Chapter 161 – Not Stand Alone Long (2)
The next morning, I woke up to check up on Queen. He lay curled up in the nest I prepared for him on the seat next to the bed. Before, he had always flown away secretly at night. Was he that tired from the journey and the arrow injury?“Why are you curled up like this?”
He opened his sweet eyes and looked at me. His beautiful purple orbs reminded me of Heinley.
Heinley…
Was he with Duke Elgy right now? I kissed Queen’s breast and got out of bed.
“Oh my word, Queen?”
Countess Eliza’s eyes widened in surprise as she entered my bedroom. Her shock grew when she spotted the bandage wrapped around Queen’s wing.
“This must stay secret.”
Queen waved one wing in familiar greeting to Countess Eliza, then tucked back into his nest. The Countess smiled and nodded.
After I bathed and dressed with Countess Eliza’s help, I was informed that one of Sovieshu’s messengers was here. I went to the parlor room, and the servant looked at me with a grave expression.
“Your Majesty. The Emperor has called an emergency state meeting.”
“…”
“He hopes that you will attend the meeting as well, Your Majesty.”
After the servant finished speaking, Countess Eliza shifted uncomfortably.
“Very well. I will.”
I answered as calmly as I could and gestured to the servant to leave. But I was not calm inside. It felt as if the floor would fall away from me.
‘The divorce truly is near.’
No matter how prepared I was, I felt no better. My tongue was dry and my stomach twisted in knots. The ladies-in-waiting lay the breakfast and cutlery on the table, but I couldn’t stand the smell of food.
“Don’t take part, Your Majesty.”
“Say that you’re unwell.”
“Why should Her Majesty go to such a place?”
They also seemed worried that the purpose of the emergency state meeting was about the divorce. Some of the ladies-in-waiting were angry, and some were crying. However…
“It’s alright. Even if I don’t attend, the divorce will happen anyway.”
However, it would be better to see for myself how things progressed. I also wanted to see Sovieshu’s face. The day after he promised Rashta that he would divorce me, he was kind to me, as if he harbored some regrets.
I wondered how he would treat me in public. Would he act like I was a bothersome leech to get rid of? Or would he be sorry about our old friendship? In any case, I didn’t think he felt guilty. I wanted him to see me, and I wanted to witness the guilt eat away at him.
There were lovers that parted amicably with each other. In the face of a one-sided divorce, did I need to ease his conscience?
No.
“I’ll change my clothes.”
After a moment of gloom, I asked Countess Eliza to take off my blue dress. I considered whether I should come in the room in stately fashion, or wear something that would stimulate Sovieshu’s guilt. In the end, I chose a simple white dress with few details. I wanted to stir his guilt as much as possible. I left my hair loose and walked out.
The emergency meeting was to be held in the audience chamber. When I arrived, the guards opened the door without meeting my eyes. As I walked in the hall, the focus of the nobles and officials inside suddenly turned towards my entrance. A large range of emotions were reflected in their eyes, but the audience chamber was deathly silent. The sound of a water droplet falling would sound as loud as a crash.
Sovieshu was sitting on his throne as his gaze fell on me. I straightened my back, and walked to the front of the room. When I arrived at my throne, I sat down on it as if nothing had happened. My eyes calmly stared straight ahead, but beside me I could feel a nervous energy emitting from Sovieshu. From the corner of my eye, I spied his fingers fidgeting on his knee.
“Empress…”
It wasn’t long before Sovieshu called me. I finally turned my head towards him. As soon as our eyes met, he apologized to me with a firm expression.
“I’m sorry. But I never—”
“No more apologies.”
“?”
“I don’t want it, so save your breath.”
“Empress, I—”
He tried to say something, but he was interrupted when the door opened again. It was the High Priest. Once again, a tense silence stretched over the room. The High Priest stood before us with a frown on his face, and the nobles glanced at each other as they held their breaths.
After a moment, Sovieshu rose from the throne, and the nobles all bowed simultaneously. He waved his hand, and then spoke in a heavy voice.
“I wish to divorce Empress Navier.”
The nobles may have already pieced together the clues when the High Priest came to interview Sovieshu, but they all gulped as if they heard the news for the first time. Murmurs started to spread like oil lit on fire.
