Editing Parchments and Bolters (section)

=== Entertaining The Nobles ===

The Emperor had to be a human to an extent. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have such terrible obsession with gold. The Imperial Palace was a labyrinth, a behemoth of a building despite the initial construction. 5552 had to admit however, the rate of construction was faster than she had expected, but what shocked her more was the plan, it was going to take centuries to actually finish it. Despite the state of the construction the Imperial Palace was already a marvel to behold, the interior was rough but still far more elegant.

The walk along was an hour long to her room from Malcador’s it is only by the Emperor’s trust that she given short cuts to do so. Another reason 5552 knew the Emperor was more human that he let on was her change of guards Yes, there still was Longinus and her squad of custodes. Now there was Sisters of Silence, the newly formed of the “nulls” as they were classified as.

It took time to learn to speak their hand signals, but thankfully they were not deaf. 5552 learned to shove the uneasy sensation of the nulls, it wasn’t their fault that they were born that way. The tall golden clad women, 5552 wondered what kind of a life they had before arriving here. Then there was the talk of Schola Progenium…

“Yes that’ll be fine, thank you.”

5552 stood as the sister clasped the latches of her necklace of gold, bearing the Aquila, a rather heavy piece of necklace along with the gold knitted dress, and… just about everything she wore was gold, even her eyeliner. Any accessories? Gold. 5552 wasn’t sure if she should be happy or be conerned about the Emperor’s fixation on gold.

The door to her personal quarters opened, and with four custodians and 3 sisters of silence, they marched to the banquet hall. In the long walk, her thoughts were still of her sons, scattered across no one knows.

Along with her grief, it was now her duty to entertain the guests.

The double gate of the Imperial banquet hall opened. To the lords of Terra and nearby planets, they watched with bated breath. The Empress of The Imperium, rumored to be old as if not older than the Emperor himself. First were her custodian guards. For the first time spectators, they gasped at their sheer presence. Giants in gold, weapons not only lethal but a master word of their own, the very ground they walked caused the floor to shake. In two separate lines they marched the stood facing each other for the procession

Then, the Sisters of Silence, marched, taking placed in the gaps of the custodians. Some of the lords whispered, the rumors of the Sisters of Silence and the Empress’s ascension was too coincidental. That, and the fact that they were more zealous of the Empress’s protection. No lords could understand how the Empress could withstand the uneasy aura the sisters have.

"The Empress… just where is she from?” One of the lord said.

“No one knows, some say she was with the Emperor since the day of his unification.” The other lord replied. “I heard she knows the ancient knowledge of Terra. An immortal like our Emperor."

“She must be quite the woman of beauty and intelligence then.” The lord said. “But no one knows her origins, truly?”

Another lord, fat as a pig with a busy moustache huffed annoyedly.

“She is the woman that our Emperor chose, her origin does not matter, only that she is worthy of the Emperor's affection, and our respect. You’d do well to remember that Lord Faust. She does not attend to these gathering so you should be grateful.”

“Of course of course…” Lord Faust said. “It is mere curiosity. Is she allied with any of the houses such as-”

“There she is.”

There was a footstep, and a warm aura that flooded the banquet hall. It was the Emperor, as glorious and regal as the day they saw him. Beside him was the Empress, walking along side him silently as the Emperor's presence shrouded hers.

She was but a mere woman, yet… unlike the Emperor she carried an aura of warmth that drew the lords and ladies in, like a mother they have never met. There was no gold glow, she was not a woman of tall stature, nor did she have a presence that demanded respect. She was but a woman.

But why was it that there was something about her

The lords and ladies were curious to find out, they wanted to speak with the woman that had become the most powerful woman in the Imperium. But first, they needed to get past her guardians.