Word Count - 2,495 words
Zeke looked at his mother with worry and concern, noticing that Dina has been quiet ever since they started eating their dinner.
Today is the weekend, and Zeke came home to his mother. "Mom, are you feeling okay?"
Dina looked at him, she forced a smile while nodding. "Yes, I'm just thinking of something." The blond woman answered.
"Thinking of what?" Zeke asked.
His mother went silent. Dina looked away, brows furrowing. She looks so hesitant to speak, as if she is scared with her thoughts.
"Ma...you can tell me anything."
Dina looked at his son again, her heart clenched tight the moment she saw the soft gaze of his son. She has always been soft for Zeke. Of course, he is her son.
But other than that, Zeke was the one who kept her sanity together even if Grisha abandoned her for another woman.
"Zeke...can you be honest with me?"
The blond man didn't answer as he was confused with what his mother just said.
"...do you...have feelings for the empress?"
Dina doesn't know, but now she does.
All because Grisha talked to her about it, and asked for help to knock some sense into their son. "Your father talked to me yesterday. He said that you have feelings for the empress...is what he said true?"
Zeke gulped as he looked away, he gripped tightly on his fork and knife.
"So father finally approached you, huh? After all those years of ignoring you. He had the audacity to talk to you about my issue, when he can't even talk about his."
Dina let out a sigh. "Zeke...don't talk like that. He's still your father."
"Yeah. Unfortunately."
Dina only stared at his son, she can't really blame him if Zeke hates Grisha. After all, her ex-husband abandoned them.
"You haven't answered me yet, Zeke..."
Zeke paused from his meal, he put down his knife and fork, and picked up his glass of wine. "Ma...let's not talk about it please."
"Do you care for the empress?"
The blond man shut his eyes. Grisha...that damned man really has a big mouth. "Ma..."
"Answer me, Zeke. Do you care for the-"
"I CARE FOR HER! DAY AND NIGHT! I DO! BUT THAT EMPEROR ONLY HURTS HER!"
Dina was in shock, as his son raised his voice to her. But instead of getting angry, she felt her heart break. Because Zeke's words were exactly what Grisha said to her.
"I care for Carla! Day and night! I do! But you hurt her!"
Tears glossed her eyes, but that didn't stop her from noticing the tears that made Zeke's eyes glossy.
Dina knows she has to really wake her son up, because if she lets him continue, not only Zeke will get in trouble but a lot of people.
It's a crime to desire the emperor's woman.
The blond woman stood up, she clenched her jaw. Silence reigned between her and Zeke, and in just a second the sound of her slap on Zeke's face echoed all over the dining room.
Zeke was shocked himself, he stared at nowhere. His mother never raised her hands on him before.
"SHE IS THE EMPEROR'S WIFE, ZEKE! SHE IS THE EMPRESS OF THIS EMPIRE! YOU CANNOT CARE FOR A WOMAN LIKE HER!"
The blond man looked at his mother.
He knows that. He knows very well.
But both his heart and mind rejects tha fact.
Because his love for Y/n is stronger.
"Yeah...she is the empress of this empire, but she was never really the emperor's wife." Zeke said in a bitter tone.
His mother was in disbelief, Dina stepped back a bit, shaking her head.
"ZEKE! Have you lost your mind?!"
A bitter laugh left Zeke's lips.
Lost my mind...I don't know.
"Since we're on this topic, ma..."
Zeke looked at his mother, the furiosity he felt slowly faded as he stared at his mom.
"Let me ask you a question..."
The blond ma clenched his fist, his chest heaved up and down. "Ma...if we were still the royal family, is there a chance I would become the emperor?"
Dina's eyes went round, she wasn't able to answer. Her lips trembled as well as her hands.
"Zeke...!"
"If I became the emperor...will I be able to love the empress just like how I want to?"
His forbidden love, is not only forbidden. But also unrequited.
Love is scary. Love is dangerous. But love is also beautiful.
If there is beauty in his love, it's the woman he dedicates his love for. And if there is fear and danger in his love, it's himself.
"Zeke...please...I'm begging you..."
Dina held his son's face, forcing him to stare at her, giving him a pleading look, hoping Zeke would pity him and stop before everything else is too late.
