For once, the throne room was filled with a lot more guards than usual, even if it was purely symbolic. The Emperor was imposingly resting upon his throne as he stared down at the Norian ambassador kneeling in front of the stairs, her companion following the same motion. And yet, there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the edge of Sumeragi's lips. 

 

"Your presence here is surprising… and equally amusing… what is it that your esteemed king wants to relay to me, I wonder?" his voice echoed deeply in the hall, still, Maya's expression remained calm and neutral. 

 

"I am here in the name of peace, not only for the Norian Kingdom, but for the Empire as well." just as she raised her head slightly to look at the Emperor, a deep chuckle resonated throughout the giant room. 

 

"A noble action, truly. And I presume it is simply because of his good will?" Maya's eyes showed a sharp edge, not flinching in the slightest. 

 

"The people are suffering in this endless struggle, and it will never end if this conflict is not resolved. Our king has offered you several new trading unions to-" 

 

"-and I believe I have declined each and every time. Perhaps you have not yet realized the position you are in… your military is at the edge of collapse, and I must say I am almost disappointed that you never even attempted to strike back." for just this moment, Maya's eyes widened ever so slightly, albeit the confusion was gone as quickly as it had appeared. 

 

How did he not know about…? 

 

Quick to recollect herself, she sensed a new opportunity. After all, the situation was not as dire as she had first presumed, it seemed… 

 

"... that is why I am here to offer you another compromise. It is common knowledge that the Empire is in need of provisions and food. If your only goal is to gain new ressources, then we are offering a bountiful share in exchange for a new treaty. Your military may be superior, but any further losses cannot be in either of our interests." 

 

A deadly silence reigned in the hall, and the Emperor's eyes had long sharply narrowed as he regarded the ambassador down below. Giving away huge sums of provisions and other resources… simply in the hopes of gaining an unsteady peace treaty at best… 

 

This time, his smirk became fully visible. 

 

---

 

So far the day felt… solemn. Amaragi hadn't seen a glimpse of Maren the entire time yet, wondering just where he had suddenly gone off to. Instead, as she approached the main staircase in the reception hall, she was greeted with a sight that only caused her mood to drop even further, for reasons that were… inexplicable. 

 

The moment Maya witnessed the crown princess out of the corner of her vision, she gave a small but respective bow. Yet, even though her expression was neither hostile nor dismayed, Amaragi still couldn't stop herself from frowning slightly. 

 

"My humble greetings, princess." Maya's tone was polite, as was her entire posture and expression, regarding the second-eldest of the royal family in a calm manner. 

 

"... to you as well. You must be the ambassador I have only heard about up until now."

 

"I am here to negotiate for peace, for both of our countries. Despite any and all hostilities in the past, that is my sole motivation. However, I hope I have not interrupted you from your duties." 

 

"... you know as well as I do that, merely a week ago, your troops were acting right within the heart of our country. I find it hard to believe your words." as if a light had been snuffed out, so too did the atmosphere suddenly change in an instant. And the previous distance seemed to be gradually put aside. 

 

"As long as the conflict between our nations is continuing, I have no control over our military actions or decisions. I apologize for that… however, it confuses me. It seemed as though the Emperor had not been aware of this fact, and I cannot fathom a single reason for this." Maya regarded her with genuine confusion beneath her sharp eyes, but Amaragi merely stood straight, her arms crossed behind her back. 

 

"I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about. However, I must take my leave for now. I bid you a good day. " with a slight frown, Maya was forced to accept her dismissive and evasive answer, even if she was aware about the fact that the crown princess was clearly knowing far more than she let on. 

 

And yet, just as Amaragi walked past her, she stopped the moment Maya spoke up once again. 

 

"... I will accept that, however, I would still wish to know how Maren is fairing. He may have turned on his former home country, but he is still a friend to me. Albeit, presuming you do not know about this as well, then I will cease to ask." it was the mere mention of his name that caused Amaragi to stop, her back remaining faced towards the ambassador even as the latter turned her head to look at her. 

 

"… how do you know?" Amaragi's voice had turned dangerously quiet. 

 

"A bird told me…" this time, it was Maya's turn to be evasive, and it almost went past her how Amaragi's fingers twitched ever so slightly. 

 

Silence reigned between them for a long moment, the tension almost thick enough to be grasped. At least, it was tense enough to unsettle Maya, since the princess had grown almost entirely motionless besides that. 

 

"I assure you that he will be in much better hands now that he is with us. And I recommend that you keep your distance." Amaragi's back was still facing towards Maya, her expression concealed. However, Maya's eyes narrowed with silent judgement. 

 

"Us? Or you? I know more than you may think, and you make it sound like he is an object." her tone gained an edge, until suddenly, Amaragi slowly turned her head to train a single eye upon the ambassador. 

 

And it was enough to make her back up ever so slightly. 

 

"... you know nothing… now, I advise you to heed my words. I promised him that I would not resort to violence willingly…" Maya gritted her teeth as she stared into the sheer gleaming eye that was trained upon her, and in the end, a cold shudder suddenly ran down her spine. 

 

"... but for you… I might make an exception." 

 

For just within that moment, there was something lurking within her gaze that the ambassador didn't dare to cross. 

 

And with that, the crown princess merely took her leave, her eyes leaving no indication of what just transpired when she ascended the stairs. 

 

Utterly leaving Maya in a daze of what she had just witnessed.

 

---

 

AN:

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