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"We are being followed, Lady Corinne."
"Hmm?" Urduja creases her forehead. "Since when did you notice it?" she asks, calming herself.
"Ever since we have arrived at the Fancy Grape, Lady Corinne."
"Who could that be?" Urduja frowns and wonders why she can't feel that they were being followed. How can she not know?
They are already strolling around after they finished eating at that tavern they went to. She thinks that she will be having a peaceful stroll but it turns out that someone is perfectly ruining it.
'Could it be Alistair?' She thought. But she castigates it since she knew that the emperor has no intention to even follow her or even pay heed to her anymore.
Azarius simply walks beside her. "I am not sure, Your Imperial Majesty. But we can corner him to get some information if you want to."
"I am certain that I want to know." She grits her teeth. 'Perfect to ruin my mood.'
"Do you trust me, Empress Urduja?" Azarius lowers his voice. She creases her forehead in confusion before she nods. That makes Azarius feel relief. "To the next two buildings, we will turn to an alley. I must carry you with my arms so we can climb up to the roof. Then we will aim a surprise at him."
Urduja almost forms an 'O' in her mouth because of his plan. She is impressed! Azarius is really perfect to have the title, Empress's Shield. But Urduja knows better who really deserves it. That person Azarius mentioned is the better idea he suggested and is perfect for the role she created.
She needs to speak with that person soon. But right now is not the time to think about that.
When they are near the alley, together they turn into a not so spacious alley. Azarius immediately scoops Her Imperial Majesty to his arms and starts jumping from wall to wall up until they reach the roof.
"Cool! You know how to do parkour!" she exclaims in a happy low tone. She claps her hands after she has been carefully put down and stands on the roof.
Azarius is confused. "What is the meaning of parkour, Your Imperial Majesty?"
Urduja fills her mouth with air like a pufferfish. 'Shit… He didn't know that word. I should lessen the slang terms here. It's very hard to explain.' She can't help smiling wryly at him.
"Um… It's something like you can climb and jump from one point to another in a complex environment without even needing some harness," she explains carefully. In hopes that Azarius will understand her meaning.
"I see," Azarius replies after a moment.
Then both of them stay silent as they wait for the culprit to turn to the alley where that person bites their bait. Azarius carefully scoops her in his arm and soundlessly gets down from the roof by landing on his feet. That amazes her. She can barely hear his shoes landing on the ground.
When they come to know the person who had been following them, Urduja is surprised to see Maximus. But that ruins her mood. Has Alistair ordered Maximus to follow them? If yes, for what reason?
"Eh? What happened to you?" Urduja asks innocently.
But inside, she is already smiling so widely as she manages to release static electricity and uses the metal spear of Maximus as a good conductor to electrocute him. She even pretends that she is perplexed by his actions.
"You must be imagining things." She blinks and tilts her head a little. She watches Maximus massaging his hand from the static discharge she released earlier. "What brings you here, Maximus? Did Alistair order you to follow me?" she asks to confirm.
Urduja watches Maximus open his mouth and close it. She narrows her eyes from that action.
"Don't I really have the power as an empress to make you speak up?" She sounds her tone as she is hurting seeing how Maximus restrains himself to speak.
"Maximus!" It is Azarius who just spoke and pointed the blade of his spear at him. "Stop disrespecting Her Imperial Majesty!" He gnashes his teeth after he says the words in a lower tone. He doesn't want to cause a stir if ever he speaks loudly and he happens to mention Her Imperial Majesty.
Maximus sighs in defeat and kneels before her. He even places his hand on the top of his left chest, lowering his head a little. "I was ordered to trail you, Lady Corinne. He even told me to report your activities as soon as I come back. If you are going to ask me for the reason of Emperor Alistair, he hasn't told me anything. I am just following his orders," he says truthfully and honestly. He raises his head to look up at the empress. "I swear on my name, Your Imperial Majesty. I am telling you the truth. You can even punish me if I am not being honest."
With her stony expression, Urduja stares silently, checking if Maximus is indeed telling the truth. She cannot confirm yet but deep inside her, she can tell that this person is being honest.
