What It Takes To Rule

Anne was still unconscious when Hazel returned to the palace. 

But that was not the only thing that caught her attention. The whole palace was filled with the two factions of nobility. One that supported her while the other was standing in her opposition.

  "To think that you want to stand in the position of our ruler. What do you even know about the empire? We have only seen you for the first time in your marriage, princess!" said the faction that still wanted the duke to win the throne.

They looked at her like she was a greedy woman who did not care if the whole empire would burn to ashes. She only wanted the position of herself. 

Hazel could see the old empress, her half mother, in that crowd with the first princess.