All eyes are on them as they move to the dance floor, the music has continued playing as everyone holds their breath waiting for what to comes next.
Atlas hesitantly places his hand on her waist as he pulls her slightly closer to him. The Empress took a deep breath trying to suppress her disgust, she keeps on chanting calming words on her mind just so she won't 'accidentally' cut off muscled Atlas' arms.
"Shaelyn..." Atlas in a low voice called for her name as they dance gracefully in tune with the music.
"That's Empress for you," Shaelyn grumbled under her breath as shivers went down her spine.
There is a weird emotion being stir inside her cold heart.
"...you've changed," Atlas muttered as his eyes showed longing for her.
Shaelyn clicks her tongue before looking away from the disgusting emotion that is showing in his eyes.
"Mind your business, just like how you did before." Shaelyn coldly answers before sending a glare at the unfortunate souls she has managed to make eye contact with. The poor nobles shiver in fear before they all step back and hide in the back of the crowd just to spare their life.
"I'm sorry..." Atlas softly apologizes as he pulls her into an embrace in which made the Empress's cold eyes widen in surprise.
The Empress was about to push him away coldly when she saw from the corner of her eyes how happy Countess Norie is dancing with the duke. She purses her lips before she counts to three and took a deep breath.
"You are fortunate that you are my husband, if not, I would have already cut off your disgusting arms. Therefore, I will merely suggest this once... Let.Go.Of.Me." The Empress coldly whispers in his ear that made him flinch.
"Please... tell me what happened to you. I'm here now I can help--" Shaelyn can't take it anymore as she forcefully withdraws his arms around her before pushing him away that made him stumble on his feet.
The gentle music stops as the atmosphere began to tense once again.
"Shae?" Atlas muttered as his eyes widen in surprise and disbelief. He can't believe that Shaelyn has pushed him away.
All the eyes are placed on them as Atlas tried to take a step closer to Shaelyn, but before he could the Empress lets out a gold chuckle as she glares coldly at him that caused everyone, including him, shivers in fear. Her cold aura has spread all around the room making the temperature drop drastically as her mana starts to seep out of her body.
The knights assigned in the area have all tense up as they prepare themselves for the worst-case scenario. Duke Vesper has pulled Countess Norie closed to him as they both glanced at Duke Jasper who is pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Ha? I can't believe this... I have already prepared myself to make sure that nothing would ruin this night. But you! You just have to say those words! Unbelievable!" The Empress coldly remarks with a hint of annoyance on her tonne. Her mana starts to envelop her, as her fingers start to twitch, itching to grip a sword once again.
"Shaelyn, you need to calm down. Your mana can injure an innocent bystander." Atlas had taken a deep breath before he said those words. He knows he has to calm her first before her mana would explode and injure everyone inside the room.
"Calm down? Who do you think you are? You are just a King! When I am the Empress of this Empire! I am the one who established this! While you have gone off to who knows where just to what? Find a way to save the Princess? Well, look what happened now. You are ten years too late to save her! Not only you lost your chance to save her, but you have also lost your Queen. Now if you all don't mind, I'm going now to rest. Enjoy the rest of the night." Shaelyn declares as she turns her back on them before walking out of the banquet room, leaving everyone with lowered heads, shivering bodies a tense atmosphere.
Atlas's face has long gone paled as his heart hammering loudly inside his ribcage. His mind kept on repeating Shaelyn's words as tears have gathered on the corner of his eyes, threatening to fall.
Duke Jasper is the first one to dare to make a move after the double golden doors slam shut behind the Empress. He walks towards the shocked King, before escorting him out to the veranda on the second floor of the banquet room.
While Countess Norie and Duke Vesper are the ones that were left behind to take care of the whole mess.
--
The hallway and the marbled floor were instantly covered with ice as the Empress continues to walk towards her room with a deep frown on her lips. She has already planned everything she will do at the banquet, also including how she will deal with her supposed husband. But, she underestimated all the emotions she restrained lock inside her heart. As the moment their eyes met, those emotions continue to bubble inside her until she can't contain them any longer and pour a little bit of them out.
The emotion that she expressed earlier is merely nothing but the tip of the iceberg. And if she has stayed longer earlier... there is no doubt that she would have made the banquet room into a bloody battlefield.
But of course, she kept her cool and walked away from that scene before her emotion taken a hold of her any longer. If only she won't have any care for Countess Norie, even if it's just a slight bit of care, she would not have hesitated to turn everything upside down earlier.
The Empress then enters her room without a word to her maids that have opened her chamber door.
"Prepare me my training clothes. I will go to the training grounds to release some stress," she ordered her lady in waiting, as they all now their head before following her order.
"Pardon me, your majesty, but should we inform this to the Countess?" one of the maids quietly asks with her head lowered.
The Empress, only glance at her before letting out a sigh. She knows that she od need to inform this Norie or use her workload would double the following day. Despite being the Empress of the Empire, the sole person she allows to lecture her is Countess Norie. Since she have transferred all her responsibilities to her when she left for the battlefield. And without her and Jasper, the empire would not be the same as it is today.
Thus, the reason why those two are the only ones, that she can treat with respect, and the exclusive ones she listens to whenever they gave her advice.
"Alright... have someone to inform this to her." she offered a slight nod to the maid as she allow her lady in waiting to prepare her.
--
"Your majesty... Are you alright?" Jasper's worried voice wakened Atlas from his swirling thoughts, as he looks up to face Jasper.
He did not even notice that they were currently at the veranda, as the cold air of autumn swirl past them making his long black hair sway.
"Jasper! What should I do? I need to talk to her! The night can't end like this!" panic strikes his heart as he recalls the anger in Shaelyn's cold blue eyes.
"Your majesty, you need to take a deep breath. I think it would be better to let, her majesty calm down first. It would be a disaster if you talk to her right now." Jasper calmly said as he places a gentle hand on the King's shoulders, before letting out a sigh.
He has already prepared his self mentally if ever something were to happened. And something DID happen, thankfully, it was not the worst-case scenario he was expecting.
"..." Atlas took a deep breath just as Jasper suggested, allowing his mind to clear up before he stares at the sparkling star in the night sky.
"I... I just want to be with her again. I want to apologize for abandoning her all alone during these years... and for twisting her into this. Jasper... This is all my fault, isn't it?" Atlas weakly stated as he lowers his head allowing his long raven hair cover the tears in his eyes.
Jasper stares pitifully at the weakened state of the King, before staring into the distance. The situation they are in right now is a delicate and complicated state. They are all still baffled and confused as to how did their sweet Queen turn into a cold-hearted tyrant Empress.