Responsibility

Rahela was sitting at the Emperor's desk in his office. She'd been in there for a hour. She'd already signed a few documents and stamped down wax seals. At one document in particular, she had difficulty making a decision. She'd studied very well up to this point, but here her thoughts were weaker.

After a time, in which she'd expressed her frustration by tapping the desk's tabletop with her fingernails, she rose from the chair and said aloud, "I'm only a human. I can't know everything."

Standing at the door, Ammas moved a fist from behind his back and to his heart. With a careful, tight bow, he said, "Madam, you are an intelligent empress, but you are as you say, a human. Even the greatest rulers must listen to advice."

Daintily rolling the document back into its closed, scroll form, Rahela nodded. "I must go to the Empress Dowager. She's offered her thoughts before. She'd only be flattered to be asked for them again."

Yana and Oksana had to put away their own reading. Gabi had to put away the language based text she'd been studying. Ammas opened the door. Keeping the difficult document to her bosom, Rahela led everyone out of the office and off to find the Empress Dowager. She paused to ask a few people. The third one they met was a dusting maid. She told Rahela she'd heard the Empress Dowager was embroidering in the gardens with Princess Tuya.

Off in the gardens, sitting near an old statue of some past ruler, the Empress Dowager was holding a round frame with white fabric stretched and secured around it. She seemed to be trying to create an image of a vixen cuddling with her two kits. Her face had a mostly placid expression, as it normally did, but the more Rahela looked the more worry she discovered under the eyes.

In a chair close to the Empress Dowager, there was Princess Tuya. Her expression was much sadder. The skin around her eyes seemed heavy. Her jaw might've been heavy too because her frown looked serious and tired. Her movements in her work were slower. Rahela couldn't tell what she was trying to make. It seemed that she hadn't made enough progress.

Giving the Empress Dowager a very slight bow, Rahela addressed her. "Madam, would you let me trouble you for advice?"

Rather unexpectedly, Princess Tuya brightened up. It was almost like a flash of something. She beamed and stuck her needle into a pincushion. Her back straightened too. "Your Majesty, my dear mother might be tired from all her stitching. I'll read the document and give my advice."

Reaching over and patting Tuya's shoulder, smiling, the Empress Dowager said, "There's no need to fret over my condition." Tuya wilted at that, but the Empress Dowager continued. "You should be more concerned with trying to find a husband. You need children of your own."

Holding her frame in her lap, her knuckles turning white, Princess Tuya looked down and nodded.

"Your Highness," Rahela said with a very light tilt of her head, hoping her voice sounded worried and tender, "are you well?"

The nod the princess gave looked painfully stiff.

Knowing there wasn't much she could do, Rahela only turned back to the Empress Dowager and handed her the scroll. She explained what her misgivings were, and the older woman nodded and unrolled the scroll.

There was a moment when the Empress Dowager scanned the words in silence, and then she sighed and gave her opinion. Rahela thanked her as the scroll was closed again and handed back. "I'm truly thankful, Madam." Then she said she needed to return to the office.

She worried about that exchange for a long time.

The next morning, Rahela sent Oksana to go and ask if Princess Tuya would like to join her for a ride around the estate. Rahela was given a sheepish little refusal of a message.

Once again, nothing to be done.

At the stables, Rahela once again found her favored Ureche. First, she gave Ureche a carrot and petted her a few times. Then she lured Gabi in to also give the mule another carrot. Gabi smiled as she touched the creature's neck and felt her groomed and soft mane. After that, everyone in the group had their tack arranged and it was time to ride.

Gabi finally had enough Yahsin vocabulary to have something of a conversation with the rest of the people, and she happily used those new skills. She talked to Oksana about how her hair was pretty but would look even prettier in two plaits instead of one. She told Yana how it's not a problem that she stutters and goes on slowly. Everyone has several things they're not particularly skilled at. She told Ammas that he was really big and strong and that was very impressive to her. On and on.

Come to think of it, those weren't exactly conversations. They were more similar to tiny speeches with rare moments for someone else to put a word in.

A few minutes on, and Gabi suddenly addressed Rahela with a question and a statement. "Might we go to the woods? The air's refreshing there."

