CHAPTER 289: WEDDING DATE

The grand hall of the imperial palace was as imposing as ever, its towering marble columns stretching high into the vaulted ceiling, adorned with intricate gold filigree. It was a place meant to inspire awe, to remind those who stood within of the power of the empire.

But Annora felt nothing but contempt.

She sat beside Cassian, her hands resting delicately on her lap, her expression composed. The weight of the engagement ring on her finger felt heavier than it should, but she endured it. This was all part of her plan.

At the head of the hall, the Emperor sat on his ornate throne, his expression unreadable, but his annoyance barely veiled beneath the surface. He did not like being pressured, and today was no exception.

Dimitri, standing across from them, wore an ever-present polite smile, and his dull amber eyes focused on Annora. By now, he was a puppet. Annora’s puppet. He was here to do her bidding, to push along the wedding date.

Annora was getting restless. She needed things to go according to plan.

"I must say," the Emperor’s voice was measured, though irritation laced every word. "You are quite persistent, Archmage."

Dimitri bowed his head slightly, his smile never wavering. "I apologise, Your Majesty. It is not my intention to rush the imperial family. However, as you know, I have pressing matters to attend to. I will not be in the capital for long. It would put my heart at ease to witness my dear friend Annora’s wedding before I depart."

His words were carefully chosen.

Annora forced herself to maintain a demure expression, despite the rage simmering beneath her skin. She remembered being respectful to this Emperor, but what was the point? Like father like son, they only knew how to use and throw people.

She had once been the Saintess, revered by all, and yet, he had abandoned her too in her past life. He had not been as cruel as the others, but he had not saved her either.

She seemed to have forgotten how she behaved in her own past life. The mistakes that she made.

Why did Dimitri abandon her? Well, he did not. He distanced himself from her once she made her choice, her choice to not make things clear and maintain relationships with other men while demanding loyalty with all of them.

Dimitri distanced himself, was she a kind person? Probably. He was still hoping to maintain a friendship but that was not possible anymore. Once she aligned herself with the Royal Family, she stopped visiting the orphanages, as if it was not the duty of the Empress to go down to the slums of the Empire.

She did it to appease the nobles. She already had the commoners on her side, she wanted to make sure everyone was on her side... It was so typical of her... Trying to be on everyone’s good side... It did not matter if they were bad people, she would still want to make a good impression in front of them.

He did lose some respect for her. Associating with the royal family also made her distance herself from Dimitri. She could not be that close to the Mage Tower, it would be almost treasonous.

To Annora, she was doing all this for a good life! Was it wrong for her to wish for a good life for herself? She thought of herself as a perpetual victim.

Cassian, sitting beside her, did not seem to care about the urgency of the wedding. His posture remained relaxed, his icy blue eyes were filled with amusement, and things went down. From time to time he would glance at Dimitri.

He had not spared her a glance since the meeting began, and that was fine. She did not want his attention.

She wanted his ruin.

The Emperor exhaled sharply, drumming his fingers against the armrest of his throne. "The engagement party only just took place," he said. "There is much to prepare."

"I am certain the imperial family is more than capable of handling such preparations swiftly," Dimitri responded smoothly. "A wedding within two weeks should be manageable, should it not?"

A quiet silence fell over the room.

Annora’s heart pounded in her chest.

She had been ready for this moment. Her plan was reaching the climax... So close... So close to ruining him...

She would stand before Cassian as his fiancée, to see the empire welcome her once more, to have the world believe she was his perfect match.

She would wed him.

And then she would destroy him.

She would leave him standing in the wreckage of his own shattered life, just as he had done to her.

)

In her past life, he had abandoned her when she was no longer useful. He had left her to rot, left her to be cast aside like a piece of unwanted trash.

She would make him feel that same humiliation.

And she would make sure the entire empire watched.

The Emperor sighed, rubbing his temples as if the conversation alone exhausted him. "Very well," he relented at last. "The wedding will take place two weeks from now."

Annora suppressed the victorious smile that threatened to break through.

Instead, she lowered her gaze, feigning modesty. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Cassian merely nodded. He had not voiced an opinion throughout the entire exchange, his face unreadable.

Annora knew why.

Cassian did not care who he married.

He never liked her, they made him act exactly like he did in her previous life. So he only pretended to care for her.

Annora felt her heart ache as she remembered those moments. She truly believed... She believed he loved her... She loved him! She did! She chose him, did she not? At the end of the day she chose him... Over Benedict and Dimitri... And over Edward at that time... Before she knew Edward’s real intentions.

Dimitri chuckled lightly, tilting his head. "How wonderful," he mused. "A royal wedding is always a joyous occasion. I’m certain the entire empire will celebrate the union of such a well-matched couple."