It was hard to get the image of his naked chest out of her head. In the morning, as Melia floated in the water of her bath, her mind summoned the image of his muscled likeness over and over again. A blush crept to her cheeks as she remembered trailing her eyes over his large biceps and his well-defined abs. There had been a slight sheen of sweat on his chest, making him shimmer in the harsh sunlight. The Homs Entia bit her lip, wondering what it would feel like to touch his torso and feel the muscles beneath her fingers. An involuntary shiver ran down her spine and the Empress started to scrub herself furiously.
This is inappropriate. Dunban is a friend and an advisor.
That only made her brain replay the scene over and over again to her dismay. Melia remembered how he caught her staring at him, not once, but twice (Oh goodness), and asked her what was wrong. How could she have stared at him for that long? Twice?! Did she have no sense of propriety? Never before in her life had she embarrassed herself in such a manner. The young woman had spent the rest of the day chastising herself, and preparing to stay as focused and formal as possible for their evening meeting. Even then she had found herself thinking about the body that existed beneath his cotton white shirt. Now he probably believes you to be a giggling school girl with no qualifications of an Empress. Chagrined, Melia dropped beneath the water, covering her face with her hands. How was she supposed to work with him now? This was most definitely not supposed to happen.
As she surfaced, and ran her hands through her hair, the Homs Entia sighed. There was no denying it: Dunban had a very attractive physique. She would just have to keep herself in check. Because you've been doing that so well. Mentally, Melia pushed aside the inner monologue of sarcasm. She certainly didn't need extra criticism at the moment.
Melia rose and stepped out of the tub, grabbing a towel and wrapping herself in it. As she brushed her hair out, the Empress turned her thoughts to the day's meetings. Her morning was filled with the usual: cabinet meeting, status update from the defense minister, answering missives from the Noppon delegation, and checking the progress on the Eryth Highlands. During her visit to the Highlands, she would stop to speak to every High Entia. The next day, her afternoon would be spent at the ether plant with the High Entia working there. Then the following day at the clinics, and so on and so forth.
In truth, she was both excited and nervous about her plan. As a ruler, Melia needed to keep a pulse on the issues her people cared about. But what if they only had angry words for her? How would she handle that? I will deal with it when it comes. No point in worrying until it has happened. Of course, it was easier said than done.
"Hello there." Melia smiled as she approached an Entia woman who sat in the cool shade of a tree. Her first few interviews had gone surprisingly well that afternoon, but at the beginning of each, she braced herself for the possible onslaught of antagonism, remembering full well Dunban's account of the words of the Entia woman Camille.
The Entia woman looked up at Melia, her bright green eyes taking in the Homs Entia's personage. "What can I do for you, Empress?" Her question was direct, lacking any deference Melia had received from her previous interviewees.
"I was hoping to take some of your time and speak with you about–"
"I know what you wanted to speak about. You want to know what's going on in my life, how i'm feeling about the bloody restoration, how i'm holding up after the Fall." The words themselves conveyed anger, but her tone was one of exhaustion.
"What's your name?" Melia asked, taking a seat next to her. Her guards stood a respectful few feet away, while still keeping a close eye on the Empress.
"Songya."
"And why do you dislike me?"
"I do not dislike you. I don't know you personally." She shrugged and said, "I just don't think you're effective."
"Why is that?"
Songya raised her eyebrows, an expression of skepticism covering her face.
"I truly want to know you why think that. It's important to me to understand." Melia replied. It wouldn't be easy, but the critics among her people would provide the most important intel.
"Look, Empress. You say you're going to do this and that, and we're all happy that our city isn't a shithole like it was six months ago." Songya began to braid her long, blond hair before continued, "But you never address what's happening between your people, what happened to them. Sure, the therapy groups were a good stop gap when things were getting up and running. But, what have you done since? At the town hall, you started talking about how we needed to forget and move forward together. Do you think that's really possible?"
Melia paused, thoughtfully. Songya made a good point. "No. No, I don't think it'll be easy to forget. What I would like is for our people to bear no malice towards each other for past crimes that were done under duress, unintentionally. But what other way is there to bring about peace?"