Rahela glanced back at her for only a second or more. Then she looked back ahead and said, "People have disappeared there. It's not safe for children."

Yana chimed in, "Nah-not safe for anyone. Didn't ... didn't some de-demon there curse Princess Tu-Tuya?"

Oksana suddenly said, "Yana, do you truly believe that was a demon? And do you believe the princess is cursed?"

Rahela glanced back again. Yana put a hand on her cheek and sighed. Her young eyes were full of pity. "Has t-to be." She put her hand back with the other, which held her horse's reins. "Sh-she can't ... can't weave."

"It's more reasonable," Rahela said, "to assume that Her Highness is distressed."

Ammas spoke up then, and what he said put Rahela's heart off-kilter. "Does my Empress believe that there is no demon in the woods?"

Rahela let her eyes touch down to the road they were on, then ahead again. "I imagine there's certainly a murderer, but I can't confirm there are any demons."

"I can't claim to fight well against demons," Ammas said, "but an ordinary murderer, I could do that well enough."

Rahela tried not to sigh. "I would still advise against it."

Ammas had his steed move in closer, right next to Rahela. His jaw was tight for a moment. His gray/green eyes were resolute. "If Your Majesty would please take us to the forest, I'd try to find a way to make something good happen."

Almost letting an eyebrow rise, Rahela asked, "Would you care to explain?"

"If I explained," the man said, "Your Majesty wouldn't allow me there."

"Then why should we go there?"

Those frighteningly determined eyes narrowed, and the man said, "I must beg Your Majesty to put your trust into this humble person. If I was on the ground I'd bow, even kneel for you."

There was a moment where everyone rode on in uncomfortable silence. Rahela hesitated, and hesitated even more, searching the man's face for any sign, and then his hands. Certainly, there would be a sign of cruel intentions, no?

She even mentally reflected on everything she knew and had observed of the man to find any hints.

When the realization finally came to her, her eyes widened and she asked, "Is there someone you're looking for? Someone helpful?"

"I'm not sure," Ammas seemed to admit. His expression wavered for part of a moment.

"If you want to ride into danger," Rahela said, "then you will go alone. I won't follow, and I certainly won't have these girls following."

Ammas was the one to hesitate this time. Rahela could see his thoughts rolling around in his eyes. Finally, he said, "I'll escort you and your girls off to your bedchamber, if you're willing. I hope you'd remain there, away from any danger, while I leave for the hunting grounds."

Rahela nodded. "I'll allow that. I'll lead the way back to my chamber."

And that was what happened. The group had their horses and mule rest in the stables. They walked all the way back to Rahela's bedchamber. Then, with a bow, Ammas said he was going to get a different horse, since his previous one might be tired, and go off to the hunting grounds.

There was a part of Rahela that wanted to go with him, to see this person that might help and perhaps give her own request. However, she knew it wasn't a fine idea to be all alone with Ammas for more than a few minutes in the forest of all places.

Rumors shouldn't be fed any more than they already were.

Some hours later, after lunch had been finished, Ammas knocked on the bedchamber's door and asked for entry. Once he was inside Rahela wasn't too surprised to see that he looked tired and disheveled. Right in front of the chambermaids and the girls she fostered, Rahela asked him if everything went well.

Ammas only shook his head and said there was no success at all.

***

It was the first Imperial Court meeting with Empress Consort Rahela sitting on the throne on behalf of the Emperor, who off adventuring and conquering.

Her gown was fitted well on her figure with snug sleeves. The fabric was black with a subtle glean in the texture. Elbow to wrist, on each sleeve, there were decorative purple laces purposely made highly visible with dangling, golden aglets.

Her surcoat was a very dark red with a diapered pattern of teal colored lines. The interior of each diamond shape had a little medallion shape of gold. The center of the surcoat's thin plackard had rows of golden spangles and clusters of white pearls.

Rahela's veil was made of fabric that matched her surcoat. It was still long and ridiculous. In order to keep the sight from being too clumsy and busy, only pearls and spangles that matched those on the plackard were applied, and only in such a way as to enhance instead of hide the fabric's pattern.

She had three necklaces. Two were complex chains with copper, gold, and silver links, along with small pendants. The necklace between them was a heavy string of large, green beads.

