Fate's Prisoners

chapter 32

Luna

It has been two days since we had seen the Emperor and something felt strange. He has not even sent a message to us like he normally does. Leon doesn't seem at ease ether and this is worrying me. We were going to school but when we open the door a guard of the Emperor is standing there ready to knock. "May I help you?" I asked holding Leon's hand tightly. I know these men would not harm us but I just had a feeling something was not right. "Lady Luna and Prince Leon, I am here to inform you that the Emperor has fallen severely ill." The guard says bowing his head to us. "What? How can that have happened?" I asked confused about his sudden change in state? "Well, we do not really know but he has been ill for the past two days." He says. "Ma we have to go see him," Leon says instantly worried so I stroked his hair softly. "Of course, if he is sick we have to." I agreed with no question. We got into the carriage and headed straight to the palace. They took us to the Emperor's room where he was laying in his bed. You didn't need to see much to see he was truly sick. "Luna, Leon your here." The Empress mother says letting go the Emperor's hand. "Grandmother, what is wrong with my father?" Leon asked with a voice on the verge of tears and full of worry and fear. "We don't know, he keeps saying he is fine and will get up in a few days. However, every day he seems to get worse." The Empress mother explained. "He is sleeping now, why don't you have him checked," I asked pointing out an obvious solution. "I tried to but every time he wakes up and pushes them away saying he is fine." The Empress mother explained. I thought for a moment before I had an idea. "Your grace please let me examine the Emperor." I requested with my head down. The Empress mother simply moved and let me sit where she once was. I looked over his body and checked his pulse that was growing weaker. "Your grace, when did he fall ill?" I asked pulling down his robes to see his neck. It was pale and you could see his blue veins. His face looked like it was decaying because it sucked in. His hands were freezing and his body looked like it had lost many pounds in the past few days. "About two days ago." She says. "2 days ago, how can that be? He was with us two days ago and when he left he was fine." I explained. "When he got back, he looked fine physically as well." She says. "Can you tell me what happened when he returned." "The Emperor returned very upset. He was not angry but he seemed depressed. When he got to his room, he requested alcohol and privacy. The next morning he was too weak to leave his bed and now we are here." One if the servants explained. "There is no possible way he could have become ill overnight without something to trigger it. Therefore, I will say the Emperor has been poisoned." All craziness broke out and the Empress mother is devastated. "Poisoned? Mother, how can you be sure?" Leon asked rushing to his father's side. I was not worried because whatever it is the Emperor had could not be passed from person to person with simple contact." Leon, it is simply impossible to fall so weak so quickly with no trigger. Our country is not facing any life-threating sicknesses right now. There is no other logical explanation." I said trying to calm him down. "Luna, can anything be done?" The Empress mother asked in tears like my son. "I do not know what the poison is or where it is from so as of now I can not. However, if I can get a sample of what the Emperor had drank and eaten two days ago. I can test it myself and see if there was anything in them." "You heard her gather the food and drinks!" The Empress mother demanded before she took her place by the Emperor once again.

Youngbae

I felt so weak, as if when I move it will be the last thing I do. I opened my eyes after rest but it feels like no matter how much I sleep, I never get enough and I am still tired. When I opened my eyes, I saw Luna standing over me. Suddenly my heavy eyes opened wide and attempted to get up."Lu-Luna your here." I stuttered as I tried to get up. She pushed me back down to the bed gently and made me stay. "You shouldn't move too much, you will be in pain." She says softly. I nodded my head as she took a seat next to me on the bed but near my feet. "How are you feeling?" She asked with a concerned look on her face and tone in her voice. "I am okay, you don't have to worry too much." I tried to assure her but it felt like I was being tortured every time I moved. "You can lie to me all you want but I know what is really going on." She says I smiled at her weakly. "You still know me better than I know myself." "I wouldn't say that I cheeked you while you were sleeping. From what I got, you are not just sick but you do need some rest. You should spend time with Leon." She says softly. "What is wrong with me?" I asked but she didn't want to say. "Luna," I said and she looked like she wanted to tell me but didn't. I took her hand and she noticed but she didn't push me away this time. Whatever is going on, she doesn't want me to feel any physical pain at the moment. Or she is just pitying me but either way, I will take what I can get. "Someone poisoned you two nights ago. It is not a fast-acting poison but it is considerably strong based on your current state." She says sadly not looking at my eyes but at our hands together. Her actions made me chuckle and it get her attention. "How can you laugh at a time like this, there is a possible chance that you will die if we can not cure you." She says amazed by my reaction. "I understand that but as I look over my life, I think of all the things. I see a lot of time wasted, the time I will never get back and if I die now time I will never be able to make up." I said running my finger over her knuckle. "Do you mean the 8 years you spent looking for me?" She says feeling bad but remembering what I had told her before and I could only smile. I sat up against her wishes and pulled her closer to me. I heard the air be taken from her before her forehead came in contact with mine. I held the back of her neck gently with my eyes closed. I could feel her shivering under my touch with an uncertainty of what she should do. "Those years were worth every second I spent looking for you. Even if I hadn't found you here I would have kept looking. I know you don't want to hear it or believe it but Luna you, Leon, and Xander are everything to me. I could lose my Empire, my fortune, and even my freedoms to keep you all well and safe. Nothing else in this world matters more to me." She fears what to do. "Tell me, Luna, why are you not pushing me away like you always do?" I asked opening my eyes to see her full of worry and sadness. A tear escaped slowly. "If you have to leave this world, I do not want your last memories with me to be of my hating you. I don't want you to feel like I hate you because I don't." She says her voice fighting her shaky tone.