Chapter 487 – Crowning Poison

At least Azula De Vil didn't demand we go running off that very night. No, she just really wants to leave this morning. If Lensa is at this thing, I'm going to kill Azula De Vil.

"Kou, did you forget about this, too?" I ask.

"With Lady Azula De Vil just being the temporary Queen, I thought it would be your choice if you wanted a coronation ceremony, My Empress," Kou says.

"Aren't all Queens temporary?" I ask.

"If you don't want to do this, you can call it off, My Empress," Kou says. "Lady Azula De Vil is your slave."

"I've thought about it," I say. "But I'm up, and I made a stupid promise to her. She planned this out well. And I won't have to deal with the court this time. I'll just put the crown on her head, strip her over the throne, and bloat her up like the rest of her wives. And then I'll switch her collar out for a choker, like Shimmer's. All of my Queens are going to be constantly pregnant on the throne."

"Most of the women around you are constantly pregnant," Geta says.

"Do you have a problem with that?" I ask.

"No," Geta says. "Sorry. I tried to make a joke to help the mood, and it wasn't much of a joke, it seems."

"Fair enough," I say. "I am being more difficult than I should be. I'm just annoyed. I keep finding more reasons why this body can't just stay home and play with my kids. Am I scared of that?"

"Maybe," Geta says. "But I think you're just used to running around and doing what everyone else asks you to do. I think Kou can enforce you having the next few days to just relax."

"I will arrange it, My Empress," Kou says. "I don't have anything that you must do. And today won't be too bad. I'll have Geta make sure Lensa isn't around. Eterna will be enough to defend you here. All of the old Princesses found themselves going on dangerous missions in the last war, so there shouldn't be any problems with you taking over. The nobles should be happy to have you around. With you being the real power behind the throne, they won't have to worry about the Queen deciding to try to take land yet again."

A lot of nobles seem to have had accidents in the last war. That has to trace back to me somehow, right? I'm the reason, even though I didn't order it, that they all died. That'd better not cause me problems.

"I'll go clear out the castle," Geta says.

"Thanks," I say.

Shyla's working on getting my dress to fit correctly. I don't want to strip to fuck Azula over the throne, but Shyla asked to dress me up, and I told her she can. Her dresses are always pretty, and she said she wanted to try something with the different colors of the Edeozia Queendom. I am the leader of a lot of fire-based nations, so it's probably a bit hard to come up with so many ideas centered around fire all the time. I do have the Dragon's crown on, though, since I'm letting Elora have her Queendom's crown for a bit. I should have a new crown made for being an Empress, so Elo can have this one to help put the stupid nobles in their place.

The dress Shyla came up with seems to be a slight variant of the dress I embarrassed Azula De Vil with at the surrender meeting thing. It has the same icy look, but with a little extra fabric around the waist so that I can cover up while putting Azula De Vil in her place real quick. And Shyla couldn't completely forget about the powers I care more about, adding in bits of flame through the jewelry. It has more rubies than the Edeozia nobles will like, but maybe this will teach them to overthrow the next Queen who tries to start a war.

"There we go, Empress Alzi," Shyla says. "When it's time for it, just call me forward, and I'll help you lift the dress correctly. I know you can do it, but I don't want you to have to play with it in front of everyone, and maids should be the ones messing around with the dress instead of having the Empress do it. You have better things to worry about than how the special features of your dress work."

"Not really," I say. "But thank you."

"Your kids are more important than the dress, Empress Alzi," Shyla chuckles. "But even if you don't have more important things to worry about, the nobles shouldn't know that. Let them think that they're below you, or they'll start to do stupid things like ignoring your decrees. While Sextia would love the practice, it is annoying to correct the mistakes."

Nobles are annoying. "I'll keep that in mind," I say. "Is there anything else to do, or is it time to deal with Azula De Vil?"

"It is time to handle the ceremony, My Empress," Kou says.

I had enough time to practice a speech if I wasn't so grumpy that I complained the entire time about the fact that I had to give a speech. It's not the smartest thing I've done, but they don't deserve a rehearsed speech anyway.

"Alright," I say. "The faster we start, the faster this ends."

"That's one way to look at it, My Empress," Kou says. "This way. Same as before. I'll announce you, then you enter. Give your speech. Put the crown on Lady Azula De Vil, motion for Shyla, take Azula, and then remove the collar. Short and simple. You can give a speech after all that is done if you wish, and then walk out. Lady Azula De Vil can handle the court. The Edeozia Queendom is a vassal nation to a vassal nation, so they can't expect the Empress to directly hear their issues. Coronating the Queen is more than they deserve in their situation."

There are so many reasons to just not even be here. But I get to embarrass Azula. Focus on the good parts of today.

