I walked to the centre of the room, stopping close to the drops of blood left by Francis. My gaze lingered on the intense redness and its contrast with the pure white of the floor. It stayed a moment more than it should.
"It must be hard for you Lady Lucreatia..." started the Emperor, the cackling sound following his voice. "I heard you and the prince had become good friends, to ear he would help the princess against you. I am sure you feel betrayed..."
My chin raised, my neck hurt just to glimpse at those golden, faded eyes that resembled Francis's, although without the glint of mischief or the youthful charm. I noticed then that the cackling was his fingers moving, now that the shadow was no longer hiding an unknown thing. It was liberating, though it would always be unsettling.
"No, your majesty. I knew of it."
The cackling ceased. The silence deepened and Gobbie looked at me, surprised.
"You knew?"
"Yes." I said, fixed on those eyes that were now blurred.
"Where you that confident?" asked the Emperor, amused.
"I was confident the ladies and I did our best, yes. But I was also confident that the royal prince would do justice to his people, no matter the outcome." I replied, feeling the heat from several eyes, glued on me, judging each word, each nervous movement that may have escaped my control.
Gobbie's face looked pained, and I knew I may have screwed it. Who would dare to defend a prince that was disciplined and so utterly humiliated in front of the whole court by his own father?
But then the emperor did not rage, neither did he admonish me. He just watched. His eyes getting clear with an unknown meaning.
"And what is your proposal, my lady?" was all he said after.
I had numerous speeches and visions of what to say and what would happen. But I never could in my wildest scenarios imagine this morning to end like this. In blood and in ashes. No matter what I had prepared, I felt it was best to keep it short. On point.
"We have many ideas, your majesty." I said, looking back to the girls, before returning to the Emperor, my thumbs touching my forefingers, as the nervous energy build inside. "But only one I feel would be the most important."
It had come to me when Fanny joined in our talks and gave us ideas that had never crossed our minds.
"I find myself curious, my lady. Please go on." the emperor had leaned to the side, his hand anchoring his head. The darkness again fell back, still present yet less powerful.
I took a long breath.
"Listen to the people." I said. His golden eyes shifted and enlarged, in surprise or in question. It was hard to tell. "Listen to their voices, that have prayed for better days. For help, that never came. Listen to the people who watch them every day, try to change their lives with every breath, yet remained powerless." I gulped. "They would help us know what is needed, what we can do to truly help."
Voices exalted from above.
"That is preposterous!"
"It is the duty of nobility to know what is best for the Empire."
The whispers ran amok.
"Strange."
"Treacherous."
"Disastrous."
I clutched my hands, undeterred. "They deserve to be heard, your majesty. After their cries have been left unheard for such a long time, they deserve a chance."
The whispers recovered their strength until a thundering noise silenced them. It came from the royal sceptre. It was time for the Emperor to speak.
"Lord Castello." he ordered.
A subtle move from the shadows on my right, and someone began its descent into the ground. "Yes, your majesty."
The Emperor waited until Duke Castello arrived next to Gobbie, who seemed incredibly uncomfortable with the situation, while his friend and fellow duke remained composed.
"Whose city allows for its people to gather and discuss its laws and regulations? Their needs. Their actions."
Duke Castello was not a man of great emotion, yet at that moment his green eyes darted to Gobbie, whose hands, hidden behind his back, shook."There are a few who do that, your majesty," he replied.
"Yes, yes, yes." dismissed the Emperor. Clearly, that was not the answer he wanted. "But whose city has done it for centuries?"
There was a smile in his voice. Wicked and wrong.
This time Lord Castello looked at me, concern flashing through."Aerabitina."
My mouth opened slightly, though I tried to regain composure as the Emperor continued. "Ah indeed. They have been handling fairly alright from what I heard."
There was no question, and no one commented on it.
"My lady, that is a bold idea. However, I must warn you, listening to our people can be dangerous. Their hearts would never be completely attuned to ours. And if you are not careful, they will devour you if they believe they would be better off by doing it."
He stared down at me, waiting to see if I would say or do anything, yet I remained still, his whispered words tugging inside my head while I tried to understand his meaning and his intentions.
"But as you very well said, my lady, the crown owns its people their voice. As long as they are helpful for the cause." the rumbling in the room was barely a murmur. Everyone digested the Emperor's decision with caution. "Take care of it and come back again when you have acquired the proposals that will most benefit my people."
"Yes, your majesty." I said, bowing with all the grace I could muster.
Then I was led outside, together with the girls, our role ending abruptly.
Yet, I could not shake the feeling that I was being tested. Although what for was
a mystery. I was only certain that the thought of returning to that room and to those people was sickening.
More than anything, I dreaded to be so close to the Sun Emperor and his crooked half-smile again.
Here it is! It is a short chapter (actually last and this were to be only one chapter but it got too big so I separated them).
Still I hope you like it!
And what do you think of Lulu's proposal? I thought for a long time and realized that even though Lucreatia had not always lived in luxury she still would be detached from the reality outside nobility in the Sun Empire. However practical she is I gathered she would go in search of answers from who knows best.
Maybe it is too whimsical... but felt like the right approach.