Author's Preface
Months passed in a blur. Snow melted away, welcoming the first days of spring. The palace courtyard had burst into bloom. Flowers and fresh buds seemed to cover every inch of the gardens. Shani watched it all from her favorite window seat.
Her ears twitched with the growing noise from beyond her door. The excitement in the palace was palpable. She let out a small sigh as Her gaze drifted across the courtyard. A knock sounded at the door drawing the young girl's attention away from the scenery before her.
“Come in…” Shani said. Her voice was level and smooth. Melody walked in the room chipper as ever.
“Good morning milady!” Melody sang as she walked into the room. She frowned as she looked at the already made bed, but she just sighed.
“Today’s a big day! And we have much to do milady!” She continued as she laid out a dress and accessories on the bed. Humming as she admired it. Shani looked over at the garment and frowned slightly.
“That's new…” She mumbled. It was a beautiful gown of ivory laced with dark purple embroidery. It looked familiar. She was almost certain she'd seen her mother wear something similar once. Melody nodded.
"Yes, His Majesty ordered it for you." Melody placed a pair of golden sandals beside the gown. She looked over the selection, hands on her hips, approval gleaming in her eyes.
“His majesty has wonderful taste. This will look stunning with your pale complexion.” Melody exclaimed as she looked between her mistress and the dress. Shani flinched at the comment. She looked at Melody with a faint, restrained smile.
"Yes... it is lovely," the young girl said. Her words were measured and carefully weighed before they left her mouth. Shani stood from her seat, a hand resting over her bracelet. A smile never left her lips, though it never reached her eyes.
“We should go.” She said before heading toward the door. Melody nodded and followed after her as the two left for the bathing chamber.
Shani was greeted by a couple more maids and washed head to toe. Perfumes and oils applied to her skin and hair. She tried her best to remain perfectly still, unwilling to become a nuisance as the maids did their work. After what felt like an eternity, she was finally able to return to her room to dress for the day.
Melody helped Shani into her gown. Ivory silk flowed from a delicate empire waist, its soft folds embroidered with dark purple laurel branches and lilies. Golden leaf clasps rested upon her shoulders, while a sheer ceremonial panel drifted gracefully behind her.
She adorned her scarred wrist with slender gold bangles, a few delicately set with pearls. A simple golden choker rested against her neck, a single teardrop gem suspended from its center. Once her sandals were fastened, Shani took a seat before her mother's vanity and braced herself as Melody patiently brushed her curls into soft waves. After smoothing fragrant oil through the pale strands to tame the lingering frizz, Melody gathered small sections and wove purple and gold cords into delicate braids that framed her face.
She let out a sigh of relief as Melody stepped away from her hair. A knock sounded at the door and Shani turned to see Jaziel leaning against the doorway, a small approving smile across his lips. Shani stood quickly and curtsied.
"Hello, Uncle..." She said softly as she looked down at the ground. Jaziel walked over and placed a gentle hand on the young girl’s head.
“You look lovely Princess.” Jaziel said softly. Shani finally lifted her gaze and smiled at him.
"Thank you, Uncle... but why are you here?" Shani asked as she looked up at him. Jaziel raised a brow, his smile fading from his face.
“Not that I’m not happy to see you! I just know you are busy…” She quickly corrected it. Jaziel's smile returned and a sigh escaped him.
“I always have time for you, Princess.” He said with a charming smile. Shani returned the smile. He motioned toward the vanity and Shani sat back down without another word.
Jaziel pulled out a box and carefully placed a golden circlet with a purple jewel that rested against the center of her brow. It looked old, but well cared for. Shani looked at it in the mirror and slowly reached up to touch it.
“It’s very pretty uncle…” She said quietly, making sure not to mumble. Jaziel's smile broadened.
"I'm glad you like it. It was Jamila's when she was younger." Jaziel's smile faltered a bit as Shani turned to look at him. It returned a moment later.
