THE USURPERS| 2021

CHAPTER 3: THE EMPEROR

III.
CHAPTER 3
The Emperor
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At the temple, I often was forced to sit in on religious seminars. In these hours long sessions, Thalia would recite stories of the gods. I had mastered the art of letting my mind escape elsewhere while she spoke, but one day I decided to listen in on the story.

The story was about how the trickster god, Amodias, fooled a king into thinking he was wearing a robe of invisibility. But, in fact, the king was simply naked underneath. The god had threatened all the people in the castle to act like the king was invisible, creating a show for Amodias's amusement. The king roamed around for the castle for days, thinking he was invisible until he tried to pass through a wall and killed himself with sheer force.

Even though Thalia tried to make it into a lesson on how the gods often toy with humans, I found the story simply amusing. The rouse my mother was trying to execute reminded me of that tale. I was the invisible cloak and my father was the king.

The morning we set off to the Grand Palace, I was still reeling from the events of the past few hours. Just the day before, I had been sitting on the floor of my room at the temple—waiting for the day my door might finally open. Today, I awoke in a full poster-bed with a maid leaning over me asking if I wanted poached eggs for breakfast.

Perhaps the gods did listen, I thought. Some use might have came out of my forced prayers after all.

"She's not as ugly!" I heard Anais whisper to Maelle as we all watched a coachman fill a carriage with our baggage. Yesterday, Maelle had graciously helped me turn into a princess. After several sessions of being scrubbed raw with scented soaps and hours of trying to arrange my unruly hair, we had managed to make me out to be the very illusion I was supposed to portray.

I spent the entire morning in front of the mirror, criticizing my features and wondering which ones matched Annette's. Maelle had assured me that I resembled my sister closely enough. My too-big features, hollowed cheeks, and sickly complexion probably did resemble a sick girl.

"Are you ready, your highness?" I heard Aerves say as he walked up behind me.

"No."

He said nothing for a moment, but then gestured to my dress. "You certainly look the part."

The dress I was wearing was apparently one of Annette's. It fit well enough but Maelle had to take in some parts, hinting to me that I desperately needed to gain weight.

I watched as two more carriages came to the entrance. "You still haven't informed me of what the plan is."

"You were throughly informed in yesterday's audience with the Empress."

I looked up at my mother's guard. "When we arrive at the palace will I be forced to greet the prince or my father first? Or will I have to greet an entire court that I have no prior lessons in addressing? Would you throw me to the wolves without a hunting knife?"

Aerves turned slightly red, silently realizing how ill prepared I was in the face of such a quick shift from prisoner to princess. "You will arrive and greet the Emperor. The court will assemble when the prince arrives in Elysia, which is a fortnight from now."

"A fortnight should be enough for her to learn the necessary etiquette." My mother said, overhearing us as she came out from the hall. She was followed by a slew of servants, one of which carried the train of her long gown. It was another white one—her preferred colour I supposed.

I ignored her entirely. Instead, I turned my attention towards the coach that was now being opened for us. Please take the other carriage, I hoped as I felt my mother and her ensemble follow me out of the villa.