Chapter 18 - Taking over

At dusk, the sound of footsteps echoed through the imperial palace's large hallways. With the army incapacitated, Jarvan successfully usurped the throne from the emperor.

After many hours of meticulous cleaning and a lot of maids vomiting from the splattered blood the throne room was once again spotless. For those who didn't know nothing seemed to have happened here.

As Evienne, followed by Jarvan, entered the room a lot of the guards standing there stiffened a bit. Although Jarvan had already roughly explained the situation to them it was still a little hard for them to suddenly accept a new emperor so suddenly after they just got rid of a tyrant, even more so when that emperor wasn't someone they knew.

"As I said before, I won't intervene with whatever you want to do to that man. You can handle it as you see fit."

"I also won't take full control of the empire for now. I'll wait till Diana is ready so tell everyone that they are to continue doing what they were doing."

Although a little worried, Jarvan didn't voice his complaints. From his previous interactions with Evienne, he knew she barely even listened to him, to her he was like background noise that sometimes happened to get a little attention.

Slightly raising her hand Evienne motioned to one of the maids standing to get closer. She was a mature woman, not that tall, and had an appearance that didn't gather much attention. But what beckoned Evienne to call her was that since the start she had not once shown the slightest doubt about her ascension to the throne, unlike most of the other people present. Even Jarvan still harbored some thoughts that would be considered heretical following the Mother Church.

"I want you to clear out a big place in the palace's garden. It should be easily accessible and mostly hidden from the outside." She told the maid that had her head bowed.

"Are you planning to connect the nest to the palace Your Majesty?"

"Of course, we already have pathways beneath the capital so connecting it to the palace is the correct course of action. Also, prepare a room for me and Diana, and don't forget to accommodate the doctors too."

---

After a month, things in the palace had mostly calmed down, almost everyone who worked there didn't have any fear of Evienne now. It was needed much for them to know that she wasn't like the previous emperor.

The connection to the nest had also been established but since just a hole in the ground that connected to it didn't fit in the aesthetic of the imperial gardens the ants were now working together with Arachne to beautify the entrance.

At first, there was a bit of resistance against having monsters in the palace but that was peacefully handed pretty quickly. After all, they wouldn't have anything against the monsters if their help was needed.

"What are you thinking about?" Diana now only hung around Evienne doing nothing, patiently waiting for the day she would give birth. While she didn't do that, Evienne wouldn't let her work.

"Don't you think Arachne has been pretty strange?"

"What do you mean strange?" She tilted her head out of confusion.

"She's been really close with that maid these days, no?"

Diana's face got a little knowing smile and she looked suggestively at Evienne.

"What? Is momma jealous her daughter doesn't spend the entire day around her anymore?"

Her posture got a little awkward. Deep down she knew why Arachne was behaving this way. She very clearly had a little something for that maid. And as her mother, she could only support her in her choices.

"A-Anyway, what are we supposed to do now? We've already gotten a hold of the palace and the nobles in the capital as you said."

"Hm… Now we need to get the support from the nobles who defend the borders and from the kings of the various kingdoms. But you don't need to worry, all will come with time."

Now sitting by her side, Evienne pulled Diana onto her lap and started caressing her belly.

"Besides, we'll soon have an occasion where we can invite a lot of people to the castle. At that time, you can get the nobles to support you."

"What would I do without you?" Evienne smiled slightly.

---

Meanwhile, in a building hidden in the palace's garden, a lot of people stood together, all worshiping the statue of a beautiful woman.

"Sisters! Our goddess has finally extended her influence to the empire, now, it is our turn to spread her word and image through every single street and house. Everyone shall know of her glory!"

As the woman standing on the high ground finished her words everyone's prayers intensified.

In the short time Evienne has been on the throne her devout followers had already built a simple church inside the palace that they used to spread their religion.

All of this was made easy since Arachne, a member of the church, could transport the followers from their town to the palace now that it was connected to the nest.

Now, their mission was to spread the glory of their god to everyone.