A woman with hair black as coal, pair of eyes yellow as a sun can be seen walking through the hall of the castle with grace, the sound of her hills echoes around the hall, but then stops, now facing the door of her husband's room.
Opening it gently she sees her husband, the emperor with two women laying on the bed with him, both look a little younger than her, and their features look softer than her strict and cold persona.
" Oh, Aiona, I did not hear you coming in. "
The emperor asks with a smile, while the two women beside him look at her with fear.
Despite her persona, she does love her husband wholeheartedly, and seeing him having an affair breaks her heart.
" Both of you... "
Referring to the two women coldly yet gently, they shiver from her voice not with fear but instead with lust.
Both of them thought the same about how different the empress is from her cheating husband and how calm she is despite seeing her husband with two women on his bed.
" Both of you should clean up first before you leave also, a carriage will be waiting outside and send you both back to your homes. "
The two woman walks to the bathroom of the emperor's room flustered, the bathroom door then finally closes, and the empress sigh' and then looks at her husband.
" The council seeks for your presence, emperor. "
" Calling me by my title now? "
He asks with smugness, the emperor then stands up from their bed then puts a robe on that is on the bedside, and walks to Aiona lifting her head to look at him in the eyes.
" Relax empress, you're still my wife at the end of the day. "
He says before letting go of Aiona's head, she sigh's once again.
" Emperor no, Rexel, did I not tell you to stop bringing your other woman inside the walls of the castle?"
" My dear Aiona, I am the emperor and you are the empress, I am a male and you are a woman, therefore, I have more power than you. "
The emperor replies while walking to their changing room, Aiona grits her teeth from the statement that the emperor let out from his filthy mouth, and finally the two woman walks out of the shower, as they were about to walk past the empress the emperor stops them from their tracks.
" Both of you, wait. "
Walking out of the changing room now completely dressed like the loyal he is.
" For the payment of your service, ask Aiona for it. "
Aiona raises her eyebrow at the emperor, her question is visible from her reaction only.
" I still have to run for the meeting with the nobles. "
The emperor then walks past the three women leaving them all by themselves, Aiona looks behind her.
" Follow me, I will give you both your money. "
She then starts walking while the two follow her.
"Y-your majesty, it's fine you do not have to give us your money. "
One of the women who seem to be younger than the other says nervously.
" I insist, I am pretty much sure that the emperor has forced you both on his bed so this is a token of apology on behalf of him even though it won't do as much. "
____________________
Aiona is preparing two punches full of money as a payment for the two women who are currently sitting on her soft couch, whispering among themselves.
" Mir, do you think it's alright for us to accept the empress's money? The empress was not the one who bedded us. "
" I do not know, Xiar, but the empress insisted, so we do not have any other choice but to accept it."
" I- "
I have both of your payments. I do not know how much that "thing" owes you, so I just put 90 gold coins in both of your pouches.
The empress said she suddenly appeared behind Xiar and Mir, which had startled them both, but just by hearing how many gold coins the empress had given them, they felt startled was not the worse one.
Xiar stood up abruptly, facing the empress with panic visible on her face.
"E-empress, no need to give us 90 gold coins. We made a deal with the emperor that he would give us 75 silver coins instead of gold.
Aiona clicks her tongue, looking away from Mir and Xiar.
" I can't believe he's still a cheapskate."
She whispers. Aiona then clears her throat, now facing Xiar once again.
" Take it, since the bas-emperor asked me to give you your payment, I do not care about the deal you had with him."
" But - "
"No, buts both of you."
A knock came on the door. Aiona opened it, revealing her butler in front.
" Milady, the carriage is now prepared."
Aiona nods before thanking the butler. She then looks behind her, smiling gently.
" The carriage is ready, let me escort you both out."
Tired of refusing the empress' offer, Mir and Xiar didn't say anything and followed the empress out of her room.
__________
The three of them walked through the hall silently. Aoina decided to cut the silence off between the three of them.
" If you two don't mind, may I ask for your names? "
She asks without looking back at them. Of course, Mir and Xiar were shocked that the empress wanted to learn the names of two lowly commoners that her husband cheated on.
Without turning around, Aiona sensed that they were both hesitating.
" No need to hesitate, I just want to learn both of your names."
She says, One of the females then speaks.
" I will introduce myself first, dear empress. I'm Xiar, and the one beside me is Mir. "
" Xiar and Mir..."
She whispered, but the two women still heard her say their names. Her voice was soothing, unlike the emperor himself.
Mir is walking alongside Xiar when suddenly she bumped into something or rather someone's back causing her to fall onto the tiled floor.
Xiar helps Mir up, they then look at the empress who stopped with curiosity.
" oh, sister-in-law, I did not expect t see you here... "
End of Chapter 01