Chapter 10 - The Battlefield inside the Palace

The meeting with the court ladies terrifies Aristia, for some reason.

Even now, when she's in her waiting room and expecting Changbin to come escort her any second, she is extremely alarmed.

This meeting somehow gives her more anxiety than the secret gathering Chris took her to a few nights ago, so waiting is unnerving at best.

She is waiting for Changbin to come and lead her to the greenhouse, where she decided to hold this tea party thanks to the beautiful flowers in-bloom, and Chris was more than happy to give her permission to use it.

Of course, she knows what's making her so anxious. Spirits are still on high alert after Arabella's been sent away from the Capital, and the court ladies don't regard Aristia too highly, so this party is just a means for her to solidify her position as the Empress and hopefully make the other court ladies like her, at least at surface level.

A meeting that takes place way too late, she thinks, as she's been Empress for about a year now, and she foolishly believed that having this fake title would grant her any protection.

She knows better now, and she knows that the title is not enough. She wants genuine power.

One way to gain it is by making sure she receives a permanent spot in Chan's secret gatherings, but the other, more direct one, is getting the noble's support, and what better way to get it than becoming acquaintances with these ladies that essentially represent their families?

She makes sure to dress to impress today, and her attire consists of a delicate form-fitting white dress with ruffles near the base and some puffy sleeves, the only piece of jewellery she's wearing being her golden crown sitting carefully on top of her head.

"How do I look?" She asks as soon as Changbin steps through the door, as she examines herself one more time, getting ready for the battlefield.

"As beautiful as you always do, Your Highness."

"Alright, then, let's go." She sucks in a breath when she notices Changbin holding a box.

"This is from His Majesty. He wanted to make sure you'll wear it at your garden party, and he apologises for not having enough time to see you this weekend." Changbin bows, making Aristia raise an eyebrow.

She approaches him and opens the box, shocked to notice a beautiful jewellery piece resting on a cherry red cushion made of velvet. The necklace is gold and has a mesmerising large white crystal as a focal point.

She is reluctant to touch the luxurious piece, and noticing her hesitation, Changbin speaks further.

"This necklace is a family heirloom. It belonged to His Majesty's great-grandmother, meticulously crafted by one of the best jewellers of the Kingdom of the North; a symbol of the alliance between the two nations."

"Is that so?" Aristia asks, her eyes not betraying her true emotions. Her face stays neutral, despite her heart beating faster and faster.

Chris gifted her this notorious necklace to help her out and give her a standing between the court ladies, to show once again that she has his support, as if the whole Arabella fiasco wasn't enough.

She knows how meaningful this grand gesture is, and it's in complete opposition to the jewellery he prepared for their wedding day, containing gems of her own country simply because he did not consider her a part of the Empire.

But now, with this necklace... he is essentially letting the whole court know that she is Empress in his eyes, deserving of such an important family heirloom that no one has worn since his mother passed away.

She thinks she will pass out with how quickly her heart is beating, and she realises she's been holding her breath the whole time. How many minutes has it been?

She releases it slowly, trying to not pant for air, as she calls out for Alice to help her wear the necklace.

The moment her maid sees it, her eyes grow wide, and she exclaims how beautiful it is and how good it will look around Aristia's neck, and once she sees herself in the mirror, she has to agree. The necklace looks breathtaking to say the least, and fits her just right.

However, she turns to Alice with a grave look on her face, her next command confusing the maid to no end.

"Alice, take this off me, will you?"

"Wh-what? Your Majesty, but... but it looks so good on you, and-"

"It does." Aristia nods, her expression not changing. "However..."

It's hard for her to articulate why exactly she doesn't want to wear it, nor should she have to explain herself, which is a saving grace during this moment, when Alice removes the necklace with a large frown on her young face, her forehead wrinkling itself, creating deep lines that are sure to stay with how much stress her master is putting her through.

"Your Highness, I apologise for interfering, but His Majesty trusted that I would make sure you wear this necklace today." Changbin bows apologetically.

"What, is it an order?" She asks, amusement audible in her voice.

Changbin nods unsure, making Aristia smile. Her eyes, however, are as cold as ice.

"Must I remind you that my husband and I hold the same status in this Empire?"

Changbin immediately apologises, watching helplessly as the maid places the necklace back in its velvet hold.

"Alice, put the box in my drawer." She commands further, giving the maid the key to her locked drawer.

With her neck devoid of any jewellery, she takes one more glance in the mirror and holds her head high again. She doesn't need the Emperor's support for this, nor does she want it, she realises. If she is to win the court ladies over, she will do so without the influence of her husband hanging over her head.

