The broken queen

16

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"We need to talk!" Raymond walked toward Nancy who watched the prime minister leave.

"I have nothing to say to you Raymond," she said flatly as they opened the heavy doors to the Empress's quarter. Raymond pulled Nancy back before she could enter, she glared at him and then her arm that he held. He removed his hand and rubbed his temple, "the Emperor might not be dead."

Nancy's head snapped toward him, "what do you mean?" Raymond glanced at the guards looking ahead.

"There is no official confirmation but the Emperor's clothes; well, some part was found washed up in a village in Ominos; we are not sure if the villagers know who he is."

Nancy's eyes widened, "If they do! They could report him to the authorities, we might have a good relationship with Ominos but those pigs fighting the Emperor will run faster than a strong horse to get to him."

Raymond nodded, "we have to announce the Emperor's death."

"What?! Are you insane?! We just found out that he might be alive! Why would we do that?"

"Listen to me Lady Nancy!" her took her shoulders and stared into her eyes, "Emperor Aaron is in dangerous territory, we have to get him out of safety by all means necessary, the Empress must be informed of our plans but no one else, if it gets out, Ominos will gain knowledge of it and he would die."

Nancy swallowed, "But if we announce the death of an Emperor, without a body, Raymond would be seen as the ancestors punishing him! People will talk!" Nancy replied, furious.

"We can just announce that he was washed away by the storm and we are still searching for his body that way I can buy time and find him. The Empress must take care of state affairs and hold a strong fort, I will inform you of every development!"

Nancy sighed, "This is a bad idea, the ministers can take advantage of this, they can use public opinion to try and push the Empress into madness, who wants a mad ruler?"

"You have to hold up the palace Lady Nancy, you are the Empress's friend and lady, we cannot allow their reign to fall like this. If power struggles start now, Ominos will take advantage of it and continue to pillage the small towns not far from them, we must not allow that,"

Nancy sighed and nodded, I understand but you have to be faster, the people will get restless, and the only hope we have now is that you find the Emperor if you do not we shall all be dead by the marrow," Raymond nodded hurriedly.

"I will, I need to leave, you must protect Empress Irisa, Lady Nancy, her baby is the only hope we have to buy us time," Nancy nodded before turning in the other direction.
She sighed and walked back into the room to find Irisa awake.

"Your excellency," Nancy bowed and walked toward her. Irisa looked distorted, her eyes were swollen and she looked to have been crying. Nancy could guess that she had been awake for a while. Maybe she heard the commotion that happened outside with the ministers.

"Nancy..." Irisa said with tears in her eyes, her expression was soured, her nose red, "Your excellency..."

"Stop calling me that!" she snapped at Nancy who sighed. Nancy took her bed on the chair watching her, "he is gone... He is gone... He has left me here... I... I was stupid and blind! I refused to see him before he left for the war, I hated him, hated that he left me in this huge palace, cold and lonely. My anger has lost me his last days."

"You need not cry, m'lady," Nancy took her hand, "the king is not dead," she said making Irisa stop for a second. she blinked, "What are you talking about."

Nancy looked around the room, before turning to her lady, "he drowned but he is allegedly alive, in a village near the Ominos border."

"What?! Let's..."