"Emily don't let anyone come in." Empress order followed a immediate response as her only personal maid locked all the doors and windows in Empress's chambers.
"Get a warm towel Emily." Said the young woman dressed in green with a gold brooch right above her heart. She was one of four court ladies of her Majesty the Empress. Maria was her name. "I called the Holy priest Your Majesty. "
Empress barely stood on her legs from the pain that spread all over her back. Her dress was heavy, pulling her down and the corset she is usually used to, now was stopping her from breathing.
"Thank you Maria, let him in when he gets here." Her voice was weak, even someone like her who experienced this many times can't endure it. It is not only a pain, it is also a burn and it hurts like a freshly opened wound. A wound that cannot bleed and to which bleeding sounds like a relief.
"Everything will be alright Your Majesty, we'll take care of you." Maria reassured her while slowly lifting her Majesty up to her feet, helping her to the sofa. If this were to be some kind of sickness, life would be much easier for everyone not just her Majesty. Her court ladies would know when to dress her in heavy dresses like the one her Majesty was wearing today, they would know when to prepare baths and relaxation medicine, when to call the Holy priest. They could call a doctor, search for a cure or find any sort of relief for the pain her Majesty was in. But this was not a sickness of a body, not even of the mind. No, this was something only two people understood, the Holy priest and her Majesty, there was no way to explain it to someone else. Not even to Maria who always helped them without asking questions that could not be answered.
There was a knock on the door. Maria and Emily looked at each other, her Majesty was kneeling on the sofa, desperately trying to undo the corset of her dress and trying no to scream in agony. "Check who it is," said Maria. She hurried to help the Empress, quickly untying the ribbon and loosening up the tightness. In the middle of her Majesty's back there were to red bruises, both slowly spreading upwards on both sides of her back, divided only by the spine. Her body was now shaking from pain.
"It is the princess." Emily said from the door.
"Let her in!" Her Majesty screamed since that she could only do.
Right after the High court was dissembled, with help of her daughter, her Majesty rushed out desperate to get to her chambers as fast as possible, before anyone manage to get her in conversation. Neftali, scared for her mother, who could not hide the pain even thou she tried with all her might, did her best to support her while walking towards the Queen's palace where she knew Maria was waiting in the entrance drawing room. The lady dropped her book the moment she saw them at the door. Maria carefully took over Neftali's task and sent her to call for the Holy priest to come as soon as possible, that meant to find the closest servant who could run.
Emily let her in and the girl rushed to her mother with a scared look on her face. "Mother!" The princess sat on the floor next to her. "What is wrong? Are you alright?"
Her Majesty looked at her with a small smile. "I will be fine." She said, and for a moment the pain disappeared from her face. Neftali is young, much younger then people take her to be. She is only fourteen, she is a child, innocent, still to young to bear the pain of everything going around her. Never has she witnessed such thing happen to her mother. "I will be fine." She repeated, gently wiping away a tear that had yet to escape from Neftali's eye.
What has happened in that courtroom today is nothing out of ordinary, it has happened many times before and it will continue to happen for many upcoming years. There is no way to predict it and no way to stop it. The first time it had happened was four years ago, there was not a particular event that caused it, no core reason why it started, it just did.
