Season 3: Chapter 22

                                        

                                              
The first assassination attempt came the day after Emberlee's debut and Prince Damien's proposal; sloppy and obvious but almost unexpected so soon. She'd danced with her Father, Oberon, Prince Damien, all of her Vassals, and even Princess Vivian until the sun had risen. At that point, even Emberlee was thoroughly sick of political small talk and made her exit with her Father as a proper escort. She may be an adult now, but Emberlee cherished being his little girl for as long as she had her Father around.
It wasn't a far journey to take her from the Imperial Hall to her current residence in the long-term guest wing, the only people in the halls were Imperial Guards on patrol or servants tending to their duties. So it was a little surprising when the maid passing them in the hall suddenly spun with a knife in her hand. The only advantage the woman had was that Father had been tired and dressed for a Ball; attacking an experienced and battle-tested General in any other conditions would just be suicide. As it was she'd made no noise, just the swish of her feet moving almost silently as she struck at Emberlee, but her Father easily deflected the blow; a tear of fabric and the splatter of blood on the stones were the only sounds. 
Until Emberlee loudly bellowed for the Guards, even as she stepped at an angle to stash down. The blood sword Prince Damien had gifted her for exactly this purpose cut through the assassin's arm like a warm knife in butter, feeling almost no resistance as it parted the hand from the rest of the body. Now the assassin screamed in pain, an ear-piercing shriek as she clutched at her bloodied stump. The stomp of several Guards tramped in, circling the bloodied maid, her severed hand and the knife.
Two Guards escorted both Emberlee and her Father, and she couldn't fault their professionalism in securing the assassin before she could commit suicide, ensuring there was no other attack occurring, and treating her Father's wound. They even checked to verify if the knife had been poisoned, but the attack hadn't been that well planned. 
"Was that sword you called the relic Need?" Her Father asked, face a little pale with the blood loss and pain. 
The Guard had wrapped his arm and secluded them in Emberlee's room after sweeping it for other assassins, so she brought her Father to the bed to rest. "The blood sword?" Prince Damien hadn't called it that when he gave it to her, but he had heavily implied it. "The Imperial Crown Prince gifted it to me after Jimena killed Deirdre." 
"How long have you and the Imperial Prince been in a relationship?" he seemed to believe it was a true Romance. 
"I first met Prince Damien while speaking to his Imperial Majesty," It felt strange to not quite lie to her Father, but she didn't want to break his heart with the truth. "There was certainly a special chemistry kindled then." She'd told him he was wrong to doubt her, and challenged him to try and take her
Envoy duties from her; he'd implied she lacked the gumption to do what it takes to get the job done. "After that, our meetings may have been limited or brief, but they were all memorable." 
"You're not the little lady I left behind to serve as Emperor's General," her Father sounded wistful, "but I can't say I'm surprised you decided to take the entire Nation on, you've been an excellent Marchioness." He patted her hand, still refusing to release his grip on her, "I just worry because you're my little girl and I never wanted you to face all these burdens you've had to bear." He wasn't just talking about the assassination attempt. 
Thankfully she was spared having to respond by the Imperial Physician entering. It was the same one that had taken care of Emberlee after her collapse, a rather young Physician originally selected to be Imperial Princess Vivian's caretaker only. Now the poor woman had inherited Emberlee, and by extension her Father. 
"Thank you for tending to my Father," Emberlee didn't want to ask for favours, but gladly accepted the assistance now, "I know how important your duties are, and I truly appreciate that the Imperial Princess sent her Physician to attend." They both knew that Physician Vera had been told to attend to any medical instance Emberlee was a part of by the Imperial Crown Prince, but that admission would lead to unwanted questions by her Father.