The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Eighty-Four

"If I were to marry your princess or the princess of Avris, it wouldn't matter. They are all royalty, but I assure you—Princess Luna is a more suitable candidate to rule the empire." Emperor Cabel shrugs, sitting back in a chair.

"Your highness! We came all this way and now Princess Safia is heartbroken! She believed she would become a candidate, but you ignored all traditions to stay with that concubine!" A man shouts.

"Concubine?" Emperor Cabel glares at the room of advisors from different kingdoms.

They flinch as his eyes glow brightly with a calm smile on his lips.

"I gave her back her rightful title, her title is no longer, concubine." He coldly speaks.
The atmosphere grows heavier, almost suffocating as everyone instinctively holds their breath.

"You dare to stand in front of the emperor of this empire—where none of you guppies belong to—trying to stick your noses in places that don't concern you. I assure you, I have enough wealth to pay your king's for the trouble, but to insult my future bride is a foolish mistake." Emperor Cabel stands, gripping the handle of his sword.

"Y-Your highness! You can not harm us! We can place an order against you to start war!" Another man exclaims.
"And? Does it look like that matters to me, when you're sitting here on your entitled asses— insulting the future mother to the empire? To think you'd sit in front of me and believe I can not do as I please, in my empire—is enough to punish you for treason."
The men all pause, gulping as they feel the emperor's glare analyze all of them.

"You lowly pests are delusional to believe you have a say in someone else's land, especially one that can overthrow your own kingdoms. Tread lightly, you might find yourselves in a difficult situation." Emperor Cabel unsheathes his shining polished sword, holding it close to his face.

Admiring the shining reflective blade for a moment, he wears a devious smile.
His tongue runs over the flat part of the blade—licking it from the base of the blade to the middle.
Taking a moment to roll his tongue in his mouth, he savors the taste.

"Poisoned with the Taipan serpent venom. I always thought it tasted delicious. Bitterly sour like ammonia, yet sharply metallic like how fresh blood smells." Emperor Cabel licks his lips, walking around the room.

He instantly appears behind a man, holding the blade close to the neck of the man who called Luna a concubine.

Emperor Cabel gazes around the room at the nervous officials who watch in a cold sweat. The blade millimeters away from the man's skin, his face and neck dripping with sweat as he stares at Emperor Cabel's sword.

"To think you'd try to threaten war to control the emperor. I suggest you think again before waging war against the one that has you by the throat." Emperor Cabel chuckles, amused by their pale complexions, "I'm curious... I've ate this poison ever since I could walk, so I wonder how it can affect a person who's had no exposure."

The room falls silent as the men watch Emperor Cabel's calm, yet entertained expression.

"Do you wish to die this badly that you call my fiancée her dead title?" Emperor Cabel lowly speaks into the man's ear.
"F-Forgive me, your highness! I-I was careless and forgot my place!" The man cries, staring at the blade.
"What a poor choice in words. I'll leave your life in someone else's hands then. Bring in Princess Safia. If she's willing to get on her knees and lick the blade, I'll let you live. If you can't call for her, then taste the poison yourself." Emperor Cabel grins.
"P-Please spare Princess Safia's life! Take mine instead!" The man shouts, determined.
"Hm?" Emperor Cabel hums, pleased as he watches the mans expression.

Just as the tension grows suffocatingly high—the emperor takes the blade away, quickly sheathing it.
The man collapses forward, panting as his eyes water from the scent of the bitterly acidic venom.

"Watch your tongues from now on—or you'll have the choice to die or let your own princesses die. But who knows, I might kill your princesses after I display your guts at their feet." Emperor Cabel walks out of the room, slamming the doors behind him as the advisors are left speechless and mortified.

"Your highness, Lady Luna has returned to her bedroom for the night." Lance calls out, approaching Emperor Cabel from down the hall.

"Good, is she doing alright?" The emperor questions, rolling his tongue as he savors the taste left in his mouth.
"Yes, your highness-" Lance pauses as Emperor Cabel walks past him, "Y-Your highness, this scent."
"My breath? To think it'd be this pungently bitter, hopefully those fools drop and die from the smell." Emperor Cabel scoffs, removing his handkerchief from his pocket.
Wiping his lips, he removes the residue of the venom.

"Your highness, you may be desensitized to the venom but it could still damage you."
"Have you forgotten? A small lick of it's nothing compared to the amount I was forced to ingest."
"Still, you need to be cautious of your health. Please wash your mouth, and avoid sharing your saliva with Lady Luna."
"What a suggestive comment." Emperor Cabel walks, lightly snickering.
"Your highness." Lance enunciates, "The venom will still be in your mouth, even if you scrubbed it clean for hours. She's never been exposed to such deadly toxin before, so you must do well to not share saliva for the next few days."
"I know. Bring her something to eat before bed, I'll be returning to the celebration hall." Emperor Cabel commands, shoving his handkerchief in his pocket.

Upon hearing his words, Lance stammers for a moment.

"You'll be returning?" Lance tilts his head.
"Those stupid advisors of mine will be more at ease if I attend for the full night. I'm doing this for Luna, don't get me wrong."
"Understood, your highness. I'll join you in the ballroom afterwards."
"Perfect." Emperor Cabel walks through the hallway, heading to the loud sounds of music and laughter.