The Empress sits on her throne, silent as always. She gazes through walls, people and time, immersed in the Empire of the unknown size. Around the Empress' world there's an eternal tussle for prolonging life.
The nursing home is an Empire too.
The nurse mumbles that the pay is not enough, and the doctors are weary of long hours.
The Empress knows eternity and weariness, but the impenetrable borders of the Empire wouldn't let any words in or out.
If it could, she'd tell the nurse that lavender has never been her favorite.