“Of course I do. What makes you think otherwise?” she replied.
“It seems like it never occurred to you that this could be an impediment to our wedding. I’m not asking that you love me as much as I love you. I just wish you were more cognizant of it all,” he said, placing his lips to her ear.
“Eek! I am, I am!” she yelped. She didn’t need to be reminded like this. After all, she’d fallen asleep thinking of nothing but Sidis.
“Do you love me?” he asked.
“I... I...” Lyse struggled to summon the courage to put her feelings into words.
Sidis chuckled at her desperation and pulled away. “I haven’t much time left, so I’ll bid you farewell for now,” he said as he made for the door.
Lyse watched him go as he hurried but did not sneak away. “‘For now’? Does that mean he’s close to solving things?”
Unfortunately, she had quite the wrong idea, as that would be the only time Sidis stopped by to see her for the day.
Time passed without any new developments, both regarding the Light and the mystery behind it. The pillar would only shriek and shake twice a day, causing a bit of a disturbance to the people in the palace, but ultimately returning back to normal. By the end of the fifth day...
Let’s see, there should be about ten now. Lyse counted up the emperor’s clones in her mind. She hoped that some sort of discovery was nigh given that the Light continued to scream. Lyse placed her cup and saucer back onto Egbert’s desk and stood up to excuse herself, but he stopped her in her tracks.
“You look awfully glum, Lyse. Is it because you had to postpone your wedding?” the emperor asked. “I know that progress has been very slow. You have my apologies for that.”
“Oh, please don’t apologize, Your Majesty,” Lyse replied, flustered. “It’s not as though the wedding has been called off. It’s merely been delayed slightly, so you needn’t fret for me.” She’d already made peace with deferring the happy occasion for a single year. If it was pushed back by several more, then sure, Lyse would definitely be worried. But after learning that she might live longer because of the Light she possessed, she’d begun to feel more like she had during her previous life.
“I’m glad to hear you’re taking it in stride. Rest assured that I’ll do my utmost to ensure you have your happy day—both for Sidis whose love has endured for the past hundred years, and also for Qatora who dearly cared for us, despite all the trouble we caused.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” said a blushing Lyse.
“No need to thank me. It’s the least I could do,” he said. “But back to Sidis, he’s been bouncing around left and right without reporting to me.” Egbert was just as concerned as Lyse was about him.
“Erm, does that mean he’s gotten himself wrapped up in a lead?” Lyse understood that Sidis was waist-deep in the incident, but it bothered her that he hadn’t apprised the emperor of the situation. She didn’t want Sidis to bottle things up or to be too hard on himself.
“I heard the interviews went fine, but I haven’t heard anything concrete about what he’s investigating at the moment. You might be onto something, though—perhaps he’s on the verge of a breakthrough. I assume that means he hasn’t had much time to see you either, however.”
“That’s correct, Your Majesty.” Lyse was touched that Egbert was not only thoughtful, but perceptive of everyone around him.
“Perhaps Alcede knows something,” he suggested.
“It’s my understanding that Lord Sidis is attending Lord Karl, but I was hoping I might be able to take over that job. I’d like to take some of the burden off his shoulders if possible.” Lyse implored the emperor, but he seemed hesitant.
“Hmm. You don’t think Sidis would be upset?”
“Would he?” Lyse didn’t understand why.
“Well, remember how you and Karl were set up together? You and I might think that’s well behind us now, but, well, you know how Sidis is. He’s had feelings for you for over a century, after all. I don’t think he’d be happy if you got too close to Karl.”
Lyse knew well Sidis had his own anxieties. “In that case, is there anything else—”
At that moment, Alcede barged into the emperor’s office. “Oh, what a bother. The pâtissiers are taking time off too, which means that I have to bake everything myself.” He placed the platter of baked treats he’d whipped up in his free time atop Egbert’s desk and forced the reluctant emperor to try one.
“I haven’t seen Sidis since yesterday. Do you have any news about him?” he asked between bites.
