Right Hand Man || Emperor Belos x masc!y/n

Throne Room

You hear the commotion come to a halt and then you see a golden figure stand above you, shining brightly. Then everything proceeds to go dark.

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You wake up coughing, the soreness of your lungs making you jolt up instinctively. A hand is placed on your chest and pushes you back down calmly. You look around your surroundings, calming down when you just realized youre in the guards clinic, and the person touching you is simply a nurse.

"Calm down, sweet heart. We couldn't heal you much while you were unconscious, so some pain might start to settle in." The nurse explained calmly.

And almost on que, your back and shoulders began to ache, and your lungs felt like they were filled with sand as you tried to gasp for air.

"Careful now, take deep breaths." She then takes her hand and sits me back up as I regan air flow, the soreness in my back only aching more however.

I probably had been in there for hours before the nurse healed me enough to report back to my duties, not before handing me a sealed envelope with the Emperor's symbol on it.

I thank the nurse before leaving, heading back to the barracks as I carefully rub over the waxed symbol with my thumb.

I'm relaxed to see that almost no one is in the barracks as I sit on my bed, taking out a pocket knife and gliding it under the seal and opening the envelope.

"Y/n,
My deepest apologies for what happened in my study earlier today. I request that you come to my throne room to discuss it further in private. Be there before 9 pm.

- Emperor Belos"

You're stunned by the surprisingly short letter, but you don't dwell on it too long before you look up to the clock on the wall, and that it reads that it's 8:30.

You quickly stash the letter underneath your pillow and put on your spare uniform, assuming the nurse has your other one.

As you walk to the throne room you try to recall the events of what you assume was a couple of hours ago. You remember trying not to get hit by that creature but failing, but didn't it claim to be Belos?

You shook the thought from your head, there was no way that was Emperor Belos. The grand Emperor of the Boiling Isles couldn't be that thing... could he? Then who was the one to save you?

Saving. The thought that you needed to be saved from something like that made you feel pathetic, but the thought quickly subsided as you continued on and quickly reached the throne room.

You're heart began to beat as you made your way through the doors, and there on the throne sat Emperor Belos, looking down regally.

Though he was wearing a mask you could tell he was looking at you, and in that moment you were thankful for your own cause you could feel the heat radiating off your cheeks.

You continued walking toward him, the click of your boot heels seeming obnoxiously loud in the large quiet room, but you continued on. you were now standing a couple feet away from where he was sitting and you knelt down on one knee and dipped your head, then stood back up.

"I'm glad you could make it, I was starting to get worried you wouldn't show." Belos said calmly, though you couldn't help pick up the agitation in his voice.

"I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, Emperor Belos, my deepest apologies. I had just gotten back from the nurse, changed, and then immediately made my way here." As you spoke, he listened unmoving. He watched you like an uncanny statue, and it didn't help relive any of the pressure off of you.

"Ah, I see. Well I'm glad you're here now." He shuffled around some before standing up and taking a couple of strides to get close to you. Drops of sweat began to form on your forehead as you watched his head move slightly, over looking you.

"You're not injured still, are you?" He asked, obviously not being able to tell through your uniform.

"No, I'm not longer injured, sir. It's just down to a minimal soreness." You explained respectfully. He nodded and returned back to his seat, his long cape flowing gracefully behind him. You couldn't help feel a little more at ease with him not so close.

"Well, about that. I wanted to apologize for what happened at my study in person. It was just a mistake, I. I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm a bearer of a terrible curse, and you happened to see me during one of my terrible out breaks." He explained, almost sounding embarrassed.

You couldn't help it when your eyes widened. So that really was him? The imagery of that oozing creature looming over you being the same man you sat before you in a gilded throne hit you with a load of surprise.

"Id appreciate it if you kept this under wraps, guard. I don't need rumors spreading around that I'm secretly a monster just because I'm not public about my ailments." Him speaking again shot you out of your own thoughts, and you nodded to what he was saying.

"Now I do say, I admire that even though you didn't succeed in the end, you still attempted to hold your ground." He told you, and you couldn't help the feeling in your stomach as he spoke praise.

"Really?" You blurted out, youd been trying your best to not speak out of turn, but it happened to slip.

"Yes, really. Most guard would've turned around with their tail tucked between their legs and gotten someone else to deal with it, but you. You stayed and tried to deal with yourself. Why did you do that, may I ask." He spoke. His words made your face flush. You couldn't believe that the Emperor found your actions admirable, you were flattered beyond belief.

"Well, I was there to deliver a letter to you. I didn't... I didn't expect that what I saw in your study to be you, so I assumed the worse and that some creature had potential hurt you. I was hoping maybe to solve the issue but... we both know how that ended out." You said solemnly. The whole experience made you feel incredibly embarrassed, the fact that you call yourself a guard and you couldn't hold your footing.

But more embarrassment pricked at you when the Emperor spoke his next words, "Oh? Did you not think I could handle myself in an attack?" He asked sternly.

You dipped your head, staring at the ground, trying your best to be respectful, "N-no! Of course I know you can handle yourself! It was simply adrenaline clouding my judgement, please forgive me, my Emperor." You began to sweat as you spoke, as well as your legs beginning to shake. You had misspoken, and you were worried on how your actions were to be paid for.

The Emperor is not a merciful man.

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yahoo chapter 2 done :D I hope you guys enjoy :3 also if I make any spelling errors or you want to critique my writing please tell me!!
may 11th, 2023