Meeting the Emperor was not a new experience for Lady Evinda Adrenyk. She had frequented the Imperial Court in Methrangia in the past with her late husband. What was unusual about this day was that he was to be her father by law.

For a royal wedding, her marriage to King Rohmhelt was surprisingly modest. Of course, there would be a procession through Karmand with a full division of royal soldiers and the vast formal feast in the castle, but that was it. A single afternoon and evening of revelries and that would be the end of it. She had prodded her soon-to-be husband for a grander display of his authority, but he seemed eager to be done with it. On that point, she could agree with him to a point.

Agreeing with him on much else seemed a more complicated matter. Since she had embarrassed King Rohmhelt in his own halls, she had been brought to Karmand twice to dine with him at the request of his faithful aide Lohsandrord, who insisted that they had developed enough familiarity that she could call him “Lohs.” Indeed, it was Lohs who had to broach the idea of a marriage. Rohmhelt plainly had little impulse to do it himself. That alone had intrigued Evinda in a peculiar way. There was something endearing about the King’s timidity.

However, there had been another matter that caused her to move quickly on the very notion. She knew being the relatively young matriarch of her family would leave her vulnerable to the insatiable scheming of the surrounding houses. Being offered even the chance of marrying into the Imperial Family was a stroke of luck she could not ignore. Her own advisors divided on the matter. Some were Kyosok purists who scowled at the notion of a union between a Kyosok and a Nimorsian. Others were more pragmatic. Even though she agreed with the latter group, she would have made the same decision even if not a single soul had agreed with her.

Among those who were cautious was her own brother, Tujiv. He paced relentlessly in her chambers as a team of attendants dressed her in a grand traditional Kyosok wedding dress complete with its customary elaborate white ribbons. Tujiv lurked behind the eight assistants, his fingers scratching under his chin. Evinda rolled her eyes. Tujiv’s worrying was a constant throughout her life, even though he should have glowed with confidence. Lean, muscular, with a square jaw and enviable thick white hair, he was considered one of the most desirable Kyosok men. Yet, his bed was perpetually empty with no marriage on the horizon. This was part of why Evinda had come into as much power as she had.

“I think that should be fine. I’ll send for you all if I need anything else,” she told her attendants.

“Thank you, my lady,” three of them said in unison with the others saying something similar. Tujiv laughed a bit as they walked out.

After the door closed, she turned to face her brother with a smirk.

“You’re going to wear out your shoes doing all that pacing,” she chided him.

He squinted angrily at the jab.

“Are you not at all worried about any of this?” he huffed in disbelief.

“I worry all the time about everything, but this isn’t any different, no.”

“Ergh, I can’t believe this,” he scoffed, shaking his head.

“Well, believe it. It’s happening,” she said with a mocking tilt of her head.

He sighed and rubbed his hands through his hair, which made it stand even higher than it had previously.

“You barely know him. It’s… it’s…”

“No different than when I married the last time. Lord Adrenyk met me maybe twice before the wedding. I grew to like him… eventually,” she smiled.

Tujiv spun in circles, waving his fingers as though he meant to shake something off them.

“Mother and father had their problems with it, but they were happy in the end, as you’ll recall,” she said.

“Ah, and I’m sure they would be happy now, marrying a king, right into the Imperial Family!” he said with stilted joy.

“But you’re clearly not.”

Tujiv flicked his wrist dismissively and again paced wildly around the room. Evinda’s toleration for the ordinary sibling bickering was quickly running out. She was willing to humor Tujiv’s usual tantrums, but only to a point.

“This isn’t simply about me,” she scolded him in an icy tone. “I have my daughters to think of and, if the angels are kind, I’ll have a son by the King and that will help our entire family, including you.”

“Disgusting that you’d talk about that like it was nothing,” he grumbled.

“You’re thirty. These things shouldn’t shock you anymore.”

“It’s not shock. It’s just… ergh,” Tujiv sighed in exasperation.

A few knocks sounded through the doors, interrupting them. This may be a blessing.

“Enter,” she commanded.

One of her attendants opened the door slightly to lean in her head.

“I beg your pardon, my lady, but Councilor Lohsandrord wants to speak with you,” the attendant said in a squeaky voice.

“Ah, well I’m happy to receive him. You may show him in when it’s convenient for him.”

Tujiv raised his finger to object, but Evinda cut him off.

“Another time,” she said.

Mumbling to himself, her brother showed himself out the door. Evinda gave a quick glance to her mirror to make sure that she was properly presentable to the King’s most senior advisor. To her satisfaction, not a hair was out of place and not a ribbon had been tied improperly.

As the door opened, she turned around and saw the shrunken figure of Lohs enter in his formal robes. He perpetually had roughly the same smile on his face, regardless of the occasion.

