Chapter 17 - The Rising Empress (Final Chapter)

"Your Highness." Victoria bows as she enters the Empress' study.

"Welcome." Aristia smiles.

"You're late." Amelia paces back and forth, biting her nails anxiously.

"Yes, I apologise. I needed to write down some more details to make sure I'm wholly prepared today." Victoria replies.

"It's alright. You're both on time. Early, even." Aristia chuckles. "So, are you two ready to impress some court officials?"

"Yes."

"No."

The two girls reply at the same time, bringing yet another chuckle on Aristia's lips.

"Why? What's wrong?" Victoria asks Amelia.

"Think about it! The orphanages are sure to get approved, but my girls-only academy? They will definitely oppose the idea!" Amelia whines slightly, sits down, then stands up almost immediately and resumes her back and forth frantic movement throughout the room. "How many votes do we need again?"

"Well, since these are my projects, I am unable to vote on them. My husband also can't vote, since there would be a conflict of interests. However, we are sure to get Mr. Silverstone's vote, as well as Seungmin and Jisung's."

"Which means..." Amelia raises her brows.

"We only need three more votes on the projects to have the majority." Aristia continues. "We can do it. Besides, we 've been preparing for more than three months now, and I also have an ace up my sleeve, so, don't worry and let's go blow their minds."

"Are you coming with us?" Victoria asks.

"No, I will see you directly in the meeting room in a few moments."

"Alright. Here goes nothing." Amelia bows and heads towards the door, and Victoria follows her, showing the Empress an encouraging smile.

~

Aristia is getting ready for the meeting with the officials that's been postponed for far too long. With the help of her advisors and the Emperor, she has managed to prepare herself properly for this, but she is, nonetheless, anxious, as this is the meeting that will decide the future of the Empire, and her own future as well. 

If the Court is a chess board, she must prove today that she is a piece worth playing, not a simple pawn to be used and discarded as they see fit.

"Your Highness, I brought the dress you requested." Alice almost runs inside the room, followed by Juliana and Mari.

"It came out quite well, I'm impressed." The Empress smiles. "Juliana, Mari, please help me get ready. And Alice..."

She takes the small key around her neck and hands it to the young maid.

"Truly? Are you going to finally wear it?" Alice squirms with joy and immediately snatches the key and runs towards Aristia's desk, pulling out a box.

"Yes, the moment has come." She replies and watches the maid examine the beautiful jewellery piece inside the box, as her other two assistants are helping her into the large, golden and white dress.

"This dress suits you well, Your Highness." Juliana compliments, and looking at herself in the mirror, Aristia has to agree with her.

Fully dressed in the Empire's colours in such a magnificent dress for the first time, with the golden crown embellished with white jewels steadily on her head, and with the family heirloom Chris has gifted her months ago – the golden necklace with the large white crystal in the middle - she embodies the essence of a true Empress.

She appears imposing and powerful, and with her growing belly that's carrying the Emperor's child in her womb, she is ready to face the officials and be recognised once and for all as the one and only Empress of the Empire of the Sun.

~

She enters the large meeting hall and scans the table, noticing that Amelia and Victoria are already there, sitting beside Mr. Silverstone.

She is the last one to arrive, and as she steps into the room, her head is held high.

She walks slowly until she reaches the throne next to her husband's, who, as she sits down, grabs her hand and presses a firm kiss on her knuckles.

"You are beautiful." He mouths, making her smile, and the hold on her hand gives her more courage.

She would've lied if she said she is not feeling anxious, however, knowing that there are people around her who believe in her, she allows herself to relax in her chair and awaits the beginning of the meeting.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Chris stands up, overviewing the people around the table in the meeting room, "we are here today to discuss and vote on four important matters, in the following order."

Chris takes a deep breath before continuing.

"First, the Empress proposed three initiatives to develop our Empire further. We will discuss them at length and vote on them, and based on the majority of the votes, these projects will either be implemented or not. I have overviewed these proposals carefully and I must say that, despite not being able to cast a vote on these matters, I fully endorse them, and strongly believe that they would improve the life of the people. Afterwards, we are to discuss Her Majesty's punishment regarding the peace treaty signed with the Kingdom of the South. I invite Her Majesty the Empress to address the assembly."

"Thank you." Aristia nods with a soft smile and stands up. "First of all, we will begin with a proposal that would change our Empire's economic system. In front of you, there are some sealed envelopes containing money notes, or as my advisors and I would like to call them, banknotes. Please take them out and examine them carefully."

The officials follow this request and open the envelopes, taking out the printed money and inspecting it closely.

"I would now like to invite my advisors, Sir Kim and Sir Han, to take over."

Aristia sits back in her throne as she watches the two men confidently present the paper notes and all the advantages and disadvantages of this new economic system.