With this in mind, she is now ready to face the ladies using her own devices.

~

The court's noble ladies are seated around the round table Aristia had prepared, surrounded by daylight and radiant blooming flowers. On top of the table, all sorts of refreshments have been brought: cakes, cookies, biscuits, and, of course, tea.

They all chatter and laugh softly whenever one of them says something remotely interesting, but their conversation dies down the moment Aristia steps into the greenhouse.

Her head is held high, and she has a gentle smile painted on her face. Despite her small stature, she exudes power, and none of the ladies can deny her elegance, conveyed by each step she takes forward.

One of the noble ladies stands up and greets her with a bow, and the others are quick to follow.

"Good afternoon." Aristia smiles and sits down, but the chatter doesn't resume.

The ladies avoid looking at her, their focus shifting towards the cups of tea in front of them, and Aristia almost wants to chuckle. They didn't use to be so quiet before Arabella left.

The smile on her face doesn't falter, though, and she sips some of her tea as well.

"So, ladies, let's chat, shall we?" She starts, putting her teacup down, and looks around the table at the 8 women she got acquainted with thanks to Juliana's throughout report.

"What about, Your Highness?" One of them throws her a short smile. Aristia notices the dark green colour of her dress and her family's emblem on her necklace and figures out this woman must be Amelia Thornfield.

She hasn't seen her before, as she wasn't part of Arabella's inner circle of torment, but the Thornfields are pillars of the Empire, so Amelia is a force to be reckoned with by herself.

"Oh, I know!" Another of the ladies, a familiar face this time, remarks with a clap of her hands.

Her name is Victoria Silverstone, and even if her family is not as powerful as Amelia's, they won the right to name their daughters Victoria and their sons Victor when her great-grandfather led the army to victory in one important battle decades ago. She's seen her walking next to her father - one of the men at Chan's secret gathering - a few days after, and after examining Juliana's report, she connected the dots.

"What about the upcoming war?" She continues with a large grin, but Aristia came prepared.

"The war, hm?" She replies, and the other ladies immediately start whispering, sharing an uneasy look among themselves.

"It's a hot topic in the Capital, since they all claim Her Majesty is at fault for it." Victoria continues to challenge, putting one leg over the other and leaning back in her chair, sipping on tea with the same cunning smile.

"Is that so?" Aristia's eyes start burning. "They would be entirely correct, then."

"Your Majesty!" One of the court ladies exclaims, and the others are seemingly as shocked.

All of them – except for Amelia and Victoria, who are now watching Aristia with more interest than ever, their eyes resembling the men's around the table during Chan's secret meeting, when she told them about the General's weakness.

Out of all the court ladies – Aristia notices – only Victoria and Amelia are relevant to keep around.

Now, how should she win them over?

She is grateful for her quick thinking of not wearing the necklace her husband so dearly gifted her, because trying to impress these two with her status would've been pointless. They already know she's Empress; the Emperor's support is irrelevant if she wants to have her own standing.

She has to be as powerful as Chris not only in name, but also in actual power, on her own, not with his help, because if he'd decide to cut off that help, then what? She would be the same helpless and incapable Aristia, but that skin doesn't fit her any longer. She let that foolish girl die when she picked up the sword and murdered her father.

"It is... it is improper for a ruler to start a mindless war like this!" Another girl speaks under her breath, her eyes avoiding Aristia's at all costs.

A gesture between the ladies doesn't fail to reach her eyes. One of the noble ladies next to the woman slaps her leg under the table, in an attempt to shut her up.

"Don't worry, ladies. You are respected members of the Court. No one else would be driven away, unless they somehow disrespected the Crown." Aristia speaks, and half of them get reassured, while the other half of them pale, noticing the subtle warning the Empress is giving them. "However, a mere conversation we have over tea has no way of bringing any affront to me."

"What a kind Empress we have been blessed with." Amelia smiles brightly, the irony audible in her voice.

"My, you flatter me." Aristia grins and notices a genuine smile adorning Amelia's face this time. It's clear that Amelia respects authenticity, so perhaps she'd gain her trust after a few more get-togethers. "Then, what do you think, Amelia?"

The woman's eyes grow wide for a second at the mention of her name, as she didn't expect the Empress to know it. However, she is quick to sharpen them back.

"What is there to think about? We've been at war for many years now. The longest period of peace the Empire has known has been during your year-long marriage."

"Isn't that right?" Aristia smiles.

"The peace will be disturbed now, though." Victoria remarks. "All this nation's ever known was war. Such a shame. Everyone thought that with His Excellence the Sun on the throne, things would be different."

