Empress

by Francheska Fifield

  Avren blew up the others and we don’t have the money to rebuild. I have to care for the starving before I can worry about the less fortunate but not on the verge of dying people. I am starting with the richest and poorest and working my way towards the middle where less will end up changing.

  "…and provide them all with a monthly stipend whether they had families and lived off bases or were single and living on a base."

  "Very well do it. Take stuff from the unused wings of the palace as well. Avren has much he plans to make me use that he has collected from the centuries. The things in the palace will fetch a handsome price and are unneeded. No one that stays here uses any of it. It takes up space. If I could I would knock down entire wings and sell off the marble. Perhaps later with Avren's help, I can find a way. For now, just sell the things in the rooms. Just do not sell any of the treasure Avren has moved from the caves to here or he might eat you."

  "I will keep him with me at all times in case he comes across something he wishes to add to his collection."

  "Wise of you Aiden."

  He chuckles and we arrive at his office. He motion for me to sit behind the desk and I, of course, ignore him and sit in the visitor chair. Queen or not this is his office and I will respect that.

  "Is there anything else of import we need to discuss before I leave?"

  "No. Though I am sure the guilds will bring something or other to your attention."

  "You handle most of that anyway. Once I got everything up and running you ran it. You are the financial genius, not me."

  "You are always out with the people helping, healing and seeing their everyday lives. You know what needs to be changed."

  "And you know how to get the funds to change it. We make a good team."

  He sighs and leans back in his chair pinching the bridge of his nose. Aiden suffers from headaches a lot. He has since I took the throne. I feel bad but he is good at his job and a good substitute for me. I have to use that to keep the kingdom thriving.

  "I am sorry Aiden. You should not have such stress. I feel bad. I am the cause."

  "You are not to blame Elainne. If your father, if all the rulers before you, were as kind and focused on their people's wellbeing as much as you do none of this would be an issue."

  He always says it. I only half believe him.

  "Yes, but I chose you to help me."

  He sits up taking one of my hands in his.

  "You have no idea how wonderful it is to serve someone worthy of serving. I would not put up with these headaches if you were not worthy of them."

  I chuckle as I always do before patting his hands and sending my power through. I am good at healing. Avren has taught me a few things too.

  The stress lines smooth out and the tension disappears from his face and body.

  "That feels so much better."

  "I keep telling you to let Avren help when I am gone."

  "He cares less about my mental state than you do. He says tension keeps me sharp."

  I sit back shaking my head. "If it makes you feel better I hear the same thing."

  "I'm not sure if it makes me feel better but I feel less bitter about his lack of caring now."

  "Don't worry I am sure the bitterness will return when I leave you with guild leaders pounding the doors down."

  "Ugh."

  "Let's get down to business. We likely only have a couple of hours before they pound MY door down."

  "Yes, your majesty."

  Chapter 3

  I’d been right about them pounding my door down. My secretary is busy setting up meetings before I am even done with Aiden. Once I am, I am in the throne room meeting representative after representative. I almost beg for a reprieve eight hours in but am told only if I don’t want to sleep the night before I leave. It is horrendous.

  Viktor and Avren keep me company pausing the meetings for food so I don’t fall over from weakness. They also keep the visitors in check if I need to walk around a bit while listening. No one bad mouths you when a dragon puffs smoke at them if they so much as look at you wrong.

  I am supposes to have a break for dinner, but Talon apparently has horrible timing because just as Avren and Viktor push everyone out the door so I can do more than drink some water and shove a pastry in my mouth he comes in…with a child in tow.

  "If the mages and elves got in another fight and someone's parents died tell me now. I plan to banish the bastards before I sit down to eat."

  "It's nothing like that Elainne."

  I can’t help but sigh in relief. Thank the heavens.

  "Well, whatever it is do you mind if we talk about it over dinner? This is my first break in ten hours and if I do not eat I might faint. You two are welcome to join me. Viktor, Avren, you sit and eat too. I fear this will be our only break for the next six hours or so."

  Talon and the child sit to my right and Viktor to my left. Avren shakes like a wet dog and takes flight. I am a bit terrified wondering where he will go and what he is going to eat.

  "Elainne this is Cullen, he is the grandson of the Wiseman. The one that opened a magic school."

  I remember him. He held classes for the mages in the woods when we still lived with Avren. An ancient man with no children. Which means his grandson is all he has left.

  "I met your grandfather. He is a fine teacher. Is something the matter with him?"

  Cullen watches me as if dissecting me. But I grew up around my father then my aunt. This kid, no matter how unsettling, can successfully get my goat. A single headshake tells me I don’t need to summon a physician. So what can he want? I meet his stare with my own and patiently wait. I can feel the magic in him. He is going to grow up to be a power in his own right. He hasn't even taken the test yet, he is too young.

  "So Cullen what can I do for you?"

