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"P-Personal knight? E-Empress's Shield?" Azarius asks in surprise. His eyes widened from Empress Urduja's words.
'Am I hearing it right? Did the empress offer me to be her personal knight? She even asked me to have a knight title!' Azairus is surprised. It takes him a moment before he can finally process Empress Urduja's words.
"I-I beg your pardon, Your Imperial Majesty," he pauses, taking a deep breath. He stares at the purple eyes of the empress. "B-But why me? You know the status of Diamond Moon Knights towards His Imperial Majesty." He secretly clenches his hand upon remembering their downfall as emperor's elite knights, which was supposed to be a mistake.
Urduja smiles gently. "I know. One of my ladies-in-waiting told me what happened."
'Though I still see something wrong in it.'
She leans in her seat. She sighs. "I know that you know my condition in the palace, correct? I once had a tongue-tied condition and I am no longer favorable to the emperor even though I am his empress."
Azarius nods. "Yes. I am certainly aware." He slowly takes a breath. "I am also surprised that your condition has been healed as what we heard from Imperial Physician Harold's news." For him, it is already quite astonishing that the empress's condition has been healed by the lightning dragon. 'Blessed the lightning dragon...' He praises.
She snickers on her mind. 'Harold won't say a thing about me having mana. Good, good.' Urduja clears her throat. "Indeed." She purses her lips into a thin line. "These past weeks, I have come to have an interest in having elite knights and personal knight," she starts.
Azarius looks surprised. For the two years he has known the empress, he knew that Empress Urduja has not taken a liking to have elite knights or even having a personal knight.
"My apologies, but why did you come to that interest, Your Imperial Majesty?"
"Hmm? Pardon?" Urduja tilts her head, blinking.
"Um..." How is he supposed to say it? "It is because..." Azarius tells Empress Urduja his reasoning.
"Oh, I see." Urduja nods her head. "That's easy." She giggles and clasps her hands. She leans forward and looks to the left and the right. "As soon as I found my confidence after getting healed from having the tongue-tied condition, I felt like I needed to do something. You know, to regain my power as empress of the Lucelence Empire."
She tries to convince Azarius. She pretends that she is the real Urduja at that time.
"Y-You are going to plan a rebellion against Emperor Alistair?" Azarius lowered his voice when he asked Her Imperial Majesty. His tone has smeared with shock and surprise. If someone hears it, it can mean trouble for the empress.
"What?" Urduja looks at him in disbelief, snickering. "No." She releases a short laugh. "My apologies. That is not what I mean. I have no plans of doing that, you silly." She shakes her head and bestows him an amusement stare.
Azarius immediately bows his head. "I-I am sorry. I should have not jumped into a conclusion." He wants to slap himself for thinking and jumping to that kind of conclusion. He must have waited for Her Imperial Majesty to finish on her words.
"It's fine. Apology accepted." Urduja glances at the window where she sees a few people swarming the street. Sighing, she feels like in a movie. She feels like she is the female protagonist. She snaps back to reality when she feels like she has been contemplating for a while now. "S-Sorry about that." She cackles, embarrassed a little.
Azarius smiles. He just nods his head, understanding her.
"Let's get back to business, shall we?" Urduja's expression turns earnest.
"Yes."
Urduja starts convincing Azarius to be his personal knight. She has been looking forward to the day to come that she may be able to converse finally with Azarius Henerozo, Captain of Diamond Moon Knights. She thinks that the status as underdog knights will be enough to have them as her elite knights, especially taking Azarius as her personal knight.
They have the same circumstances. People of the empire see her as an incompetent empress as what Alistair and the Imperial Knights see Diamond Moon Knights.
That is why Urduja wants to take as her edge to grab this opportunity.
If Alistair grants Maximus Fischer the title, Emperor's Spear, perhaps she can do this to her personal knight as well. That person must be well-trained and has a great ability to shield her from any threats. That personal knight can be of use to protect her at any cost...
From the malicious hands who will try to harm her.
'Like that Emperor Asshole.'
That is why she thought of granting the title, Empress's Shield to the chosen personal knight. As far as she remembers, she doesn't need Alistair's approval of having a personal knight. The only problem is having Diamond Moon Knights as her elite knights.
And it needs Alistair's approval.
"Diamond Moon Knights have always been with your side, Your Imperial Majesty. Ever since you saved us from being exiled to the Imperial Knights..." Azarius pauses, remembering that particular scene where Empress Urduja stood up and bravely spoke up to Emperor Alistair not to banish them even though she had a hard time speaking with her tongue-tied condition before. "We owe you our life, Empress Urduja, so we would be honored to be your elite knights," he states as he places his hand on his left chest. He gently bows his head before her. "However, about me who you wanted to be your personal knight, my apologies, but I have to refuse it, Your Imperial Majesty."
Urduja's jaw drops a little. "Why? Is it too much to ask for?" she asks, worried. 'I thought he would agree since he agreed that his knight squad would be my elite knights.' She already prepared the proposal she needs to submit to Alistair.
"N-No, Your Imperial Majesty. It's just that..." Azarius pauses when the server arrives, bringing their food which was on a tray.
Urduja takes a deep breath, slightly nervous. She wonders what could have been his reason to decline such an out-of-the-blue offer.
They both waited until the server placed their food.
"Well, then, can I know the reason for declining my offer?" she asks softly. She wants to understand why Azarius is refusing it so she can understand him better.
