Frontline Empress

The room was dimly lit, the faint glow of moonlight sneaking through a small, dirty attic window. I shuffled aimlessly across the creaky floorboards, kicking a small mound of gold coins into an already overflowing pile. One emerald rolled free, and I bent down, scooping it up to hold it to the light.

"Hah," I scoffed to no one in particular, tossing the gem back into the pile with a clink. "So boring…"

I leaned against a stack of ornate jewelry boxes, twisting a diamond ring onto each of my fingers before admiring my hands. "Look at me," I drawled, wiggling them dramatically. "Queen of the attic."

The humor quickly wore thin, and I slumped onto a pile of silk cushions, throwing my arms over my head with an exaggerated groan. "Damn it, I'm so bored…"

Just as I was about to resign myself to another night of aimless fidgeting, a tingling sensation crept into my mind. My body stiffened instinctively, and before I could react, a voice burst into my thoughts.

"Tridra," a familiar voice barked, sharp and commanding, "we have a mission for you."

"Finally!" I shot up, practically throwing myself off the cushions. "So, what am I stealing this time?" My fingers twitched with anticipation.

"This isn't just any mission," the voice continued, with a weight that made me pause. "I can't trust anyone else but you for this."

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." I grinned, already imagining the loot. "So, what is it?"

"You're going on a spying mission."

"Spying?" I groaned, flopping back down into my makeshift throne of gold. "Seriously? What am I, a glorified peeping tom?"

"Listen," the voice snapped, "you'll want to take this one. You'll be spying on the council."

My body went rigid. My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. "The council?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.

"Yes. We've received information they're holding a meeting tonight. They'll be discussing something highly valuable—something we could sell to the Kingdom of Nessigolopt for an astronomical price. Your job is to listen, take notes, and report back." There was a pause, and then the voice dropped into a tone that sent shivers down my spine. "Tridra, this is no ordinary mission. You've spied on them before, but with the looming war, they'll be on edge. Any mistake and it won't just be your life—it'll be worse. Capture, interrogation, torture. You can't slip, not even once."

A grin spread across my face, wide and uncontrollable. My fingers twitched with excitement, and my body buzzed as if someone had set a fire beneath my skin. "I don't need a reward," I said, my voice trembling with adrenaline. "This mission is the reward. Let me at it."

Skipping over to the mirror, my feet practically bounced off the floor. The pile of treasures clinked behind me as I made my way across the cluttered room. The polished crystal reflected my current form, and I paused for a brief moment, examining myself.

Short black hair framed my face, its soft waves cascading unevenly over my shoulders. My violet eyes gleamed ever so slightly, and my delicate green earrings swayed slightly as I tilted my head. I reached up and touched the side of my face, savoring the last moments of familiarity.

And then, it began.

A sharp pull coursed through my body. I watched as my hair began to shrink, each strand retracting until a tight buzz cut replaced the soft waves. My sharp features dulled, the curve of my cheekbones flattening into a broader, more rugged face. The slim line of my jaw squared off, giving my reflection an imposing look.

My torso twisted, my slender shoulders broadening and thickening. My frame lengthened, limbs stretching into a taller, more muscular build. Even my hands—once long and elegant—shifted into rougher, broader forms. 

When it was done, the mirror now reflected a man with short gray hair, calm gray eyes, a solid jawline, and a body built for strength rather than grace. I tilted my head, cracking my neck slightly, and smirked. 

He was right—this was going to be fun.

A few hours later, I stood before the massive gates of the palace, watching the knights stationed outside, their heavy armor gleaming in the fading light. As soon as I approached them, they quickly stopped me in my tracks. 

"Name and reason for being here?" One of them asked.

With a single breath, I let the gray in my pupils flicker from gray back to violet, just for half a second. They flashed, and at that moment, the knights fell under my spell. My eyes quickly returned to their normal gray color before the shift could be detected.

"You're new around here, aren't you?" I firmly stated.

His face tensed, his posture becoming more rigid. "I apologize, sir" he stammered, "Allow us to escort you inside."

Without protest, the knights led me through the grand gates of the royal palace. I barely had to do more than look at them, my charm slipping into their minds, weaving around them like silk. 