There were several rings on her fingers too. The Empress Dowager had taken one of the Emperor's personal rings he'd left behind, slipped it on Rahela's middle finger, and filled in the loose space with a small but sturdy metal bar with ends curled around the band's bottom. It was certainly a man's ring, thick and silver with golden details, a large green stone in the center. It made Rahela's finger look stubby.

The headdress tied and pinned to her veil was white, shaped like a very large and rounded triangle. Fine embroidery, with occasional little gemstones and beads of gold and silver, formed very colorful flowers and leaves on the fabric. Strings of gems and beads hung over her brow in a net-like design, and matching strings hung under her chin.

Rahela's four strand braids hung over her front. A purple ribbon was braided along each strand. The tufts were hidden in silver spheres. Rahela wore her braids out in the open for the same reasons she'd done so before. Pride and stubbornness.

When she was seated on the throne, the Emperor's cloak on her shoulders and his scepter in her hand, and she had the chance to take in everyone's appearance, Rahela noticed something unexpected.

Some women that were clearly not maidens, not many, but some, actually had hair hanging out in front. Most of these rare women would have their braids or ribbon plaits hanging in short loops instead of the longer style Rahela preferred, but this was still telling!

Most people would give these hair revealing types of women odd looks, even obviously disgusted looks.

Rahela knew this might be troublesome. This could be used as another excuse for those that hated her to complain, or to convince others to complain. This foreign woman is putting a bad influence all around! The absolute degeneracy!

In fact, it was at that moment when she thought she could make an assumption. One of the people that had an appointment on the floor was the same river priest that officiated the recent wedding. Rahela hadn't known exactly what his request was, but now she had room to imagine something.

Rahela could only keep a stern countenance and begin the meeting.

Cases and requests. A high ranking guard had recently been convicted of a terrible crime. Rahela had to decide what the punishment would be. Two nobles disagreed over who owned a portion of a small river. Rahela had to figure out a compromise for them. A mayor of a village had a complaint against the noblewoman that owned the town he saw over. Rahela needed to send some of Yahsin's own soldiers and a few investigators to examine the village's finances and overall quality of life.

These were the sorts of matters Rahela had to judge. It was a long process. The scholars at one side of the room were very helpful. Rahela was grateful to them.

The last request was a moment of time for the River Priest. Rahela said he'd go to the floor, and he did so very calmly, his apprentices at his sides. They bowed before Rahela, and when Rahela told the priest to speak, he did.

"Your Imperial Majesty," the priest said with his smooth voice, "this ordinary priest humbly suggests that you keep your hair hidden from the public from now on."

Rahela didn't give any room for an awkward silence.

"I didn't know it was typical for a priest to give a ruler fashion advice," she said evenly yet also bluntly.

The priest kept his head low, but Rahela could see his smile trying to break through. "Your Majesty, this isn't a matter of aesthetics. This concerns morality."

"Oh?" Rahela let a certain finger tap against the scepter, the Emperor's ring making distinct, metallic noises. "Does this priest have a criticism against my perceived morals?"

The priest moved his head back and forth, but it was a very subtle movement. "This humble one before the court would never dare to even suggest that concept. Your Majesty is a Testoan, and when a Testoan wife displays her hair in fine plaits, it is perfectly acceptable. However, now Your Majesty has been placed before Yahsin as an example of womanhood, and we musn't have any Yahsin wives displaying their hair."

The beads on her headdress clinking as she put a little angle in her head's position, Rahela asked, "Have you just insulted the few women I see now, the ones that have shown their hair?"

Shaking his head only a bit harder, the priest answered, "That wasn't my intention, Your Majesty, but I must point out that if Yahsin women display their hair, the gods might become too jealous of their beauty."

"I've heard some claim," Rahela said, "the reason for a covering is to try to keep jealous thoughts out of a wife's head. I've also heard the reason is because an unwillingly bald marriage goddess wants all wives to protect and treasure their hair." She wanted to shrug, but she only held up her unfeeling composure. "Regardless, if I were to give into your demand, I worry that my reputation will degrade much more than if I refused."

