Reborn as the Last van Ambrose

Liona found her mother in the imperial gardens, walking alone among the night-blooming flowers. Two imperial guards stood at a respectful distance, far enough away to provide privacy but close enough to respond if needed.

"Mother," Liona called softly, approaching with the sword-shaped key still clutched in her hand.

Empress Alexia turned. "You’ve returned from the vault," she observed. "What did you find?"

Liona glanced at the guards before responding. Understanding her daughter’s hesitation, the Empress gestured subtly, and the guards retreated further, beyond earshot.

"I found the swords," Liona said once they were alone. "Sunfire and Luna. And a chest I couldn’t open."

"The chest contains the Ambrose family records," her mother replied. "It requires Ambrose blood to open."

It wasn’t a question, but her mother nodded nonetheless. "A diluted connection, from many generations past. Your great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother married into the Ambrose line. The swords recognized you enough to spare you their wrath, but not enough to grant you access to their power."

"One of the guards tried to touch Sunfire. His hand..." Liona shuddered at the memory. "The metal of his gauntlet melted into his flesh."

"The swords protect themselves," Empress Alexia said, reaching out to take her daughter’s hand. "It’s why they’ve remained safe after all this time. even when other Ambrose heirlooms were stolen or lost."

Liona asked. "There was something else in the vault. Ash on the floor. Someone had been there before me, despite the sealed door."

For the first time, Alexia looked genuinely surprised. "That’s not possible. The vault can only be opened with the key, and mine jas been with me since i was 5."

The Empress was silent for a long moment, absently stroking the empty chain around her neck where the key had hung.

Empress Alexia responded, "There is only one other person with a key to that vault."

"Who would have a Kay to the vault," Liona asked.

"Rowan has the other key."

Liona looked at her mother before asking, "Didn’t he run away?"

The Empress looked out over the garden, toward the distant lights of the city beyond the palace walls. "He did," she said simply.

Liona wanted to press further, to ask about this Rowan and why he would have access to the Ambrose vault, but something in her mother’s expression warned her against it. Whoever Rowan was, his disappearance clearly remained a sensitive subject.

Instead, she asked, "These connections between our family and the Ambrose clan. Why keep them secret all these years? Shouldn’t I have known about my heritage?"

"Some knowledge is a burden, Liona," her mother said softly. "And some truths are dangerous when revealed before their time. The connection is so distant that it hardly matters in practical terms. You cannot wield their power, even if you understand its source."

Before Liona could press further, a palace attendant approached with hurried steps, bowing deeply as he reached them.

"Your Majesty, forgive the intrusion. Chancellor Levenhart requests an immediate audience. He says it’s a matter of great urgency concerning Lord Terras."

The Empress’s expression remained impassive, but Liona caught the slight tightening of her mother’s jaw. "Tell the Chancellor I’ll receive him in the small audience chamber."

As the attendant departed, Alexia turned back to her daughter. "Keep what you’ve learned to yourself for now, Liona. And keep the key close. We may need it again soon."

"Mother," Liona said, catching the Empress’s sleeve as she turned to leave. "What’s happening?"

"More trouble than we want."

With that cryptic response, the Empress glided away, leaving Liona alone among the night-blooming flowers, the weight of unspoken secrets hanging heavy in the air. freewēbnoveℓ.com

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Chancellor Levenhart was already waiting when Empress Alexia entered the small audience chamber. He was pacing around the room. At her arrival, he bowed stiffly, his face tight with barely contained anger.

"Your Majesty," he began without preamble. "I’ve just received word from Lord Terras. There’s been an incident."

"I take it this ’incident’ involves our returned Ambrose heir?" Alexia asked, seating herself in the carved chair that served as a less formal throne.

"He attacked Lord Terras in his own home," Levenhart confirmed. "Forced his way onto the property, threatened the guards, and... and cut off Terras’s ear."

The Empress’s eyebrow arched slightly. "His ear?"

"A deliberate echo of what happened twelve years ago with Terrin," Levenhart explained, resuming his pacing. "He was collecting on the wager from twelve years ago."

"Was the wager not freely made?"

Levenhart stopped pacing to stare at her. "That’s hardly the point, Your Majesty. A noble lord was assaulted in his own home! Terras is demanding justice, and he’s not the only one. Word is already spreading among the houses."

"And what of your daughter’s involvement?" Alexia asked calmly. "I understand she accompanied young Lord Ambrose on this... collection visit."

The Chancellor’s face paled. "Lianna was there as an observer, nothing more. She’s known Grim since childhood and was merely curious about his return."

"Yet she stood by while he mutilated a respected member of the nobility."

"She... she couldn’t have known what he intended," Levenhart insisted, though doubt crept into his voice.

The Empress folded her hands in her lap, studying the Chancellor with penetrating eyes. "What would you have me do, Levenhart? Arrest the tournament’s most promising competitor after just two matches? That would hardly please the crowds."

"The law must be upheld," Levenhart argued. "If we allow this behavior to go unpunished, what message does that send? That anyone with a sword and enough skill can ignore our customs and traditions?"

"Our customs and traditions include paying one’s debts," Alexia observed mildly. "Did Lord Terras honor his wager?"

"He... eventually provided ten thousand crowns," Levenhart admitted reluctantly. "Under duress."

"Well debts are cleared that they need to be paid. If you try and find a reason to punish Grim, he’ll just say he was within his right to claim his debt. Then it seems the matter is partially resolved." The Empress rose, signaling the end of the audience. "For now, let the tournament continue. The people are enjoying the spectacle."

"And if Grim attacks another noble? Or worse?"

Alexia paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder. "Then we will deal with him when it happens."

She swept from the room, leaving the Chancellor to stare after her, troubled by her response. As she walked the dimly lit corridor back to her chambers. All she could think about was how Rowan accessed the chamber recently.