"Am I hallucinating? Did the empress just toss the jewel symbolizing peace between the realms because it’s small?" A man looked at me as if he could kill me with his gaze. Thankfully he can’t. I’ve already had my lifetime share of assassination attempts.
"The empress is completely mad. I think all the rumors are true. How can she be so arrogant." The gossip continued, while the knights tried to find the jewel I had thrown.
"Wow! The subjects are as lively as chickens." I joked.
"Your Majesty, you must not understand the immeasurable value of this jewel. To belittle our culture and history. Look here. The stone is large, heavy, and quite beautiful." One of the knights approached, showing me the jewel. It was beautiful! The color of my eyes.
I was beginning to reconsider when I saw the concern in the knight's eyes, but Icarus was quicker, took it from his hands, took a good look, and flung the ring out of the window. Screams filled the hall.
"If the empress says it’s too light, she is right. Everything she says is law." Icarus said before placing some rings, a bracelet, necklaces on me. Everything was very heavy. I was aware they were all crown jewels. Super valuable. I was even afraid to move. "Now, I am sure that no wind can carry away anything that’s here. Might these be the wedding gifts? Are they to my liking?"
"Did the Emperor just give the empress all the treasures of the imperial house? Does this woman now hold more value than the empire itself?" Someone spoke dumfounded.
"I appreciate the Emperor's kindness, they are indeed beautiful jewels, but I do not like old things. Wouldn’t something new be better as a wedding gift?! How about a new kingdom? That would make me very happy." I said. The noise within the hall increased. They disliked my attitude, which makes sense, I had just belittled something they cherished.
"Did the empress with just a few words turn the empire's historic treasures into old things?" I heard among the conversations.
"This is madness. That woman is mad. Get her out of here. I can’t take any more. Thousands have died for that treasure. Even if she is the empress adored by his majesty, it still makes no sense at all." A long-haired man shouted.
"She’s even worse than the emperor, which explains the way he behaves in her hands. Like a puppy." A woman spoke clicking her tongue.
"Your Majesty, you don’t need to dirty your hands. If you wish, we will do the deed..." They were already plotting my death again, but Icarus was much quicker than them.
"I understand, you are right. I will do as you said. I will give you the kingdom of your choice next week. Which one do you want?" Icarus asked me. Just as we had planned.
"Me? How about the northern kingdom? I want it to be completely wiped out and the royal family to be sold as slaves. Seems quite amusing. I want the foundation gem of the kingdom. Passed from child to child since its inception. It's green, the color of my eyes." I said laughing. The thought was quite enjoyable.
"She just ordered her own family to be sold?" The subjects' despair only increased. "If she does this with family, what will she do with us?"
"She ordered the end of everything, even where she lived. The empress is definitely cruel. Much more than the emperor. We can’t even think of contradicting her." Everything was going as we had planned.
"Will this satisfy you, my Empress?" Icarus asked.
"Yes, it really makes me happy, for now. Because I have 10 fingers. I want a treasure from each kingdom." I explained. The weight of the jewels was bothersome. It must be over two kilos, but if I falter, Icarus will punish me later.
"So be it, starting next week, we will conquer one kingdom each week and bring its greatest treasure to you, the empress. Choose the kingdoms whose treasures interest you and I will give them to you." The Emperor said.
"Next week? Ah! That’s too long to wait. How can I alleviate my boredom now? You told me it would be fun to leave the room and see these people. How about killing a few who are here today? Just to ease the tedium. May I do that?" I asked. Icarus smiled at me.
"Of course, everyone’s life is in your hands. If you wish, I will order all here and their families killed." Icarus replied. I saw some people throw themselves out the windows.
"You keep terrible dogs, Icarus. You should better train these lowly people. Look what they did? They broke the palace windows." I crossed my arms.
"You’re right. It’d be better to kill all who are here, right?" Icarus spoke. Some people fainted. It was hilarious. Everyone was exceedingly frightened.
"Better not, it’ll be too messy and I dislike the smell of blood. Let me see, those two over there?" I pointed to two elders who were members of the council and were targets of Icarus' investigations, they had been diverting money from the palace and were suspected of facilitating the assassins' entry who tried to kill me on my arrival. "Of the two, which do you like less?"
"In truth, everyone has their significance within the kingdom. Both are always ready to advise me best, but the choice is Yours Majesty. I will do as you decide." Icarus put all power in my hands. And it was clear by the look of everyone, the fear they held.
"If that is so, I want the heads of both cut off. They are much too ugly. Their faces are unpleasant. I do not like looking at them." I won’t lie, as cruel as it seemed, it was even easier to order their beheading than to throw away the greatest treasure of the kingdom. It was a warning. To all those who sought my death. I had the same power as the emperor. "Can you do this, your majesty?"
"Right now, my empress. Cut off both their heads, hang them on the palace walls, and send the bodies to their families." The Emperor ordered. No one else in that hall spoke until the end of the party. They didn’t even dare look at me. Being bad might not be so difficult after all.
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