"For the blood of innocents you shed and for the murder of my father- I, Boris Igorevich, with the power vested in me as the new emperor declare you executed by beheading"
'Ironic,' Adelheid thought, 'Considering he was the reason I performed all those murders'. She was a princess to be an Empress, now in chains and about to be beheaded before the people of Imperial Krevia. This should have been a thing of disgrace but compared to what Adelheid had faced earlier today, this was nothing.
[Flashback]
At Sanctus Cathedral, Imperial Krevia.
The hall was extremely quiet although a congregation of nobles were seated. Only the voice of the Prince reciting his vows could be heard. He was being crowned Emperor.
Adelheid was seated at the front row of the cathedral, looking at the altar in excitement. Yes, her husband was being crowned, but that wasn't the source of her excitement. She would soon be crowned 'Queen'- In other words, Empress consort.
This position should have gotten to her easily. I mean, she was the prince's wife and the prince would be Emperor, but she had to work for it.
Adelheid remembered how she mingled with commoners, attended sermons regularly, constantly gave to the poor, and most importantly, killed all nobles preventing Boris from becoming Emperor. Before you start to judge her, understand this: Boris had a concubine, Tatianka, whom he openly associated with in public. Not that this was against the law, but he soiled his image publicly...and he didn't even care!
At dinner one fateful evening, he even announced Tatianka as his 'Empress consort'. His word held no power at that time but Adelheid knew Boris too well: Once he declared something, he would stop at nothing to make sure it happened.
So Adelheid struck a bargain. She would eliminate anyone blocking his power to success if in return he made her Empress.
He agreed. Together they took down these nobles, one by one. Boris did all the strategizing and planning while Adelheid did the execution since she was skilled at fighting.
Her position was secure. Or so she thought.
"And with the power vested in me by the supreme lord, I crown you Boris Igorevich, the new emperor of Imperial Krevia," The priest turned to the congregation "Nobles of Imperial Krevia, I present to you- His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Boris Igorevich,"
All nobles rose, clapping. Boris sat upon the Imperial throne, sceptre and orb in his hands, his smirk betraying his thoughts
'Let the drama begin'
---
Adelheid dusted some freckles of confetti off her gown. She could hardly contain her excitement. It was time! Her moment! From this day forward she would be an Empress. One
so noble that her name would be written in history books. She would achieve what other Empresses would not achieve, give women a voice and may eventually grant them equal power as men.
"Let the Empress consort come forth," The priest announced.
Adelheid stood almost instantly and began walking steadily towards the altar, her eyes fixed on the crown. she was so focused that she didn't notice that the two duchesses meant to escort her had not risen.
Just when she reached the foot of the altar, she turned to look behind her- she had heard no footsteps following her from behind. When she turned, the duchesses weren't there, had they not been following her all this time?
Someone in the crowd snickered, and before you know it everyone started laughing at her...though softly. Heat flushed to her face instantly.
'What is the meaning of this?' Adelheid shook off her embarrassment, "Don't bother about them," she calmed herself, "You would be Empress with or without their escort,"
The priest suddenly started saying proclamations, and Adelheid's face shot forward towards the altar. What she saw made her freeze. Another woman was already on the altar, kneeling before the priest and Boris.
Who was that Imbecile that dared to...Tatianka!
The priest carried on unbothered. A concubine was being crowned. This was a scandal, an abomination and worst of it all...no one objected!
Adelheid stood there, stunned. 'Had everyone lost their minds? Couldn't they see the scandal before them?'. Everyone ignored Adelheid's presence and kept on looking at the altar.
'Surely the Imperial council would soon interfere' Adelheid thought, but nothing happened. Adelheid sighed within herself, was she really expecting the Imperial council to do something? She had killed all good and law abiding nobles, including the Emperor. (Though to be fair, Boris poisoned him first; she merely finished the job).
The Imperial council now consisted of corrupt individuals who let Boris do whatever he wanted even if it was against the laws and customs. Boris had shut them up with flattery and never to be fulfilled promises.
'Fine,' Adelheid reasoned, 'If no one wants to end this, I will'
"Pause!" Her sub-consciousness alarmed her. She listened to the voice and then it occurred to her, 'Why was it that everyone was composed and acted like this was not an abomination?
She turned to look at Boris, he looked...bored? 'What was this scumbag planning this time?'
