“I greet the Empire’s Sky, The Imperial Princess. Glory to the sky!”

So this is my so called fiancé? I guess he’s kind of handsome. Not all too bright from what I’ve gathered over the last few days. Goodness the old Lianis didn’t do a good job of vetting people on her own, blindly trusting our father.

“Rise. I heard you’ve wanted to have an audience with me?”

“Yes your highness. I wanted to meet with my fiancé before we announced our engagement, just to make sure we’re in agreement of the rules, as our contact beforehand has been limited.”

Rules? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.

“Oh? Rules? This is the first time I’ve heard anything about rules.”

He feigns a frown, but I caught the glimpse of glee. Let’s just see for a bit, maybe I’m wrong. 

“I’m confused Your Higness, hasn’t the Emperor, Glory to the Heavens, told you?”

I see what he’s doing, oh well, let’s play a long.

“No I’m afraid he has not, but I assume it can’t have been too important if he forgot to mention it.”

His face contorts into a grimace for a moment before he schools his expression. Sadly I’m getting more and more evidence to prove my theory.

“The Emperor told me that as an Empress, you will have certain, tasks, that I will not. Therefor he wants me to attend court meetings as your husband, once we’re married, and in the cases you can not be there, he wants me to attend in your place.”

And there it is. I see why our father wanted us to marry him. Misogynistic pig who wants a trophy wife to control while gaining massive power and the favour of the current emperor. I was hoping this one turned out to not be a massive pig.

I lift my cup to my lips and take a sip, and I can see him mirroring my actions. My lips arch into a smile, hidden behind the rim of the cup.

“You have one thing wrong.”

“Oh, please enlighten me, princess.”

Smug bastard, thinks he has me where he wants me.

“You seem to have forgotten who you’re talking to, Mister Longinus. I am the Sky of the Empire, the Imperial Crown Princess, Lianis Acuria. While my title may be Empress once I ascend, make no mistake, my title does not mean I do not have the same powers as the current Emperor. You would do well to remember that, and behave. I will leave you here so you can think about your life, and what will happen if you cross me. I am not the naive little princess you think I am.”

I leave the confused and befuddled boy in the room, and make my way towards my chambers. He will without a doubt run to our father and complain, and I truly hope he does.

I grin to myself as I contemplate on the future. This time I won’t conform to the wishes of the many, my family or anyone else. This life I will do whatever I want, and live as I want. If the Empire is to crash and burn, so be it. 

Closing the door I sit at my desk, untying the braid in my hair. I’ve already told the maids not to disturb me unless I call. As I enclose the room in a wind barrier, I look towards the hidden wall.

“Shadow, what exactly are your orders from my mother?”

There is no response. I keep staring at the false wall, a few seconds later a woman clad in black emerges.

“Your Highness. When did you notice?”

I grin at the woman, and I can tell she flinches slightly. I know, my grin is akin to a demon, or so I’ve been told countless times in past lives.

“Come on now Shadow. I’m an air mage, you think I wouldn’t notice? There’s also the fact that none of the assigned royal guards seem to have your particular skill set, no doubt the fault of my father, but my mother wouldn’t be that stupid.”

Shadow waits a few seconds as she is most likely debating and being conflicted.

“The Empress told me to guard in the shadows, and assist you in any way that does not directly cause harm to yourself or the empire.”

Good. I can wok with this.

“Very well, tell my mother I’m coming to see her, in private. Depending on the outcome of the talk, I may have a mission for you.”

“As you command.”

Shadow vanishes from sigh. Nifty trick considering there’s no shadow magic in this world, as far as I know. Does it really matter though? Fire can be used to bend light as well, apparently. Not something I’ve ever tried, but I might just try to learn.

##

“Mother. It’s good to see you.”

I give my mother a smile. From our. Well, I guess it’s time to say “my”, memories, I’ve never seen anything malicious and controlling. I might be acting hasty, but I’m sick and tired of not being able to trust anyone that is close to me, afraid of betrayal, poison, assassins. My future depends on this talk, and I don’t want to delay it.

