The Ballad of Winter (#0.2 Ruthen Quartet)

Chapter Seven

"No!" her voice shrilled. "Absolutely no! This is horrendous. Not only I but the entire Empire will revolt! Having a female ruler is unacceptable!"

I glared at Queen Taness. She was here on behalf of her late husband, and her son being too young to even hold a spoon. I would say that at times, women were the cause to their own downfall.

"I hope that you are aware, Queen Taness," a cool voice said. "That you yourself are a woman. The people in your country have accepted your rule, why can't you now?"

I looked at Lady Sherin gratefully. Despite, Taness ruling Samariya, Sherins were considered to be educated more than them. She gave me a smile and nodded. At that time I knew I had an ally in the court.

"How dare you!" Queen Taness screeched. "How dare you accuse me as such!"

"Your Grace," Lady Sherin said. "I never meant anything ill. I was just speaking in the favour of women in general. We have been hiding in the shadows of our fathers, husbands, brothers and sons for too long. It is time, that we have a stand for ourselves."

"I find it stupid that we degrade women," King Yithare said. "They are capable in almost everything men are capable of. I agree to Empress Azaziah."

King Yithare's words stunned me to no end. I expected him to be the last to support me, but I could not be sure anymore.

"Two have spoken," Katya said, representing the fallen Ralaeras. The name I was going to take on my ascension. I would not allow the name my mother held with such a regard to die.

Ar'kela was dressed as my maid, stood beside me. I could feel her body tense but she lowered her gaze and fixed it on the marble floor. On my other side, Eiran stood, with a mask covering his face.

"I disagree to Empress Azaziah," King Calishira voiced out. "But if she was to marry a man worth being called the Emperor, then they have Katanagia's support as well."

"I disagree to either," King Liynal, ruler of Tantalia, shouted above the rising murmurs of the court members. "I say we should have a competition. Let all the compatible men fight. The strongest of them will be chosen!"

At that point, I realised that they did not care how the Emperor had died, their main worry was who the next Emperor was. They wanted their own sons to win. To put the Empire's fate in the hands of few selfish people, did my brother kill The Emperor?

"Yes!" someone shouted.

"We want war!" Another shouted.

Sitting on the late Emperor's throne, I massaged my forehead. Their shouts and screams became louder and wilder. My voice no longer had power. I could have used my strength to silence them, but with them hating me, I did not want to lose the few allies I had.

The temperature in the room dropped lower. Much lower than the deepest winter nights. I could withstand it. The Immortals could, but once the stage was hit, even they fell silent and the only noise was their jittering teeth. They were shivering, but it was not cold to kill them. They pulled their furs closer to them.

Was I causing this? I could not feel myself doing this. My source of energy said that it was not me.

The still air in the room started swirling and a blizzard roared to life. Frost covered the floor. Its pattern was quite different from what I controlled. It was sharper on its edge, like an untamed wild beast. While mine was softer, mellow. Just the way no two snowflakes were same, no two ice wielders were same.

From the centre of the blizzard, Eiran emerged. His face was covered and he wore the attire of an elite soldier. Two blades peeked from his shoulders. When he was sure everyone could see him, he clapped his hands and locked his fingers.