"Drop your weapon, Azarius," she orders.
"As you command." Azarius drops and disappears with his magic armament.
"Rise."
Maximus rises. "D-Do you believe me now, Lady Corinne?"
"I can't confirm yet. But if what you said is true that Alistair has ordered you to follow me, then what is his motive?" She nips her chin, thinking what could have been the reason. "Don't tell me he is starting to care about me?" she says, grinning mockingly. She turns her head at Maximus. "And that is impossible," she concluded.
She scoffs. She is not getting her high hopes for that emperor. She doesn't need to know his motive.
'But I'm still curious though. Damn it!'
"Forget it. Why don't you come with us instead of creepily following us?" Maximus has a surprised expression from Empress Urduja's suggestion. Urduja shrugs. "In that way, I would be able to enjoy my stroll here. You almost ruined my mood here."
"Are you sure, Lady Corinne?" Azarius asks, still looking at Maximus with scrutinized glare.
She nods. "Yes." She turns her back. "We must go now. I need to buy presents for my ladies-in-waiting."
Azarius turns at Maximus who is still surprised that he had been asked to come with them, instead of lurking around with them. He taps Maximus's shoulder which makes Maximus snap back to reality.
"I'd say that you consider yourself fortunate. Her Imperial Majesty is generous and kind, and she does not implement punishment for you, Maximus." Azarius grins at how Maximus looks so embarrassed right now. "Also, do be careful when you are following someone. Your stealth movements are easy to detect."
Maximus arches his eyebrow and scoffs. "You have practiced so hard to discover my stealth movements. I'd say you're improving, unlike last time we had fought."
Azarius smirks. "The one who will have your equal match is my former Captain. I may step behind to defeat you but my former Captain can match you."
Maximus creases his forehead. "What does it have to do with that former Captain of Diamond Moon Knights? Why do you need to bring that person?"
He shrugs. "Nothing," he says in a sing-song voice as they follow Her Imperial Majesty.
Maximus is bewildered by Azarius's words. He wonders why he has to bring that up. It is all in the past now.
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"Maximus," Urduja calls the moment they arrived at the palace with the good stuff she brought from the capital.
"Yes, Your Imperial Majesty?"
She turns at him. "Just tell Alistair that you still managed to trail me without even noticing by me or the captain of Diamond Moon Knights. Just pretend that you didn't come along with us. Understand?"
He is surprised again. "Y-Yes, as your command." He bows his head before her.
"Now, go and make your way back to the stable." She is talking about the horse whom Maximus brought along to the capital. "Azarius, you should come along with him. I will take it from here. I don't want Maximus to get seen by my ladies-in-waiting."
Azarius nods. "Yes, Your Imperial Majesty."
She watches them going in the other direction. Urduja still wonders why Alistair has ordered his assistant to trail her. The way Maximus acts earlier, it seems this is the first time he was being ordered like that.
"That's weird… I wonder what that Emperor Asshole is planning," she murmurs and halts upon hearing her ladies-in-waiting calling her. She turns and immediately waves her hand at them. "Gertrude! Polly! Camila! Ingrid!" She can't help her giddiness when she remembers she bought books about the lightning element. She can't wait to share it with them.
The imperial guards brought her goods to her chamber. Urduja bestows the sweet desserts she bought for them, especially the strawberry shortcakes. She watches their faces delighted from her present.
"Thank you so much for this, Your Imperial Majesty," they said in unison.
Urduja smiles and nods. "I'm glad you like them."
"Your Imperial Majesty."
"Hmm?" She turns at Gertrude, tilting her head, perplexed.
"Today is the day," Gertrude says in a worried tone.
"Today? What?" she asks in confusion. "Is there any special occasion that I didn't know of?" Urduja looks concerned at Gertrude. She is also worried that she is forgetting something that she didn't know.
Gertrude almost slaps her face. She forgets that Empress Urduja has her memories lost. She cleared her throat. "Today is the day His Imperial Majesty will visit your chamber tonight. He will sleep here to be with you."
Urduja's eyes widened. "The heck?! What?!"