The Reason for Marriage

“As you know, your wound is not severe. Take our medicine and eat three meals a day. You may be able to go to work in two days. We will send an official notice about your medical rest to the Bureau of Judicial Affairs. However, you need to avoid exertion, and I will come by once every day for a week to treat you.”

Olita bowed and went away, but Iveca took no notice. She would not be able to present him with an heir no matter what they did now, and Daniel knew that fact. She could not understand the reason why he said such a thing. Or why they had continued to try and produce an heir when he knew it wasn’t possible.

Iveca had been staring where Daniel had been sitting but then noticed the vase on the table had moved.

“Oh…?”

She saw that the vase had been turned 180 degrees, as she knew someone who had sent her messages like this. It was something she had played often in childhood. Anriq, knowing that Iveca had a sharp eye, would change something in her room and place memos underneath that object. She checked to see that all maids had gone to prepare her meal before carefully standing up to lift the vase. There was a folded memo underneath, and Iveca came to sit on the bed again before opening it.

[Open the second window on the east wall at two o’clock this night. – A.R.]

Iveca used all the magic she had to burn the memo at hearing the maids come with her meal. She had so little magic left that just doing this gave her a headache. Evena’s ancient magic would lose its effect soon at this pace.

It was then Iveca realized something she had not thought of before. Evena’s ancient magic erased Iveca’s memories, and according to the Intelligence Bureau’s estimates, it would take thirty years to get her memories back. She would then know why she had taken that birth control pill. Iveca thought the very idea scary.

***

Iveca stood up quietly. It was two o’clock in the night. She confirmed that there were no maids about after she had asked them to leave, using her headache as an excuse. She opened the second window and had to bite her lips because the movement hurt her wound. Anriq jumped into her palace as he had been waiting on a branch.

“Are you crazy?”

Iveca whispered even though she had opened the window. She knew how the situation looked, as the Queen was meeting her first love in her palace in the middle of the night. Anriq controlled his breathing as he stood in front of her and spoke quickly about why he came.

“Ive, divorce him.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I said, divorce him. I did not know his highness would use you like this.”

Anriq’s voice was low and urgent. Iveca looked around anxiously as she thought what would happen if someone came in at this moment. Her heart beat faster in trepidation.

“Your life is in danger. I wanted to warn you but did not think they would move so fast.”

“Who are…they?”

“The aristocrats. They know that removing you would make everything difficult or maybe cancel everything. Ive, enforcing the law on the aristocrats? The commoners and aristocrats following the same law? How can you think of something so dangerous?”

“There’s no evidence yet, and about the law…His highness proposed it, and I think it a practical idea.”

“You know how many enemies you made by placing your name on that first draft?”

Iveca nodded, and she had to see only Roseley to know how much the aristocrats hated her. Anriq spoke on, unlike his usual self.

“His highness cannot be touched. It’s treason, he does not get out of the palace, and there are many guards. However, you’re easy, you…”

“I know.”

Anriq was silent.

“I know that Esselburn will not protect me, but his highness will.”

“Don’t think that. I told you, don’t trust him. If he wanted to protect you…” Anriq made two tight fists with his hands. “Placing your name on the law was senseless…”

“However, I made that draft. Whose name should be on it then? My name should be recorded, and I would have been angry if my name was not on there.”

“He should have placed me as your guard. I am the best of the guards. If I had been there instead of Kenta during the ambush, you would have been unharmed. However, his highness has no intention of placing me to you.”

Iveca looked at Anriq. They had known each other since they were ten and had been raised together in the same house. He had been her only friend, and there had been a time she wished to marry him and have a family. Iveca had confessed her love, got refused, entered the Bureau of Investigation, and had not looked Anriq up for four years. She had taken that birth control pill during that period.

Did Iveca have another lover at that time? That was the only possibility left.