Word Count - 2,470 words
"Emperor Smith...this is truly a shame."
Erwin kept a neutral look on his face, despite the Hizuru emperor expressing his anger and disappointment in him for what he did to the Hizuru first princess.
"You slept with my daughter without even getting married. And now you're cancelling the engagement between the two of you?! Do you take me for a fool, emperor Smith?!"
The Hizuru emperor then slammed his hands on the table. He's genuinely furious, but not because of his daughter. Erwin knows what the Hizuru emperor is really mad about. "You disgraced my daughter! You put shame on her pride and honor!"
Erwin kept his stare straight, even after the old emperor stood up, and began walking back and forth, running his mouth still.
"I won't allow what you want! You have to take responsibility over my daughter! Bring her to your empire as your concubine...!!"
A sarcastic smile crept onto Erwin's lips.
He let out a small chuckle, making the Hizuru emperor look at him with disbelief.
"You...what's so funny about all of this?"
The blond man looked at the old emperor. His smile slowly faded away, until his expression turned back into being serious and cold. "I am no fool, Emperor Hiroto."
Erwin stood up. He took out some papers from his coat's pocket, then threw it on the table in front of him. "Did you really think I wouldn't know your true intentions as to why you want me to marry the princess?"
The old emperor froze in his place.
He stared at the papers on the table.
He knows what they are because they came from him.
"You plan to extort wealth and resources from my empire using princess Keiko. Because once she becomes the empress of Eldia, she will have access to everything in my empire, and you'd take advantage of that." Erwin walked towards the old man.
He stopped in front of him, staring straight into his eyes with a cold yet terrifying gaze.
"Now that I wish to cancel my engagement with your daughter, your plans are about to be ruined, but you're going to insist even if she only becomes my concubine because what is really important to you are your wicked plans, not protecting the princess' pride and honor. Who's more shameful?"
The blond man's eyes widened, a creepy smile crept onto his lips as he stared at the old emperor who gave him a frightened look. "I know what you're going to pull next. You're going to threaten me by telling me that our empires will go to war. But..."
Erwin stepped back, keeping his eyes on the old emperor. He smiled at the old man.
"Are you sure you can defeat me?"
The old emperor gulped. He tried to speak, but Erwin is too intimidating for him.
Even if he's older, and the blond man is younger, Erwin screams more of power, authority, and knowledge. He knew it was already an end game for him. He failed.
"I am willing to keep my mouth shut and my weapons down, emperor Hiroto."
The blond man returned to his serious expression, now giving the old emperor a stern look. "We can settle this peacefully, but if you don't want it that way...then I am also willing to destroy everything you have. I'm gonna make sure to bring hell in here."
Erwin turned his back on the old emperor.
He was about to leave, but the old man spoke.
"What about my daughter? What will you do with her? Fine, you caught me. But you have a mistake in here, too. At least you should pay for that, too, emperor Smith."
The blond man looked over his shoulder, side-eyeing emperor Hiroto. "That matter is something I will settle with princess Keiko alone. You don't have to stick your nose in it too, emperor Hiroto. Better you think of your decision than waste so much time."
Erwin then left the room, leaving the furious and anxious Hizuru emperor.
"Your majesty."
He looked at sir Levi who bowed at him.
"Where is my wife?"
"Her majesty is waiting at her residence, your majesty. But...I don't think you can go to her, yet. Someone seeks an audience with you. Princess Keiko wants to talk."
--
Y/n stared at herself in front of the mirror.
She's only wearing her bathrobe and her
h/l h/c hair still down and wet since she just finished taking a bath.
Her eyes are visibly swollen because she has been crying during her bath.
Maybe it's because everything's just too overwhelming. But she knows what really is the reason for her shedding tears again.
The truth is, she doesn't want Erwin to take in a concubine.
She knows her husband is an emperor.
Her husband has duties and rules to follow
But she still wishes that his majesty will walk in a different path. That her husband will ignore his duties and disobey the rules.
No...he can't do that for me.
He can't risk everything just for me.