Another two guards standing at the entrance to the actual palace barely glanced up. Their eyes glazed over for the briefest moment, but that was enough. Soon, I passed, the ones who had also escorted me returning to their station, completely oblivious to what they had done. 

The path I took made sure to avoid the ones who might see through my charm—those few knights who had been trained to detect magic of my level. Just before this, I had studied their patrol patterns and learned where to slip through unnoticed.

The short journey ended on the fourth floor, where I found two guards standing before a set of heavy doors. I could feel the tension in the air as I approached them. They stiffened, their gazes sharp as they took in my presence, but I knew exactly how to handle this.

I walked right up to the first guard, my eyes flickering violet again for just a second. His expression softened immediately. 

"I've been sent to replace you. Stegertath's orders…" I stated. 

He blinked, confusion clouding his thoughts for just a second before he nodded.

Without hesitation, he stripped and I took the heavy armor from his body. The sword he had held slid easily from his back, and I took it without a word, slipping it into my grasp. I could feel his gratitude—more like submission—pressing against my senses as I donned his armor, adjusting it to my body until it fit snugly.

The guard, still disoriented and hazy, took my prior clothes and walked away, leaving me in his place. Now, this was where it was going to get intense as there was only a matter of time until people caught wind of a random man aimlessly walking through the halls of the royal palace.

The heavy doors loomed before me, and I took my place next to them, standing tall and still. I closed my eyes for a moment, allowing myself to slip into focus, tuning into the sounds coming from within the room.

I had to be patient. The meeting was just beginning. Every word that passed through that door would be mine to hear.

I closed my eyes and felt the silencing magic enveloping the hall like a thick wall. It was designed to keep out prying ears like mine. With steady focus, I began picking at it, carefully pulling at the threads of its enchantment. It wasn't brute force—I couldn't afford that. The Archmages would sense the disturbance in an instant. Instead, I worked delicately, sliding my own illusionary magic into the gaps I created, filling in the absence so seamlessly it would be like stitching a flawless hem.

It was slow work, like peeling an onion layer by layer without bruising its skin. After what felt like an eternity, I finally created a hole just big enough to let sound through. 

The first words to drift into my ears were, "And with the confirmation from the other scholars, we believe this discovery could hold critical implications for the safety and future of the Holy Empire."

I shook with excitement, barely able to keep myself still. My hands tightened around the sword at my side, the sound muffled by the thick leather gloves I wore. But then they started talking about Ophelia this and Ophelia that, and my enthusiasm deflated. My thoughts wandered. Why were they discussing that newly inaugurated Duchess with the southern territory? It seemed pointless.

I was jolted back into focus when another voice spoke, one I recognized immediately as General Medarda's. "But what choice do we have now? If these ruins hold anything of value—power, relics, knowledge—we can't risk ignoring it. Ophelia's made sure of that." Excitement surged through me again. Ruins? Relics? This was the kind of information the guild could sell for a fortune.

But before I could bask in my anticipation, the eerie click of heels echoed down the marble corridor. My head snapped toward the sound. A woman strode toward us, her long silver hair cascading like a river of light, her sharp silver eyes locking onto everything in her path. She was taller than me, even in this new form, her pale skin almost glowing against the simple dress she wore, adorned with golden jewelry that somehow made her presence even more commanding.

I had only seen her once during the inauguration, but it was obvious… that this was Ophelia.

The closer she came, the harder it was to breathe. Her aura pressed against me like a weight, choking and suffocating. The guard beside me shifted uncomfortably, and I realized we were both holding our breaths.

Something I hadn't anticipated, happened. The guard opened the doors without hesitation, and I quickly followed his lead, keeping close beside him as Ophelia stepped through. He announced her arrival, his voice trembling slightly, and the atmosphere inside the hall immediately grew tense.

For the briefest moment, Ophelia glanced back at me, a smirk curling her lips. My blood ran cold as the doors shut behind her. Shivers rippled down my spine, and my instincts screamed at me.

This was bad, but… I was only getting more excited. I couldn't waste this opportunity at an even bigger adrenaline rush.

