Kosh, the leader of the Red Fist, the conductor of tonight’s imminent chaos, stood just outside the lifts on the upper terrace of the Cultivation Palace. The rumors were true, he gladly noted, as the empress’s sudden appearance sent waves of excitement through the crowd. She seemed to have arrived out of thin air, approaching the central dais, The Royal Crest forming around her seamlessly. The whole thing seemed entirely choreographed, and Kosh gave a slight nod in acknowledgement of her social savvy. Her presence confirmed, Kosh sent a coded message to Mr. Esplin, telling him to get his charges in place and then to meet him back at his landing pad.

  The two men had a busy night ahead of them. This part of the plan he would trust to the Da’a’shori assassins and his compliment of Red Fist operators. From reports he cobbled together, the Da’a’shori were masters in their craft, and while he hated leaving a key piece of their plan in the unknown hands of Interlopers, he had learned the importance of delegating. Besides, his benefactor, Lord Lenari, needed his hands completely clean of tonight’s festivities, which meant Kosh, had to leave before anyone noticed his presence. It was an open secret, at least to those in the know, who he was, and it would not do to muddy the waters as to who had committed this most heinous of acts upon the empire.

  He had taken enough of a risk in coming to confirm the empress’s location. However, her disappearing act necessitated the action. Kosh, satisfied that he had mitigated the risk to himself and his employer, turned, re-entering the lift that he had coded to stay open for him. He punched in his code and the doors closed. Kosh descended through the palace, away from the crowds, its cacophony fading with each passing level.

  __________

  People packed the upper terrace of the Cultivation Palace. During the past thirty minutes, the stream of celebrants on the terrace become a flood, the lifts working non-stop. The rumor running rampant through the gathered crowds, bringing their joyful celebrations to new heights.

  The terrace quickly reached, in truth exceeded, capacity, and palace security stopped access to the lifts. This caused some grumblings from those not fast enough to reach them in time. However, hundreds of wait staff emerged from the palace’s many kitchens, bearing Risonian champagne, some of the best in the entire system, mollifying the discontented.

  Tonight’s gathering spared no expense, much to the crowds’ increasing pleasure. Risonian champagne had a slight neurolytic effect, triggering the pleasure pathways in the brain. Vintages, carefully distilled for a desired effect, could create a myriad of effects. One popular vintage would cause a distinct lack of inhibition, much to the embarrassment of those involved. Tonight’s vintage would foster joy and pleasure without overwhelming one’s sense of decorum.

  Holographic imagers descended from their concealed mounts in the ceilings throughout the palace and projected the dais in every detail. On every tier, in multiple locations, the crowds parted, encircling the projected display. A few attendees, their reactions slowed by an over-indulgence, appeared to stand in the middle of the dais as if they were the empress, or emperor, themselves. This caused quite a few chuckles as those individuals made their way quickly into the crowd, a fresh glass of champagne making its way into their hands to help lessen the embarrassment.

  Exuberant voices, on the upper tier and throughout the palace, fell silent as the empress stepped from the unassuming crowd and mounted the dais. The tinkling of glassware as wait staff continued to move through the crowd, the only sound.

  Astra, Empress of Solvonus, Wielder of the Nine Powers, First of her name, approached the dais. With Illusion, she morphed reality around her until she was no longer the slight T’sanni girl she had impersonated for the evening. Here stood the empress, in her full imperial regalia. She looked down at herself and smiled. Astra did not even own a gown as beautiful as this in her actual wardrobe.

  You really let your imagination free tonight, didn’t you?

  Perhaps she would commission her favorite seamstress to create the dress after these celebrations ended.

  She had passed through a phalanx of the Royal Crest as she mounted the dais. Good, so Jovani had them under surveillance all night, as she assumed. She gave a small chuckle to herself. Everyone thought they were so clever around her. In truth, she was aware, almost from the moment of inception, of this plan of his. As long as they did not insist on giving her their tracking chip, but to her officers, she was quite pleased with the initiative. If they tried to chip her, it would seriously limit her ability to have fun and sneak around her own palace disguised as whomever she pleased, whenever she pleased.