  He stays silent and observes me some more. Well, I don’t have time for this. I eat. He will get to it when he wants to. I need food before I put up with six more hours of complaints and worries. When I finish the secretary points to the rising sun and flashes five fingers. I have five minutes.

  "So my next meeting starts soon. Why is he here Talon?"

  "He is the new mage representative."

  If I hadn't finished eating I would have chocked.

  "You cannot be serious. He is so young!"

  "You were young when you were groomed for takeover."

  I look Cullen over. He sounds so much like an adult. But he is not. He is not even a teenager yet.

  "I was never prepared for this scenario. I have never been groomed to rule. Even in the human kingdom, I was a patsy until they could find someone better."

  "Do you think they were right? Was there someone better?"

  Boy, this kid has no trouble making people talk about things better left unsaid.

  "I am sure there are people out there that know how to rule and can do so without the help of a dragon, champion, Kemp, and math genius helping. Perhaps there would be others that have been raised to rule and know better."

  "If you do not have confidence in yourself why should others have confidence in you?"

  Talon is trying to hide a smile. He knows I like straight talk. Viktor, on the other hand, rises up before I stall him with a swift hand trick. He sits but glares at little Cullen, which doesn’t seem to faze him in the least.

  "I don’t ask them to believe me from the start. I ask that they judge me by my decisions and decide to trust me or not."

  "Do you think you've done right by the mages?"

  "As much as they have done right by me."

  He cocks his head to the side sizing me up.

  "I will accept the position."

  He seems to think I am the one that is interviewing for a position. Not so and he will know it before he leaves, I don’t care how old he is. He has to know I am NOT a pushover.

  "You misunderstand. You need to prove to me you are worthy of this position. I understand your need to make sure I am a queen worth fighting for, but I have
already sworn a blood oath to your people and no bad juju has come to me so I am treating the mages fairly. I do not allow anyone into the council without a vetting from me or my steward and my lie proof dragon. So why are you qualified for this position and tell me in under two minutes because I am late for a meeting."

  "I was unanimously voted for it by the mages."

  "Why?"

  "Because I completed the power ritual before Talon went to do so. When I was five. I wandered there and did it. That was…three years ago."

  There is no way. Talon told me a mage has to be…there is just no way. I look closer at the child. I sensed the great power in him. He will be one to watch. And he had not been one of the ones to swear a blood oath to me. I hadn't made the children do so in case they wished to move on once they reached adulthood. I wanted them to have options. I had just hoped this country would be a place they want to call home by that point. That I would earn their loyalty. The greatest power the mages have and he is eight and not bound to me. Him on the council could be horrible for me or….just maybe….

  "Very well. You will be on a trial run. If Avren or Aiden find fault with you before I return the mages will come up with a new candidate. If not I will perform the official ceremony when I return. Agreed?"

  I hold out my hand and he studies it a moment before taking it and shaking it. Still no expression on his face. I won’t gamble with him if I were the rest of the court. Of course, I know exactly what will happen. Only Avren and Aiden will show him any respect. The others will treat him as if he were a toy….woe to them. I have a feeling a quick wit and immense power are not the only things this child holds.

  "Welcome to the council Cullen."

  "Thank you Elainne."

  I smile and ruffle his hair. I know using my name is intentional to see how I will react. As is my treating him like a child. He scowls and huffs at me as I laugh. Finally a childlike response.

  "You may be all powerful to the mages but you are in the real world now Cullen. To us, you are a magically inclined eight year old. Get used to people petting you and try to keep that poker face. It will serve you well."

  With that piece of advice, I rise and wave to my current personal demon. My secretary bows and leads my next meeting in. Talon rises and puts a hand on Cullen's shoulder steering him out. He is too busy watching me to watch where he is going. Talon chuckles and leads him out. I give a smile, a wave, and turn my attention to matters that need to be settled now.

  When the six hours are up I drop my glamour. Talon taught me simple glamour to make sure no one knows how stressed or tired I look. I thought it a waste of time. but in times like these, it is amazing. You quickly learn while ruling if you look out of sorts the people making requests assume you will be a pushover to deal with. If you are harsh it's because you let your weakness get the best of you. If you look perfect you are a ruler. A sad harsh truth.

  "You look exhausted my queen."

  "And everyone would have known it was it not for Talon and his silly makeup and hair spells he overheard the girls going on about. I don’t think I ever truly thanked him and I should. They have been of more use than I ever imagined."

  Avren rests on my shoulder and rubs his face on my cheek. Familiars exist for magical purposes, but they feel most secure when they have physical contact with their charges. It makes me feel better too. I pet his tiny little head almost laughing at the thought that this little lizard is so comforting, especially since he can be the size of this palace.

  "There is no knowledge or magic not worth having my queen."

