“Empress, we should check first, before you enter,” Karina objected.
Instead of answering, I drew the Essence Blade and extended it to full length. With it, I was not only armed, but in Melía’s Armor and with my orbs at my disposal, I felt that I had little to fear.
“Wait outside. If it’s a trick, I’ll kill her first,” I said as I pushed Thelmé forward.
Once I entered the room, it became all too obvious that this was no elaborate ruse. Líann lay in her bed, passed out and still wrapped in her forest green robe. Her head drooped off to the side, and her long blond hair hung in ragged, uncombed clumps. When I approached her closely, I could tell that she had been crying, and the slew of empty bottles that were strewn about the side table and on the floor attested to the volume of alcohol she had consumed. She looked pitiful, and as I pulled up a chair to sit next to where she lay on the bed, I gave Thelmé a single command.
“Bring me a glass of water, then leave us.”
Thelmé quickly dashed out and retrieved the water for me, and I pushed aside some of the empty wine bottles to make room on the cluttered table before setting the glass aside for the moment. As I watched Líann sleeping restlessly, I pondered just how I was going to deal with her.
She was an arrogant bitch, of that I was certain, but did that mean that I couldn’t forgive her? And what about her claim of fate? With all that I’d seen and been through, was that really something I could ignore? And then, there were the scribes. I needed them, and the fucking bitch had them. There was a lot to consider, but ultimately, I needed Líann to answer a few questions before I could decide what to do. So, I woke her up. With the glass of water. In the face.
“How dare you!” She screeched. “I’ll rip your—”
“What exactly will you be ripping, Líann?” I asked when she saw me and fell silent.
“I didn’t know it was you,” she replied self-consciously as she drew the covers about herself and ran her fingers through the tangled mass of her hair.
“It’s a bit late for that, don’t you think?” I said flatly.
“It’s a bit late for a number of things,” she whispered as she avoided my gaze.
“How about instead of treating me like a whore, you explain yourself,” I offered sharply.
“Would you even listen?” She replied as she finally looked at me.
Her pale blue irises stared at me hopefully and stood out starkly against the background of her red-rimmed and bloodshot eyes.
“I’ll listen, Líann,” I told her. “But that’s all I can promise you.”
“I… I don’t know how to do this,” she confessed awkwardly after a moment. “I’ve never had a real conversation.”
“Never?” I asked skeptically. “You never talked about regular things with someone before?”
“No,” she whispered. “It was always just budgets, diplomacy, negotiations, and the like. No one ever tried to talk to me about anything else, and if I’m going to be honest, I never tried either.”
“Why not?” I prompted her, as I realized I’d already won this round.
“I suppose I was too young at first,” she began. “Then, when I was older, I’d already gotten a reputation as somewhat… distant, so they didn’t bother. There were suitors, of course, but I’ve already told you why I never entertained them.”
“Líann?”
“Yes, Empress?”
“You just had a conversation.”
“Did I?” She questioned.
“I’m pretty sure that you did.”
“That wasn’t so hard,” she mused.
“I don’t think you’ll feel the same way about what comes next,” I reminded her.
“No, I suppose not,” she said as she slumped back against the bed.
“Tell me everything, Líann,” I instructed her as I discreetly cast See Truth. “If you want to have any hope of salvaging things, you can’t lie or hold back on me.”
The little twinge of hopefulness returned to her eyes as she looked at me and began to tell her tale.
“I was young when I first realized what I told you,” she began slowly. “It came to me first in a dream. I saw myself with someone—someone very powerful. I never knew who it was, but I could sense them standing beside me. Even now, I can still feel the energy that came to me in those dreams. The raw power that flowed into me was exhilarating; beyond anything I could imagine.”
“Of course, I didn’t believe that they were anything more than nighttime fantasies at first, but they remained with me for years, and only grew stronger with time. It was only two days after my coronation when I experienced the dream for the first time while I was awake. That was when I knew that it was something more.”
“I was sitting alone in my study when I felt the power emanating beside me. It was so familiar to me by then that I recognized it immediately. I panicked when I realized that I was awake and not dreaming it that time, but the feeling faded almost as suddenly as it had come, and I thought that I’d only imagined it.”
“But that wasn’t the case. The energy returned several more times, growing stronger on each occasion, until finally, it spoke to me. Not in words, but in images that it sent into my mind. I saw—no—I felt what my future held. The destiny that I told you of. I knew that my fate would be tied to the most powerful person this world has ever known. I saw myself as destined to be Queen, not just of Íforn, but of all Arrika. The vision never came to me again after that. It didn’t need to; its purpose was complete. I had finally understood its message.”
“When I first heard the King of Dhel-Ar call you Empress, I wondered if it was you that I’d been promised. And then, when you placed your hand over mine as I took my oath, I felt your touch and recognized the energy inside you. It is the same powerful energy that I felt in my dreams and in my mind. I confess, I was overwhelmed at first, but then I became intoxicated by the thought of the power I would have and the glory of the Empire I would build with your might. As you can tell, my thoughts were quite selfish, and as you already know, my arrogance was my downfall.”
