Chapter 383: Imperial Priorities

Chapter 383: Chapter 383: Imperial Priorities

Liam had approached the scheduling meeting with a plan.

It was, in retrospect, the first mistake.

He sat at the long table in his private office with a cup of coffee near his elbow, three open tablets in front of him, and the increasingly optimistic belief that if he shifted enough ceremonial obligations into larger combined appearances, he might reclaim several entire afternoons for engineering work.

Rubis sat opposite him in dark Nurian formalwear, one leg crossed over the other while he moved appointments between calendars with the calm precision of someone who had already anticipated every attempted escape.

Kamal occupied the chair at the end of the table.

He had brought tea.

That should have been Liam’s second warning.

"I think this works," Liam said, studying the week displayed before him. "Move the agricultural delegation to Thursday after the infrastructure committee, combine the veterans’ reception with the foundation dinner, and cancel this."

Rubis did not look up.

"No."

Liam tapped the offending appointment.

"It says social gathering."

"Yes."

"That is not a duty."

Kamal took a slow drink of tea.

Rubis finally lifted his eyes.

"It is an imperial reception hosted by Lady Mariel Voren for members of six old Nurian houses, several newer commercial families, and representatives from the western provinces."

"So a social gathering."

"For the Empress Consort."

Liam leaned back.

"That still sounds suspiciously social."

"It is intended to be."

"I am not seeing how that helps my argument."

Rubis slid another schedule onto the central display.

"It does not."

Liam looked toward Kamal.

The older man offered no assistance.

"You are supposed to be reasonable."

"I am."

"You have said nothing for ten minutes."

"I have learned that silence allows Rubis to become the primary target."

Rubis smiled faintly.

Liam looked between them.

"This was an ambush."

"No," Rubis said. "An ambush would imply you had a reasonable chance of escape."

Liam stared at him.

Kamal’s mouth twitched.

Liam returned to the schedule.

There had to be something removable.

The problem was that most of the items were irritatingly defensible.

A morning audience with representatives from the northern reconstruction districts.

A visit to an imperial hospital expansion funded from the crown’s restoration budget.

Two charitable foundations requesting the Empress Consort as patron.

A formal dinner for foreign scientific delegates.

The social reception.

Then another reception.

Liam frowned.

"Why are there two?"

"Different purposes."

"They both involve standing around while people talk to me."

"That description applies to a concerning amount of government."

"Which means we should reduce it."

Rubis folded his hands.

"Your engineering review is Friday afternoon."

"I need more than one afternoon."

"You have Wednesday morning."

"I have a core regulator inspection Wednesday morning."

"That is not part of your official responsibilities."

Liam looked offended.

"It absolutely is."

Kamal set down his tea.

"No. It is something you choose to do because you are an engineer."

Liam turned toward him.

Kamal continued with unfortunate patience.

"You are also Empress Consort of Nuria."

"I am aware."

"Then you know which role takes precedence when the schedules conflict."

Liam opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Rubis returned to his tablet.

Liam hated when they were correct in coordinated fashion.

"I can do both."

"You do," Kamal said. "Constantly."

"That sounded like criticism."

"It was observation."

Rubis adjusted one item by twenty minutes.

"You have been very good at maintaining administrative obligations, but you continue to treat public appearances as optional additions."

"They are mostly people looking at me."

"They are people meeting their empress."

Liam’s expression flattened.

Rubis met it without concern.

"You cannot govern entirely through reports and technical committees. Some of these families have only seen you during formal state events. Others have never spoken to you at all."

"They can send messages."

Kamal laughed quietly.

Liam looked at him.

"You have lived for almost a century. Surely you understand the value of avoiding unnecessary conversation."

"I understand it intimately."

"Thank you."

"I also understand that imperial duties remain duties even when unpleasant."

Liam’s satisfaction disappeared.

"That was treacherous."

Kamal picked up his tea again.

"You will survive."

Liam looked at the social reception.

