Emilie of the Royal Heart

Chapter 19: The Emperor Has Quite the Imagination

 Elias blinked at her and then he let go of her to prop himself up. Emilie backed up accordingly, though she was still sitting on his lap as she searched his eyes and hoped for the best answer.

"I don't understand," he whispered, his eyes narrowed as he returned Emilie the same quizzical expression she gave him.

"You say you want me but I find it strange to think that might be true and I worry it's more likely you have an interest in me to show your brother that you can take something of his. Just to... just to hurt him. And... I don't want that."

Elias scooted back so that he was sitting upright, though his legs were splayed out on either side of Emilie. She pulled her legs up beside her, dragging the skirts of her dress in to a pile like a cream puff.

"What do you find strange about my interest in you?" he asked, still whispering, though Emilie was sure he caught on that Tiago had passed through.

"You've only known me for a short time and yet you want us to be together? You - an emperor. I can't imagine I have anything the countless number of noblewomen you have already met do not have. I'm simply a refuge from Zuhia. So it must be that you want to betray your brother."

Elias raised an eyebrow, "you should learn to count your merits better."

"Huh?" she faltered.

"My attraction to you isn't strange. You're a beautiful, foreign woman who dropped out of nowhere with an uncommon amount of knowledge of Fellen law and the perfect timing for my quips," he chuckled, "I don't need to have you for a thousand days to know you're unique in my world. But I'm curious - why do you worry about my brother so? As I said, he's rather... stoic. Where did you learn to interpret his feelings?"

"Oh, he... just..." she found herself rather out of tongue after the way Elias assuaged her insecurities without a stutter. She was fazed enough from it that she let herself confess, "he was upset to learn about our meeting. Very... upset.... He came to me and begged me to tell him what happened as though he was truly concerned I had been unfaithful. And that was not what I'm used to from him."

"Really?" Elias' eyes flared wide, "I've never heard of him reacting like that. What I said about him being jealous at the gathering last night was a joke. I didn't think it was true. I guess he really has a heart deep down then. And it cares for you."

"I don't think... no, that can't be so."

Elias pursed his lips and glanced away. Emilie got the impression he thought she was being falsely modest about capturing Aurora's love, but he didn't understand that Aurora wasn't supposed to love her at all. If he knew that, then he would understand that Aurora couldn't care for her in such a way. He did kiss her. Fervently. But what was a fervent kiss between friends?

Emilie bit her lip. So, perhaps there was more to believe here.

"Even so," Elias trained his eyes back on her, "this doesn't change the fact that you don't love him. And neither does it change the fact that you should be mine instead."

"What is it you plan to do then? To have me like you think you should?" she thought aloud, petting the grass as she avoided his gaze. Her mind was filled with swarming thoughts, she couldn't even pick one to contemplate -not even whether or not she should be leaving the hydrangea bushes.

"I'm a better match for you, as I said," Elias insisted. His hand reached back and he looked away to grab his crown. When he turned back, he placed it back on his head, cushioned by his shortly cropped curls. His attention drifted back to Emilie and he mused, "would you like me to prove it, is that it?"