"The Duchess Nevera said she and the Prince of Nevera were having a hard time and were separated." Aria said as he stood in Tyler's bedroom, well the guestroom that he had had Eunice prepare for the emperor a week prior.
The duo had been conversing more than usual and were getting along pretty well.
"You don't say. Is that why older brother was in the palace that day?" Tyler asked the empress as he stuffed his foot into his jogging shoes.
"Yes, apparently he had went there to ask us to dissolve his marriage, but he never addressed the issue." Aria said as he looked at his watch, it was time for his morning exercise and the emperor had said he wanted to join the wife. Aria didn't refute and actually allowed the man to hog his personal time.
Aria was now three months pregnant at best and he hadn't had a proper rest since his accident two months ago. He hadn't recovered fully but he was already dealing with state affairs.
"Your majesty, what do you say about dismissing the harem?" Aria asked as he looked from his watch towards the emperor who now wore with his shorts, shoes and loose shirt, a surprised expression.
"What of the Imperial Concubine and Imperial Palace Wife?" Tyler asked after regaining his usual composure.
"Of course they stay, they have royal heirs with them. But the rest are pretty much useless and since you haven't even tried to bed them, I assume they're still to their purest selves." Aria said as he and the emperor started walking to the mansion's gym.
"My wife, what will the royal court say of my decision?"
"Your majesty can actually afford to go against the royal court for once, I mean I'm your wife. They don't scare me and neither should they you. They're just a bunch of old people who have nothing better to do with their old miserable lives." Aria said and the emperor chuckled by his side. Aria nudged him with his shoulder as he too smiled at the man beside him, they weren't in love or anything, they had just found some common ground for the time being.
"Your bravery is unmatched." Tyler said.
"Like I said your majesty, one word from me and the country will be in chaos. I don't even need to wait on external help, it'll all be internal, beside your majesty, the other wives have no love for you neither do you love them. There's no reason to keep twenty year olds and thirty year olds with you, I'll provide them with jobs or money or whatever they want if their families dare not take them back. They can even relocate to Allira to start their lives afresh with no connection to you."
"You're really kind hearted and cold hearted at the same time. A truly attractive trait." Tyler compliment his wife as they both entered the gym room.
"Well too bad you missed out on it." Aria said as stuck his tongue out at the man as he headed towards the stationary cycle.
"Say, empress, do you still hate the Imperial Concubine?" Tyler asked, walking towards the empress, knowing very well the answer to it.
"With every litre of blood in me and five children." Aria said as he chuckled at the thought of stabbing Rose' lifeless body. Dark, but yeah he dreams of stabbing the woman every time.
"But why, like I understand the whole harem thing must be upsetting but to specifically hating one person." Tyler said as he climbed on the treadmill and started operating it and the more he spoke the more he answered himself.
"Because, your majesty, Imperial Concubine stole you from me and my children, also there's a secret I can't tell you, I hope you can forgive my privacy and reluctance." Aria said as he stretched his arms and legs.
"What secret, empress?" Tyler asked as he stopped the treadmill and looked at the empress confused.
"I can't say, it'll ruin our relationship and you'll be mad at me again." Aria said as he stopped stretching and looked at the emperor with an apologetic smile.
"Ok I understand." Tyler said looking somewhat hurt by the answer and reluctance of the empress to give out the reason.
"Anyway, I am told though the Imperial Concubine isn't happy that your majesty is here with me. I can only assume your majesty told her why you're here, right?" Aria asked as stood on the treadmill next to Tyler. He wanted to jog a little on the machine.
"I did tell her, but you know her, she throws a tantrum everytime you're mentioned." Tyler said as he smiled a little, he like this side of the empress, uncaring and easy to talk to.
"Well she does have the right to worry." Aria mumbled to himself, he still loved the emperor but he wasn't on the road to love with the man, but he has eyes and he can see the shift in the emperor's attention.
"What was that empress?" Tyler asked the now jogging man.
"Ah, nothing, just some lone whispers." Aria answered as he jogged on the treadmill. The emperor shrugged before going to the weights to lift a little and get his muscles in shape. He wasn't a body builder but he has some amount of muscle on him, after all he needed to impress the ladies with his body if not his wit. A situation and statement that doesn't make sense given he's the emperor and ladies and men should be the ones trying to win his affection and not the other way round. But he is Tyler Lon after all, regardless of his status, he'd still want to look like a 'snack' at his age.
"Then I'll process the dismissal when we get back to the palace, is that fine with you empress?" Tyler asked as he proceeded to lift the twenty five kilogram weights.
"Most certainly your majesty." Aria said he stood a few meters away from Tyler as he did sets of squats.
"Why the sudden pick on honorifics though?" Tyler asked, he was honestly getting irked by Aria's use of formal speech even though he had reverted to calling Aria with his title, he felt that Aria using honorifics increased the distance between them.
"Whatever do you mean, your majesty?" Aria asked acting clueless.
"You know what I mean, Aria." Tyler said making the empress shudder at how his name sounded from Tyler's mouth. Damn he still wasn't over the bastard!
"You started respecting my title, I assumed I'd return the favor and respect yours back, your majesty. Remember we're not lovers, merely married acquaintances with a responsibility to this country." Aria answered
Tyler had to admit the empress' words were a knife to his heart, but there's not much he can do, the empress deems him unworthy of his love and he knows he lost the rights to love Aria a long time ago.
"Acquaintances, huh?" Tyler mumbled as his heart ached at the sound of that word.
"Your majesty could've made an effort to at least treat me, your legal wife, with human decency and kindness, but you let your love for the Imperial Concubine shroud and cloud your judgement. The heart wants what it wants and I ended up with you, and a fifteen years one-sided love. So other than being married and sharing children there's literally nothing between us." Aria said and every word he said made sure to tear a piece of Tyler's heart to shreds especially when the empress' emphasis on his love being him and they way he said it.
"I'm so sorry, Aria, for all that I've caused you." Tyler said as he subconsciously hugged the empress, you'd wonder how he got up from the bench and approached Aria without the empress realizing it.
"It's too late now, darling, too late." Aria said rigid from the unexpected show of affection from the emperor.
Another chapter, I enjoyed the comments from one of the readers. Thank you and keep on!
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Calm Mind (Very Slow Updates)
AcakAria is the empress of Atlia and was married off to the emperor because he was from a very powerful background thus the two got married. Their marriage was not for love but a duty towards their country Only the empress was the one madly in love with...
