Roriana
Roriana looked through the window gazing at the night sky, admiring the lush scenery. The moons were glimmering bright pearl blue.
Selfishly she hoped that Zanister would pop his head out of the bushes and dash to her room. But that thought was too stupid and too foolish.
The maidens had informed Roriana that her little break in into the Central Castle was a once in a lifetime fortunate streak of luck. Getting into the Central Palace without the knowledge of the Emperor was rarer than finding ice in a sand dessert, not to mention actually fatal. Apparently she had been at the right place at the right time.
That garden Wall had a barrier that turned intruders into ashes in seconds. Only those who were approved by a specific Royal Court deep in the south had access to use the Wall as a portal to the Central Palace.
If The Wall didn't kill the intruders, it would trap whoever was stupid enough to get too close in one of its inescapable abyss. Death was usually better than the Portal's Imprisonment.
On the day of the Selection, the barrier had been briefly taken down so the girls who hadn't yet been approved could gain access to the Selection. Those girl were the ones who had to replace their sisters or cousins that had fallen sick or died at the very last weeks before the event.
His Majesty secretly opened the portal to them only after strenuous pleas from the families close enough to get their letters heard.
Waiting for an approval wasn't an option, as it usually took months to get the mark to enter the Central Palace. Because every soul who walked in and out of the Palace had to be registered and accounted for, even Royal Qiras.
The people Roriana and Zanister saw walking to the wall, were a secret batch permitted by the Emperor.
Roriana's mind suddenly went back to the lizard lady, without her she would have never found that place.
When Roriana told the maidens about the mysterious lady, they all pressured her to reveal her description. But fearing for the lady's life, Roriana only left it vague by telling them it was just a female staff.
To think Zanister just happened to pick the one palace that had a secret open portal.
Unknown to Roriana, she appearing in the middle of ballroom without an invite or valid Mark, frightened many nobles that night. Except the Emperor, who knew the hole where the Intruder had come in.
That night a lot of things happened.
Roriana learnt that all the Emperor's wives weren't in the Central Palace. Though it was made to believe so in the public, but they weren't. They were actually in a distant secret realm with a portal so heavily protected its existence cannot even be traced by any gate. Only one person had the key, going in and out. If the portals were open, He, opened it. And if it were closed it was by his will.
That aspect confused Roriana at first, because it meant all the servants and soldiers had to live here with them and couldn't leave unless a queen needed to leave. Later on, she realized that was probably for security reasons. Especially after learning that the women of the Harem would get their own key to leave and enter as they pleased, but after the wedding.
But even then, a barrier would be set up, separating each wives' territory. Again For security purposes, perhaps.
Being stuck in this strange palace didn't seem all too bad to Roriana. The air and aura was so pure it felt like it was nourishing her body. She had thousands of servants and females guards at her beck and call, luxury that many noble would be more than envious of. Magi-tech was far advanced than most if the world she's been to. That was not saying much because she hadn't really been to places. Here, there were machines and trinkets for everything. More entertainment on tablets and luxurious screens that she could ever pay attention to. Not just that there were elixirs and tonics the maidens fed to her to make her stronger. And indeed she was stronger. In just a week she could do magic. She had wondered why they hadn't given it to low Qiras to help them gain magic. But the maidens revealed to her that those Elixirs and tonics were too expensive and difficult to make. They were scarce and only a few bottles could be produced yearly. However, less refined versions were available to the public.
Unfortunately due to its scarcity, the potions could only be purchased by the incredibly wealthy who usually were already, Noble High Qira. It then became a rare insider product that only those high enough could even be aware of its existence. In a world were power rules all, that information was a lot to take in.
All along people could increase their abilities and improve their Spirit, but her people were too poor and low in the hierarchy to even know it was possible.
That hurt her. Years of bullying could have been avoided if she had the help she needed to do magic. But there was some things out of her control. Most things.
The Named wives stayed in a different area from the wives who didn't take the Emperor's name, so were concubines. The ranking seemed to align with the proximity to the Emperor. Named wives lived nearer to the Emperor's personal residence. Though directions to that place was shrouded in secrecy. You were more likely to see him in his office in the Central Palace.
Zanister was never, ever, finding her. She would have to be the one to find him. Thankfully she had received information that her companion had been found in one of His Majesty's palaces. His descriptions matched Zanister. That single piece of information relieved her more than they could ever know. He was sentenced to a minor prison outside the palace for breaking in, but he would let out after a year or two. She had heard that the prison was a rather luxurious one, and they would be sending him away with gifts because of his connections with her.
And apparently, the dowry for her marriage to the Emperor would be sent to her family a day before the wedding as per traditions.
The Great Emperor was truly merciful.
But she didn't have three years to save her family from starvation. If that didn't kill them, the wars would.
She needed to save them as fast as she could.
She wasn't sure Zanister would use any of those gifts to rescue her family. He had family issues of his own. They would be his priority.
As Roriana stared into the twinkling stars and then the castles, halls and gardens. Everything felt so surreal. Sometimes she pinched herself just to wake up from this lucid dream. But each time it reminded her that this was reality.
Her hands unknowingly moved to cling on to the Irr silver pendant on her neck. The most expensive thing she owned. A last memory of her mother. She had sworn to take care of her little brothers after she died. Grandfather had tried his best to raise all of them, but there was little a low Qira who was blind could do. She couldn't let them die.
They were all she had left in this life. She would do anything to protect them.
They were the sole reason she risked her life to travel to meet the Great Emperor.
Roriana's eyes widened yet again.
She was getting married to the Great Emperor in three years.
Never in her wildest dreams would she have thought that it would end like this. This was the kind of thing even authors couldn't even let themselves imagine.
She could be queen, one day.... queen of an entire region. Even as a low Qira. Second only to the Great Emperor. Such power her mind could not even comprehend it.
In all ramifications, it all didn't make sense how everything could change in one single night.
A memory of the Emperor looking at her flashed in her head.
She was nothing. Worse than a speck of dust to someone so mighty. Literally. She didn't deserve to serve the Emperor as a slave much less a Named Wife.
But, she had not yet gotten the chance to tell the Great Emperor about the strife in her home world.
Only then could her world be saved and her brothers future secure.
Whatever it takes to get an audience with the Great Emperor, she would do it. She didn't even care about becoming queen.
She'd try her best to meet whatever standards that required.
She had to meet the Great Emperor. As an invader or a to-be wife.