Morning court started without much incident. Elliott sat at the head of the large oval table. Aiden was to his right, while the rest of the cabinet of ministers occupied various seats around the room. The chamber was richly decorated, a reflection of the nation’s prosperity and peace. The Prime Minister, Lord Kesler—an older man of fifty—began by outlining the objectives for the day.

The session progressed slowly as Lord Kesler continued. Eventually, all urgent matters were addressed. Elliott was just about to dismiss the court when someone cleared their throat, interrupting him.

“Emperor, please forgive me for interrupting,” said Lady Brianna Waterwood, a duchess and well-known trendsetter in high society. Her voice was laced with faux concern. “I simply must bring something to your attention. The people—they are talking, Your Majesty. You've been seen multiple times in the company of Sir Galen, the newly appointed imperial knight, and people can’t help but… speculate…”

She trailed off, the implication behind her words hanging thick in the air. Elliott had never made his preferences public, but he was well aware of the gossip—people talked because he was never seen with women, nor had he shown interest in one.

A tired sigh escaped Elliott’s lips. Be diplomatic, he reminded himself.

“My lady,” he said calmly, “it seems to have escaped your notice, but Sir Galen is one of the knights assigned to my personal protection. I don’t think it’s particularly surprising to be seen with him multiple times—that’s generally how protection works.”

Lady Brianna, undeterred, pressed on. “While that may be true, Emperor, you must understand—being a protector does not require evening walks or inside jokes. Multiple people have reported seeing you and the knight together in the palace gardens. The high society is talking—”

“You do understand that’s just simple socializing, right?” Elliott cut in, his voice sharpening slightly. “You’re making it sound like we were doing something untoward in the bushes, Duchess.”

Lady Brianna fell silent, but another voice rose in her place. It was Marquis Velora this time.

“We do understand, my Emperor,” he said smoothly, his foxy smile curling across his wrinkled face. “And we beg you not to take our concern the wrong way. We absolutely believe there’s nothing going on between you and Sir Galen, Your Majesty. We’re only saying… others might not. And we wouldn’t want our beloved emperor’s reputation tarnished by baseless rumors, would we? Think of your name, Your Majesty. You’re the emperor of an entire continent. It’s unbecoming. Such talk is disgraceful—”

Elliott had never liked Velora. The man opposed him behind closed doors and feigned loyalty in public. Irritation flared in Elliott’s chest, sharp and sudden.

With a voice dripping in the same insincere sweetness as the marquis’s, Elliott replied, “Well, I’ll take your concerns under consideration. And if my reputation is so fragile that a smile or an evening walk can ruin it, perhaps it was never meant to last. As for my good name—I'll have you know, it's mine alone to disgrace.”

A tense silence followed. Even Aiden looked up, mildly surprised.

Marquis Velora sputtered, scrambling to backtrack. “Emperor, you misunderstand—accusing you was never my intention. We were only concerned about Your Majesty’s future marriage—”

Elliott raised an eyebrow. His gaze sharpened. “Future marriage? Have I expressed such a desire, Marquis? Or have you taken the liberty of deciding things for me now?”

“That—” For once, the marquis was at a loss for words. “We merely assumed, since Your Majesty must eventually have a real heir—”

“A real heir?” Now Elliott’s gaze wasn’t just sharp—it was a glare.

Velora had unknowingly struck every nerve Elliott had in the past five minutes.

He glanced at Aiden. The younger man’s grip on his quill had tightened to a chokehold, his expression unreadable. Quietly, Elliott placed a hand over his fist, gently loosening it.

“I suppose I must suggest you see an eye specialist, Marquis,” Elliott said coolly. “Partial vision loss is more common in old age than you might think. And in case your memory is also failing you, allow me to enlighten you. I declared Aiden my heir the day I adopted him, and that has not changed in the last fifteen years. Since I have never revoked that declaration, I do wonder—where exactly did the idea that this empire lacks an heir take root in your mind? Aiden, why don’t you say hello to the marquis, so he can confirm you exist—just in case he’s having trouble seeing you?”

A quiet snort echoed through the chamber. It wasn’t clear who it came from, but the meaning was understood. No one dared speak further.

And just like that, court was dismissed.