It seemed to Adelheid that everyone was waiting for her to react; 'they wanted and scandal? She'll shock them alright,'
The priest's proclamations droned on. Boris shifted in his seat, outwardly calm but confused inwardly. 'Why isn't she reacting?' She was supposed to attack Tatianka, disgrace herself. Then he could expose her crime of killing the nobles, execute her and send her blood and head to Queen Darya, her stepmother, who in return would grant him power to be a greatly feared ruler and make his generations to come sit on the throne.
This was all Tatianka's plan by the way, "I'm not that evil to plot my wife's downfall" He justified himself.
The congregation started murmuring. The council whispered among themselves. "Is this a trick? Didn't the prince say he meant to expose his wife's evil deeds? Or does he simply want to crown his concubine instead?"
Adelheid looked calm, oh wait, she didn't. If she was angry, she did a very good job in showing it. In fact it seemed that the more the priest spoke, the angrier she grew.
Adelheid could hear the crowd murmuring, it seemed it wasn't only her that was annoyed with this scenario.
The priest finished his proclamation; no one said a thing or stood to object.
'Emperor' Boris started saying his own proclamations; nothing still happened.
Adelheid got fed up. 'What is this? If Boris proclaims Tatianka as Empress there was nothing that could be done. This nonsense had to stop!
Boris raised the Empress's crown.
"From this moment henceforth, you shall be known as..."
"Insolence!" Adelheid's voice cut through the Cathedral.
Boris exhaled in relief. 'About time. To think I almost crowned a whore 'Empress'. I'd rather kiss a bloodsucking demon'
"Step down, Tatianka!" Adelheid commanded. Her voice was sharp and cold, "You have no right!"
Tatianka looked at the angry Adelheid with fury, probably thinking 'If this bitch hadn't appeared, she would've been crowned Empress'
"Who exactly do you think you are, stealing my position before my very eyes. And you?" She turned on to the trembling priests. "Where are your brains? Is this not an abomination before God and the empire?"
The hall went silent. Adelheid's voice kept echoing throughout. The Imperial council watched on, some deliberating whether they should step in and stop what seemed to be a fight.
"Adelheid," Boris spoke softly out of the blue "You're crying,"
Another wave of anger descended into her body. How dare he try to play the part of a loving partner? He was the cause of all this! Had they not made an agreement which involved killing some nobles in exchange for the throne?
"Shut up Boris!" Adelheid gritted her teeth, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Tell me, have I ever done any evil to you?" Without waiting for his response she continued, "We had an agreement Boris! What is the meaning of this? Boris, what didn't I do to deserve this position?"
"Is it attending sermons, kneeling for hours in God's presence? Is it giving my money to peasants, mingling with them? I gave you everything- my dignity, my loyalty, my soul! I even killed nobles on your behalf! Boris, you are wicked!"
Adelheid held herself back from attacking Boris. He was now the emperor and she could get killed if she did that.
Adelheid opened her mouth to say something but Tatianka beat her to it. "Hold on princess..." Tatianka was now smirking. This was the moment she had been waiting for, the chance to get rid of Adelheid once and for all. They didn't even need to accuse her, she had already confessed it herself. Once Tatianka heard Adelheid say 'I even killed nobles on your behalf', her ears shot up. It was time!
As Adelheid saw Tatianka smirk she knew trouble had approached her. What had she just said? "I even killed nobles on your behalf!" Those words echoed in her mind. Over and over again. Adelheid paused, hand over her mouth...her and her big mouth!
"You just said you...killed nobles on Boris' behalf. And by the nobles I'm guessing the ones who were recently murdered after the death of the king..."
The congregation gasped. The Imperial council members watched on, 'things were now getting interesting', and the guards around turned their attention to the stage.
Adelheid was literally 'shaking in her boots' She could feel sweat pouring down her face like the tears that'll soon follow next.
"And speaking about the Emperor..." Tatianka wasn't done yet.
Adelheid wished the ground would open up and swallow her, she turned to look at Boris. It was as though her eyes were saying "Help me! You know we did this together". But Boris wasn't even looking her way, his eyes were on Tatianka he was smirking too.
"The physician said he was also killed…murdered. You just confessed that you killed the nobles and the last I remembered, the Emperor was also a noble…"
"So tell us princess," Tatianka wanted to give off a maniacal laugh but held herself, "Was it you who murdered the Emperor?"