I walked down the corridor, which seemed strangely familiar, as if I had lived here all my years. The grand, imposing palace stretched out in every direction. It was named after his grandfather, the founder of the Callous Empire, but it felt like a prison at this very moment.
My mind was muddled with regret. I felt this weird ache in my chest; it could have been guilt. I wanted to apologize to her, to tell her I was sorry for the cruel words, but my mouth wouldn't let me. Instead, I wandered the empty halls, my mind plagued by thoughts of how to fix this.
The palace, once teeming with life, felt unnaturally quiet. I expected the buzz of activity that came with a place this large, but there was nothing. No servants rushing to and fro, no laughter or conversations echoing through the marble halls. It was eerily still.
I turned a corner and spotted a couple of guards patrolling. They stiffened when they saw me, exchanging nervous glances before bowing low.
Your Majesty, what do you need of us?" one asked, his voice shaking a little.
I could see in their eyes how scared they were. Most likely, word had already spread of what happened in the council room. Hours later, the air still reeked of that tension.
Summon the head manager," I said, the tone a tad sharper than I meant for. "Let him know that I speak with him of something in high urgency."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards chimed in unison and were now quick to turn about to be gone.
As they walked off, I couldn't help but reflect on how easily they agreed. But something nagged at me. Why weren't there more servants? And why had it taken so long to find someone to do a simple task? I pushed the thought aside as I made my way to my office.
It was a big palace, with its feeling of voidness on the inside. It is not just that there wasn't anybody, it also had a deeper emptiness. There was no life among the cold walls and neat, polished floors. Everything was clean; one didn't see a speck of dust anywhere.
Finally, I arrived at the office. It was cozy compared to the grandiose halls, minimalist in its design. A simple wooden desk sat before a stained-glass window that cast soft, multicolored light across the room. Two leather chairs flanked the desk, separated by a small table. The walls were lined with bookshelves, though their contents seemed sparse.
I sat down behind the desk and was immediately struck by the bareness of everything. An ink well, a pen, a few documents scattered about-that was the sum total of what lay upon its surface. The drawers were empty, save one, which held a single key.
I looked at the stack of documents on the desk. They were reports, most of which should have been reviewed before the council meeting. But the meeting had happened too fast, and I hadn't had the chance to go through them. They probably assumed I'd kill them all, like a devil come to destroy everything. Most people probably did think that of me.
I leaned back in my chair, reflecting on all of it. I wanted to help her, to do something that would make her happy, but I didn't know what I was doing. My mind raced through different ideas, and one hit home-a palace of her own, a side palace. A place she could live in comfort and away from the turmoil of the empire.
I thought, maybe-just maybe-a new palace would bring her peace. She would have a place to herself, and perhaps that would make her happy. What I had not realized was that a palace built so far from the capital would only be considered banishment, cold and isolated.
Just as I began to consider how all this could be accomplished, the door creaked open without so much as a knock, and a figure stepped into the room.
Before I could say a word, the man fell to his knees, bowing so abruptly that I half-expected him to break his back.
"My great lord!" he burst out, his voice shaking with eagerness. "Oh, how long has it been since I have been hired? I have never seen you before! You have graced me by calling me here!"
The words of this man slapped against my senses like a sting. My heart was engulfed with a sense of embarrassment and grew heavy inside my chest.
But instead, I just stared.
A cold sweat trickled down my neck, my mind racing. I had to fix this. But how?
---
Author's Note:
The idea of building a side palace for her was one he believed would bring her happiness. What he does not fathom, however, is that such an action would translate into banishment-exile to a frozen, isolated palace far from the capital. That is a decision which, if taken in reality, would take any remaining connection she had to the empire.