Serpent Emperor's Bride-Chapter 101: When the Road Divided Fate

[Silthara Palace — The Departure Court — The Next Morning]

Morning arrived with ceremony.

Unlike the quiet dawn of the previous day, the palace courtyard had awakened early. Servants moved swiftly across the polished stone, guards stood in full armor along the outer arches, and the imperial banners of Zahryssar fluttered high above the gate towers.

Today was not an ordinary day.

Today, the Malika of Zahryssar would depart the capital.

They had been preparing the great courtyard before the eastern gate since before dawn. Horses stood ready, their harnesses decorated with silver ornaments bearing the serpent sigil. The imperial carriage waited at the center, its dark wood polished until it reflected the morning light like glass.

Beside the carriage stood Raevahn and Captain Varesh, both already in armor; neither of them spoke much.

Both watched everything, carefully.

Because Malika’s journey was not a simple visit, not anymore.

Not after the broken seal, not after the strange reports, not after the unease that even the emperor himself had not been able to explain.

Footsteps echoed from the palace stairs.

Every knight present lowered his head at once. Levin descended slowly from the upper terrace, his silver veil resting lightly over his shoulders. The morning wind caught the edge of the fabric and carried it behind him like pale smoke.

His steps were steady, but not as strong as usual. Iru walked beside him, holding a folded cloak for the northern cold, while two attendants followed behind carrying travel satchels filled with medicines and sealed documents.

Raevahn stepped forward immediately and bowed. "Malika."

Levin inclined his head faintly. "Is everything prepared?"

"Yes," Raevahn answered. "The road has been inspected twice. No disturbance was reported along the route."

Captain Varesh added in his deep voice, "The escort will ride ahead and behind the carriage. No one will approach without permission."

Levin nodded.

"Good."

He took a step forward, then—TUG.

A sharp, strange pull tightened suddenly inside his stomach. Levin’s fingers curled slightly at his side. His expression did not change, but his breath paused for the smallest moment.

’Again...?’

He lowered his gaze faintly, pressing his palm lightly against his abdomen beneath the folds of his robe.

"Was the pheromone not enough...?"

The words slipped from his lips in a quiet murmur meant for no one before anyone could notice—a familiar voice came from behind him.

"Are you ready to leave, my moonflower?"

Levin turned. Zeramet stood at the top of the palace steps, descending slowly toward the courtyard. Behind him walked Physician Naram, carrying a small travel case filled with medicines, and several attendants followed with sealed boxes.

The emperor stopped before Levin and reached for his hand without hesitation. His grip was warm, firm, and possessive.

"Take care of yourself," Zeramet said quietly. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

His golden eyes searched Levin’s face as if trying to memorize every detail. "I want my consort unharmed when I come to bring him back."

Levin nodded faintly.

"I will be fine."

Zeramet leaned forward and pressed a slow kiss to his forehead. "I will miss you, my love."

Several knights lowered their eyes instantly. One attendant nearly dropped the bundle he was holding. Even Raevahn coughed lightly and turned his face away.

Levin’s cheeks warmed beneath the veil. "...I will miss you too."

His voice was softer now. Zeramet exhaled quietly, then turned his head sharply toward Naram.

"I am leaving my consort in your care." The warmth vanished from his tone. "Report every change. Every pain. Every cough. Every breath."

Naram bowed deeply. "Yes, Malik."

Zeramet narrowed his eyes slightly. "And do not dare hide anything from me."

"I would not dream of it."

Behind them, Naburash stepped closer to Iru, speaking in a low voice. "Did you take everything required?"

Iru nodded immediately. "Yes. Fur blankets, cushions, warming oils, medicines, and the tablets from Lord Naram."

Naburash’s gaze lingered on the travel cases for a moment longer than necessary.

"...Good."

Raevahn stepped forward. "Malika... it is time."

Levin nodded; he turned toward the carriage.

Captain Varesh moved first, opening the door with a firm motion. The door swung wide, and the entire courtyard froze. Light reflected from inside the carriage like the interior of a royal treasury.

