Chapter 97

The empire had always been defined by war. It had been forged in fire, shaped by blood, expanded through force. For as long as Aeliana had known Tharx, his rule had been one of unquestionable dominance-conquest, military precision, and the ruthless elimination of threats. He had shaped an empire through the destruction of his enemies, through the iron grip of his authority. But now, things were beginning to change.

Not because of the birth of their daughter alone, though Seraphina's existence had undoubtedly altered the course of history. Her birth had sent ripples through the court, through the noble houses, through the distant territories that had once only known Tharx as a warlord rather than a ruler. But the change had not come solely from her. It had come from something else, something deeper. It had come from Aeliana.

She had once thought she would always stand in Tharx's shadow, that no matter how much she learned, no matter how much she grew, he would always be the one shaping the future. But now she realized the truth-she had just as much power to shape it as he did. Perhaps even more.

It began slowly, subtly, as all great changes did. Where once there had been only talk of war campaigns and military strength, now the court spoke of trade, alliances, and diplomacy. It was a shift so gradual that many of the nobles did not even recognize it at first. There was still war, of course-there would always be war-but Tharx had begun expanding their influence in ways that did not require bloodshed.

New treaties were being forged with outlying planets, trade routes established that had once been impossible due to conflict. Aeliana saw it firsthand-the way Tharx's enemies, now conquered, were offered a choice. Kneel and build with them, or perish. Most chose to kneel. And in doing so, the empire grew richer than it ever had before.

The markets of the capital swelled with new goods. Exotic fabrics, spices from distant lands, technologies that had once been restricted to a select few now flowed into the hands of the common people. Where once merchants had lived in fear of extortion, now they flourished. The trade districts bustled with activity, the sound of voices raised in barter rather than fear, the hum of progress replacing the silence of oppression. Aeliana saw it all, walking through the streets in disguise, listening to the people talk, watching the way their lives were changing.

The changes were small at first, but undeniable. And they had not come from Tharx alone. No, this was Aeliana's work.

She had begun ruling in a way that was entirely her own. Tharx ruled through power, through brute force, through the sheer weight of his presence. But Aeliana had begun ruling through wisdom. Where Tharx sought to crush dissent, Aeliana sought to turn it into something useful. Where Tharx demanded loyalty through fear, Aeliana cultivated it through respect.

And the people were beginning to notice.

She did not sit idly in the palace, waiting for history to shape itself. She crafted new policies, ones that benefited not just the nobles, but the farmers, the traders, the builders-the ones who actually upheld the empire. Tharx's court had long been a place of brutal efficiency, where laws were made to serve the powerful, to maintain order, to keep control. But Aeliana saw the gaps.

She saw the ones who struggled beneath the weight of decisions made in golden halls, the ones who had no say in the future they were forced to live in. And she changed that. One law at a time. One decree at a time. Until the empire began to shift beneath her touch.

The nobles noticed. They always did. Some of them were cautious, watching her with wary eyes, uncertain of what she was doing. Others were more resistant, grumbling about tradition, about the way things had always been done. Aeliana knew they would never say it to her face, but she could feel it in the way their conversations quieted when she entered the room, the way they hesitated before offering their allegiance.

One of the council members even dared to speak of it openly.

"A queen should know her place," Lord Varik muttered one evening, just loud enough for her to hear. The words sent a ripple through the court, the air in the chamber shifting instantly.

The room had gone deathly silent.

Tharx had not even turned to look at him. He had simply taken his goblet, poured the wine onto the marble floor, and crushed the cup in his grip. The sound of it breaking echoed through the hall.

"The only one who will learn their place today is you," Tharx said, his voice calm, dangerously quiet.

Varik had not spoken against Aeliana since.

But it was not just Tharx's protection that had earned her respect. It was results.

Under her guidance, the empire's economy thrived. The common people, once afraid to even glance toward the palace, now spoke of a ruler who listened, who cared. She met with merchants, scholars, craftsmen-the ones the nobles ignored, the ones who held the true future of the empire in their hands. And slowly, her influence grew.

Where once she had been seen as an outsider, now she was becoming something else. A queen in her own right. A ruler who was shaping the empire alongside her husband, not beneath him.

And Tharx saw it all.

He watched as Aeliana built something he never could have on his own. He was not a man who ruled with softness. He had never known anything but war, had never been taught how to lead without a sword in hand. And yet, Aeliana was proving that strength did not always come from force. It came from wisdom. From patience. From knowing when to wield a blade and when to offer an open hand.

One evening, as they stood on the balcony overlooking the empire they were shaping, Tharx turned to her.

"I conquered this empire," he murmured, his voice quieter than usual.

Aeliana glanced at him, her golden hair catching in the wind.

"And yet," he continued, "you are the one who will make it last."

Aeliana did not respond immediately. She let his words settle, let the truth of them sink deep into the quiet space between them. Then, finally, she smiled.

"Then we will do it together."

Tharx exhaled, looking out at the city bathed in golden light.

"Together."

And for the first time in his life, he realized that ruling an empire was not about the battles fought and the enemies defeated. It was about what came after. It was about the world they built, the future they secured, the legacy they left behind.

And for the first time, he understood that Aeliana was not just his queen.

She was the heart of the empire.