Calm Mind (Very Slow Updates)

The Dukes

"So the high court members sought themselves higher in rank then me?" Aria asked the group of old men, only two men were younger than the rest.

"We dare not your highness." The ten males echoed together, eight of which wore bitter looks on their faces. The empress snickered at this sight, only Brian and Gion were respectful.

"Then why did the court think that by writing a complaint letter wanting to depose of the empress would be a good idea?" Aria asked the group of men. The emperor was sat next to the empress and he did nothing but look at all these old men who no longer wish to live.

"The emperor himself made me his empress, are you herein saying that the monarch of this country, this empire, has questionable decisions? That the person he chose to rule the country besides him is not worth the throne?" Aria continued to ask the older men. It disgusted him very much that these old men would question him just because he was a biological woman.

"We dare not your highness." they repeated once again.

"You did dare, that's why you wrote that complaint. You question your emperor's decision to have made me the empress. I have given the throne heirs, I have given my share of political input, I have given everything within my power and beyond to make sure that this country, this empire thrives. And you bags of bones dare question me because I was born a female?!" Aria asked truly annoyed and angry.

"I will give you all the freedom to speak, you lot have decided to petition on the deposition of the empress, I'd like to know why and what gave you the audacity." the emperor finally opened his mouth to speak, he spoke in calm and lazy tone, he had learned a lot from Aria during the time they have spent together.

"Permission to speak your majesty?" Brian stood and bowed to Aria and Tyler.

"Permission granted."Tyler said to his older brother.

"I believe it is apparent the Duke of the House of Utaria and I Prince of Nevera have not ever in our lifetime of existence question the empress and your majesty's choice in bestowing such a title on him, and we most certainly did not file a petition to depose of the empress and would like to be excluded from the other houses as they may have been blinded by something to ever think that the empress' past would ever make him an inadequate ruler. With that said, I humbly request your majesty to exclude the Duke and I as it is apparent we are not at fault." Brian stated honestly and the old men looked at him with hatred and anger.

"Yes, you both may have not raised questions or a petition on the empress' position, but you shall not be excluded, you may be exempt from consequence but your presence is needed." Tyler stated towards his brother and Duke Gion, he knew that they were not a part of the scheming' of these old men and that as best friends of the empress, they wouldn't question him.

"I'd like to hear what the other dukes and counts have to say?" Tyler asked the other eight men.

"Grown men like yourselves hoarding duke-ship and count-ship, when you should be retired and being taken care of by your grandchildren. Yet you are here with no shame questioning my position, you are too old to be in your position, let loose and let your children govern your houses and their affairs." Aria said with such stern voice, you could hear his resoluteness.

"Empress?!" One particular old man yelled as he stood up.

By doing so he invoked a smirk from the empress.

"Please, share with us your concerns Count Edward." Tyler said to the older standing man.

"Your majesty! We have sat here and let the empress call us bags of bones and now he has disrespected us yet again and your majesty says and does nothing. Is this the thanks we get from the royal family?" Count Edward.

"Still doesn't explain why you want tot depose my empress and like the empress has stated, are you questioning my decision to have made Empress Aria the empress of Atlia?" Tyler asked.

"Your majesty, the empress has dismissed two ministers from their posts, dismissed the harem and now he has brought his own militia into the country, all of these have raised unrest among the citizens and your majesty hasn't done anything and let the empress lay waste to your country." Count Edward stated his points of arguments.

"Still Count Edward, how do those correlate with you trying to depose the empress? Will deposing the empress bring back the harem? Will it bring back the ministers to their posts? Will it make his militia return home?" Tyler asked the old man, who now seems to have shut up.

"Anyone else?" The emperor asked as he looked around at the old wrinkled faced that were now looking down as if contemplating their decision to be here.

Aria already guessed they were put up by some to try and depose him, because they themselves have no reason to actually depose of him, they just don't like him and are afraid of the power he wields. They are pretty much greedy stupid old men who were feed stupid dreams and promises if they succeeded in deposing him, but they came here unprepared and are now stumped that whatever little information they were given isn't working like it was supposed to.

"Is it safe to assume that my presence threatens you and your corruption lifestyles and ways?" Aria asked the old men, and as he had guessed correctly the somewhat flinched at the words, but remained calm nonetheless.

"Your highness, we are not threatened at all. We merely wouldn't want the citizens to break out in riots over your highness' actions and hidden gender. As Count Edward has already stated there is unrest and talks among the citizens." another older male stated more calmly and poised than Count Edward.

"Duke Simon, are you saying my wife, the empress will be cause of civil unrest by dismissing my harem? It's not theirs, it's mine and I decide what to do with my women, the same goes for the ministers, one was corrupt and the other was of inadequate qualification to be on the chair, are you saying they will riot knowing that? As for the militia my wife brought, it was a gift from him to me, given the accident that befell him and our children. Instead of being thankful, you're telling me the citizens would rather go at war with the royal family?" Tyler laid down his own points and questions and asked the old man.

"That is not what I meant your majesty. The empress brings unrest to the soul with his highness's random and unpredictable actions." Duke Simon stated respectfully.

"So you're admitting that the empress is a threat to whatever it is you're doing under our noses." Tyler stated, such in the manner is how he understood the point made by the Duke.

"That is not what I meant."

"That is exactly what you meant, you don't know when and who my wife will strike down and that concerns your greatly. This has nothing to do with the citizens, you old lot are afraid of the consequences of whatever it is you've been doing in secret." Tyler said as he looked the men once again before his eyes landed on the empress and they softened.