Chapter 0 "Where everything started"
At midnight, when darkness engulfs the empire of Sevaen, leaving the royal palace still coated with bright light ,announcing the people inside are awake and working. Such work is left for the high aristocrats of the empire to handle affairs which meant nothing to the common folk. They knew that they planned great things on improving their situation in war.
But little did they know... were they wrong...
"The emperor has been ill for 2 years!"
A blast of noise banged like a thunder through the door, even servants can hear.
"The people have no reassurance than we can win this dreaded war, let us take the inheritance into matters, I'm afraid they are right, dear empress"
An old man with a bald head and eyes drooping than you can see he was waiting to end this meeting and run to his bed even though he is weak and old to.
But no one seems to listen to the poor old man since everyone from their seats were jumping out like frogs, croaking to prove their point. The old man, wet from sweat, as if he took a bath, stared at the empress, looking for an answer. An answer was the only goddamn thing they were trying to find. Everyone was noisy as a busy market while the empress sat with her blank, grey eyes. Eyes that symbolized her family's name. She stared at the door with no sign of fear or doubt but seemed to analyze the situation, trying to find peace for this bloody market.
She never blinked and looked at one direction despite the chaos. The moment she blinked to look at the aristocrats was the moment they stopped and sat to their respective seats.
"Count Gravorne" she said in a calm manner.
"Your imperial majesty..." A man in his 50s stood and tidied his coat.
" How old are my sons?"
" The eldest, nine and the youngest, five , your imperial majesty..."
"And my twin daughters?"
"Both are ten..."
She looked at him with eyes piercing like daggers.
"Have you perhaps tried to find the problem, my lord?
"I-I- th-there-i-is no ch-choi-"
"Spit it or I do it for you"
"Pardon me, your imperial majesty, but the crown prince is our only hope on winning this war..."
Silent was the room after his answer.
"Hmm...yes indeed..." she said in a dissatisfied tone.
"Put a crown over a seedling, give it water and food, ten times than it needs, and the plant falls from the heavy gold"
The man kept looking on other directions, trying to find defense on his point but the empress locked gaze into him.
"You put responsibility on a child who has only started to learn the basics ,are you all desperate to show the enemy a child? Are you trying to tell them that their kingdom is in a disaster because of my son? What is my son? Your scapegoat?"
The count said no response knowing his defeat from the empress words. He sat as he failed.
"Have you all perhaps forgotten the person in power here? Should I give you all a reminder that the empress is second to the emperor himself?"
Everyone knew that but disregarded it as an unimportant position since they considered the empress as no part of the war.
She gazed towards the chandelier at the ceiling of the room. Her gray eyes reflected little flames from the candle, as if hiding a part of her that made her a Lanyrelle.
But at this struggling times, there was no other option for who was she to sacrifice her children for the game, the adults play?
"The emperor will handle the war as it should be"
The men stared at each other in complete confusion. "But the emperor is in no condition to fight"
Bloody fools.
"I said the emperor will be ready in about two months... I assure you that when the time comes, he will be in front lines to take charge"
Yet they had no clue what she was trying to imply.
"After all, we need support from the Yorfords whose power is in the battlefield"
"But your imperial majesty!" Duke Edgard opposed of the idea needing the Yorfords.
"The Yorfords has conflict going with the imperial family for years and is ever in undying loyalty with your family, how can-" and that's when he realized. The moment he knew what the empress has come in mind.
"Exactly it's just as you have said...the Yorfords have an alliance of loyalty from the Lanyrelles"
Not a second has the aristocrats kept up with what the empress meant. It's a surprise that they knew it quite fast especially with their slow minds. They jumped from their seats like the frogs they are, in protest of the empress' idea.
"Your imperial majesty!"
"You cannot!"
"This is outrageous!"
The old man turned to the empress with eyes concerned for her.
"Dear empress, you surely don't mean to come to the battlefield yourself?"
Yet the empress closed her eyes with disapproving comments on her. Even given with he answer, the room only got wilder even more.
She stood from her chair in a sudden and shouted in a serious yet loud voice.
"You will all heed as I command you!"
The sudden response gave chills to the aristocrats and stopped in silence once again.
"If there's any reason that this war is getting bigger is that the ones who are supposed to lead it are ignorant and fat as pigs!"
She looked at them with eyes, shining in anger as if growling to show authority.
"If any of you is too dull to understand, I will handle this situation with the name of emperor temporarily"
"You're imperial majesty, this cannot be done! A woman cannot-"
"I specifically said that I'll handle it with the name of the emperor"
The old man despite his old age, was able to get what she said.
"Dear empress, don't you mean to portray the emperor's presence in battlefield?"
"The citizens need an emperor to reassure them safety and that they don't need another emperor" she stated to make their blabbering stop.
"To be certain, an untrained woman cannot instantly became good at combat...but I have do have the knowledge to at least lead the main battle at Havon"
The room were mixed and chopped into emotions of disapprovement , doubt, fear and desperation. They still weren't sure if they could arrive of it.
"Fine then... It's either a woman leads or a child to ride a horse" she proclaimed. Giving them no choice and the house of every aristocrat about to bankrupt, the empress' chair was bigger than among them as if there was no emperor at all or at their eyes, she was emperor.
They raised their hand in agreement with faces similar to the old man himself.
As the aristocrats left the room, only the empress and the old man was alone. The empress still in her position even when everyone had gone outside.
The old man not wanting to leave the empress as if waiting for an answer to decline this plan, stared at her.
At last, she stood up and opened to the door when there was no one left in the corridor. The old man stood and walked feebly, gaining little pace to her.
"Empress! Where might you be headed? If this plan of yours is guaranteed, then I can only advice you to advance to your bedchambers" he said tired of walking in the halls.
"This empire is torn in half with the opposing Eeveras kingdom and it's supporters have might in not only sea but also land while these so called nobles trade money and people to maintain peace as if it's going to stop it" she thought and even believed to herself that it was an uncertain plan. But if it meant to keep her children safe, it wouldn't matter what it costed. She stopped and finally the old man was able to gain at her. He stopped and panted, trying to talk.
She gazed at the emperor's own armor whose not been worn since the 17th. It's armor shined like silver, and red to compliment the imperial sigil.
It was not hers yet it was a task to be done. She saw her reflection in the crown that sat at it's head. She never thought to wear that crown and felt like a child again who wished of becoming a perfect empress for the empire. But now, no one would know who wields the sword for they will cheer for the emperor. Always the emperor.
There was no time for rethinking decisions.
" Grand priest..."
The old man looked at her.
"Your imperial majesty?"
She returned the gaze with eyes of hard steel.
"Send word of my arrival to the front lines in about 2 months...but only to the Yorfords..."
Little did she know that her presence as emperor would change the empire and her fate. She comes in choice of choosing her duty over herself... How difficult the fate Tarvyra Lanyrelle Tarrister has...