Book 6: Chapter 8
I’ll be honest. This is the first time I’ve seen such a long line. This long line I’m talking about is the empress’s horse-carriage escort. I now understood why the empress doesn’t easily leave the palace. It’s not because she doesn’t like to, but because there is too much to prepare when the ruler goes out on a tour. The ruler’s horse-carriage is pulled by eight horses in a very extravagant fashion. The Valkyries all wore white robes and rode on white horses around the empress’s horse-carriage. The cavalry were around the more outer-section of the formation. In the rear were the horse-carriages carrying the empress’s maids who attend to her. And then there were the guys and ordinary soldiers. And they even transported food and gold for the sake of coming with me to that city.
The extravagant escort was like a huge snake. The denizens who saw the empress’ horse-carriage all had to kneel down and salute her. Mom sat in her horse-carriage and looked out from behind her black veil. She sighed and said: “This took two weeks to prepare for so mommy isn’t willing to leave like this. It’s honestly too much trouble, tires the people and is a waste of money.”
“You’re basically a bird in a cage then mom. You conquered this land yet you are locked in the tiny palace.”
I looked at mom with sympathy. Mom is the kind of person who can’t sit still. She likes horse-riding, swinging her sword and running around freely outside. Mom isn’t a chicken with no wings. She’s an eagle that toils outside. Mom is now entertained with luxury in every way, but mom must miss those years where she was on the battlefield with her soldiers in the harsh weather most. Mom pulled off a long-distance raid on her own in the desert back then. The entire world was hers. But mom can only move about in that small palace now.
“This is mommy’s choice. As the empress, mommy has to be responsible for these people. Since they believe in me, I can’t be wilful.” Mom smiled and held me in her arms. She stroked my head and softly continued, “All mommy wants is a world with you. Mommy has never hated mommy’s identity as the empress and inability to leave. Mommy’s only regret was not bringing you back with mommy back then…… However, mommy would probably have regretted it even more if mommy brought you into a dangerous place.”
Mom’s hand calluses are a result of all those years, but they were still warm nonetheless. Mom used to be a stranger to hugging and stroking me. However, she now does all that incomparably gently. At mom’s side, I found mom slowly became a kind mother at my side from her role as the venerable empress.
Mom let go of me and suggested: “Son, you should go and ride out in front so that everybody can see you. They can’t look up at me, but it’d be good for them to see you and get to know the next emperor.”
“Alright.”
I pulled open the horse-carriage window. Nier turned around to look at me. Only the royal family knows about Nier and me for now so Nier still rode alongside us as a Valkyrie outside. However, those who are attentive would be able to tell. Nier had the royal family’s coat of arms on her chest. That is an honour a Valkyrie would never have.