"Exactly. It's not about peace. It's about forgiveness. Forgiveness will lead to a unified group. Focus on that." Songya finished her braid and tossed it over her shoulder.
Melia was quiet for a moment and responded, "I'd never thought about it that way. And that will make me an effective ruler?"
"Effective was the wrong word. You are effective. You're just not..."
As she trailed off, Melia knew what ideas she was searching words for. "Approachable? Welcoming? Amiable?" Her tone remained inquisitive, though her heart saddened.
Songya hesitated then said, "Yes. Your father was the 'People's Emperor.' The people just don't know you. They don't know that you care about them."
"But, this would aide my cause, correct? Meeting each High Entia citizen?"
"Yes and no. Think about it, Empress. You're asking us about how we're doing, but under what pretense? The main purpose of these conversations is to gauge what is still wrong with our lives. Not about who we are as individuals, what we aspire to be. Your father was very good at being personable with his subjects, even if he only met with them individually a few times a year."
Stoically, Melia nodded. Charming, neighborly, familiar were words that no one had ever subscribed to her personality.
"One more thing. A ruler is a reflection of her people too. It's not just on us to be happy with our lives to inspire a certain happy atmosphere. It's on you too, Empress. Look, I don't mean to offend, but the people who've seen you about say you always look very stern, very serious."
Inwardly, the Empress felt herself wanting to retort, saying that there was no time for fun when so many were relying on her to return their lives to normalcy. But underneath it all, Melia could feel the truth of Songya's words.
Clearing her throat, Melia turned the conversation away to other matters. "It seems you are quite popular amongst the Entia. I've heard your name mentioned multiple times."
"What exactly are you asking me?"
"Do they come to you for advice? Do they trust your counsel?"
"Many of them do. Few of them don't. At the beginning, I was approached because I know my fair share about herbs, and I can create a sleeping potion. Gradually, they came to ask my advice on more than just herbs. Now, quite a few fell comfortable sharing with me things they'd rather not say in public."
"I have heard the Entia feel misrepresented in our current government structure."
"That's true."
"Would you be willing to join my cabinet?"
Songya eyed Melia, not entirely sure if what she was hearing could be believed. "What?"
"All of my cabinet members are Homs Entia. I have been in need of a person for some time that can focus on the rebuilding of our medical centers and technology. Kiefer is monitoring it at the moment, but he does not have enough personell nor bandwidth to actually devote the necessary amount of time. There are teams already working in rebuilding clinics, but none that restocking supplies and creating protocols for seeing patients. Would this be something that would interest you?"
"Yes, yes it would."
"Wonderful. Then I will see you first thing in the morning at the Great Hall. It was a pleasure speaking with you Songya." Melia stood, brushing loose grass off her pants.
"It's not every day I speak with royalty." Songya rose from her seat as well and gave her a small bow.
"Well, now it will be."
The next morning ran rather smoothly. The cabinet members appeared to be very pleased at the introduction of Songya, save for Camar, who seemed annoyed. But Melia always believed Camar to be annoyed with whatever she did, so she took no offense. Instead, Kiefer offered to catch Songya up on the progress that had been made and introduce her to those that were working in the clinics. Miriall was eager to take Songya to coffee and dig into her perspective on the therapy groups. Shalen asked Songya if she'd be willing to visit the Lighthouse and outift the facility with medical supplies. It seemed that overall, the Homs Entia welcomed their new counterpart with open arms (not that Melia suspected any less).
All the while, Dunban watched at the end of the table. Melia was careful to avoid looking at him too often. Their meeting the previous night had been rather short, due to a last minute schedule change that resulted in an extra meeting on her schedule. But Dunban hadn't seemed to mind. In fact, he had been most understanding.
Towards the end of the meeting, Melia stood and addressed the group.
"During my interviews, it has come to my attention that the people feel as though we are a few making choices for the many. I will not have this be the culture of our government. I have decided that we will reinstate the People's Council. It will be made up of four representatives: two Homs Entia and two Entia. I plan to host this election in two weeks, so we will need to begin preparations for that as well. Once elected, this council will represent the voice of the people, and join me in evaluating the High Entia constitution."
"What? What about us?" Camar demanded.
