A Warrior's Heart

Chapter 34; Bath

Beomgyu is such a good emperor 🥺

-x-

Back in the other world Beomgyu was reading an enscripted writing of his ambassadors, writing words in between the lines when he thought that would fit better. After all the chaos he decided he needed to put some new rules for the people. He strived after his dad's words, but he also renewed some things.

There should be more dancing, more fun.

Someone softly knocked on his door, and after he had voiced out a soft 'come in' a girl opened the door. She carried a plate inside with tea equipments on it. Beomgyu hadn't looked up from his work but when the girl came to stood next to him he finally tore his eyes away from the papers.

"Tea, my emperor?" She asked with a small voice. Beomgyu softly smiled at her and shook his head. "No thanks, I want to finish this first."

The girl nodded and moved away, placing the tea down on a table at the side in case he would change his mind and bowing lightly before she was walking out of the room, carefully closing the door behind her.

Beomgyu sighed deeply, letting the pen fall from his hands and watching as it hit the table before he was leaning his elbows on the wood, rubbing at his tired eyes with his fists. He had been working on this all day and it just seemed to never end. He just wanted to stop and sleep or take a stroll over the kingdom grounds or just do something, anything.

His full lips pushed into a pout an brows furrowed slightly. Then he got an idea. It was such a good idea and he honestly didn't know why he hadn't thought of it sooner. He pushed his chair back and stood up, walking around the table before crossing the room and stepping out into the hallway.

He looked around to see if there was anyone there and spotted no one. He picked a side and started walking, with no real destination in sight. Then he saw three girls approaching, all of them holding plates with stuff on it and Beomgyu took a wild guess that it was for the warriors, seeing as there laid golden hand armour pieces on the plates, each one of them decorated with one red sapphire.

"My emperor." The girls said almost perfectly in sync, bowing respectfully and averting their eyes. The blonde smiled sweetly at them. "Could one of you help me with something after you brought these items to the training grounds?" He asked.

The two brunettes kept their heads down but the one with lighter coloured hair looked up and nodded. "Of course, your majesty. I'll be to your room right after I drop these off."

The boy smiled and stepped aside, letting them pass and watching as they walked away. With a grin on his face Beomgyu made his way back to his room, where he proceeded to neatly stack away the paperwork op still on his desk, putting the pencil back in its place and tidying up a little. When he heard a soft knock on the door a few moments later he immediately voiced out a 'come in', watching as the chestnut coloured girl came into the room and closed the door behind her.

"What did you need my help for, your majesty?" She asked sweetly and the emperor couldn't help but smile. "I want to take a bath." He replied, watching as she nodded and made her way over to the bathroom. "I'll get it the water running."

Beomgyu hummed and followed her into the other area of his room. It was a rather open space, silk pieces of fabric hanging on the sides of the walls and a large mirror occupying the one opposite of the bathtub, which was a massive thing on its own. It was large enough to fit at least three people comfortably, and it was deep enough to be completely covered in water to your collarbones if you sat upright. It really was more of a small pool than a tub.

The girl turned on the water, the sound of it running and slowly filling the tub echoing through the room. Then she turned around and approached the boy while he stood in front of the mirror.

"Let me get this for you, can I?" She asked and lifted her arms to carefully pull the decorations out of Beomgyu's hair after he nodded in confirmation. He winced softly as a few of his hair strands got stuck in the clipping, but relaxed again when it was removed and the girl apologised right away. When the golden pieces were removed he watched as the girl picked up a brush, and then enjoyed the feeling of the pins of it running through his hair.

When the knots were all gone the chestnut haired girl stepped back to turn off the water and add some soap and bubbles and then turned around. The emperor shimmied off his clothes and hung them up neatly before he set foot in the water. It was hot, but not too hot and he let himself get engulfed further and further by the water as he sank down.

He sighed in relaxation and closed his eyes for a second, just enjoying the feel of the water around him and the silence in the room. Then the sounds returned as the girl let her hand reach into the water, moving so it sloshed over the blonde's shoulders.

"This is nice." Beomgyu said after a few moments of silence. The girl hummed and smiled. "Yeah?" She asked, making the emperor nod. "Finally away from all that paperwork."

"Is it hard, being the emperor?" She asked him then, curiosity evident in her voice as the moved her hands to the other side so she could wet his other shoulder. He thought about it for a moment, but then eventually shook his head. "It's not hard," He said. "It's just a lot of paperwork on some days and you have to watch what you say sometimes because you have to set the good example, you know?" He lightly chuckled. "But it's great too, I mean if it wasn't for me being the emperor I wouldn't get this treatment right now."

The girl chuckled as well, smoothing her hands over his shoulder. "I guess that's true."

They didn't say much after that, he just relaxed and let his eyes drift close while the girl smoothed her hands over his shoulders like the females in the palace were taught to do. When he felt his hands starting to wrinkle up from the water and the temperature lowering to a not hot not cold kinda state he reopened his eyes. He told the girl he wanted to get out and she obliged, holding a towel out and handing him his gown when he was dried off.

"Thank you." Beomgyu said after they were done. The chestnut brunette bowed her head and stepped out of the room, closing the door behind her.

He exhaled, feeling refreshed and relaxed now that he had taken a bath and his shoulders didn't feel as sore as they did anymore. He walked over to the balcony and look over the land for a moment. He watched how some of the horses were being led towards the stables for the night and how warriors were walking all over the place and how some of the kids were being called in by their mothers, some of them protesting but most of them complying.

A soft smile appeared on the emperor's face. He once was a kid like that too, once ran around this place too under the protection of the guards. He wanted to live up to his father's wishes and make the kingdom great again, so he could be a proud ruler and give the people good life's here.

His mind then wandered over to a certain brunette boy, seeing his smile in front of him and the eyes that held so much power in them. He envied how that boy strived to be a good fighter, and he made a promise right then and there to go and talk to the wizard first thing in the morning.

He smiled and reached for the curtains, pulling them close and darkening the room. He then walked over to his king sized bed and plopped down, ready to fall asleep and not able to wait until the morning would come.