"Your majesty...?"
The h/c-haired woman quickly wiped her tears upon hearing a familiar voice coming from outside. "Come in, queen Freida."
She turned around and smiled when the door opened and queen Freida walked in.
Her eyes immediately landed on Freida's baby bump. "My brother sure got lucky to have a beautiful wife like you." Y/n said, she let out a chuckle when Freida laughed.
The h/c-haired woman stood up, making her way to Freida. She placed her hands on her baby bump, and carefully patted it.
"I hope your child grows to become wise and kind. And for your child to be able to follow the path he/she wants." Freida's eyes when the empress leaned down and placed a kiss on her baby bump. It's like a blessing.
Her baby has been blessed by the Eldian empress, by the most powerful woman in Marley and in the Eldian empire.
"Thank you, your majesty...my child will surely have a great future because of your blessing."
Y/n only smiled at the Marleyan queen. Silence reigned between them for a moment, while Y/n entertained herself by talking to her nephew/niece inside Freida's stomach. "Are you okay, your majesty?"
The h/c-haired woman looked at Freida.
Her smile faltered, but still she kept it.
"No...but it's okay."
Freida's eyes were then evident with worry and concern. She knows why the empress is not feeling okay. It's because of the possibility that the Eldian emperor might take in another woman as concubine.
"Lionel is still mad at emperor Smith, your majesty."
Y/n looked at Freida, confused. "Huh?"
The Marleyan queen let out a chuckle.
"When they saw each other here for the first time after four years, he gave the emperor the cold shoulders. He's mad because he saw him with another woman.
I still can't forget his anger and hatred when he heard of the emperor agreeing to remarry. He said that it was still too soon."
Freida hooked her hand onto Y/n's arm, walking her towards the sofa at the side.
She just wants to distract Y/n so the empress won't feel anymore upset.
"He said lots of unpleasant things about the emperor behind his back. I didn't know what to say, and I feel bad for laughing."
Y/n began smiling when Freida started mimicking her brother.
"Lionel said what...?"
"Yeah! He's unbelievable, your majesty!! It's insane. Hard to believe he is a king when he talked like that. He said he hopes the emperor won't be able to get his manhood erect when he gets married to another woman...!! He's a fool for saying that!!"
The h/c-haired woman let out a loud laugh, and Freida laughed along with her.
"Lionel...that dumbass..." Y/n said in between her laughs, shaking her head.
--
Keiko put her tea cup down on the table, keeping her eyes out of Erwin's gaze who has been staring at her with a cold stare.
"I heard from sir Levi that you had a talk with my wife." The emperor spoke.
She looked at Erwin, and she's not even surprised to see the cold expression on Erwin. She's gotten used to it already.
The emperor only became vulnerable sometimes whenever he saw the empress in her. Still, it's because of the empress.
It will never be because of her.
"Yes...she's...truly a sophisticated woman, your majesty. Well-spoken and kind, too."
Princess Keiko bitterly smiled.
She looked away, not wanting to let Erwin see her eyes that were now glossy. "She's really beautiful, too...I saw why you fell for her. The empress seems to be an amazing person, just like how you told me how she is." Keiko then looked at the blond man.
This time she just let him see her emotions.
"I'm sure...the talk with my father didn't go well. I asked your audience..."
Erwin was taken aback when the princess stood up then bowed at her. "Princess..."
"I apologized for what my father did. He is a greedy man, and I knew about it. Yet I still chose to follow him and his orders. But I..."
The princess closed her eyes, tearing up.
"I was being honest with how I feel for you. None of it was a lie, your majesty."
The blond man didn't say anything. He just stared at the princess. He feels bad for what he did to the princess, for sleeping with her even if he didn't feel anything for the lady.
That was his mistake.
"I wanna apologize, too."
Keiko looked at Erwin, the blond man looked down, sadly smiling to himself.
"Because I took something precious to you. Even when I know...I can't reciprocate the feelings you have for me, princess Keiko."
The princess nodded, still crying.
