HOW TO LIVE AGAIN (girlxgirlxgirl)

Twentyone; Intrigue

"So tell me right now, where your loyalties lie"
47

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"I apologize for causing trouble, we all do"

The empress is left stunned.

She leaves the capital for one week, maybe two, and this is what she comes back to? The entire palace turned upside down because one consort turned crazy? She knew that the palace was unstable, her kingdom is unstable. It's a big empire that she controls, it's filled with all different kinds of people and it stretches from the far right corners of the continent to the far left. Small kingdoms like the red and the blue try their best to be heard, but the reality is that they only control the worst areas like mountains and swampland, while the gold clan easily sleeps over the continent.

But big countries come with big problems, including power crazy people. For far too long this clan has been lead by military strongmen, by tyrants and evil men that steal from their people. They have plummeted this beautiful country into poverty. Andra's mother was the first one to actually rule fairly, bringing back prosperity and lifting millions from poverty. Now the people are happier, the country is happier, but the politicians and nobles that have yet to be replaced are not happier. They are greedier, angrier. They have to find new ways to make more money, new ways to steal from the people and control the country through their bribes and tyrannical tactics. That's why this has happened, that's why her country is unstable and why she can't leave the palace.

Never again for that long. She won't let herself be tricked again.

And perhaps it's hypocritical, that she hates the nobles for their greed. She is the one who stole this country from her brother, who is the rightful leader. He now rests with the other kings in another realm, somewhere where spirits go. Was that unfair? She stole this country from him just like how these nobles are trying to steal this country from her. But then again, their intentions are different.

They want power, she wanted prosperity. Prosperity that Aryan couldn't provide.

At least that's what she hopes her intentions were.

Staring down at the bowing consorts, and Aiguo, she feels a sense of pity. Maybe if she had visited them, even once, things would've been better. She could've seen the signs on Bolin being crazy or them being unstable. But because of her hate towards them, for representing what she doesn't want, she didn't visit them at all. But no matter how bad she feels about it, Andra still doesn't want to visit them. She never wanted consorts in the first place, it just happened because she is a young heirless ruler that let herself be influenced and convinced by her trusted advisors. She understands their purpose, she just doesn't like it.

The empress stands up, walking past Aiguo and to the edge of the throne stairs. She looks over the consorts, all laying with their heads against the floor. They probably shouldn't be bowing so deeply, Andra acknowledges that. But she also needs them to feel the words she is about to say, really get the full body experience. These nobles should probably be knocked down a notch, realize their position and their place.

"Who is your empress?"

She asks, expecting an immediate answer. They shout out in relative sync, still a bit shaken up.

"You, your excellency"

Andra sighs. If they consider her their empress, why can't they respect her? Why do they switch their loyalty so quickly once she is gone? Turn their backs on her when she isn't looking? Nobles are always like that, pretend to be on the monarchs side but are actually always out for their own agenda and prosperity. But Andra wants these nobles to be different. They are hand picked, they are her consorts, working for her and under her name and not their families. Not until they get out of here. So could they at least respect that? Learn that? Or will she have to trash the whole noble idea for the first time in the universes history, and just get commoners instead? No matter how much they will hate her for it.