Levin stopped.

Raevahn blinked.

Iru stared.

Even Naram’s mouth opened slightly.

"...What..." Levin stepped closer slowly, staring inside. "...What happened to the carriage...?"

Inside—There were cushions, not one or two or ten. The entire carriage had been turned into something between a royal bedchamber and a temple offering hall.

Thick fur blankets covered every surface. Soft silk pillows were stacked along the walls. Golden curtains blocked the sunlight completely.

Small crystal charms hung from the ceiling, glowing faintly with protective magic. The seats had been replaced with a wide reclining couch.

A brazier with warming stones sat in the corner. There was even a small table filled with medicines, fruits, and sealed water jars.

Levin turned slowly.

Zeramet stood proudly with his arms folded; his expression said very clearly:

’Yes. I did this.’

"...Zer..."

Levin stared at him in disbelief. "This is too much."

Zeramet frowned immediately.

"Too much?" He looked at the carriage, then back at Levin, as if the idea itself were absurd. "Consort, you are carrying my children, and you are traveling across half the world."

He walked closer and lowered his voice.

"If it were up to me, I would have sent the entire palace with you."

Several guards tried very hard not to laugh. Zeramet continued, completely serious; he pointed upward. "No sun will touch you, no desert wind will reach you."

He gestured to the curtains.

"Arkhazunn placed three layers of protective spells. One for heat, one for cold, and one for impact."

Arkhazunn, standing in the distance, raised his hand proudly. Zeramet nodded once. "And I ordered the wheels reinforced with silver iron so the carriage will not shake."

Levin stared at him in silence.

"...Zer."

"Yes?"

"...This looks like a moving chamber."

Zeramet thought for a moment, "...That is because it is."

Raevahn turned his face away. Varesh covered his mouth. Iru coughed to hide a laugh.

Levin closed his eyes briefly and sighed, "...You are impossible."

Zeramet stepped closer and held his arm gently.

"You are bearing a child." Then he looked at the carriage again, "...Honestly, I still think this is not enough."

Levin opened his eyes again and stared at him in disbelief.

"Not enough...?"

Zeramet looked entirely serious.

"If the road were shorter, I would have ordered a second carriage behind this one... only for cushions."

Raevahn turned away immediately. Varesh coughed so hard he had to clear his throat twice. Even Naram lowered his head to hide a smile.

Levin shook his head faintly, surrendering.

"...Alright." His voice softened. "I shall leave before you decide to send the entire palace with me."

Zeramet did not deny it. Instead, he reached for Levin’s hands again, holding them carefully between his palms as though they were something fragile.

For a moment he said nothing; the courtyard grew quiet around them. Even the wind seemed to slow.

Then Zeramet lifted Levin’s hands and pressed his lips against one... then the other.

A rare gesture, not of passion, not of possession, but of devotion.

"Take care," he said quietly.

His forehead touched Levin’s knuckles for a brief moment before he released them.

"Do not forget to rest." His golden eyes searched Levin’s face. "And do not pretend to be strong when you are not."

Levin’s expression softened faintly beneath the veil, "I will remember."

Zeramet’s hand rose once more, this time resting lightly against Levin’s cheek through the thin cloth.

"...Return safely, my moonflower."

Levin nodded.

Then he turned, and without another word, he walked toward the carriage. Captain Varesh held the door open. Raevahn stepped aside, bowing deeply as the Malika passed.

Levin placed one foot on the step—paused—and for the smallest moment, his hand pressed again against his stomach beneath the robe.

That faint tug, still there, but he said nothing. He stepped inside. The cushions shifted softly as he sat, the carriage truly more comfortable than any royal chamber.

Iru climbed in after him with Lyreshph and Asha, arranging the blankets immediately as if preparing a nest rather than a seat.

"Are you comfortable, Malika?"

Levin nodded faintly, "Yes... more than necessary."

