Secrets of the Villainous Empress

Chapter Fifty-Nine: How To Command A Room

Azalea Oleander Cursix

“I have no idea what words to start with,” I teased the young man in black pastoral uniform.

The happenings of the room were apparent. The man behind the desk was Peter, Daniel’s son.

Daniel was the head priest in Mayflower, a grizzled white-haired man with a hatred for ‘demons’ so to him, that was the entire ‘Cursix’ lineage. Still, he was craftier than most as he had been able to seduce Kassim to his side effectively and thus, I thought that there would be a need for pretences.

But witnessing the scene we had just walked into, acquiring the marriage license seemed more straightforward than I imagined.

My gaze landed on the under-breast tattoo of the woman closest to me.

Nun’s, priests, pastors, saints or even templars were not permitted to ink or alter their bodies in any shape or form, meaning that Peter, during his father’s absence as he is the temple’s second, had taken the opportunity to call for prostitutes.

At first glance, the women resembled some of the sisters in the temple. The redhead resembled Sister Adelaide, the golden-haired one Sister Sarah and the other…Saintess Jude.

Cute. Had Peter asked the ladies to dress up in such a manner?

I am so glad I sent out an impromptu note on visiting the temple. This…this moment I irreplaceable.

If I had sent a proper letter, no doubt I would have still been on Aleu’s lap, trying to convince an i***t that I was dafter than he, or at least moronic enough to fool.

“Y-your majesty, this is a place of the Gods!! You should not barge in her-e!” Peter yelled, his cheeks pink and his gaze frantic.

Wow, you are more shameless than I thought,” I said, “I can not believe that you actually completed that sentence.”

“It- tis the tr-truth, The G-god’s-”

“Eyes are burning?” I asked in completion of his sentence, “I mean, your hired women have still yet to hide their nakedness.”

Harshly, he signalled for the women to lower their dresses.

“Umm…priest, it is going to be extra with company…I mean, the big guy is free.” The golden-haired woman pointed to Aleu.

The relationship of the Imperial family and the temple had grown tense once Allios had ascended to the throne. It had grown officially ‘brazen’ once the saintess had left him in preference to his fully human brother, who was much favoured to ascend.

To be fair, she did love Allios. It was just that she had grown weary of unrequited love. In any case, the temple had taken it to mean that she too was not in support of his, well, his blood, and had then used that to spread numerous propaganda and later, a war broke out. One whose main theme was preserving religious beliefs of demonizing non-humans versus those who saw meaning in Allios’s work and wished to stay united with Akonia. In any case, the war had been halted by the return of everyone’s memories. Memories of those that they had loved and adored, but on passing, their traces had been erased. As per the Extras are forgotten law.

 Due to the abrupt end of the war and a prevalent sense that an entity more prominent than they had been responsible for their amnesia, the temple lost many supporters, and a truce was thus drafted to respect both parties. The temple was made an authority figure and had some say in government matters. Additionally, the Cursix’s name was parted, one remained the Emperor, and the other became a Grand Duke to give the Saintess a position of authority.

Saintesses were rare, and depending on their mana abilities, one could be crowned; however, Saintess’s were to stay in the temple with the new change and thus, their presence was not permitted to cause a war.

Still, the temple being the temple, here we are. In strife, because they still struggled to be the only solemn power in the Empire and a descendant of the third saintess may just be their key to untangle the loophole to the ‘saintesses stay in the temple’ rule.

“Do you know who I am?” I asked the ladies who, despite Peter’s harshly done instructions, still had their dresses up.

“No? Are you like a minister’s daughter, or like a baron or something?” the red-haired girl asked.

“But she doesn’t have security.” The golden-haired girl responded.

“Maybe he is her security.” The redhead pointed to Aleu

“No, the really posh people have rooms of security. I’ve seen it, sucked a count’s c**k, I did!”

“Really, did it taste like the usual?”

“Money was good, tastes about the same only cleaner.”

“Oh, I thought so too.”

They really moved on. Still, as Azalea was not the outdoorsy kind, places without access to broadcasts or slums did not know many prominent people’s faces.

“Oh my…” I said mockingly, then turned to the livid ‘priest’.

“Ladies, please leave,” Peter insisted through gritted teeth.

“What do you mean leave? You haven’t paid us!”

“Do you want us to charge you double next time?”

“Next time?” I asked.

“Oh, he is a regular.” One of the girls replied.

“PLEASE LEAVE,” he yelled furiously, “I will, I will deal with it!”

 “You better.” One of them said, and as though on cue, they all dropped their black long robe-like dresses, pulled on their head coverings, then walked out the door.

“Name’s Nina, look me up, sexy.” the redhead whispered to Aleu as she handed him her serial chip.

The door clicked shut, and my gaze turned back to Peter.

“Wow, the gods must be bleeding out of their ears.” I said, “did you hear their line of conversation? A count’s-”

“Y-your imperial majesty-.” He cringed as he interrupted, “I-,”

“Shhh shh…On your knees, child,” I said, “We are not having this conversation as equals. You should recognize that already.”

