The wedding of Davys Oreli, the forty-fifth president of the Oreli clan, and Auguri Anna, the twenty-third descendant of the leaders of the Volyrts was marked by pomp and circumstance. Everyone who was anyone in the empire was in attendance. The wedding took place in the palace, which was exquisitely decorated for the occasion.
The president was impeccably dressed in his military attire and was handed his sceptre, which denoted his authority. He had never looked more handsome. He solemnly glanced at himself in the mirror one final time before uncertainly looking at Valerya. She kept her face expressionless as she stood in the corner of his room, making sure everything went smoothly.
As Davys turned around to go to the hall, all the subordinates, Valerya included, gave a salute. She would never have admitted it, but the feeling that she was bidding the man she loved farewell to get married to another woman, hurt her more than all the times she had been shot.
They all made their way to the hall located in the middle of the palace. It was incredibly large, but it was filled to the brim with dignitaries. She sighted the prime minister and Auguri Rita talking in hushed whispers at a corner. An opera singer made beautiful music in the background, and expensive drinks of various hues were shared. Valerya kept downing drink after drink, not sure what they were, but each made her feel lighter than the last.
At half past ten precisely, the gigantic doors were swung open, and the bride made her graceful walk down the hall to meet her groom. Enchanting music was played with musical instruments, which made her slow walk seem magical. As the girl walked, she looked at everyone as if they were beneath her. She kept her head high and maintained the plastered smile on her face. Her groom looked at her respectfully.
The officiant of the wedding, an aged Volyrt, began the wedding with the words of the empire.
"Siakes diadem Osmore friyam requiem." and there was complete silence in the hall. The wedding was about to begin. The Volyrt had the couple on low chairs, as he lectured them about the sanctity of marriage. A normal couple would have been on their knees, but they were the president and his new queen, so they knelt for no one. The officiant brought out a pink satin ribbon and bound Davy's right hand with Auguri Anna's left. The wine was passed to Davys who took a sip, and he guided the glass to his bride's lips.
"I take you as my wife," Davys said.
"I take you as my husband," Auguri Anna stated without the slightest ounce of hesitation. The President was now a married man, the first person to unite the presidency with the volyrts. After that, the wedding ceremony went smoothly, but Valerya couldn't witness it as she snuck out of the palace. She knew she had one shot, and she decided to take it while everyone was distracted by the royal wedding.
When she arrived at the grand square hall, she went straight upstairs to the highest floor where she could have a clear view of the podium. She knew the person who killed the previous president was no human. Based on what Sebastian said, it was certainly a hologram, but even all of them were thoroughly searched before the conference and after the shooting.
Oreli Marjan was shot in the back of the head, so she made her way towards the direction that overlooked the back of the podium directly. She turned on her flashlight and checked the floors of the upper floor thoroughly. Nothing. She decided to climb each of the pillars in turn and check the ceiling. When she reached the fourth one, she found what she had been searching for, and the answer to all her unanswered questions. No bigger than a closed fist and shaped like a matchbox, she saw a destroyed mechanical hologram. She didn't dare touch it, but from the gaping bullet-shaped hole at its centre, it was obvious it was created for one purpose, and one purpose only: to dispense a single bullet. And from the events that transpired at the conference, it wasn't hard to figure out that the bullet was meant to kill the president.
As she came down from the pillar and made her way slowly back to the palace, her head swimming in thoughts, she arrived at the conclusion she had been dreading ever since the shooting. The former president was not killed by the man Vivien hired, rather he was killed by another. Someone who had intended to kill him from the start, and planned everything to a tee. Everything was falling into place. Valerya knew exactly who it was.
The moment she got back to the palace, she knew something was wrong. It was much too quiet for her liking. As she entered, she tried to blend in with the other palace workers lined up by the wall. The workers were in lines of two, each facing the other. There was a space of about five meters at the centre, fit for a person to walk in. Valerya noticed that the new queen of the palace was at the other end, in the middle of a speech, not facing her.
"The reception begins in exactly two hours, and I expect all of you to…," her voice trailed off and there was silence.
"You are late!" the high-pitched voice shrieked. All the workers turned to look at Valerya, and she in turn looked around. When no one spoke up, Valerya asked awkwardly, "Me?"
"Yes, you. Are you dumb?" Auguri Anna asked. Valerya scoffed but didn't say anything. She was surprised the child had noticed. The little bitch. The Auguri came to stand directly in front of her. Valerya bit her lip, trying to control her anger as Davy's wife held her chin and lifted her face.
"I am the first lady of this great empire. I am outranked by only the president and no one else. The next time I call a meeting, I expect you to line up with the others, no tardiness. Disobedience would be dealt with severely. And that goes for the rest of you."
"Let her go, Anna," Davys ordered.
"No need to defend me, Mr. President. I quit," Valerya countered as she grabbed Auguri Anna's hand and shoved it away from her chin.