The Emperor's Visit

From being a lecturer and head of her academy to the future queen in one day, Lady Giselle became very busy.

She wanted to prepare herself, but there wasn't much she could do. It's a new role, and she would face it not knowing everything.

For someone who's used to being the smartest person in the room, it was really hard.

The first thing she did was fill a big wooden chest with her favorite books. Her mother worried about her dresses, since the ones she had were lovely, but they're not designed or were the right model for a future queen. There was no time to lose. Her mother went straight to the tailor that made the dresses for the Queen Mother and paid them really well to make sure 7 dresses would be ready for Lady Giselle on the day of her wedding.

The tailor must hire a big team to do that, since usually one dress took days to make. But money was powerful, and Lady Giselle would be presentable at the palace.

Next, she tried to find out about the people around the emperor.

Life as a woman was hard in that era. It's very common for a man with good income and background to have more than one woman. A man usually had one wife and several concubines.

Men usually marry in their twenties and women in their teens.

The normal age for girls to marry in that era was seventeen. Lady Giselle was already considered very late to marry at the age of 22. It was like she married at the age of 40.

The emperor's first concubine was Lady Iris Yarrow. From the information Lady Giselle could gather, she's very beautiful, lovely and tall. She's the emperor's cousin from his mother's side, so she was the Queen Mother's choice.

His second wife was Lady Jasmine Kirkhart. She's very charming and gentle, and was the emperor's grandmother's choice.

The emperor was 23 and Lady Iris was 18 when they married. Two daughters and three years later, the emperor married Lady Jasmine when he's 26 and she was 20.

Lady Giselle got her information from her aunts, whose husbands were friends with the Ministers.

His Majesty was kind to his concubines and spent one night each month with either of them.

There was respect and civility, but they said he was not an affectionate man.

Lady Jasmine gave him one daughter.

Indeed, Lady Giselle heard the emperor made more time for his little daughters than with their mothers. He visited them two or three times a week, while their mothers only had a night with him each month.

One night a month was not so bad, Lady Giselle thought. She could handle getting her feelings and emotions so mixed up for a day, then living her own life, peacefully, for the rest of the month.

The Queen Mother seemed very upright and hard to impress, but she doted on the emperor.

The Emperor's Grandmother was warm-hearted and shrewd. She doted on her granddaughter,

Princess Eugenia Hansen, or the emperor's older sister.

Princess Eugenia married the Minister of Finance, the son of the Secretary of State. She was very close with her brother. She's extremely smart, graceful and well-educated. She's the closest person with the emperor beside Lord Richard, the Captain of the Guards.

Since the princess got married, the siblings wrote letters to each other weekly.

"It's obvious that His Majesty shares his thoughts with his sister, and not his concubines," Lady

Giselle's aunt concluded.

Captain Richard has been friends with His Majesty since they were children. He was extremely protective and loyal to the emperor.

Such were the people Lady Giselle would meet once she was in the palace.

Two days after she met the emperor, Lady Giselle sat in on a meeting with her friends, the lecturers at the academy. She had mapped out a plan to make the academy flourish even without her presence.

They would visit her once a week in the palace to report about the school.

"I'm going to miss you very much, Lady," Susanna, one of the teachers said.

"Me too. It wouldn't feel the same without you" Emmeline said.

"But you will be the queen" Sophie added, "I feel that it's the only reason I'm willing to let you go."

Lady Giselle held Sophie’s hand. "I'm going to miss everyone as well. I myself still can't believe what's happening. You must visit me once a week without fail, right? Or else I will feel very lonely."

Alice suddenly appeared, breathless.

"He is here, My Lady! He wants to have tea with you!"

The girls were shocked.

"Who's here?"

Lady Giselle heard her maid the first time, but she just couldn't believe it.

"The emperor, My Lady! He's at the front sitting room!"

"Oh, Gods, he couldn't wait until the wedding day. He must have missed you already!" Emmeline

gushed, before giggling together with the other girls.

Lady Giselle was too embarrassed to respond to that, and she hurried to the front sitting room.

The emperor was indeed there, sitting in front of a pot of tea and biscuits.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

"Good afternoon, My Lady. Have you been well?"

"I'm well thank you, and you?"

"I miss you terribly."

She sat down behind a small table to prevent doing something ridiculous, like falling.

He saw that she was blushing and looking distressed.

"I know you wish for me to watch my words, My Lady. But I can't. I wish to tell you everything."

She felt her cheeks get warm. Why was she so emotional? She's usually calm and collected.

At least they were not alone. Following the etiquette before they were married, Alice and the Captain

were also in the room.

"Come closer, Lady Giselle. Aren't you going to pour some tea for me?"

Taking a deep breath, she stood up and sat in front him, refilling his cup with tea.

They both could see she's trembling. He smiled at that.

"You're really beautiful up close."

She put the teapot down loudly.

"Your Majesty, really! Please spare me!"

"Oh, no, did you just bang a teapot in front of your emperor?"

"The emperor is inconsiderate!"

He laughed at that. The Captain threw him a look, but he didn't realize it. He only laughed like that

with his sister.

"Speaking with you is too fun, My Lady. I think you can heal exhaustion."

Lady Giselle shut her eyes, and pushed herself to continue the conversation.

"I'm not a salve for joint aches nor a tonic."

"I agree. You're neither of those, but you work better."

"Do you really must speak like this???"

"Like what, my Lady?"

"Like you're--"

"Like I'm?"

