❈⋇⋆✦⋆⋇❈
"What's with the sudden interest of those discarded people?" Alistair asks nonchalantly.
Urduja glances at Maximus who serves her a cup of tea and strawberry tarts before Maximus serves Alistair. She also takes a glance at Azarius who is beside her after she asks to summon him.
Alistair arches his eyebrow, watching Urduja taking a sip of her tea before she finally looks at him.
"How coldhearted you are calling them as discarded ones, Alistair," Urduja says with a scoff.
"Why not? They are out of my league." Alistair flashes a smirk. "Just like you."
Urduja sighs as she hears a low grunt from Azarius. She wants to feel hurt by his words because he just told her he belongs to the discarded ones but for Urduja, it fuels her confidence. If she is still the real Urduja, probably her heart cannot take this insult.
'She must have walked out if I surmise it right,' Urduja whispers in her mind.
"I have already known that I am useless to you a long time ago. So no need to brush it off to my already closed wound." She draws out a subtle smile and meets the blue eyes of Alistair.
"Huh." Alistair curls up a grin again and leans on his seat. With his grinning smile, he picks up the teacup and amusingly drinks from it.
Maximus and Azarius exchange glances as they feel the tension heightened. It feels like anytime one of them will be barking enough to have a misunderstanding if they keep having that cool attitude. It is as if no one is backing down acting so cool.
When Urduja hears nothing from Alistair anymore, she decides to speak again. "Since Gertrude became one of the candidates to be your assistant," she pauses and glances at Maximus who was also the candidate for that position before.
'That person' Azarius had been talking about and the former Captain of Diamond Moon Knights is Gertrude Ray. At first, Urduja cannot believe upon learning that information and that Gertrude and Azarius are related. They are cousins!
"I am taking her in as my personal knight since Gertrude has already experienced combat and she was also the former Captain of Diamond Moon Knights."
"Why do you need a personal knight and elite knights?" Alistair asks in an earnest tone. "Are you planning to retaliate because of how I am treating you?"
"What?" Urduja asks, scoffing as she finds his statement hilarious. "Don't get the wrong idea here, Alistair. Just because I need a personal knight and elite knights, it doesn't mean I am planning a vendetta against you and those people who hurt me." She masks her voice with coldness as she is not liking this kind of accusation Alistair is spouting. "You know I have no mana and cannot even unleash my own magic armament which is very crucial for every individual to have one. I cannot be able to protect myself so why not have a personal knight and elite knights who can protect me if I am in harm? I know you are getting my point here, Alistair." Then Urduja scoffs, taking a small amount of strawberry tart. She moans in delight before she focuses her attention on Alistair. "Retaliate? I have never had that in my mind." She sighs.
'How stupid he is that he thinks of me like that,' Urduja says on her mind as she is highly disappointed in this emperor. 'A fucking hopeless case...'
Alistair clasps his hands and places his elbows on the table, observing Urduja quietly as she is drinking her tea. He starts weighing the words of Urduja.
"Maximus." He turns his head at Maximus. "Tell me your opinion about your empress's words."
"Me?" Maximus asks in surprise. He gulps when Alistair nods. "B-But..."
"Right. I want to hear your opinion about this, Maximus." Maximus turns his head from Empress Urduja's words. She is in all smiles and anticipates him. "I also want to hear Azarius's side for this."
Maximus and Azarius exchange glances at her statement. Both of them clear their throat, feeling anxious from this.
"Your Imperial Majesty, do I need to say anything?" Azarius asks politely.
"Why does he even need to speak? The one who can even follow orders from me has no right to even speak here," Alistair says coldly.
"Because I say so, Alistair," Urduja states and narrows her eyes at Alistair with his cold, fathomless demeanor. "If I want to hear Azarius's side, you have no choice but to hear it as well." Urduja fixes her eyes to Maximus. "Maximus, tell us your opinion that I am suitable to have a personal knight and elite knights."
With no other choice, Maximus forces himself to bow before Empress Urduja. "As you wish, Your Imperial Majesties." He clears his throat first before he speaks. "For me, it is a good thing Empress Urduja may have her personal knight and elite knights for protection. Empress Urduja has a point as she has low mana and cannot even unleash her magic armament. If she has people who can protect her in case someone harms or assassinates her, we can minimize the danger she is feeling. We can protect her Empress position."
"Right, right," Urduja agrees.
Maximus nods. Then his gaze finds Azarius. He bestows Azarius a meaningful look that it is Azarius's turn to speak. Azarius suddenly feels cornered when Emperor Alistair, Empress Urduja, and Maximus focus their attention on him.
He breathes heavily before he stretches a small smile. "We can even teach Empress Urduja how to wield her own magic blessed sword if she wants to so if in case, we are incapable to protect her, she can protect herself, Your Imperial Majesty."
"If you are going to just teach her, why not just hire a mentor, Urduja?"
Urduja grits her teeth at Alistair's question. "How about you? You can wield your own magic armament, then why do you have elite knights to protect you?" She arches her eyebrow when Alistair doesn't say anything. "Cat got your tongue, my dear Alistair?" she teases.