The castle is cold. Way too cold for a dragon to be happy here. All the more reason to get this over with quickly. Shyla has given me a few rocks with heat runes on them to help with that, but the cold is still there as we walk to the throne room.

I wait next to a door while Kou walks inside to start everything off. I do wonder if a noble will find an opportunity to shout something stupid to piss me off. If one does, I'll need to kill her on the spot. I can't run off again. That's how you stop it. Just kill them. That's how they solve their problems; I can do the same. Treat the nobles as they expect to be treated, and use a softer approach for the commoners.

"Welcome, Empress Alzi, to crown the next Queen until Queen Lensa gives birth, and the next Queen has been raised and trained," Kou screams. What a wordy introduction. Shyla gives me a little hug, and I walk out.

There are fewer nobles here than at the other coronations. If we have to do a culling here, this Queendom won't have a noble class at all anymore. The smaller crowd makes it easier to stand tall in my oversized heels for my stage of pregnancy. I can't let Azula be anywhere near my height.

"Thank you all for coming to see the temporary Queen being crowned," I say. "My first introduction to this Queendom was a terrible one. Along with the second introduction. But I will give you all points for being the ones to remove the slave collar from my neck."

I have to point out the collar around Azula De Vil's neck. This is my last chance to hate her. After this, I'll listen to Love and Hearth and start giving her a real opportunity to be my wife. "But that is the only recent victory for this Queendom. There have been too many wars and lost women, all to gain nothing. I hope to be an overseer of peace. To see the commoners get a break from nobles and the royals' stupid wars. Azula De Vil had the right thoughts before the last war, but she didn't have the conviction to do the right thing. I'm trusting her today to trust her thoughts better in the future. To act faster to save people from getting hurt needlessly. Her goal will be to serve. Which is something I hope she can teach all the nobles here to do. If she can do that much, then her short time as a Queen will be a success."

I'm sure they all loved my speech, stunned into silence by its brilliance.

Assholes.

"With that wish and command," I continue. "I crown Azula De Vil Queen." I put the stupid crown on her pale head, her eyes squinting at me. Enjoy the mission, bitch. "And as the Queen, she needs to be ready to give me Princesses. And what better time to start than right now? She won't have long to give them to me." This relationship is never going to go anywhere.

Shyla comes up as planned while Azula De Vil strips before the nobles. She stands next to the throne and lets her dress fall to the floor before bending over to put her hands on the armrest. She spreads her legs wide apart as Shyla puts the front of my dress over her ass, and I move forward to take her.

"I'll be quick," I whisper. "I want this over with. Remember your place, and we can work on building a bit of love between us wives."

"I accept," Azula De Vil says. "I'll accept."

How kind.

Azula De Vil lets out a hitched gasp as I slide into her. I only need a few thrusts to complete the show, leaving her with seven kids and naked at the throne. I give her a final slap on the ass and take a few steps back, letting my excess seed drip out of her in full view of all the nobles. I touch the slave collar and let it clank onto the throne as I pull out a black choker to take the collar's place.

"You can't escape it," I say.

"I know."

I give her a soft hug for a second and then turn to leave back the way I came, the ceremony now complete for me.

"YOU EXPECT US JUST TO ACCEPT YOU FUCKING OUR QUEEN AND THEN LEAVING?!" A noble just has to shout out. "YOU SAY PEACE, AND THEN ASK FOR WAR!"

"No, I ask for peace," I say. "I'm just taking what I'm owed. I wanted to keep her enslaved for a few more years, but I relented and got her pregnant instead. But if you think this is a cause for war, then we don't need you in the ranks of the nobles. Bring her to me."

Geta has her standing in front of me before I even have a chance to turn around.

"You understand why I have to silence you, right?" I ask.

"Fuck you," the noble says.

"That's the problem with you all," I say. "All you ever think about is how to fuck me."

Geta takes her head for me, and her body falls limp before me. That's much better.

"Does anyone else think I'm trying to start a war?" I ask. "I have the people around me just to have you all killed. If you all start an uprising, I'll just kill the nobles and let the commoners take your stuff. They'll be happy not to have idiots forcing them to slave away. I only have to fear the nobles, the ones tricking and forcing the poor to fight. You are the problem. Should I clean the mess up now, or would you all like a chance to prove you aren't a problem?"

"We aren't a problem," another says. "It's just a few idiots and the Queens wanting more. I think we agree on more than you know."

"Good choice," I say. "Azula De Vil. There's no need for a soft hand with them. I'm happy to come down here, get you and the wives pregnant again, and take some heads."

"I'll keep that in mind," Azula De Vil says. "Now, court."

Is she going to have court while she's naked? Whatever, I have kids to play with. Oh, and there's Annoris and the other dryad. I've got the forest ready for them now. Hopefully, that lets Annoris actually give me the kid.

Shit! I'm never going to have some time to just relax.