Outside, Zeramet stood unmoving. His eyes did not leave the carriage, not even for a breath.

The driver took the reins, the horses shifted, and the wheels creaked softly against the stone. Then the imperial carriage began to move.

Slowly at first, rolling across the spacious courtyard. Passing beneath the banners of Zahryssar. Through the towering eastern gate.

Zeramet remained standing where he was, his arms folded. His golden eyes fixed on the departing carriage until it became smaller...

...and smaller...

...and finally disappeared beyond the palace walls.

Only then did he exhale, a long breath.

"...Return quickly," he murmured to the empty air; behind him, the palace resumed its motion.

Servants walked; guards changed posts. The morning continued, but far beyond the gates of Zahryssar, the road to the north had already begun to carry the Malika toward Thalryn.

Toward his father, toward a reunion long awaited, and toward a fate that neither he...nor the emperor watching the horizon...could yet see approaching.

***

[Towards the Thalryn Empire — Inside the Imperial Carriage — Later]

The imperial carriage moved steadily along the long road that stretched north from Zahryssar.

Outside, the desert wind had begun to cool as the sun climbed higher, but inside the carriage the air remained perfectly warm. The protective spells placed by Arkhazunn shimmered faintly along the curtains, keeping the heat away and the motion smooth as though the wheels barely touched the ground.

Soft cushions surrounded Levin on every side. Yet even he had to admit... the emperor’s absurd preparations made the journey easier.

Across his lap, Asha slept curled in a small golden bundle of fur, her tail twitching faintly in dreams. Beside her, Lyresaph lay stretched along Levin’s legs, as if guarding him even in sleep.

Levin rested his hand gently over them, his gaze drifting toward the window, the road moved slowly past.

Sand.

Stone.

Distant hills fading into the horizon. For a long moment he said nothing, then his thoughts spoke where his lips did not.

’Once I reach Thalryn...I must find a way to end the Black Serpents.’

His expression grew quieter and more serious.

’The children I carry... should not be born into a world where they must fight a war that began long before them.’

The carriage rolled over a slight rise in the road, the motion so smooth it felt almost unreal. Levin leaned back against the cushions, closing his eyes briefly.

’Perhaps...’ His thoughts hesitated. ’Perhaps I should ask her. Will she step forward if I do? After all... she was once meant to be my wife.’

The memory felt distant now, like something from another life. He sighed quietly and turned his head toward the window again. The road had widened where two trade routes crossed, and another carriage approached from the opposite direction.

Plain.

Unmarked.

No sigils.

No banners.

Just a simple traveling carriage moving toward Zahryssar.

Levin’s eyes narrowed slightly, "...Whose carriage is that?"

Iru, who had been arranging the blankets near his feet, lifted his head and leaned slightly toward the window.

He looked out for a moment before answering.

"Most likely an envoy, Malika." His voice remained calm. "Zahryssar receives travelers every day. Merchants, nobles, pilgrims... sometimes even foreign messengers."

Levin hummed softly.

"I see."

The two carriages passed closer now, for a brief moment, the sunlight struck the opposite window at just the right angle, and Levin saw a face.

A woman.

Pale skin, familiar eyes.

His breath paused.

’...Aelira?’

He leaned forward slightly, looking again through the glass, but the moment passed. The carriage rolled on. The other vehicle continued toward Zahryssar without slowing.

Levin blinked once, then leaned back again against the cushions.

’No...Why would she be here? She should be in Thalryn... waiting.’

He exhaled softly and closed his eyes, "...I must be imagining things."

Across his lap, Asha shifted in her sleep. Lyresaph flicked his tail once and settled again. The carriage continued north, and behind them—The unmarked carriage continued south.

Inside it, Aelira Veyrhold sat in silence, her eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Toward the palace of the Serpent Emperor, and toward a game she had already decided to play. One that would bring her closer—Not to her brother, but to her brother’s husband.

The road stretched between the two carriages, and neither traveler yet knew—That the moment they passed each other... fate had already begun to tighten its grip.