Turned Table of the Phoenix

One Reckless Night

I smiled like a wild dog as I threw pillows across the room, one after the other meeting their target.

"Could you quit that?"

I laughed until I couldn't breathe and rolled on my back howling.

"Just because you're a princess doesn't mean I have to treat you as one!"

Katsuro leaped onto his feet, chucking the pillow at my face, hitting it in the dead center. Something dripped slowly down from my nose. I touched my face lightly and withdrew my hand from the substance. Blood stained my fingers, my face only expressed pure shock. I looked up and glared at Katsuro as if my eyes were daggers that could pierce him at any moment. He pointed his finger at me and jolted back and forth on his knees as he laughed uncontrollably. After his outburst, he looked at me, a smirk creeping across his lips.

"Well if you weren't hit by that pillow I'd say that your nose is bleeding for a different reason".

I cupped my hand under my nose as it bled slowly, trying to keep it from dripping onto my dress.

"That's not what you're supposed to do. Here let me help you".

He walked over and sat behind me, pulling me into his arms and tilting me back. I squirmed and murmured, but said nothing as I laid in his lap, gazing into his eyes. The blood eventually dried under my nose and Katsuro stretched his hand out reaching into the basin, grabbing a damp washcloth. He dabbed the blood and absorbed it until my face was spotless. I smiled weakly then punched him weakly in the shoulder.

"I should've punched you in the nose, then we would see whose nose is bleeding then".

Katsuro smiled laughing into his hand. There was a knock at the door and a servant called out to me, her voice filled with panic, "Your highness! The Emperor won't even speak to the empress! He's sent her away after speaking to her and tomorrow I've heard that he will call for you... this is all I had to say. Goodnight"!

Leaning back into his arms my mind became swarmed with ideas that were slowly brewing. I had to be prepared for anything and everything... no matter what. Katsuro wrapped his arm around me.

"You shouldn't worry... the queen can't escape from something the emperor has seen. Emperor Hitoshi is furious and there is nothing that will ease his anger you have started... he's lost all his trust for her". He rested his jaw on my head then slowly tilted forward. I felt his lips rest on the top of my head... then slowly kiss.

My head flew back and I heard a loud wack! I screeched into my hand and turned around.

"Oh my goodness! You can surly hit! Good gosh... I think you broke my nose"!

Blood dripped down his nose and fell on his shenyi, spreading out onto the fabric.
I snickered mocking him, " I didn't know I had that effect on you".

"Aren't you funny," he said as he rolled his eyes.

"Forget about how you wanted to punch me in the nose... I think this was even worse... I think I would've rather had the punch not your big head"!

I crawled off the bed and walked behind him and mouthed his words behind him, mocking him silently. I grabbed the rag we had used for my nose and wiped his blood away, crawling back onto the bed next to him. Somehow when I was close to his face and whiling his nose, I must have become distracted... for a split second. I didn't know that the moment I was caught off guard that he would take the rag from me and toss it into the basin, pulling me in. I looked into his eyes, they were calm, while my eyes were filled with shock and fright. His lips touched mine, I felt the softness and gentleness of his lips, but he only brushed the surface of my lips and looked away.

"That should have never happened, I apologize your highness for my forgetfulness. I'll sleep on the floor. Goodnight your highness, have sweet dreams".

He wouldn't even meet my pleading eyes, he simply grabbed a pillow and tossed it to the floor. He laid down, his back facing away from me. I looked away down into my hands. My mind felt like a stream of water that was being pushed this way and that way, it was split in many ways and there was nothing in my power that I could do to make it better. I blew out the candle and looked out the window, every now and then I would check on Katsuro who appeared to be sound asleep. Hours seemed to have ticked by and the night grew colder. I then whispered to Katsuro, waking him up, "Katsuro! Katsuro! Im cold...".

"What do you want?"

"I said I'm cold! Can you help me"?

Katsuro sighed and got up from off the floor and crawled next to me on the bed pulling me in to lean against his chest, with his arm wrapped around me. He tugged the sheets over me, trying to keep me warm, as I was cold to the touch. My slight shiver came to a stop and my breathing slowed down; soon it became a rhythm.

I don't know when or how, but I fell asleep in his arms after a while. He held me close as if I would disappear if he he let go. That night I had the best rest of my life, I felt safe and warm. In the morning I stirred when there was a ruckus outside my door. I tossed and turned trying to fall back asleep. The commotion continued and just when I thought it was goin to end the door flew open. I forgot everything that had happened the previous night, but it returned to me quickly. I scrambled throwing off the sheets from me.

The servant looked at me with wide eyes and cried out, "your highness!"