"You look more and more like your mother every day." He said softly as he stroked her hair affectionately. Shani felt something sharp in her heart, but she returned the brightest smile she could muster.
“Thank you, Uncle.”
Silence filled the room. Heavy and dense. Shani tried her best to think of something else to say but nothing seemed to come up. After a moment, Jaziel finally spoke once more.
“Well… I still need to get ready. See you at the coronation.” Jaziel's tone was jovial. Why wouldn’t it be? It was a big day for him after all. Shani nodded and waved goodbye as her uncle left the room. Her knights quietly shut the door behind him. Shani looked towards the mirror once more.
Gently she touched her cheek. A frown formed on her face as she stared at the stranger in the reflection. She was beautiful, perfect, dainty. For some reason, she couldn't help but hate the girl looking back at her.
The throne room rose in quiet splendor, its vast circular ceiling crowned with a dome of stained glass. Lavender, violet, and soft gold panes spread outward in intricate patterns, catching the daylight and fracturing it into a gentle wash of color that spilled across the room below.
Tall windows lined the curved walls beneath it, their panes tinted faintly purple, muting the outside world into something distant and unreal. What little sunlight passed through them came diffused, turning the shadows into deep plum rather than black. Heavy drapes of layered violet and dark plum hung between the columns, trimmed in gold that caught the shifting light from above. They framed the room without warmth, their weight swallowing sound so that even the smallest movement seemed to echo more than it should.
At the center, the throne sat elevated upon a series of pale stone steps veined faintly with gold. It was a work of careful excess, gold filigree rising in intricate patterns behind it, delicate and precise, almost too perfect to be natural. The seat itself was upholstered in deep plum velvet, rich and dark, absorbing the light rather than reflecting it.
A narrow runner of the same color stretched from the throne down the length of the room, patterned in gold that gleamed softly beneath the fractured glow of the dome above. Candles stood in polished holders along the sides, their flames steady, their light secondary to the quiet brilliance pouring down from above.
Iselle stood closest to the throne, though still far enough that she would need to step forward to reach it. Jaziel was emperor now, and she stood only as his consort. She wore a sheer white dress that traced the shape of her form, though the slip beneath concealed anything of importance. Despite its translucence, it remained modest… high at the neck, with sleeves that fell to her wrists, clasped here and there with gold so that glimpses of her skin showed through. Her hair was braided atop her head, threaded with stars and jewels. She was beautiful, but she did not look pleased.
Caelis stood beside her, a circlet with a purple jewel resting against his brow. His hair was pulled back neatly, and he wore an asymmetrical light-purple tunic threaded with gold, paired with darker trousers and heavy gold bracelets on his wrists. He looked uncomfortable, though he tried to hide it. His gaze moved quietly across the room, alert and observant. His hand clasped Shani’s, giving it a gentle squeeze whenever whispers rose too loudly nearby.
She looks so much like the late empress.
She sure looks pretty when she's quiet.
I hear His Majesty has already received inquiries.
Caelis’s face contorted with disgust at the comments. A room full of adults spoke about a child as though she weren't standing among them. Shani noticed and gently gave her cousin's hand a small squeeze. He looked toward her. The courteous smile remained perfectly in place, though her eyes were empty. He let out a sigh and tried his best to return his expression to neutrality.
Silence fell over the room as the doors opened and Jaziel at last arrived. He was dressed in white that seemed almost too perfect, the fabric smooth and luminous like polished porcelain. His tunic was cut with quiet precision, fitted through the shoulders and falling cleanly, its edges traced in fine gold embroidery woven with threads of deep plum that only revealed themselves when the light shifted.
A long mantle fell from one shoulder, drawn across his chest and fastened at his opposite hip with an ornate golden clasp set with a dark amethyst. It draped to the floor in a single, controlled line, ivory without and rich plum within, the darker lining revealing itself only with each measured step.
