Whispers fluttered like moths through the marble halls of the palace. What had begun as idle chatter among the maids swiftly found its way into parlours, dressing rooms, and drawing chambers growing louder with each retelling.
They said the Emperor had not spent the night alone. That Lady Charlotte, Lola had warmed his bed.
Adriana sat silently before her mirror in the East Wing, her expression unreadable as two of her maids whispered behind her, their voices barely above a breath.
"They say he was in her chamber all night," one murmured.
"No," corrected the other with an eager nod, "they say she never left his."
Adriana's gaze remained fixed on her reflection, but her fingers stilled atop her lap. The corners of her mouth twitched just slightly.
"She truly is a perfect match for His Majesty, don't you think?" one dared to say, emboldened by the illusion of her mistress's silence.
"Don't you think you've said quite enough?" Adriana asked coolly, her voice cutting the air like glass.
The maids froze.
"S-Sorry, my lady," they stammered in unison, eyes wide.
"If all you have to offer is meaningless chatter, then I suggest you remove yourselves from my presence."
They fled, their footsteps light and panicked against the polished floor.
Alone again, Adriana returned her gaze to the mirror. Calm. Composed. But her hands beneath the folds of her gown were clenched into trembling fists.
"So… that's how you wish to play, Charlotte," she whispered to herself. "Very well."
Lady Calantha, meanwhile, had been reclining in her private drawing room, enjoying a moment of stillness, when her maid burst in with flushed cheeks and breathless urgency.
"My lady… there's news."
Calantha straightened. "What news?"
"It's about the Emperor and Lady Charlotte. They say they… they spent the night together."
Calantha's brows shot up, and she sat bolt upright. "They did what?"
The maid nodded, her head bowed.
"You're certain of this?"
"I heard it from the chambermaids. Everyone's speaking of it, my lady."
Calantha's eyes narrowed. Her fingers curled around the edge of her velvet chaise.
"Didn't take her for a whore," she said with quiet fury. "So that's her strategy? Seduce the Emperor and hope to worm her way into the crown?"
Her maid remained kneeling, head low.
"She has mere days left in this palace, and she's using them wisely, it seems. A pathetic move… but an effective one."
She stood and began pacing slowly, the fabric of her gown rustling with each step.
"Well," she said darkly, "she may have won a night. But the game is far from over."
In the north wing, where golden light poured in through the lattice windows, Grand Empress Augusta reclined on her seat like a queen at court because she still was, in every way that mattered.
She smiled as she stirred her tea, her ringed fingers clinking gently against the porcelain.
"This is delightful news, Rosamund," she said to her maid. "Took the boy long enough."
"You seem most pleased, Your Grace," Alaric Venn, her steward, observed with a smirk.
"I am. I feared he'd spend the rest of his days brooding over state matters and ignore the most obvious remedy for his melancholy."
"Which is…?" Clara asked, her brow raised.
"Love, dear girl," Augusta said, waving her hand. "Or something like it."
"I didn't take you for a gossip, Rosamund," Clara said with a grin.
"I don't gossip," Rosamund replied with a tilt of her head. "I simply pay attention."
"You truly favour Lady Charlotte?" Alaric asked.
Augusta's eyes gleamed.
"She reminds me of myself, sharp, unyielding, brave enough to love a man who doesn't yet know how to be loved. She'll make a fine empress."
"But what of the Empress Dowager?" Clara asked quietly. "Will she permit such a match?"
A long pause.
Augusta sipped her tea.
"I've promised not to interfere," she said slowly, "but I never promised to remain silent. A well-placed idea in the Emperor's ear may be all it takes."
The three of them exchanged glances. The room felt heavier somehow, full of unsaid thoughts.
Outside, bells rang faintly in the morning air.
The tide in the palace had begun to shift.