The Royal Palace of the Ethiro Empire is as big as half of my country.
I've been dragged through hallways and gardens, passing beautiful flowers and shady corridors, until finally reaching the destination.
After this long journey, I find myself standing in the throne hall, waiting for my sentence. As a fallen Queen, I can't expect anything but death.
Yet, the Ethirans are a bit too much.
Couldn't they have executed me immediately? Waiting is torture, and I just want to end this once and for all. Did they really need to bring me here from Polis, keeping me captive for a whole week of travel? They could have just killed me there and thrown my corpse in the sea. There wouldn't have been a better place for me to rest than the warm waters of the Central Sea.
The Emperor makes his entrance and, slowly and ceremonially, steps on the few stains in front of the throne. He turns with the same pace and sits down while passing his gaze on his subjects. I follow him with my eyes. I remember only now that he's young. A child of thirteen years of age is guiding the largest nation in the world.
Although, who am I to judge? I was crowned a few months after my birth and have been Queen ever since. I've never known anything different.
I can relate to this kid. Thrones are rather uncomfortable chairs.
«What do we have on the schedule?» he asks while passing his eyes on his subjects in his hall. All the vassals have their head bowed in sign of respect, and they pay attention not to let their eyes meet with the Emperor.
Fortunately, a prisoner has the right to be impolite. I lift my eyebrows when our gazes meet. I'm going to die anyway, I don't need to act cautiously just to meet a lighter death.
If my death saves my people, so be it. However, I will not bow my head to those that caused our ruin.
«Let's start with diplomacy,» he whispers to his adjutant. As soon as he pronounces the words, the chains get pulled until I'm forced to walk forward.
They've tied my wrists with heavy chains, even though I followed them on my volition. It was a condition for peace, so I surrendered myself to the enemy. There was no need to put me in a cage and bind me like this, but I guess it was more entertaining. One does not see a chained queen just every day.
I stop in front of the throne. I sigh and look around, in search of familiar faces. Unfortunately, I'm alone here.
Maybe it's better this way. I don't need to be seen like this by anyone that knew me. Chained, with dirty clothes and unkempt hair, alone in the centre of this giant hall.
«What is your name?» the Emperor asks, more curious than hostile.
«This Queen's name is Theodora,» I answer mechanically. I have never introduced myself before today. There has always been someone else to proclaim my names and titles.
This time I have to do it myself: I can't let a foreigner mispronounce my name.
I'm no one here, so they didn't even tell the Emperor about my name before. Ethiro conquered my city just to get rid of the problem and pass on another issue.
«You're not a queen anymore,» the Emperor points out, and I can't stop myself from looking at him with a challenging gaze.
«My abdication was signed a week ago, and it will be effective from tomorrow morning. For this last day, I am still Queen of Polis.»
«Is that how it works?»
«It was the shortest term this Queen could set without breaking Polis' rules.»
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Crazy Duke and Fallen Queen
RomanceShe's the Queen who lost a war. And he's the man who won. Theodora was the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent. She is sure that they'll execute her immediately, but somehow she survives t...