"The cabinet will continue to operate as it has." Melia turned to the female Homs Entia at the end of the table. "Miriall, this announcement directly affects yourself. You and I shall discuss how your duties may or may not change at a later date."
"Why are you getting them involved?" Camar asked.
Sometimes, he was just too much. "'Them?' You mean the people that you serve? I think you best revaluate what your role is and why you are a member of this cabinet. It is not your place to question my methods." She glared at him. "Sit down, Camar." He sat, fuming, arms crossed over his chest. "The people have spoken and it is wise to respond in kind. Besides, the Council can provide us with new ideas, things we may not have thought of. And this will directly affect the people. You saw what happened at the town hall. This is a first step."
After taking a breath, Melia said, "Thank you for your time this morning. You are dismissed."
Camar grabbed his things and stormed out. Would there never be an end to the constant headache that was Camar? Sometimes, she wondered if she ought to fire him outright. But he was a brilliant engineer and programmer. It would be an unfortunate loss. No, for the good of the restoration, she would have to deal with his difficult personality.
"Empress. You don't believe my position will be eliminated, do you?" Miriall asked as she walked up to the Empress.
"Not at all. You've been instrumental." Melia gave her a small smile and patted her on the shoulder. "Your knowledge is not something we want to lose. Your role may change, but you will still be a part of this team."
Miriall's face brightened. "Thank you." She curtsied and exited.
Melia picked up her tea cup and took a sip of the cold brew.
"Nice job." Dunban said from behind her.
She turned slowly and said "Thank you." A flash of his naked chest passed through her mind. Not now.
"That is a strong plan." He looked at her. What was that expression in his eyes?
"I was reading the High Entia histories late last night. Apparently, a hundred years after the institution of the High Entia Empire, the King Alexander instituted a similar governmental body. However, the members were elected from each of the different High Entia strongholds, such as the Satoral Marsh, the Valak Mountain, the Black Forest, and of course Alcamoth."
"The Black Forest?"
"Yes, it appears there was an Entia stronghold at the Bionis' Left Shoulder. Though it faded from the historical record after some time."
"That is interesting." He still retained the same expression. It wasn't one of anger or disappointment. It was certainly positive in its nature. But it wasn't happiness exactly.
"Reinstating the People's Council will be an experiment. But a worthwhile one." She sipped the rest of her tea and put it back on the table.
"Camar seems to be resistant."
"Camar is resistant to anything that could possibly threaten his position."
"You know how to handle him though." There was a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, I'm headed to the forge with Kiefer. I'll see you tonight."
"Yes, tonight."
What was that look he had given her?
A day later, Melia visited the clinic for the afternoon. The hours seemed to wiz by as she went from one High Entia to another. Spirits had risen since her announcement about elections for the People's Council. And the Entia she also spoke to were happy to hear that Songya had joined the cabinet. For the first time in a long time, Melia began to feel she was making wonderful progress, and her spirits had lightened.
It was just about mid-afternoon when Melia walked towards an Entia woman with bright red hair and engaged her in a conversation.
"Hello. What is your name?"
The woman turned to look at Melia and dropped her eyes to the ground, crossing her hands behind her back. "Camille, milady."
"Oh! I spoke to Alderon just a few days ago. He mentioned yourself. It's a pleasure to meet you." Melia clasped her hands together and smiled. Think charming.
"And what did he tell you?" Camille still looked at the ground, but her voice had become defensive.
"That times have been hard. But he appears to be a very optimistic individual. I very much enjoyed our conversation."
"He deserves more. He deserves much more than you have deigned to give us."
"I'm sorry, what do you–" Melia began, taken aback.
"You think you can help us when you live in the castle and look down on us? You don't know what our lives are like! You think that a few changes here and there is going to change the way we feel, but it never will!" Camille accused, her eyes meeting Melia's, filled with rage.
"You are in pain. And I understand–"
Camille pulled out a knife from her pocket and lunged for Melia. "YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!"
