Effective communication is key to a successful relationship, whether it be a friendship, a marriage, or a professional one.

“Agnius let’s talk for a bit” Wania said.

The room was dimly lit; only the two chairs facing each other and the table between them were visible. Agnius was led to a room he had never been to. Wania had been sitting alone in the dark, waiting for him, and she looked rather unamused tonight.

Agnius the ever-neutral man he is, stepped forward and took the offered seat. “Is everything alright?” he asked.

“Nothing serious, I just felt we should clear the air.” She stared into his eyes “I’ve been thinking about how you operate and I you have satisfied, but I want to know what you think you’re doing here?” Wania said not breaking eye contact, the atmosphere around her was getting more intense.

“I” Wania interrupts him “I don’t want to hear the simple, you’re playing my husband or doing whatever I tell you. I can tell that much” She links her fingers in front of her face, hunches forward not even blinking, eyes locked onto him but Agnius remains calm.

“I do not know what I am doing here, ma’am,” Agnius said “Refer to me as your grace when we are alone, you are still a commoner regardless of our situation” Wania said.

“Yes, your grace” Agnius said “Your answer was good, because when you think about it, I can just get rid of you, no need to bother myself after that, but here you are sleeping in my bed, eating my food. Agnius tell me why I shouldn’t just kill you now get it over with” Wania said.

“I was leaving when you approached me, you said you would protect me, that you needed me to help you, if I am no longer needed, I would still like to leave with my life,” Agnius said, he was bracing himself for the outcome.

“What if I said I no longer needed you?”

“Then please make your payment and send me on my way”

“I can’t do that”

“Then this is where my services end”

The two were glaring at each other in total silence, frozen in place like statues, time was the only thing moving in that room until Agnius made a sudden leap for the door behind him, but was quickly caught by Wania. He had even made it over the chair and in the process of catching him, she knocked it over and pressed his head down with her hand, sitting on his back so he couldn’t escape.

“Oh my, that’s not going to work a second time.” smiling “I don’t think married life suits me, here I am attacking my husband over a career mishap, not very wife material, right?” Wania said.

Agnius tried to escape, he pushed with all the strength in his arms but he couldn’t shake Wania off, something was weighing him down, Wania was taller than every other woman in the capital and she had a muscular build but the weight he felt couldn’t be hers alone. But while he was questioning himself trying to figure out what to do, she suddenly let him go and stood up.

“It’s pointless to try to escape from me, and I only asked what if I never need you? The fact of the matter is during whatever delusion I was experiencing choosing to marry you. You have proven useful so I will keep my word. There are still many things for us to do apparently and you’re in the best position to solve my problems”

He got off the ground but didn’t drop his guard “So what can I do for you?” he said

“Good to see you’re still willing to help. I want you to figure out what is going on in the imperial palace, report to me and if you see an opportunity get rid of it, and above all else protect my sister and nephew, everyone else is none of your concern” Wania said like she was giving orders to a soldier.

“I can’t do that from here,” Agnius said

“I know, it’s a good thing the emperor wants you by his side.”

A knock on the door stopped their conversation, it was Helga, she came into the room, seeing Agnius on one knee and Wania standing beside a chair fallen over, she scanned the room with startled eyes before approaching Wania and whispering to her.

“We’re done here, Helga take me to her” Wania said then followed her out of the room, leaving Agnius alone, he thought about escaping but knew it would be pointless. For the first time in a long time, the man felt weak in the knees and helpless to do anything about it.

In the hallway the two walk slowly through to have a conversation of their own “Might I ask what was all that about?” Helga said staring forward.

“I just wanted to me he aware of his situation, I could still make use of him,” Wania said

“Is he staying?”

“No, I’m going to move him to the palace to monitor things for me, the perfect spy to use against Ras. I going to give him what he wants and take what I need”

“I thought that you would be annulling the marriage and sending him on his way”

“I wanted to but I felt then I would still have my situation to deal with plus not killing him would be disadvantageous”

The two had reached their destination, opening the doors to reveal Empress Rosa, her cloak a bit dishevelled, she looked like she rushed recklessly through the pathway that led to Wania’s house, the one that passed through a forest.

“Rose you’re a mess, what happened? Did Ras do something?” Rosa flinched at the mention of the nickname Wania used for the emperor, a flinch that didn’t go unnoticed. Like clockwork, Wania had a cold air about her as she turned to the door.

“No Wania wait; he didn’t do anything,” Rosa said jumping at her sister

“Don’t defend him, Rose, you’re shaking at the mention of his name, look at yourself, you ran away from him, you didn’t even bring Pidaras. Is he holding him hostage? Tell me” Wania said, anger in her eyes, her voice seemingly loud but clear.

“No, Wania none of that, I was just worried about you, I saw you after the event today and thought you needed a pick me up” Rosa said raising a bottle of wine, suggesting they should share a glass.

Wania said “Thank you but I’m fine. I’ll drink some later” taking the bottle and handing it over to Helga. 

“Is that it? You rushed over here just for a drink?”

“Yes, you know how much you love to part take” She looked a bit nervous, and her eyes were shaky, Wania looked at her sister and couldn’t see any signs of abuse on her but she still worried, her younger sister had come running to her home, frantic, at this point Wania just walked up to her sister and hugged her.

“It’s okay, you always be safe here,” Wania said.

“I know that you promised to always protect me,” Rosa said.

After that shared moment, Rosa went back home with an escort knight from Wania’s knights. Until she could no longer see her, Wania watched from her window “It’s not like the emperor to be abusive towards Lady Rosa” Helga said approaching Wania.

“No, not the usual Ras, the man my sister married during the war was different from the man that sits on the throne. I do not trust the man who sits on the throne. For all the love he professed for Rosa, he comes into the emperor’s position and marries three more women, saying that it was to appease the other nobles. Look how that turned out” Wania said

“Yes, some family drama that ended with you murdering one of them and erasing her family. Still makes me wonder why everyone is so afraid of you. You only did that to protect your family” Helga said

“Yes, but now Ras is acting out himself, taking my position is the first step, he comes after my power and influence and the way he can. But before he can do that I use Agnius to stop his plans or at the very least use them to my advantage”

“Shall I pour you a glass, my lady?” Helga asked showing the wine Rosa brought

“No, take it to my room, leave it there, I have something to take care of before turning in for the night”

Wania spent the next hours going through work she made for herself, as if avoiding going to bed, but try as she might there was nothing for her to do, unwillingly accepting she went to confront what she was avoiding, Agnius sleeping in her bed.

Of all the things she did while delusional, this was by far the craziest, telling a common man to sleep beside her in bed and him without home training accepting. At least he attempted to object when she first mentioned it, she took a deep breath though to herself it was his last night here sighted the wine she told Helga to keep in her room, took a large chug from it and climbed into bed.

Thinking of what to do the next day, and how to proceed with her plans, she drifted to sleep. Agnius woke the next day to see Wania sitting by her mirror and staring at him.

“You always sleep in that leather armour and wake up with, it must be filthy. I wouldn’t have cared but we share a bed so it bothers me” she said

“I clean every morning while I bathe your grace” Wania raised a brow at his words “I’ve told you to speak more causal with me, we married Agnius people would figure out this marriage is fake if you continue that”