Serpent Emperor's Bride

Chapter 235: The Ultimatum

[Imperial Palace of Thalryn — The Next Day]

The Imperial Throne Hall stood silent, heavy, and oppressive, like a tomb waiting to be sealed. Golden sunlight poured through towering crystal windows, yet somehow the chamber felt cold. Nobles stood along both sides of the hall.

Ministers remained silent. Generals avoided each other’s eyes, and upon the imperial throne sat the Emperor of Thalryn, tired, exhausted, and defeated.

Before him stood Duke Aren. The man who had protected the northern borders for decades. The man whose family had shed blood for the Empire long before many nobles inside this chamber were even born.

And now...he had been summoned to surrender. The Emperor rubbed his forehead for a long moment; nobody spoke.

Then finally—

"...Are you telling me to surrender to the Emperor of Zahryssar?" Duke Aren’s voice echoed through the hall, calm, the kind of calm that comes before storms.

The Emperor exhaled heavily as his voice sounded tired.

"Aren, we have no choice."

Silence.

The Emperor rose from his throne and slowly walked toward the great window overlooking the capital. Outside, thousands of citizens moved through the streets completely unaware of the disaster hanging over their heads.

Then quietly he spoke as his voice grew heavier.

"The new Malik of Zahryssar has issued his ultimatum: if by this evening you have not left Thalryn...then by tomorrow morning he will begin military action."

The hall became silent, deathly silent.

The emperor continued, his fingers tightened behind his back, "Reports arrived before dawn; the Serpent Knights have already gathered along our borders."

Several nobles lowered their heads; others looked pale because everyone knew what that meant. The Serpent Knights did not gather for diplomacy; they gathered for conquest, and the Emperor closed his eyes.

"One command, only one command from the Malik..." His voice nearly became a whisper. "...and Thalryn will fall."

Duke Aren’s jaw tightened, his fists slowly clenched. The veins along his hands became visible, then quietly he said—

"My son remains beyond our borders. I do not know whether he sleeps safely. I do not know whether he eats properly." His voice became rougher as Aren continued as his eyes hardened.

"But I know one thing. If I surrender...he will force my son to become his consort."

Silence.

A suffocating silence; nobody dared speak because everyone understood what remained unspoken. The emperor understood, the ministers understood, and the generals understood.

And yet...

The Emperor forced himself to speak as his voice sounded weary.

"Aren, our empire has never possessed the strength to challenge Zahryssar." The truth struck harder than any blade. "They possess stronger armies, stronger mages, stronger rulers."

The Emperor’s shoulders slumped as his voice lowered. "If war begins...our people will pay the price."

Silence.

Then Duke Aren scoffed, a single cold, disbelieving, and mocking scoff, and somehow that laugh frightened everyone more than shouting would have.

"So." Aren slowly lifted his gaze. "You are no different from the others."

The Emperor frowned. "Aren."

But the Duke interrupted. "No different when disaster approaches...the first person you save is yourself."

Several nobles immediately lowered their heads; the accusation had landed hard. The Emperor’s expression darkened.

"I am trying to save this empire."

"Save it?" Duke Aren scoffed. "Save it?

His voice thundered throughout the chamber; the nobles flinched, the ministers froze, and even the guards stiffened.

Then the Duke stepped forward step by step, and yet somehow it felt as though he had drawn a sword, and his voice echoed.

"My family has spent decades bleeding for this empire; my son has spent years protecting this empire. We defended borders, we fought your wars, and we buried our dead."

His gaze swept across the nobles.

"And where were all of you?"

Nobody answered because nobody could. Then Duke Aren pointed directly toward the throne as his voice became colder.

"You speak of saving Thalryn, but what you truly mean...is saving yourself."

The Emperor’s face darkened instantly. "You are crossing the line."

"No," Duke Aren replied immediately. "I am finally speaking the truth."

The entire throne room froze; the emperor clenched the armrest of his throne. Meanwhile, Aren continued mercilessly as his voice cut like a blade.

