Sooner than I thought, the day for the tea party came. The weather permits us to stay in the garden, so I can breathe some fresh air while waiting for my guests.

Princess Lyland is the first to arrive. She brings two other girls with her.

«It's customary, in the Empire, to take some friends with you at informal gatherings,» she explains. «This way, I will be able to invite you to the next party I will attend and present you to my friends. Isn't it a nice idea?»

I nod and smile, relieved that this girl isn't thinking about making my life harder. However, Pericle already warned me not to invite too many people, as it would become crowded. As he suggested, I sent seven invites and got positive answers to five.

With this, I'm starting to understand how the court is divided. The two ladies that rejected my invite are both married to highly placed nobles sided with the crown. They're careful around me, and that tells me that my husband is still seen as a concurrent of the Emperor for the throne.

Even though the Duke made clear whose side he was when he supported his majesty during the coronation, some still think that he could be a good ruler. From the moment when the Emperor showed him some distress, by taking away his title and commanding him to marry a prisoner, the nobles became suddenly cautious.

Still, not everyone that approaches me is a friend.

Of the five ladies present, one is the Princess, and the others are equally divided into two factions. If my tea party becomes the ring of their bickering, I swear I'll get up and leave.

Pericle said that the Duke is trying to maintain good relationships with all three the factions in the court: the imperialists, that support the royal family no matter what; the block of nobles that want more power, and those that think that the Emperor is too young and needs a regent to rule in his stead; and finally, those that were against the late Emperor and worked hard on his demise. The latter faction is still working on removing the late Emperor's son, as their plan partially failed when he inherited the throne.

The two girls with the Princess are actually sweet. They talk eagerly, and they avoid politics by any means. It must be a requirement to be in a royal's graces. Still, these two are really talented in diverting a conversation towards safe lands. Especially when the rest of the women are so eager to start a hot theme.

In the end, there are twelve of us. One of those ladies attracts my attention in particular. It's lady Elisabeth, daughter of Count Gramh. She isn't very tall, and her facial features are so petite. Her movements are elegant, and her smile is really gentle. Still, her eyes are as cold as the winter.

I'll ask Pericle if he really didn't foresee such a situation. After advising me not to have any contact with this girl, he proposed to invite one of her friends. I'll have a chat with my husband's aid when this is all over.

For now, I pretend not to know anything, which isn't too far from the truth. I only heard Pericle mention her once, so the story must be relatively private.

When one of the women repeats some words I'm sure she heard from her husband, I can't help but reply. I answer her statement with one of the typical arguments that statesmen use: bureaucracy is expensive and takes time. It's a fitting solution for those issues that have a need to take track of anything, like the registry office that counts the population and registers their needs. But for something like international trade routes, documents are to be kept at a minimum.

«His majesty, the Emperor, has signed a new law about the need to deliver the bookkeeping together with the tax report,» the woman says. She wants to convince me that I'm wrong using a higher figure that has influence. If I was a newbie, I might have been troubled by her words. But I've been queen for too long, for this to work.

«His majesty, the Emperor, did make a wise decision. The Empire is too wide to administer it with trust. There is a need to check for mistakes or purposely hidden sources of income. Also, there is a need to have a clear situation of the economy in every region. His majesty will be able to decide how to reallocate resources when needed, and he will find out frauds in less time than before. Travelling merchants, though, shouldn't be burdened with documents in a language they might not know how to read. Trade is too important, and even if the merchants evade taxes, the Empire is still benefiting from their passage. We shouldn't discourage them with complicated procedures to pass the border.»

After my discourse, the ladies stay silent for a few minutes. Maybe, I should have changed the topic. Now, they will think that I'm weird. At least, I hope the Duke won't hear of this.

Just as I think so, my gaze passes over Princess Lyland, and I understand that the Duke will hear of this, and even earlier than necessary. Every little detail of this gathering will reach his ears. Partially thanks to his sister, and the rest because of the maids.

«Our Emperor sure is wise, for his young age,» I finish, with a smile that transpires admiration.

The Emperor was certainly advised about this, and the statesmen he talked to were brave enough to tell him the truth. It's one of the challenges every ruler has to face, sooner or later. People don't always tell the truth, especially if they feel that they can obtain more from you if they flatter you. Ethiro really is lucky to have wise advisors and a listening Emperor.

The Princess is looking at me with an amused expression, and I'm not sure whether it's a good thing. Still, the gaze that is burning my skin more than hers is that of the fine lady a few seats from me.

From the beginning of this tea party, lady Elisabeth didn't turn her eyes away from me.