"Don't do that!"
"Her father may be important but she's absolutely useless."
"Ugh she's so stuck up."
"She thinks she's so special."
That's what everyone says about her.
...
...
...
At least that's what she thinks they say.
Ignes Kravei doesn't know what people say about her. They don't come close and so they're too far away for her to read their lips.
When they are close she's too nervous to look at them, and if she's not looking at them then how's she supposed to know what they're saying? She always ends up staring at their hands instead, but they don't use those.
Her father shakes his head whenever they're alone, and tells her, "You don't have to talk to anyone. Just continue you work in your labs. Your brother took my place when I retired so you don't need to be here."
Ignes nods whenever he says that (because she agrees!) but still goes to every event and meeting. It's true, she doesn't want to talk to anyone and that she prefers being down in her labs. People respect her for her work after all! Though they don't like her, they appreciate what she does and that's good enough. Even her younger brother being the next Kravei lord is fine.
Once she had been jealous. Did everybody really think Luciene was better than her? Was she really so pathetic in their eyes? She knows now that all of her thoughts were wrong, that she's loved by her family, that her brother adores her to the point that he was more upset than she was at the suggestion, but at the time her younger sister was slated to be the Drosia lord. The idea that she wasn't worthy, yet both her younger siblings were, had pained her terribly.
Now when she comes to these events (without any if the expected social grace in a room so large or fancy) it's for supporting her siblings. Her presence is proof that the top scientist of their organisation supports the twin lords. Any opposition to them, any threat, is one to her as well. So if the thought of having two lords against them isn't enough, she should deter the idiots.
"Sis!" Luciene comes her way, his hair swaying by his waist and the pale gold hiding the crest on his dress. He's dressed up much more than she is in her hoodie, but he's dressed up more than everyone. That's just his style.
He passes the goblet he holds to her and she frowns.
"You know I don't drink."
She's not looking at his face either, she knows what he says because she can see his hands as the liquid in the goblet steams. It's hot.
"Yeah! That's why I brought cocoa."
Ignes blinks, takes a sip, and smiles. She should have known better. Luciene is sweet and listens to her, Margherita would have been the one to try and get her drunk.
"Thanks."
He just stands next to her in her corner, watching people move as he does his best to hug her without actually doing that. There's a reason Luciene was the cute one between him and Margherita. It showed too, with his angelic looks, while her sister looked to be two seconds away from declaring she was a pirate and had plundered your wife at any given moment.
He's fine with people unlike her, but doesn't care for them much, so that's why he usually ends up tugging at the velveteen curtains covering the walls with her. They act like children but, it's better than going out to mingle or dance or talk. She's about to ask him if there's any cake when the room turns silent.
"Her majesty is here!" Luciene shouts that, like an excited puppy and she protests slightly as he drags her to the throne. People are staring and that's awkward.
Still it's not all bad. Luciene has a seat near the empress (of course he does, he's a lord) and makes her sit with him. There's enough space so that's not a worry; Margherita smirks at her and she does feel like she wants to disappear but, as she looks at the empress sitting on her throne, she can't help her blush.
Her gaze is cold and everyone fears her yet, she's just so. Cool.
The way she commands everyone. How nobody can say anything to her face (Ignes can't either but at least her reason is different) and the way she managed to get even the unruliest lords to swear to her their loyalty. It was amazing. To have someone like Zarga acknowledge you? You must be perfect! And the empress was perfect!
Ignes was scared of her too, actually, but it's harder to feel fear when your brother is cuddling with you while ignoring his image as a lord.
"Don't do that!"
"Her father may be important but she's absolutely useless."
"Ugh she's so stuck up."
"She thinks she's so special."
That's what everyone says about her.
...
...
...
Erga Kenesis di Raskreia is aware of what goes on behind closed doors. Even now when she's proved her superiority countless times, they doubt her. They think that she's not suited for the role of empress in this kingdom. That there should be no empress, and an emperor instead.
Fools.
They run under the assumption that the throne is passed down through blood. That she was the heir. How wrong they are, how pathetic. She wants to slice their thoughts till they turn to dust, till they realise that she's more than just a pretty face sitting on a very uncomfortable (and ugly, though everyone else calls it beautiful) chair.
For this position, she trained herself till her skin was gone and she bled as if death was her kin. Read till she thought herself blind, wrote even as her hands grew sore and ached, spoke with an even tone though her voice felt foreign and her throat grew hoarse. Though she tasted the metal that made her blood and kept her breathing. It was not given to her, her father did not arrange anything, she took it all on her own. Raskreia was proper like that.
Yet just simple training wasn't enough. So what if she could swing her sword thousands of times without tiring; what if she had more strength in her fingers than what most could must in their bodies? She could speak more languages than some knew? Her knowledge on matters was extensive to the point that books were useless? Wonderful, yet pointless.
What use was all of that if she could not handle pressure. If when facing her foe she trembled, slowed. If she couldn't smile or frown or laugh with her head thrown back and tears just leaking from her eyes as she lied to the face of whom she spoke to. Even knowledge was useless when she couldn't apply it.
That's why she learnt that too.
It wasn't hard. Not really. Raskreia's skin may be scarred from the heroes she faced, words unrecognisable from her infiltrations of countless organisations and governments, but she was worthy. Moreso than any before her, moreso than her father who saw her return and smiled, asking when she would challenge him to a duel (for he knew her better than she herself, and saw that she was perfect for the role). So she had. And she won with his hair in her hands.
His sobbing at that had been annoying. If he didn't want his hair cut off he should have told her beforehand instead of clutching to her stepfather and wailing that he had raised her too confident (Raizel had just stared at him confused and said, "Why didn't you tie your hair up then?" so he'd pouted. It was strange for a man bleeding to death to be so nonchalant but what else could be expected of the man who had caused famines and plagues throughout the world without batting an eye).
So, she looks over the throne room, and doesn't roll her eyes at how weak her subjects are. At least her lords are powerful, even if Urokai is bratty and requires as much attention as Karias does (for being in an evil organisation, her court acts almost as if they are righteous. they most certainly are not and at least they understand that). She pauses briefly, letting her eyes settle on Luciene and Ignes Kravei. One is a lord of hers, and the other?
She holds her smile and hides her smirk. Ignes Kravei is her prey the same way her stepfather, once an infamous superhero, was her father's prey. A good choice too. The woman is the lead scientist in Raskreia's own world and admires her. Even her siblings, two lords who can make it hard for her to pursue the woman (though not impossible. never impossible for someone of her caliber) support the idea.
Raskreia loves capturing prey that doesn't struggle the most out of anything in her life. And she loves Ignes Kravei more.