“Please reconsider, Your Majesty.”
“Not this, Your Majesty.”
“Emperor…”
Similar voices of persuasion popped up everywhere. I kept my face as blank as possible and looked straight ahead. Being informed of a divorce in front of everyone was disgraceful, no matter how prepared I was. Keeping my feelings as hidden as possible was the only way to protect my dignity.
“It’s already decided.”
Sovieshu cut off the nobles’ words.
I lost track of time after that. All I remembered was that a divorce court would be held soon. A court wasn’t the same as a trial; in the first court meeting, the High Priest would call me, Sovieshu, and the nobility, and the priest would ask me if I agreed to the divorce.
As soon as this emergency state meeting ended, I was followed by sympathetic gazes. I ignored their stares and walked out of the audience chamber at the same pace as usual.
As soon as I left the chamber, however, I saw Rashta standing outside, not too far away. Her body was half-concealed by a pillar she was standing behind, her eyes filled with pity. She slowly approached me.
“The Emperor is doing too much. To do it so publicly…”
Her somber looked dissolved into full-on tears.
“Her Majesty hated Rashta, but Rashta did not hate Her Majesty. Even if Her Majesty is gone, Rashta will remember her.”
She made it sound like I was going to die. Irritation welled up in me, but what use was it exchanging words with this child?
“You don’t have to remember me.”
I turned away and headed straight to the garden. Heinley asked me to meet him in Duke Elgy’s room, but the idea of seeing people made me feel claustrophobic. I just wanted to spend time by myself for the moment. I went to my favorite garden and gave an order to my guards.
“Please leave me alone for a while.”
The words of a soon-to-be-divorced empress had a great effect. There was no one after me right now, so the guards quietly retreated. I smiled and enjoyed my solitary stroll, and after a reasonable amount of time, I headed to the southern palace where Duke Elgy stayed.
When I knocked on the door, I heard a “Who is it?” from inside. I had been invited, so Duke Elgy must know that I was coming. Just in case, I deliberately gave a vague answer.
“It’s me.”
I waited for a moment, then I heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching. The door opened. I looked up from where I had been bleakly staring at the ground, but it was not Duke Elgy I came face-to-face with.
It was Heinley.
“Heinley?”
Was Duke Elgy gone already? No, we were supposed to meet here…
I panicked for a moment, but Heinley smiled at me.
“Queen.”
“How can you be here?”
“I’ve been waiting for you. I’ve always waited, but today I waited a little closer.”
I entered the room, and Heinley closed the door and smiled back at me. He slightly twisted his foot as if he were nervous, then held out his arms and looked at me. Did he want to…? It looked that way.
‘Does he want to hold me?’
I hesitated, then leaned my head in towards him. My cheek awkwardly touched his shoulder. I held my posture, but Heinley burst into amused laughter. Heat flooded my face and I tried to pull my head away, but he stopped me.
“Queen. Can I really hug you?”
“Alright.”
As soon as I answered, he wrapped his arms around me and hugged me tight. I allowed my head to relax against his broad shoulder, and his hair tickled my face. His blond locks were as soft as a bird’s feathers. As the area of physical contact grew, so did my awkwardness, but I calmly kept my posture. Heinley’s shoulders trembled lightly as he whispered in my ear.
“I heard everything.”
“What—? Ah.”
He must have heard about the emergency state meeting today. With all the news, even the gossip must have flowed to the southern palace quickly. The state meeting had gone on for hours, and I didn’t come here until after it finished. I replied in a soft voice, feeling powerless.
“I’m fine.”
I awkwardly pulled back my arms, then patted Heinley on the back.
“Really.”
I was trying to comfort him because he looked so somber all of a sudden. As soon as my hands touched his back, however, he noticeably stiffened. I nervously snatched my hand back.
“I’m grateful to have you here.”
Heinley let go of me and backed halfway, then bent on one knee and extended his hand like at our first meeting. I held out my hand, and he closed his eyes as he pressed a kiss against it. He opened his eyes again, keeping his gaze fixed on me.
“I hope you will not stand alone long.”
“Because of you, it won’t be.”
“As soon as you are divorced, I hope that you will be approved for remarriage.”