Emilie of the Royal Heart

Chapter 23: The Prince Kisses on Behalf of His Country

They couldn't leave Lady Diselle's until Emilie was in perfect health again and even after that, until the Emperor allowed them to carry on back to the capitol. Emilie was still a little dizzy on her feet most of the time and Elias seemed uninclined to grant them permission to leave.

Emilie was preparing to take her things to the bath when Aurora came to her room. She opened the door and he came in with tense shoulders.

"I'm going to go to him," he said.

"To... your brother?" Emilie conjectured.

Aurora nodded with a straightening of his shirt, "yes. He's being unreasonable. I don't understand what he's trying to do with forcing our extended stay. He'll either bless the marriage or he won't, but I will make him give me an answer tonight."

"Why are you telling me this? It's not as if you need my approval," she pointed out, bundling her robe and her nightgown in her arms.

He pivoted around to look at her, "well, I... I... supposed you would want..." then he sighed, taking a cautious step toward her, "I also needed to ask you if you know why the Emperor is drawing this out."

"What do you mean?" Emilie asked, knowing what he meant. Her face felt warm.

Aurora sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. His eyes dropped from hers again and he couldn't seem to lift them back.

"Did he tell you about... have you talked... is he trying to..." he couldn't get the words out and it was painful to listen. Emilie didn't want the concept out in the open either, but she wanted to end his misery.

"You think he wants to win me from you and that's why he's making it difficult for you to leave with me. And you want to know as well if he has tried anything and if it's working," she surmised.

Very, very quietly, Aurora muttered, "yes."

Emilie swallowed. She clutched at her clothes and walked to the back of the room where Agatha had drawn the water for the bath. The tub was steaming and she put her clothes on the table next to the towel Minnie laid out.

"Well?" Aurora growled in the silence, "has he?"

She pursed her lips. She didn't know how to answer this at all.

"And is it?" he tacked on with defeat.

Emilie placed her hands on the edges of the tub and leaned over. The steam rose to her face. She wanted to pretend her skin was heating up because of this and not because of the position Aurora was putting her in.

Because at this point, she was getting confused!

How was she meant to feel with this question? Should she be blunt about Elias seducing her under the hydrangea bushes and the incredibly magnetized kiss they shared? Was she supposed to play modest for Aurora or was she supposed to be honest? What was their relationship anymore? Was it a lie? Was it real? Because the way Aurora had been looking at her lately - and kissing her lately - it was feeling real and she didn't understand what was expected of her anymore.

"I'm... not really... required to tell you about those things... it's not in the scope of our arrangement," she figured.

"Please do anyway."

Emilie furrowed her eyebrows and turned around. She crossed her arms and leaned her seat against the edge of the bath.

"Why?"

Aurora's hands kept clasped behind him, but he took leisurely steps like dripping honey into the back of Emilie's bedchambers where she perched against the tub. She watched his polished shoes step from the rich maroon carpet onto the hardwood because her mind spool was wound too much with anxiety to look at his face. She watched the candles around the bath flicker lights across his legs.