Iria Alewine felt a bit reluctant to answer. All the news she heard about her mother's family crossed her mind and her only memory of meeting one family member three years ago. It happened a few weeks after her father's death and she had never told anyone about it.
"Have you ever heard the surname Francia?" she finally asked the Prince.
Francia? The surname was quite familiar and it took a few seconds for Orius to recall. "Isn't that the surname of the ruling family of the Cedore Empire?" he asked.
Iria Alewine nodded with a bit of hesitation. "My mother's real name was Wilona Francia," she confessed.
The Francia family. The family was once a powerful military family in the Cedore Empire. They used to run the Francia Army and were loyal to the then imperial family of Cedore. However, the then Emperor was such a tyrant and rumors have it that the cries of the people reached the skies!
Fifteen years ago, several officials turned to Iria's maternal grandfather, who was the Commander of the Francia Army at that time. They wanted him to rebel and took over the throne in order to save the ailing empire.
The Commander was a firm man and his loyalty was regarded as unrivalled. He even disowned his daughter just because she fell for the Commander of an enemy kingdom! As such, he ignored the officials and the cycle went on several times until...
He couldn't see the people suffer anymore. What's more, the empire won't last long if the Emperor didn't change his ways. He met the Emperor and tried to talk some sense into him but... that only triggered the fury of the tyrant Emperor who ordered the Commander to be arrested.
This instantly caused the rebellion and the imperial family were overthrown. Since then, the Francia family became the ruling family of Cedore and the Commander became the new emperor.
He died two years later and he was succeeded by his only son, Iria's maternal uncle.
The Jerivian officials only knew about the rebellion and the change in regime and nothing about the story behind it. Iria didn't know much about it either and just like the officials, she believed that her mother's family rebelled due to greed, because they wanted the throne for themselves.
Her father had always told her that things weren't always like they appeared to be. He also used to tell her not to be indifferent towards her mother's family, saying that no matter what, their blood still flowed in her veins. It was the only teaching of her father which she refused to accept.
When Orius Aventine recalled the incident which he heard as a child, he finally understood what Iria said. The officials were wary of her because of the rebellion which her mother's family led! They are scared that the same thing will happen in Jerivia.
"I don't think that makes sense," he spoke up, breaking the silence that goes on for almost a minute. "One shouldn't be judged because of their origin."
"I know," Iria Alewine promptly said. "But stopping it is beyond my ability. So, I can only try my best to prove myself."
"I know that you're not the type to care about the opinion of the officials," Orius Aventine pointed out with a little smile.
"That's right," Iria mused. "It's fine as long as His Majesty doesn't think the same."
The King again. She had no idea how this title bothered him.
"Then... have you ever met your mother's family?" he asked, hoping to change the topic. He was curious too.
Now that the grandfather had passed away, what did the other family members think of her?
Hearing the question, there was a slight change in the Commander's expression. She wasn't expecting this question. "Once," she muttered after remaining silent for a while. "The current Emperor came to meet me when my father passed away. He offered to take me to Cedore and live with him."
The current Emperor? That means it's their maternal uncle, the only brother of their late mother. He wanted to take her to Cedore?!
"My father told me that my mother had a good relationship with her brother. Even when their father opposed her relationship with my father, the current Emperor was the one who always take my mother's side. Though he can't stand against their father, he helped my mother to escape to Jerivia so that she could marry my father."
Iria briefly paused and said, "You know, she was disowned by her father and she had nothing. She need her brother's help as the journey took more than a week. My father didn't know anything about the family conflict and that's why he couldn't help her. He only knew it when my mother arrived in Jerivia."
Orius Aventine nodded in understanding. "You refused the Emperor's offer?"
"That's a given," Iria uttered. "Jerivia is my home. I won't abandon it for anything."
"He gave up?"
Letting out a sigh, Iria Alewine shook her head. "He would send his men, thrice every year. Each time, the same person came and asked me if I changed my mind. Even when I told him I will never change my mind, he will still come again. I realized that my mother wasn't the only one who is stubborn. Her brother is equally stubborn."
"But you still let him do that," the Prince pointed out. "You don't tell my father or do anything to harm the person though he is from Cedore, our rival empire."
Iria Alewine observed the Prince, trying to figure out what he had on mind. However, he was quite hard to read this time. Then she said, "I know the Emperor cares about me just like he cared for my mother but I can't accept his offer. So, that's the least I can do."
"A family feeling?" Orius asked. He wanted to know what she really think of their mother's family.
"I doubt that," Iria quickly responded. "Family is not all about blood, Your Highness. The Emperor might be my maternal uncle but I had only seen him once. So, I already realized that the time we spent together is what actually bond even a family. Blood-related is important but... it's not everything."
Orius Aventine knew that she had a point. Iria had no idea that they were the living proof. Despite being twins, they were worse than strangers until they went to Qalagon. But... from the way she talked, Orius could sense something.
"It seems like you accept the Emperor," he said after thinking twice. "I mean, as a family."
Iria nodded. "He is someone whom my mother deeply loved. So, I had no reason to hate him. However, I can't still ignore the rebellion." She made a deliberate pause and continued, "But that is not important, Your Highness. I belong to Jerivia and Cedore Empire is still one of our most powerful enemies. I have no intention to create ties with them."
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