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That Voice
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Empress of the World What Happened?
The voice of the figure was one etched deep in Aurora's memory. It was almost as familiar to her as her own. It was the voice of a ghost now, yet the figure before her she was sure was flesh and bone."Clear the throne room," the Empress ordered.Nurlan stood behind her close to the throne with his hand resting lightly on his sword. "Your Majesty?" he asked, uncomprehending."Everyone out except him," she motioned to the cloaked man. "You may stay, Nurlan, if it eases your mind. And see if someone can find Hanna."The general quickly went to work. With the help of the other attending soldiers, every soul was removed from the room except the Empress, Nurlan and the mysterious figure. The man waited patiently, seemingly unconcerned with the flurry of activity his few words had caused.Aurora took a deep breath. While the figure had allowed them to be alone, she was still slightly scared that he might disappear at any time. "What forgiveness do you seek?""I seek the forgiveness of the
Empress of the World Be Better
Alaron told the Empress his story. She was amazed by his words. However, it made his altered appearance make sense. His white hair had been gained by meeting the Maker while visiting the Mystic Spires, and his now silver eyes were earned in answer to his call."A Guardian," the Empress mused. "It is a high honor."The young man lowered his head humbly. "Not an honor I deserve, but one I will try to be worthy of.""But…it has been a year since all this happened." Aurora looked at him with a thousand questions in her eyes.Alaron nodded. "The Fates thought it best if I remained gone for a time. Let the world begin to heal. I spent the last year among the Fates in the Mystic Spires and got to know some of them quite well. But I knew that my time there had come to an end, and before I could return to take my place as a Guardian to help mend the world, I needed to mend our family first. That is, if you will forgive me." He bowed low again. "Will you?"There was a king painful silence. So l
Empress of the World The Announcement
Aurora looked out at the bustling crowd, praying that she would not fall because of the tall heels her advisors had made her wear. The large heavy clothes and thick make-up made her feel like a clown, but the Council had insisted she needed to look older than her actual age. They were right; Aurora no longer looked ten-years-old. She looked much closer to eighteen, which was their goal. It had been a tall order, but somehow they had managed it. Beside her stood a boy, looking equally ridiculous as she. Instead of a long, flowing gown as she had, he was wearing a wide trouser to conceal his own elevated shoes and a purple robe covering his shoulders to make them look broader. Devrim, that was his name. He was only two years older than Aurora, and now he, too, had the weight of the Empire on his shoulders. Devrim waved awkwardly to the crowd below. They were high up in the palace on a balcony overlooking the capital city, Valiant. Many wars had been fought over the years, but today
Empress of the World A Cold Empress
Even as a young child, Aurora had been treated as a nuisance by her mother, Empress Zephyra. In fact, Aurora could only address her mother as "Empress" or "Your Majesty", which only added to the coldness between them. For years the princess spent hours each day trying to find ways to please Zephyra. She was always leaving trinkets for her mother to find. A flower here or her mother's favorite fruit there. Zephyra barely glanced at the tokens, often tossing them to a servant to be thrown away. Still, Aurora persisted. One fateful day when Aurora was seven, she snuck into the Empress's chamber and hid under a table along the wall. She had worked for weeks to make a card for Zephyra's birthday, even writing a poem in honor of the occasion. 'She'll have to love this,' the girl thought optimistically. Aurora crouched low under the table, clutching the paper to her chest. She had escaped her tutors and Nanny to be here, and she refused to be caught be for her mission was complete.
Empress of the World The Gift
Aurora was generally successful at staying away from her mother. For three years she was more ghost than girl around the palace. She completed her studies for her tutors, but as the Empress did not ask after the princess's studies, the tutors felt no need to push the girl to excel. She hid among the tapestries, under tables, and among the many plants that lined the halls. She was either tolerated or ignored by the court and castle staff whenever she was discovered, but those times were few and far between. Some forgot she existed altogether. Only Aurora's Nanny did a little to help the girl's lonely life. Nanny was always kind, and she told wonderful stories.Occasionally, Aurora's father would visit the princess's suite of rooms, but never very often for fear he would arouse Zephyra's suspicion. The Emperor was terrified that he wife would find out and punish their daughter, so he usually came when the powerful woman was asleep.When
Empress of the World Bad News
Aurora woke the morning of her tenth birthday with a sense of dread. Nanny hadn't woken her as usual, and her suite of rooms was eerily quiet. Usually in the morning she would hear the sounds of her bath being drawn and her breakfast being delivered, but today there was nothing. 'Something is wrong' the princess thought as she became fully alert. Her ears strained to hear anything, and finally she could barely discern the shuffle of feet outside her room. Nanny opened the door and came over to the bed hurriedly. "Get dressed, child," she said with an urgency that Aurora had never witnessed. The girl obediently stood, rubbing her eyes. Together they dressed Aurora in a blue gown with a white sash—the royal colors. "Is something wrong?" The princess seldom dressed properly in pretty dresses. She loved the look and feel of the gorgeous gowns, but they restricted her movement. Usually the girl opted for a loose shirt and trousers, which was far more common for boys
Empress of the World A Piece of Cake
"It was a piece of chocolate cake." Zephyra's words echoed through the room. "I was poisoned by a piece of cake? But I haven't eaten any cake." Elias asserted. He intentionally did not look at Aurora, knowing the look of horror that must be on her face. The Empress brushed his comment aside, "Everyone knows you occasionally fancy a late night snack. I refuse to let you lie to me about such things." "Very well," Elias agreed easily, "I have a sweet tooth. That's not a valid reason to poison a man." "You ate two pieces of cake, husband?" There was a threat in Zephyra's question, but Elias seemed not to hear it. Instead he laughed, "You caught me, my dear. Perhaps it isn't poison after all; I simply overindulged in cake. It was delicious!" "And deadly," the Empress added flatly. She let the matter drop. Clearing his throat, the
Empress of the World A New Development
The funeral for Elias was held three days after his death. The morning was rainy, matching the gloom that the princess felt. Watching her father be entombed in the Valley of Kings, Aurora felt hot tears mix with cold rain on her cheeks. She was the only mourner. The Empress had forbidden anyone from attending the burial, but the dark-haired girl ignored the decree. Zephyra had managed to keep her daughter from the ceremony, saying that it was not an appropriate place for children. Hiding in the wings as the final eulogy was spoken, the princess had followed the pall bearers through the city and to the sacred cemetery. The pall bearers did not want to disregard the Empress's orders, but in the end they could not bear to keep a child from saying goodbye to her father. As the rain ran down Aurora's cheeks and mixed with her tears, she felt utterly alone. What would become of her now? Her mother already hated her, and now there was no one to speak on the girl's be
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