Daisy took a deep breath as the door opened, a deep breath to stay composed, to stay sharp, to stay in the act… because as she understood her meaning for others, she also understood that she was about to speak to people with power in the Empire, power enough to push her off the throne… and not just power, they want to push her down.
So once again, she kept her composure, she kept her body straight, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword, her head and gaze up, and walked into the room, not as an Empress in colorful dress, full with priceless jewelry and accessories, but in a uniform that saw many dead bodies, a uniform that owned many kills and with a sword that struck many necks.
She walked in as His Majesty, the Imperial General of the Army. She walked in with a heavy presence, with a heavy aura that showed everything but not what they wanted to see, what they expected to see.
Not a broken Empress who is ready to take any deal, but an Empress who is ready to cut heads down, ready to march into an unwinnable war.
"Her Imperial Majesty, Daisy Versica, Empress of the Klimantina Empire, Keeper of the Imperial Mandate, now entered the hall!"
The herald's staff struck the marble floor one, two, three each echoing like a command, and it was clear to everybody which side the herald was on.
"All rise for the Mighty Ruler of Klimantina!" The herald shouted again, and another three strikes came echoing through the vast hall.
All of them who plotted against her, all of them who wanted to see her dead, had shown up and all of them stood, bowing their heads in respect. But there was one thing they couldn't do.
They just couldn't hold it there, their eyes immediately went to her in shock and confusion as everybody realized that she was in the Imperial General uniform, and her whole being was commanding respect, commanding order as she slowly walked to the head of the table, not even glancing at them.
And what followed was complete silence. Not a word, not a whisper, not a breath was heard in the hall. From all the twenty people who were present, all of them were… dead silent, as well as Daisy herself too.
She didn't even sit down, she kept standing next to the grand chair, decorated in gold and with leaves of power. She just stood with her straight body, her hand still on the hilt of the sword, and looked.
Looked at the table and the people around her… looked at the far side of the table.
Anybody who's close to me is with me, right?
[System: Exactly the order of seating was done in a way that shows who is with you and against you. On the left side are the two highest-ranking Imperial Generals with you, on the right side are the eight noble houses that are still with you, and the rest are all against you.]
Hmm… so why are they not saying anything? I thought they would bully me like in the movies.
[System: They expect a whole different thing about you… you have already delivered the message.]
Yeah, they waited for something entirely else. They wanted the maps in the hand of Daisy, the agreements, the papers signed by her that states she steps down from the throne herself and gives the power to the three kingdoms, that she writes a declaration that states all the military leaders as well as the military itself are under the three kingdoms from this point on.
Basically, they waited for her to show up with the intent to step down on her own and to not push the Empire into a war.
And second, and most importantly, they were shocked, not just by the way she was dressed, but by the fact that the commander of the Imperial Executioners, whom they couldn't bribe with anything, was standing at the door, his hand not on the hilt, yet ready to strike at any moment at the Empress's command.
Uhm… I was supposed to… step down…?
[System: You didn't listen to the tutorial, I explicitly stated everything, but rather you were throwing things, destroying your room. You have even ripped apart the documents about it. Basically, they offered you life rather than being executed.]
You said I am deemed!
[System: Exactly, because you didn't listen to me and ripped the document apart… from that point on you were deemed, and you are deemed, but the chance is here to change it.]
Ah… I can do it, I don't need your stupid help… yeah, I can do it, breathe in and out, breathe in and out… do it.
"What a beautiful day it is." Daisy finally broke the silence as she slowly walked to the big windows, and indeed it was a beautiful day.
The sun was shining, and from the windows she saw the beautiful grand garden, full with flowers, trees, and the statues of the Imperial Family.
Fuck, this is too cliché… what should I say… what should I say… ohh…
She suddenly turned around, and she looked like an almighty being. The sun shone so brightly behind her that she seemed to merge into a dark silhouette, and they literally had to squint to see her.
"General Böring, it is a beautiful day, isn't it?" She asked, not moving, standing in the sun, looking at the loyal general of hers.
"Indeed, Your Majesty, a magnificent day." Böring answered, a faint smile appearing on his face because he lived his life in the military and knew exactly that the aura she radiated wasn't something that said she was going to bend to their will… it fired him up.
"What do you think, General Zarah?" She asked the other loyal general.
"It couldn't be better, Your Majesty." Zarah answered too, with a faint smile as he bent his head down.
"Albert, it is a beautiful day, huh?" She looked at him, standing in front of the door.
"It is a beautiful day." Albert answered, sensing that quiet tension, but everybody else sensed it as they stiffened, their fists clenched, but Daisy wasn't planning on easing them; no, she went full with it.
"A beautiful day…" She stepped out of the sunlight, back to her seat at the head of the table. "…a magnificent day to paint the streets, the fields, the palace… with blood, isn't it?"