They take charge and compare them to the gold coin, and the more they speak, the more impressed the officials get.

"Now, I would like to invite Lady Victoria Stoneheart to present my second proposal." Aristia continues after Seungmin and Jisung sit down.

Victoria stands up and clears her throat, before beginning to speak.

"The Silverstone family has acquired three buildings in three main locations within the outskirts of the city, and with the Empress' support, we have decided to build shelter for the orphaned children of our Empire. As you might be aware, the sustained conflicts from the past decades have left their mark on countless families who found themselves on the streets, and the ones who have suffered the greatest loss have been the children left behind. Think about how many lives have already been lost, how much our Empire would have to suffer if we were to lose these children as well. By creating these orphanages, we will make sure they get properly educated and grow up in a stable environment, so they can one day become active members of the society. By helping them, we are helping the future of the Empire."

Victoria continues to list details of how the orphanages will be operated and how beneficial these will be, and everyone listens carefully, especially her father, who looks proudly at his daughter.

A while later, her speech is finally over, and the next one to stand up is Amelia.

"My name is Amelia Thornfield, but I stand before you today not as a member of the Thornfield family, but as a trusted subject of our Empress. I have been granted exclusive rights to all operations involving the emerald mine that has been recently acquired through the peace treaty with the Kingdom of the South, and so far, we have seen substantial profits. A percentage of these profits have been handed over to the Court, and with half of my personal profits, I intend to open an academy with Her Majesty's support." Amelia says in a breath.

She looks extremely nervous, but so far, she's doing extraordinary, Aristia thinks.

"What kind of academy?" One of the officials asks.

"A girls-only academy." She answers, and one of the officials gasps. "As you are already aware, women have been seen as less-than in our Empire, which is truly a shame, considering how many bright minds could've changed things for the better. Every single one of us have been brought into this world by a woman, and a high majority of us have been nourished and brought up by nurturing mothers who shaped us into who we are today. Women are as capable as men to learn and study, and so, it would be a shame to turn a blind eye any further and continue to view them as mere procreators. Women are smart, clever, and they deserve a chance at education."

Amelia looks around the table to notice the sharp gazes of the officials and gets slightly discouraged, but as her eyes get to Aristia, who offers her a nod and a reassuring smile, she finds the strength to keep going and insists on the importance of women joining the work field and studying, which would bring more prosperity to the Empire.

The last matter that needs to be discussed is the most pressing one to Aristia, who looks at her husband for comfort. He is quick to provide her with the softest gaze and smile, so she feels confident and stands up once again, placing her hands on her stomach.

"Officials of the court, I'd like to begin by saying that I sincerely apologise for my unruly behaviour. I have been wrong to go behind your backs and sign a peace treaty with the Kingdom of the South. I would also like to use this opportunity to formally apologise to my husband."

As she says this, she turns to Chris and bows deeply, who gets shocked by the sight and immediately stands up and asks her to stop bowing.

"Although I believe that the treaty has helped us greatly so far, making these projects possible and giving the people a certainty – a period of peace they've so greatly wished for – the way I went about it hasn't been ideal. I have reflected on these mistakes and I understand that the matter of my punishment has remained unresolved, which has brought disappointment and resentment. I would like to continue by assuring you that everything I've done was for the benefit of the Empire, and I vow to dedicate myself fully to bringing prosperity, and to work with everyone towards improving it for the rest of my life."

With these words, Aristia bows to the officials this time, and everyone is once again taken by surprise. She sits down, and as they all begin talking between themselves, the door opens, revealing Hyunjin.

"Apologies for interrupting your gathering." He bows. "I came to deliver some news that might influence the outcome of this meeting, if I may, and if I haven't gotten here too late."

"No, you're just in time." Chris nods. "Please."

"We have identified all the polluted water sources throughout the Empire and wrote water preservation articles in the newspapers for the common folk, to ensure this will never happen again. We have officially overcome the disease that's been spreading. I would like to properly thank Her Highness the Empress for suggesting we investigate the water pathogens, as this could've taken us much longer to ascertain." Hyunjin bows deeply, and Aristia looks at Chris bewildered.

He's decided to help her out once more, as she hasn't thought of leveraging Hyunjin to improve her standing with the officials.

"Thank you for your report, Sir Hwang. You are free to go." Chris says, raising his hand in the air and pointing towards the door, then continues. "I believe we have reached the end of our discussions. It is now time to vote. We will begin with the implementation of the paper money notes. Who is in favour of this new policy, please raise your hands."

Out of the ten officials, seven raise their hands, which means the policy is approved.

"Then, the orphanages in the care of the Silverstone family."

This time, nine out of ten officials raise their hands, once more approving of the policy.

"It's time for the girls-only academy in Miss Amelia Thornfield's care."