Melia stumbled backward and raised her arms to shield herself. The blade connected with her forearm and plunged into her flesh, just missing the bone. Crying out in in pain, Melia struggled against Camille, who attempted to dislodge the knife from Melia's arm. Her arm felt like it was on fire, but adrenaline surged in her veins. She had to fight back. Ignoring the blaring pain, Melia raised her leg and kicked Camille backward. jason tackled the Entia woman to the ground, pinning her arms behind her back.
"Are you alright, Empress?" Elrich asked, stepping in front of her to shield her from Camille.
Melia nodded, stunned. She could feel the eyes of the onlookers, shocked to have witnessed such an event. There would be no way to keep it quiet. The entire city would know in a matter of hours.
And then the pain was too much. It vibrated all over her body. Blood roared in her ears and her vision went dark.
A few hours later, Melia lay on her Triclinium in her sitting room dressed in her pants and her brassiere. Her injured arm rested on a side table, as her healer Lavendar worked away at stitching up the cut. The Homs Entia couldn't feel the needle going in and out of her skin due to a wonderful helping of numbing powder, but the knowledge of it was enough to make her nauseated. Instead, she concentrated on breathing in and out, hoping the discomfort would slip away.
"All done. " Lavendar remarked as she finished stitching the wound. "You cannot do strenuous activity with this arm until the stitches have fully healed. Do you understand, Empress?"
Lavendar had been in service to her family for decades. The older Homs Entia was not one to trifle with. "I understand." Melia replied.
Satisfied with that answer, Lavendar began to roll a bandage around the wound. "You will need to redress the bandage every six hours, Empress."
Once again, Melia nodded. The last thing she needed right now was for it to get infected.
"Your Majesty, Dunban is here to see you." Jason called through the closed door.
"Just a minute." Melia called back. Lavendar finished rolling the bandage and stood back, admiring her handiwork. After waiting for the customary nod of approval, the Empress rose steadily and retrieved her shirt from the adjacent armchair. Once she had buttoned it back up, she called, "Please let him in."
The door burst open and Dunban stood at the entryway.
"Melia, are you okay?" He asked as he crossed to her.
Rolling up the sleeves to reveal the bandage on her right arm, she sighed. "I'm fine. Just a cut. Lavendar has done a wonderful job patching it up. As usual." Melia inclined her head towards the older Homs Entia, who smiled back reassuringly.
"I'll be back to check in tomorrow, your Highness." She bowed and exited the room, closing the door behind her, leaving Melia and Dunban alone.
"Melia."
She looked up at him and their eyes met. A lump grew in her throat and she could feel her eyes getting hot. No, she would not cry in front of him. She would not show weakness.
"I'm fine, truly. Just...tired."
She took a seat on the triclinium, and he sat next to her, not in his usual spot on the sofa across from her. A small part of her noticed excitedly in the back of her mind, but the young woman didn't have the energy to decide how she felt about it. All her mind could do was focus on was the events of earlier; the look of utmost hatred on Camille's face.
"I...It appears that there are those among the people truly hate me." She folded her hands in her lap, avoiding his eyes.
"You are in a difficult position, as any ruler would tell you now. Not everyone will agree with you or your methods. And you cannot expect yourself to address every single one."
"But what does it say if the people want me dead? That is a whole other matter entirely." She could not keep the worry from her voice, the anxiety that hung over her like a cloud every single day.
"Not everyone does. You told me yourself that you've met with plenty Entia and Homs Entia that are happy with the things you have done since reuniting the High Entia at Alcamoth. Actually with the movement you've made in the past few days."
"True." She ran her hand over the bandage on her arm. "She told me I understood nothing. That I would never understand their plight. Never give them what they deserve." Melia clenched her fists, feeling herself becoming overwhelmed by emotion. She couldn't keep it in any longer, the stress from the past eight months. "I...I know how to organize. I know how to plan. I know how to deal with logistics and generate strategies and create policy and systems. But..." She trailed off, remembering the things Songya had said during their first meeting. Melia looked up into Dunban's eyes and continued, "What was it you said to me at Apex Lake? I lack people skills. I cannot connect with them. I am not...sociable. This should have been Kallian. He would've known how to calm the people, how to connect with them and understand what they need."
