"Tell the Great Houses to move as quickly as they can."
The Emperor said to his clerks, each one were at least ranked viscount or higher.
I managed to get His Majesty started on his morning walk through his private garden.
But as compromise, he wanted to be able to keep hearing reports of the empire and deliver orders during his walk.
It had been a week since I began attending the Emperor. And I believed I managed to make significant progress.
His Majesty had been taking most of his medicines on time, albeit in peculiar circumstances.
Like when he was taking his medicine while meeting with imperial army generals. Or when he was conversing with influential merchants. Or when he was receiving foreign ambassadors. Or as he walked from one part of the palace to another.
He was supposed to take his medicine while resting in bed.
But given the identity of my patient, we had to be a little unorthodox in our treatment procedure.
"Send word to the Harta that I want to read their drafts for the new emergency tax policy as soon as possible. We might actually need them in a few weeks.
"I want the Garlas to speed up their trade negotiations with Tsahanam and Tchakra. In case the worst happens and the entire empire is thrown into chaos, I want to know our allies are ready to support us.
"Ask the Tadosin and Sandomer if we can move up the date for the Dragon Dome Replica demonstration. Get help from the Tower of Circle if they think it's too difficult to achieve.
"Tell the Farista to pull their troops from the northern coast and direct them to the Pratama Rise. The Guntur naval forces aren't our worry in this difficult time. I'm sure they're just as nervous as we are these days. And send more Viulan knights to the Rise as well. The imperial guards are enough protection for me.
"And urge Anashta to finish constructing the first layer by the end of the week. I don't want more monster reports coming from other regions, at least for the rest of the month."
His Majesty uttered instructions regarding the Great Houses as if they were his errand workers.
In essence, the Great Houses existed to do errands for the Emperor.
They lived to serve the one whom sat on the Eternal Throne.
I used to have this fascination about the imperial monarch. Regarding them as this mythical being that shouldered the fate of the empire and the world.
But the more I spent time with the Emperor, the more my feeling began to change. Or rather, develop.
It was not fascination of a mythical being anymore.
It was now a fascination toward a human. Someone who tried his best to fulfill his duty. His mission.
I would see His Majesty staying up late attending meetings and reading reports. And he would wake up early to attend more meetings and read more reports.
Previously I imagined the Descendant of Manusha as this creature that worked tirelessly as the pillar of the empire.
But after being so close to His Majesty, after being so close to the Eternal Throne, I could see his struggle. I could see his suffering.
The fatigue that would eat him away during the day. The aching that would pain him through the night.
I could see the unpleasantness running through His Majesty every time I looked him in the eyes.
And still, His Majesty kept on going.
His Majesty kept on fighting for the sake of the empire. For the sake of the world.
And that relentless determination filled me with a new sense of fascination. No. Adoration.
"Time for you to have your candied Blackroot medicine, Your Majesty. You must take them now or you'll have to drink the Blue Grass brew that you hate throughout your meeting with the border city officials."
I told the Emperor as we approached the small breakfast table the Head Maid and other servants had prepared.
His Majesty made a frown upon the mention of his medicine.
"The Blackroot medicine has become too sweet now that you've made it candied."
"But at least it's not bitter the way you hated them previously, Your Majesty."
"Still disgusting. But you're right. At least it's not bitter anymore."
His Majesty took a seat at the small table as I asked.
He then gestured me to take the one across him.
"Your Majesty, it would not be proper for me to keep--"
"You're not my servant, Lady Andal. You are my physician. And I often had meals alongside Rachmad. I don't want to treat you any different."
"But His Holiness is the Saint and I'm just--"
"Please, Lady Andal. Won't you accompany me?"
The Emperor said at last in begging tone.
The way his pleading expression hanged over his face was simply too overwhelming. Especially from someone of his stature…and his visage.
"If you'll pardon me, Your Majesty."
I said as I took my seat across him.
Upon this moment, the Head Maid gestured to the other servants to leave the ground. She joined them in the escape.
They always made themselves scarce whenever His Majesty invited me to sit with him.
I could not help but wonder why.
Given the servants had left, I took the initiative and poured the Emperor his favorite morning brew.
"Tell me, Lady Andal. How does palace life suit you?"
His Majesty asked as he munched on his sweetened medicine.
"The beds and meals are better, Your Majesty. Though I still find the patients here to be just as stubborn as the ones back home."
The Emperor chuckled at my reply.
I needed to start looking away every time His Majesty smiles. I felt my face burning up whenever he did.
Dear Goddesses!
Bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!
"And what about me, Lady Andal? How do you find your emperor after seeing him firsthand?"
"Stunning."
"Excuse me?"
"I-I MEAN--"
I cleared my throat before continuing. Trying very hard to suppress the red coloring on my cheeks.
"I mean…Your Majesty is as incredible as everyone made you out to be. Only that now I'm also able to understand you as a human being, instead of just this legendary ruler told by scholars and clerics."
"What made you say that?"
"I've seen your flaws, Your Majesty. Physical flaws, I mean."
Despite being in the presence of the occupant of the Eternal Throne, I felt at ease in this conversation. Words just flowed out of my mouth.
"Seeing you having trouble sleeping, or suffering from an aching back, and other discomfort, makes you more human in my eyes."
"Well now, Lady Andal, I must tell you that I was quite strong during my prime. I'm not always this fragile, you know."
I giggled at His Majesty attempt on keeping his image of a mighty figure.
"Your flaws made you human, Your Majesty. And by being human, I could now relate myself to you. And having done that, I could not help but be more impressed of who you are as a person. Who you truly are."
The Emperor sat in silence after my praise to him.
He bore this same expression as when he was mulling for the fate of the empire.
"You've been by my side for a while now, Lady Andal. Haven't you heard of what's happening throughout the empire?"
I sighed at the question.
"Your Majesty must be referring to the monster invasions, correct?"
In recent years, monsters had been invading the regions across the empire. All of Dunia, in fact.
It started when a huge horde of creatures attempted to invade Fajar in Tsahanam seven years ago.
Forces from Tsatu, Tchakra, the Serpent's Order, and the Tower of Circle were mobilized to give aid.
The sultanate's capital was saved from the monsters' hands in the end.
But we could not repeat the same feat the next time it happened.
Monsters invaded the empire's eastern border five years ago, two years after Fajar invasion.
This time, the monsters managed to claim a small border city along a mountain range on the northern coast of the empire. Loro, I believed to be the name.
Soon after Loro fell, more invasions occurred throughout the continent in both large and small scale.
Mala, my home region, was a victim of a recent invasion.
It was how I met Lady Reingand.
Monsters were approaching us from the direction of the Pratama Rise and spreading chaos like an unstoppable wave.
Had the imperial army and the Viulan knights not arrived in time to save us, I would not be here right now.
"I thought the situation in Mala was dreadful. But I didn't realize worse things had been happening in other parts of the empire as well."
I said to His Majesty.
"After being crowned by the Ancient Gods with the whole continent as witness, the Great Pioneer united the entire land by preaching in the plateau at the center of the empire, the Pratama Rise."
The Emperor told.
His Majesty continued.
"Ever since, the Pratama Rise had become a hallowed ground that only the Descendants of Manusha, the First Mage of the Tower, and the Saint of the Temple were allowed to enter."
He went on with a gloom hanging over his eyes.
"For three thousand years the Pratama Rise was kept protected and sacred by the Descendants of Manusha. And it is in my reign that the Pratama Rise fell."