Plight of an Empire

Chapter Twelve: Audriel

Mynoa, Rundil

“It has been over a month, Audriel!” Elviva yelled at her daughter.  “The time for mourning is over.  The time to pick up the pieces of the empire is eminent.  You must complete to duty to your people if you wish to rule.”

Audriel paced the floor of her bedchamber as her mother stood watching her.  Both Elviva and Audriel shared the bright crimson cheeks of anger as they bickered back and forth.  “How is it my duty to marry a man I do not even love?  Can I not rule effectively by myself or am I not able to because I am a woman?”

Elviva threw her hands in the air.  “It is tradition that a ruling lady find a husband within the first few months of her ascension.”

“I don’t give a damn what tradition states!  I am High Queen and I do what I want!”

Elviva looked like she had been slapped in the face.  Her jaw hung slack for just a fraction of a moment before she regained her composure.  “Your people will not respect you if you break tradition”, she stated in a monotone voice.  She clasped her hands together and let them hang in front of her.

A scowl was plastered on Audriel’s face.  “Have we learned nothing from the story of Ymersine?  She has proven to all of us that a woman cannot only rule as well as a man alone, but she can even surpass a man’s ability.  How can you say that I must marry when the stories you have taught to me tell me that I do not need to?  How can you say that I must marry a man whom I cannot trust?”

“It is not my decision, Audriel.  Several of your advisors have come to me asking that I speak to you on this matter.”

Audriel’s already red cheeks burned even brighter with new fury.  “Who has come to you?” she demanded.  Her clenched fists were white.  Her fingernails dug into the skin of her palms, but she did not even notice the pain.

“Understandably, they have requested that they remain anonymous.”  Her mother’s now monotone tone infuriated Audriel further.  She knew that her mother was doing this to anger her on purpose.  “But they have collaborated with me to create a list of suitable candidates for you to look over.”  She pulled a folded sheet of parchment out of one of the folds on her gown and placed it on Audriel’s bed.  “I would look over it when you get a chance.”

“Get out”, Audriel commanded through gritted teeth.  Her dark locks fell into her eyes as she pointed at the door.  “Get out!”

Elviva bowed her head to her daughter.  “If you’ll excuse me”, she said blankly as she turned and exited the room.

Audriel strained her ears to listen for the sounds of her mother’s footsteps disappearing.  Once she knew she was out of earshot, Audriel let out a loud roar of anger.  She could not believe the audacity of her mother.  Her eyes fell on the neatly folded parchment lying on her bed.  A surge of anger and embarrassment welled up inside her.  She snatched the parchment off the bed and approached the fire.  She held it above the flames, letting the flames’ heat lick her skin, but she did not drop it.

Curiosity overcame her.  Who does my mother think should become the next High King?  She pulled the parchment back and stared at it, unsure of what to do with it.  She did not want to give her mother the satisfaction of looking at the parchment, even though she wouldn’t know whether she did or not.  Yet at the same time, the neatly folded piece of parchment was enticing.  If she looked hard enough, she could see the dark ink of the words through it.  Her limbs stiffened.  No she thought.  I will not give in.  She tossed the parchment into the fire and watched the flames burn it to a crisp.

With a satisfied grin on her lips, she left the still tense atmosphere of her room.  She listlessly made her way from her bedchamber to the throne room.  Her mind still occupied with the events of her doting mother.  A part of her understood her mother, but another part could not understand why her mother was pushing so hard for this.  Who she chose to marry should be her right, if she should choose to marry at all.  Why couldn’t her mother understand that?