"You can love anyone, just not the empress. So please...stop...for your own sake, for me and for the people we care for. Please..."
Zeke stared at nowhere, he gently held her mother's hand and put it away.
"I'm sorry, ma...but I'm tired of being selfless, I've had enough of staying quiet."
The blond turned his back on his mother.
"Just for once...I want to be selfish, I want to say what I feel. So stop begging me to stop. Because I don't want to."
--
Marquis Rembrandt kept his stare down, while Y/n glared at him. Fear and horror are evident on his face. Now that his crimes have been revealed, everything is over.
"How could you betray me when all I've done was help you, Marquis Rembrandt?"
The emperor kept quiet, letting his empress speak to the nobleman.
Eren, Armin, Jean, Marcel, Porco and Reiner are standing at the side, they can feel the thick tension from Y/n.
Her strong aura of anger and hatred.
"You even used my funds to do your crimes? You disgust me. How can you..."
Y/n shut her eyes, she gritted her teeth.
Just by thinking about how children suffered because of Marquis Rembrandt and his men's insolence, and how they used her. She feels so betrayed. She feels disappointed, and angry at herself.
"Is wealth and power that important to you, Marquis Rembrandt? I remember you being a humble man, who only wanted to send his daughter to the academy and to treat his ill wife...what happened to you?"
Marquis Rembrandt's eyes became glossy.
Wealth and power blinded him, it led him to darkness, to doing bad things.
He became greedy.
"I am...willing to accept any punishment, your majesty...." The old man dropped to his knees, lowering his head. "But I beg of you....to spare my family. They don't know anything..."
Y/n clenched her fists. That's out of her reach. She is not the one who will punish Marquis Rembrandt, but the emperor.
She gave Erwin the permission to punish Marquis Rembrandt and all the other people who were involved.
And she is included.
Because Marquis Rembrandt is one of her people.
"I won't help you, because I am to be punished, too, Marquis Rembrandt."
The old man was taken aback, he looked at Y/n with a shocked face. "P-pardon..." Then it registered to him why. It's because he is one of her majesty's people.
"So if you want to beg for one last mercy, beg the emperor instead."
--
The syndicates coordinating with Marquis Rembrandt's orphanage were also arrested and the case was transferred to the MPB.
Marquis Rembrandt and the officials who bought children to become their slaves were punished for executions, including the adults in their families.
Except for the children.
The news spread through the empire so fast like a vast fire.
Everyone had heard of the news, and witnessed how the emperor gets mad.
Erwin never shows mercy to people who do nothing but put disdain in their empire.
"Is it true? The empress is also being punished?"
"Yeah. Marquis Rembrandt is a member of the left faction."
"Poor empress. She was just dragged into that bastard's crimes."
"If she's being punished, that only means that the enperor doesn't..."
"What? Care for his wife? Of course, he doesn't. What kind of husband punishes his wife when his wife is innocent?"
Sir Levi sighed, shaking his head because of the people gosspiping. A week had passed since the news was revealed to the public.
And people are nonstop in gossiping.
"It's been six years, but they're still childless."
"The empress is still weak in power because she hasn't produced a child yet."
As the raven-haired man was about to leave, he stopped upon hearing two old ladies who are vendors of a fruit stalls.
"You know that saying? When a married couple is not having a child, either one of them is not able to have children or they don't love each other to do the deed."
Sir Levi's brows furrowed, he clicked his tongue. People don't know anythin. But they keep on saying things as if they know everything.
"I heard the empress is not able to conceive a child."
A middle-aged woman squealed when she found herself close to a dagger. She stiffened in her place as she raised her hand and stared at Sir Levi with fear.
The people around were all shocked, especially the ones gossiping.
"Spreading such rumors about a member of the imperial family is treason." Levi coldly said.
"F-forgive me, sir! I only heard of that rumor, too!"
Sir Levi raised a brow. So...it has been going around? The raven-haired man put down his sword. "Spread more rumors, and you will find your tongue detached from your mouth."
Not only was the woman terrified, but also the others around, too.
Sir Levi left, keeping his dagger.
He knows what he should do.
I shall tell his majesty about this.
--
"Your majesty, pardon me for being rude, but the empress has nothing to do with Marquis Rembrandt's crime. Why should she be punished as well?" Dina asked.
