“This subject greets His Imperial Majesty. This subject greets Her Imperial Majesty and wishes her a happy birthday. May you both live long and rule wisely our great Empire,” Raena said as calmly as she could after Kassian spoke his greetings first. For a moment, there was no reply, then the Emperor’s laugh made her relax a little.
“What a well-spoken girl,” he said in a weak, hoarse voice that sounded like it belonged to a person smoking three packs of cigarettes a day. “Rise, both of you.”
Raena got to her feet, politely avoiding his eyes.
The Emperor and Empress sat on a platform in two beautifully crafted chairs with gilded backs featuring the Empire’s colors — black, red, and golden. The Emperor’s seat was slightly larger, but in his case, it only served to show how much smaller h
