Nothing, I Could Not Do!

An hour earlier,

"You have called for me, your majesty?" Leonora was covered in sweat. Her face flushed from the long run and sword wielding. She did not look presentable at all. Yet she held more confidence than any other noble women in the empire. Perhaps, not being a noble freed her from all those baseless worries.

Venia looked at the woman and then at her brother, Duke Devonshire. The man nodded with a grave face and she took a deep breath to calm her jittery nerves.

"Yes, Leonora. Please sit." Leonora looked at the seat and then at the duke and empress. The heavy atmosphere lingered in the room. She dragged her feet and sat down.

"Leonora, you have been appointed as a knight three years ago. Since then you have been participating in many wars and protecting the borders. You have only returned recently but you would be deported to borders again in two weeks. Is that true?" Leonora who heard the duke speaking nodded with a blank face as if the information had nothing to do with her.

"This time, you are assigned the most dangerous area. The mounts of Agathen where the beasts ran rampant. Even the best knights did not return safely from there. As a woman, it would be hard on you. But I can cancel this duty and assign you a new one." It was Venia who spoke with a hint of authority and at the same time concerned as if she cared about her.

But Leonora was not a fool. This was the first time she was meeting the empress, why would she care about her when her own life was in a mess?

"I am very grateful for your worries, your majesty. But I am confident in myself." she declined softly, ready to leave any moment.

She was not a fool to not know why the servant had brought her here stealthily. But she did not want to be part of the royal family politics. It had nothing to do with her.

"You did not even have a house after working hard for the empire for three long years. I can provide you with a large manor, twenty servants who would be paid by the royal palace for their lifetime, gold, wealth, dresses.." Venia kept adding names waiting for Leonora's eyes to show a response but the woman only stared back at Venia as if she was a puppet with no feelings, no desire, no greed. Could this even be possible?

Venia's eyes burnt and she glared at her brother. How could such a cold and heartless woman be the solution to their problem? Her son needed support at this moment. Hiring a woman with no emotions would only drag him down.

But Duke Devonshire ignored his sister's pleading gaze. He turned to look at Leonora instead. Despite his cold and viscous gaze the woman did not flinch. She didn't turn to meet his eyes as if his presence and his gaze had nothing to do with her.

"Your majesty, I am sure you have a lot of issues to handle. If you allow me.."

"Your family, Leonora?" Leonora finally paused, bringing a smile to Duke Devonshire's face. "I heard that you are an orphan from Redcliff orphanage. Is that right?" He walked closer and stood behind his sister.

Leonora nodded without any expressions but her body stiffened slightly. The change did not go unnoticed by the duke. His smile only grew.

"But I heard that you are still searching for your family. What made you think they are still alive?" Leonora tilted her head to meet the eyes of the man with the dark look. 

"I do not know, your grace. That is the sole reason I am looking for them. If they are dead, I want to give them proper mourning and see if they have a burial. And if they are alive, I want to express my gratitude to them for keeping me alive and leaving instead of killing me in the dark." Venia flinched hearing her cold and brutal words.

She was not looking for her family to complain and accuse them for abandoning her when she was a baby. but to thank them for not killing her? Her belief strengthened that this woman should not be around her son.

"Duke Devonshire.." She looked at her brother with determination but he shook his head slightly.

"Your majesty, I understand the heart of a mother and your worries. But I still request you to give me this chance." Leonora took a deep breath as she watched brother and sister looking at each other.

"Your majesty, I understand that you are worried about his highness. But I am a brutal killer. I do not suit as his supporter." Venia nodded unconsciously only to get a sneer from the duke. 

"Dame Midnight Star, since you already know my intentions, I will not beat around the bush. The year you were born, I was the head of the administration department. I can open the rooms for you that you could never access. It would take a decade of credit as a knight to ask his majesty to search for your parents. But I can do it for you right now. You only have to accept one condition in exchange." her eyes stirred. No one knew she had never demanded wealth or title for her services. She was collecting credits instead. So that she could ask his majesty to search for her parents one day.

For that, she had placed her life on the line again and again.

"You want me to be the guard of his highness?" she asked, making the man smirk.

"No, Dame Midnight star, I could have issued a decree for you to do such a minor task. I want you to be her shadow and kill every single danger around him. I want you to make him the next emperor."

"Brother.." Venia stood up with shock evident in her eyes. Though the staff was sent away and only her trusted maids were left. This was still… a dangerous claim. His majesty had still not returned after meeting his newly found son. If he was to hear this..

But Duke Devonshire could not hear the worries of his sister. He kept staring at the woman. Leonora finally took a deep breath.

"I will do it. But in exchange, I want the process to start immediately. If I do not get any result in six months, I will leave for the borders." Leonora announced in a bold voce making Venia gasp. She scowled at Leonora

"How dare you challenge…" Venia scolded but Duke Devonshire laughed instead. Venia was stunned. She could not even understand why her brother was so fixed on this cold and haughty woman!

"I accept it! There is nothing I can not do for Tharlic, Dame Midnight Star. If I can bring you here and choose you, I can kill you with my sources too. But as long as you support her, finding your family would be the only reason for me to exist." Leonora closed her eyes, giving herself a chance to come in terms with this change.

"Then we have a deal, your grace."