I had dressed myself in a dark blue robe-like gown that engulfed me warmly. The weather had taken a drastic turn for the worst and winter, unfortunately, was upon us. The winds were chilly and the sun’s warmth was washed away from the frost that settled around us. Especially since I was colder than most people, I couldn’t afford to dress lightly. Even though the dress was beautiful and fitting for an Empress, it washed me out.
I had to deal with matters of the Empire and do my duty as the Queen. I slowly placed a gold choker necklace around my neck, my fingers working leisurely. I had wanted to be by myself today as I dressed myself. There were times when I didn’t want the maidservants fussing over me and fixing every detail of me. My hair was the only thing I had allowed them to do. They had oiled it a bit to add shine, and had clasped it behind my head in gold and silver clips.
My fingers brushed over the various cosmetics on my tabletop and I froze over the red tint. My skin was a ghastly white color, so adding color to my cheeks was a must. However, I hated the feeling of anything on my skin. It was unfortunate that my skin wasn’t the rosy and creamy complexion it used to be. My fingers curled around the container. I unscrewed it and dabbed my finger into the red gummy-like cosmetic. Bringing it to my cheeks, I smeared a bit on both sides of my cheeks. I rubbed my fingers in circular motions, and once it was thoroughly blended, I stared at my reflection. There was some life to my dead appearance, fortunately. I dabbed a bit more on my lips.
There was a light rapping on my door. “Your Majesty, are you ready?”
I picked up my black robe and draped it over myself. It was thick and rich, with gold clasps around the edges. An emblem of the sun was fastened at the top of it. I clasped it around my neck before glancing at my reflection once more. My crown was heavy on my head, glimmering gold. Since we were such a rich empire, there were multiple crowns to choose from. This one that I chose to wear for today was studded with sapphires.
“I’m ready,” I said calmly.
Gathering my wits and steeling my resolve, I made my way to the door before pulling it open. Nauny was standing in front of me with her expression pinched and her pert nose sticking up in the air. She looked down at me with those disapproving eyes and regarded me callously. A part of me was ticked off with her expression. “The representative from Oriksum has arrived,” she said matter-of-factly. She straightened her spine and walked down the hall. I trailed after her. “He is the nephew of the King of Oriksum. Lord Huni.”
The matter of Oriksum had been discussed a few months prior and yet everything seemed to be happening so quickly. The distaste in Nauny’s eyes were clear as she flicked her gaze at my outfit. I knew without even having to ask that she wanted me to wear more gold than I was already wearing. She always made a point of it. We were the Da’al Empire, the richest and most prosperous empire of all the lands. Showering ourselves with gold was a custom for us, to show how noble and worthy and rich we were. I was weighed down with gold, but Nauny always insisted on more, more, and more. She surprised me by saying, “You look like a regal Queen.”
I didn’t say anything. Nauny had been with me as my tutor since I was a child, so it wasn’t like I could speak to her in any other manner. I had gotten used to her quirks and disapprovals. Unlike Pageti, I needed Nauny by my side. Although she wanted more power, I knew that handling her correctly was for the best of the empire and myself. She was smart and an asset to me.
Though, I had to admit I preferred my other advisor, Faihon, more than Nauny. He was gentler, calmer, and less power-hungry than she was. He was also a close friend of mine—one of the few people that I actually trusted. Though, since he wasn’t in the empire at the moment, I had to mainly deal with Nauny.
“He’s been waiting in the throne room for a good portion of the morning. His patience is wearing thin.”
“I had no idea he arrived,” I said.
“He arrived yesterday,” she sharply answered. She breathed through her nose. My fingers twitched at her behavior. I hated how she was always so stiff and stern. However, I controlled my expression and my own feelings towards her. “He was sent to sleep and settle in. This morning, you were supposed to greet him.”
“It’s still morning.”
“He’s waited too long.”
“I am the Queen,” I snapped. My neck felt heavy with all the gold pressed against my body. As we passed a hallway with the windows flung open, I felt a chill in my bones. I caught a glance at rooftops and tiny houses that blurred together into what was known as the capital. “It is expected that people wait for me.”
Nauny clamped her mouth shut but the hostility in her eyes never left her. I was sure that she was wishing that I would fall into depravity and wither away like my sister, so that someone else would take the throne and she wouldn’t have to deal with me anymore. She had wanted Abar to take the throne since Abar was easy to manipulate, and she probably wouldn’t have minded if Pageti took over since she could easily wind her around her fingers, but I was a different matter. I didn’t budge and recently, I had taken absolute control of my empire and all the affairs concerning the empire. There was no wiggle room for her to work independently.
The nearer we drew to the throne room, the more soldiers I saw lining the walls and the halls. They all dropped to their knees when I approached, all of them keeping their gazes averted. It never failed to amaze me that not many dared to meet my eyes. It was rude to blatantly stare into the eyes of the Queen and Empress of the empire without having any familiarity or reason to. Though, I wondered what I would find if I gazed into their eyes.
Comments (4)
See all