The sea of people shifted as Jaziel stepped forward. Only the sound of his footsteps echoed through the throne room. A priestess stood between Jaziel and the throne, her veil concealing her hair and mouth. Her voice carried softly through the chamber as she recited a prayer to Noxis, calling for divine blessing upon Jaziel’s rule and prosperity for Gildan.
Jaziel knelt before her, head bowed, a faint smile resting on his lips. When the priestess finished, she lifted the imperial crown and gently settled it upon his head.
The crown was unlike the one Jamila had worn. A band of burnished gold rested against his brow, formed of narrow, blade-like spires that rose to fine, deliberate points. It caught the stained-glass light in sharp glints rather than a warm glow, its elegance lying not in ornament, but in the precision of its shape.
The priestess stepped aside. Jaziel rose and ascended the pale stone steps with effortless grace before turning to face the chamber. For a heartbeat, the throne room remained perfectly still. Then the hall erupted into applause as the new emperor took his place upon the throne.
"Let those gathered come forth." Jaziel called out to the room.
Iselle was first. She looked towards the children and patted both their heads as she stepped forward. Ascending the stairs, she bowed low before the throne, her gaze fixed to the ground for a moment before standing upright. Jaziel extended his hand to his wife. Iselle took it carefully before placing a kiss to the back of it.
“May your reign be written in the stars.” She said as she pulled back. Jaziel nodded and Iselle turned and returned to her spot next to the children.
She nudged Caelis. He hesitated, then released Shani’s hand and stepped forward. His chin was higher than Shani had ever seen it before. He suddenly seemed like a different person, and it made her anxious. Iselle shifted slightly closer to the girl.
“Shani… you’re next. Do you think you can be brave and do it?” she whispered. The words were little more than a breath. Shani heard it nonetheless and nodded.
“I will be fine, Aunt.” She replied. She wasn't sure why her aunt looked so concerned. They had practiced many times and she was sure this time would be no different.
A gentle, knowing smile touched Iselle’s lips.
“You are of the forest. This will not break you.” She lingered there for a heartbeat, her hand resting gently atop the young girl's head.
Shani frowned slightly, confused. She didn’t quite understand what she meant, but she nodded anyway. Iselle didn’t look convinced. Caelis returned moments later, giving her the cue.
Shani smoothed her expression into that of a porcelain doll and stepped forward. As she ascended the stairs she could feel every eye on her. It felt like needles pressing into her back. She bowed gracefully to Jaziel making sure to drop her eyes.
Jaziel smiled with approval and extended his hand. Shani reached for it and then froze. It was strange. Why did even family have to do this? Would her mother force her to do this?
The thought of her mother caused tears to prick at her eyes. A quiet murmur echoed through the room. Shani stood there, frozen, as if watching something far away. Jaziel's hand remained outstretched but his smile fell and his eyes hardened slightly.
He cleared his throat, bringing Shani out of whatever trance she was in. She noticed his gaze first and then her eyes dropped to his hand. The blood rushed from her face as she once more curtsied and reached for her uncle's hand, gently kissing the back of it.
“M… May your reign be written in the stars,” She stuttered slightly. The crowd continued to gossip but Jaziel looked out over the crowd with an icy expression. The murmurs faded.
“We will talk later…” Jaziel mouthed the word. Shani swallowed hard before bowing once more and returning to her spot next to Caelis.
A blush crossed her cheeks as she stared down at the floor. She had practiced for weeks, yet she messed up in front of so many. She wanted to cry, but she pushed the emotions back down. She couldn’t allow herself to cry… not today.
Caelis took her hand again while Iselle gently stroked her back. She forced herself to look up again. Together, she and Caelis watched as the rest of the court fell into line, one by one approaching the throne. Shani couldn’t help but think it looked like a line of ants walking toward a cat.
She tilted her head back, watching fractured light spill through the stained glass above, and silently prayed she could return to her room soon. Maybe if she was perfect for the rest of the day, Uncle wouldn't be upset anymore.