Deep within the Duke Windsor's Mansion, in a sitting room far more private and regal than the study where family business was conducted, incense curled through the air. The decor was not the Windsor family's usual opulence, but a blend of royal grandeur and the deep heritage of an ancient house. Portraits of emperors from every generation of the Augustus dynasty hung on the walls, alongside the eagle crest symbolizing royal authority. The air was filled with precious sandalwood from a distant land in the East, not ordinary incense.
Eldest Princess Elinor Augustus, the younger sister of the current emperor, Augustus VI, sat gracefully on a chaise longue covered in deep red velvet. She was over forty, but had taken excellent care of herself; time seemed to have left only a few fine lines at the corners of her eyes, marks of authority and wisdom. She wore a dark purple court gown, simple in style but made from exceptionally fine fabric, with intricate Augustus family patterns embroidered in silver thread along the hem. Her hair was swept up in a noble chignon, adorned with a few small but priceless amethyst jewels. Her face still hinted at the stunning beauty of her youth, but most striking were her eyes, as deep and cold as a secluded pool, much like His Majesty the Emperor's. They were fixed on a magically encrypted dossier in her hands, sharp and composed.
Her husband, William Windsor, the future Duke Windsor, sat in the armchair opposite her. He looked gentle and refined, dressed in comfortable house clothes and holding a cup of steaming tea, but a faint, unshakable melancholy and guilt clouded his brow. Compared with the princess's concealed sharpness, William seemed more like a scholar steeped in books than the heir to a magnate who controlled the empire's finances.
"Elinor," William said, setting down his teacup. His voice was gentle, touched by a hint of hesitation. "Elisa's Coming-of-Age Ceremony is next month... Time has flown."
Eldest Princess Elinor didn't look up from the dossier. She merely gave a quiet "Hmm," as if he had mentioned some ordinary matter that had nothing to do with her.
William hesitated, then continued. "When I think that the girl... is about to become formally engaged to Leon of the Hohenzollern family, I can't help feeling... that I've wronged her, and my second brother as well." By his second brother, he meant Charles Windsor, Elisa's father.
At that, Eldest Princess Elinor finally raised her eyes. She looked at her husband with a gaze that held neither anger nor warmth, only a clarity and calm bordering on coldness.
"Wronged them?" Her voice was even, betraying no emotion, yet carrying unquestionable authority. "William, in what way do you think we've wronged them? Do you believe our Windsor family's jewel is being mistreated by marrying the second son of the Hohenzollern family?"
Her blunt question left William momentarily speechless. He gave a wry smile. "You know that's not what I mean. The Hohenzollern family is a pillar of the empire; their status is certainly a match. It's just... we both know Leon's reputation and character. Elisa may be a little cold, but she's exceptionally gifted and pure-hearted... To make her marry someone like him... I just can't..."
"You feel we've sacrificed our niece's happiness for the sake of the family?" Eldest Princess Elinor finished for him, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint, almost mocking curve. "William, you're still so... naive."
She set down the dossier and lifted the fragrant flower tea before her, a special blend from the Elven Territory in the south. She took a delicate sip, utterly poised, with the composure of someone in control of everything.
"Happiness?" she repeated, as if savoring an unfamiliar concept. "At the heart of this maelstrom, happiness is a luxury. Staying alive, and living with enough weight to matter, must come first. Elisa is a daughter of the Windsor family. From the moment she was born, her marriage was never going to be merely a personal matter. She has enviable magical talent. That talent is both her asset and her responsibility. What we need to consider is where to invest that 'asset' to bring the greatest and steadiest returns to the Windsor family."
She spoke as calmly as if analyzing a business investment, not discussing her own niece's future.
"The Hohenzollern family guards the Northern Frontier, the empire's strongest military bulwark. Marquis Otto is a staunch Royalist, but His Majesty is advanced in years, the northern barbarians are stirring, and undercurrents are roiling at the heart of the empire. At this critical moment, binding our Windsor bloodline to the Hohenzollern family's innermost line through Elisa—do you understand what that means?"
She looked at William, her gaze blazing. "It means that in any turmoil the future might bring, we, who hold the empire's financial lifeline, will stand as the most steadfast allies of the Hohenzollerns, who wield its sharpest sword. That matters more than any wealth or empty title! It's the foundation that will keep the Windsor family standing for decades, even centuries!"
William opened his mouth to object, but found himself unable to answer. His wife's analysis was cold and precise; he had no argument against it from the standpoint of the family's interests.
