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Chapter 20 - A Plan of Attack

Aidan returned to the Thomas manor as the midday sun reached its peak.

He found his family gathered in the sitting room, the air thick with tense anticipation.

Their faces lit up when they saw him, expecting news of a victory.

"Well?" the Duke asked, his voice filled with a desperate hope. "Did he agree?"

Aidan didn't answer right away. He walked to the center of the room, sat on the sofa, his shoulders slumped with weariness.

He looked at each of them, his hopeful parents, his anxious brother Finn, his worried wife Emma, and finally, his resolute sister Daphne.

"He agreed," Aidan said, his voice flat.

A collective gasp of relief and joy went through the room, but Aidan held up a hand, silencing them.

"But with a condition. The Emperor said that if we win, the prize cannot be a simple refusal of his proposal to Daphne."

The family's faces fell, their joy turning to confusion.

"What does that mean?" Emma whispered, her cheerful demeanor gone.

"It means," Aidan said, his gaze fixed on the floor, "that if Daphne wins, her wish must be of equal or greater value to the empire itself. Something that serves him and his legacy."

A heavy silence descended upon them. The game had changed. It was no longer a simple contest for freedom, it was a high-stakes political negotiation.

"He's not a fool," Daphne said, her voice surprisingly calm. She was the only one who didn't look shocked. The Emperor's move was exactly the kind of cunning she had gotten used to in her last life.

"This is impossible," Lady Elizabeth whispered, her hand trembling as she clasped her husband's. "How can we possibly know what the Emperor wants more than anything else?"

"We'll find a way," Daphne said, "He wants to play a game? Then we will play to win."

The Duke, who had been listening with a grim expression, nodded slowly. He rose from his seat, his back straight, and walked to the center of the room.

"We cannot leave this to chance," he said, his gaze sweeping over his children. "The competition is a revival of an ancient Imperial tradition. It will not be a single event, but a series of tests, each designed to judge a different facet of a true lady's worth."

He began to count off the segments on his fingers.

"First, there will be the Exhibition of Grace. The competition will begin with a grand ball at the Imperial Palace, where participants will be judged on their poise, their dancing, and their social graces."

He held up a second finger. "Next, the Test of Wit. There will be a series of challenges to judge the mind, riddles, historical questions, and political debates. The Emperor despises ignorance."

"Then, a Display of Talent. The competitors will present a unique skill, be it music, art, or public speaking. The Imperial family has always valued refined abilities."

He paused, a glint in his eye as he held up a fourth finger. "And finally, a Trial of Combat."

The family gasped, their shock palpable.

"Combat? What a bizarre addition to a competition for a lady." Lady Elizabeth exclaimed.

The Duke continued, "A trial to test their strength and their will to defend themselves. No one in the empire knows that Daphne has been training for years. This is our greatest advantage. No one will expect a noblewoman to possess such skill."

"But Father," Aidan said, a note of deep concern in his voice. "The rumors... they say the Empress herself is a formidable swordswoman."

"True, but it is only a rumor."

"A rumor she will use to her advantage," Aidan said, then he turned to his sister, his voice filled with a desperate, fearful honesty. "Are you confident you can beat her, Daphne?"

Daphne looked at her family. She saw their fear, their love, and their desperate hope.

"I was trained by grandfather," she said, her voice clear and strong. "I have beaten every man he put against me, including himself."

The family stared at her, their shock now tinged with awe.

Their grandfather, the legendary martial art grandmaster, was a wizard with a sword, a man they all believed to be invincible.

For Daphne to have not only trained with him but to have beaten him was a revelation that filled them with a profound sense of hope.

The battle for her freedom was now a battle of wits and steel, and Daphne was more than ready.

The silence that followed Daphne's revelation was broken by the Duke.

"Then we have our plan," he said, "We will prepare for a war, and Daphne will be our champion."

"Your mother, Liz, will oversee your preparations for the Exhibition of Grace," he began, looking at his wife. "You must look not just beautiful, but unmatchable. The Empress will try to use her connections to outshine you. You will require new gowns from the best tailors, jewels from the finest houses, and the most exclusive tutors to ensure your every movement is one of flawless poise."

Lady Elizabeth, her fear now replaced with a determined focus, nodded sharply. "We will begin at dawn. Every resource we have will be at our disposal."

The Duke's gaze shifted to Aidan and Finn.

"For the Test of Wit, you two will be her tutors. I want every historical text, every political treatise, every noble family's history in this empire placed before her. You will quiz her every day. Her mind must be a fortress of knowledge."

"We'll start tonight," Finn said, his eyes gleaming with the thrill of the challenge. "She will know more than any court historian."

The Duke then looked at Emma.

"And for the Display of Talent, you will work with your sister. We will also get trusted creatives to mentor you. It must be a talent that is both unexpected and deeply impressive. Something that shows a unique mind. The Emperor is bored with the typical piano recitals and watercolor paintings."

Emma nodded thoughtfully. "We will find something that shows her cunning."

Finally, the Duke turned to Daphne, his expression, a paternal love. "And for the Trial of Combat," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, "that will be our secret. I will personally oversee your training. We will not just sharpen your blade; we will study the Empress's rumored techniques and learn to counter them. You will be prepared for anything she throws at you.You will also perfect your archery. The Empress will never expect a noblewoman who can not only use a sword but also put an arrow through a target at a hundred paces."

The family looked at Daphne, each of them with a new role and a new purpose.

The battle for her freedom was no longer a desperate plea. It was a strategic campaign, and they were ready for the fight.

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