Emhyr Var Emreis x Reader

Forty-Seven

The large tree at the crossroad hid a meadow behind it, covered in thousands of purple little flowers.

They covered the green of the grass like a blanket of colour while the layers of frost kept them safely tugged away until spring would come.

In the far distance, a large mansion waited, with a roof as green as pine trees and pillars high enough to make it seem like they could reach the sky.

At the sight, a noise of surprise git stuck in your throat while tears already grew in the corners of your eyes.

The beating of your heart got so fast that it felt like it was about to explode.

"Impossible...", you breathed, almost unable to form words that did not shiver with emotions. "After all these years. I expected it to be in ruins."

With his arms crossed behind his back, Emhyr stood by your side and looked at the mansion himself.

"It's a shadow of what it once used to be.", he said.

"But it's still here."

"More or less."

Mesmerised by why you saw, you couldn't help but leave his side and walk a few steps towards the place that you recognised as your childhood home.

The urge to run down the road, right towards this very house, crawled up your throat and made your legs flinch.

But all of a sudden, you hesitated.

This couldn't be.

It wasn't that easy.

Your eyes darkened as you squeezed them shut and put back on an expression that was appropriate to meet the emperor with.

"Why did you bring me here?", you asked and turned back to face him. "I hope not as one of your cruel jokes.
A movement chased over his face."

The brown of his eyes softened as he looked past you to admire the land that once had been in the hands of your family.

"When I first met you as a small child, I knew you'd grow up to be something... unusual.", he started with some kind of shimmer in his eyes.

"Unusual means not fit for the courts high standards."

Emhyr let a small sound of agreement be heard.

"At first I thought it would be your families downfall.", his eyes glanced at you to catch an idea of what you felt in that moment. "I even advised your mother to teach you better in order for you to, at least, be suited to marry a noble of lesser degree."

The heavy feeling that pulled at the strings of your heart must have been visible on your face for he took a step towards you to gently caress one of your cheeks with the back of his hand.

Struck by the feeling, you looked up to lock eyes with him.

"Well, I assume my existence did help to push my family off the edge.", you said with a bitter taste in your mouth. "But why daydream about the past?"

One corner of his mouth moved slightly upwards.

Your eyes widened in disbelief.

It was a mere movement of his face, ever so slightly. Almost invisible.

Yet you saw it as a small smile.

Something you had never seen him to before.

"The past proved me wrong.", he finally said to breath a kiss to your cheek. "You grew up to pass my expectations. Both in being incredibly brazenly and your ability to achieve things."

Now it was confusion that conquered your face.

The beating of your heart started to quicken while a hint of fear tied your throat.

"You speak in riddles, Emhyr.", you managed to squeeze out between clenched teeth. "Don't make more of a fool of me than I already am. Do you want to get rid of me?"

His eyes closed and he shook his head.

This small break from the eye contact gave you a moment to take a deep breath and calm the unsettling voice that screamed in the back of your mind.

"When you came with your first offer to me, I needed someone to take my throne since the stability of the empire was at a threat.", he said and grabbed your face with both hands to make you lock eyes with him once again. "Your second offer was bolder than the first. But you've given me something far better than an heir."

One of your eyebrows rose.

"And that would be?", you asked and grabbed his arms for support.

"The win for this war. For month I've been struggling to keep my men loyal and motivated. Not to speak of the many nobles and merchants. Now is the time that the empire will win. And once this win is finalised I can go and cut out all the ones who aren't loyal to me."

Realisation made your eyes go wide.

"You can sell them off as northern spies. Nobody will question their disappearances."

Now the smile on his face broadened and revealed to be a pure human emotion.

Emhyr Var Emreis beamed with pride.

It almost frightened you to see him this way. But there was something far more powerful that made your chest swell.

Relief.

You were relived to see him act positive towards you after not speaking for a few hours.

You had feared that the night with him had undermined your credibility but it seemed it only made him be drawn to you.

Overwhelmed by his visible happiness, you had to smile as well.

But confusion quickly struck again.

"As you stood in my throne room I saw you as an annoying factor that hindered me to finalise my plans.", tenderly, he pressed a kiss to your forehead. "But I gained an ally far greater than I could have wished for."

A huff escaped your lips.

"Last night I threatened to stab you in the back if you don't promise me security by marriage and now you praise me?", gently, you freed yourself from his embrace. "What's the meaning of this, Emhyr? You didn't bring me to my families home just for the laugh of it."

"Of course not.", he tilted his head. "I want to take you up on your offer."