Her Majesty
I start my trip for the North, looking out of the carriage to the land below. Every inch of it is under my command.
My responsibility. Everyone who breathes relies on me. Their blood is on my hands.
I shut the window, closing my eyes. I have to meet the Emperor of the West again. I had hoped I'd never have to do it.
Meet him again. The last time I saw him I wasn't the Empress and he wasn't an Emperor. I was one of many nameless princesses of the empire. Until I manifest the gods' blood.
That's when everything changed.
"Your Majesty?" Ryuk asked silently.
"I'm thinking..." I say hesitantly, "Of the day father tried to kill me."
He swallows. "Such unpleasant memories, my Empress. Shall I have the healer cast a sleeping spell?"
I smile. As if I have the luxury. It's forbidden. Sleeping spells are forbidden for the Empire's rulers because a certain Emperor was killed using one.
I shake my head. "It's fine."
Some days I look out at this land that has...really only wrought me trouble. And I think, how easy it would be for me to just turn the entire land into a burning pile.
How free would I feel?
But I don't have the heart for Murder. I learned that the hard way.
"Excuse me, your majesty," Ryuk speaks again. "Do you think he'll remember you?"
"It doesn't really matter either way. He can say yes or he can say no. Either way, I benefit."
I close my eyes. The Emperor of the North. My ex-fiancée.
Don't you get lonely?
I let out a breath. A god is never lonely.
• • •
We touch down, and the envoys greet us. It seems a blur. It's been years since I've stepped foot in this land. The snow breezes past my face, landing on my lashes.
For a moment I see the blood once spilled on this white landscape.
I blink it away, stepping forward confidently.
I'm here for two things. One, to make the Emperor of the north my concubine. The second: is money.
Money makes the world run. And I run the world so I need the most.
I see him walking through the snow toward me. I stop and my entourage freezes. He's come to greet me. Good.
He looks as handsome as the day I left. Not as proud. Being a leader does that to you. For all the claims you are a god, you find how powerless you really are.
That is if you do it right.
He faces me, dark hair peppered with snow.
"Empress," he says softly.
I smile. "Emperor."
"Thank you for answering my summons. I greet you and welcome you to my land. May the snows breath grant you peace."
"And may the fire's spirit too, grant your soul rest." I smile.
He offers his elbow and I take it.
We walk a little while, our respective entourages behind his.
"Is that you, Tiana?" He whispered.
"You know that's not my name anymore. It's just empress now."
"It is you. By god, it's really you."
I smirk. "So you do remember me. How fitting."
"You've been my fiancée since I can remember. We heard the royal family was all wiped out—"
I pause. "They were. Show me to my quarters. Well, have a private chat there."
He nods, and we leave our escorts. He takes me to a wing in the castle I'm all too familiar with. When we're finally alone, he drops the formalities.
His smile drops, looking me over. "Tiana. I can't believe it. When I heard about what happened in the South, I—"
I hold my hand up. "Do not address me by that name, Emperor."
He frowns. "You're different. I suppose you truly are of the gods of the south's blood. Interesting. I'd assumed you were a bastard."
I sigh, sitting down, and closing my eyes. He's the same as ever. When we, the descendants of the gods take the throne, we inherit both the gods' powers and the attributes of the element.
In the South we are fire. The north is ice. And he is the personification of ice.
"I am not. But watch your tongue."
"You didn't come here to start a war, did you? I'd have to annihilate you here, and I'd prefer not to."
I scoff. "It's interesting you'd assume your power was sufficient. Your gods cower before mine in every form, and even in your territory, I would smoke you," I open my eyes. "Literally."
He sighed, knowing I'm write. Ice cannot beat fire. It's a simple matter of attributes. Thankfully they aren't smart enough to realize that with enough power they can turn ice into water when summoning their god's power.
That would be tricky.
"So? To the point? You're so warm you're making me uncomfortable."
"I would like to arrange a political marriage."
He frowns, his face turning up in disgust. "I didn't want to marry you when you were eleven and I don't want to marry you now."
"You have one more time to disrespect me and this nation won't have a leader."
He narrows his eyes, turning around. "You really have changed," he murmured. He turns back around with a grin.
From cold and brutal to playful. That's Frost.
"So? Am I your first husband? And about that whole bastard thing—"
I open my eyes. He rubs the back of his neck grinning. "Right, right sorry. Uh, I can't just be a concubine I'd look bad, y'know?"
"You're an Emperor but that personality of yours is hard to stomach," I say bluntly.
"Gods flakes, you don't have to be so mean!" He chuckles.
"I'm simply stating a fact. I just want access to your resources and to put a more powerful buffer between me and the High Priest. But I'll take some ice instead."
In my land, because we live under the gods of fire it's...well it's hot. All the time. Sometimes unbearably. There's nowhere to get ice from. Of course, it's abundantly here in the North, and my people would definitely appreciate low-cost ice.
Right now because of our rocky alliance, ice is expensive.
"How about this, let's hold an engagement and I'll ship you, your ice at a discounted rate."
I stand. "Perfect. Then, I shall see you at a later date. Send word and your official proposal."
I could've done this over letters. Why did he ask me here?
"It's been so long," he says coldly, answering the obvious. "Since we last saw each other. Since the slaughter."
He's cold again. I nod. "Yes, it has."
"What happened to them?"
I glance back. "I did."
He nods. "We didn't always get along. But I wish I'd been there."
I keep my expression even. "What would have you done? Except die like the rest of them?"
I walk out, where Ryuk and the carriage are waiting. I hear him turn back, exclaiming that I was too mean.
I shake my head.
Yes...I am.
