Retribution
Emily the Butcher. Emily the Vengeful.
That's what they were calling her now. Those civilians down in the streets below Dunwall Tower. Even those smiling aristocrats, whispering among themselves. Did they think she did not know? Did they think she could not hear them? Sitting upon her throne, she wondered briefly if there was another coup being planed. Or was the fear of what she would do to them if they rebelled keeping them in line? Not that she would change anything that she had done while in Serkonos.
Mortimer Ramsey, Kirin Jindosh, Breanna Ashworth, Aramis Stilton, Duke Luca Abele, Delilah Copperspoon, and every guard that stood in her way. They all paid in blood for their treason, painting the streets of Karnaca red. If Emily could have put it all on canvas, the city burning would have made a wonderful addition to the royal palace. Maybe she should have Anton Sokolov paint it for her anyway and hang it behind the throne. It would make an excellent reminder of what she could do when crossed.
Speaking of Sokolov, she really should thank him for improving the Clockwork Soldiers. These new and improved models were not only cheaper to produce, but also far more durable than the ones she had fought against. They certainly made an impressive and intimidating sight, standing guard at the entrance and along the aisle leading to the throne. Not that it had been an easy thing to convince the brilliant inventor to do. As dedicated as Sokolov was to invention, it was always his desire to use those things for the betterment of the people - not for conquest. Perhaps, if it had not been for her father - and the new Duke of Serkonos, Corvo Attano - Sokolov would have disappeared after she retook her throne. Not that she needed anyone's help to get what she wanted.
Her hand tightened slightly, the one which bore the Outsider's mark. She had been tempted to refuse his gift, knowing that things like this always came with a price. But then the Outsider asked her a simple question: "How many of your own subjects are you willing to slaughter and what are you willing to become?" Hadn't her father also accepted the Outsider's gift? Hadn't Corvo been willing to pay whatever price he had to to avenge the death of her mother, the Empress Jessamine Kaldwin? She had known the answer to the Outsider's question almost immediately. Perhaps she had always known that she was willing to do - and become - whatever was necessary to reclaim her throne, rescue her father, and take revenge against those who had wronged her. It hadn't mattered what the price was; if it gave her the power to take back what was rightfully hers, and she would gladly pay it tenfold.
Although she had reclaimed what was hers, she could still hear the whispers of those who were opposed to her decisions. Some Serkonans spoke only behind closed doors when she had appointed Corvo as the new duke. Yet who better than him to take control? She had seen the possible leaders who could have replaced the late Duke Abele, and she had deemed them unworthy. Paolo was nothing more than an overambitious gang leader and Vice-Overseer Byrne was far to dedicated to the Abbey's mission of routing out those influenced by the Void. While those traits made them predictable, it also meant they were unreliable to act in her best interests.
Her father, on the other hand, was a far greater man than they ever would be. When he had been marked by the Outsider, her father had proven time and time again that he could be ruthless and cunning. She had seen it first-hand, during the years of her childhood, when Corvo hunted down and killed those responsible for the death of her mother. Her father would do anything to protect her, and he had been just as ruthless and cunning even without the Outsider's mark. She could trust him to act in the Empire's, and her own, best interests. For now, with her father ruling in the south, she didn't have to worry about any rebellions.
Leaning back in her chair, Emily fingered the tip of her blade. Now she remembered why she would run along the rooftops at night. Then again, perhaps that had been why Delilah had been able to pull off her coup. It would be different this time, she would watch and wait for anything that could happen. And in the meantime, she would be a far better empress than she had been in the past.