  What’s the point of being empress if I can’t do what I want, when I want?

  __________

  She tried, at first, to have her courtiers and advisors bend to her will, much as her uncle had taught her. However, as she grew into her Powers, discovering more of who she was as a person and an empress, she became dissatisfied with that way of leading. She also learned the futility of having bureaucrats and sycophants see the logic in wanting to act freely, especially in her own palace. No, it was much more uncomplicated to change her appearance and traipse about the grounds whenever the mood struck her.

  Of course, that had backfired a time or two. Once, when she had first started using Illusion to disguise herself, she had made the mistake of cloaking herself as a maid she had seen earlier in the day. The executive housekeeper, Abigail, had caught her, supposedly shirking her duty. Astra had spent the rest of the day in the kitchen, scrubbing pots. The work hadn’t bothered her. She had been a soldier after all and was used to menial chores. It was the idea that she could have gotten the girl she was impersonating into serious trouble.

  As soon as she finished in the kitchens, after every pot was glistening, she called for Abigail. Astra concocted a story of how the girl was a terrific help earlier in the day and how she would like her added to her personal staff of maids and serving women. The girl, Catallia, or Cat for short, was at a loss for words when told of her promotion, unsure of what she had done. Abigail, mistaking the reaction for modesty, decided she had misjudged the poor girl, and approved the transfer.

  Cat, recognizing her good fortunes, became a cherished member of the empress’s personal staff, eventually receiving a promotion to manage Astra’s personal apartment in the palace and the various servants who maintained it.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  ___________

  The empress, now with every eye on her, stood gracefully on the dais. She slowly turned to see the eager, joyous eyes of her citizens on her. Sensors built into the floor registered her presence, and the dais floated a meter above the floor, allowing a better view for those in the back. Nanotech embedded on the dais shimmered, camouflaging the floating platform, and it seemed as if the empress was floating above the crowd, spinning so everyone would see her beauty. Mini, almost invisible drones, followed her revolutions, conveying her holographic image to all throughout the palace.

  While not scheduled, those responsible for tonight’s celebration, indeed for each night’s revelry, had planned for the empress to be seen, should she so choose. The only official appearance was to be on the last night of the celebration, when all the Lords and Ladies of the system would be in attendance.

  She glanced down and saw the Illusions she placed on her two companions fading away to reveal their true appearances. She smiled at them when she saw they had noticed the change for themselves, each standing taller, their bearing matching their positions. Astra saw Nadim’s look, acknowledging their fun earlier in the evening, but the importance of her office. He knew her so well. Astra was exactly where she wanted to be, with the people she wanted to be with. It was a good night.

  Astra took a breath, allowing the moment to linger. Every eye on the terrace, and throughout the palace, focused on her.

  The empress smiled and began speaking. It was intimate, unlike what anyone had expected, telling the simple truth of her love for the Solvonus people and her dream for them all. There were those in the crowd who scoffed at such innocence, thinking she was playing to the crowd, but her sincere words touched most.

  __________

  Davos stared. He had followed Astra and Nadim off the lifts on to the upper tier, caught up in the crowd's emotion. He was excited to see the empress, even though he had known her his entire life. They weren’t close friends, but she knew him by name, and seemed happy anytime he visited her with his father.

  The girl he had flirted with all night, that Astra, had changed into Empress Astra before his eyes. Every detail about her had subtly changed while he was watching until the empress was walking away from him, and their companions, towards the center of the room. Davos wasn’t even sure he could put a finger on the moment she changed from the young girl to the regal woman he now saw commanding every eye in the room.

  “Close your mouth, young man. It’s unbecoming.”

  Davos mumbled a response, but failed to recognize his father, until Nadim wrapped his arm around his son’s shoulders and gave him a shake.

  “... Father?” Davos asked.

  There were too many surprises happening at once for the young man. His night of frivolity upended, he was having a hard time catching up.

  “It’s me, son. Nadim, the provincial young academic on his first real adventure, being forced from his books to spend an evening with his cousins Astra and Jovani.”