“Likewise Lia. I’m glad to see you’re back in good health. How was your talk with Mister Longinus?”

I raise an eyebrow at my mother, then cast a glance around the room.

“Really?”

Her smile doesn’t move, but I can tell she’s slightly amused. Time to see if my acting is as good as it was, new body and all.

“Mother. I’m 16. I am an adult in the eyes of the law, and I need one ally. I know I’m your daughter, and I know you love me, but I’m tired of hiding from you as well.”

“Hiding?” I can tell my mother is genuinely confused, no wonder, as I am not her previous daughter, but I can still feel the love she held for her mother.

“Father dearest wishes for a puppet to control, and we know how he feels about women. As I am now 16, I have a bit more leeway in how I can operate, and I will be given more responsibilities, as well as lured into more traps, like my so called “fiancé”.”

My mother’s smile fades and her face assumes an icy expression.

“Yes. I suppose so. So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Mother. No, Elena. What do you want from me, your daughter, the Imperial Crown Princess? What are your plans?”

Her expression doesn’t change, yet again. It seems she’s truly as good as I remember. Let’s just hope she also loves me as much as I think she does.

The seconds trickle by as I patiently wait for her response. After close to a minute she lets out a sigh.

“Lia. As a mother I want nothing more for you to be happy. As an Empress I want you to be the best heiress this empire has ever seen, and to become the best Empress ever.”

I see. I can work with that. I also want a mother’s love. It’s been, I don’t even remember since I’ve reincarnated and had a mother like this one.

“Mother. I want to ask you for three things, and I’ll make you three promises. First, I want 4 shadows who do not report to you, unless I want them to tell you. Second. I need a dedicated area to use. It needs to be secure, so that none may enter, but it doesn’t have to be a location nobody knows about. Third. Please love me as a daughter before a princess.”

I give my mother a smile and I can feel the overwhelming emotions of the previous Lianis flow through my soul, the part she left behind.

My mother walks towards me and give me a hug, and I return her embrace as I rest my head on her shoulder and whisper. “I love you mom.”

“I love you too my little Lia.”

After a few minutes we untangle, and she sits back down.

“You mentioned three promises? And why do you want them not to report to me? I was amazed when the one assigned to you reported you spoke to her.”

I give my mother an impish smile.

“Sorry mom, I can’t tell you, but it ties into my promises. First. Within 5 years I will be stronger than an archmage and a swordmaster. Second. I will become Empress within those 5 years. Third, I will rule the empire with you by my side, and my potential spouse.”

My mother looks at me with a worried expression. Understandable, but she’ll see.

“Okay. I look forward to it. Glad to be free of that idiot. Anyways you mentioned potential spouse, I take it you’re not going to marry the Longinus boy?”

“Nope. He wanted me to be a trophy wife, so I told him to sit still, obey me or I’ll have him killed.” My lips arch into a devious smile.

“You do know he’s running straight to your father?”

“I know, I’m counting on it. My idiot of a father is going to go straight to me and try to put me in his place, where I’ll face a few tears and tell him that the little brat told me to behave, be a trophy wife while he runs around bedding noblewomen, if not he’ll kill me once we’re married so he can be emperor.”

“You do know he’s not going to believe that, right?”

“Oh I know, but the proof is going to come. The little idiot is going to run straight into a married noblewoman at a party in two weeks, where he’ll bed her, be caught and forced into a duel by the husband. He won’t be able to select a champion because he knows he’s the potential fiancé to the future empress. Then he will lose, possibly crippled or dead.”

“It’s a good plan, I assume you already know how to make it happen, but don’t you think your father will connect the dots?”

I raise an eyebrow at my mother.

“Mom. You’re not thinking right. How have I behaved for the last 16 years of my life? How have you run the empire without him knowing. Do you really think he will believe a naive 16 year old, and a girl he has raised to be his pawn, is able to do all of that? No he won’t see it coming.”

Mom lets out a giggle as she ponders my words. “No, I guess he won’t.”