When he opened the door, he found Sofia standing there with a sheepish, hopeful smile.
"Your Highness," he said, offering a polite bow. "How can I help you?"
"Benjamin, please call me Sofia," she insisted. "I was just bored. Everyone is locked away in meetings, and I was wondering if you'd like to spend some time with me?"
Benjamin couldn't find it in himself to say no. He saw her as a younger sister. She was warm, playful, and sweet. Though she often quarreled with Charles, she was rarely the one in the wrong. He often wondered if this was what it felt like to have a younger sibling.
"Of course. If you could just give me a moment to get ready."
Sofia tilted her head and smiled. "You have crumbs on your face. Were you eating?"
Benjamin laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Ah, I was a bit hungry. Would you like some jam biscuits or shortbread?"
"Ooh... just bring them with you," Sofia said. "We can snack as we walk."
Followed by Felix and Sofia's ladies-in-waiting, they wandered through the palace. When they reached the Art Archives, Sofia requested privacy. Felix nodded and remained at the entrance, and the ladies-in-waiting stayed behind as well.
The Empire's private collection of art was vast, featuring various artworks from different kingdoms that were only occasionally put on public display.Sofia was remarkably well-educated in the arts and explained the history of the pieces to Benjamin. But, they also spent time making jokes and coming up with ridiculous interpretations of the artwork as they browsed the archive. As they finished their walk around the archive, Benjamin mentioned that Ara was arriving today.
Sofia's eyes lit up. "Oh! We should go see if she's arrived yet!"
"Are you close with her? You seem quite excited," Benjamin noted.
"When I was younger, I hated going to balls and galas. I was just Charles's little sister, the Princess of Isadora, dragged around while everyone ignored me. But Ara was always kind to me. I admire her deeply and look up to her, like an older sister and a friend. She's rebellious, but in the best way."
"Really?" Benjamin chuckled. "I feel the same way."
"You know her?" Sofia asked, surprised.
Benjamin nodded. "We've met a handful of times."
"Was it when she was taking classes at university?" At Benjamin's nod, she continued, "I heard she was devastated when she had to drop her classes. She even missed a royal ball over it. That's the only reason I know."
"And what about the other princes and princesses?" Benjamin asked.
"Ah, well there's Prince Bjorn and Princess Liv. I get along with Liv, though she can be incredibly stubborn. It's always entertaining to see what kind of trouble she's managed to get herself into," Sofia laughed, talking about the Zephyrian princess.
"And Bjorn?"
"Hmm... I'd rather not say," Sofia said with a mischievous smile.
Benjamin went quiet for a moment before speaking softly. "If you don't mind me asking... you seem quite close to Prince Zaid. I think he's a wonderful person. The things Princess Shirin said yesterday..." He trailed off, his voice warm and protective. "I hope you didn't take them to heart. Whatever she said, it isn't true."
"Benjamin, you're a very kind person. I'm glad my brother has friends like you," Sofia said.
Her smile faded slightly. "I was upset yesterday, too, but it's better not to rile up someone like Shirin. She holds grudges and she can be…" Sofia didn't finish her sentence.
"But Zaid is great, isn't he?" Sofia said with a wide smile on her face.
Benjamin chuckled in agreement.
Sofia looked at him sideways. "Are you and my brother...?"
Benjamin's silence was all the answer she needed.
"I'm really sorry about what I said the day we met," Sofia said with a small, sincere smile. "I didn't realize the two of you were serious."
Benjamin returned the smile, though he shook his head. "What are you talking about? I don't even remember," he lied, hoping to console her.
"Do you... love him?" Sofia asked. "If you don't want to answer, it's fine. I didn't mean to pry. It's just... I've never seen my brother act the way he has these past few months. He's changing... and I think it's good for him."
Sofia let out a small chuckle. "He honestly doesn't know how to have fun. My mother was very worried about him when we were children. Ah... sorry... Now I'm just rambling."
Benjamin gave her a reassuring smile.
"How do you feel... about all this? You've come all this way..." Sofia looked disheartened. "I would give my brother a beating if I could."
Benjamin remained silent for a moment, and with a mischievous smile replied, "If you get a chance, throw in some extra punches for me."
At that the two of them began laughing again, and the heaviness of the air seemed to lift, although both knew that the laughter merely hid the sadness in his Benjamin's heart.
"If you need someone to talk, I'm always here. I know I'm still young and considered to be inexperienced about the ways of the world... But, I hope you will consider me a friend or a younger sister," Sofia said with an earnest expression that could have brought Benjamin to tears.
"Thank you, Sofia. That means a lot to me. You are like a younger sister to me. And now, a friend. I hope you know that you can come to me for anything. I'm always here to lend an ear too."
"I think Ara should be here by now," Sofia said, reminded of the time. "We should go wait to greet her and surprise her! "
"Is that allowed?" Benjamin asked. "I'm still not entirely sure about the protocol here."
"It'll be fine," Sofia laughed, pulling him along. "We won't get in trouble for something as trivial as this."