Erwin kept his eyes on the ground, feeling an extreme guilt all over him especially now that he's hearing Keiko's crying.
He hurt a woman, because he was also hurt.
"Your majesty...I...I wish to stay here."
The blond man looked at Keiko with wide eyes. Keiko looked at her with a sad smile, still her tears never stopped falling.
Erwin didn't leave this decision to the Hizuru emperor, he only said those things to the old man to intimidate him.
But the decision of this whole issue, he decided to leave it on Keiko, its also his way of respecting the kind woman.
And he never expected this.
Princess Keiko's decision...
"The empress told me that you might take me as your concubine, but...I'd rather stay here, your majesty...than go to a foreign place, only to feel lonely and neglected."
Erwin wasn't able to say anything.
Y/n...did?
"I know that you love the empress more than anything. That you would sacrifice everything just to have her. If I stay with you, I will only feel hurt, worse...ruined."
Keiko wiped her tears. She took out the hairpin that Erwin gave to her, then placed it on the table. "I know someday...someone will love the way I love them, your majesty. Just thank you for being a lesson to me."
The blond man then smiled, the heavy burden of emotions was then lifted off his chest. "Princess Keiko...you'll find that person. It may be tomorrow, the next month, the next year, maybe soon...but...it could be later." Keiko let out a small laugh.
"Later is too soon, your majesty."
"Well, nothing is impossible."
Erwin stood up from his seat. He took the hairpin and gave it back to Keiko.
"You should keep it. I have nothing to do with it. It's up to you what to do with it. But I'd love for you to keep it to remember our friendship."
Keiko stared at the hairpin, smiling.
She held it, then looked at Erwin.
"It was nice meeting you, emperor Smith."
Erwin smiled back at her.
"Likewise, princess Keiko."
The blond man then left the room first, and was surprised to see Sir Philip outside who seems to have been waiting for him.
Princess Keiko followed behind him.
"I shall go first, emperor Smith."
"Yes. Thank you, princess Keiko."
Erwin watched as Keiko leaves with her attendants. He then looked back at sir Philip. He was taken aback when he sir Philip's eyes lingered on the Hizuru princess.
Oh...
"Sir Philip? Were you waiting for me?"
Philip came back to his senses, he looked at Erwin returning from his stoic facade.
"Yes, emperor Smith. Her majesty told me to inform you that we will be leaving in the afternoon."
"Is that so?"
Sir Philip only nodded at Erwin.
The blond man smiled when he saw Sir Philip glanced at the Hizuru princess who's now getting so farther away.
Well...it might be him, princess Keiko.
The person who will love you.
--
"Y/n!"
Y/n looked back, smiling as she saw her husband running towards her. She was taken abac when Erwin engulfed her in an embrace as soon as he got close to her.
"Your majesty?"
The blond man picked her up, and even turned around, making her smile, too.
"You seem happy..."
Y/n placed her hands on Erwin's cheeks, admiring his blue eyes and bright smile.
"It's over, my love."
"Over? The what?"
Erwin smiled at her, making her heart race fast, and blood suddenly rushing to her face. It's like she's staring at a kid who's so happy and excited to tell her something.
The emperor's smile is to die for.
Erwin smiles the purest.
"I settled it already...we're going to be happy from now on."
Y/n stiffened in her place, her eyes widened and they slowly became glossy. Before she could even say anything, the emperor had his lips pressed onto hers.
She knew immediately what Erwin meant.
He...he will not take in another woman as concubine. But what about the rules and...
"Let's go see our daughter, my love."
The h/c-haired woman didn't even realized that she was already tearing up. She stared at Erwin, and nodded. Her husband put her down, then wiped the tears on her cheeks.
"O-okay..."
Erwin kisses her forehead, making her to close her eyes. Y/n held onto Erwin's arms.
This man...he would do everything for me.
And he's proven it a lot of times already.
"Erwin."
"Hm? What?"
"It may be weird to say this at the most random time, but..."
Y/n smiled at the emperor, her h/c-eyes twinkled with her tears as she stared at the love of her life.
"Can you marry me again?"
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