The Sapphire Prince

Everyone was uneasy. Due to the late arrival of the empress, everyone panicked mindfully. The decline of their moral meant further discord on the table so I expected father to do something and yet he was collected. Where is mother anyway? I presume she's on her way but she sure is taking her time admiring the old halls.

"Your grace, the empress is testing our patience." Said a courtier raising his hand as if objecting rather than notifying. He was firm not waiting any further and just press on without the empress.

"Your grace, with all due respect, I believe we should proceed with it and have a written report summarizing the discussion delivered to the empress afterwards." Sir Hugo said.

Father looked at me for a moment then he sighed. He wants me to stress my position and convince them to wait further. It would only mean emotional conflict but mother would be furious if her formalities weren't met.

"The court will acknowledge late attendances and will realize the empress' conditions. We are to respect her grace and we will ought to give a few more minutes before starting the meeting." I said.

"But your majesty, we are wasting daylight. It's been half an hour after the courtiers are in full attendance and the empress is already overdue. We cannot waste more minutes as we are caught up in a time critical situation." A courtier shouted.

"That is true, but our empress is a vital factor of this meeting. Time is of a valuable currency that we can delay as to provide a better agenda dealing with the civil conflict." I answered crossing my arms.

"Well if the majority of our courtiers wishes to continue then I'm afraid we shall. The standing of the empress equals that of the emperor so I'm afraid that if the court's majority is to continue without the empress, the emperor will acknowledge that..."

"If the court would like. The emperor will summarize his drafts about the situation. If we could use this time to look upon fractions of the emperor's campaign then I see nothing wrong as it would be merely political talk rather than a formal meeting." Said Sir Hugo.

Before anything could happen, father raised his han. Once again he fixed his eyes at me. He wanted me to compass the jury, if I second the motion of Sir Hugo, everything will process smoothly...I hope.

"Very well. Let's lay our priority concern which is their military force. We are aware that through the dissolution of the military, we may have given the nobility muscle as to declare a genuine war. Though reconciliation is optional, the table will not settle for the nobility having a share of our military force as verdict for their actions." He explained.

"We can imply this in the critical table as means of negotiation though this would be difficult as we've imposed the military's loyalty to their nobles. If those guards are to refuse returning to their posts, we would suffer severe decline in the military force." He added.

Of course, the dissolution of the military meant the protection granted by the imperials to the nobilities. This was granted by the empire's first monarch, establishing a long-term connection with its nobilities not knowing that the "kingdom" would turn into a dominant empire.

Like mentioned a few chapters before, the Queen has a bountiful share in the imperial military, but truly the soldiers that were distributed solely came from our fraction different from the Queen's share making it the responsibility of the supreme monarchs alone.

"Given the concern. Could we hear a few words from our military representative." Sir Hugo scanned the table for Lady Mejava. In his confusion, he stood stiff scratching his scalp.

I raised my hand.

"Pardon me but earlier today, Lady Mejava has better scenes to attend to. She explained that her research is of significance and that it requires her sole expertise to manage it. As we speak, there should be a representative present as Lady Mejava said that there would be." I explained.

"If that's so, may we please hear from our military representative. It's quite a disrespectful act not to pay attention in the meeting." Said a courtier.

"Who is this representative? A third-party whom she mentioned? Perhaps a foreign diplomat from her court extracting critical details from this talk." Followed by another.

She mentioned earlier that Lance may have met them. As to break the discord, I faced Lance. Gesturing to come closer. He kneeled before me then I came closer to his ear.

"Lady Mejava mentioned you've met someone of the sorts correct?" I whispered.

"I didn't exactly met them, your grace. After the meeting, she did mention someone but after that I went back to my chambers to reasses my thoughts." He replied.

I see. Anyway, we could expect this person to belong in the same department as she does. If anyone, she may have ȧssigned her secretary, though it would seem very unwise considering-

"Azure, thoughts on the matter?" Father asked. Hugo along with the other courtiers too fixed their eyes on us.

"Father, you are another powerhouse of the military fraction. Naturally you would be due to power but let's consider your militaristic past in your home kingdom, Crowess."

"Therefore, as a former sovereign general, we can still consider you as a representative of the front-lines." I explained.

Father, before promised to my mother, was a very potent general from an infamous kingdom that now is governed by the empire.

Being the second son of Crowess' royal family, he latched well in the diplomatic unrest and was even satisfied being a Duke or a general but due to political erosion, my father was promised to mother as a peace material.

Though most kingdoms would take the woman to their kingdom, but our monarchs behave differently as to bend it.

My mother, wielding supreme authority was more dominant in the field of politics. As respect to the empire's power, the Crowess royal family submits and stressed that Father will leave for Rochileu making it his final common residence.

"I cannot stand in the military's stead despite my formidable history. This meeting once again will follow formality as to consider that everyone stands before their given spot with me as the highest-"

( BANG! )

"Ugh!"

Someone dashed through the entrance, she tumbled catching her feet as to meet the table's edge. She undid her hood, revealing a very oddly dressed young lady. She bowed first then she took a deep breath.

"W-who is this?!" Shouted a courtier.

Her lockes were embelisshed with odd mushrooms and her garments seemed decorated exceptionally as it looked formal but tribal simultaneously. A few scars on her shoulders, even on the neck and from the looks of it, she had a recent night escape as her eyes were droopy and darkened...

"I made it..."

Before my father could say anything. The courtiers backed down, cowering after the lady. The ambience felt tense, it tightened in fear trebled by confusion and without the empress' attention, it screamed silently in chaos.

"S-Seize her! A foreigner has infiltrated the imperial table! Guards!" A courtier pointed.

"Wow, I just arrived..." The lady repsonded. sarcastically.

I sharply looked at my father then at the Lady. Lance were surprised seeing that woman that he remained paralyzed throughout the discord. The guards pressed forward to the girl, pointing their lances at her neck.

"Take away that cryptid! Hurry before it devours the whole audience!" Followed by another.

"Oh please none of you even look that appetizing and if I were to eat you, due to food poisoning, I might puke or even have diarrhea while thinking of your high levels of cholesterol."

"Oh! How rude!"

"Hypocrites..."

Cryptids are supreme races from Vaevaros. A harsh blessed continent overwhelming with first-generation magic. They are simply known for their eerie figures and feral nature. Identified as berserkers o beasts, they aren't received very well in Rochileu or anywhere apart from their homeland in general...

"Lay down your spears." Said father.

"But you-"

"I will not repeat myself simpleton." Father grimaced coldly at his court. The guards, out of father's intimadating aura, bowed and went back on their respective posts.

"Cryptid of black and deep green. Why have you graced us with your presence?" Father asked bowing slightly.

Everyone gasped at the sight of my father bowing. I too was surprised finding him submit to a stranger. Everything was curious, very oddly curious. Lance tugged my shoulder, his jaw dropped with his eyes wide open...

"I must ask your forgiveness on how my...council has approached you. Please forgive them as they've not known what achievements your race has done for one's kingdom.." He added.