Emilie of the Royal Heart

Chapter 17: The Prince Does Something Improper

Emilie rose from her bed in her nightgown and left her robe lying on the bedside as she went to open the door to the man who knocked. When she opened up, she smirked and tilted her unbound hair to the side.

"So here we are again," she mused, peering at Aurora on the other side of her door. After using the moment to make a superficial quip at his expense, Emilie was able to get a better look at him.

Aurora wasn't wearing his crown. But he hadn't changed out of his ball ensemble, with its rich dark blues and velvet fabric, though his jacket was gone and the front few buttons on his shirt were undone, the collar crumpled.

"Rory?" her teasing attitude dropped as did her hand, "is everything alright-"

"I think you know who locked you in the bath," he stated, pushing past her and entering her bedchambers. He struggled to roll up his sleeves to his elbows.

Emilie, shocked by his behavior, closed the door behind him and turned around. She was going to stand there until he explained himself, but he was fighting his cuffs to a ridiculous degree and so she strode over to him and helped him roll the sleeves back. While she had her head craned down to fold his sleeves, he let out a long sigh and pulled his arm away the instant she was done.

"What is it you came here for?" Emilie scoffed. She crossed her arms.

"I think you know who locked you in the bath. Who was it?" he demanded.

"It was Sir Tiago, obviously."

Aurora whirled around and stormed toward her door. Emilie's body flared alight and she rushed to him, grabbing onto his arm to pull him back.

"Stop! Stop! You can't! If he thinks I'm using you as a tool to make my life easier, he'll go out of his way to make my life miserable!" she pleaded.

He halted in his fiery path. Emilie felt the muscles in his arm relax a little. It took him three full breaths to collect himself enough to face her again. When Aurora did turn around, he slid his arm out from under her touch.

"What is going on, Rory?" Emilie marveled. For once, she was absolutely speechless about his conduct. "You don't seem like yourself."

"To my merit, no doubt," he mumbled, walking past her to her bed and taking hold of the wooden post. He leaned his forehead against it.

"Are you drunk?" Emilie squinted at him.

"No," he sighed wistfully. He flipped around and leaned his back against the post - not to look at Emilie, but to run a hand down his weary face. "What happened between you and my brother outside of the bath?"

"I told you -no one was there besides us. No one saw anything."

"When you tell me that it makes me think that something happened between you two. Did it?"

"Why do I need to disclose such information? Unless you think the Emperor will spread rumors himself?" she proposed, watching him carefully from the far side of the room.

"He wouldn't do that."

"Then it seems as though it's none of your business. Why should I tell you if something happened?"

"Just this once," he begged, "out of courtesy."

Emilie let out a taut sigh and she dropped her arms by her sides, simpering at him, "only because you look desperate."

Aurora didn't give her any sort of reaction. He only grabbed hold of the pole behind him and tried to take slow breaths as he stared at the wall across from him as though the answers laid there. Emilie's face fell. Something must be very wrong with him if he wouldn't even get riled at her mocking. Aurora swallowed hard as he waited.