DYNASTY ── the remarried empress

𝟎𝟐𝟗. navier and heinrey's wedding.

              IT WAS THE DAY OF THE WEDDING. astrid sat at the front row, sovieshu and rashta on her either side. the princesses sat behind them and all of their attendants took up two rows. astrid was positively beaming, dressed in a gorgeous sparkling purple gown, she had chosen one of the simpler dresses, hoping she wouldn't outshine the bride. margaret wore a custard yellow gown, annelise wore a light green gown, alexandra wore blue, while antoinette (positively fuming) was wearing pink that matched with rashta. 

astrid knew that today wasn't just a wedding, but the day heinrey would announce his kingdom to become an empire. astrid had known heinrey planned everything, nearly. navier and sovieshu's divorce was just a coincidence of fate, but heinrey had planned to announce the western kingdom's new era long before he fell in love with navier. 

astrid watched as heinrey made his entrance first, dashing in a white suit and fur white coat, his hair slicked back and once he got to the front, navier glideddown the aisle decked in the most elegant white wedding gown astrid had ever seen. embroidered with a thousand gemstones, the dressed gleamed amongst the daylight. 

navier had always had a much more haughty face, perfect for luxurious clothes and splendorous things. astrid couldn't help but compare rashta to navier. rashta had a much more simple yet dainty look, beautiful and angelic. political at heart and if asked, astrid would've advised rashta to stick with the simple yet striking clothes in bright and pastel colors. 

rashta was different among the nobles yet now, she blended in. her simple clothes made an impression. plus, they were far cheaper than the dark and vibrant velvets nobles preferred which could've been used as her weapon. "a gentle, kind, and frugal empress" she could've been. 

but everything was a double-edged sword now. 

if rashta had decided to remain faithful to her youthful and beautiful pastel dresses, astrid could've easily flipped it into "a stingy empress, unbefitting to the empire's imperial splendour" 

rashta could never win the game of thrones, especially when she was up against someone as seasoned as astrid vict. 

"the two of you have spent half of your lives apart," the height priest began, "and will now spend the rest of your lives alongside each other as husband and wife do you king heinry alex laszlo of the western kind of agree to spend the rest of your life with navier ellie trovi?"

heinrey smirked, "one moment please, there's something I must do first."

commotion filled the room.

"what's going on?"

"what else is there to do besides exchanging?"

"why is he holding up the ceremony?"

"henceforth the western kingdom shall be known as the western empire, i heinry, alex laszlo will rule as the first emperor of the western empire." everyone was dead silent until astrid started clapping, then mckenna joined in and so did kosair. and everyone joined in as heinrey continued, "emperor, heinry alex, laszlo of the western empire, agree to take empress navier ellie trovie as my wife."

The high priest sight, "and do you empress navier ellie trovie we agreed to marry emperor, heinrey alex laszlo."

navier smiled, "yes."

the high priest signed the marriage certificate and showed it to the emperor and empress. "please add your signatures once more below."

navier and heinry signed the contract, their loved binded forever more

"i now pronounce you as husband and wife."

the grand ballroom of the royal palace was adorned with shimmering chandeliers, cascading ribbons, and bouquets of fragrant flowers. the air buzzed with excitement as the guests, dressed in their finest attire, mingled and exchanged pleasantries. all eyes were on the elegant couple at the center of attention: astrid and kosair, once betrothed and now reunited for an enchanting dance.The emperor and empress of the western empire began their first dance as a married couple. astrid glanced around the room and noticed grand duke kaufman had failed to attend once navier and heinry completed their first dance, other nobles joined.

astrid, resplendent in her regal gown, stood near the entrance of the ballroom, her heart pounding with anticipation. her eyes scanned the crowd in search of a familiar face. Aand there he was, kosair, standing tall and handsome, his noble bearing evident as he conversed with other guests. astrid's breath caught in her throat as she saw him.

as if sensing her gaze, kosair turned toward her, his eyes lighting up with a mixture of surprise and delight. he excused himself from the conversation and made his way through the sea of guests, his steps steady and purposeful. astrid's heart skipped a beat as he approached her, his hand outstretched.

"may I have the honor of this dance, astrid?" kosair asked with a sincere smile, his voice filled with both formality and a tinge of longing.

astrid took a moment to compose herself before placing her hand gently in his. "i would be honored, kosair," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

they moved gracefully onto the polished marble floor, the music swelling around them, as if the entire world had faded into the background. as they began their dance, their steps synchronized effortlessly, as if they had never been apart. their eyes met, and in that moment, the weight of their past and the depth of their love were palpable.

kosair's touch was both familiar and electrifying, sending shivers down astrid's spine. The warmth of his hand against hers reminded her of the countless stolen moments they had shared in secret, the whispered promises of forever. 

in the gentle sway of their bodies, astrid found solace and forgiveness. she saw the love in kosair's eyes, still burning brightly despite the passage of time. it was a love that had weathered storms and survived the test of separation. it was a love that deserved a second chance.

as the music reached its crescendo, the couple twirled and spun, their movements a dance of longing, regret, and hope. in the eyes of the guests, it was a spectacle of grace and elegance, but for astrid and kosair, it was a rekindling of a love that had never truly faded.

as the final notes of the music echoed through the ballroom, kosair pulled astrid closer, their breaths mingling, their hearts beating in unison. they said nothing, yet a thousand words were exchanged. as the music faded away, astrid and kosair found themselves in a quiet corner of the ballroom. emotions danced across astrid's face as she looked into kosair's eyes, her voice filled with a mixture of regret and longing.

"where have you been these days? i haven't seen you since rashta insulted navier about having kids."

kosair smirked, "i have been doing some research."

astrid raised an eyebrow, "oh?"

"in your study, the fifth draw, under the stack of paperwork, you will find a ledger," kosair grinned, "a ledger filled with the crimes of the eastern empire's empress."

astrid's eyes widened, "kosair, what is in there?"

kosair bent down toward her, whispering in her ear, "a piece of paper confirming rashta's slave origins. and detailing everything she had done to the former duchess tuania. there is space to add more. i entrust you to safeguard it and use it once you need to."

astrid's eyes widened, "you... you knew all along, didn't you?"

"i know you better than most. perhaps i know you best."