The Left Faction had expressed their disagreement towards Erwin's decision, while the Right faction are keeping quiet.
"The empress is innocent, your majesty. Please reconsider your decisions!"
Mr. Leonhart pleaded, his co-officials went along with him.
They're devoted to Y/n, because the
h/c-haired woman was the reason why all of them became successful.
"It seems there is a misunderstanding...I didn't want to make that decision, too. But the empress asked for it herself."
Everyone was surprised, even the Right Faction. "She wanted to be held responsible because Marquis Rembrandt is one of the people she brought here in the palace."
Dina and Mr. Leonhart looked at one another. They stared at each other for a moment, then nodded.
Erwin and the Right Faction was surprised when the Left Faction kneeled down.
"Then we shall be punished, too, your majesty. Because Marquis Rembrandt's was our ally, and we are also one of the people her majesty brought here in the palace."
The emperor went silent.
He's amazed at how loyal the Left Faction are to Y/n.
"There is no need for that."
The meeting was interrupted as Y/n walked in, wearing a purple dress with her hair down.
The Right Faction and the Left Faction paid respect to the empress.
"Welcome, your majesty."
Y/n nodded. She looked at the emperor.
"Your majesty, I am going to be responsible for all my people, so please do not punish them, too. If they are interrupted from their duties, it will only mess up our stability."
"Your majesty...we can't let you suffer alone." Dina took the courage to speak out to Y/n.
The empress smiled a bit.
"I'm just going to be taking a rest from my duties, Duchess Fritz. Just for one month."
"But..."
"Don't worry about me, I'm just the empress. Just one person. You all should worry about the empire and our people."
Erwin leaned back on his seat, staring amusedly at Y/n. The way the empress carries herself...never fails to amaze me.
"Pardon me for interrupting this assembly, your majesty. I came here rushing to calm down the Left Faction as I know they will be begging you for something like this. Please forgive them."
The empress bowed at the emperor, humbling herself like always.
Y/n may be of high position, she may be the emperor's wife, the empress, but the emperor is still the highest in position.
The most powerful man in the empire.
"It's fine, empress."
Erwin let out a small sigh.
He stood up from his seat, and made his way towards Y/n. Everyone was silent as they watched the emperor take Y/n's hand.
"You should stay. There is a matter we have to discuss..." Erwin whispered.
The empress raised a brow.
"Matter..."
She wasn't able to think anymore, when the emperor pulled her.
Everyone was shocked when the emperor made Y/n sit down on his throne.
Even Y/n was surprise.
The emperor looked at secretary Hange, who is smiling at them. "Secretary Hange, please..." Erwin spoke.
Hange nodded, she stepped forward.
"Your majesties...there has been rumors going around the empire about the empress."
Y/n scoffed, she raised a brow. About me?
"Pardon me for saying this, but...your majesty...there have been rumors of the empress about not being able to conceive a child."
The others literally gasped.
Y/n was quite shocked herself, but she kept a stoic face while staring at Hange.
"That is absurd...how can they insult her majesty?!" Grisha exclaimed.
"Those insolent people..." Lady Karina shook her head.
Duchess Ackerman sighed in disappointment.
"Your majesty, you shall punish whoever tries to slander her majesty."
The Factions began to plead for Erwin to take action, the emperor looked at Y/n, he was surprised to see Y/n looking nonchalant.
As if it doesn't affect her at all.
"Rumors will never go away."
Everyone looked at the emperor when the empress spoke. "We can't do anything about those anymore." Y/n sighed as she stood up. "The best way to deal with it is to ignore them." The empress coldly said.
The empress was about to leave, but Duchess Ackerman spoke.
"Your majesty...shouldn't we consult the imperial astronomer?"
Y/n and Erwin both stiffen in their places, they both know what's coming for them.
"We should consult the imperial astronomer if this month would be a good time for both your majesties to spend time together and try for a royal offspring."
The emperor coughed as he choked in his own saliva. While the empress looked away, feeling the heat rushing to her face.
Oh walls. Just why? Y/n thought.
Goodness. I shouldn't have asked her to stay. Erwin thought.
They both know...there's no escaping it.
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