“I must let your retinue dress His Majesty. He tries to do it himself, but it’s never quite right,” Lohs laughed.

“I’ll pass along your compliments,” she acknowledged.

“So you’re keeping them to yourself, then?” he asked as he seated himself in one of the chairs.

“Far from it. I think I shalln’t let the King leave the bedchamber until my attendants have made sure that he appears properly kingly,” she declared.

Lohs laughed while biting his lip.

“And, not to be too blunt, but why did you wish to speak with me?” she asked.

“It’s actually more that I wanted to see how you were faring with all of this,” he answered with a shrug. “And the Emperor wishes to speak with you before the ceremony and I was to tell you that on his behalf. Oh, and I wondered if you had any questions for me.”

“Has the Emperor told you what he wishes to speak to me about?”

“Paying a simple courtesy,” Lohs smiled in response.

“Ah, and as for your question, only one,” she said, dropping to a graver tone. “This marriage is mainly your idea, but you barely know me and the King knows me even less. My brother, fool that he can be, has a point on that. Why did you choose me?”

The old advisor chuckled at that inquiry.

“And you ask me now?”

“You seem to be the keen mind behind these things. I want to know what you expect,” she chirped, bowing.

“Did you want a blunt answer?”

“Yes. Blunt enough it hurts.”

“Alright, alright,” he chuckled. “Well, I think it would be good for him. I also know more about you than you might think. I saw how you handled your audience with him. Well done, by the way. We could use a bit more of that around here.”

Evinda fought off a laugh. He had been obtuse and yet oddly precise at the same time.

“You mean to say that you’re worried that the King is weak?” she chided the old man.

“No good royal advisor would ever allow such words to leave his lips,” he answered with a rigidly, almost mockingly, straight face.

“Of course,” she acknowledged, smiling.

“Besides that, there is the matter that the northern reaches are a bit difficult for us and this marriage would help. Well, and we of course need an heir from this side of the family. Both the Emperor and I share a deep concern about what would happen if King Rohmhelt were to suddenly die childless,” Lohs’s voice turned stern and urgent. “I was a merchant once, as you know. Quick judgments in delicate situations are a learned skill. You seemed to be an answer to our problems in several respects.”

As she listened, she found the old man to be strangely charming even when he veered toward what otherwise might be considered rudeness.

“That answers my question almost perfectly. One more thing, is there anything you would advise me about the King on a personal level?” she asked, unsure of what answer she was even hoping to receive.

Lohs shifted his jaw around and furrowed his brow for several seconds before speaking.

“Well, if the question is intended in an inappropriate manner, I know nothing of His Majesty’s desires or predilections on that front. He has lived a less interesting life with regards to those things than one of his station typically does. If it is meant in the more polite and appropriate sense, then I can simply tell you that His Majesty warms up slowly, but warmth is there. You just have to dig a bit,” he offered in a sage’s lilt. “Overall, you’ll find that he’s a good man. I have every expectation that this will be a happy marriage for the two of you and, more importantly, for the kingdom and empire.”

Listening to this old thing every day will be a special treat.

“Thank you for being forthright,” she said, nodding toward him as he rose from the chair. “You’ve been most helpful.”

“I’m glad you thought so,” he offered as riposte. “Now we go to see the Emperor. I’ll warn you, he is in one of his odder moods.”

Evinda was somewhat unsure what to expect. She knew that Emperor Covifaht was highly mercurial, but then again half the world knew that. Random outbursts, pleas for forgiveness, effusive greetings, and melancholy depths were all said to alternate randomly. The moment of truth came upon her as she stepped into the stone doorway and saw, standing right there, the Emperor of Methrangia, dressed oddly in a marshal’s formal uniform with bright green, blue, and red fabrics.

“Ah ha! There she is!” Covifaht exclaimed. “My, you are lovely! Absolutely wonderful! A good choice, eh Lohs?”

“Of course, Your Majesty,” the old man answered, suppressing a giggle.

“I’m happy to see you as well, Your Majesty,” she declared.

The Emperor bounded toward her.

“Now, I haven’t gotten much of a chance to know you. I trust Lohs over there. Good man! I have a lot of faith in what he tells me,” the Emperor swelled, heavily stroking his grey beard. “But, I want to hear what you have to say for yourself. I liked your former husband a great deal. A good, fun man. Terrible thing that happened to him! What was that? Five years ago?”

“Four, Your Majesty,” Evinda somberly corrected him. “My family and I appreciate your condolences. You sent a very kind letter at the time.”

Covifaht recoiled.

“Did I?” the Emperor gasped. He looked to Lohs, who nodded sagely in return. “Oh, I suppose I did. These things do slip my mind.”

More likely it was simply sent by one of your councilors and you didn’t remember that. I don’t know why he thinks that would offend me. I know how these things are.

