Trapped in Another World With No Magic

Chapter 98: One Minute to Midnight

Sundenelle stares at the bust of one of her ancestors, Emperor Huyurest kos Lindenmorg the Second. He's considered one of the more effective emperors in history, having brought several kingdoms back from the brink of civil war and overcame a drought and the resultant famine.

For the moment, though, she's using the bust as a stand in. She was just practicing how to talk to a potential suitor face to face; particularly, a suitor that she is strongly considering as an option. It's very late at night, shortly before the next day officially begins at clockset. She couldn't sleep with everything that's happened and a youthful anxiousness filling her heart.

"Lord Daniel... No, Emperor Daniel... You have a strong, but simple name. Easy to pronounce. But, I must make an argument to continue the name of Lindenmorg, as my ancestors have a long lineage of noble history. And, with your name being unheard of,... No, that's rude... With your family name being fairly new... here on Zenkon..."

Byleathea, who is seated on a lounge sofa with her legs crossed, watches quietly, simply yawning from the late hour as she keeps her daughter company. She's the only other one in the room, as usual, and she's unsure what advice to give. She was a mistress to the former Emperor, and she was fairly reserved and shy. She also didn't hold the balance of a war and the entire continent in her hands. She also doesn't possess a name with a long and storied legacy.

"May I ask, dear Sundenelle, what the goal of your reply is? I was under the impression that you are trying to rein in this otherworlder and return him to imperial control."

"I... He caught me off-guard, Mother. I admit it. But,... it's not the most... Is it unwise? If he's my husband, he has to listen to me, right? I mean, at least a little... A-And, he'd have at least some vested interest in protecting the Empire. It's better than conquering through battle..."

"But, it's still a conquest. And, you would apparently be simply a mistress in a rather large and obvious harem."

"Would you prefer I marry the Grand Prince, Mother?" Sundenelle looks to her mother, who takes a breath and sighs.

"That display was rather unbecoming of him... But, the nobility would rather see that than you married to the enemy."

"Even if it means avoiding war?"

"If it means their positions as nobility become precarious, absolutely. You have your position to think of. An Empress shouldn't be lowered to mere mistress."

Sundenelle takes a seat on the same lounge sofa, and her mother pets her back. The young Empress remarks softly, "I don't personally care about the title. I only wanted to protect the Empire. I'm terrified that... if we do the wrong things, Daniel's weapons will be turned on us and many people will die. He's ruling over demon-kin. Even if he cares about his wives, surely he doesn't care about his soldiers as much."

"I will always be your mother, my darling Empress. I understand that you are weighing options I can't fully empathize with. Whatever you choose, I will stand beside you as your mother and your lady in waiting. Even if you... choose to demote yourself to mistress."

Sundenelle smirks. She faces the bust again -her makeshift 'Daniel'-, and she clears her throat. "Ahem. Daniel, lord of the Citadel and Emperor of the Fievegal, I, Empress Sundenelle kos Lindenmorg do proudly declare... no... humbly accept? No... That's not right. Mmm... This is hard!"

Byleathea, watching with a lackadaisical amusement, simply smirks. She remarks softly, "If you'd like to know; your Father, his Imperial Majesty, proposed marriage to three potential wives before the former Empress. He simply declared, 'You are a beautiful woman with a great personality. Much better than these daughters of dukes and marquesses I'm constantly surrounded by. What do you say we run away together?'" She scoffs. "He said the same words to me. In secret, of course."