“I have no excuses to offer you, Empress,” she confessed. “I’m a rather dreadful person, but you asked me to tell you everything; to leave nothing out, and so I have.”
Everything she’d said was true, and the story was beginning to sound quite familiar to me. Somehow, some way, this world kept sending me broken people, people who not only needed me, but people I would need as well, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. And as Líann finished speaking, I heard Venna’s voice echoing in my head, “I don’t think any of what happens is about providing you with what you want. It’s about providing you with what you need.”
“You’re right, Líann,” I sighed in resignation as I stood to leave. “You are a truly dreadful person, and the most dreadful thing about you right now is how bad you smell. If you can tend to that before we share lunch tomorrow in my office, I’d be willing to see what we can do to address the rest of your shortcomings.”
Líann flushed with embarrassment at my comment and pulled the blankets around herself even more tightly as she nodded in acknowledgement. I left her without saying anything else. She had told me a great deal already, and it was probably too soon to push her for much more.
Dealing with Líann’s issues was going to be a delicate matter. She was a grown woman, a Queen, but lacked any real social skills. Her power and position had allowed her to ignore those failings, but now, when she was confronted by someone with an even higher status, she could no longer rely on those things to shield her from the consequences of her awful behavior. And then there was the other issue. My real dilemma.
Líann had a virtually life-long vision of being by my side, a position that Tási occupied, and one that I was not going to relinquish to her. What that meant and where that would lead, I had no idea, but it was definitely not going to go where Líann had originally intended. But no matter what the eventual outcome was, I was certain that my future would include add
ing Líann into the delicate balance of my life. The only real question was, in what capacity would that be? Friend, lover, or something else entirely? Only time would tell.
“Please tell me my Queen is better, Empress,” Thelmé begged as I exited the room.
“We have begun to mend our fences,” I told her flatly.
“Thank you, Empress! Thank you!” The woman gushed.
“Thelmé,” I looked at the woman who was nearly in tears. “I’m going to give you an order, and as your Empress, I expect you to follow it. To. The. Letter.”
“What is it?” She asked, barely managing to conceal her concern.
“You are going stop treating her like a fucking princess,” I commanded her. “When she acts like a bitch, you will call her out on it. If she treats someone poorly, you will correct her; discreetly, of course. You will do all this and more. You will begin addressing your mistakes from this day forward, and if she gives you any trouble about it, you will let me know immediately and I will set her straight myself. Do you understand?”
“I don’t know if I can do that, Empress,” Thelmé hesitated.
“If you are unwilling to help fix what you have broken, you need to let me know right now,” I replied as I glared at her, “and I will see that you are replaced by someone who is able to serve her better.”
“I… I serve the Queen, you cannot replace me,” Thelmé objected.
“You serve Líann, and Líann serves me,” I corrected her harshly. “Now, you either follow my command or I’ll have you washing dishes!”
“I… I’ll try, Empress. I swear I will,” she promised.
“Thelmé,” I offered her, “She won’t like it much, especially at first, but it’s what she needs, and I think you know that.”
Then I decided to add a little something else for her to consider.
“I’m sure she’s made your life miserable more than once over the years,” I whispered to her conspiratorially. “Now’s your chance to pay the bitch back.”
Thelmé’s eyes lit up when she recognized the opportunity that had been presented to her, and the corners of her mouth curled into a slight grin as she nodded back at me slowly.
“I will do as you say,” she replied as her smile grew wider. “You are the Empress, after all, so what choice do I have?”
“I look forward to reading your reports,” I told her as I left. “Which I will expect to receive regularly, Thelmé.”
We had climbed three flights of stairs before Karina finally asked the question that must have been burning inside her.
“Can I tell Ella to have the guards stand down now?”
“I’d say yes, definitely,” was my reply. “I don’t think there ever was any threat from the Queen, but I appreciate the precautions you all took.”
As soon as we reached my residence, I hurried to my rooms, desperate to leave the difficult day behind me. Bane hadn’t returned, and Tási wasn’t there either, so I changed into my sleeping outfit and crawled into bed alone. But thoughts of just how I would deal with Líann over lunch the next day plagued my mind until I finally fell into a fitful sleep.
“I heard your meeting with Líann went well,” Tási said as I opened my eyes the next morning.
“Well enough,” I replied sleepily. “I’ll know better after our lunch today.”
“Oh?” Tási responded. “You saw the need to meet with her again?”
“Relax,” I said as I sat up and stretched. “It’s not in her suite, I made her come here instead.”
“You’re bringing the woman who wants to take my place into our quarters?” Tási snapped at me.
“I’ve invited the Queen of Íforn to my chambers,” I replied angrily. “Don’t pull this shit on me, Tási. You know your place with me isn’t in jeopardy.”
“But what about what she said?” Tási persisted. “That it was her fate to be with you?”
“She may be right about that,” I confessed. “I don’t know. But she would not be unique in that. As far as I’m concerned, you share that destiny with her. The difference is, you came first, and the place she intends to claim has already been taken.”
