SUJIN SEIMU
The empress and I had grown the closest of friends for the past months. She is a gentle soul, but also as fierce as a phoenix. She fights not for herself, but for the people around her. I am afraid that her only destruction is the person hiding within her.
Having arrived a little late after a tiring investigation at the capital, I rushed over to the palace, looking for her imperial majesty, only to hear that she had taken a stroll near the imperial lake.
I walked through the forest, following a paved path that led to it. A small porch is said to rest above its sapphire surface, perfect for a gentle rest. As I slowly neared the end of the green forest, a faint sound of humming coming from the distance mellowed my ears. I smiled upon knowing exactly who it was. I walked faster, desperate to reach for the being that hid behind the breeze of melody.
I do not know as to when I had grown eager to see her every minute of the day, but I did not need to know.
I continued to walk and traced the sound to wherever it came, until I saw her long black hair from ahead and a smile of relief and pure joy bloomed inside my chest. My lips parted as I called out to her, but my words died in my throat when I saw the scene from the distance. She was frozen and trembling, having to watch the emperor on the porch pressed against a woman in an intimate kiss.
I was wrong. It was not her who could destroy herself…it was him.
Rage quickly boiled through the blossom of joy I felt earlier, but I managed to hide it away. I approached her from behind with silent footsteps and reached out to cover her eyes from the unfaithfulness displayed.
I had noticed she had shed tears as my palm grew damp with them. “Close your eyes, Your Majesty, for me.”
…and she did.
The tears streamed down her porcelain cheeks and I could no longer stop myself from wrapping my arms around her. I held her close against my chest and she wailed silently. “Keep them closed, Your Majesty. Do not open them until I say so.”
She held on to me, and I could care less on the way my clothes wrinkled in her grasp.
I whispered, hoping my voice to be gentle enough to sooth the heart violently pounding in her chest. “Forgive me for arriving too late…”
YOU ARE READING
When the Crown Falls
RomanceWhat truth lies behind the throne of Aurelia? Emi Ainu, tied by the promise of her Grandfather and the previous Emperor, marries Tenji Youzei and becomes the reigning Empress of the prestigious land. However, months later and she begins to discover...