  "I couldn’t agree more. Now I must rest before leaving. In the morning I need to introduce the mages representative to the council. I also need to pack before heading out. It will be light. I think magic will be a logical means of travel this time…"

  "No my queen. Take horses. The others…they will come to you when they wish you to see them. Using magic to force their hand will make you no friends."

  I wish I knew that before…still, if Avren is right him coming is out of the question. Even if I didn’t need him here for Aiden.

  "Avren have I mentioned how much I miss you every time I leave? Not just your advice but you."

  "And I you, my queen, but I understand you do what you need to."

  And that makes it impossible to cry, claim I am too young for this, and run away. I am almost seventeen…just over a year left until I will be of age to rule…that hadn't worked out. At fifteen, I’d been thrust into a world I never imagined and it has only gotten more complicated from there.

  "Yes well if I am to perform to your expectations I should rest. I don’t think I even remember what sleep is and I cannot imagine introducing Cullen to everyone with no sleep."

  "The reactions to the child should be interesting. Especially since he is so good at hiding his power."

  "I sensed it right away."

  Avren slithers around my forearm like a bracelet holding onto my thumb and looking up at me as I hold him close. His face is too small to make out many expressions unless I hold him close.

  "You have visited where the magic of the mages is honed. You and Talon would be the only two who could sense just how much power he has."

  "I have to say I was shocked he made the journey to the other mountain when he was only five. And did the correct procedure. Not draining the mountain but the bonding Talon did. Talon said it was painful and blissful. Do you think the pain was lessened because he was so young?"

  "Doubtful. The mountain goddess wants them to know the weight of their own power. That is why it is the way it is."

  I think about it. But how had he known how to do it? A dwarf showed Talon. How had a five-year-old boy figured it out? Had the goddess appeared and shown him herself? The dwarf thought Talon the first in a long while. If Cullen has the blessings of an earth goddess he will lead a very important life.

  "I cannot even imagine it. Even my life was not so put upon at five."

  "It was. You just did not know it. Everything you went through was to hone you into the queen you needed to be."

  I suppose he is right. I wonder what Cullen is being honed to be. All who know his experience will expect great things and I know the pressure that can put on one. I promise myself to tell him I will be there for him to talk to if need be and head to bed.

  "Everyone get some sleep. Things will change starting tomorrow. Who knows if for the better or not."

  Chapter 4

  Morning comes too soon and I am ready to throw in the towel, name Aiden king, and never leave my bed again. I ignore the sun by covering my head with the blankets. Dark enough for me.

  Avren makes his way under the covers and breathes his warm magical breath all over my face. Luckily dragons can’t get bad breath. I would toss him out the window if they could. Not that would hurt hium, being able to fly and all, but it would make me feel better. Instead, his breath infuses me with magic and energy. I toss the covers off snarling at him.

  "Have you ever thought perhaps I want to get energy the old-fashioned way? Not because you infuse my body with the need to move but because I had a good night's sleep."

  "If you ever have that luxury, my queen, I will leave you in peace."

  "Would this be when I am high empress and have kings and queens ruling in my name? Will I be able to sleep in once a week then?"

  He makes himself as large as me and bows.

  "If the Empress wishes."

  I snarl some more and dress.

  "That is different. I noticed it yesterday as well. You usually take out your jewelry to sleep do you not?"

  I forgot how hard it would be to hide things from Avren. He is constantly twining around me so of course, he will see the earring.

  "It is no one's concern but my own."

  "Will it lead you to harm?"

  "I swear on my blood it will not have any effect on my body, magic, or mind."

  I can’t swear on my emotions. If I feel Aldamon die it will hurt me deeply. But my sanity
, magic, and body are what Avren cares about.

  "Very well."

  Unlike the others, he accepts that as a valid response. As long as it won’t interfere with my ability to rule he doesn’t care.

  "When you return my queen we have to discuss something."

  "You have five minutes now. Help me arrange my hair to hide the earring and I will listen."

  He shrinks and flies over helping me add small braids and sets my hair so the earring will be hidden and it can’t blow around in the wind while I travel.

  "You are of age now. You need a consort."

  "Not a king?"

  He shakes his hair and perches on my wrist like a hawk. I hold him up. I am kidding but his face is one hundred percent serious.

  "Never a king my queen."

  "So I need an heir, but not a man?"

  "Essentially yes. Your line must continue but giving a man equal power to you will decrease yours. Not befitting an empress."

  I sigh. He is serious. Children out of wedlock. My mother will be turning in her grave about now.

  "My poor mother…"

  "A matriarchal society is a wiser idea. Men cannot know for sure if the child is theirs. There is no doubt a child is a woman's."

  He has a point there still… "But to never marry."

  "If you wish to marry you may, but he cannot be made a king or emperor. He will have no purpose but to make children."

  Well, I can see every guy jumping at that option. The only reason royal women marry is so a man can help them rule. It will be the opposite here.