Chapter 102: Empress Raziah, Lady Aryna and Queen Eula
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LOCATION: STELLARUS EMPIRE ROYAL PALACE
***PALACE OF THE EVERLASTING SPRING, THE EMPRESS' RESIDENCE***
*KNOCK!
*KNOCK!
*KNOCK!
"Come in."
A calm woman's voice can be heard inside the room and after she spoke those words, the majestic door opened, and a maid entered the room as she went over to the elegant woman's side and then paid its respect as she greeted the owner of the room.
"Greetings to the second star ruler of the empire, Her Majesty, the Empress."
The elegant woman who the maid addressed as the Empress of the Empire, looked at her with a smile.
"You may rise. May I know what you need from me?"
Her name is RAZIAH MICA DE STELLARUS, the Empress of Stellarus Empire, the first wife of Emperor Leirano Faustian de Stellarus. Empress Raziah came from the Duke Marfa household as she is the first daughter of Duke Marfa, the household of Magician bloodline and a distant relative of Stellarus Royal family.
The maid raise her head when the Empress ordered her to rise and said; "Answering Her Majesty, the Empress, this servant would like to announce that Queen Eula is now outside of the residence and the Queen asked Her Majesty, the Empress, for permission to enter."
Empress Raziah frowned at the mention of Queen Eula, who, right now according to the maid who reported on her that Queen Eula is now waiting outside of her residence.
'This is new. Queen Eula was known for her timid personality, not that I saw that in a negative way but sometimes I found her cute, as if a trembling rabbit who couldn't help but flinching whenever I happened to meet her in one of the gardens in the Royal Palace.'
Raziah thought as she smiled when she remembered those times that Queen Eula almost ran away from her, avoiding her and didn't want to get on her bad side.
If this was another Empress, Eula would have suffered from harassments since she is the second wife of the Emperor, meaning Eula's title should be a Consort, not a Queen as she came from a Count's household, unlike Raziah who is the eldest young lady from the Duke household.
However, when the Emperor declared of taking a second wife, Raziah supported her husband and not only that, but Raziah is also the one who recommended to the Emperor that he should take Lady Eula from the Court Crowell household and gave her the title of a Queen.
Because the Count Crowell household is also a household of Magician bloodline and from what Raziah know is that Lady Eula is a powerful spellcaster that could summon three to five consecutive spells at a faster rate.
Also, the reason why Empress Raziah recommended that Lady Eula should be taken as the Emperor's second wife is because…. The Count Crowell household is the figurehead of the Aristocratic faction and Empress Raziah's Duke Marfa household is the figurehead of the Imperial Faction.
So, in order for two factions to balance within the political world, the Emperor needs something to balance the political court and that's the reason why he married the daughters from these factions.
However, even if the Emperor married the two daughters from the different factions would make a balance for it, doesn't mean that everything would be alright afterwards.
But thanks to the power of the Chevaliers, the Grand Duke household that's masquerading as a Marquis household, they were from the neutral faction and the balance of the political world became stable because of them.
'If only the Marchioness would be Aryna instead of that wench vulgar woman Charlotte, everything would be alright.'
Raziah thought as she sighed because of her reminiscing about her memories with Aryna, together with Eula from that time.
She didn't want to think about Aryan because it hurts that she couldn't do anything for her, and the Empress knew that Eula also feels the same way as her.
'After all, we both adored Aryna so much that it hurts when we learned about her death….'
"Let the Queen entered the residence and guide her to this room and also, prepare some snacks for the both of us."
Raziah said to the maid and the maid bowed to her as she left the room in order to prepare the snacks for their visitor and most of the servants inside the Empress' room helped the Empress to dress up.
Actually, if the Empress had a visitor, she most likely guide the visitor to one of her gardens or from the parlor but never to her private quarters. Even her own husband, the Emperor and her children, she didn't permit them to enter her personal quarters.
The only one she permitted to enter her personal quarters is none other than Queen Eula herself. Most of the time, the Empress is the one who usually invited the Queen over to her residence since Queen Eula is known for her timid personality as she always stuck on her own Palace, away from others.