"But... Leon..." William finally managed, still struggling to object. "He's completely useless! Surely even the Hohenzollern family has reservations about this marriage..."
"Precisely because he's 'useless'!" Eldest Princess Elinor interrupted him, a flash of keen insight in her eyes. "If the Hohenzollern heir were someone like Karl, this marriage might never happen. Even if it did, we'd have to worry about being constrained by a powerful in-law. But Leon? A spoiled failure is perfect!"
She set down her teacup and leaned forward slightly, lowering her voice, which only made her seem more imposing. "An incompetent husband means Elisa will have more freedom within the Hohenzollern family. With her talent and temperament, and our Windsor family's support behind her, she may well be able to influence that family little by little. At the very least, she can ensure the next generation of the Hohenzollerns carries Windsor blood and feels closer to us! As for Marquis Otto and Karl... even if they're disappointed in Leon, once Elisa bears children of both families' blood, they'll have to take that connection into account! That's how we plan for the long term!"
William felt a chill run down his spine. His wife had calculated everything to the bone, even turning Leon's "incompetence" into an advantage she could exploit. Her ruthlessness and far-sightedness made his heart tighten with unease.
"Then... was having Elisa take Countess Margaret Strauss as her mentor part of your plan, too?" William recalled the matter. Countess Margaret was notoriously difficult to deal with and kept the royal family at arm's length.
"Of course." Eldest Princess Elinor admitted it without hesitation, the curve of her lips deepening slightly. "The Strauss family may be small, but Margaret is one of the empire's foremost Grand Archmages, with enormous influence in the world of magic and within the court. She's also Leon's aunt. Making Elisa her only student would, first, improve Elisa's abilities and increase her value; second, help us forge closer ties with the Strauss family; and third... let us drive a wedge into the outer reaches of the Hohenzollern family all the more naturally. As it turned out, it was exactly the right move. Margaret thinks highly of Elisa, which has also strengthened our influence within the Hohenzollern family."
She paused, looking at her husband's still troubled expression. Her tone softened a little, though it remained firm. "William, I know you feel for Elisa and think she's being treated like a commodity. But you must understand that it's not because I don't love her. On the contrary, it's because I value her that I chose this difficult path, one with a lofty destination. Marrying a hero doesn't guarantee happiness. But becoming the link that binds a powerful alliance, holding real power and controlling her own destiny—that's true 'happiness'! Elisa is a bright, perceptive girl. She may not understand now, but one day she'll understand why I did this."
"And guilt?" The princess gave a soft snort, her gaze turning once more to the Imperial Capital's nighttime view beyond the window. Its lights glittered, but danger lurked beneath them. "In our position, feeling guilty toward everyone is the deadliest thing of all. We must ensure the scales always tip in our favor. Family affections are too insignificant beside the survival of the family and the struggle for power."
She picked up the encrypted dossier again and said coolly, "All right. There's no need to discuss this further. Elisa's Coming-of-Age Ceremony must be splendid. Everyone must see that the Windsor-Hohenzollern marriage is a union of equals, a blessing for the empire. As for Leon... as long as he doesn't do something foolish at a crucial moment that creates an irreparable mess, he can do as he pleases. Sometimes an incompetent figurehead is more useful than a shrewd opponent."
William Windsor sat in silence, watching his wife's profile as she returned to her affairs of state, his heart a tangle of emotions. He knew she was right, at least from the perspective of the family's leader; every move she made was precise and ruthless. But his tenderness and guilt as an "uncle" would not simply disappear.
He lifted his now-cold tea and drained it. Bitterness spread from his tongue to his heart. In this game of power, family, love, and personal joys and sorrows were all just pieces on the board. And his wife was the calmest, most merciless player of all. He could only hope that Elisa's seemingly cold heart was strong enough to bear the fate so carefully "arranged" for her, and that she would find a true sea of stars of her own within it.
As her husband sighed silently, Eldest Princess Elinor's fingertips absentmindedly traced a name on the dossier. A deeper light, incomprehensible to anyone, flickered in her eyes. The emperor's throne was tottering, and her two brothers were locked in a deadly struggle, but she had already laid plans for a much more distant future. The Windsor family was one of her bargaining chips, the Hohenzollern family another; even her children and niece were important pieces in this great game. She had never wanted merely temporary stability. What she wanted was... supreme power, so that when the final reckoning came, she would be the one left smiling. Elisa's marriage was just one seemingly ordinary, yet crucial, move in her vast design.
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