She laid the scepter horizontally, over the throne's arms. Her palm remained on the long handle and her curled fingers hung over. "If I gave in, then I'd be sweeping aside His Majesty's approval of me. I'd be insulting him. I'd also be insulting all of Yahsin by bending to such a request so easily, showing an unnecessary weakness."

Before the priest could give another argument, Rahela added, "To soothe whatever injury my refusal might cause, I'll be certain to lay some extra weight to the Imperial Family's next donation to your fine temple. Is there anything else you'd like to say?"

His cheeks a little pink, the priest said no.

"Then you'll leave the floor," Rahela said, putting the scepter back into a somewhat vertical position.

She was about to once more ask if there were any other quick requests to hear before the meeting could be ended, but she was interrupted by a guard slamming some doors open, knocking some other guards down, and sprinting over to the rug before the throne. There were many gasps. When that rushing guard stopped before the throne, he fell down to his knees and panted, seeming to try to hold his heaving chest with his hand.

Tapping the platform's floor once with the end of the scepter, Rahela narrowed her eyes. Then she asked, "What's caused such an audacious display? Who gave you permission to come before the court?"

She was patient. She thought she needed to be. The man had clearly hurried to get to this point. Once his breath was calm enough, he got back up to his feet and bowed. "Your Imperial Majesty, we have the most urgent news!"

"I'll hear it," Rahela said.

The guard told her, "The murderer that insulted Her Highness, Princess Tuya, she's been captured!"

Quiet.

Rahela's bosom shuddered with her breath. She hardly blinked. Her husband's ring scraped against the scepter as her fingers constricted.

Princess Tuya looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap.

"That maiden," Rahela finally said after a moment, "what evidence so you have to prove she is indeed a murderer?"

"Your Majesty," the guard said, "she'd been found with half a woman's body!"

Rahela's free hand moved to her surcoat's plackard, but only two fingers touched the area. "Where was the other half?"

"We don't know," the guard answered, "but there's blood all over the maiden's face."

"Her face? I'll concede on that matter. It's highly suspicious. However, you've yet to explain to me how this maiden managed to murder that woman, particularly how she was able to cut the body in half. At the very least, could you present said body?"

Nodding, the guard said he'll have the body before the court in a moment. Then he called out to one of the guards, who promptly left the throne room to apparently deliver the message. Then, that other guard returned with a group of sad looking men following him.

The sad looking men were carrying a wrapped up form. Most of the fabric was soaked in blood. When they were holding the bundle over the rug, one of them said, "Your Majesty, what's inside this cloth is very shocking."

Rahela drew a tiny swirl in the air with the scepter's orb, and she said, "If there are any squeamish or delicate ones here, then they should cover their eyes once these men begin unwrapping this evidence."

That's what was done. Some people kept their eyes away from the sight.

Inside the cloth, there was certainly half a body. Apparently, the half that would have a head was gone. There weren't even any arms left. Rahela had to force herself not to tremble as she wondered what the victim had seen right before she'd died.

As the sad men wrapped the body back up, Rahela said, "To know a woman was strong and clever enough to hunt, but was unfortunate enough to meet such an end, it puts weight onto my heart. This could've been a noblewoman, but all the nobles in this castle are where they should be at this moment, at court. I can only assume this was a wealthy but common woman that had been given permission to hunt on the Imperial Hunting Grounds.

The sad men were carrying the body away again when the guard on the rug said, "Your Majesty, a woman has been noted in the hunting records." He then pulled a scroll from a case hooked onto his belt. "Would you please let me hand this to one of the legal scholars?"

Rahela allowed it. The guard walked over to the scholars and gave one the scroll. He even pointed out the woman's name to them. After a few moments full of whispering, the guard walked over to Yana, who was looking unusually confident, and handed the scroll to her. Yana then carefully walked up the platform's steps and gave the scroll to Rahela.

After noting the single woman's name on the list, Rahela sighed and gave the scroll back to Yana, who gave it back to the guard, who went back to his place on the rug before the court.

"You've claimed that the murderer, or a maiden you suspect to be the murderer, has been captured." Rahela took a breath after she said that. She felt that she needed that slow, quiet breath. "How was that accomplished? Was it simple?"