“But this is the t-temple? Here we only kneel to the-”

He means that they do not respect Azalea’s lineage, as they believed it was not accepted by the gods. No doubt an argument placed in his head by his father.

Seriously, if they could just read the novel, then this would have been way smoother as they, no doubt, would have realised that they were simply plot propellers.

“You had prostitutes dressed in nun clothing, which by the way is only issued in the temple, bear themselves at you as you pose as your father because they clearly do not know much about politics if they cannot even recognize the Empress.”

“I cannot even sit down for fear of what you may have done on the seats when no one was looking.”

“I have… we have not done anything.”

Shit, I should have brought Darius. I could command him to break something of Peter’s threateningly because Aleu looked out of his element. I mean, he was still practically gawking at the card the prostitute had given him, not that I was jealous or anything.

“Oh, for crying out loud,” I muttered.

“Y-your majesty, here, in temp-,” his voice ceased projecting.

Peter’s gaze turned wildly to my forefinger and thumb, which with each contract, the passage of the air in his throat grew a little compressed.

“You think because an old law says that the leader and the temple must work in unison that I will respect it? Respect you?” I asked, “We are not equals. We will never be equals, Not your father, nor you. Do you know how I can tell? By the emotions we are both exhibiting,”

“While you are writhing around like a worm gasping for air, I am your air.”

“B-bla-blasph…em…y!” he cursed as he fell to his knees.

I chuckled.

“You would do well to remember the dread you feel,” I said, “this way, much more easily next time you realize that when I say on your knees, I mean on your knees.”

The crimson aura emanating from my fingers grew more oppressing as it rounded itself around him, then began pressing the faux priest to the ground until his knees began bleeding and the stone ground began to crack.

“Empress…that’s- that’s enough.” Aleu interrupted, placing his hand in mine, “please.”

Wow, a walking talking cliché…wait, no, what if this is how we trick them into thinking the union is weak?

By showing the difference in our opinions causing friction, when he reports this to his father, his father will undoubtedly see a possible weakness, thus lowering his guard.

Wow! Aleu might just be a genius.

I halted the mana stream then gazed at the concern in his eyes.

“Oh darling, I did not wish for you to see that,” I said and confusion laced his face.

Had…had I misread him?

“My precious baby.” I gushed in a more pronounced manner such that if he was not yet up to speed, he could get there.

“I-I am okay, love bug. However, spare the naughty priest. There is no need for blood to be shed on sacred ground.”

“Did you hear that, Vice?” I asked loud enough for the coughing man to hear, “My lover does not wish to see me shed blood in holy ground. I mean, you have spilt your seed here numerously, but I guess we do not all have to resemble you.”

The reply from the kneeling man was simply more rugged pants.

“Oh, come on, it wasn’t that bad. Have you never had the ladies choke you to completion?”

“Your im-imperial -ma-majesty, wh-what is it you want?”

“See, now this attitude I like better.” I smiled, “I want a marriage certificate between this sweet, sweet man and me.”

“W-what?”

“Are you asking ‘what?’ because you genuinely did not hear what I said, or was your reply out of disbelief? I would rather not repeat myself.”

“No...no, I cannot grant you a marriage certificate with-,”

“Without your father’s approval blah blah blah, I know.” I said, “But you also cannot have prostitutes in a temple, s*x in a temple, can not distribute nun’s clothing to none proper members of the temple….”

“I mean, at this rate, does it not seem as though you are picking and choosing which rules you wish to obey or disobey?”

“B-but I could-,”

“Get in trouble…? Oh, do you not think that you are already in trouble? I think you are. I think that I am your worst-case scenario.”

“But if I officiate you, then he would become the next emperor! Without even the council's approval!”

“I know how titles work. But there is more in the name of true love!”

“I c…I can not grant that request willy nilly, your majesty, please consider!!”

“You can not? Even if I were to broadcast the happenings here and use it to appoint new Mayflowerian temple officials?”

“Okay! Okay, fine! b-but on one condition.”

“You seem to forget who holds the cards in the room.”

“P-please, please, my father cannot know about this.”

He is spineless…but it could prove beneficial to have a spy in the temple.

“Will they not find out once I announce my marriage?”

“I- I can handle that, but- at least hold council after I sign the officiation document.”

“No… it's…it is such a hassle.” I sighed, “I mean, I would have to host a ball afterwards.”

“The…then wha- what about you recommend me to a different temple, where my father cannot-.”

“What do you think, Aleu?” I turned to ask the person whose ally the weird priest would remain, “What do you think should be my next move?”

“I think that as long as he has presented us with the marriage approval, we could recommend him to head another temple….”

“So, there is no further need to hold on to his faults? Also, I do not know about temple hierarchies. The imperial family is not to meddle in those.”

“B-but your recommendation would still be treated with…respect.”

“Alright, child, if need be, I will use my memory and a spell to reenact what I have just seen so, make sure to keep your nose where it belongs,” I said, then sighed. “I do not know how you feel about the south, but I will set something up.”

Good, with this, the official wedding will go uninterrupted.