Shadow Empress Book 1 of the Empress Series

THIRD PERSON POV

It was a sunny day in the royal palace of Galan. Palace servants were just doing their usual task when a minister came running into the court bearing great news from the battlefield.

"Your majesty! We just received news from the frontlines. We won! We won the war! We managed to take over the enemies territory with ease! Empress Elpis! THE EMPRESS HAS BROUGHT VICTORY TO THE EMPIRE!" The emperor's eyes widen and so did his empress.

"Elpis won?" The emperor whispered.

"Elpis won the war?! It's been a year since she left the empire. And now ... she finally ... she will come home ... finally. My empress ... we've done our part right." The emperor and empress hugged each other after they heard the good news.

"And ... the empress will finally come home. I have sent a messenger to inform her concubines in Galatea Palace." The emperor released his wife with a smile on his face.

"We shall prepared a banquet to welcomed her highness! After all, she did brought us victory. I shall informed this matter to the empress dowager  myself." His wife hold his hand while shaking her head.

"Empress dowager shall not be inform. Don't you remember how messy it was when the empress dowager had a slight differences in opinion with her highness's imperial consort? My love, we're just the emperor and the empress in front of the people of Galan. Your sister, the true empress is the one who ruled this empire. We shall let the imperial consort deal with her welcoming banquet." The emperor nodded.

"You're right, my empress. We shall follow what the imperial consort sees fit. Beside, I don't wish to be on bad terms with her. After all, she is the empress's favourite." The emperor had sudden chill just by thinking about the imperial consort.

"My sister ... always fond of the imperial consort and she even trusted her to deal with the empire's matter while she's gone. She's been helping us with the affairs of the empire and I think we should reward her." The empress agreed.

"My dear Sophia ... what should we give her as a reward? I can't think of anything that my sister haven't given her yet." The empress was deep in thought while the ministers discussing among themselves about the victory they just obtained.

*GALATEA PALACE*

"And that was all, your highnesses." The imperial consort, Virtra wasn't expecting this amazing news at all. She turned to her sisters who was with her at the moment with a smile.

"The empress is coming home. Noble consort Grace, a banquet must be done. I'm sure you can plan it all out together with consort Elena and consort Margaux." The imperial consort smiled from ear to ear.

"So she managed to obtained victory for the empire? That sly fox. Her letters were not informative enough and now she suddenly informed us about her being victorious." Noble consort Grace cleared her throat.

"What shall be done with that concubine? I supposed we can't just dispose of her before the empress's arrival? Her time is almost up. What if she's in labour when the empress is home? A happy celebration would turn gloomy if the empress knows that one of her concubine is with child." The imperial consort almost forgot about it.

"We can't simply dispose of her. Whether we like it or now, the empress likes her. Why? I have no idea. Let her be. Let's just pray for our sister that the empress would show mercy on her, her child and that sly minister who simply walked into Galatea Palace and deflowered her." The imperial consort waved her hands for the servant to see.

"Please inform the other concubines about this news. Tell them to be prepared for the banquet." The servants nodded.

"Sisters, we've helped the fake emperor with the internal affairs in the shadows. Although I've asked about this matter before but I never received any satisfactory answers from you whom has been in court long before I did. Why did the empress choose to let her brother to take the throne? We all know that the emperor is weak. He can't even lead his people." The imperial consort faces consort Margaux.

"The empress asked her brother to take the throne because she doesn't want to provide any heir. By letting her brother to be the emperor, she's free to do whatever she wants thus that's why we're here." The imperial consort explained.

"To put it simple, the empress doesn't like the opposite sex." The noble consort Grace added.

"I was 18 when Elpis asked for my hand in marriage. I was engaged with a prince from another kingdom but Elpis killed him. So ... here I am. She promised me wealth and power. That's exactly what she gave me. What did she promised you, noble consort Grace?" The imperial consort smiled.

"I want nothing more but to escape from the Duke's home. She promised me that and here I am now. Not only I get to leave the duke, I also get to be a noble consort. I was informed that you were sold by your father, the king, am I right, consort Elena." Consort Elena was drinking her tea when noble consort Grace asked her.

"Yes. It was all for the peace of my kingdom. At least I don't have to provide any heir for the empress. That's a perk for me. And what about you, consort Margaux? What's your real story? You know I can't seemed to figure it out. Your story is too mysterious for me to figured it out. The only thing I know about you is that you can dance." Consort Margaux smiled.

"I was invited to entertain the palace's foreign guests. Little did I know that the empress was fond of me after she saw me dancing. I was an orphan. When the empress reached out to me and promised me to take care of my well being, how could I say no? She's a royalty after all." Imperial consort laughed when she heard it.

"And I, as the one who make sure that my sisters won't disappoint the empress by doing things like that concubine did, was placed in the corner. You see I am such a kind hearted person because I even let a minister enter this sacred palace. Maybe I was being too nice to our little sisters." The imperial consort hummed.

***

It's the day where the empress supposed to arrived from the battlefield with her envoys. Everyone was excited to know that the empress has brought victory for the Empire except for the empress dowager.

The empress dowager isn't exactly the first empress of Galan. She was actually the second wife of the late former emperor. There was even a rumour stating that the empress dowager was the one who poisoned the first empress to death because she wishes to be the empress of Galan.

"Is this necessary? You do know I have far better appointments to attend to this morning. Welcoming her back home is not necessary." The empress dowager expressed her feelings to the emperor.

"With all means, please leave if you don't want to be here. You're not welcome." Everyone bow to show their respect when they saw the imperial consorts with the rest of the empress's concubines had arrived at the front of the main palace entrance.