DYNASTY ── the remarried empress

𝟎𝟐𝟏. consequences

                        ASTRID , sitting in her desk, in the middle of her study where a group of nobles were scattered around the room was suddenly interrupted as her butler burst through the door, "your imperial highness, knights have been stationed all around the trovi residence," the butler informed her

astrid rose in alarm, "what do you mean?" 

the butler replied, "the emperor has headed to the residence himself,"

"get me a team of my order of knights," astrid demanded, "get me my horse, we will set out immediately," she said, the butler nodded and hurried away, she turned to the group of nobles, "stay and discuss among yourselves. when i return, i want an answer," the nobles nodded, bowed and curtsied as astrid left the palace of pearl and was on the back of her midnight black horse, a team of the highest-ranking knights behind her, setting out for the trovi residence. 

─── when astrid arrived, she could see sovieshu and heinrey have a standoff, she sighed and cut in, "please, boys. not in front of wandering eyes," astrid drawled, getting off of her horse, "sovieshu, have some class, you are the emperor not some unruly idiot," she snapped, her brother backed away, listening to her, "open the gates," she ordered as the knights bowed and followed her order. 

astrid smiled at the king and queen, "hand me the gift," she smiled, a knight nodded and handed her a beautiful and intricate box. she opened it, and all the commoners gasped, inside was the most beautiful royal blue sapphire crown, necklace, and earring set, "the eastern empire's gift for the newly engaged royal couple of the western kingdom," she said, handing the gift to navier who smiled appreciatively to her. 

"i shall send you both off personally tomorrow," astrid smiled, hugging both of them. she turned back to her brother and all the warmth disappeared, "go back to the palace like a good boy, sovieshu. i shall handle this matter, go home and stop destroying the royal family's name," 

sovieshu stiffly nodded and bowed before swiftly turning his heel and going back into the carriage. astrid turned back and winked at the couple before going back onto her horse, she glared at all the guards, standing around the residence, "well, don't just stand there like a bunch of idiots, come back to palace," she snapped, the knights nodded and bowed before marching behind her.

─── returning back to the palace, sovieshu visited her palace and was in a fit of rage. "sister, why did you do that?" sovieshu asked, angrily.

astrid sighed and kicked her feet onto the table, "you know, i could ask you the same thing," she remarked, "you made a spectacle of yourself in front of all those commoners. you are the emperor for fucks' sake!" astrid yelled, standing up and slamming her fist onto the table. 

"while you were flattering the enemy!" sovieshu argued, "you gave navier an engagement gift when she had just divorced me!"

"you divorced her," astrid snapped, "it wasn't navier asking for a divorce was it?" sovieshu stayed silent, "so yes, i gave my best friend an engagement gift after my idiot brother had divorced the most perfect empress,"

sovieshu sighed and pulled his hair, "i─ i only planned to divorce her for a little while," he admitted, astrid raised an eyebrow, "i planned to make rashta empress so that my child would be legitimate and then i would divorce rashta and remarry navier,"

astrid sighed as sovieshu hung his head low, "you idiot," she sighed, "you've been married to navier for so long, yet you seem to know nothing about her,"

sovieshu looked up, "what do you mean?"

"being empress meant everything to navier," astrid told him, "it was her dream, her goal. her life. and you just took it away and you expect her to not be upset about it? how could you be so foolish?"

"what do i do now, sister?"

astrid felt bad, almost for the desperation in sovieshu's voice, "nothing, you can't do anything about it," she decided, "it's the consequences to your own actions, you must own up to them," she paused, "i will send out an order for duke ergi to escort the king and queen of the western kingdom back to their homeland ── do not intervene," 

sovieshu nodded and bowed before leaving the study, astrid was right ─ he couldn't do anything, except for accepting the consequences. it was all his fault, he was the fool and astrid was right ── he had just lost the most perfect empress. 

── the next morning, astrid arrived at the trovi estate, duke ergi trailing behind her in the carriage. when she arrived at the trovi residence, she hopped off her horse to see the king and queen standing at the front waiting. the gates opened and navier rushed to greet astrid with a hug. it had been so long since navier had greeted astrid in such a way as being the empress meant that she had rules bound to her. "thank you," navier said, smiling at her

astrid smiled back, "i wanted to do one last thing for you before we go our separate paths," she admitted, "i didn't get to greet you when you entered the palace as empress, so i shall send you off as you leave as queen," 

navier smiled and pulled her into one last hug, after the two women let go of one another, astrid turned to heinrey who had scooped her up into a hug. "i'll miss you, you little rascal," she murmured as she ruffled his hair, "treat navier well, or else i'll send my men to assassinate you," she teased

after the couple settled into the carriage, astrid had sent them off and returned to her palace where she spent her evening relaxing.