"The moment you raise your weapon to the people I care about, you have already lost the right to explain your side." As soon as those words rolled out of her tongue, Aries unhesitatingly struck the man straight at his nape.
Fortunately, Climaco was quick to remove his hand from the back of the man's head. If not, she would've struck his hand as well.
And with that, blood instantly pooled underneath the man's body.
For the next full minute, a pin-drop silence reigned in the surrounding, eyes fixed on the empress, who struck a man which instantly silenced him. Isaiah's eyes dilated, surprised at Aries's response to the situation. Even Climaco had his mouth agape, looking up at the empress, who didn't bat an eye in executing the man on the spot.
Aries held the sword's handle, pulling it out, which resulted in more blood gushing out of the man's throat and nape. She calmly held the sword to the side, and the knight who owned it snapped back to reality. The knight jogged to her side, receiving the sword while red fluid dripped from its tip.
"Mercy is granted to those who deserve it." Her voice snapped everyone back to the current lapse, eyes glossing over the knights and then at the people on the side. "However, severe punishment is guaranteed to those who don't."
She pointed a finger at the dead man. "This man not only insulted me, the empress but also assaulted the emperor. But the most unforgivable of all was that this attempt could disrupt the peace this empire and the people had. Yet, even at the last second of his life, he didn't show remorse for his actions. Therefore, he deserved to receive the worst punishment this empire could give to someone."
"His Majesty had always protected his people, and today, I also made an oath to be a part of his governance and support him with everything I can to make this empire greater than ever," Aries continued, her voice firm and intimidating. "Anyone who disrupts or even attempts to disrupt the empire's peace will receive the heaviest punishment."
"Duke Darkmore." Aries glanced over her shoulder. "Identify this man and arrest his entire lineage. This man's sins will be borne for three generations. Investigate everyone who knows him and if you find out, they knew this man's plans, take them to the gallows."
Hearing her ruthless yet satisfactory order, Isaiah lowered his head. "As you wished, Your Majesty."
"May this be an example to everyone!" Aries didn't dwell on Isaiah's answer to face the people, her voice thundering. "There's nothing to fear if you did nothing wrong. However, if you do or if you know someone who plans to cause disharmony for the empire, you will be just as responsible if you kept silent."
"The good will be rewarded, but those who carry malice to the people, to the empire, and to the royal family will be punished severely." A deep exhale followed her remarks, looking at everyone sharply.
There was a moment of silence after Aries's last remarks, and for seconds, everyone could only stare at her blankly.
"All hail Her Majesty, the Empress!" a woman's voice erupted, and everyone instinctively followed the source. There, they saw the woman with her little brother going down on her knees. "All hail His Majesty, the Emperor! All hail the great Haimirich!"
As the woman repeated her loud praises, others also followed until the cheers returned. If they didn't witness the empress's empathy for the child and the woman, they would have conflicting feelings about her ruthless action. However, even though Aries instilled this seed of fear in their hearts, they believed her action and orders were justified.
If they didn't want the queen's wrath, one shouldn't touch her bottom line. Otherwise, anyone could end up just like that man. If they lived accordingly without breaking the rules or disrupting the harmony of the empire, one shouldn't worry too much.
As the people slowly accepted that their empress wasn't only kind, but could also be ruthless — a quality of being a strong empress — Aries nodded in satisfaction. When she turned, she caught Isaiah looking in her direction. She only cast him a side eye, but said nothing, before marching back to Abel.
"Let's continue the procession?" Abel asked, a strong sense of pride twinkling in his eyes.
"Mhm. Does your arm hurt?" she returned, and he shook his head weakly as an answer. "Then, let's continue."
"Mhm." Abel handed his hand, which she clasped carefully. But before he guided her to the carriage, Aries turned to the woman and her brother.
"Don't stay outside for too long," said Aries, watching the woman raise her head. "Keep yourself warm."
"Thank you for thinking of us, Your Majesty." The woman smiled warmly, showing no sign of fear for Aries despite witnessing what the empress was capable of. "We will always be forever grateful for your kindness."
Aries rocked her head, keeping her smile as she faced Abel.
"Shall we?" Abel tilted his head to the side, and this time, Aries answered him with a nod.
With that being said, Abel guided his empress back to the carriage like a gentleman. Behind them were knights dragging the body of the man, which they loaded onto a knight's steed to hang it to make it an example for those who had the same silly ideas.
After some time, the procession resumed, and Isaiah returned to his carriage. The pipe was already resolved and the people's cheers were louder, as if someone didn't lose his life in the hands of the empress.
"You could've stopped him," Aries spoke after a moment, looking back at Abel instead of waving at the people. "You didn't have to use your arm to block his attack and simply countered it."
Abel slowly faced his empress, catching the worry in her eyes.
"Why?" she added under her breath. "Why did you let him approach you when you could've killed him instantly?"
"Because…" he paused, reaching for her hand and guiding it to his lips. "... my wife wants this day to run as smoothly as possible, and it's for her to decide whether she wants to add a bit of red to it, not mine."
Abel planted a soft and gentle kiss on her knuckles, keeping his naturally sharp eyes on her. The corner of his lips curled up, holding her hand as he rested their intertwined hands on his lap.
"I do not have the heart to sully my hands on your special day, darling, but it's not a terrible trade, don't you think?" He squeezed her hand mildly, looking away to greet the people. "You understood my heart, and you were able to establish what sort of empress they were welcoming. It's a win-win for both of us."
Her eyes softened as a subtle smile resurfaced on her face. "Thank you… for upholding my will, Abel."
"Anything for you, darling." He faced her once again and smiled warmly. "Don't mention it... but if you sincerely want to thank me..." Abel wiggled his brows as his lips stretched playfully. Seeing his expression, Aries almost immediately guessed what he was about to say.
"Let's try mutual oral sex."
New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com