The way to a man's heart

The second day after my argument with the Duke passes without incidents.

I have tea with Duchess Prim, and she takes the chance to boast about the new dress her husband bought her. She's treating me as an equal, which is actually an unexpected occurrence from when I moved to the Empire. In the end, it's still a compromise: I'm not a simple Duchess, but the wife of the second most powerful man here in the Palace.

Even though my husband isn't an Archduke anymore, he's still a member of the imperial family. I should make use of that, from time to time.

Not today, though.

On the other side, the Duchess is older than me. She would be closer to my mother, in age, than to me. Her children, though, are younger than the Emperor. In Polis, I would have to show her deference just because of that. I'm starting to understand how simplistic our caste system was.

Here, there are several degrees of nobility. The imperial family, which has a few layers within, is composed by the Emperor, two Dowager Empresses, his majesty's mother and grandmother, and then the Princes and Princesses. My husband and the only other Archduke, Archduke Ryle, are related to the late Emperor. One is a younger cousin, the other is the elder niece.

Outside from the imperial family, Dukes and Marquises form a layer in between. They have power, money, territories, and enviable pedigrees and diplomatic connections.

The rest of the nobles have positions that depend on more than just their titles. Some of them have territories to administer, but most don't. Their connections and economic power determine the respect they will receive from the others. A Baron can be rude to a Count if he has enough relevance.

This complicated system made it even harder for me to adapt to life in court. I am always uncertain about my position, and I don't have anyone to ask about it.

Except for my husband, but I can't bug him with those details.

The Duchess has been especially polite in her questions, avoiding all the topics that a fallen queen despises. She asks about the rumours that invaded the court before the other day's lunch only after we've become acquainted.

«Is it true that you threw a vase in Duke Kyre's direction?» she inquires, with a more amused than scandalised look.

«It wasn't a vase,» I point out. «And I didn't hit anyone, in the end.»

No injury was caused by me, so it's all right, isn't it?

I don't want to think about what would have happened if I did scar the Duke's face, though.

«You know, Duchess...» Duchess Prim starts. «I am the daughter of a Count, and I worked hard to obtain my husband's devotion. Now, you see how much he's spoiling me. The way to a man's heart is rather straight, but you have to be cunning if you want to reach it...»

Who wants the heart of that crazy bastard?

«You need to be patient, in the beginning, but I can assure you that it will pay out for your efforts.»

I raise my eyebrow, considering the Duchess's words.

«And how long should I be patient?» I utter, realising just on the last moment that I'm admitting that I don't have a good relationship with my husband.

«Not long. After all, the Duke is already head over heels for you. You just need to learn how to profit on it.»

«How did you manage to obtain Duke Prim's heart, Duchess?» I ask.

She smiles with motherly affection before starting to speak about the tricks that gave her the best results.

When I walk back to my room, I dismiss the maids early, just like yesterday.

Before drinking my glass of wine, I open the jewellery box. I count the pieces in it, and I also write down some notes. If I sold only one of those, I could live for several months in the wild world. Still, I have to be patient and consider running away just as a backup plan.

It's too dangerous, and if I get caught, it would be the end of me. For now, I'll just make preparations and explore the Palace's secret passages and the servants' hallways.

Even though I lost my crown, my social standing didn't decrease too much. If my husband regains back his title, I would be the fourth most powerful woman in a vast empire. The territories an Archduke has are several times larger than those of Polis.

If I work hard enough, I can still pay back the debt that I owe to my people. It wouldn't be the first time that a ruler of Polis obtains something through bed diplomacy.

Half a millennium ago, when Polis was just a border city of the Kingdom of Mysa, my ancestor was the local governor. When the King eyed his wife, he sent her to the capital with a heavy heart. The King liked her so much that he gave independence to Polis, in exchange for that woman.

It's something that hasn't been advertised too much since it would taint the great history of Polis. Still, as a ruler, I needed to understand that compromises and sacrifices are a fast way to obtain good results.

The name of my ancestor's wife has been forgotten by history. Her husband's figure, though, became similar to that of a saint for freeing Polis from Mysa's clench.

After five centuries, the debts of fate seem to be repaying themselves.

When I finish the inventory, I hide the paper behind the bottles of wine, and I lie in bed before the dizziness transforms into sleepiness.

I can't afford to catch a cold, right now.

I have to look the best I can, at least for the next few days, or the Duke might change his mind and not visit me four days from now. I can't let that happen, and I can't force myself to forgive him so soon.

Ruling a country is way less complicated than marriage.