Imperial Affairs (Levi X Reader) AU

70. Fear Behind A Mask

Levi's POV

"So, dear prince, let's drop the formalities for now," The Empress sneered, "I mean, no one's looking. Let's be open with our thoughts for the first time in our lives."

"Okay," The prince agreed, "I think that you should die."

"That's not what I meant and you know it," The Empress smiled, "So, how does it feel to fall?"

"You don't need to ask me that," The prince shook his head, "You will experience it yourself soon enough."

"Still wishfully thinking, I see."

"I'm being real. How long do you think you can stand without support?" The prince chuckled, "Support is all you live by. You have nothing to call your own. Not even your thoughts are real anymore. You live in delusions and make others live in nightmares. How long do you think you can live with the dying family you're from? Alone?"

"My dying family?" The Empress laughed, "Whose fault do you think that is? I've always hated you. Even before you became a threat to me, I wanted to destroy you. You think that I killed your mother because she was a threat to me? A French princess in the English empire? She could do nothing. She would have left soon enough with you and her daughter if she had been alive. But I wanted to hurt him. He loved her. And he took everything away from me. And I wanted to hurt you too," She glared, "That look in your eye. It's the same as his. Someone with so much similarity as that man.... I needed a punching bag."

"I'd assume your darling daughter doesn't look so cute to you, then," I could feel the prince's blood boil slightly.

"She doesn't," The Empress pursed her lips, "But I'll keep her. She's useful."

"I don't see why you are telling me this," The prince crossed his arms, "There is nothing I can do with this information and neither is there a reason for you to tell me this."

"Let's make a deal," She brightly smiled, "I'll stop trying to kill you and give you my support as long as you make sure that that bastard's life ends in misery and you keep me in power after you're Emperor."

"I would have considered the deal before but now I'm outraged," The prince looked angry but calmer than an outraged person, "You killed my mother. If you wanted to torture me then you should have gone after me. You should have left me in the Underground again and again rather than killing her."

"Make wise choices, child. Your immaturity is dragging you away from the throne."

"Oh, I will," He smirked, "I am falling but I have someone to throw me a rope."

"Is that why you brought him today?"

Are they...talking about me?

"What if I did? You made a mistake by giving him to me. You shouldn't be making deals right now. You should be begging for your life."

"What do you have against me?" The Empress scoffed, "How can you bring me down?"

"Bring you down?" The prince laughed, "Why would I bring you down? That's going too easy on you. You'll fall on your own with no one standing beside you."

"So you're going to turn my people against me?" The Empress looked amused, "To render me alone?"

"Maybe you're already alone."

"And as for you? Maybe," The Empress looked to be holding in a smile, "Maybe, no one was with you in the first place."

"Empty threats," The prince rolled his eyes.

"The message is yours to interpret," The Empress turned and walked toward me and passed the pillar I was hiding behind without noticing me.

I hope the prince doesn't notice me either. I'll probably be in trouble if he-