"Like you're flirting the whole time!"

"I am flirting the whole time with you. It's not a suspicion. It's a fact."

"Dear, Heavens. It's so hard to hear it!"

"Why? How do you feel when I put a lot of sugar on my words?"

"I don't recognize myself when I hear it."

"How do you become?"

"My heart beats too fast and-- and I can't think straight!"

His eyes widened, before he laughed again.

"Oh, my! I love your honesty. It's so delightful. I'm glad you refused all your suitors in the past. They

lost a lot, and I'm blessed."

Lady Giselle looked at him with confusion. He looked so serious in the interrogation room. But that

day he's sitting in front of her, full of smiles, and his eyes were shining.

"How do you usually spend your days, Your Majesty?" she asked, just to distract his attention from

flirting. But he really liked it coming from her, that she’s brave enough to change the emperor’s topic

of conversation.

"I usually wake up at sunrise. Then I wash myself and dress up. Next, I have a stroll in the garden. I

go back to my palace for breakfast, then meet with my ministers and generals until lunch time. After

lunch, I read reports until dinner time. I usually take an evening stroll again before bed."

Lady Giselle nodded, and made a mental note about his habits.

"How about you? How do you spend your days?"

"I usually wake up at sunrise as well. Then I wash up, dress up, and have breakfast with my parents.

Then I'll teach at the academy until lunch time. I usually have lunch with my friends or my students.

Then I'll teach again until tea time. After that, I'll rest or take a walk in the garden. Then I'll plan my

classes for the next day until dinner time. I stop working after dinner. I would just read a novel or ask

our musician to play music. Then I'll write my journal and go to bed."

"You're the first woman I meet who earns her own income," the emperor said with admiration.

"I wasn't looking for income when I started. I didn't need it."

"I can see that."

"But then I have so much. So I invested it."

"On what, Lady? Gold?"

"I have more gold than I need for my entire life. No, I invest in people. Women. Those who left their

abusive husbands, so they could start a small business. Or girls who wish to stop being servants and

open their own tea shops. People like that."

"My, my. Such an amazing woman."

She stared at him.

"Your Majesty, are you naturally a warm man or.......not?"

"Why? Are you doubting my sincerity?"

She didn't answer.

"Silence means yes, you know. People usually perceive me as someone serious and cold. I support

that image. I think it's better to be seen that way as an emperor. But I'm warm to the people I care

about. Like my sister and Richard. And you."

"How about your other wives?"

"Oh? Are you curious, My Lady?"

She was curious, and nodded.

He smiled.

It seemed like he was always smiling or laughing with her.

"They are respectable and generally good women. I respect them. And I am kind to them. But I don't

feel passionate about them. I am grateful and I feel guilty to them. I can't stand.......being with them

for too long. It's not their fault, I'm sure. It's mine."

"My first marriage was arranged. My second was also arranged. I didn't intend to marry them. My

mother and grandmother decided for me. And I thought it was fine. I had to get married anyway."

"After my second wife, I decided that love was not for everyone. Maybe my real wife was my

empire. I was fine loving this kingdom and its people. Then I met you. And I changed my mind.

Maybe love can come to me as well."

She blushed and looked at the window.

"I don't want.......any hatred between me and your two wives."

"That's a sensible thought. And I applaud you for that. My family has promised since I was young

that they'd choose my wives, but I'd choose my queen. It will be you. I'm determined about that. My

wives, Lady Iris and Lady Jasmine are both sensible women. I am optimistic that they would be

respectful to you."

"I want to be respectful to them as well."

"I'm sorry for having wives before you. It's basically just to have the Yarrow and Kirkhart clans

support me."

"You can't change the past."

"But I can choose my future."

Lady Giselle was the one raising her eyebrows by then.

"I expect a very happy and interesting married life with you, Lady Giselle."

"Should I be happy or worried with this high expectation?"

"Be happy."

"My life will entirely change, though. I'm going to leave everything I know, and plunge myself into a

life I know nothing about."

He reached for her hand.

She pulled it back, but he wouldn't let go.

"You'll be able to study more, my Lady. Wouldn't you like that?"

"Yes, I’d love that."

"I'll be good to you."

"When you're tired of me, please let me return to my family."

"I won't get tired of you. Stay by my side until we're old."

She stared at him, then nodded.

"When things get hard at the palace, I'll support you. Worry about nothing, and just stay like you are."

"Yes. I'd like that."

She walked him to the front gates of her pavilion.

"See you on our wedding day, my Lady."

"Yes, Your Majesty. Have a good evening."

"I might have trouble sleeping, though, due to missing you."

She was so taken aback, she ended up staring at her own hands.

"Can't wait to have you by my side all night long."

"Please just go back to your palace now."

His eyes widened.

"Did you just tell me to get out of your sight?"

"Yes. You're too much."

He laughed. They were standing at her garden, he was standing beside his white horse, and his

captain was behind them, but he moved closer to her, asking in a low tone.

"God, Lady Giselle, can I kiss you just once?"

She moved back, but he caught her waist.

"We're not married yet, Your Majesty. Please behave respectably."

"I don't care about having sons. Let's make love on our wedding night."

"Please, just go home."

"Alright, I've troubled you enough today. See you in two days, my Lady."

He rode his horse and galloped away, followed by his captain.

"My Lady, your face is so red," Alice teased.

"Not you as well," she cursed, walking as fast as she could to her bedroom.

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