The maids surrounded her instantly, hurrying her along.
She waved goodbye to the bewildered botanist as she fled.
'It's fine! Everything is fine!! I have....harem! building! to do!'
She fled smoothly, leaving none the wiser to her awkwardness.
'Now, what was that public appearance about, again...?
Tieya smiled at her expectantly as they walked...somewhere. "Who are the men you will announce today?"
"...Hm?"
Tieya's expression looked strained. "You will announce your consort's name today. Who will it be? Everyone's dying to know."
"...But I'm not having a King Co-!"
"Ah, yes." She nodded quickly. "Your concubines, then, I suppose. Whichever ones you have currently...? At least Phoenix..."
Phoenix...! That man!!
"...Aaaa....Yes! Him. Definitely."
"Any other...?"
"Oh...Lyov! First Harem member, Lyov. Definitely. Him."
She could feel the gossip jump from maid to maid around her. They didn't even say anything, but their looks communicated it, wide eyed and staring at each other.
"...Erh..." She glanced around at the maids surrounding her, anxious.
'Is there...something wrong...with picking Lyov...?'
"Your majesty has impeccable taste." Tieya was the one to finally speak out loud, silencing the already silent maids - effectively ceasing the meaningful looks. "Lyov is quite popular. I can see why Your majesty would choose him."
oh no.
....She'd just become the enemy of all the single women in the castle with her very first concubine, hadn't she?
Not counting Phoenix.
She refused to count Phoenix until she got her revenge on him, however petty that might be.
She coughed.
The escort of maids felt somehow less safe than it had before.
At least Tieya just looked amused, as she turned to the other women around me. "Natya, Esme, go and fetch the first and second members of the Imperial Harem."
...Hold on a minute. She squinted, glancing around the maids. Earlier there were only three following me including Tieya, wasn't there? Ever since breakfast....why is my escort getting bigger??
Before she could question it, though, the - apparently ever growing - cloud of maids ushered her onward again, toward that public appearance of hers.
She sighed.
For being an empress, she got pushed around an awful lot more than when she was just a commoner.
Determination rising, she resolved herself to demand answers the next time she had the chance.
Her courage promptly fled her when she was ushered out to an ornate balcony, looking over a courtyard.
The courtyard was completely packed!
The sun wasn't even up yet, why were these people even out of bet, let alone standing down there, staring up at her like she was about to make it rain?!
I can't do this. No way. Nope.
She spun around to escape only to find that the maids had somehow managed to close the doors behind them in the short span of her turning to leave, trapping her.
Tieya smiled encouragingly.
She did not feel encouraged.
What is with these people....! I'm not fit to stand out here in front of them all...! What if I say something wrong?! Or do something wrong! This is embarrassing! What if I make a fool of myself!
Tieya bowed lowly. "I'm honored to witness your first appearance before the people of your Kingdom."
The vaguely familiar face of Archibald appeared, then, striding through the doors that the maids blocked her from. He spoke with a surprisingly booming voice. "Today Her Imperial Majesty Empress Isabelle shall announce the members of her Imperial Harem."
He clapped his hands together and then pulled them apart. "All kneel in reverence for Her Imperial Majesty!"
An entire sea of people actually did?!
She gaped in horror at them, rooted in place.
...They all looked up at her.
The wind blew her long blonde hair behind her.
Facing a hundred thousand kneeling people in silence.
Her hands shook as she stepped forward, and so she grabbed the banister of the balcony to hide it.
Was she really supposed to shout? She glanced back at Archibald, who had a look that suggested 'you dragged me out here before the sun was up, don't expect my help'.
That may have just been in her mind, though.
"I..." She coughed.
The silky voice of Phoenix behind her spoke softly. "You can do it, darling."
She took a deep breath.
Who cares what these people think...just do what you want to do. She told herself.
So she puffed out her chest, looking down at the crowd.
Be honest. M-Mostly! That's how this will work. If you act like you believe what you're saying, they will.
"This..." She squeezed the rail tightly. "...Is my harem." She told them, trying to make her voice come out stronger. She was scared witless of standing on stage, after all. It wasn't easy. "No longer will the Empress of Nevremia be required to rule alongside a King Consort! From this day forth, the Empress shall have a harem to herself!"
It sounded inspiring to her own ears...if it wasn't...about keeping a harem.
Oh well.
"And...and to start this tradition, I introduce the first two members of the Nevremia Imperial Harem!" She pointed grandly at the handsome blonde man with pretty green eyes, and then at the equally as gorgeous blonde haired man with pretty gold eyes.
"...Lyov Perlmann and..."
She searched desperately for the Phoenix's last name in her mind, finding it only after a brief mental search.
"...Phoenix Rosereave!"
Silence met her proclamation.
There was...definitely...confusion in the air.
Perhaps because she'd just made an inspiring declaration like this was something to celebrate, and not just...weirdly putting her (technically nonexistent) love life on display for the entire kingdom.
Well. The ceremony was probably because it was supposed to be a King Consort.
Apparently although the palace had heard about it, the citizenry hadn't.
She shifted nervously.
Suddenly, Lyov stepped forward and spoke in a rich, booming voice,
"Starting now, Her majesty has opened a new path for the Empire! Where previously the Empress of the Kingdom wed a king to protect the royal bloodline, from this day onward the royal blood of Nevremia will be kept through a harem! Even the common born man may catch the eye of the loving and beautiful Empress!"
That, it seemed, finally excited the crowd.
They erupted into cheers.
Her face went pink.
He...really knew how to inspire the crowd...didn't he...?
Lyov seemed to relax. He moved to stand beside Phoenix,
Phoenix smiled at her. Teasingly.
"You've chosen a man with quite the silver tongue for your first member."
She squinted at him.
...He's mocking me again.
"I suppose." She answered flippantly, trying to make it look like she hadn't been bothered by it. "And you know that well, since you're so talented at speaking with your mouth."
That insult...didn't make any sense.
That statement didn't make any sense.
His mocking grin got even worse.