"Address them…?" Albert asked back, because even if she saw the will in Daisy, it just sounded out of place, especially right now, when the fire could ignite from even one misunderstood word among the people, and when the three kingdoms and the nobles were ready to wage war.
But that was the best thing she could do.
"I need to grab that last bit of hope they have in me, they have for their ruler." Daisy answered as she looked into Albert's eyes and saw that hint of fear in him about all of it. "A great leader is great for their people, but how can I be great when everybody judges me by my father?"
The main point, the worst of all of it, was that it didn't matter to anybody who Daisy was, what she was, or what she would become. Everybody was judging her by her father. That was why the three kings had so much courage to come into the palace, why they had the courage to call for a meeting, because they were all looking past Daisy, everybody looking at her father, at what he did… because, to be truthful, it was all because of him.
What he left to Daisy was a catastrophe… and the sad part about it was that even if he wouldn't have died in that fire, the same thing would have happened that was now happening to Daisy.
"I need to prove myself as the Empress." She said as she grabbed the hilt of the sword on her side. "And if they don't listen to me, then… we arm up."
"Arm up…?" Albert asked back knowing well what she meant by it.
Arm up against everybody who stood against them, let it be civilians, let it be an army or a kingdom. They would arm up to push down the idea of change.
"If no one listens or believes in me, then we need to make them believe through our actions. We need to push the change onto them. Even if they will hate me, they will eventually realize that what I stand for is better for them."
The common thing in every emperor is that when your own people don't listen, then you need to make them listen, and Daisy knew from the harsh lessons that this usually came with a lot of blood.
If they don't want the change, push them down the path of change with an army. Yes, they might rise up against you, but in the end they will realize that what you want for them is just to live a life they deserve, even if you need to kill some of them… but before even trying that, she wanted to try it, to address them and see if they listened to her, because if not, then the second option would come and she would order the military to arm up and be ready.
Chance?
[In an all-out war with the three kingdoms, their alliances, and the population of the Empire… zero. But if the people listen to you, then from that point on it is unpredictable.]
Good enough.
With that, she stepped from Albert to the door, opened it, and saw what she was in her past life. The Imperial Executioners were standing on the two sides, with some maids and servants who were still loyal to the core.
"Hear my orders!" Her voice so suddenly rose that everybody was surprised by it, and their eyes immediately hit the floor. "Capture everybody who has a red scarf on their shoulder and throw them into the prison. If needed, kill them on the spot!" She shouted, her voice echoing through the hallway, and just in that moment the future of rule was defined… and the guards answered her by striking their boots together and, within a second, were going to do exactly what she ordered, while Albert himself stood behind her in complete silence.
He was frozen by the fact that this was really happening, a change truly happening, but the question had no answer.
How would it happen?
With blood, or with the voice of Daisy?
Well, he was about to get his answer as Daisy literally stormed through the hallway, in her late father's uniform, the medals clanking thought, boots stomping against the ground, and her hand still on the hilt of the sword.
The sheer aura that surrounded her was something else, something that nobody could have ever thought would happen, but it did.
[System: I do not recommend to—
"Open the door!" She ordered, and the guard, with hesitation, pulled open the door, just striking fear into them, because she indeed looked like somebody who is ready for the war.
"Your Majesty, how nice—"
"Arrest them for treason of the Empire!" She shouted, cutting off King Giroma, and pointed to the nobles at the table who had the same red scarves on them.
They couldn't even say anything as Daisy guards pulled them through the table onto the ground and knelt on their heads. They were just quilt terrorized and frozen by the sheer absurdity of what had just happened, because they didn't expect it.
"Are you—"
"Shut your mouth, traitor!" Daisy shouted as she pulled out the sword from the sheath and pointed it to King Giroma's throat. "Vow loyalty to me or die by the will of the Empire!"
Silence, nothing more, because she came too fast, did something that was just so absurd, and yet it was all real. She was there, pointing her sword at King Giroma, the same words her father had slain many with, a sword forged in blood.
It wasn't just a sword, but the coming of war, the meaning of her will… and it was Orsen who was the first to speak up.
"I vow loyalty to the Imperial Majesty!" He shouted as he stood up, his body straight and his gaze at the floor, and he was followed by the other nobles and the two generals.
"Loyalty to the Imperial Majesty!" They shouted, their gaze on the floor.
"Are you so blind?!" King Giroma shouted, his hands clenched at his sides, his eyes carrying that sharp tint in them… he had that murder in it. Her head turned to read him as his evading composure slipped, as their plan failed, as he knew that war would truly break out… and it would be good for neither side. "Do you dare—dare to drag us into war, to spill blood in vain—"
"From the rivers to the mountains." Her voice rose again like a battle horn, staring into King Giroma's eyes with unyielding will. "From the earth beneath our feet to the heavens above, we shall rise! We shall defend what is ours, and let no shadow dare claim it!" She pressed the sword to his neck. "…and if fate demands our blood, then we shall give it without regret. We stand as one, river and mountain, land and sky. And if we must fall… then we fall standing!"
It hit them hard… King Giroma and the others couldn't even say anything back, because what they heard wasn't just a saying, it hit them in the heart. Bravery, loyalty… it hit them all… without even knowing that she quoted from the game that was now her reality… but it worked.
"Go before I kill you myself. Go and prepare your army for the war!
Nothing. Giroma couldn't say anything back, because the sheer will he saw in her eyes was real. She wasn't the Empress they could think of on the throne, but an Empress who would fight.
"You will regret it." The only four words that left King Giroma mouth after the long silence and with that he turned around and left with the other kings who didn't even say anything.
But Daisy herself had more to say.
"Prepare the army for war!" She looked at the two generals, then to the herald who stood frozen in the corner. "Spread my word, everybody from rich to poor, gather at the main square and hear my words!"
"Y-yes, Your Majesty!" the herald said back and just straight ran off, knowing that the message he was going to pass might be the end of the empire… or maybe the beginning.
The beginning of an age where they stand tall.