As Victoria speaks, the ladies start fussing again. Her words could easily be interpreted as treason, so she is definitely testing Aristia's patience.

"Oh, well." Aristia replies nonchalantly, a beautiful smile adorning her face. It is so easy to see through them. They try to provoke her to see how long it would take her to threaten them, but her purpose is a completely different one, unbeknownst to them.

She doesn't want to rule through fear and obligations. She wants real people next to her, that she can trust because they're faithful to her, not because they're scared of having their heads fly off at the slightest insubordination.

"Don't you think this war would be a great opportunity for apprentice knights to prove themselves? How old is your younger brother, Victoria? 15?" Aristia challenges back.

"He's turning 16 this year, Your Majesty." Victoria answers in a breath.

"Ah, 16. What a beautiful age." She smiles.

"I think it's too young for a war. He is still a boy..."

"There's no way to avoid it, though, is it?"

"My father-"

"Your father is an astonishing man who's done a lot for the Empire. I am certain that he, as the commander of the troops, would find it the highest honour to have his son fight alongside him on the front lines." The Empress cuts her off.

Victoria lets her head fall down in silence, as she knows Aristia is right. There is no way to avoid it. She's even heard them talk about it during dinner last night, and the tightness in her chest hasn't disappeared since. This was part of the reason why she felt the need to mention the war at all to Arisita, who she blames dearly for essentially sending her younger brother on the battlefield.

"However, there is actually a way to avoid going to war, did you know?" Aristia looks at her sharply, as the other ladies start muttering around the table. "But we will have to discuss it in private, some other day."

The atmosphere is stiff, as no one knows what else to say. They all feel somehow outwitted by Aristia, as they've never expected her to be so astute. It turns out that all these months of ostracising her under Arabella's command made them woefully underestimate her and her abilities.

As if on cue, the doors to the greenhouse open, and the presence of Prince Felix and The Emperor is announced.

Aristia raises an eyebrow as Chris approaches her, and no one seems to notice the tense atmosphere between them, since Felix does what he does best, which is charming everyone and taking the spotlight.

The Emperor's eyes keep darting from Aristia's eyes to her empty neck, his look grave.

Why aren't you wearing what I sent you? His look implies, and Aristia lets out a small smirk.

I didn't need it today.

She didn't. She decided she's going to keep it safe in her drawer, for a way better opportunity. Today, she had to be just Aristia, and have the noble ladies see her for who she is.

But who knows what tomorrow has in store for her? There might come a time where she would have to be Aristia, the Empress, wife of Bahng Christopher Chahn, and the necklace would be better used for that moment.

"What brings you here, dearest husband?" Aristia asks in a sickeningly sweet tone, just as the lady closest to her decided to sit up to allow the Emperor the chair next to his wife.

"No need to sit up, Lady Ele. This is but a short visit to see what my wife is up to." He reassures her and instructs her to sit back down, which the lady does with haste.

"Too bad you don't have time for even a cup of tea." Aristia points to the fact that they haven't seen each other in days because Chris has been busy. He is quick to catch on.

"Oh, my. It appears my dear wife has missed me." He counters with a smirk. "Well then, I shall stay for longer and do my work here."

He calls for the butler to prepare another table before Aristia has the chance to protest, and minutes later, Chris is seated on the other side of the greenhouse, while Felix joins her table and keeps engaging with the other ladies.

Aristia's gaze is stuck on her husband, who works diligently, rummaging through papers and signing documents, and every once in a while, his eyes raise from the papers and meet hers, and so begins a staring contest with two stubborn opponents.

Once more, Chris notices the burning eyes of his wife, and he falls even deeper, his affection for her reaching corners of his heart he didn't even know existed. It's difficult to keep looking at her without rising from his seat to kiss her lips, but he has work to do, and even the fact that he stayed in the greenhouse was a poor decision on his part.

It's way too hard to focus with everyone's chatter and with Aristia's eyes burning into his skull. He can't help but shift his attention from the papers in his hand to the conversation at Aristia's table, which is so bland and boring, he doesn't understand how she, or even Felix, are able to smile so politely and pretend those ladies have anything of substance.

Eventually, Chris decides he actually needs to do his work, so he stands up and bids Aristia's table goodbye, and Felix follows soon after.

Glad that she can finally execute her latest plan for the day, now that she is away from her husband's and brother-in-law's eyes, Aristia smiles sweetly and addresses the women around the table.

"Ladies, thank you for attending my tea party today. Before you go, there are some gifts I prepared, but I would need to go to my rooms to fetch them." She stands up all of a sudden.

