Chapter 9: Imperial Order (2)
~9.2~
*****
At the Erdreich Palace, an angry Kye marched up the palace entrance and ignored the servants that tried to approach her.
"Kye what do you plan to do, exactly?" came Alethea's voice over their private call. Only her girlfriends, attendants, and Alfia could hear her.
"End this farce."
They could hear snickering over the call from Alfia, who was there, but not visible thanks to Aliana.
"Fia, did you put her up to this?" Michelle asked.
"Nobody put me up to anything," Kye insisted. She arrived at the door to Wolfgang's study, and it was opened before she could knock.
"Please, come in," he said. He instructed the servants to prepare tea for everyone. "To what do I know the honor? This is quite a number of young royals."
Wanting to curb the situation, Alethea spoke up first. "There seems to be a problem, Duke Erdreich." While most nobles and royals were referred to as simply 'lord' or 'lady', those who held titles were usually referred to with that title during official business. A Grand Duke, Archduke, or Duke were usually referred to how Alethea addressed Wolfgang, or simply 'your grace'. Similarly, the four cardinal rulers were referred to as King or Queen and 'your majesty'. Because the royalty and nobility of the Atlantis Empire was so numerous, such titles were rarely heard since the majority were only ever referred to as 'lord' or 'lady'. Wolfgang grimaced briefly when he heard his title used.
"What might that problem be, Your Imperial Highness?" Alethea and Atalante were the only imperials to carry formal titles, but they preferred 'lady' over the mouthful that normally came with their titles. Despite Alethea being the one that spoke to him, both were looking at Kye, who was unmistakably oozing dissatisfaction.
Kye, unable to keep her frustration lidded, spoke up. "This crusade you and other nobility have against the Royal Heir of Drachenheim stops now."
Wolfgang's expression hardened. "So that's what this is about. You can rest assured my mind will not be changed by children."
"You seem to think I'm giving you a choice. What part of my tone indicates any room to argue, Duke Erdreich?"
Unperturbed, the Grand Duke leaned back in his chair. "You are a Royal Heir. Your numerical ranking is 4, equivalent to my own. Lady Alethea here possesses a numerical ranking of 2, yet she has yet to back up your word, Princess Kye."
"She does not need my back up," Alethea calmly added as she began to sip the tea that was just delivered to her and the others.
Wolfgang disregarded Alethea's claim and looked at Kye. "You do not possess the rank to give me orders."
Kye chuckled. "Do I not?" She laughed and stood up. "Enough of this." Kye snapped her finger and created a barrier of white mana that silenced all within whom she did not give permission to speak. Alethea used the same spell earlier in the day, before the group left for Erdreich. It was less a spell, and more a system-governed authority. "Do you still think I do not possess the rank to give you orders? Wolfgang van Erdreich, on behalf of the Royal Council of Atlantis, I am issuing an Imperial Order. You will keep your dissatisfactions about having a transgender sovereign to yourself. You are welcome to continue having such poisonous thoughts, but going forward, you will not act on them. Such thoughts will have no impact on your capacity to rule. If I hear anymore of this absurdity, consider yourself deposed."
Before Kye released the barrier, her sword floated up out of its sheath and transformed. Wolfgang was equally surprised to see Astraia as when he was rendered speechless. "Duke Erdreich, a small bit of explanation. This girl is soul-bonded to me, and engaged to my niece. She is already registered as an imperial. You are aware of the recent upgrades that have been performed on planetary foundations, yes?" Wolfgang nodded. "Kye is the one that implemented the upgrade here on your foundation. She doesn't possess the authority to give you orders? Why can you not defy her sound-proof barrier? Listen, child, you are not in the good graces of either the royals or imperials. Even your fellow archnobles are disgusted." Astraia glanced at Louise, who openly scoffed. "Deposition is on the table. I suggest you clean your act up."
"You want to get back in our good graces?" Kye said as she swirled the tea around in her cup. "You will deliver signed confirmation from every member of the nobility that was against Doran, rather Adele, as Crown Princess of Drachenheim by the end of day. Said signed confirmation will be delivered to myself, and Queen Draelana. For any that refuse, they will be deposed. You need only delivered similar confirmation of refusal."
