Men of Vorenia (16+) DISCONTINUED

Court Drama

Her mother wept uncontrollably as Orelia walked in, pale and covered in blood. “Mother?” she mumbled, her voice quivering nearly as much as her mother’s mourning figure.

“Orelia!” she cried, reaching for her daughter.

Orelia rushed to her mother’s side, wrapping her arms around her. She cried, finally crumbling. She trembled, her mother stroking her hair gently as she continued to weep. “It’s going to be alright, my dear. We are safe.”

“Mother, Father was killed. He was assassinated. I wanted to protect him, but I couldn’t.”

“It was not your fault, Orelia. Now, you must prepare yourself. You are to be crowned by the end of the week.”

Orelia pulled her head from her mother’s shoulder, trying to keep a stiff upper lip. “There’s a good girl. You will make a marvelous empress.”

She nodded, wiping her tears away with her dress sleeve. As she pulled away, she noticed that the silver liquid from her eyes stained her sleeve. That guard and her mother were right, she was the Empress of Vorenia, and she had a speech to prepare.
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Orelia sat at the head of the same banquet table they had used the previous night, butterflies swirling in her stomach. Her “allies” stepped into the room, escorted by the Vorenian Guard. The men and women sat in the seats they were in before, watching her with critical eyes. Orelia took a breath, gulping slightly as she scanned the room. “Greetings, delegations! I, the Crown Princess of Vorenia, have unfortunate news.” she began, making the crowd stir with anticipation. “The King of Vorenia is dead.”

There was a roar of disbelief, the man shooting to their feet from their seats, the women weeping with horror. “Ladies and gentlemen! Allow me to finish!” Orelia shouted, a silence filling the room once again. “I, as the Crown Princess of Vorenia, have assumed the responsibility of filling the currently empty Imperial Seat. The Imperial Family shall host a funeral for His Majesty after the Rites of the Dead Ceremony has been completed. I hope that you understand and support my ascension.”

The lingering silence lasted for a minute after she finished. Suddenly, the masked Karevethen, Maxim, shot to his feet. “I support Her Majesty! Long live Vorenia! Long live the Empress!”

Cries of support followed Maxim’s declaration. “I support Her Majesty! Long live Vorenia! Long live the Empress!”

She nodded her thanks to him, noticing his hazel eyes watching her with a certain glint flashing through them. Restraint. Orelia smiled at him, looking him up and down before looking out over her supporters. One sat silent, the delegate from Traoron. He watched me carefully, leaning towards his comrade to whisper something. Orelia watched him for a moment, wary of his suspicious actions.

Traoron was the only nation to have not had an empress, and their view of women was not as progressive as the other six nations. She took this as an opportunity to reassure the crowd of her certain success. “Delegates, I will not fail! This is my country, and I refuse to fail!”

There was an even greater cheer from the crowd, the Traoronians falling silent as they noticed her steely gaze finding them. Chants began, six guards that were lining the walls escorting her out of the banquet hall to escape to the State Room. Orelia shivered slightly as she walked, a spark of relief filling her head. “Thank you, gentlemen.” she said, addressing the guards as they nodded their heads.

“It is our honor, my lady.” the captain said, his focus remaining on the path ahead of them.

“I will address the military and court after I am crowned at the end of the week.” Orelia thought aloud, walking swiftly through the halls between the guards.

Once the group reached the State Room, she sat in the plush Emperor’s chair, scanning the documents on the oak desk before her. War reports, economic documents, requests from nobles and commoners, court reports, and many more. Orelia sighed, beginning the process of cleaning and sorting the desk. By the end of the process, she finally sat back and studied her surroundings.

The State Room was large, decorative oak columns lining the length of the room. Walls separated the desk from the rest of the room, an archway connecting the rooms to one another. Candles were posted every six feet around the room, lighting the dark corners and documents that rested on shelves. The guards who escorted her stood posted at certain points in the room. Two stood by the archway, two by the main door, and two beside her.

A few minutes after she finished sorting the papers, there was a knock on the door. “Come in!” Orelia called, the door opening promptly.

“Greetings, Your Majesty! I have come on behalf of the Imperial Vorenian Court. I am Lord Alinac.” a man said, walking towards her desk stiffly.

“Greetings, Lord Alinac. What can I do for you?”

Lord Alinac was a thin man with slim facial features. On his long, hooked nose sat a pair of wire spectacles, his dark brown eyes watching her nervously from behind them. He had a head of cropped blond hair, and around his neck rested the crest of the Imperial Court. Alinac’s voice had a slight stutter, possibly due to his innate nervousness.

“Well, Your Majesty, the Court has something that they request you address immediately.”

“And what would that be?”

“They wish for you to marry and produce an heir as soon as possible.”

Orelia denied it promptly, shaking her head. “With the current situation economically and politically, I cannot prioritize marriage. Return my message, Lord Alinac.”

“But- yes, Your Majesty.” he stuttered, bowing and turning on his heel to exit.

When the door closed behind the man, Orelia sighed. “And so the court drama begins.”