DYNASTY ── the remarried empress

𝟎𝟐𝟒. the return.

                   WHEN ASTRID AND HER PARTY ARRIVED AT THE PALACE OF PEARLS, all her servants were waiting at the gates, excitedly waiting for their master's return home. and as astrid hopped off her black stallion, all her servants bowed. "we greet her imperial highness, the imperial princess astrid of the first rank," they chorused. 

astrid sighed in relief, "heavens, it's wonderful to be back!" she said, happily. "everyone! these are the royal heirs of the northern kingdom. they will be guests for the upcoming royal wedding, and will be presented to high society! i expect you all to take extra care of the royal guest."

"yes, your imperial highness."

"my princess!' a voice cried with joy, astrid turned to see duchess kalliste, lady odessa and lady verena running towards were, tears of joy. they ambushed astrid into a huge hug, crying tears of joy and cheering loudly.

"it's been too long since we've seen you!" verena exclaimed. "you wouldn't believe everything that has happened while you're gone."

"it's been mayhem, princess," odessa agreed, "rashta... she... well..."

"how about we explain things over a cup of tea?" duchess kalliste offered, "and we should let our royal guests rest. they've had a long day of travelling."

astrid nodded and as the servants began to take the things out of the carriages, she led her friends back into the palace of pearls. "this palace," margaret murmured, "is magnificent... it's nothing like ours."

astrid smiled, "they're completely different, margo."

"yes, well i would've liked a palace made of pearl," margaret huffed. 

──when the northern royals settled into the guest bedrooms, kalliste, odessa, and verena sat around the table with astrid, sipping the tea as they told her everything that had been going on while she was gone. "what are those?" verena questioned, pointing to the golden nail-guards astrid wore. 

"oh, they are attire of the northern empire!" astrid informed them, she stared at her two hands, filled with rings and the pinky and ring fingers were adorned with the nail guards. 

"they make you look even more majestic, your imperial highness."

"you are too kind, kalliste," astrid smiled, "take extra special attention to prince theodore. he's very sickly."

odessa looked incredulous, "i had no idea... he looks incredibly healthy."

"a blood curse," astrid sighed, "he cannot ride nor spar. he's considered very useless for a man even though he is quite the scholar." in their society, men needed to be scholars and warriors, and if they couldn't do one, they were pathetic, or useless. "he is to be my betrothed."

the ladies gasped, "and what of lord kosiar? you both are truly perfect for one another!"

"i'll take them both to be my consorts," astrid shrugged, "and i'll have a few more." she thought of duke kaufman, and if he was still in love with her──or if his pride would be able to handle the idea of being her consort. 

duchess kalliste choked on her tea, "consorts...? your imperial highness?"

"yes, consorts," astrid frowned, "when i am emperor, it would be expected of me."

"yes, of course," odessa nodded, "every emperor has had more than one consort... why should it be any different for our future she-emperor?"

astrid grinned and stood up, "good, I'm glad we're all on the same page. i'll be resting now... i have to get to the palace tomorrow."

──when she arrived at the palace, she was annoyed to have found rashta standing at the front, waiting for her with her party of people. when the future empress laid eyes on the princess, she smriked to herself. she'll finally have to curtsy to me. rashta scowled, watching as astrid simply strode toward her, crossing her arms coolly. "rashta," astrid nodded, she looked around, "where is my brother?──bit impertinent of him to not greet me."

"should you not curtsy to the future empress?" rashta questioned coldly. 

those words alone sent astrid into a fit of giggles. "why should i curtsy to you?" astrid asked, "i am the imperial princess, and you're just some mistress who got lucky."

rashta went pink, "i am to become the empress!" she said hotly.

"and right now, you're just some wench to me," astrid replied, "if sovieshu is not here to greet me, then, i shall return to my palace of pearls and wait for sovieshu to come and grovel for my forgiveness himself." she turned to leave, but her brother's voice called out for her. 

"imperial sister!" sovieshu yelled, rushing out in a hurry, "my dearest sister, i apologize for my impertinence. please, come in it has been far too long since we've spoken."

astrid, a little taken aback nodded and walked beside sovieshu into the palace. the two of them spoke, from astrid's adventures in the north, to how things are going in the eastern empire. it was odd because for so long, sovieshu and she had been distant, at odds even. 

the last time they spoke this closely was when astrid was the crown princess and when their father was still alive. perhaps distance really did make the heart fonder. 

"it has been a while since you've been close to me, sovieshu," astrid remarked, still slightly suspicious, "any specific reason?"

sovieshu shook his head, "i suppose i am just glad to see you."

"has rashta been doing well in her empress training? she gets more and more impertinent every time i see her."

"forgive rashta, sister. she's still learning the ropes."

"navier was much quicker in these sorts of things. rashta even demanded that i curtsy to her."

perhaps she touched a nerve because sovieshu's face darkened as he nodded, "i will... speak to lady rashta."

astrid nodded, "rashta has big shoes to fill. and if she doesn't manage, i'll take things into my own hands."

before sovieshu could reply, a butler from the palace of pearls arrived, "your imperial highness, king heinrey and queen navier are at the palace of pearls waiting for you."

astrid perked up and turned to her brother, "i shall come to see you another time."

sovieshu's face darkened even more as he stood up and bowed, "sending off my imperial sister." astrid nodded before returning back to her home. 

when she arrived back at the palace of pearls, heinrey and navier were waiting in one of the many drawing rooms and when they saw astrid, stood up to greet her. "navier!" astrid exclaimed, running to greet her best friend in a bone-crushing hug. "how i have missed you!"

navier beamed and returned the hug, "i've missed you too, princess astrid."

heinrey pouted, "i'm here too, astrid."

"i haven't missed you," astrid deadpanned before laughing and embracing heinrey as well, "i was merely jesting, dear heinrey."

heinrey grinned, "i knew that, darling astrid."