From what Raziah had known from the others is that Queen Eula was often in the Royal library and doing some of her research in her free time and she never bothered to attend in any events if she were invited, except if it's a Royal banquet that Hosted by the Royal family.
'Sometimes, I almost feel bad for her for taking away her freedom and to be stuck in this palace because of my recommendation but if I didn't do that, she would be likely to be sold out by that father of his from some lowly household to put a leash on her.'
Unlike Raziah who is the eldest young lady of her household from the legitimate bloodline, Eula, on the other hand, she is the second daughter from the Count's mistress.
In other words, Eula is originally an illegitimate daughter of the Count and was only legitimized because of her awakening the Magician bloodline with the trait of Spellcaster.
That's why when the Emperor declared of having a second wife, Raziah had no choice but to recommend Eula to the Emperor to save her from her household and even persuade the Emperor to grant her the title of Queen, not a Consort and for her to have the same equal power of the Empress.
As for how the legitimate duke's daughter had known someone like Eula who is an illegitimate daughter from some Count household?
Simple.
The answer is…. Aryan Asterrix herself.
*KNOCK!
*KNOCK!
*KNOCK!
Raziah snapped from her thoughts as she heard someone knocked on her door and then cleared her throat to compose herself as she speaks; "Please, come in."
After that, the door to her personal quarters opened and Raziah looked at the other person who entered her room and the Empress smiled at the familiar sight of her visitor's forest-colored hair.
The one who first entered the room is none other than the second wife of Emperor Leirano, Queen Eula.
Eula takes a step towards the Empress and then bow her head as she greets; "Greetings to the second ruler of the star empire, Her Majesty, the Empress. This Queen apologize for coming in your residence unannounced."
'There are times when she is timid but there are times as well that she could have this dignified aura befitting someone from the Royal family. Hihi! She's so cute sometimes! Aryna was right!'
Raziah thought as she smiled at Eula and the Queen noticed how the Empress smiled at her, and she almost looked away to hide her embarrassment.
"You may rise now, Queen Eula. Let's have a seat first."
Raziah said and Queen Eula just nodded as both women took a seat, and their court ladies are within their sides as the maids are now entered the Empress' personal quarters and serve the snacks for both Royal women and their court ladies help to prepared everything.
After everything was settled, the maids had already left the Empress' quarters since their job is already done and only the royal women's court ladies are left inside, together with their masters.
"Lady Livre and Lady Ashley, would you two both mind if you could leave us for now?"
Empress Raziah said as she looked at the court ladies, Lady Livre for her and Lady Ashley for Queen Eula.
"B-but…"
Queen Eula's court lady, Lady Ashley, was about to say something but Lady Livre, the Empress' court lady, stopped her and then she bowed down to her master and spoke.
"As you orders, Your Majesty."
After that, Lady Livre took Lady Ashley with her, but Lady Ashley didn't want to leave her master as she firmly believed that the Empress might have harmed her, but Lady Ashley saw her master, Queen Eula, smile at her.
"It's alright, Lady Ashley. I need something to discuss with Her Majesty in private. Just go along with Lady Livre."
With her master's order, Lady Ashley didn't have a choice but to obey her master and after that, both court ladies left the room and silence had reign within both of them.
"Is there something that you need from me, AGATHA?"
After a minute of silence, Raziah is the one who breaks the ice by addressing Queen Eula by her second name.
Eula, who looked at the elegant woman sitting on the opposite side, smiled at the name she called to her but at the same time, became anxious for a moment and Raziah noticed the other woman's anxiety that she frowns for a bit.
"Is there something wrong? Tell me, did someone disrespect you?"
Eula shook off her head and then she took a deep breath to muster up the courage to ask the Empress.
The Queen looked up to her dearest Empress as she spoke, and the words came from Eula's mouth left the Empress paled and almost stumbled on her seat because of the unexpected news.
"The Third Young Master from the Marquis Chevalier household and Aryna's only child, Ezekiel Zephyr Chevalier, the news reached within the Royal Palace about his sudden death and the criminal in charge is none other than Crown Prince Alois, your son."
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