26

The Duchess Nevera was of humble beginnings, she was a commoner and had only jumped the ranks when she caught the eyes of the first prince. She was never ambitious nor frivolous and she carried herself with respect and elegance. Both qualities reserved for noblewomen and their counter parts, but Duchess Nevera carried them like they were hers because at the end of the day she was them and they were her.The highest rank she could have gotten as a commoner was that of a duchess despite her husband clearly being a prince, because on normal occasions had the duchess been a noblewomen or had royal blood, she'd have the title of princess and would be on equal ranking as her husband if not a tad bit lower. Although Brian still saw her as the same from the start, the duchess wasn't rather fond of it at the beginning because between she and her husband stood a rank above her head. A reminder of how far away her husband truly was in terms of status equity despite being a couple.She felt short of a woman compared to the prince, like she wasn't on equal parings with her husband and she wasn't, but Brian had always told her she need not worry about it as he saw her just as a normal human just as he saw himself as nothing but a man in love and not a prince. The prince even abdicated his rights to the throne to show truly how honest he was with his statements to the woman. The grand emperor did grant the prince his wish, but he had told the prince to at least govern a district in place of governing the whole country."Greetings, your highness." The duchess bowed and Aria narrowed his gaze as the woman in from if him wondering why the duchess was here, when she had her own district to run."Duchess Nevera, rise." Aria said as he relieved the woman of her bow. The whole ordeal was seen by the stall owner and Anna was still there, but since the empress had won, the little girl stop playing. She was the second brightest of the quad as she would have seen the two adults preparing to talk about adult topics, but she was too busy being a child for once and ignored his mother and the woman he was with."Mother where's my food?" Anna asked tugging as her mother's sleeve, the empress looked down with a smile."There with your siblings." Aria said pointing towards the three children seated by the bench devouring their portions of junk food the empress had gotten earlier. The trio were surrounded by their maids and bodyguards, in total the personnel were about twenty four, for the children only. Three maids each and three male bodyguards each, Aria took the safety of his children seriously and of course those weren't the only people he had to protect the children with. Those were just the visible ones, the 'invisible' ones were obviously hidden and making hundred percent sure the empress and his children were safe and sound."Duchess Nevera what brings you to Aquasia's famous park?" Aria asked once the first princess ran away with her maids and bodyguards in tow."I brought the first duke and duchess to the park, as his Highness can see them there." The duchess pointed towards the two black heads playing not far away from where the two royals stood.So it was apparent the two heads were here for fun, but the duchess being in Aquasia is a little bit strange because the empress was here to deal with the two ministers and the dam issues, whilst she was here for fun? Brian being in the palace was weird enough and now his wife was in Aquasia. Too much of a coincidence Aria thought."The Duchess Nevera knows this empress is suspicious of you right?" Aria said as he leisurely pulled on his coat giving the illusion that he was fixing it up."I don't seem to understand your highness?" The Duchess beckoned clearly confused by the empress' statement. Aria gestured the female to sit down on the bench across the stall which was further away from the children of both the mothers."The Duchess Nevera suddenly appears where the empress has taken his children to go for amusement. Not only that, but you're husband Prince of Nevera had been to the palace not long ago and went back to whatever he was doing without nothing to say and reason to tell as to why he was there on the first place." Aria stated as he drew patterns on his thigh, the duchess seemed a little stunned for a second, but composed herself."Your highness must be thinking too much, but me and the Prince of Nevera are no longer a couple, he had went to the palace to tell the emperor but I guess he never got to it it seems." The duchess said as she showed a sad expression. The two were having a rough patch in their marriage, but now it seemed like things were going to get better. She knows that had Brian told the royal court of their idea to split then the emperor would dissolve their marriage immediately, but the empress didn't know of such news, this meant Brian must've stopped midway."It seems like it is like that? Well then this empress wishes you a strong way forward, but duchess this is the royal court, you honestly thought you'd have a smooth marriage?" Aria questioned because he himself had the worst fifteen years of marriage."Naivety your highness. It seems like we've crossed that same line we used to avoid crossing. It was truly inevitable honestly." The duchess replied."Well you and I both know that the Prince of Nevera loves you very much, I mean he has not issued the news of your split to the emperor or myself. So it's safe to say maybe he's thinking and I suggest you do some thinking. And remember duchess don't stay for the children, it's your happiness before theirs because if you're unhappy they'll be unhappy." Aria said as he looked at the duchess before he was interrupted by a voice he didn't want to hear all of today."Empress." Tyler said as he came into view, a group of five men following behind him."Greetings your majesty." The duchess said as she stood and bowed to the emperor. She stood aside and let the emperor sit where she had initially sat."You may rise Duchess Nevera." The emperor said as he sat down and made himself comfortable on the metal bench. He would never on usual sane occasions sit on a public bench much less a metal one, but the empress was here and had sat on the cold bench nonetheless."What brings his majesty to the park?" Aria asked as he looked at the man sat next to him crazily."This sovereign was bored and needed some fresh air." Tyler said as he shrunk himself as much as possible on the 'disgusting' bench. Aria saw this and snickered."Duchess Nevera may retreat if you want to." Aria said ignoring the emperor, he was not about to let the duchess hear him disrespect the ruler of the country. He still cared enough for the man's reputation as the emperor."Thank you, your highness. Stay well your majesty, your highness." The duchess bowed her head as she slithered away from the atomic bomb duo. She wasn't dumb, she had felt the tension between the two and she saw the empress' gaze turn cold at the presence of the emperor."Which maid was it?" Aria asked as he looked at Tyler his aura murderous and suffocating, the servants around shivered at the sheer cold even the well trained bodyguards were feeling threatened and shuddered."What maid?" Tyler asked feigning innocence."I will have three generations of her family charged of treason, have her hanged after beheading her family right infront of her." Aria said coldly as he narrowed his eyes at his husband.Tyler shivered a little but did not seem willing to tell the empress anything."Tyler Lon. You better tell me how you got my location." Aria iced over every word he said and the emperor finally told him.