“That’s behind you now,” Covifaht continued. “You’ve done very well for yourself. Grabbed a bit of land. I admire that! An enterprising young woman will be good for my boy.”

She glanced at Lohs with a hint of amusement on her face.

“I am not certain I understand, Your Majesty,” she said with a note of sarcasm.

The Emperor guffawed.

“Oh, yes you do. I’m not sure what it’s come to that I’m relying on a woman!” he barked skyward.

“The strongest of the angels is the High Angel, Your Majesty,” she riposted. “She gives strength to us all.”

“So the Patriarch always tells me,” the Emperor grumbled. “And will you do that? Put some steel in my boy’s spine?”

“I view the role of Queen as one to aid the King in his responsibilities and ensure that he never falters from them. I certainly don’t come to this union to weaken him, Your Majesty,” Evinda said with polite, but firm tone.

Covifaht first scowled, but then quickly changed back to a broad smile.

“I’ve heard enough! You’ll be a great Queen of the West!” he boomed and then leaned in to kiss her cheek. “And give him sons! As many as you can!”

She bowed to the Emperor. He rapidly spun and departed before she could rise again.

“Lohs! Come with me!” Covifaht yelled back into the chamber. “We have to talk with my son!”

Lohs bowed out of respect to Lady Adrenyk and scurried off behind the Emperor. She was tempted to return to her attendants, but for a moment she simply wanted to be left alone. Once she was Queen, she knew she would never be left alone again.

Her greatest surprise was when the ceremonies were even briefer than Rohmhelt had indicated they would be. The formal ceremony in the austere Basilica of Karmand took just over an hour. The procession to the castle was quite short, even though she tried to lengthen it to show her face to the curious throngs. King Rohmhelt would have none of it, though. Then the enthronement ceremony in the modest Karmandian throne room was similarly abrupt. She had envisioned a far larger court applauding her ascension, but instead it was perhaps a mere one hundred prominent local figures considered by Rohmhelt to be reliable friends.

At last, the feast in the dining hall was of some magnificence and she found the customarily spicy western cuisine to her liking. Bereft of the appropriate opportunities to make her mark up until that point, she decided to do her utmost at the head of the grand wooden table as she sat to the left of the Emperor. For much of the evening, the Emperor and King Rohmhelt spoke of Covifaht’s disdain for the angel Parlon’s constant meddling in his court. As the evening went on, his laments veered into King Duronaht’s failings, especially his needless conflict with the Kingdom of Bohruum. Excluded from those conversations, they were useless to her. Something far more banal presented itself to offer her a chance at distinguishing herself.

A server came around and offered Covifaht a potent blue libation called Iron Tears by the locals. Evidently, the name came from the hyperbole that it could cause steel itself to sweat. With that doubtlessly in mind, the Emperor motioned for only a small pour.

“I still need to make it to the bedchamber,” he chortled as his glass was only partially filled.

Lady Adrenyk, now formally styled as Queen Evinda, raised her empty glass as the server walked past. The pockmarked old man gasped in astonishment.

“Erm, Your Majesty, this is a bit strong for a lady. I can get some wine or…” he stammered out.

“A full glass, if you would,” she scolded him.

Rohmhelt, sitting to his father’s right, glanced over as the server nervously poured it to the brim. Down the table, the gossiping nobles and merchants silenced at the spectacle. The Emperor started chuckling.

“I think it’s customary to swig the whole thing down,” he laughed. The whole table, other than a worried Rohmhelt, joined him in guffawing.

“After you, Your Majesty,” she said with a wry smile.

The Emperor nodded and motioned to the server to fully top off his glass.

“To a long, happy, and, erm…, prolific union,” Covifaht toasted the Queen. The last of his wishes triggered laughter from around the hall.

“To your health, Your Majesty,” she returned.

After their glasses clinked together, she immediately swigged the entire glass and swallowed. The Emperor choked on his before he could finish it all. Her throat burned down to her stomach and her eyes almost burst into tears from the pain, but she suppressed it.

The hall erupted in cheers as she kept her composure while the Emperor coughed violently. Rohmhelt looked at her and broke out his first genuine smile of the entire day. Straightening his crown in his thick greenish hair, he rose from his seat.

“By the rules of our court, the empire is hers now!” he joked. The hall laughed, even more so when Emperor Covifaht, now recovered, joined them.

She stood and took a bow to the applause of the entire hall. As the feast resumed after those theatrics, she considered that she had overestimated the difficulty of pacifying the royal court.

Later in the night, Rohmhelt, for his part, appeared uncomfortable when indulging the various lords and ladies in small talk. It was such a simple skill and yet the King of Karmand struggled mightily with it.

I see why his father and Lohs were so eager for this marriage. He needs someone to periodically remind him that he has bones.