Empress of Self-Ruin

Chapter 26: Game of Thrones

It was a cloudy day. The sun-kissed white clouds blossomed in the blue, free to fly with the wind. Though beneath the sea of clouds was a gray that deepened to steel, making it harder for the sunlight to touch the earth, yet it was something that I was rather happy about.

I, Calypso Berenice, thrived in the dark.

For most people, the sun was lovely, but it burned my skin and made me squint more than what was normal. The sun just wasn't for me—not like it was for Arsen or even Phoebe.

I shifted my gaze from the window and now I was staring at myself in the mirror as my maids and ladies-in-waiting made me look as presentable as ever for the national assembly.

They really did a great job. The clothes felt perfect against my skin. It was a rich burgundy-colored dress that resembled a gown in the Victorian era, embroidered with gold threads and decorated with luxurious gemstones that made it glitter like the stars in the night sky. I didn't know how much it cost to make this dress, but it must be spectacular.

It doesn't matter though. After all, what's the use of having so much money if you don't get to show it off, right?

On my neck hung a ruby necklace; it was a set with my earrings. The color reminded me of Arsen's eyes, and today I shall wear it for everyone to see. It was already common knowledge that I was obsessed with red anyway.

I couldn't help the thrill. My heart was thumping loudly in my chest with anticipation. This would be an important event that could help me get closer to my goals.

Well, I just hoped that my uncle would do his part properly since it wasn't like Arsen could do it. It was already known that even though Arsen was the emperor, he was pretty much a pariah among the high-ranking nobles.

When an emperor had more than one child and there were multiple candidates for the throne, it was common practice for the nobles to support one heir over the other. If the heir they supported later became emperor, they would in turn gain greater power and possibly even overtake the other great families.

But that hadn't been the case with Arsen, even though he was the only legitimate candidate at the time.

All the nobles had wanted his father, the late emperor, to marry one of their own. My mother, precious daughter to one of the most influential families in the empire, had been the strongest candidate. She had even become engaged to the emperor for a time. It wasn't a secret that Odette Elloid coveted the empress's seat—she had always been an ambitious woman like that.

But the emperor had already fallen in love with someone else—a princess from a small and powerless country. He ignored all the opposition of his court and married her, making her his empress.

His decision lost him the support from the nobles, but greater than that, lost Arsen their support, too.

In a lot of cases, an heir's maternal family determined their power and influence—Arsen's mother lacked both due to her origins. The empire that initially benefited from a balance of power between the nobles and imperial family started leaning to the nobles' side and left Arsen's position unstable.

The situation turned from bad to worse for him when his parents suddenly died in an accident before they could even solidify his position.

He was the sole legitimate heir to the throne, but he was also only fifteen at the time. He was young and lacked support, making him easy prey for other distant relatives who coveted his position.

Well, you already know the one person who wants his place more than anyone else, right?

With the late emperor passing, the empty throne needed to be claimed, but Crown Prince Arsenio Arcturus still wasn't able to claim it.