New Members Of The Empire

"They're both in retreat. Queen Sarah swore she'd stay in retreat for a year. Queen Sia swore she'd stay in for two. Maybe they made a bet or something." Alison said.

What Alison didn't say was both the Queens entered the retreat with shaky legs and cursed their husband. Whenever she asked Varian why they were cursing him, he'd just smile smugly before making a depressed face while quoting some weird one-liners that the rather innocent Alison who lost her husband early on couldn't understand.

'The Queens can't handle the throne.'

'I'm suffering from success.'

'They depend on each other…desperately.'

'I don't know if I should be proud or worried.'

Alison was sure that Varian meant something weird with those words. But she didn't ask anymore since it concerned their private life.

'But what can make a man both smug and depressed at the same time? That too, someone like him?'