Melia felt the words she needed to say tumble from her mouth, the words that she'd kept inside for so long. The words she'd not even confessed to Riki, the one person to whom she was closest to in the world. "Every path I've taken has been met with resistance. I never believed this would be easy, that would be naïve. But it seems that no matter what choice I make, there will always be a negative consequence. Just once, I would like to do something that agrees with everyone."
This is a terrible display of weakness. Pull yourself together. NOW.
But before she could, the young woman felt a hand on hers. She looked up at Dunban, surprised. He had a curious expression on his face. Once again, she wasn't entirely sure what it was. He always seemed to be a bit of an enigma to her.
"Melia. You asked me to come here and help you. I may be out of my depth, but I promise to do what I can to aid you in achieving your goals."
The words were so kind, she felt as if her heart would explode. They locked eyes, and Melia her heart fluttered. The warmth of his hand was comforting, soothing her, abating her anxiety. For a moment, she felt safe.
"Empress. Nae'ell is here to see you." Jason called from outside the room.
She looked away, breaking the eye contact. "Let her in." She rose, taking her hand away from his, and turned to see a tall Entia woman with jet black hair, pale skin and ice blue eyes enter. "Nae'ell."
"Empress, I was so worried when I heard!" She said with a breathy voice and glided over to Melia, wrapping her in a hug.
"I'm doing alright. But of course I appreciate your concern." Melia responded, returning the hug. They broke their embrace and Melia watched as Nae'ell's eyes wandered towards Dunban. "My apologies, I don't believe the two of you have met. Nae'ell, please meet Dunban, the Homs Hero of Sword Valley. He was instrumental in the rebuilding of Colonies 6 & 9 and has graciously offered to help us here. Dunban, Nae'ell is family. She was engaged to my brother."
Dunban walked over and bowed. "It is a pleasure to meet a member of Melia's family."
"I apologize if I was interrupting. But I just had to see you to be sure you were alright." Nae'ell smiled, though there was a sparkle of interest in her eye.
"Not at all. I was just leaving." Dunban nodded and headed towards the door.
"Dunban, a moment." Melia said and turned to Nae'ell, "Excuse me." Nae'ell nodded and walked towards the couches, taking a seat at the sofa. Melia met Dunban at the door and cleared her throat. "Thank you. For listening."
"Anytime. Whenever you feel the need to speak in confidence, you know where to find me."
She nodded and he took his leave, closing the door behind him.
"He's quite a specimen."
Melia turned and walked towards the armchair, sitting across from her visitor. "Dunban is very wise."
"Wise indeed, but I think that's not the only thing you enjoy." Nae'ell gave her an encouraging wink.
But Melia would not rise to the bait. "Dunban is a dear friend. And I'm thankful he's taken time to come help us in our hour of need."
Nae'ell shrugged and changed the subject: "What will you do now? There have been two assassination attempts on your life, my dearest. We cannot let this happen again."
"I do not know. I could increase my security, but I don't see how that would be a solution to the problem."
"And what is the problem?"
"There are those that believe I am not fit to rule. It is a matter of public opinion, not of security."
"That is a quandry. I'm not sure what you could do." Nae'ell leaned back against the sofa and asked, "But I did have a thought earlier this morning that I believe you might like to entertain, if it pleases your grace."
"Of course. Your thoughts are always welcome."
"I know we're trying to get back to the normal life we all enjoyed before the Fall. Have you thought about building a school for the children? I know Mira'ill has been taking charge of their care, but it would provide some sense of normalcy."
"That is a wonderful idea, Nae'ell! I will get the council to approve such matters."
"Well, now that I've checked on you, I shall leave you to rest." Nae'ell rose and glided over to Melia. "We must make our meetings more regular. I miss you. And we are family. Family must stick together in trying times." She planted a kiss on Melia's cheek.
"Yes, I would like that very much."
Melia listened to Nae'ell as she walked towards the door and opened it.
"Nae'ell?" Melia stood and looked at the Entia woman who stopped, her hand on the door handle.
"Yes, your majesty?"
"Do you think...do you think that Kallian would be proud of me?"
Nae'ell's mouth widened into a smile. "Oh you silly girl. Of course he would be."
Melia nodded and Nae'ell exited. She hoped the older woman was right. Because at the moment, she wasn't so sure.