“Hmm,” Alcede hummed as he looked up at the ceiling and racked his brain. “That’s right. He mentioned that there were still Donan followers within our borders, so he took a raptor to investigate for himself—or so I’ve heard, at least.”
“We haven’t rid ourselves of them yet?”
“I think there are a few devout hangers-on here and there is all, Your Majesty,” answered Alcede, gobbling down cookies before stuffing his cheeks with another round. The rate at which he was inhaling them made Lyse wonder if he was using some kind of magic to do it. “As far as I know, he doesn’t have any other jobs on his plate, hence why he hasn’t been showing his face much around the palace lately.”
“Then I suppose asking him to mind the situation at the villa is too much. We could put Lyse on the job. What do you think?”
Alcede was in the middle of reaching out for another handful of cookies, but stopped partway with his hand extended for the tray. “That would mean she’d be with Karl, which wouldn’t please Sidis. Perhaps it would be all right if I accompany her when I can. I think Miss Lyse should take a gander too, and I just so happen to be free tomorrow,” he said as he turned to Lyse with an odd expression on his face. “Do be warned, though—there are more of them.”
“I’m prepared, Your Grace. I’ve been keeping a mental tally.” Lyse nodded, assuming that the duke was referring to the emperor’s clones. There should be about twenty of them by the following day, which she imagined would be most unsettling indeed. “How is Lord Karl holding up?”
“He was quite shocked at first, but he grew to ignore the clones after a while. Which is fine, as they don’t really get in his way either,” Alcede replied, intuiting the true intent of her question. As far as Lyse was concerned, Karl was doing the right thing by pretending the extra Egberts didn’t exist. “I shall come fetch you after lunch tomorrow. And since you’re inquiring about what’s keeping Sidis, I presume that must mean you miss him.”
Lyse didn’t know how to respond to his teasing smugness. “I’m just, erm, worried about him. That’s all...”
“So you’re not lonely even a little bit, hmm?”
“It’s not as though I don’t see him at all, so I at least know that he’s safe. Still, I fear for the toll this might take on his health.” Sidis had looked somewhat pale this morning but tried to gloss over it by blaming the lighting in Lyse’s room. She didn’t buy that excuse, but she couldn’t hound him either as he was too stubborn to be honest anyway.
“I see. Well, I suppose he could be replenished via other means... That could work...”
“What do you mean?” Lyse found Alcede’s choice of words odd.
“Oh, never mind me. I’m just talking to myself. In any case, you’ve got lots to look forward to later.”
“I do?” Lyse asked, but she chose not to press the issue further for fear of whatever absurdity Alcede had in mind.
If there’s anything I can do to help Lord Sidis, I’d be happy to.
At least, that’s what she thought at the time.
The next morning began just as the several before it—with Sidis by Lyse’s bedside, waiting for her to rouse. Today, however, he had a request.
“Will you stay with His Majesty, Lyse?” he implored her.
“What? Is he in danger?!” she gasped, afraid that the current oddities with the Light of Origin had gone past simply duplicating the emperor.
Sidis shook his head and assured his pale fiancée, “No, he’s fine. Nothing has happened to His Majesty—well, except the fact that there are more of him now.”
“What has you so concerned, then?” she asked.
“I...” Sidis hesitated before continuing, “I just don’t want you seeing Karl after they tried to set you up with him.” He was against Lyse going to the villa to assist Duke Lasuarl’s son.
“We’ve been through this already,” Lyse reminded him. “I have no intention of marrying anyone but you.”
“Oh, Lyse!” The moment Sidis heard her response, he could no longer contain himself. He pulled her close in a snug embrace. “Never part from me again, my adorable, precious love. Let us scorn the outside world and never see another soul again, for I cannot bear to have anyone else lay eyes upon you...”
“Um, Sidis, you have business to attend to, don’t you? I heard that you finished questioning the Donan holdouts, but isn’t there more for you to do?” Lyse asked, quickly changing the topic on him.
His expression immediately soured. “Listen, Lyse. Just stay away from the Light,” he warned.