely deserted. Still, cautious of wandering eyes, I walked quietly toward a bench and sat down.

Once more, the garden left me spellbound. It felt like a completely different world from my isolated annex. How could two places within the same palace walls be so vastly different?

A pang of sorrow struck me as I reflected on my youth, trapped in that tiny annex without ever knowing such beauty existed. Yet I quickly cleared my mind. I was leaving soon, and that was all that mattered.

[Celeste] "Ah, it hurts..."

The heels were slightly too small, and my feet throbbed in pain. I slipped them off and inspected my swollen, blistered heels. A smear of blood coated the raw skin. Because such a minor injury was inconsequential compared to my usual wounds, I casually wiped the blood away with my hand.

What just happened?

Events from moments ago already felt like a distant memory. An outcome I had deemed impossible had actually transpired, leaving me floating in disbelief.

I leaned back against the bench, closed my eyes, and replayed the scene. My heart still hammered, and the world seemed to spin around me.

Where had that courage come from? Staring directly into Batizo's eyes and bargaining so boldly felt like the actions of a complete stranger.

[Terkan] "You handled that remarkably well."

A voice shattered the quiet, making me startle violently. Terkan stood right before me. I had not heard a single footstep.

[Celeste] "Announce your presence next time!"

[Terkan] "I made plenty of noise, but Your Highness failed to notice. Are you alright?"

[Celeste] "I am fine."

[Terkan] "You look exhausted."

[Celeste] "Just a little lightheaded. Actually, I have a question."

[Terkan] "Ask away."

[Celeste] "Did Emperor Batizo know I would propose?"

[Terkan] "Of course."

Just as I thought. He had feigned surprise while knowing all along.

[Terkan] "However, His Majesty didn't expect you to offer Calyx."

[Celeste] "Meaning the outcome depended entirely on what I put on the table?"

[Terkan] "Most likely."

Batizo had been testing me. I nearly asked Terkan if he had anticipated I would offer Calyx, but I swallowed the question.

Reflecting on it now, Terkan looked like a man who had calculated every variable in advance.

[Terkan] "For someone devoid of formal education, your offer was surprisingly sharp."

Because I lacked formal education, my intellect had likely seemed woefully limited to him. Still, his words held truth, so I didn't deny it.

[Celeste] "I may lack formal education, but I do read books."

Even if they were mostly trashy novels I could barely decipher.

[Celeste] "Though I must say, rumors about me seem to have traveled remarkably far."

[Terkan] "They are not mere rumors. I personally investigated you."

[Celeste] "How?"

[Terkan] "Gathering such information is trivial. In truth, few within this palace even know you are deprived of education and subjected to beatings. On the contrary, many praise the imperial house for protecting an unqualified princess."

[Celeste] "Nonsense. There are too many eyes in the palace..."

[Terkan] "The Emperor of Calyx must safeguard the imperial reputation, so he naturally silenced a few loose lips."

Contrary to my assumptions, my plight was not common knowledge. Looking back, my path to the dungeon had always been identical, guarded by the exact same soldiers. It was foolish of me to assume they would spread word of my abuse outside.

Yet it surprised me that Raff actually possessed enough self-awareness to feel shame for his actions. I had assumed he lacked a conscience entirely.

Beyond Raff, however, I wondered about Terkan himself.

What kind of man is he?

He seemed far more formidable than he let on. Even if he had not foreseen my offer, I felt as though every piece of the puzzle was falling perfectly into place under his orchestration.

[Celeste] "Was everything, from Batizo's visit to my proposal, part of your plan?"

[Terkan] "A portion of it, yes."

Then was the rest Batizo's doing?

Terkan stood framed against the moonlight. Though no wind blew, his dark hair seemed to ripple like water. Each time he moved, a faint trace of his signature fragrance brushed past my nose, a pleasant, strangely familiar scent, yet one I instinctively resisted.

Unlike ordinary men, his gaze felt as though it observed everything through a singular lens.

Standing with hands tucked into his trousers, he looked down at me as I sat on the bench. Positionally, looking down was inevitable, yet that same sensation washed over me again: the distinct impression that he was my superior, and I, his subordinate.

Even his polite honorifics felt like a mere facade. His scent, his intense gaze, and his respectful arrogance—I loathed all of it. Most of all, I hated feeling exposed before him.

Feeling as though he could peer right through to my inner thoughts, I turned my head and waved him away.

[Celeste] "Leave me. I wish to rest."

[Terkan] "One moment."

He dropped to one knee upon the grass and gently grasped my foot protruding from beneath my hem.

[Celeste] "W-What are you doing!"

I tried to pull back, but his grip remained firm. He turned my foot slightly, inspecting the raw skin.

[Terkan] "My apologies. I knew high heels were unfamiliar to you, but I failed to anticipate this."

Apology or not, embarrassment flushed through me.

[Celeste] "Let go!"

I hissed in a hushed tone, careful not to attract attention.

[Terkan] "Your Highness is now someone I must serve, and I am acting accordingly. Please hold still."

I froze at his command.

Is this how servants behave in foreign courts?

Ignorant of proper etiquette, I remained motionless.

He was massaging my swollen foot, yet was I overreacting? Was I being overly sensitive while he remained entirely composed?

As I hesitated, his touch grew bolder. Deciding this was unacceptable, I prepared to pull my foot away once more when footsteps approached. A man and a woman were whispering and laughing in low, intimate tones.

As the sound drew closer, Terkan picked up my shoes with his free hand and took my wrist, pulling me quickly behind a wide tree behind the bench. We hid like thieves caught in a crime.

A man's voice broke the silence first.

[Man] "See? I told you no one would be here."

[Woman] "You are insane. What if someone catches us?"

Though the woman protested, her voice dripped with coy affection.

[Man] "I missed you to death."

An unmistakable tryst started immediately. I had never anticipated finding people engaging in such brazen acts in the imperial gardens.

The sounds grew increasingly explicit. Though I could only hear them, the vividness made me close my eyes in mortification.

Why did I come out to the garden? I should have left the moment I saw Terkan. Or at the very least, when he grabbed my foot, I should have extracted myself at all costs. Instead, here I was, pressed flush against him in the shadows.

As the couple's heavy breathing and quiet moans ebbed and flowed, I wanted to burst out of hiding. Listening to this alone would have been agonizing enough, but having Terkan right beside me made it unbearable!

Suddenly, the noise vanished.

Two gentle hands cupped my ears softly, blocking out the sound.

I looked up at Terkan in shock. He offered a faint, fleeting smile, shrugging his shoulders as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

---

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