"You fear war, not because people will die or because cities will burn; you fear war because it will take something from you. The treasury."

The Emperor’s jaw tightened.

"The luxury." Several nobles looked away.

"The Throne" The emperor’s expression became uglier.

Then Duke Aren delivered the final strike. "You have not even crowned the crown princess for that."

Silence.

The chamber froze because everyone knew it was true. The princess had long become qualified. The princess had long become beloved, yet the Emperor still sat upon the throne.

Still refused to step aside, still refused to let go.

Why?

Because power was addictive. The Emperor rose instantly. "Enough!"

His roar shook the hall, yet Duke Aren did not move, did not bow, and did not retreat. Instead...he stared directly into the Emperor’s eyes like a mountain staring at a storm. Unmoving and unbreakable.

Then quietly he spoke. "I will not surrender."

The words echoed simple, absolute, and final. The Emperor’s expression changed. "Aren—"

"No."

The Duke cut him off; his voice had become terrifyingly calm. "I will not kneel before that rotten silver serpent who crawled back from death."

The hall became colder, much colder, because everyone knew exactly whom he meant. Then Duke Aren’s eyes darkened, and for the first time...pain appeared in front of all the nobles.

The pain of a father.

"My son has already suffered enough; he has already lost enough, and I will not trade his future for anyone’s safety."

The Emperor remained silent, then Duke Aren spoke the words that silenced the entire hall. "If I surrender...then my son becomes the price."

Nobody breathed, nobody moved, and nobody spoke. The Duke’s eyes burned with absolute conviction.

"And I would rather die. I would rather watch my house fall. I would rather watch my lands burn." His voice echoed throughout the throne room. "Then deliver my child to a fate he never chose."

The emperor stared, and for the first time since the meeting began...he had no answer because he was speaking as an emperor.

And Aren...was speaking as a father.

Then the duke turned, his cloak swirling behind him. The banners of House Aren moved like storm clouds, and as he reached the great doors, he stopped.

Only once without turning around, he spoke with one final warning.

"Do not forget something, Your Majesty." The chamber became silent. "Our House is not merely another noble family; we are one of the pillars holding this empire upright, and when pillars break..."

Slowly he looked back over his shoulder, his eyes cold as winter.

"...thrones tend to collapse with them."

Silence.

Then the doors opened.

BOOM.

And closed behind him, leaving the emperor standing alone upon his throne, surrounded by nobles, ministers, and power, yet somehow...never having looked weaker.

***

[Sah’Rumeh Village — Evening]

The evening sun painted the mountains in gold and crimson; cold winds moved through the village. The repaired barrier shimmered faintly overhead, and standing near the healer’s hut, two rulers were silently sizing each other up.

Grand Duke Lior Vaelric stood with a smile upon his face.

A warm, polite, and diplomatic smile. Levin had been raised among nobles, and noble smiles were often more dangerous than drawn swords. The Malika folded his arms across his chest.

A sword rested at his waist. Asha sat beside him like a silent guardian. Meanwhile, Lyresaph had completely abandoned all dignity and was sprawled across the tiger’s back, lazily enjoying the evening sun.

Beside Levin stood Iru, watching, listening, and judging everyone.

Grand Duke Lior continued smiling far too much. Finally, he bowed slightly. "I greet the Malika of Zahryssar."

Levin stared at him coldly and expressionlessly, then immediately replied, "My husband is not leaving the hut."

The smile vanished instantly. Grand Duke Lior visibly flinched because somehow...the conversation had become painful before it had even started.

Lior blinked. "...I did not even say anything."

Levin voice remained perfectly calm. "No, but that smile did."

Silence.

The Grand Duke stared. Levin continued mercilessly. "I was born a noble, Grand Duke. I recognize the smile of a man about to ask for a favor, especially when that favor involves my husband."

Grand Duke Lior slowly cleared his throat; his smile finally disappeared. "Fair enough, but the Malik signed an agreement with our empire; he promised assistance regarding the beast threat."

