𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙟𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮

Ｌ

˜”*°• Imperial Majesty •°*”˜

It would have seemed Navier accidentally dropped her handkerchief as she pulled out her pen and paper yesterday.

She had searched everywhere in her room but it wasn't there.

That handkerchief was always with her wherever she goes and that it turned into a mere habit of hers to always carry it.

After working as usual, she quickly left the central palace proceeded to the western palace's garden.

As she arrived there however,

"My goodness! It's quite alright! The Empress never comes at this time of day."

"Does the Empress really own the entire western palace? Only the Empress’ bedroom is hers."

"The Empress often visits here too, so why not Lady Rashta as well?"

She heard loud chatter and laughter erupting from her secret place, but she knew now it wasn't such a secret after all.

Her emerald coloured eyes observed from behind the bushes, intently observing what was happening in front of her.

Rashta was sitting on her nest like chair and was giggling as a maidservant was pushing it like a swing.

"!"

"Y-Your majesty! Oh no..."

It was then she revealed herself and pushed aside a few stems as she slowly approached them.

Once she saw her, Rashta was quick to jump off the chair, "B-Big sister...I-I mean, your majesty—"

"That chair..."

Anger flared inside her chest, her eyes were narrowed and were fixated at her seat, "...Is mine."

The silver haired woman flinched at her clipped tone, "Oh, um...! I-I...!"

And that's when she noticed something from behind the concubine's dress— it was her lost handkerchief.

It turns out, she was sitting on it.

"And that handkerchief you were lying on..."

The very handkerchief that was always with her, was now crumpled and wrinkled underneath albino.

"...Is also mine."

Rashta turned to look at where she was looking, sweating and apologizing, profusely.

"I-I'm sorry, your majesty. I didn't know. I just happened to come across this chair, so I—"

Glancing at the maidservants, Navier was sure that they pitied the Emperor's concubine, and she was sure that they already thought of her as a mean woman who was offended over a handkerchief and a chair.

The blonde sighed and managed to force down the anger she was feeling inside her chest.

"It's fine since you didn't know. But you should refrain from coming to the west palace. It's not good that we see each other."

"B-But Rashta wants to become friends with her majesty..."

"You can become friends with the next mistress."

She crossed her arms as those words left her lips, the silver haired woman stared at her in confusion.

"...the next mistress?"

"Yes, the one his majesty will take in after you."

She gave her a small smile and Rashta turned pale at her words, feeling her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

The concubine had a wounded expression as she bowed down her head and scurried away from the Empress.

And her maidservants chased after her.

Once they were gone, Navier stood there alone, her emerald coloured eyes gaze upon her precious chair and handkerchief.

But she felt no joy in them anymore, as both objects no longer felt precious to her.

ㅤ

Meanwhile, as Sovieshu was done with his work, he dismissed all his secretaries after saying a job well done to them.

He sat back down in his seat and reviewed all the documents he had signed but his eyes drifted to a particular envelope.

The ravennette had just received it from one of his secretaries yesterday, and the moment he opened to read it, he was in pure bliss.

Ever so slightly, he gently placed it aside and had promised to himself that he would read it again as soon a his done with his work.

And he did, he took the letter in his hands and smiled.

"The time is coming closer, our fates will soon meet."

He gave the letter a small peck and stood up from his seat, he was feeling good today after all the work he did.

And it was all thanks to her.

Speaking of her, Sovieshu walked out of his office and decided to pay his concubine a little visit.

But what he didn't expect when arriving to her room was when a sobbing Rashta suddenly leapt into his arms.

"Your majesty!"

He was caught off guard, to say the least.

"What’s wrong? Why are you crying? Did a lady-in-waiting insult you again?"

He asked, softly rubbing circles around her back, as though he was trying to comfort her. The concubine raised her head to look at him in the eyes.

"Your majesty, when you get tired of Rashta, will you bring another woman as your concubine?"

He stared at her, dumbfounded, "What? Who said that?"

"The Empress!" She cried out.

"The Empress?"

Navier? Well that was difficult to believe. The ravennette frowned and slightly pushed her away, but his hands remained on her shoulders.

"Why would the Empress suddenly say that to you— No, where did you meet her?"

"There was an abandoned chair in the west palace garden. No one was using it, so Rashta was playing there—"

"You went to the west palace again?"

"I went when the Empress wasn’t there. And it was at the secluded garden, not near the building, your majesty."

Her tears continued to roll down her cheeks and her lips quivered, making the Emperor sighed.

Wiping her tears away with his sleeve.

They continued to talk about what had happened to her and slowly she calming down, but only a little.

"Is what she said really true? Will you love another woman besides Rashta? Your Majesty, are you going to cheat on Rashta?"

"No, that's not going to happen."

The silver haired woman's doe like eyes stared at him widely, "Are you sure? You’re not the kind of man to cheat?"

Sovieshu enveloped her in a tight embrace, he repeated his answer to her query and her quivering finally stopped.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was quietly listening to the two of them from the other side of the room.

.

.

.

"..."