Four years ago on a day not much different than this one, down in the Queen's palace's garden, just in time for evening tea. Four ladies were sitting around the table in a gazebo hidden deep in the garden. Nobody could accidentally stumble across it and not many people actually knew how to get there. Her Majesty found it when the renovations of the Imperial palace started after the war ended, it was overgrown with vines, the structure was broken, way beyond what a normal person would considered worth repairing. For some reason she chose to have it remodelled, exactly as it once was, she even went out her way to find one person that remembered what the gazebo looked like before in all it's glory, in years far before the war has started. Hard task it was but not an impossible one. Gazebo was remodelled, made from same oak wood, coloured in same green tones, even the vines once eating it up were planted again. The flowers on them were in bloom that day the four ladies were having tea. Her Majesty, Lady Diana, Lady Maria and Lady Abigail. The Empress and her court ladies, her most beloved friends. They were having tea, same as they always did, it was Jasmin, prepared from the one that was blooming all over Imperial grounds, not much by choice, it was more like weed than a flower. The Imperial gardeners still desperately try to tame it, but no success has shown. Ladies use it for tea, in fact not just them but everyone at the palace, they even give it as a gift for palace visitors. So this tea was not something that could cause her Majesty's condition. She was drinking it as she did every day, from the same pot, made with same water, made by same people. But yet that day her teacup fell from her hand and broke on the ground. She began coughing and coughing, but she was not choking, then the tears came, painful and horrifying look on her face, and then the agony. Pain, it was a pure sight of pain. Her back started to hurt just like today, burning in pain so much that she ripped her dress and dug her nails so deep in the skin it caused bloody scratches. Nobody knew what to do. Her court ladies, scared and frightened, took her back to the palace, doctors didn't know how to help her, even sedation didn't work, not to even ease it. Their first thought for the cause was poison, some weird poison that could cause such symptoms. But the bruises on her back, same ones forming this very moment, could not be explained. Eternal bleeding it was not, she was not beaten, and later investigation confirmed it was no poison in the tea she was drinking. This sudden illness with no cure had bedridden her for a week, pain gradually disappeared along with bruises that were dark purple and hurt to the touch, she was in so much pain sleeping on the back was not a option. Cold sweat covered her every night, nightmares keeping her awake, to weak too eat, too weak to stand up. Everyone was worried about her, and no matter how far they searched, a cure they could not find. Even the Emperor looked, looked in far lands known for medicine and the ones that were not. Countless books doctors have read, and countless medications have they tried. It was thought she was going to die. Luckily her condition improved eventually completely disappeared like it was never there. It said the Holy priest cured her, like he once brough her back to life, but both of them repeatedly deny this claim. Like it never happened, the life in Imperial palace came back to normal, however even if no signs of poison and vicious intends were found, security of the Queen's palace tightened, there was at least on guard always next to her and the number of doctors increased along with guards. They didn't know if this would happen again, and it did, many times after that. Her Majesty just had to learn how to deal with the pain on her own. Warm towels and baths helped, some herbal balms, but time was the best cure. She just had to wait for them to disappear.
"Princess, please give Her Majesty some space." Maria asked and gently placed a hand on young princess's shoulder. "She will be well, I give you my word."
Neftali looked her, then back at her mother, "Brother is coming, I saw him."
Maria took a deep breath, "Don't let him in." Empress said to her. Emily placed a warm towel on her back. That relief cost her a moment of sharp pain, but after came the calming warmth that helped, not much, but it helped. "If he comes, tell him that I will visit him tonight."
"You Majesty that is not wise, you won't be well enough to do so."
"It does not matter, I must explain to him my decision." Prince Iyan had no idea what would happen at todays court, his father, perhaps, told him about his plan, but his mother didn't speak a word to him. Empress dreaded her decision not to tell her son about his own destiny. But that was necessary, for his sake and for her plan to remain secret. And for that he deserves an explanation why his own mother has sold his destiny.
"But-"
Her Majesty interrupted, "Maria, please help me to my bed." Maria stood for a moment looking at her with a worried face and then, almost by picking her up, moved the princess away from her mother and helped her lady to get up.
There was a knock on the door. "Speak of the devil." Maria said looking at the tall white door. This movement put Her Majesty in to much pain to lift her head, she almost remained in the same position she was laying, digging her nails deep in Marias arm, putting her strength to her legs.
There was one more knock and a voice. "Open the door for his Majesty the Emperor."
"What is father doing here?" Neftali asked in shock.
Her Majesty took a deep breath. "Emily let him in and ask him to wait for me while I change."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Maria-"
"Don't waist your breath my lady." Maria took her to the bedroom, she helped her take of the heavy dress she was wearing and bandaged her back with a calming balm, only a robe she could wear over it.
The Emperor waited, not in the drawing room but still in the hallway, Emily was not there, she was with him, standing in front of the door waiting for Her Majesty to call him in.
Certainty an unusual sight for everyone, for Emperor to visit the Queen's palace, let alone his wife's chambers, was unheard of. It was not the case before, but in the last few years, if you were to bet him visiting her, you would lose a lot of money, perhaps go bankrupt. Yet he was here now, came to talk about her actions today, to scold her, yell or whatever else he has set his mind to.
Emily, standing like a guard, in front of the door, looked at him, only because to her, he was a weird sight to seen. Emperor was calm, still in the attire in which he attended the court, gold crown still on his head, there was one guard with him when he came, Emperor sent him away when Emily came out to ask him to wait for the Empress. Now he has turned his back to her, looking outside through the tall window which granted him the sight of whole garden.
Maria slowly opened the door, The Emperor turned around. "Her Majesty is ready to see you, Your Majesty."
He nodded. "Thank you lady Maria."
Emily moved from the door, Maria stepped out along side Neftali. "Hello father." She said.
"Hello Neftali, how are you today?" Her father asked.