Levin nodded immediately. "Correct."

The Grand Duke relaxed slightly, and then Levin continued. "He promised assistance; he did not promise to become your shield."

The relaxation immediately vanished. Levin’s blue eyes sharpened as his voice carried quiet authority.

"My husband keeps his word; he will help, he will advise, and he will fight when necessary." Then Levin stepped forward. "But your empire will learn how to stand on its own feet."

The words landed heavily like stones and like truth. Then Levin looked toward the mountains, toward the wilderness where Ashkareth had fallen.

"A wolf empire should not need a serpent to survive."

Then Kael finally stepped forward. "I thought about your question, the one you asked me last night. Why is Ashkareth attacking our empire?"

A shadow crossed Grand Duke Lior’s face. Meanwhile, Kael continued. "I intend to investigate."

Levin remained silent, and Kael’s gaze hardened. "If there is a reason behind this conflict...we need to find it. And if solving that reason saves our soldiers...then we owe it to them to try."

For several moments nobody spoke. Then, unexpectedly, Grand Duke Lior nodded slowly and thoughtfully.

"Perhaps, and strangely enough...I have spent months fighting the beasts and never once asked why."

Silence.

Then he muttered quietly, "Why did I never think of that?"

Even Levin looked slightly surprised because admitting one’s mistake was rare among powerful nobles, and then Lior exhaled, and a moment later his expression hardened once more.

"That changes nothing. What if the beasts attack again? You have seen our situation. We cannot fight an entire beast clan without—"

"Then fight."

The interruption was immediately, sharp, and absolute. Grand Duke Lior froze. Kael froze, even Iru looked amused. Levin’s voice remained calm.

"If another beast appears..." His gaze never wavered. "Fight. If another threat rises...fight because we are not staying forever. We will remain until the eggs hatch."

His gaze drifted briefly toward the healer’s hut.

"After that...I intend to return to my maternal home, to Thalryn."

And then everything changed. Grand Duke Lior froze, then slowly...very slowly...a strange expression appeared on his face, something closer to pity.

Levin immediately disliked it; the Grand Duke laughed once, short and humorless.

"I apologize, Malika." The smile that followed felt wrong. "But perhaps nobody has informed you."

Levin frowned. "Informed me of what?"

Silence.

The evening winds suddenly felt colder, and then Grand Duke Lior spoke. "Zahryssar has issued an ultimatum to Thalryn."

Levin froze; the world suddenly became very quiet. "What?"

Lior continued. "If Duke Aren does not surrender...the Malik of Zahryssar intends to march."

The air left Levin’s lungs, and then Grand Duke Lior delivered the final blow as his voice remained calm. "The Serpent Knights are already gathering; war preparations have begun."

Levin simply stared, unable to move and unable to think because suddenly...he wasn’t standing in Sah’Rumeh anymore. He was back in Thalryn, walking through palace gardens. Running through snow-covered courtyards.

Arguing with servants. Training with tutors. Laughing with his father, his home, his birthplace, and his people.

The empire that raised him, the empire he had planned to return to, and now... It stood beneath a serpent’s shadow.

Iru’s eyes widened. Even Kael looked shocked, but Levin heard none of it because one thought kept repeating inside his mind.

Over...and over.

Slyvarakh.

The name felt like poison; his fingers slowly clenched. The evening winds howled, and Grand Duke Lior watched everything.

Watched the realization settle, watched the shock and watched the pain.

Then finally he turned away.

"Still, you are correct; we should learn to defend ourselves because no empire should depend entirely upon another ruler, otherwise..."

His gaze darkened.

"...we may share the fate awaiting Thalryn. A kingdom buried beneath snow, forgotten by history...soon."

Then Grand Duke Lior walked away. Leaving Levin standing motionless beneath the evening sky and for the first time since arriving in Qashmir...the Malika felt afraid for the homeland waiting beyond the mountains.

A homeland now standing directly in Slyvarakh’s path.