A cloaked figure stood in the doorway of Leander's office, dripping wet. She had guards behind her, who had her hands in a firm grip.
"You called for this woman, Your Highness?" one piped up.
Leander was facing the window, hands clasped behind his back.
"Yes. That is all," he held up a hand, dismissing them, "You may leave."
The soldiers roughly released the figure, which resulted in a grunt from her, and left the room.
The door closed behind her as she rubbed her wrists.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then, Leander heard the rustle of fabric and the tip-tap of droplets.
"You do realize how risky that was," without turning around, he addressed the figure, "Lady Montclair?"
The figure took that as a sign, removing her hood and mask.
"I consider all risks before proceeding, Your Imperial Highness," she said calmly.
Leander finally turned around, and met those startling gray eyes, after what seemed like years.
Not by accident. Not in weakness. But in authority.
But this time, something had changed in them. He couldn't quite put a finger on it though.
"For eight years, you have not sought me once. To what do I owe the honor of your visit on such a gloomy night?"
"I-... I'm sorry."
"I'm not so sure that is the only thing you came here for. After all, for an entire month of my silence, you did not once inquire after me. I began to feel your letters were pure formality."
"Your Highness…received my letters?"
"Why the change of heart, Lady Montclair? What do you need?"
"I'm…sorry."
"For?"
"For being selfish and inconsiderate."
"What do you want, Lady Montclair?" his tone was curt.
"I…would like to speak to you about something confidential."
For a moment, he didn't reply.
Instead, he burst out laughing.
"Of course. Why did I expect something else?"
She flinched.
"Discard your cloak," he pointed to the couches grouped on one side, "and take a seat, Lady Montclair."
"As you wish, Your Highness." She obliged, stripping off her cloak and leaving it on the floor, before standing in front of an armchair, waiting.
Leander watched. He walked to his seat as she did, sitting down opposite to her.
Only when she was convinced he wasn't going to kick her out did she take a seat.
He took a deep breath, "Speak,"
The lady nodded, and wasted no time, afraid he might grow uninterested at any second, "I have come to propose an alliance."
He raised a brow, but betrayed no sign of emotion, "A proposal? Out of the blue?"
"It's not as out of the blue as you might expect, Your Highness," she fidgeted with her gloves, "Are you willing… to lend me your ear?"
The man went silent.
"Very well, but I will accept or reject as I wish," he said finally.
She nodded quickly, "Yes, Your Highness. But before I speak on the alliance itself, may I give Your Highness some context?"
He gestured for her to go on.
She did without fail, "There are whispers of treason moving unseen, Your Highness."
The blond froze. Completely and utterly still.
The air went cold.
A moment later, the only word that escaped his lips was "...Who?"
"From the House of Blackridge, Julian Blackridge, with Florence from the House of Ashthorne as a conspirator. But whether or not, and how much she is involved remains unknown to me. The same goes for the Heads of their Houses."
He did not speak for another moment as his finger started tapping his knee vigorously.
"And… How did you come to know? More importantly, why should I trust your words?"
Artemesia was prepared for that question.
She quickly took the bag off her shoulder and rummaged through it. After a while, the table in front of them displayed a few damp scrolls.
"I was awaiting a meeting with my- the Blackridges. I expected Alice and Julian Blackridge, but the former was absent and Florence was present instead. Before I entered, they were engaged in such conversation," she pointed to the scroll with a red ribbon.
"While the specifics of what they were plotting are not clear, I obtained some information on their corrupt acts through some documentation buried in Julian's things," she paused, fishing out another piece of paper, "and managed to link them to the recent declaration of war against Montclair by Ashthorne, as well as proof that they were behind the leakage of information that my House was framed for." she pointed to all the scrolls one by one, elaborating on the information they held.
"And… Please do not doubt their authenticity due to the handwriting. They are copies."
Leander's fingers were laced as he listened closely, his expression stoic. As she finished, he stared at the carefully and precisely filed documentation.
A few minutes passed in silence. Artemesia was staring at his face as he processed her words.
She noticed, for the first time, that he had a mole under his left eye. It almost looked like a teardrop.
"Alright, fine." he sighed, and leaned back, "but you, Artemesia Montclair, do not take any action that does not benefit your House. What do you gain by giving me this intel?"
Her lips curved upward involuntarily, "This is where I explain why I came to you, Your Highness. My alliance."
He exhaled slowly, "Alright, you can elaborate on the specifics. But before that, who else knows about this?"
The Lady did not leave the Prince's gaze for even a moment, "It is a matter concerning the Crown, and I am but your humble servant."
The Prince stared at her expression, looking for something, but then seemed to give up as he nodded in understanding. "The alliance?"
"This alliance," she said carefully, "requires a bond the court cannot question."
This time, Artemesia herself had to take a deep breath, "I… Marry me."
"..."
Thunder crashed outside, accompanied by the sound of the downpour growing more fierce.
Prince Leader's expression was the textbook definition of shock. Brows raised, eyes wide, jaw dropped. He didn't bother to conceal it at this point.
"Marry…you…?"
Artemesia did not betray fear or uncertainty for a single moment, "Yes, Your Highness. Marriage."
"How…How is this even…" he sank on the couch, running a hand on his face.
Suddenly, he chuckled. The sound was everything but humorous.
"You, Artemesia, are the biggest puzzle I have yet to solve. One moment, I feel like I can easily predict your next moves. The next? I begin questioning my own insight."
Artemesia was a little unnerved at his reaction, but she still stood her ground, "Are you willing to hear me out?"
He straightened again, nodding, "Let's hear what this is about."
She exhaled, calming her nerves, "If you marry me at the right time, I will become your wife without assuming the position of Empress. Correct?"
She continued as he gestured a yes, "I am going to be very blunt here. Bind yourself to me, and you will bleed if I fall."
Leander paused. "How bold," he managed to comment. But he knew Artemesia never entertained empty words.
"I will make sure you ascend the throne safely, and will also assist you in stabilizing your hold on the throne, if you wish. But if you do not, I can file for a divorce before your coronation, so that you can marry as you wish, and your reputation as a ruler will remain untainted. To put it simply, Your Highness has the armies to command, while I have the mind to strategize."
He inclined his head, "Alright… but you must have your own terms, yes?"
"Absolutely," she confirmed, "May I list them?"
"Go right ahead."
"I would only require protection for my house as long as I am married to you, as well as Your Highness' full support in my plans and financial support for my House." She paused, then quietly added, "I would also prefer Your Highness not interfere in my personal affairs unless I explicitly ask you to. And…while I will try my utmost best to elaborate on what I plan to do, please do not question the steps or measures I take."
He listened, and bobbed his head. "Your terms are fair. But… I must add my own."
"Certainly, Your Highness."
"One, in the duration we are married," he started, "you must promise me your complete and utter loyalty. Nobody should suspect that this is a business agreement rather than a union of two hearts. Two, while I will refrain from interfering in your strategies or your internal matters, when I do, my word shall be the last, and you will obey me just as faithfully."
She kept nodding her head, signaling her approval to the terms he listed, but paused at the last one.
"And three, the duration of the marriage will be completely up to me. I will decide when and how to divorce you."