A thin smile appeared on your lips.

He truly was as smart as people said him to be.

The way he positioned himself behind you made clear that he took no risks. That way, the archer wouldn't hit him by accident.

And if he would miss and you turned to run, the emperor himself would be behind you, waiting with a dagger in his hands.

"Impressive...", you mumbled and glanced over your shoulder to meet his eyes once again. "You are just the way I remember."

Nothing moved on his pale face.

"And your tongue is just as honest.", he noted while his eyes moved over your face. "You grew. I can see your mother in your eyes."

"And my father in my ears.", you huffed sarcastically. "Don't we both know where I come from? Who I come from?"

A sound of approval left him.

His shoulders twitched. They were broad, broader than the chest that he hid under a cloak of leather.

A black and red dressing shirt covered the rest of his torso.

The shimmer of gold wrapped around his body.

"Very well.", he took a step back. "My daughter Cirilla has warned me that you would arrive shortly after her departure."

You turned back towards the thrown.

There was no need to look him in the face. The proper way of talking to him was to keep your eyes and head lowered.

So why face him in the first place?

"I remembered her to be a much less...", you had to overthink your words. "Persuasive child."

"She did change."

"And she told me so did you."

Something crossed his eyes.

You were unable to see it, yet there was a satisfied smirk tugging at the corners of your mouth.

You knew that this had hit a sore spot.

And if he still was the man you expected him to be then he'd walk right into your trap.

"Your father was a smart man.", the emperor said, not moving at all. "Surprising how his child grew up to be such a fool. Do you always believe what nameless tongues have to say?"

Now you couldn't help but smile fully.

This was exactly where you wanted him to go.

Slowly, as to not appear a threat, you turned on the spot to halfway face him with a raised chin.

A bit of ignorance shimmered inside your (E/C) eyes.

"I wouldn't say that the princess herself is just anyone.", you noted in a tone that was most certainly a challenge. "She spoke good about you."

His eyebrows pulled together.

The expression on his face turned into some sort of doubt yet annoyance.

With his back straightened and his arms crossed behind his chest, he took a step towards you.

The emperor was a man of decent height, even for someone who once had been cursed.

He didn't quite manage to appear as tall as the men of the elves, but for a human he could have been called impressive.

With a warning burning inside this brown eyes of his, he leaned down to meet you face to face.

You raised your chin and withstood his gaze.

If this was the way you'd die, in the throne hall of the emperor of Nilfgaard, then so be it.

But at least you wanted to die fighting instead of surrendering.

"You are not in a position to talk to me so freely.", he said in a low whisper, as if he tried to keep a wave of anger at bay. "I am your emperor. And no matter what the princess has told you, you cannot blackmail me with it."

His eyes jumped over your shoulder, right up to where the archer waited for a command.

You could hear how he took position to shoot.

Adrenaline rushed through your veins.

Maybe you had played this game a bit too aggressive.

"I can help you.", you said out of hurry.

The emperors eyes returned to lock with yours.

"I don't need help.", done with the conversation, he turned on his heel and was about to leave.

The beating of your heart pressed against the bones of your rib cage.

Your eyes were glued to his back.

There he went, the last chance to regain what you had lost so many years ago.

"This empire will fall without someone on the throne.", your tongue spoke without permission.

You didn't know why, but as his hand was on the door, you couldn't keep it in anymore.

This was the last chance you'd ever get.

And you needed to get a hold of this opportunity.

It was now or never.

All at once, the emperor froze.

A layer of goosebumps crawled over your body.

He didn't move.

He just good there, right in front of the door, and seemed to consider.

The air inside your lungs started to burn.

It felt like you were about to suffocate.

Then, his hand rose.

The archer took a step back into the shadows.

"Leave us!", the emperor ordered and glanced over his shoulder.

Something new had awoken inside his eyes.

Was that fear?

No, he would never fear anything nor anyone.

Nor would he ever worry.

But it wasn't the expression he had entered the room with.

His mind had changed.

He thought about something.

Steps echoed from the ceiling as the archer disappeared.

Only when they were fully gone did you dare to breath again.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to be rude.", you said yet couldn't help and feel superior in that moment. "I just thought I should come here to make you an offer. At the request of your own daughter, that is."

Still wrapped in silence, the emperor just stared at you.

Oh, how much he despised you. It was visible in his eyes, started to show on his aging face as well.

Maybe it was you being grown up now, but you remembered him to be a lot worse than just a grim man with hateful eyes.

"Nilfgaard will never fall.", he finally said in a warning voice.

A smile made its way to your face.

"Emhyr...", you chuckled. "This empire is build on you as its fundament. What will happen if this fundament won't wake up one day because a noble stabbed it with a knife in its sleep?"