Kye stood up and placed her tea, which she barely sipped, on the Grand Duke's desk, and formed a rune in her hand. She flipped her hand over and sent the rune to the floor.
"End. Of. Day."
Wolfgang glanced at Rosalie, who only sighed and gave him a look that said, "Do what she says." Kye snapped her fingers and took the entire entourage with her back to Northern Forest.
Half of the royal entourage was shocked at what Kye had just pulled. She transported them all to the Erdreich Palace, and all but marched in and laid down the law. She left no room for argument. The three archnobles from their class, Louise, Isabel, and Adrian, were all clapping at what Kye had done. The other half of the royal entourage was just shrugging in acceptance. Rosalie was the most surprised. She didn't expect a forced resolution, but she did acknowledge and even agree that having an imperial simply decide and call it done was the best course of action.
*****
Later that evening, Kye and Alethea were summoned to Atlantis. When they arrived, the audience chamber was full of nobility.
It seems they took me seriously. This is by end of day.
Kye raised an eyebrow as she and Alethea passed by them to greet Atalante. Draelana and Draenara were also present, standing to the side.
"Kye, Alethea, it's come to my attention that the two of you participated in reprimanding and ordering the Grand Duke of Erdreich to accommodate certain things."
"That is correct, mother," Alethea said without the slightest hesitation. She actually didn't participate but had no intention of allowing Kye to be singled out.
Atalante smiled lightly, then turned her eyes to the group of nobility. "Duke Erdreich, you have voiced your complaints that a royal candidate has entered your domain and threatened you with deposition. The rest of you have by proxy received the same. Would anyone like to update me on the details, or is that everything?"
"That is correct, Your Imperial Majesty," Wolfgang replied. "I was instructed by Her Highness Kye Akari of Nippon Sekai to immediately change my views and pass on those instructions to every noble that shared those views."
"I see. Have you done so?"
It was a simple question, but the nobles were taken aback by it. That was the last thing they had expected Atalante to say. Instead of repeating herself in response to their silence, she merely shifted in her seat and raised an eyebrow.
"Do you mean have I passed on the instructions? Everyone is present here."
Atalante sighed and stood up. She tapped the hilts of the swords at Alethea's and Kye's hips, and the two transformed into their human forms. "Everyone one of you have been speaking out against having a transgender sovereign. Go ahead, tell me why my daughter cannot succeed me as empress."
"Pfft." Kye struggled to hold back a laugh. She expected Atalante to turn the tables on them, but not so quickly or blatantly.
"Pardon?" Wolfgang asked.
"You heard my mother," Alethea said, stepping toward him. "I was born male. You are subjecting the Heir of Drachenheim to such outlandish criticism. And now you know that I am the same. Go ahead. Tell me why the first born of Queen Draelana is unfit to rule. Tell me why I am unfit to stand before you as Heir of Atlantis. Give your reasons now, before every member of the Imperial Family, and before the Sovereign of Drachenheim, all of whom you are giving insult."
There were five seats in total at the head of the audience chamber. Atalante sat at the one in the center and was joined by her sisters on her left after she had them take their human forms. The one directly to her right was for Alethea, who had just taken her seat after demanding answers from Wolfgang. The last belonged to Kye, who was also just sitting down as Alethea was taking her seat.
With an intense look of dissatisfaction, Kye crossed her legs and spoke up, "I told you end of day. Everyone responsible for this farce is present. Give us your answers."
With a similar look of dissatisfaction, Wolfgang shot back, "Why is a mere royal sitting alongside the imperial-"
The world flipped upside down. This time, it wasn't Kye or Alethea, but Astarte. The man was thrown on his back, with the green-haired imperial's food pinned on his chest. The look on her face sent chills up the nobles spins and put nothing short of fear into the man on the floor.
The only thing he could see was the cold look in her eyes. She always wore a somewhat blank expression in front of most, so it was rare to see any sort of emotion from her. Her eyes were cold as if she was looking at an enemy.
*****
Revision: 12-20-2023