The Army of Empress Haliyesan
The Empress' Army is a unit formed by Empress Haliyesan two years after the start of her reign. The Army was so named by members of the court who opposed its existence, although the misnomer was later adopted by the rest of Huran's court and the Empress herself. However, in truth, the Army consists of two branches, only one of which is a military force dedicated to the Empress' protection. The second branch of the Army is the intelligence branch, a spy network that is said to span the entirety of Huran- and even the Empire and beyond. The most important and infamous aspect of the Empress' Army is the identity of its members; every single senior member within the Army's numbers must be a member of Empress Haliyesan's family. Her siblings, cousins, aunts, and uncles all hold the only positions of importance, thus ensuring the Army's absolute loyalty to the Empress.
The Investigative Office
A well-known department within the ranks of the Army's vast spy network is the Investigative Office, a branch with more overt authority that carries out the Empress' will in investigating crimes and corruption among the nobility. While not hidden and secretive like the rest of the intelligence branch of the Army, the Investigative Office is able to officially and legally access information that the Empress' spies cannot.
Led by the Empress' closest cousin, simply named the Imperial Investigator by most in a polite attempt to maintain the fiction that the Empress' Army answers to the imperial family as a whole rather than one woman alone, the Investigative Office operates across the Empire to keep the nobility in check and ensure that none can act against the Empress' interests. This has mostly involved investigating cases of corruption and treason against the imperial family, although the past few years have seen the Imperial Investigator sent to Yatham on a secret mission at the Empress' request. After nearly a decade away from court, many in Huran have forgotten what it was like to be under the watchful gaze of the Investigative Office, but recent events may see them recalled to the capital soon...
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I like how the army began as a joke name before it became a real thing. I can't help but think, however, that just because members are relatives, does not neccesitate that they will be loyal....
Good point! That's why the Empress selects those she trusts the most, and her spy network does the rest of the work in ensuring no one betrays her... for now. Thank you for reading and commenting!!