The weight of a crown is often measured in gold and jewels, but I have learned its true measure is in patience. Today, I spent hours listening to courtiers debate tariffs on Edrithian wool, my hands folded neatly, my expression a placid lake. They speak of commerce, but I hear the voices of shepherds, the rhythm of looms in my homeland. A queen may rule, but an Empress Consort must master the art of listening—for in the spaces between their words, the true negotiations begin.