Emhyr Var Emreis x Reader

Twelve

Humming a song to yourself, you wrapped a piece of thread around a small bundle of thyme.

The smell wasn't as strong as you wished it to be, but once the spell was casted it didn't matter all that much anyways.

Soft candlelight accompanied every single one of your movements.

Yet this room felt cold, with its harsh interior and overly clean floors. It felt lifeless. Not personal.

It was just another room that would never be yours.

It could never be a home.

This entire castle was just an empty, hollow house with too many people in it who weren't supposed to be here in the first place.

At the thought, a sarcastic huff escaped your lips. It amused you to the highest that all of these nobles walked around as if this was their place.

The emperor would have beheaded them if he would have known about their vanity.

Perhaps it would need far less than that.

The lesser nobles, the one that were a rank or maybe two anluve yourself, were absolutely useless anyways. They didn't hold enough political nor financial power to be of use.

The higher nobles only used them as their peasants.

All of a sudden, a thought crossed your mind.

It was risky, but you didn't have a lot to loose anyways.

For a second you thought about wiring it down for later. But eventually you decided not to do it. Written plans could always be used against you.

Besides, there was someone who needed to give his blessing before you could act.

"A shame.", you mumbled and kept on knitting. "It would be so much easier without."

The tips of your ears twitched. Your ears always picked up sounds before you could actually hear them.

They were sensitive yet not efficient.

You always knew that something approached yet not what it was.

Cautious, you glanced over your shoulder to check the door.

Nobody was close yet. Otherwise you could have heard steps.

Or the tapping of dog paws maybe.

Now that you thought about it, did this place have dogs?

Cats, probably, since the kitchen needed to be free from vermin and rats.

Now you couldn't help but wonder if the emperor was a man for animals. Probably not, since he wasn't all too warm for people so animals wouldn't be higher on the list.

Or maybe they were since you loved animals more than people also.

Again you smiled to yourself.

But the peace didn't last long.

Your ears reacted to the approaching sounds. This time not only the tips flinched but you also could pick up the source.

Footsteps.

You didn't give it a lot of thought.

The room that the emperor had given you was surrounded by the palace gardens.

Many people would cross paths, either if they wanted to meet their secret lovers or to simply take a late night stroll.

But as the steps reached the height of your door, they stopped.

Irritated, you glanced over your shoulder to check if a shadow was visible underneath the crack of the door.

And indeed, it was darker than it should have been.

You expected a knock.

But after a few moments passed nothing could be heard.
Unsure yet cautious, you got up and approached the door to first check who was about to enter your safe space.

Maybe someone tried to spy on you. Yet again, it didn't really make any sense since you were fresh meat.

There was nothing to find that would help to blackmail you.

Perhaps somebody tried to get a head start but that also seemed rather unlikely.

Most people most have forgotten the power of your name since it fell from grace decades ago. Only the very old nobles would have been able to remember.

But the chance to meet some of them was low since the emperor was known to switch out the ones close to him on a regular basis. That way he prevented the people to get too close and maybe dangerous to his position of power.

It was a smart move. Cruel to those who were loyal to his leadership, but smart.

As you walked up to the glass next to the door to risk a glance, the handle moved.

Struck by surprise, you jumped back, eyes fixed onto the shadow that moved.

The rattling on the handle stopped.

You expected a knock instead.

But nothing.

"Open the door.", a rough voice demanded.

At first it struck you as odd that someone would demand such a strange thing from someone they didn't know.

With your eyebrows knitted together, you stretched your neck and glanced through the milky window in an attempt to get an idea of who was about to interrupt your night.
Only silence greeted you.

The hint of gold shimmered through the glass.

It took you a moment before realisation struck.

Slowly, you reached out to turn the key and unlock the door.

A few moments passed and nobody made an attempt to enter.

You played with the thought to just open it yourself so that it wouldn't be awkward. Yet you weren't a peasant nor a servant.

You didn't open doors for nobody.

Not even the emperor.

Cold shivers made goosebumps grow all over your body as nothing happened.

The tips of your fingers flinched in a huff of impatience.

Not a breath later the door swung open.

A cold breeze chased through the room and made leaves and branches shiver.

Surprised, you took a step back. Your hand reached to your side to wrap around the handle of a knife that you kept hidden under your first layer of clothing.

With his lips pressed in a thin line, the emperor greeted you with a grim expression.

"Rather rude of you to deny the emperor entrance.", he noted, arms crossed behind his back, and stepped inside.

Your grip loosened on the knife.

You couldn't help but let a sound of displeasure be heard.

"I expected you to know of my rudeness.", you replied unmoved and closed the door. "What brings me the honour of your nightly visit?"