My Palace of Tranquility soon became the most sought out place in the entire Empire. Ao-ye came in, with a sulky expression. He had been tasked with turning back the mammoth crowd all day, under the sun, while I relaxed in my gazebo over tea and leafed through medical texts.
"Your Majesty, they're all on their knees in front of the door, and won't leave,"
I turned my head to look at his dark, scowling face.
"If they were ordinary citizens, I would come out. But I really don't want to see those two faced officials,"
"There are ordinary citizens outside too!" Ao-ye said quickly.
I laughed, seeing his desperation.
"Probably ordinary citizens that the officials have bribed into saying certain things," I replied smugly, "kneeling in the sun is good exercise for those obese officials,"
Ao-ye got mad.
"Your Majesty, you're indirectly insulting the Former Emperor!"
I rolled my eyes. He simply would not let it slide if I tarnished the image of his beloved master.
"Well, what do you want me to do?" I pushed the decision onto him. He snapped his fingers and my little maid, Rumi, appeared next to him.
"Help her majesty up,"
"I can get up by myself, thanks," I rose and patted down my tunic. I'd resorted to dressing like an Hakorhi mage! Aunt Royan and Savitria complained to no end, but they had to comply with the Empress' wishes.
Walking towards the entrance, Ao-ye and Rumi fell into step behind me. The trees lining the sides of the pavement were in full bloom, dutiful gardeners clipping away at the hedges, bowing as I went past. How many people did the palace even support?! The gardeners for my palace alone were about thirty, and the other day I heard them quarrelling about the flower arrangement.
"Tsk," I shook my head, but my retainers had no idea what I was thinking.
The door was pulled open when I came to it, and I stood at the top of the steps and looked at the scores of people on their knees below.
"Your Majesty!" they all chanted excitedly when they saw me.
"Yes, yes? What do you want?" I didn't give them any face. The spokesman was a stocky man who belonged to the West Faction, whatever that was. I didn't even know his name. But then, such things had never appealed to me.
"Your Majesty, pardon these ignorant subjects for disturbing the Tranquility Palace. However, when we weighed the odds of offending Her Majesty, or--"
"Get to the point," I snapped. It was such pointless ramble that I hated the most.
"Pardon, pardon this ignorant subject..we officials are from the West Faction. We came to congratulate Her Majesty on her coronation--"
"You've already done that last week," I replied glumly.
"Ahem...we... this subjects have come to beg a favor of Her Majesty,"
"That's more like it,"
"We....every citizen of Canolita know how great the service of the Kushads are to this Empire--"
Ooh? So they were Elvin Kushad's people?
"--following Your Majesty's victory at the Rashar Plains, these subjects beg that Your Majesty grant the millitary tally to the Commander once more--so that these subjects may be at peace,"
"In other words," I said unkindly, "you are not at peace as long as the tally remains with me?"
"No...no...these subjects don't dare! Her Majesty has misinterpreted--"
"Are you doubting this Empress'prescence of mind?" I used one of Father's lines on them.
"No.... no!" sweat ran down his neck, "this subject doesn't dare... doesn't dare..."
"Your Majesty," came a smooth voice from the back of the crowd, and I watched as they parted to let him through, "only with the influence of the Former Emperor, you are bullying your subjects?" he asked with a smirk. It would have been better if he had not come. Better for him. Coming at this time showed that he didn't care what I thought in the slightest.
Elvin Kushad. He was dressed in flowing robes, deep purple. He also held a decorated staff. And a coronet.
Nice.
The officials all bowed to him.
"Commander,"
He smiled at them and told them to rise with a flick of his sleeves. Then ge turned to me.
"His Majesty, the Former Emperor had me give up the seal only for you to take control of the troops to rescue your sister at the Rashar Plains. Now that you are victorious--"
"Elvin Kushad! You are being disrespectful to Her Majesty!" I heard a new voice. Of course, it was Tsarmus Kushad, the only one who could stand up to him at Court. He was followed closely by the Four Delegates, accompanied by Minister Wen.
Elvin Kushad sneered.
"Are these the people that you depend on?"
Ao-ye drew his sword and flew down with a shout.
"Shut up!"
Elvin Kushad parried the blow that would have had his head clean off with the staff he carried. The staff broke in two!
"Ao-ye!" I called, and, with a swoosh, he returned to my side, sword still drawn.
"Your guards don't even need your permission to attack," Elvin Kushad sneered as he threw the staff to the ground, "do you think you have what it takes to rule Canolita?"
In spite of his taunts, I had a brilliant smile on my face.
"Are you done putting this Empress down?" I asked calmly. He glanced up at me, shocked that I could keep my cool in the face of blatant disrespect.
I turned around and went into my palace, completely disregarding him.
"Close the doors," I said to the guards and they promptly obeyed.
I returned to my gazebo, trailing Tsarmus Kushad and the others, and settled on the couch to read my medical texts with absolute tranquility.
Nildan Laoren's face twitched.
"Your Majesty, what--"
"I'm busy, come back later," I replied casually.
They had no choice but to bow and leave. Ao-ye wasn't so easy to get rid of, though. I looked at him glowering his face off.
"What are you--"
"I didn't kill him because of His Majesty the Former Emperor's order," he gritted his teeth and said. I was surprised he was telling me his beloved master's secrets.
"But--Your Majesty, if you give me the order to kill him, I will follow after you wholeheartedly forever," he went down on one knee.
I was stunned. He was willing to follow me because of that??
"Why? Do you and Elvin Kushad have a grudge,"
His face contracted.
"Okay," I said, not actually pretty interested about his grudge against Elvin Kushad, "I'll think about it. You may leave."
He rose and glanced at me solemnly.
"Disobeying His Majesty the Former Emperor to follow after you is difficult enough. And you still want to think about it?"
I sighed, slamming the text I was reading onto my lap.
"You and Elvin Kushad are not really different from each other, you know! You both take me for a pushover,"
He lowered his head, but I could see sparks in his eyes.
"Fine! I really don't care, do I? Kill him if you can! I only wanted to know what importance he had that made my father let him be all these years--and what he has to do with Uncle Arhost! But none of you seem to care. Go ahead and kill him."
Ao-ye looked at me in horror, for the first time. I didn't quite understand his gaze and shrugged, opening my text and shutting out everything.
"I've already dismissed you. I hate people standing over me," I said from behind the text.
I heard him leave. Finally! Some peace. All this would not have happened if he hadn't forced me to step outside.