The Moon Dancer

Chapter 22

The sun shone through Judar's window, hitting him in the face as he laid on his bed. He frowned and opened his tired eyes.

He had barely slept throughout the night.

With an exhausted sigh, he tumbled out of bed. Judar landed on the floor with a heavy thud. He sat there for about a minute, not wanting to deal with the world outside his room. 

Finally, Judar got up and headed for the door. On his way, he passed by the large mirror near his nightstand and paused.

He looked like crap.

Growling slightly, Judar stalked over to his vanity and began to make himself look presentable. He brushed out his hair before styling it in his usual bubble braid. Then he splashed water from a large basin over his face. The cold water dripped down his chin and onto his shirt as he looked around for a towel to dry his face. 

The cold water seemed to wake Judar up and he felt more alive than he did five minutes ago. He considered doing his usual makeup, but ultimately decided against it. 

Finally ready to take on the day, Judar exited his room and headed for the kitchen. He wanted to pick up some breakfast for him and Ruhya. There were some things they really needed to talk about, and he thought a warm plate of eggs with fruit and yogurt would make the conversation less awkward.

The bright sunshine warmed Judar's skin as he walked along a path lined with flowers. He wondered what Ruhya's favorite flower was, and if maybe he should pick some before going to see her. Judar brushed his fingers against the soft flower petals as he passed by, their sweet scent filling his nose.

Finally, Judar reached the small dining hall that was directly connected to the kitchen. It was mostly empty, as everyone usually liked eating breakfast in their own rooms. People he didn't know were quietly eating their breakfast, most likely generals and advisers which were people Judar didn't really pay any attention to.

A flash of pink hair caught Judar's attention and he turned his head to see Kougyoku the Eighth Imperial Princess with a plate of mostly finished food in front of her. Judar was surprised to see her in the dining hall, she usually had all her meals brought up to her room. He walked over and slid into the chair next to her.

"What's up ol' hag?" Judar teased with a grin.

"I am not an old hag." Kougyoku snapped huffily, but her eyes held a spark of playfulness. A maid suddenly appeared and asked Judar what he would like to eat. He made a quick list of food and made sure the maid knew to double the order. She nodded and walked back into the kitchen.

"Breakfast for two?" Kougyoku asked with a raised eyebrow and suggestive grin. A light shade of pink dusted Judar's pale cheeks as he tried to come up with a witty retort.

"W-wha, no. None of your business." Judar huffed out as he turned from her and crossed his arms. Kougyoku covered her mouth as she laughed at him. Judar glanced back at her with a smile and uncrossed his arms.

"What are you doing down here? I thought you didn't like eating around others." Judar asked as he grabbed a piece of fruit from her plate and popped it into his mouth. Kougyoku stopped laughing and nervously intertwined her fingers.

"Well, I got a message from Fa- I mean, the Emperor that he needed to talk to me about something very important. I really don't want to be late, so I figured that I'd eat here and then head over to the throne room." She explained, still nervously playing with her fingers. Judar tilted his head with interest.

"What would the Emperor want with a pink shrimp like you?"

"Judar!" Kougyoku exclaimed before rapidly punching his arm with a scowl on her face. Judar laughed at her and she stuck her tongue out at him in mock annoyance.