Emilie of the Royal Heart

Chapter 9: The Prince Doesn't Sleep in the Nude but He Might Want to

The days following Emilie's visit with the Countess, she was tasked with preparing for the Southern Tour. Emilie spoke frequently with her attendants about what she might need to know for her travels (though her attendants would be joining her) and she had many an excuse to speak to Cedric about the wardrobe she would be bringing. Since their last standoffish interaction, the Tailor spoke less freely, but his personality shone through enough that he and Emilie got to making jokes however hard he seemed to try to avoid it with her. Emilie was glad he found it hard to hide himself in her presence.

As opposed to last month's here and there, she got to speak with Prince Aurora consistently for at least an hour a day if not spend the afternoon with him in silent study while he poured over reports at his desk. Strangely enough, Emilie enjoyed her quiet afternoons reading and taking notes on her Fellen law books in the same room as Aurora. She hadn't realized how alone she felt spending her evenings in the library and in her bedchamber until he invited her to join him in his office.

Of course, Aurora had a huge desk and a big chair with many drawers and shelves surrounding him. As soon as he sat down to work, he often disappeared as though he had plunged into the heart of the ocean and there was no amount of gentle nudging or calling out that could bring him back until he was ready. While he did his work, Emilie sat in an armchair in the corner and Aurora had the servants bring in a small table on its side for her to use for note taking.

For the past several days as they grew closer to leaving the palace on the Southern Tour, Emilie had been observing Aurora closely for openings. His body bent over his work, feverishly writing this and that, and he wouldn't even notice if his crown started slipping, but there was often a moment when he would come up for air from his labors. Emilie couldn't always predict this moment, but she knew she could get his attention at this point, so she watched carefully until one night, she caught him.

"I should have asked this question a while ago," she blurted as he pulled his chest up and aligned his posture until it seemed as though there was a wooden board shoved in the back of his waistcoat. Aurora set down his pen and blinked the confusion away. He pushed his crown back up on his forehead where it was supposed to be and he peered back at Emilie.

"What is it?" he leaned his head to one side and then the other to stretch out his tired neck with his eyes closed, but then he peeked one open to look at her.

"I didn't know if it was appropriate to ask, that's why I haven't asked you yet," she confessed. She drummed her pen on the length of paper beneath it. Then she closed to cover of the book strewn across her lap.

"What..." he droned, then broke off into a restrained laugh as he opened both his eyes and twisted himself better toward her, resting folded hands in his laugh, "I find it funny that you both have an inappropriate question for me and that you have waited some time to ask it. Alright, I have prepared myself for your filthy question."

"Respectfully -shut up, your highness," Emilie's cheeks burned, "it's not that kind of question."

"Ah, well I thought this conversation was going to be at the very least entertaining, so that is a notion I'm disappointed to be dispelled of so early on," he sighed.

"Forgive my saying, but you are exceedingly curt for your station, sir," Emilie narrowed her eyes.

"I wish you would find the impertinence to ask your inappropriate question already before I decide not to answer it."

She scarcely believe the exchange they just had and her eyes even darted to the closed door to check that no one was in earshot to hear her tell Prince Aurora to, respectfully, shut up.

"Fine!" she scoffed, flattening her pen down on the table. She sat upright in her chair and set her book off to the side. She swallowed down her anxieties about bringing up the subject before she forced herself to ask him, "what did the Keeper mean when he talked about 'your circumstance'? What did he mean when he said 'it is necessary to choose a partner who will have the capability to rule Fellen in your stead'?"

Aurora groaned and ran a hand over his face. The rings on his fingers flashed at her under the lamp light. He dropped his hands on the surface of the desk and glanced sidelong at Emilie.

"You could've asked me if I sleep in the nude instead. I think I would've preferred that."

"Why would I have asked that?"

"Look -this question you've asked? It's very silly. You've made yourself sound very silly lending it any important."

"Are you calling the Keeper silly as well?"

"Absolutely I am."

"Can you at least tell me what he meant by what he said?" Emilie huffed. She slid off her armchair and marched over to the front of Aurora's desk, "it would help me keep our agreement if I knew why the Keepers wanted you to have a wife and why they aren't sure I'm an adequate choice."

Aurora's eyes slowly transitioned from the desk to staring up at Emilie. Before, he seemed to enjoy batting conversation back and forth like a good game of tennis, but now he looked weary from it. He was still in 'prince mode' so he strained to be cordial about it, but it was clear now as Emilie saw him up-close that he did not want to have any part of the conversation anymore.

"The Keepers of Tradition..." he began reluctantly, looking off to the side, into nothing, "they... they basically believe my reign may end soon. I do not. That is all."

"Do they think your brother will remove you from the Fellen throne if he doesn't approve of me?" Emilie tried to understand, "is that it?"

"No," Aurora replied in a heavy voice. When he looked back at her, Emilie knew the conversation was over, "what they believe has nothing to do with you so give it no more thought."

She couldn't help but push, "is there a concern for your health-"

"Give it no more thought."

He meant to shut the notion down but the way he cut her off gave Emilie a late revelation. Her speech at the dinner - it hadn't worked because everyone thought it was sweet how a tragic Zuhian refugee found a home in their Fellen prince! It had worked because she told them how the prince knew how precious time was. She spoke about how they didn't have any to waste. She told them that they were getting engaged because they knew time was short and everyone believed her because probably half the nobles at that table were for some reason convinced that Aurora might die soon.

Of course, these ideas could outlandish. That's why Emilie wanted to talk to Aurora about it. But even though he said he didn't believe whatever the Keepers did about his health or his circumstance, he insisted on being tight-lipped about it. She couldn't know for sure. Still, she felt there were signs pointing to it.

That Aurora might be sentenced to death.