Re: Who needs a prince when you're a queen?

Chapter Eight: The Schemer's decision

Emerald green eyes met my indiscernible-colored eyes as I was forced to look up at Her Majesty. 

Her fan was still under my chin and she smiled in bewilderment. "Under the Royal Law decreed by the founders of our empire, you should know that harming someone whose veins have royal blood running in them is a criminal offense and any offender shall be subjected to torture . . .,"  she paused for a moment as she tilted her head and brought back her fan towards her body.

". . .  lifetime imprisonment . . .," she continued and her voice was as sharp as knives.

" . . . or even worse- death," with a swift flick of her wrist, she opened her fan and started fanning herself slowly in regal delight. 

Her red gown added with her imposing aura was the most intimidating feeling ever. If I thought that meeting the king would scare me the most, this was even scarier.  Hell hath no fury of a woman scorned. 

But did I actually scorn her that much? I mean, yes, I did punch the stupid jerk in his solar plexus and may have given him a few scratches here and there, but that was only because he was being the most annoying prick ever. And I get that I should have been more mature since I have already lived an adult life before but that does not actually mean that my patience is infinite. Also, they do not even know that fact so I am free to act as childish as I want. 

I steadied myself and tried to match her elegance- well, I tried to. After all, she was a queen and she had a whole lot of experience in the etiquette area. "I know of the law, your majesty."

"Ah," she bemused. "Then, are you aware that your action from moments ago was a direct defiance to that law?" 

I nodded and gave her a smile (deep inside, I  was shaking). "Hmm, in other people's perspectives, it might be so."

She raised a brow. "Other people's perspectives? Ha!" She let out a breath of disbelief mixed with amusement and curiosity. "What, pray tell, is it in your perspective then?"

"Women empowerment," I blurted out. Oh my goodness? How stupid was that answer? That sounded like something out of an answer from a beauty pageant. Oh well, I might as well defend this one or my head would certainly come flying off if I could not settle this one.

The crowd around us started murmuring but I dare not look around and only set my eyes on the queen as she looked at me with an even more intense curiosity. Okay, great. At least my answer might not be that bad of  a choice.

"Women empowerment, you say?" 

"Yes, your majesty," I nodded. "I was merely defending  my rights as a female."

"Defending your rights, huh? You were clearly overstepping the boundaries!" Prince Cedric yelled out loud. 

I turned to his direction to give him a glare and answered him. "And so were you, your highness! Do you not know that it is also under the law that a proper gentleman must learn to respect a lady? By saying that I could not get married and by humiliating me in front of everyone with no proper reason at all is a complete noncompliance to the proper ethics and morals of the empire."

Cedric was flabbergasted for a moment but he suddenly spoke again with even more conviction. "Well, gentlemen respect ladies. You are not one! You are just a clumsy witch who does not know my value!"

"Your value does not mean much if you are an arrogant prick who is very insensitive to the feelings of other people," I snorted. "And please, you are not the least bit of a gentleman because you are just a stupid immature kid who thinks he owns the world."