Divine Empress

Chapter Fourteen

Raina's POV

"Help His Majesty," as she begged she went down to her knees and bowed until her forehead touched the ground. "Please, Divine Empress."

Taken aback by her display, "Lady Shen Ava!" I gasped, immediately squatting down to pull her back up, but she refused. "Please get up," I begged.

She shook her head and boldly said, "unless you promise me."

Silently gasping, I glanced up to the sky and asked myself, how can I make that type of promise? I told myself I shouldn't get involved in the palace drama. Glanced back at Lady Shen Ava, who bowed and begged me to do something that was out of my power. She cared for both the Emperor and the Empire, and I was Empress. Sighing loudly, "okay, okay! I promise I'll try to help the Emperor. So, can you get up?"

Lifting her head, stared up at me with a warm smile, which made me feel more awful—now I need to get involved. "Thank you, Divine Empress! Thank you!" She said, bowing her head again and again.

Quickly I grabbed her arms to stop, "let's get you off the ground. You're too cute if it." I murmured as we both stood. While I fixed her clothing, I scolded her, "why are you using your cute face on me. It's not like you're leaving or something."

"Well..." She nervously whispered with a side smile, turning her gaze. I followed her gaze, and I saw we were close to her palace and there was wagon parked outside as palace servants seemed to packing boxes into it. And those boxes were coming from her palace, turning my gaze back to Lady Shen Ava, "they have approved the request... The Emperor and I are not engaged anymore."

Stepping back, my lips parted and closed, not sure what to say as she smiled at me. Taking a deep breath, "when did this happen!?"

Lady Shen Ava chuckled, "after your wedding ceremony with the Emperor, the Emperor made another appeal with the council and they all agreed that he and I should not be engaged anymore. In fact, yesterday they approved it and now I'm getting ready to travel. It's a three-day journey to Shen region and four hours to my hometown. The sooner I leave, the sooner I get home."

She smiled warmly, staring at the palace servants as they load her belongs onto the wagon, "I really miss my family and can't wait to see them." She said, and I could not help myself as a smile pulled the corners of my lips. "Also, I need to spend time with my brothers and sisters before I announce my new engagement."

"En-engagement?" I asked.

A pink shade of pink coloured her cheeks as she reached into her waistband and pulled out a charm, "General So Zu and I exchanged our charms. When he finished his business in the Capital, we planned to hold a ceremony in my hometown then move to his region."

Promise love... She makes it look so cute!

My smile beamed, and I pulled her into a warm embrace, "I'm so happy for you, congratulations!"

"Thank you..." We pulled away from our embrace, and she stared down at her hand that held General So Zu's charm and blushed. "Never have I thought I would be in love with So. When we met, he had this tough guy look." He still did, I thought to myself. "If it wasn't for the Emperor, I would not realise there was more So that meets the eye."

"Is that one of the reason he made an appeal to stop your engagement?"

Nodding her head, "yes, he wanted us to be happy and our engagement was preventing it."

"Wouldn't giving each other your charms earlier would have worked?"

"It would, but it would seem really rude to the Royal family and mine. And we didn't want to leave the Emperor alone in the palace without backup."

Narrowing my gaze at her with a pout, "that's where I come in? Right?"

"Yes, Divine Empress," she giggled. She glanced at me, "please help him and protect him from who would use his curse as a weakness. Please, at least be a friend to him, he needs one now more than ever."

"Yeah, yeah, I said I'll try," I nodded my head and rolling my eyes. Then noted she said something about his curse, "Lady Shen Ava... What curse does he have? What is this curse?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I can't really say, but from what I was told... It changes the Emperor, and he becomes some controllable beast. Or he becomes sick and is too weak to think clearly. I don't know the details into his curse, the Emperor talks about it. In fact, he avoids tries not think about it, even does not say the word 'curse'."

Uncontrollable beast? Sick?

"Lady Shen Ava, your things had been packed and your carriage awaits you," a palace servant said, glancing over to the wagon, it looked like everything packed and ready. There was even a carriage waiting alongside with the wagon.

We glanced to each other, Lady Shen Ava sighed and smiled, "it was my pleasure to meet you, Divine Empress. Hopefully, soon we meet again. Many blessings to you, Divine Empress." She said, bowing to me.

"See you soon," I whispered, smiling as she followed the servant to her carriage. As she was about to enter, she glanced over to me, I waved my hand' 'bye' and she bowed her head before entering her carriage. Door closed and carriage moved, followed behind by the wagon.

I placed my hands on my hips, threw my head back and groaned loudly, "why me!" I screamed, wanting to cry because of all these duties and promise. Opening my eyes, staring up to the clear blue sky, "karma? What have I done?" I asked the universe.

Turning myself to face You Rina and broadly said, "I want to sleep."

"But... But it's not night fall?" She said, furrowing her brows in confusion.

Shrugging, "it's night fall in other parts of the world." Shortly after saying that, someone loudly cleared their throat behind me, I flinched and turned to see who was it. A squeal escaped my lips, quickly stood straight—shoulders back, chest out and head high, "Court Lady Rin?" I gulped.

She slowly bowed, "Divine Empress..." She greeted, did not show any other movement or reaction. Remember! Don't trust her! I screamed in my head as a tight smile appeared on my face. More like a scared smile.

"What do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" I asked, blinking uncontrollably glancing at her hands that looked comfortably placed on her abdomen, then back at her face, that held her false smile.

"Grand Empress Dowager request your presence, Divine Empress," she said gracefully.

"Why?" I blurted. I gasped, realising my mistake and seeing her lift a questioning eyebrow, I quickly bowed and said, "I will leave now..."

While I bowed, I looked up to see her reaction, and she bowed her head then slowly stepped aside, "... Divine Empress."

Hesitant I stood straight, "you'll not pull out your stick and hit me from behind?" I nervously asked.

"And why would I do that, Divine Empress?" She asked.

I frowned, narrowing my gaze at her, "that never stopped you at the first." I whispered, but she heard me when her gaze was on me for spilt second causing me to flinch and nervously smiled, "I shouldn't keep Grand Empress Dowager waiting." Quickened my pace, I walked ahead and hopefully there was distance between me and that stick crazed woman.

Why are these things happening to me? I cried in my head, tightly glanced over my shoulder and my eyes met Court Lady Rin's, chills rolled down my spine and quickly turned my gaze back to the front. Can someone kill me? Here and now! This would be the first time being alone with Grand Empress Dowager, question was, why did she suddenly want to talk to me? And why must I go alone!?