Azarius looks hesitant. He gathers all his courage to utter his reason. "I think my former Captain of Diamond Moon Knights deserves this kind of offer, Your Imperial Majesty."
Urduja creases her forehead. "Former Captain?" She blinks, perplexed.
'I thought he was the first Captain of the Diamond Moon Knights?'
He nods. "Yes. My former Captain deserves this." He inhales and stares directly at Her Imperial Majesty. "That person is suitable to have the title, Empress's Shield. That person won't fail you, Empress Urduja. I swear on my name."
"Who could be that person you have been saying?" she wonders. "Is that person a she or a he?"
'He keeps mentioning 'that person'.'
"That person..." He sighs after he pauses. "That person is my cousin and belongs to the family of shield men. That person became a candidate to have the title and become the emperor's assistant aside from Maximus Fischer, Your Imperial Majesty."
Her eyes widened in surprise upon hearing that. "Who? Who is that person you kept mentioning?" she asks, capturing her interest in 'that person' Azarius kept mentioning. She is quite intrigued by this information.
'My ladies-in-waiting did not say anything about this to me...' She frowns a little.
Azarius opens his mouth to utter the name of 'that person.' As soon as he mentions its name, Urduja's jaw drops in shock. That name... She already hears it. She can't believe it!
'What the freaking hell?!'
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In a spitting distance, Maximus silently watches Her Imperial Majesty and Azarius.
He is wearing a hood over his head so neither of them will not know that he follows them under the orders of Emperor Alistair. Maximus wonders what those two are conversing about right now. His curiosity is taking over how earnest their expression is right now.
'If only I can sit near them so I can hear their conversation. I need to have a report of Her Imperial Majesty's activities later...'
He sighs. It is a good thing he manages to catch up with them. He manages to follow them at this certain point.
Maximus keeps wondering as to why he was being ordered to follow Empress Urduja. That is the first time he blurted out such an order. Ever since Emperor Alistair married their empress, he never paid heedful attention to her.
'Perhaps His Imperial Majesty has started to be a prudent husband to Her Imperial Majesty.' He silently eats his food as he watches Empress Urduja draw out an earnest expression. Then it will suddenly change to a cheerful one.
But right now, it seems different. She has a surprised expression.
'What could have made her have that expression?'
As Maximus sees, it must be from what Azarius said to her. The empress has a look of disbelief and her jaw drops like she has gotten to know the news that shocked her.
"What is happening?" Maximus whispers.
Maximus cannot do anything but watch them from afar. He cannot be near them because Azarius may feel that they are being followed.
Until Empress Urduja and Azarius have finished their meal, Maximus stays there.
He follows them when they decide to leave Fancy Grape. At a safe distance, he follows them as they take strides and stroll from shop to shop. Then they decide to turn to an alley in which Maximus gets perplexed.
He hastily catches up with them. Because as far as he knows, that alley is a cul-de-sac.
'Why are they going there? What reason?'
Maximus halts as soon as he finds out that Empress Urduja and Azarius are not here in the alley. Bewildered, he turns his head from left to right. He even runs to the very end of the alley but what he only sees is a brick wall.
His senses become alert when he feels someone is behind him. His perplexed expression changes to deadpan as he magically appears with his magic armament, artisan. He promptly twists around and points the tip of his artisan to that person.
That person points his magic armament, halberd.
Both of them point the tip at each other's necks.
"Why are you following us, Maximus?"
Maximus looks to that familiar feminine voice. His eyes widened upon seeing Empress Urduja beside Azarius who had an emotionless expression. Then he hisses when Azarius ignites the tip of the halberd with fire.
That is Azarius's aura element. His element is fire.
"Well, well, Maximus. Aren't you a bit rude for following us?" Azarius appears with a grin.
"Azarius..." Maximus grits his teeth, glaring at Azarius. He grips his spear and pushes the tip, almost touching Azarius's neck.
"Answer me, Maximus."
Maximus shivers upon hearing the icy tone of Empress Urduja. "I-I can explain, Your Imperial—"
"Sshh..." Urduja hushes Maximus. "Maximus," she calls.
"Y-Yes?"
"You'll blow my cover if you address me that." A malignant smile smears on her lips as she places her finger to her lips like she is informing her not to say a word. "Call me Lady Corinne."
"Huh?" Maximus is confused.
Urduja exhales in defeat. "I am disguised as Corinne. Address me as Lady Corinne. So that I would be mistaken as a daughter of a noble." She giggles.
"Oh." Maximus has no words to say. He is speechless.
'Lady Corinne...'
"Now, drop your weapon, Maximus," Urduja orders.
"But Azarius pointed first."
"I said, drop it." Urduja steps forward and holds the edge of his spear. She grabs it and looks at Maximus in her icy stare. "Maximus, are you trying to defy the order of your empress? Have I ordered you to drop your weapon, haven't I?"
With Empress Urduja's words, Maximus suddenly feels something flowed through his spear to his hand. "Ah!" He instantly releases his artisan as soon as he feels a static discharge on it.
"Eh? What happened to you?" Urduja asks in confusion and drops Maximus's weapon to the ground as soon as she feels the heaviness of it.
Maximus holds his hand. "Something... I felt a painful static discharge..." he says that surprised his whole being.
Upon hearing it, Maximus has no idea that Urduja secretly grins from it.