"I am well father, thank you for asking."
"Your brother is outside," he pointed towards the end of the hallway leading to a staircase which came down to the main floor of the palace, to the room where all the guest had to wait. "Will you do me a favour and try to calm him down?"
"Is Iyan alright?"
"Upset perhaps? Maybe nervous? I trust you to solve that."
"Very well, I shall do my best.''
"Thank you my daughter." A small smile appeared on his face, but that smile could never hide the cold and lifeless look in his eyes. He patted her on the head and entered the Empress's chambers.
Door closed behind him. And with that two of them were left alone, after a long time.
Empress was sitting on the same sofa where she, just a moment ago, was curled up from pain. Now she is sitting tall, only dressed in a robe over her bandaged body and an underskirt that remained from her dress. The pain was still there, in truth the calming balm Maria has put on the bruises never actually helped. But she had to give them hope with something, all does people that cared about her health and worked hard to find a cure to her "sickness".
"Hello Katherine." His steps were carful, like it was glass he is stepping on.
"I am very sorry to come before you in such state Your Majesty. Please take a seat."
"Are you unwell?" Evan asked and sat on the chair closest to her.
"I am having a flare up. It is nothing serious."
"Why are you sitting here then, you should rest."
"I can afford to deny your company now. After what I did today." He was looking at her, does dark brown eyes were staring at hers and in them she saw the never ending depth in which no light can survive in. "I am very sorry for not speaking with you before today, but I needed to make sure it would happen."
A small smile and almost something like a laugh, he nodded once then leaned closer to her. "As a fellow colleague of your, I admire your work today Katherine, be sure of that, I am an honest man after all. As you husband I admire what you just you did there for our son." Those eyes were staring at her again. "But as the Emperor I despise you for not speaking to me first about such hard decision, I am even thinking about punishing you. And if you were just my wife or my colleague from whom I am above, the punishment would be harsh. However, you are the Empress."
"Yes Your Majesty, I am."
"You are, and deeply respected you are, even by me. So it is only left to congratulate you on todays success. The court is very found of your decision."
"I will make sure to thank them properly, Your Majesty."
"Yet, Katherine," He held out his hand, like it was calling hers to come, but that was just an gesture for confusion. "I am incredibly puzzled with your decision, as well as the secrecy of it. Would you be so kind to enlighten me why you did that? Do you think me incapable of chousing my own heir?"
"No, I most certainly do not-"
"And what about our daughter? Perhaps Neftali was a wiser choice, she is still young so we don't know with certainty, but what if it shows that she is a better choice then Iyan? Perhaps this is a heavy burden to him, I am guessing you also kept him in the dark, what if he crumbles under the pressure of sudden duty placed upon him? Have you destroyed both of their futures, future of this empire who has offered you everything!" His rage echoed in the room.
"I am not reclass and I most certainly am not ungrateful. My intentions are pure as they have always been. This needed to happen, for much evil is coming our way, Your Majesty."
"Ah, so it was the Holy Maiden that maid this decision, it is act of gods, I see." He leaned back in the chair. "So it is evil you sense, my death perhaps? It that what you are predicting?"
"Absolutely not!" If the pain hadn't stopped her, she would get up. "My predictions are nothing to play with, you know that Your Majesty, they are never wrong."
"Then tell me Katherine, what is it that you are predicting?"
"I can not. It a bad omen to speak of evil we fear for it will come true if we do."
"Oh, yes I forgot about that part of it." Evan got up and walked around the room for a while, before stopping to look out the window. "Great Holy Maiden, our saviour," he spoke under his breath, it was not the scenery he was looking at, but at her reflection in the glass. "I am assuming the priest also knows of your prediction."
"He does."
"Great, I hope it is something you two will stop from happening." Evan turned around, looking at her once again. "Should we throw a party? We should have a official coronation after all, shouldn't we?"
"Of course Your Majesty, as you wish I should do."
"Excellent, I give to you the task of organizing this great event then. Please make sure it exceeds all expectations."
"I will."
"Have him crowned an heir in the temple, so the gods can see who protects this great empire."
"Yes Your Majesty."
He nodded, short and almost unnoticeable, with a small smile, same as before. No goodbye's he gave her, no acknowledgment what so ever, yet, despise the pain Katherine stood up. Looking at his back as he was already leaving, she bowed, deep and elegantly as she always did and remained like that until the door closed and his steps were so far away she could no longer hear them. Only then did she get up, it took every once of strength left in her body to get to the bed, with pain being the only accomplice left with her in the silence.