Aries was already awake before dawn, sitting on the settee as servants walked in and out of the chamber silently. They were decorating the room, changing the flowers in the vases, and removing the scented candles to a different type that still had the same scent of lavender. Some were pushing three mannequins displaying three different bridal pieces for her wedding today. Another three mannequins arrived right after, but they were for her wedding night, such as a silk robe and some pieces she didn't care what for.
Despite the grandeur and luxury in front of her, her expression didn't budge. She kept quiet, allowing all of them to decide what they would do in this chamber which would serve as the matrimonial room after her wedding no one was excited about, and coronation as the empress, the mother of the nation.
"Tear that one apart." The second her lips parted and her quiet voice pierced the silent air, the servants inside halted. They looked in her direction on instinct, confusion apparent in their eyes.
Aries pointed at the first mannequin donning a beautiful white lace bridal dress. "It's an eyesore. Burn it." Her brow arched, seeing that no one moved after several seconds.
"Forget it. Burn all three of them." She changed her mind, raising her chin. Her eyes didn't show the slightest vestige of rue at the orders.
"But Your Royal — Your Majesty, His Majesty said you need to choose one out of the three bridal pieces for your wedding," explained the servant that was adjusting the mannequins along with the seamstress, who were forced to do the final touches once the crown princess wears them.
"What did you just address me?" Aries returned, ignoring the servant's explanation.
The servant lowered her head as her throat bobbed nervously. "Your — Your Majesty."
"So you know my position." Aries snorted and her eyes never left the servant's figure. "As Her Majesty, the mother of the nation, the Empress of this Empire, how dare you a lowly servant to argue with me?"
The atmosphere in the chambers quickly rose, despite Aries's calm and clear tone. The air in the chambers with her silence was already too suffocating to bear, but having her speak wasn't any better.
Aries scanned the room carefully, noticing the servants lowering their heads and shivering under her gaze. Her lips stretched into a smirk, ridicule obvious in her eyes.
"Do you think just because Joaquin is treating me as a captive, my title is an empty title?" she chuckled in mockery, propping her elbow against the armrest and resting her leg over the other. "One sweet whisper in my husband's ear and a memorable night of passion, and he wouldn't hesitate to execute and replace you all at my behest."
The servants shuddered at the wave of chill that ran up their spine. They couldn't even raise their head and look into her eyes, afraid if they did, Aries would vent her frustration from her husband to them. Aries had been in this empire for more than half a year, and the servants who worked in the Sapphire Palace knew how temperamental she could be.
Right now, the crown princess's relationship with the crown prince was unstable. However, if Aries obeyed Joaquin to survive, which everyone already expected she would do, she would have equal authority as the rising emperor. Even if the servant's dilemma was understandable, the royalties weren't patient, nor they were considerate enough to listen.
If they listened to the crown princess and ruin the bridal pieces to sabotage her own wedding, then the crown prince would naturally punish them all. But if they didn't listen to Aries, the crown princess, the consequences would be the same. Hence, the dilemma.
"Burn all of them," Aries repeated, this time with a much firmer tone. "Don't make me repeat myself thrice."
For an entire minute, no one still moved. But when her lips parted once more, a courageous servant straightened her back and approached a mannequin. Without a word, the servant carefully took off the bridal piece from the mannequin and draped the heavy dress over her arms.
Aries nodded in satisfaction when the servant tossed the dress inside the fireplace, almost extinguishing the fire, only for the flame to blaze minutes later. The servant faced Aries and bowed before walking to the second mannequin, and went through the same process of tossing it to the furnace once the first dress was burning.
"Your Majesty…" one servant called nervously, watching how her colleague was burning the bridal pieces one by one without ever speaking a word. Even with the lack of explanation from the servant, everyone was aware the maid servant who just threw the second dress in the hearth was buying them some time before Joaquin hear a word about this.
But Aries didn't budge and let them all whimper internally, watching the servant until all the dresses were now burning along with the woods. Only the crackle of woods and the drip of melting dresses caressed their ears for long minutes, all eyes on the wildfire in the furnace. At one point, the fire got so wild the servants thought it would crawl out of the hearth to the room, but fortunately, it didn't. Although the temperature in the room significantly increased, ironically, they broke out in cold sweats.
Watching the remaining parts of the third piece burn, their heart sank. It was over. The wedding would either be postponed and they would all die or it would continue, but they would still die at the crown prince's behest.
Aries chuckled, seeing the helplessness reigning in their eyes. "Don't cry," she crooned, enjoying the sight of their watery eyes to her heart's content.
"I simply don't like those pieces because they were not elegant enough to par my beauty," she humored, but she was the only one who appreciated it and had a good laugh. When she recovered, Aries's mood was already great, grinning from ear to ear.
"Bring my wedding dress," she ordered, causing confusion to them so she added clearly; "the one I wore at my first wedding."
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