As the two of them laughed, there were far more serious matters being discussed behind closed doors.
** ** ** ** ** **
"These border issues are unrelenting and never-ending," Commander Zev, the commander of the Imperial military forces, said wearily.
"If Shen Zhou agreed to be a part of our empire, we could supply them with extra forces," Lieutenant Nyla added, leaning forward. "This would end most of these problems once and for all."
The Kingdom of Shen Zhou was a land governed by the Visharian Order.
To the people of Shen Zhou, their king wasn't merely a man. He was a living deity, a divine being. The king was not born to the throne through ancestral bloodline but was chosen by the high priests of the Visharian Order. When chosen as a king, their names were cast aside, and they went by the title Taiyang, or the Sun.
The ordinances of the Visharian Order were simple, yet absolute. One must live with compassion, refrain from theft and murder, avoid envy, love their neighbor, and maintain a life of balance.
The reward for walking the Visharian path was the promise of rebirth. After returning to the afterlife, their souls would eventually be reborn into a better life.
For those who did not follow the path, the consequence was that their souls would not transition to the afterlife. They would simply be erased, vanishing from existence forever.
People from all walks of life, even those from other kingdoms, would make their way to the city where the Taiyang and the Visharian Order resided, Xian Yang. There, they could seek an audience with the Taiyang for guidance, hoping to find a path towards redemption.
Economically, the kingdom ran entirely on the back of its people, funded by voluntary donations. Many marveled at how the kingdom had sustained itself. Nothing was ever forced, yet their treasury remained full, sustained by the devotion of its people that believed in the Visharian way of life. Even the emperors of the Andromedus Empire held a deep respect for this holy land.
When the first emperor of the Empire had sent envoys to discuss a treaty of annexation, the Visharian Order had politely declined. They humbly explained that a kingdom built on charity could never support the taxes and fees required to become part of the Empire. The Emperor, moved by the sincerity of their faith, left the kingdom untouched. It has been that way since.
The borders of the Shen Zhou were protected by the Kingdom of Xenos. King Wuxia and Queen Rei held a deep respect for the Visharian path, and so their armies helped protect its borders.
Yet, the kingdom had its own shares of internal turmoil. There were always those within Shen Zhou who sought to abuse the gentle way of the Visharian path and committed all sorts of crimes. To address this, the Visharian Order maintained its own policing system, but its members were far and few. These officers were not men of violence. They moved with the gentle restraint of the faith they protected.
Since the Shen Zhou kingdom relied on Xenon forces, the Xenon kingdom sometimes found themselves needing help from the Empire. The emperors never had a problem with it, especially Emperor Farrokh. He was always more than happy to provide assistance anytime it was needed. However, those on duty were not always as pleased, as the border issues were endless.
The border towns were where problems amassed. Since the borders were vast and there were never enough soldiers to protect them, crime ran rampant in bordertowns such as Liang Guan and Mong La.
The meeting today was to discuss how to improve security at these border towns, which threatened to cause even greater problems if they weren't properly addressed, specifically the illegal smuggling of drugs, goods, and people.
"Since we're already providing them with our resources, they should be annexed," Shirin argued. "They claim they cannot pay fees and taxes, yet their treasuries are always full. Furthermore, gangs from their holy kingdom keep attempting to kidnap Xenons. How are King Wuxia and Queen Rei even handling this?"
In the Xenon Kingdom, the division of power was clear. King Wuxia handled military affairs, while Queen Rei managed domestic matters, such as the advancement of the sciences. They were famous for their equal authority, even though the King was an alpha and the Queen a beta. Both were held in the highest respect.
"The treasury funds are used to help the people," Zaid countered calmly. "The kingdom supports the infrastructure of its cities and towns, providing free medical services, education, housing, and many other public resources. We should respect their way of life. The Visharian Order isn't extorting its people, and its people are content. If they weren't, they would have rebelled and won a long time ago."
"I agree with Zaid," Charles added, nodding. "We shouldn't resort to violence when it isn't necessary. There is no need for annexation. They have always lived peacefully, much like the Naga Kingdom. Despite the Nagan being independent and more than capable of protecting themselves, they have never interfered in the affairs of our Empire. We should leave them be."
"But they are walking all over us," Shirin persisted, her eyes narrowing. "It's as if they're tricking us into doing their work for free. What have they done for us in return? It is something to think about. This peace comes at the expense of our own people."
"Alright, young ones," the Commander interrupted. "The point of this meeting is to discuss how we can improve border security. Emperor Farrokh would be deeply displeased to hear any talk of annexation."
As the meeting drew to a close, Charles felt increasingly nervous about his upcoming audience with the Emperor. He wished he could freeze time just to avoid such a serious confrontation. He was deeply worried about disappointing the Emperor, his parents, and the people of his kingdom. Yet he knew this was something that had to be done.
Throughout his life, he had always been a dutiful prince. He did not know what it felt like to do something "wrong". He had never been on that side of things before. His hands were sweating, and his mind was in chaos from playing out various scenarios of how the conversation might go.