Six out of the ten officials raise their hands, and despite the number being lower, they are still in the majority, which means the policy gets approved. Amelia lets out a sigh of relief and looks over at Aristia, who's smiling brightly, knowing that she will bring change to the Empire.

"And now, for the final and most pressing matter of our gathering today, the execution of Aristia Bahng, Empress of the Empire of the Sun. Before proceeding with the vote, I would like to express my opinion regarding the Empress' actions. It is true that she's acted harshly, but I believe everything she's done so far will help the Empire grow during an era of peace. All the policies presented today have been her own ideas that she's shared with me and with our advisors, that she's been working on carefully for the past months, and I'm honestly taken aback by her brilliant mind. I believe she has much more to offer, and she's proven herself worthy of the title of Empress and has atoned for her sins. However, the officials who believe she would still need to be punished for her actions, please raise your hands."

Aristia looks anxiously around the table and finds herself holding her breath once more, counting seconds in her head. However, even after 60 whole seconds who feel way longer than a minute, no one raises their hands.

She lets out a breath of relief as she hears the Emperor speak.

"Then, I believe this meeting has come to an end. Thank you." The Emperor nods and gives Aristia his hand to help her stand up, and they leave the meeting hall together.

~

"I can't believe all of our policies went through today!" Aristia exclaims, jumping in bed next to Chris.

"I can. You've been amazing today. And by the way, I loved your dress, and that necklace suits you incredibly well, my Empress." Chris grabs her hand and kisses her knuckles again.

"Why, thank you!" She exclaims again with a chuckle, as Chris places his hands on her cheeks and leans over to kiss her before lying down next to her again.

"And your baby bump is the cutest thing in the world. I can't wait to meet the little one." He caresses her belly as they both feel a kick.

"Oh, looks like someone's active today." Aristia smiles, and their hearts are filled with happiness. "The baby also can't wait to meet us. Hey, if it's a girl-"

"If it's a girl, I will be the happiest dad in the entire world, and I will put this whole Empire to her feet. Don't worry about anything, Aristia. It doesn't matter what gender it is. You and this baby are the most important people in the world, and I will make sure you both know it every day of your lives." Chris cuts her off instantly, placing his head on her shoulder and continuing to caress her belly.

"I love you so much, Chris. Truly. When I first heard of this marriage, I wasn't sure what to expect, and when I got here and you were so cold to me, I simply lost all hope that I will ever find happiness in this life. However... you proved me wrong, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart." Aristia confesses.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to realise what a genuine person you are, Aristia. But can I confess something?" He asks.

She nods and moves her head on the pillow, separating herself from Chris so she can look him in the eyes.

"Ever since I first saw you in that church, when our eyes met, I was immediately captivated by that burning in your eyes."

"The burning in my eyes?" Aristia chuckles.

"Mhm." He nods. "And during our wedding night, when you defied me and challenged my authority, when you spoke sharp words... I don't know how to explain it, but... it truly made my heart skip a beat." He chuckles.

"Hmm... When I first saw you in the church, I thought: Oh, wow, the Emperor looks so beautiful!" Aristia laughs. "And then, as months went by, I kept... I kept musing over how much you resemble a true Emperor. With every word you said, and by the way you walked or held your head high, I got... very inspired."

"Inspired?" Chris laughs.

"Yes. I realised I want to become someone who can stand proudly next to you, as a true Empress."

"And that's who you became." Chris smiles softly, silent admiration in his gaze. "My Rising Empress."

"We're going to be very busy in the upcoming months, aren't we?" Aristia laughs quietly.

"Yeah, we will." Chris caresses her face. "But the most important thing for you to focus on is your health, so you can give birth without issues to the most perfect baby in the world. Alright? Don't strain yourself."

"I won't, don't worry." She smiles back and places her left hand over his, on her cheek.

"I love you too, Aristia. You're the best thing that ever happened to me. Let's go to sleep, and when we wake up tomorrow, let's take it one step at a time, together. Deal?"

"Deal."

~The End~

(A/N) This is it. This is the final chapter of this adventure, and I can honestly say that it breaks my heart to finish posting it.

This has been my most favourite project to work on so far. I love everything about it: the plot, the writing style, the characters... and yes, I might reread this in 5 years and think "wow this was crap wtf?" (hahah), but right now as I finish posting it, I'm very proud of myself!

I hope you've enjoyed reading "The Rising Empress" as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Please let me know. Comments are always appreciated.

Unfortunately, I don't have a new story planned as of now. However, I'll be working on requests for a little while, until inspiration strikes again and I'm ready to commit myself to writing a full-on intricate plot.

Until then, however, see you in my other stories and in the Story Requests!

Love you the most, and thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading and interacting with my story!

Storm