19

"As I said the day before. I will personally interview you all, if you decided to stay in the palace and I'm surprised to see that all of you have stayed behind. But I will be the one to judge is you're really worthy of being in my husband's inner court or not. You have already failed one test." Aria said as he heard gasp upon gasp of the nineteen concubines in front of him."You have failed on multiple occasions, so I don't know why you're still here in my hall, let alone in the palace.Head Maid Eunice, I want you to get the list of these concubines and I will deal with them one by one and see who is worthy of standing beside the emperor one day." Aria said to Eunice who nodded her head not before snickering in her mind.She knew Aria was lying through his teeth when he said these low rank noble folk would one day stand beside the king, knowing full well that he's the only one actually worthy of being beside that asshole Tyler."Lupita Homers. Report to the empress immediately." Head Maid Eunice said as he called upon the tenth concubine forth."Yes indeed milady." Lupita said, she knew of the catastrophy that had befallen lady Loya for being very direct and disrespectful to the Head Maid, she also knows Eunice's blood is of nobility and gentry. Far more noble that all of the concubines there, she came from a line of noble mem and women, her mother a noble woman and her father too a noble gentleman amongst gentlemen."Lupita greets his highness and hope for his victorious long life." Lupita said she bowed in from of Aria."Rise. Take a seat." And so the concubine did."Yes your highness." Lady Lupita said as she sat on the chair that was infront of Aria's desk.The two back at each other as the empress asked the concubine questions to which the concubine answered respectfully and truthfully."Eunice." Aria called to his Head Maid after lady Lupita was out of the room."Yes your highness." The maid called back."I need to you to prepare for a trip to Pool district and Givv district, I need to fix this country. Get everything ready by tomorrow morning, I'll leave in the afternoon." Aria said as he stood and walked out of the room. The room that he was in was his study. The long beautiful mahogany sugar brown wooden shelves that lined the walls were adorned with books upon books. An assortment of fiction, biographies, documentaries, court minutes and all the other kinds of books there were that Aria was fond of. Even some of the duplicates of his children's books were on the shelves.The western wall of the study had a floor to ceiling window that had a crystal like stencil on the inner interface of the glass. This provided a glittery and shiny look when the sun was directly setting across the horizon and the glass window. In the middle of the room were three four seater couches, leather couches at that, not real animal skin though, Aria detested anyone who killed animals for their skin that was why he billed out a law that protected all the animals from getting their skin removed for luxury purposes. But he did creat a company that duplicate the same texture, look and feel that original animal skin have. His company made the best and strongest artificial leather skin or any other skin there is. He then donated it to a citizen who was an animal rights activist.The couches were a gift from said citizen as a thank you for creating the company and for giving it to him to run. The floor was made from red stained meranti boards, a dangerous wood given that the commodity had the ability to puncture the fuck of of your skin with it's splinters, but an even coat of epoxy made the flooring both beautiful and safe to walk on. In between the four artificial leather couches resided a beautiful low lying spiraling leg glass coffee table. The legs looked as if they were roots of a tree holding it up. The glass of course was stainless, how Aria managed to acquire such a rare glass sheet was beyond trifling."Empress I heard that you're leaving tomorrow, is it true?" Tyler asked as he walked through corridors of Aria's palace as he walked to catch up with his wife. His presence made the empress scowled at his bitch ass husband, this man had the nerve to always be around him ever since two months ago."Yes your majesty. It seems I have some business to attend to since his Majesty seems too lazy to attend to himself. Of course the wife has to attend to them." Aria turned around with a beautiful smile and a cold glint in this eyes as he faced his husband in the containment of his palace walls."Oh right." The emperor said as she scratched his nose in embarrassment. He was blushing a little, no one knew why but he's been blushing a lot lately in the empress' presence."Yes is there anything his Majesty wanted to tell this empress?" Aria asked with the most respect and decorum that made Tyler's heart pang a little. He was used to Aria being without a filter and now the empress was vague and void of him and seemed to hold his filter to himself. Tyler had long noticed the changed in aura of his wife, he was more aloof around him, more respectful and less focused on him and affairs. He could feel the distorted and suffocating feeling Aria was conveying by the minute, the empress was uncomfortable and Tyler could see it and he instantly regretted making his wife feel that way."Just be safe out there my wife." Tyler said before turning around and walking back the way he came."If I didn't know better I'd say you're bidding me a final farewell." Aria dropped his words laced a malicious scoff and intent. Tyler froze in his footsteps, his fists clenched and his whole body shook with anger and stood there his mind blank. It was now confirmed that the empress didn't want anything to do with him anymore. He just wanted to wish the empress a safe trip and stay at the districts, but he was misunderstood intentionally or not he had himself to blame for making the empress see him as an untrustworthy person.Aria continued his walked towards his children's bed chambers and left the emperor frozen in his place. Tyler stood there as his shaking body shook from what was once anger to desperate cries of chest pains, he's heart ached and he cried silently as his shoulders shook. He had no reason to cry he had brought this upon himself and he deserved every bit of hate Aria threw at him, at first he didn't care about Aria hating him, but something seemed to have changed within him after the plane crash."Such a weak emperor." Said a soft voice ahead of him, the voice was soft but it held a lot of malice and hate. Tyler pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped away his tears and snort, he proceeded to look at he voice ahead of him and saw his older brother Brian stood there with his hands crossed judging him."Piss off." Tyler snapped proceeding to walk past the older man, but Brian grabbed his wrist and locked him in his place and whispered in his younger brother's ear to hear clearly."If I knew being the emperor meant being married to such a cold and beautiful empress I wouldn't have left the palace to pursue my dream of being a painter." He said slowly and audibly for Tyler to hear, his breath making Tyler's necks hairs stand erect and on alert."I dare you!" Tyler said releasing himself from his brothers grip."I wouldn't. Unlike like you, I have a wife and she's the only I love, respect and care for." Brian said as he walked past his brother towards the way Aria went. He stopped a few meters ahead though and look over his shoulder to his younger brother."Oh and I heard the empress is pregnant. I'd congratulate you but I heard how he conceived them, I don't think it was a happy occasion." He smiled and proceeded to walk ahead and left Tyler yet again frozen to the floor.