Calm Before the Storm

Lucrezia was in her office. Out of the several luxurious rooms afforded to her in her private quarters, this was one of the few that she rarely used. She didn't need to; her older brothers – the crown prince and second prince – took care of all government and administrative tasks back at Minedore Kingdom. And now that she was in the imperial capital, the ministers and administrators handled those affairs under the supervision and order of the emperor. There really wasn't much to do for her until she was officially declared Luxentfort's empress.

And that's why she was in her office this morning. She had to take care of something – someone – that was standing in her way.

"You have a visitor, Your Highness," a maid politely announced at the door.

"Send him in," Lucrezia said.

A man strode into the room – tall, muscular, dressed in black, and wearing a farmer's hat. Well, he was a farmer. But ever since he discovered that he also had a knack for the underbelly of Luxentfort, he had hired out his services for anyone who could afford the fees he charged. What surprised him was the number of people who needed him to do things that were ethically questionable, morally corrupt, or plainly illegal. And since he had very few principles that prevented him from making money, he started asking for hefty payments – and started attracting wealthier clients.

In a few short years, he had earned much more in this side business – yes, he thought of it as a business – than he ever did toiling the fields for almost 3 decades. And he also met and got to work with some of the empire's most prominent figures. People who were wealthy beyond his wildest dreams, and who thought of themselves above any imperial law. That included the only princess of Minedore Kingdom. 

If the emperor only knew the kind of things his precious Concubine Number 1 was capable of doing, his stomach will probably churn. Or maybe he did know, and he was purposely turning a blind eye on it because he was so besotted by her beauty like a fool. The man shrugged. He didn't care in the least either way – he was only after the money. 

"What can I do for you today, Your Highness?" he asked when the maid had closed the door behind him.

"Take care of this matter for me," Lucrezia ordered, handing him a small slip of paper.

The man unfolded the paper and briefly read its content. "How do you want it done?"

"I'll leave the method up to you," Lucrezia replied with a sinister smile. "But I want it handled without any evidence traced back to me."

"Of course, Your Highness." He bowed and left the room. He had never thought of himself as a particularly creative person – planting vegetables wasn't exactly an artistic outlet – but when it came to executing some work orders, he discovered that he could be both resourceful and creative. He hadn't had fun in quite a long while. Perhaps this time he would. He smiled as he walked out of the back entrance.

*****

"So what got you in such high spirits?" Alessandro asked, sipping coffee by his bedroom window as he talked with 20. It had been a few days since she had walked out of his room after spending the night there – and left such a blazing trail of rumors that he had heard about it even during his meetings.

This morning she seemed to be in a particularly good mood, and he saw no reason to hurry through their talk. So he had ordered his butler for a cup of coffee and he began talking to her leisurely.

'It's my day off today,' I beamed. My period was finally over and I felt refreshed after getting enough sleep last night.

"Is that so?" Alessandro said. "Then would you like to go out of the palace together?" The idea picked up with him and he thought of the places he could take her, places she might enjoy visiting.

'No,' I laughed openly. The notion of going to town with the emperor was like saying I wanted to go to the moon dressed only in a tank top, jeans, and a pair of flip flops. 'I'm going out with 19.' It was the first time her day off coincided with mine, and we were both excited to hang out someplace that was as far away as possible from hallways and laundry areas.

The servants usually had their personal time off scheduled in rotation, and no one had the same day off every week. That was simply how the service industry worked. And nothing spelled out servitude better than being a scullery maid. 

"19?" Alessandro asked curiously. "Who is that?"

'Concubine Number 19,' I replied as I looked at my reflection in my mirror. I had just finished getting ready. I had put on a white long sleeved blouse and a black skirt with small white flowers, and tied my hair in a braid. The clothes were simple but comfortable, perfect for the gorgeous weather outside.

"Isn't it dangerous for two women to go to town unescorted?" Alessandro was worried.

"That's the reality for every woman who's a commoner, Your Majesty," I drily pointed out with a grin.

'I could send a few guards to accompany you," Alessandro offered.

"No need," I said. "We're just going to the town square." It was the place Caio had previously brought me to, the one where we had dinner. Of course, there was no way 19 and I could afford anything remotely close to the scale of that restaurant, but it would be nice to walk around the shops. Maybe we could find cheap bread in a bakery, and we could have it by the fountain. It would be almost like having a picnic. The thought made me giddy.

"By the way," Alessandro said. "I have good news."

'What?' I asked. He sounded quite proud of it, whatever it was, which piqued my curiosity.

"I got a new bed," Alessandro announced ceremoniously, like he had just acquired a national treasure. "Completely new – including mattress and bed sheets."

"Why are you telling me?" I asked, feeling my cheeks heat up. It didn't have anything to do with me if he decided to get new furniture. He could do a complete makeover of his room every week if he wanted to.

"So you won't be uncomfortable the next time you sleep here," Alessandro replied sensibly, as though he was a real estate agent highlighting the feature of an apartment. "And I won't allow anyone else to use it, so don't worry."

'That's none of my business!' I retorted in a near shriek. Seriously, how could he rattle off such things like it was the most natural thing in the world? Thankfully, at that moment I heard a knock on my door which saved me from further embarrassment. "20, are you there?"

'Oh, it's Caio,' I commented without thinking.

Alessandro put the empty cup on the table and stood up, immediately on alert. "Aren't you in your room?" he asked. "Why is Caio there?"

'He must have something he'd like to talk about,' I replied casually. 'Like last time.'

"Like last time?" Alessandro was outraged. "He has been in your room before?"

Before I could answer him, I heard Caio again, and I hurried to the door. 'I'll talk to you later," I said, shoving the handkerchief to my pocket.

"Wait, 20 –" Alessandro attempted to call her back, but he didn't hear her voice again. He couldn't believe it. Caio had been in her room more than once, and she was completely fine with it. On the other hand, inviting her to his room was always a struggle. Was she more at ease with Caio than she was with him?

'Morning,' I greeted Caio when I opened the door. 'What brings you here?'

"Can I come in for a minute?" Caio smiled. He remembered that she didn't want to talk in the corridor before, wary of any eavesdropper.

'Sure,' I said, opening the door wider so he could enter.

"I heard it's your day off today," he gestured at her clothes when she walked over to him after closing the door.

'Yes,' I eagerly nodded. 'I'm going to the town square with 19.'

Caio considered it for a minute. "You can take my carriage," he offered, "and at least a guard to escort you."

I smiled broadly – 1 said almost the same thing. 'It will be fine,' I told him. 'We're just going to go around the shops and maybe have a light snack.'

"Speaking of snacks, I got you this." Caio handed her the box he was carrying.

'What is it?' I asked, sitting down on my bed so I could open it. It was wooden box tied with a giant ribbon.

"Chamomile tea," Caio answered, smiling as he looked down at her opening the box excitedly. "I heard it can help reduce menstrual pains."

I loved teas, but in the empire they were not so common and fairly expensive, which was why I hadn't had any except the ginger tea 1 had prepared for me when I was almost dying of cramps. 'It will definitely be helpful, thank you!'

"Don't I get a hug?" Caio teased. She had impulsively hugged him when he got her the writing set. And although he never expected anything in return, he thought getting a hug would be a nice bonus from a girl who was becoming more endearing to him by the day.

I laughed as I stood up, holding out my arms so I could hug him. There were times he really reminded me of my older brother – my brother used to ask for a hug or a kiss on the cheek after he did me a favor.

"Be careful when you're in town," Caio cautioned her, returning the hug and stroking her hair gently. 

I nodded, not knowing how much weight those words would carry later in the day.