Without wasting a second, I turned to the guard and charmed him into forgetting me entirely. As soon as he wandered off, I returned to my true form and managed to find the aimlessly wandering knight I had just charmed into leaving his position. We quickly changed back into our respective clothes and I charmed him into forgetting me and returning to his station. Soon, as I ran through the royal halls, my original form returned as it was more comfortable, and short black hair fell around my face in uneven waves. My violet eyes gleamed as I touched the side of my face.

I charmed and maneuvered my way upward, weaving through the palace until I finally reached the roof. From there, I worked on the silencing magic once again, peeling it apart like before and slipping in my illusions to mask the gaps. Sweat beaded on my back as the tension mounted, but eventually, I managed to crack through.

The conversation below was sharper now, more intense. Ophelia had taken charge, her voice cool and unwavering. The council, however, pushed back, their words laced with distrust. They dismissed the scholars' claims outright, citing the ruined reputation of Royal Attendant Stegertath.

Then Ophelia sighed. Her voice cut through the air like a blade… "Then… I will have to send the coordinates to the Kingdom of Nessigolopt."

A shiver shot through me. The bloodlust that followed was suffocating, like a tangible force wafting from the room. I couldn't see what was happening, but I felt it. My mind raced. Had they killed her? Was she unconscious? It was impossible to tell until General Medarda spoke again. 

"She isn't lying... she isn't bluffing."

Clearly, she had a way of distinguishing between the truth and a lie as the other council members didn't even question her.

Archmage Agueric followed, his voice like ice. "Then we must kill her."

But Ophelia's voice returned, calm but sharper now, laced with undeniable authority. "At any moment during this meeting, I can sell this entire Empire out. I did not want to resort to this, but you have forced my hand. Support me, or may you all be the reason this Empire falls."

The tension in the room escalated. The bloodlust thickened, suffocating even from where I sat, listening through my spell.

'She… isn't lying," General Medarda spoke once more.

"You all did not believe in what the scholars said, but what about now? Do you still not believe?" Ophelia delivered the final blow. A heavy silence filled the hall after Ophelia's sharp words cut through the tension. "Only when a real threat comes up do you choose to believe in the absolute neutral perspective. Instead of weighing your options with other useless thoughts, use your brain. I adore that arrogance of yours, but... acknowledging your arrogance is not a sin; refusing to refine it is. Let your arrogant pride drive you to act boldly, but your wisdom ensure you act rightly."

I held my breath. The silence stretched on, oppressive and unyielding. My heart sank as I wondered if the spell had been undone and if I'd been completely blocked out of the conversation. But no—it wasn't the magic. It was just… the fact that nobody was speaking.

Finally, a single voice rose from the quiet. "I will support you," said Archmage Medarda. Her tone was steady. "However, I need you to provide tangible evidence that there truly is something as deal-breaking as you make it out to be. Your time limit is one month—the amount of time it will take for our empire to prepare all the necessary troops for the upcoming war."

A pause followed, thick and uncertain, until another voice broke through.

"I will then support you as well, as long as you follow those conditions."

"I agree. I will support you."

"Same. Do not fail."

"Sigh... then I will support you."

"Yes. As long as you fulfill those conditions, then I will support you."

My chest tightened as I absorbed their words. They were agreeing. All of them. The implications of this were enormous, a cascade of possibilities running through my mind. My heart pounded so loud I feared someone would hear it… yet that only made me more eager. My body quivered with excitement.

I prepared to slip away, satisfied with my discovery. But then Ophelia's voice, calm yet chilling, stopped me dead.

"Then, let us begin by getting rid of the rat."

Before I could react, the roof beneath me crumbled away, and I plummeted through the air. From Archmage Medarda's hands, chains, glowing with arcane energy, lashed around me before I hit the ground, pinning me to the marble floor. They wrapped tightly around my wrists, ankles, and neck, forcing me to kneel in the center of the council chamber. I struggled, but the magic binding me was far too strong.

The air in the room was heavy. I looked up, my breath caught in my throat. Surrounding me were the council members, two other men, and of course, Ophelia. Her silver eyes locked onto mine, her lips curled into a light grin that sent a chill down my spine.

"Well," she said softly, her voice carrying through the chamber like a blade slicing through the air. "Anything to say for yourself?"