“How many?” Tási asked. “I know I told you that I didn’t want to know, but you have to tell me now. How many are there?”
“You already know them all, Tási,” I replied. “Nentai told me there would only be a few, so I don’t expect that there will be any more to follow.”
“What?” Tási exclaimed. “When did she tell you that?”
“Right after you told me that you knew I couldn’t be faithful to you,” I replied pointedly. “And that you’d accepted it.”
“Oh,” she practically deflated at the reminder.
“It’s not what I want, Tási—it’s not what either of us wants, but you know who I am and what my calling is, you told me that yourself. You know I love you and that no one will ever take your place, just as much as I need to know that you’ll always be here for me as well.”
“Of course I will,” Tási replied.
“Then can we stop having these discussions, please?” I pleaded with her. “I feel like a piece of shit every time this comes up.”
“I’m sorry,” Tási answered me softly. “This will be the last time, I promise.”
“Thank you,” I said as I wrapped her up in my arms.
I sent my tendrils flowing into Tási as I held her in my arms, and she responded with her own rivulets of emotion in return. We basked in each other’s love and affection for a while as we reinforced our bonds in the most profound and direct way we possibly could.
I felt the depth of Tási’s love for me in the tiny streams of emotion she had been able to master, and within them, her lingering sense of doubt and worry. In return, I flooded her with my own far more powerful waves of devotion, and let the full, unrestrained force of my commitment to her wash away those doubts. I knew that despite my efforts and her promise to let the issue lie, that those doubts would only return again, so as we pulled apart, I kissed her gently and resolved that I would offer her my reassurance more frequently.
We got ready for the day ahead, and Tási hurried off to see to her duties as I attempted to have a leisurely breakfast before I tackled the stack of reports that I knew were waiting for me with the new day. I had barely sat down in the antechamber outside my bedroom where I usually took my meals when Karina gave me some unexpected news.
“Empress,” Karina informed me. “You have some more interesting guests waiting to see you this morning.”
“Don’t we have rules about unscheduled appointments?” I threw up my hands in frustration. “Or is it only you who chooses to ignore them?”
“I’m truly sorry,” she replied. “But they were sent by each of your royal guests, and I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to hear what they have to say.”
“I’d better be, or I’ll demote you to sergeant and let Rhia take your place,” I replied, only half in jest.
“I hope you do,” Rhia chimed in from her station across the room.
“If she doesn’t, you’ll be doing twenty laps around the Palace,” Karina shot back as Rhia cringed.
“She just doesn’t know when to hold her tongue,” I smiled at their exchange.
“No, she doesn’t,” Karina agreed.
When I finished eating, and the dishes were cleared away, Karina escorted my unexpected guests inside. As she had said, the four of them represented each of the Kingdoms that had joined my Empire, and I was introduced to each one in turn.
Rhone was a stocky young dwarf from Dhel-Ar, with a thick brown beard, while Sofi, his counterpart from Íforn, couldn’t have been more different. The willowy elf had hair that was nearly silver-white, and piercing, ice blue eyes. Next to be introduced to me was Talína, a halfling from Isouri who looked to be in her early thirties, with a pronounced limp and the lighter brown hair and eyes that were apparently common to her people. Finally came Alton, an older human from Lorida, who was both thin and bald, but still
appeared to be quite hale.
“While I’m pleased to make your acquaintances, my loyal lieutenant refused to tell me why you’ve come to see me today,” I said as I cast a look of annoyance at Karina once our introductions were complete. “So, I would be most grateful if one of you would be kind enough to enlighten me.”
“Our sincerest apologies, Empress,” Talína replied for the group. “We were under the impression that you would be expecting our arrival.”
“During the negotiations over your Charter, our counterparts on the delegation were made aware that you had no secretary or aide to help you with the burdens of your office. A bit of a struggle commenced among the representatives of the various Kingdoms over who might have the honor of providing you with the help you needed. When the issue could not be decided, it was agreed that one from each nation would be sent to assist you.”
“Forgive me, but the position you seek is one that would allow you access to very sensitive information, Talína,” I replied as tactfully as I could. “It is not one that I am simply going to allow anyone else to fill for me.”
“I appreciate your concerns, Empress,” she replied without a hint of offense. “But we volunteered for this honor, and each of us has forsworn our allegiances prior to even coming here today. We would be willing to undergo any additional process or take any oath you might require should you feel that to be necessary.”
The thought of having someone to go through the stacks and piles of paper that accumulated on my desk for me every day was quite tempting. In time, when I learned each of their capabilities and aptitudes, I might even be able to pawn off some of my lesser duties on them, in particular, keeping my calendar, a task that my guards seemed to have a great deal of trouble with...
“You will renounce your former loyalties in my presence, and each of you will swear fealty to the Empire and to me, personally,” I declared to them. “In addition, I will ask you a series of questions, which you will answer honestly and completely, under penalty of death. I will consider any deception an indication that your presence here is an act of espionage, and I will kill you myself at the slightest hint of a falsehood.”
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 64