"Why don't you send some maids, Your Highness?" Lady Ele asks with a soft tilt of her head.

"I would, but the gifts are locked into my drawers, and I find it better to rummage through my things myself. I would need someone's help to carry everything, though, and would love it if some of you ladies would assist me. Lady Amelia, Lady Victoria, what do you think?"

She doesn't wait for their replies and instead turns to walk towards the door. She sucks in a breath and hopes that her earlier conversations convinced the two to join her privately, and once the door to the greenhouse is closed, she finally looks behind her and breathes out.

They followed.

"Thank you for coming with me." Aristia smiles once more as she guides the two ladies back to her room. 

Once there, she sits at her desk, grabbing the key Alice left on top of the desk earlier.

"I thought you said you don't like other people rummaging through your things, Your Highness, yet your key was unguarded on top of your desk, no less." Amelia remarks.

"Good observation." Aristia smirks. "I trust one of my maids a whole lot. She's quite young, bless her heart, but she executed all her tasks perfectly so far. Even this one."

The Empress unlocks the second drawer and pulls out box after box, and soon enough, her desk is filled to the brim with numerous small boxes.

Victoria silently counts them in her head. 17 boxes.

"What is in them?" She asks.

"These 9," Aristia's hand hovers over the boxes on her right side, "are everyone's gifts."

"But they're 9." Victoria comments further. "And you only invited 8."

"Of course, but I also counted myself."

"And the other 9?" Amelia interrupts, her tone laced with curiosity.

"They're 8." Victoria side-eyes her. "Which means you didn't count yourself this time."

"That's right, Victoria. These eight ones," Aristia's hand now hovers above the boxes on her left side, "are a secret. You will know what's inside them only if I deem you trustworthy enough. Of course, I didn't know which of the ladies out there would be appropriate, but you two caught my eye."

"How?" Amelia asks carefully. "What did we do?"

"Nothing in particular-"

"Is it because of our families?" Victoria asks this time, cutting Aristia off again. Amelia throws her a sharp gaze, as if warning her, but Aristia doesn't feel offended at all. On the contrary, she lets out a genuine smile.

She doesn't need kiss-asses. She needs people that can speak their truths, and she has a feeling that she found them in these two young women.

"No. Your families don't matter to me either." Aristia responds. "I like how outspoken you are, and I like your ambition. You two didn't hesitate to challenge me back there, and you also weren't a part of Arabella's entourage. However, I prepared 8 boxes because I was ready to overlook certain things, as long as anyone else caught my eye. They didn't."

"So... what is it, exactly?" Amelia inquires further.

"There are talks about your marriage to a count in the West, Lady Amelia. Are you satisfied with this arrangement?"

Amelia avoids Aristia's gaze and looks down.

"Of course not. Who would want to marry someone much older, that they didn't even meet once?" She speaks, but immediately mutters an apology when she realises this has been the Empress' exact fate.

"Yes. I know how you feel. What if I told you that you don't have to marry him?"

"What do you mean? Of course I have to marry him. My brothers will take over the family business, and I can't do anything. I am a woman. My only purpose is to get married and have some... man's children."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Aristia challenges further. "I can give you power, Amelia."

As the Empress speaks, Lady Amelia's back becomes straighter.

"And you, Victoria, I already told you what I can give you. I can guarantee your brother's safety in the upcoming wars."

"How would you do that?" She asks, her voice holding a tint of hope.

"Exactly, how would you do any of that?" Amelia asks as well, her tone also hopeful, despite her sharp voice.

"That's for me to worry about." Aristia speaks with resolve. "Now, if you find my offer attractive enough, feel free to grab a box from the left side. If not, well, it can't be helped." She smiles sweetly.

The two women look at each other briefly, before Lady Victoria averts her gaze and hastily grabs a box from the left pile.

"Please save my brother, Your Majesty." She bows politely and clutches the box in her hand.

Amelia hesitates for a few moments, before taking in a deep breath and also grabbing a box from the left pile.

"Thank you for trusting me, Your Highness." She says.

"Well, aren't you two going to open them?"

The women look at each other again before opening the boxes and pulling out two golden necklaces.

"A key...?" Victoria holds the necklace out.

"We are matching." Aristia takes out her own golden key from the drawer's keyhole and places it around her neck, then takes a box from the pile on the right. "Grab those other boxes and let's get back to the other ladies."

The two court ladies follow suit and grab 4 boxes each, following Aristia outside of her room and back to the greenhouse.

~

(A/N) New chapter out for you, that means we have 7 more left

I can't wait for you to read them all!

Love,

Storm