She hated to unleash Jimena in the Capital with no way to hold that viper's venomous mouth in check from afar, but she needed the peace distance would bring while preparing her plans. Emberlee again leaned on one of the only adults she trusted and recruited Uncle's people to try and counter any negative rumours Jimena might try to spread about Emberlee. It wasn't a perfect plan but at least it would help mitigate the damage Jimena would inevitably try to inflict. 
More unnervingly, Emberlee had to try and calculate Empress Clara's next interference; she'd sent the Imperial Physician to tend to and help masquerade Jimena's pregnancy while also trying to lure Emberlee into inaction as compliance. Jimena's attempts were almost desperately obvious, a combination of a devious personality combined with a perceived opportunity; Emberlee felt capable of countering anything Jimena would attempt, even the unexpected pregnancy could be dealt with. But the Empress was a far more dangerous political enemy. Emberlee couldn't be obvious in her thwarting of the Empress. Clara's letter had pressured Emberlee to abstain from interfering with Clara's plan to wed Vivian to Damien, and in return, the Empress would support her over Jimena. Only that had been a ruse as the Imperial Physician referenced in that same letter had helped Jimena disguise her pregnancy progression until it was the time to announce it. It was easy to conclude from there Clara's real intentions. That left Emberlee with limited options; obedience in the hopes that Clara would keep the promise of the letter, direct retaliation that would guarantee a united return assault, or calculated actions that would not see immediate results but would eventually bear fruit.
Emberlee wouldn't do the first regardless and was sorely tempted by the second despite the risks. Calculated actions would be theoretically safer, but it was a political chess game where she was a knight with restricted moves against a queen piece that could go anywhere. And Clara had a lifetime of experience playing the Game at an Imperial level; Emberlee had the lessons Mother raised her on, a Fairy in her reflection, and the determination to not fail her people. 
It was going to be an interesting year. 
Step one was getting Jimena and her daughters out of Ortega, it was that or potentially snap and strangle them in their sleep before dropping their corpses into the cesspit. Not the kindest of thoughts, but one that had its appeal nonetheless. 
Emberlee sent so many letters out to prepare for what was coming that she ran out of Crows and recruited Ravens to assist. Crows were intelligent, curious, and had personalities; Ravens were Crows in a bird of prey's size. Her Blessing worked on them but Emberlee felt it was more like they allowed it to work on them. Given that winter had significantly reduced the overall number of creatures Emberlee had available to charm and she was grateful the Ravens were so obliging. She'd reached out to more than just her Father, the Emperor, on her Grandfather, Emberlee contacted several of the families that were friendly with hers so that they were informed of the truth instead of being influenced by rumours. It would be inevitable that gossip would draw its conclusions, but she also knew that sometimes it's smarter to redirect the blow instead of trying to block it straight on. Like how the Vassal Lords had followed her lead on not acknowledging Jimena's pregnancy at all. She wasn't telling them to ostracize or shame Jimena;, that'd simply feed into her victim angle, instead, Emberlee simply cautioned that the news would have to come from her Father if he were to sire a child. 
That being expressed, she also informed them of the new Empress' interest and involvement in Jimena's settling, going so far as to send an Imperial Physician that had tended to the Stussicans for the last month. It was carefully worded to seem grateful but was a way to highlight the growing Stussican interference within Xutia; yes they were allies and Xutia was the newer Empire but there was a difference between assistance and assimilation. If Clara was willing to interfere in Ortega, a founding Family, the newer or lower-ranking families were at risk. The aristocratic counsel that worked with Emperor Andrion could easily protest such future attempts and pressure the Emperor. Part of Clara's marriage to Xutia was that she now was Xutian and should be focused on Xutia's best interests, but the reality was that she remained wholly Stussican.