A Kingdom of Tales

Chapter 31

Melly's sister was the empress? That's why she had strong opinions on a woman she would've never met if the empress was Edessian. I read on to the next entry, hoping to learn the woman's name.

Today, Wariu invited me to have breakfast with him. He came up to my room and knocked on my door, as a true gentleman would. He took my hand in his and led me down the beautiful stairs of his castle and to a different spot in the gardens.

This part of the garden was even more beautiful, in my opinion. There were no flowers, only thick vines that would break the strongest of shears. If I did end up becoming his empress, the first thing I would do is tend to this garden. It was more secluded and would be a great place to hide away from court.

We ate and ate and ate until we were both stuffed. The jams and pastries were even better than the ones back at home. It was obvious that he wanted to impress me; he played with my hair and fed me strawberries.

It was weird to read about the emperor from this woman's point of view. He was a greater man back then; that much is obvious. He didn't strike me as the kind of man who'd feed a woman strawberries or play with her hair.

I'd peered through the thick vines and watched as the guards did their morning run. Their dedication was admirable; I was never one for sports. My powers had nothing to do with fighting anyway. I was never forced to train like Alastir or James were. Arthur was the same. His strength came from his mind and not his body.

Another man I'd never heard of before. Arthur. The part about his strength makes me pause. He must've been a Fox.

After we were finished eating, he took my hand in his and went down on one knee. He asked me to marry him again, and I refused. But inside, I was already warming up to him. I'd sworn never to marry a man who wouldn't go to hell for me, and that is exactly what I'm going to do.

He smiled and walked me back to my room. He pressed a kiss on my cheek and spoke. 'You can't discourage me with your rejections. I'll try and try until the moment you board the ship and head back to Avenlea.'

I spent the day looking through my bags, looking for a dress that would make his jaw drop. When he'd arrived at my room again by dinnertime, I was ready in a bold red dress.

He didn't disappoint; he stood at my door, slackjawed, and remained that way all the way to the dining room.

He'd whispered in my ear about how beautiful I was and how he couldn't wait to marry me.

My imagination ran wild, trying to imagine what the girl who wrote this looked like as she wrote it. I couldn't stop imagining her lying on her stomach, moving her raised legs slowly as she giggled.

It was hard not to love the writer. She was obviously a very innocent girl in love. It's no wonder the Emperor fell for her. No wonder she'd attracted two powerful rulers. Even a fool could tell the young king was in love with her too.

After we were seated at the dining table and before anyone had a chance to dig into their food, he stood up abruptly and raised his glass of wine. He gave a toast to young love and winked at me. Winked.

It was hard trying not to blush, especially with both Alistir and James sitting at the table with us. I noticed Alistir's hand clenching into a fist.

Even though our powers were not even half what they were back in Avenlea, I could've sworn the silverware in his hand had started glowing. He didn't like what Wariu was insinuating. He didn't like it one bit.

I wanted to yell across the table about how unfair it was that he still treated me like a child. Even my father had stopped treating me like one.

I wish there was a way to go back in time and warn the young empress of how the emperor would change. Maybe I could save her the heartbreak of it all.

When I look up to the window, I notice that the sun has risen. I rub my eyes, trying to get rid of the sudden tiredness I feel when I hear a knock on the door.

"Come in!" I yell out.

Yuri walks in, now back in military uniform. "Good morning."

I hide the journal away, embarrassed that I'd been invading her mother's privacy. "Was there something you needed?"

She rubs her neck, suddenly looking as embarrassed as I felt. "I wanted to check on you and see if you wanted to train with me this morning."

Damn. I'd wanted to ask her, but the journal made me forget. "Yes, certainly." I reply quickly, feeling guilty for my tone earlier.

I rise and walk to the closet, looking for something suitable to wear. "I don't have any training clothes." I say sheepishly.

"I brought something for you; we're the same build, so I hope it's suitable." That's when I noticed the black clothes in her hand. She pushes them into my hands. "I'll wait outside." She leaves quickly, not giving me time to thank her.

The shirt fits me like a glove, but the pants are slightly too big. It was to be expected, considering how long her legs are.

I find her waiting exactly where she said she would, and she leads me down the grand stairs and to a side of the castle I hadn't had the chance of seeing.