210 Chapter 8 (1/2)
Leaving Ceres alone in the Hall of Meetings didn't worry me overmuch. I knew that she'd deal with the political wrangling much better than I ever could. In fact, a large part of the reason I hadn't put more effort in preventing her from accompanying me here was that I wanted her help navigating the treacherous word games of the aristocrats. As for her security? If she wasn't safe in the heart of the Empire, then she wasn't safe anywhere. If the Council decided to turn against us, there wasn't anything we could really do.
”What do you know about me?” asked Princess Artemis as she guided me out of the Hall through a door behind the throne and down branching corridors, navigating the turns with familiarity and confidence.
There was a… confrontational cast to her gait. The way she held herself -- straight-backed, her metallic wings spread slightly in an exclusion of everyone else from her personal space, and with a hand resting on the pommel of her sword -- it seemed like she was always ready for a fight; nay, spoiling for one. And her eyes... Those steely eyes of hers studied me with a falcon-like intensity as she waited for my reply, filling me with trepidation and making me feel like the wrong words out of my mouth would earn me a sword through my gut.
Taking a moment to gather my thoughts and compose myself, (What? Talking to a real live Princess, especially one as intimidating as her, was a stressful affair. I could be forgiven for the butterflies in my stomach.) I said, ”Nothing, your Highness, beyond what public perception and my first impressions would have me believe.”
”Hmm? And what would that be?”
”That your Highness is the First Princess of Regiis; that your talent is unapproachable amongst your peers and even among those several years your elder; that countless criminals have been brought to justice under the arc of your sword... That you have never been blighted by defeat… and that you never will.
”They call you the Sword Maiden, your Highness, not only because you have earned that title through blood and steel, but because even after twenty summers in this world and four after turning Feral, you are yet to be wed. It is said that Vita's vile whispers are unable to turn the justice in your soul, that you shall remain pure and incorruptible all your life – a sword dangling above the heads of all who would break the law, reminding them to stay on the straight and narrow when their consciences fail to.”
Princess Artemis smiled thinly. ”Yes, they do say that, but I strongly doubt that they frame it in as poetic a prose as you.” She paused. ”And there is truth in what they say, shrouded by layer upon layer of exaggeration and sycophancy though it may be. Yet, that is not all they say...
”Heartless Witch, Sword Devil, Crazed Killer... Bloodthirsty Whore. I've been called all of those and worse… Right before I sheared the heads of those who gave me those names.”
Conversation died, slain by her words, and we walked side-by-side in a dreary silence broken only by the sound of our boots against stone, the soft susurration of her metallic feathers rubbing against each other, and my thoughts loud in my head. Reaching the end of the corridor, the Princess stepped forward and pushed the ornate mahogany door set into the wall open, revealing a brightly sunlit garden. Though, to call it a garden wouldn't be doing it justice. It was a forest. A forest where every tree was different from its neighbour; where every tree was pruned for the best aesthetics, and where every tree was a miniature of their counterparts in nature: A forest of bonsai.
A dome of clear glass arched over our heads as we stepped into the garden, glinting under the glare of the noon sun. The earthy scent of moist loam mixed with the heady fragrance of flowers and I saw a knee-high cherry blossom in full bloom, its pastel pinks contrasting with the russet reds, browns, and oranges of a deciduous resplendent in its festive autumnal garb. In another part of the garden, sober white flowers hid the green of the leaves of one miniature tree, while beside it, bright red fruits peeked out shyly from between the fronds of another. Colourful butterflies flitted from one tree to another, busying themselves in the industry of life.