"Finally, there's a growing sense of concern among the elders. While my father's worries might be sowhat exaggerated, he's not alone in fearing that the elves might one day fall under human rule."
Many conservatives, who would ordinarily have opposed the union, were reluctantly conceding, thinking, "As much as I hate this, maybe just this once…"
"There are other reasons, but aren't these enough?"
"And what about your opinion?"
"?" Eldira shrugged. "Like I said before, I don't mind at all."
Sylas rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. He had assud they'd just beco good friends, but he hadn't expected her to be this accepting of marriage.
"One more question: what about children?"
"Children?"
"I an, if a child were to be born between us…"
This was Sylas's last hope. Mixed-race children, while rare and often intriguing, sotis carried a sense of otherness, even to their own parents. He wondered if she might feel any reluctance at the thought of having a child with him.
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"Our child wouldn't be fully human or elf. How would you feel about that? It's been centuries since a half-elf has been born."
Eldira thought for a mont before breaking into a grin.
"Wonderful!"
"…What?"
"A child with the blood of a dragon and an elf! The very lineage of rulers! It's a splendid idea!" Eldira looked almost proud, as if the thought of creating such a powerful bloodline filled her with excitent.
Crack!
The sound of glass breaking echoed in the room as the handle of Ray's teacup snapped off. For so reason, a strange aura seed to pulse around her.
"My apologies. This teacup seems to be a bit fragile," Ray said, her voice icy.
"…"
The air around her felt like it was on fire, and Toby and Max edged away cautiously. Only Eldira, oblivious to the tense atmosphere, blinked in concern.
"Oh dear, are you alright? You must be more careful."
"It seems I put a little too much strength into it."
"Strength is a warrior's virtue, but gentleness is a lady's virtue. I understand that you're a swordswoman, but as a lady, you should also nurture your feminine charm."
"Y-yes, I see…"
"Precisely! If I marry Sylas, I wouldn't mind teaching you a thing or two about grace. I am quite skilled in etiquette, after all."
Ray's hand trembled at Eldira's innocent remark, and all Toby and Max could do was pray for ti to pass quickly.
The following day, after his conversation with Eldira, Sylas sought out Arathion once more.
"What did Eldira say? Did she refuse?"
"She accepted without hesitation."
"You look surprised," Arathion noted with a slight smile.
Sylas struggled to find a response. Even after hearing all the reasons behind it, he still felt uneasy about the whole thing.
"Don't overthink it. The marriage of a princess is always a political one. Love is sothing you build afterward. Eldira has understood this from a young age."
"I don't disagree with you… but…"
"You seem oddly resistant to the idea. Is there another reason for refusing this marriage?"
Sylas fell silent. There wasn't any particular reason. If anything, he simply hadn't planned on marriage. He had always thought of marriage as sothing that would bind him, preferring the idea of delaying it and choosing a partner when he was ready. And, recently, there was one woman who had started to catch his eye.
"Is it a woman?" Arathion asked knowingly.
"It's… not that…"
"It is a woman, then. Not yet a lover, but soone who's beginning to interest you?"
"…"
Sylas paused, not because Arathion had hit the mark but because it was difficult to confirm or deny.
After a mont, Arathion suggested, "What about a concubine?"
"That won't do."
"A quick answer."
"It's not just my feelings; there's the matter of status."
"Then the answer is simple. Marry them both as principal wives."
"Is that even possible?"
Sylas frowned. Among all nobles, the principal wife was only one, even for the Emperor himself. The only exception was if the first wife had passed away.
"Are you suggesting we change imperial law? Even if it were possible, the backlash would be overwhelming."
"There's no need for that. There's already one position where multiple wives are permissible."
A position where even the principal wife must serve as a subject, where the authority of multiple spouses is unquestioned.
"If you were to beco Emperor, none of this would be an issue."
"..."
The room was steeped in silence. Sylas stared at Arathion without a word. Openly ntioning the throne was tantamount to treason within the Empire. Though Sylas had often discussed the throne in the past, it was only ever with people he could trust or those whose words carried no weight. Yet here was Arathion, ntioning the Emperor before him.
'How should I respond?'
Sylas pondered his options. Should he scowl and rebuke him for daring to speak of treason, or perhaps laugh it off, pretending he hadn't heard it? After a mont of consideration, he decided on a third option.
"If I were to pursue the throne, would Your Highness be willing to help ?"
It was a risky choice, laying his intentions bare to make an ally of Arathion. But sothing in Sylas's instincts told him this was the right move.
Arathion seed pleased with the response, smiling with a now-brightened expression.
"There's no need to ask. An elf will never spare themselves when it cos to family matters."
"Even if it involves war?" Sylas questioned.
"There is no elf who fears death. Especially among my army," Arathion replied boldly.
It was a straightforward answer without hesitation. Anyone else might have been overwheld by such boldness, nodding in agreent right away. However, Sylas was aware of the reality the elves faced. Before placing his trust fully, he decided to address a certain fact.
"There will be sacrifices. The price of elven blood is high, isn't it?"
"Yes, it's invaluable—worth more than words can asure."
Elves were few in number. Their birth rate was lower than that of humans, and their population grew at a much slower pace. Despite reaching a period of prosperity, they could not increase as quickly as humans. Even if they held an invincible army, they would inevitably remain cautious about war, as recovering the population lost to battle took considerable ti.
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