THE EMPEROR 🔞

( 2 )

~faomi
[ 10:41 pm ]

I'd spent the entire day in the guest quarters, avoiding everyone at all costs after arriving at the Imperial Palace. I hadn't suspected that after my family disappeared to lunch that they would only return after sundown, so I'd been feeding off of the apple tree that grew beside the window all day; I was munching on one currently in my nightly bath as I read my book: Avaston de Goche, a mythical epic based in the fictional amazonian continent of Goche.

I nearly drop my book into the water when the private chamber door swings open with ferocity and my sister barges in with an excited squeal.

"REMI!!" I jump hard, splashing water out of the bath.

"Faomi!!" She sings back, twirling happily in her blue silky night robe, hair now falling down her back and face rid of makeup and jewels. She crouches down on the side of the tub and folds her arms over the edge, resting her head against them and smiling up at me, "Today was amazing. The Emperor is amazing."

Oh here we go.

"Did you see how good he was with Kofi when we first arrived?! And you should've seen him with Omari when he gifted him the wolf, Faye, you wouldn't believe how well they get along!" She smiles whimsically, "He's so handsome, and collected, he doesn't seem like any of the stories we've heard about him."

"Doesn't mean they're not true." I remind, glancing back down at my book.

"But he's so kind!! And he actually listens!! Unlike Father and Omari. I even got to show him the First Symphony on my harp! He said he enjoyed it a lot." She grins.

"But will he be so kind to Father when they have that talk about Duncan and the others?" I remind. She stiffens up a little as her smile slowly fades.

"I think they're actually talking about it now." She sighs softly, "But I truly believe Father explaining that he had nothing to do with the espionage, that Omari and I will be proof of his loyalty, then he will believe him too. The Emperor will forgive our kingdom for what the General did."

"Let's hope so. You already heard about the raid on Phypher and the ban placed upon Soma. They're not all going to survive the next winter."

"Don't wish that upon them!"

"I'm not wishing it upon anybody, I'm just saying!" I defend before becoming a little quieter, "And do not speak of this to anyone, Remi, I mean it."

"What, what is it?"

I lean, "I heard the Emperor's not actually exiling the generals. He's executing them."

"I thought he hadn't decided yet." She looks at me wide-eyed, "He would announce that, wouldn't he? And plus, it was a failed attempt, surely he'd just exile..."

My brows raise and lips curl to question if she was sure about that before looking back to my book.

She groans and rolls her head back, turning to lean her back against the tub and cross her arms, "Ughhh but he's just so perfectttt!! Curse you for being so pessimistic all the time, putting these doubts in my head."

I softly laugh as I sink back a little further into the warm, soapy water.

"Well I enjoyed listening to your rant of how much you're smitten with the Emperor, I really did, but I'd like to enjoy the rest of my bath now, if you don't mind."

She stands grudgingly, pouting a lip before heading out the door, only to suddenly pop back in with a woven basket of what looks to be sugar muffins. "As I promised." She sets them beside the tub, and I smile as I reach to grab one from the top. When she starts to leave again, this time she stops at the door and turns back to me.