The room's temperature gradually lowers after Urduja states those words. Azarius suddenly appears his magic armament and pulls Empress Urduja's arm to place her behind him. Urduja immediately picks up what is happening as she puts on a brave expression.
"Feeling insulted in my endearment to you, Alistair?" Urduja asks, grinning. Even though she is facing the back of Azarius, she pretends that she is facing the annoyed expression of Alistair.
"Emperor..." Maximus taps Emperor Alistair's shoulder as soon as the room is starting to cover with ice.
Azarius wields his spear when spikes of ice coming from below appear before them. Using his aura element, fire and he infuses it into his magic armament, he easily melts and breaks the ice.
"Your Imperial Majesty, stick behind me," Azarius says and turns his head to check if Empress Urduja is not hurt from those ice spikes. Urduja nods and holds to his cape. When Azarius makes sure that she is safe behind him, he points the blade in the direction where Alistair is comfortable sitting. "I cannot allow you to hurt Empress Urduja, Your Imperial Majesty. I don't care if you are the emperor but I am willing to wield my spear to protect Her Imperial Majesty," he declares earnestly.
Maximus feels that is an insult to His Imperial Majesty so he wields his spear as well and points it in their direction.
"My bad, Azarius, but I shall not allow you to point your spear against His Imperial Majesty."
Azarius curls a smirk. "Do not blame me for raising my spear as His Imperial Majesty started it. I am just protecting Her Imperial Majesty."
Urduja crosses her arms over her chest from this tension rising. She cannot let this room be bathed in blood. She must not allow it. She shows herself and meets Alistair's cold expression.
"Have I fed you enough entertainment?" Urduja asks, crossing her arms over her chest again. When she sees his expression changed into an amusement one, she turns her head to the two knights who are already brawling stares. "Maximus, Azarius, drop your weapon," she orders. "This is just a test for you, Azarius so you can drop your weapon."
"W-What?" Azarius turns his head to look at Empress Urduja. "What do you mean, Your Imperial Majesty?" he asks, settling aside his weapon.
Maximus hides his weapon and composes himself. "Azarius," he calls his attention. Azarius turns his head and looks at them earnestly. "This is just a test immediately implemented by His Imperial Majesty. It means—"
"He is approving Empress Urduja's proposal," Azarius continues Maximus's words.
Alistair stands up. "You must conduct an appointment ceremony for them, Urduja," he says and walks past them. "The next time you call with that kind of endearment in a jesting manner, you will receive punishment from me, Urduja. Take that as a warning."
Urduja sneers. "I am not scared of you." Azarius hears the murmurs of Empress Urduja the moment Emperor Alistair and Maximus storm out of the room. "Well then..." She claps her hands once before she turns at him. "Now that Alistair approves my proposal. I need to show you something. Care to escort me to my chamber?"
Azarius nods. "Certainly, Your Imperial Majesty."
As they walk together, Azarius cannot himself but wonder what Empress Urduja will want to show him. He takes a glance at her and sees cheerful behavior. Azarius even hears the delighted hum from her.
"You seemed gleeful despite that Emperor Alistair threatens you, Your Imperial Majesty," Azarius says, who cannot help himself to notice her behavior.
"Hmm?" Urduja halts and turns her head in question. She averts her gaze and sighs, smiling. She even releases a small giggle. "I don't take it seriously although there might be a chance that Alistair will hurt me."
Azarius gulps from her words. He cannot believe that he is hearing this from Empress Urduja. He already knows that her life here in the palace ever since she is married to Emperor Alistair has never been easy due to her tongue-tied condition and having low mana. That is why when Empress Urduja stood up and protected them, Azarius silently promised himself that he owes everything to the empress. He is willing to risk his life just for her.
They have arrived at the Empress's Chamber.
Urduja makes sure that no one is around and locks the door. Azarius blinks seeing the unusual behavior from the empress. He wonders why she locked the door.
"Um... Your Imperial Majesty?" He questions himself if he needs to be nervous about this.
Urduja faces Azarius and places her finger on her lips, silencing him. Then she puts down her hand as soon as Azarius nods his head.
"Great." She cheers up and turns to an earnest one. "What I am about to show you must remain a secret. Can I trust you with this one, Azarius?"
He bows his head. "Of course, Your Imperial Majesty. You can trust me as I already devoted my life to you," he says honestly.
That makes Urduja feel relieved. "That is good to hear." The next she does is tossing a small wooden box on the floor which bewilders Azarius. He looks up to watch Her Imperial Majesty stretch a smile. "Parasol Dome," she utters.
Azarius gasps when all of a sudden, they are in a space with a mirror lake in the surrounding. "W-What is happening, Y-Your Imperial Majesty?" He roams his eyes around, shocked from this dimension he was at.
"Relax, Azarius. We are in a safe space."
He creases his forehead, confused by the empress's words.
Urduja cocks her head from side to side. "About having low mana, I have already overcome that," she starts.
"What do you mean, Your Imperial Majesty?" Azarius is starting to get astonished with her.
Urduja opens her palm and a lightning discharge that is formed into a ball of light appears from it which Azarius gasps in surprise. She smiles widely upon seeing the shocking expression of Azarius.
"I already have my mana and my aura element is lightning, Azarius," she states and launches the electro ball across the horizon that caused an explosion.