  Nadim laughed as Davos blinked at him, his brain still working hard to put the pieces together. Lord Hakana, High Marshal of the Imperial Navy, reached and took two glasses of champagne that were being served throughout the terrace, handing one to his son. He clinked their glasses and chuckled again, enjoying the confusion playing across his son’s face. They had not spent an evening like this in a long time. While Davos might not have known it was his father, Nadim knew it was his son, and it was a memory he would cherish.

  The crowd was quieting down as the dais floated into the air. Nadim squeezed his son’s shoulders again and stood contented, watching Astra, the empress, his friend, speak to her people.

  Davos, his head still spinning, took another sip of champagne. He could feel the effects of the excellent Risonian vintage and relaxed, knowing he would get answers later. For now, he was with his father, and that was enough.

  ___________

  Aiden stood a few feet behind Davos and, evidently, his father, Lord Hakana. Trailing the group out of the lifts, trying to decipher the looks he had seen from the two other men moments before, he failed to notice the empress’s illusion dissolve around her as she made her way through the crowd.

  He glanced at Jovani, interrupting his internal musings. It took a moment for him to place what had captured his attention. The jovial man, relaxed and at ease during their evening adventures, seemed more alert, more commanding. Aiden started as he glimpsed the other man’s eyes as he scanned the room. They were solid black, like the deep void of space.

  Da’ashani eyes.

  Aiden became alert, the inconsistencies and looks throughout the night snapping into place. His training took over and Aiden maneuvered, trying to put himself between this unknown man and his friend Davos. When he became Davos’ bodyman, Lord Hakana had included training as a bodyguard, ensuring his son was always with extra protection. However, as quickly as he had come to attention, his caution faded, his brain registering the man who had transformed in front of him. He would know the man anywhere. In fact, it would be the rare citizen of Solvonus who failed to recognize Captain Jovani, the captain of the empress’s Royal Crest.

  The captain caught Aiden’s eyes on him, and returned the stare with a small smile, a glint in his dark eyes, before resuming his surveillance of the terrace. Aiden glanced around him, searching for Davos, and saw him standing with an older man who was handing his friend a glass of champagne. As he turned, Aiden recognized his friend’s father, Lord Hakana.

  Of all the…

  He looked towards the dais and his confirmed his suspicions as he saw the empress mounting the dais. If Lord Hakana and Captain Jovani were here, of course, the Astra he had run into was none other than Empress Astra. Aiden could feel his face flushing with the thought.

  The empress!

  The suspicious looks and subconscious feelings he experienced throughout the night continued to come into focus. It was the lack of sinister intent that had thrown him, his training looking to protect Davos, but failing to latch on to any actual emergency. He now saw the glances between the three companions for what it was; the empress out for a night of discrete enjoyment, complicated when they had run into Davos and Aiden.

  Talk about coincidence.

  Reaching over to grab a glass of champagne, intending to join his friend in this unexpected discovery, Aiden froze as his hand brushed the server’s arm.

  An image flashed before his eyes, overlaying itself onto the crowd before him. He could still see the terrace and the people gathered; The empress giving her speech, and showering them with love. On top of that, however, lay an image of destruction and death. The empress was floating above the crowd, but laying on the dais, which was flickering in and out of existence. Fluids were pouring from her body and her back arched past what should have been impossible. Aiden saw her screaming, her very soul enduring unspeakable pain.

  The young man, terrified, wrenched his eyes away from the floating horror in front of him and saw death and violence rippling out across the terrace.

  As suddenly as it had come, the vision cleared, the crowd still enthralled by the empress on the dais.

  What in all that is Holy was that?

  His mind raced, trying to find an answer, anything that could explain what he had just seen. Aiden turned slowly, looking about, desperately trying to discover a cause for what he had just seen.

  He caught the eyes of the server who had served him his drink. There was a connection, some deep recognition in the woman’s eyes. It was gone in an instant as she dropped her gaze, quickly making her way away from Aiden. The woman stumbled into an onlooker, who exclaimed as his glass dropped from his hands, shattering on the marbled floor. The server paused, her back to Aiden, and without a word of apology she rushed to the back of the room, up the stairs ringing the terrace. She disappeared through a door into the service hallways beyond.