Of Blood & Power

T O S A M A R I A

"SO YOU WON'T BE TAKING ME WITH YOU TO SAMARIA YOUR IMPERIAL MAJESTY?" OCTAVIA ASKED. 

"No I'll have servants there that are more than capable of taking care of me there, thank you." Erienne answered. She watched as a team of servants filled her valise with dresses and jewelry. That evening, she and Adrian would be departing to Samaria to execute whatever plan he'd decided to execute. Erienne's stomach was bubbly with excitement. Frankly, she couldn't wait. She missed home. 

Erienne extracted the pocket watch from the pocket of her dress. It was time for brunch with her tiresome ladies. She nodded at the servant girls before making her way to the white room. Erienne was greeted with a sight: Reythe standing in the middle of the hall as if she owned it, with Vera and Rowen standing behind her. It was only Taryl who stood to the side. Erienne put her hands on her hips and smiled thinly. 

"Well, what do we have here?"

"As chief mistress of the Emperor, I no longer serve you as lady of waiting. And as chief mistress I appoint Vera and Rowen as my ladies-in-waiting," Reythe said. 

"Do you now?" 

"I do." Reythe nodded distastefully at Taryl.  "You can have her, though. The noble of dirty blood." She gave Erienne a once-over and smirked. "Its fitting." 

"Is it?"

"It is. And don't bother trying to take this up with the Emperor. Especially after your stunt the night before." 

"My darling Reythe, you forget."

"No, you forget. You forget  how...how low you are. How beneath us you really are. The only thing you are is audacious. That is the only name one can give to someone who would dare to strike the emperor," Reythe spat. 

"Was that all?" Erienne asked. 

"You're worse than a mutt, you know that?" Rowen said. All eyes shifted to her. She bit her lip anxiously, but recovered her nerve when Reythe nodded at her approvingly.  "You're a creature. It's a shame you didn't die like you were supposed to." 

Erienne smiled a real smile. It was sweet, gleeful. Then she whistled the low secret sound used to summon the guards outside the Master Suites. Two came in, spears in hand. Erienne  picked a peach on one of the tables and took a bite. "Speaking about the death of the empress. I think that's treason. Isn't that treason?" Erienne asked to no one in particular. No one answered. 

"Isn't it?" she asked again. 

"Yes," Taryl replied. Erienne turned her head to her. 

"And what is the punishment for treason, my dear?"

"Death as soon as is seen fit," Taryl replied. Rowen blanched white.

"No, no wait...Your Imperial Majesty I didn't mean..." Rowen broke off, her voice breaking in whimpers. "I didn't mean anything in what I said....I didn't...I didn't..." Vera was looking at her fellow lady in frightened shock. Reythe looked as if rage would swallow her whole. It was only Taryl who looked on impassively. 

"You can't do this!" Reythe yelled impudently. "Stop this at once!" 

Erienne pointed to Rowen. "The one in that lovely shade of peach." A burly guard had her in his hands at once. Rowen wrestled against him, screaming and crying. 

"Stop!" Reythe repeated. "Unhand her at once! The emperor will have your head! Do you hear me? The emperor will have your head if you obey that woman!" 

"I hereby sentence Her Highness Princesss---"

"I apologize! My god, I apologize for everything! Your Imperial Majesty, Empress-Queen of Weiss, I humbly ask for forgiveness. I beseech you, I implore you, spare me! Spare me!" Rowen screamed.