"How long?"

Rubis answered immediately.

"Three hours."

"No."

"Two and a half."

"One."

"Two."

"An hour and a half."

Rubis considered him.

"Two, and you may leave without staying for supper."

Liam narrowed his eyes.

"That was already your acceptable minimum."

"Yes."

"You negotiate like Arik."

"I consider that insulting."

Kamal’s shoulders moved with suppressed laughter.

Liam ignored him.

"Fine. Two hours."

Rubis marked it confirmed before Liam could reconsider.

The small green indicator beside the event felt unnecessarily triumphant.

Liam reached for his coffee.

"If I am attending, Arik is coming."

Rubis paused.

Kamal looked over.

Liam drank calmly.

"You cannot object."

"I have not."

"You were about to."

Rubis’s expression remained neutral.

"The Emperor already has a military council scheduled during the first half."

"Move it."

"That council includes Severin, Mezos, and three regional commanders."

"Move them too."

Kamal raised an eyebrow.

Liam looked at him.

"What?"

"You appear remarkably comfortable rearranging the emperor’s government when your own social obligations become inconvenient."

"I learned from Arik."

"That explains several things."

Rubis checked the imperial calendar.

"He could join for the second hour."

Liam shook his head.

"No. If I have to arrive alone, I will spend the first hour being introduced to people while everyone behaves formally because they are trying to determine what I am like without Arik standing beside me."

"That is partly the purpose."

"I reject the purpose."

"You cannot reject social integration."

"I can if my husband is emperor."

Rubis stared at him.

Liam stared back.

Kamal eventually sighed.

"I can already see how this ends."

Rubis looked toward him.

"With the Emperor attending?"

"With Liam going to Arik directly and persuading him anyway."

Liam smiled.

"Exactly."

Rubis closed his tablet.

"Then I will save myself the additional paperwork and ask the military council to begin earlier."

"See? Efficient."

"I do not enjoy when you use that word to justify yourself."

Liam took another sip of coffee.

The office door opened without ceremony several minutes later.

Arik entered wearing black trousers and a dark gold-trimmed shirt, one hand carrying a report he clearly had not finished reading. His gaze moved from Rubis to Kamal, then to Liam.

He slowed.

"What happened?"

Liam smiled.

Arik immediately became suspicious.

"What did you agree to?"

"A social gathering."

Arik stopped beside his chair.

"You?"

Liam’s expression hardened.

"Yes, me."

Arik bent and kissed the top of his head.

"I am proud of you."

"Do not be."

Kamal looked away.

Rubis remained professionally blank.

Liam caught Arik’s wrist before he could move.

"You are coming."

Arik glanced at Rubis.

Rubis gave the smallest possible nod.

"I see."

"You are not abandoning me there."

"I would never."

"You have a military council."

"Had."

Rubis made a quiet sound that might have been irritation.

Arik smiled.

Liam tightened his grip.

"And you are staying the full two hours."

Arik leaned closer.

"Possessive."

"This is survival."

"I approve either way."

Liam released him.

Arik pulled another chair closer and sat beside him, immediately stealing Liam’s coffee.

Liam stared at the cup in his hand.

"That is mine."

"We are married."

"That does not make beverages communal property."

"It should."

Rubis opened the schedule again.

"Since His Majesty is now participating, may we continue?"

Arik took another drink.

Liam looked at the calendar filled with audiences, receptions, committees, visits, and the increasingly limited spaces where he could hide among technical reports.

He sighed.

"Fine."

Kamal smiled.

Liam pointed at him.

"Do not look pleased. I am still removing one of these dinners."

"You may attempt it."

Rubis’s tone suggested the outcome had already been decided.

Arik settled an arm around the back of Liam’s chair.

Liam leaned against him despite himself.

If he had to spend two hours learning which noble had married whom, whose family controlled which province, and who had opinions about the imperial restoration, then Arik was going to suffer beside him.

That, at least, felt appropriately marital.