The Lady Justice

Chapter XV: To Fight, And Be Fought

Lady Katherine Harrington of Johanne

12 October, Year 1 of Sebastian VI, Emperor of the Longbournian Nations' reign

Amöneburg Palace, Amöneburg

The Longbournian Nations

To put it very kindly, guard duty at the Dowager Empress's boudoir was boring.

Her chambers were depressing to begin with. The walls were grey, and the curtains and tapestries were all done up in black. Save for a few whispers and murmurs here and there, she worked on her embroidery with a few of her ladies-in-waiting, who were also elderly matrons of her age, in silence.

She did not even notice me, thank goodness.

The only form of entertainment I had inside was watching the twin Corporals amuse each other, purely by facial expressions and eye contact, from opposite ends of the chamber.

My confidence had served me well. A few hours of watching them interact were sufficient for me to pick up a few characteristics to tell them both apart.

I simply could not wait for my apple strudels later.

At that moment, one of the guards at the door knocked and entered the chamber. "Your Majesty," he bowed, "Her Highness Princess Natalya requests a private audience with you."

My ears perked up. The Princess to whom Richard was almost engaged.

The Dowager Empress looked up from her embroidery, and for the first time since I had met her, genuine sadness and exhaustion entered her cold eyes. "Ladies, please adjourn to the recreation chamber," she commanded her ladies-in-waiting, "I will speak with my daughter alone, as she wishes."

The Ladies-in-waiting nodded, and picking up their embroidery, curtsied to her once, before they shuffled off into the adjacent chamber, and shut the door firmly behind them.

One of the twins cleared her throat. "Would you like us to wait in the adjacent chamber as well, Your Majesty?"

The Dowager Empress seemed to notice us for the first time that morning, and her eyes rested on each one of us, lingering on me for the longest period of time, cold and hard.

"Nay, you may stay," she answered at long last, staring straight at me, "I want you to see exactly what you have done to my daughter."

The twins glanced at me, shocked by the venom in her voice for me.

I held her gaze, unflinching. "I did nothing to her, Your Majesty," I answered quietly, "but certainly, if that is what you wish, I will stay."

Throwing me one, last chilling look, she nodded at the waiting guard, who cleared his throat. "Announcing Her Serene Highness Princess Natalya Hohenstaufen of the Longbournian Nations, Archery Mistress at the Longbourne Military Academy for Women!"

I felt my eyes widen in surprise. The Princess was an Archery Mistress too? At the Academy? How had I never seen her around?

A tall, slender woman of about twenty years old glided into the room, her skirts billowing around her. Her sea-green eyes were emotionless and unfocused, as she sank into a curtsey in front of her mother.

"Your Majesty."

The Dowager Empress rose from her seat. "My dearest daughter," she greeted her daughter formally, and raised her to her feet, "I wanted to speak to you yesterday, but your ladies-in-waiting informed me that you were feeling a little out of sorts. How are you now?"

She nodded. "I am feeling much better, Your Majesty. What did you wish to speak to me about?"

Nay, she was not, I thought to myself, my forehead creasing. Deep, dark circles ringed her eyes, and from the angle I stood, I noticed several new and healing scars that lined her wrists and arms like notches on a dungeon wall.