The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Twenty-Three

"What's the meaning behind this?" Emperor Cabel shouts, throwing the letter, "She refused to come now and in the future because of my actions?"
"Your majesty, I'm sure she has her reasons. Surely she's still upset from what had happened." Lance speaks as he stands by the desk.

Emperor Cabel laughs lightly, amused.

"That woman... How bold of her. I could force her here, right now if I wanted to."
"Why haven't you then, your majesty?" Emperor Cabel glances at Lance, "Your imperial majesty, you have the authority over all things in the empire, yet with her you haven't punished her—nor have you used your authority to make her meet with you."

Emperor Cabel stands in front of the window, staring at the distant library.

"I want to keep her in my sight... But it feels as though, if I push too hard, she'll disappear from beyond my reach. I wanted to kill her... I wanted to place her head alongside her parents, but now I want to stay by her side longer. I don't want the last time I saw her to be the last."
"Your majesty, have you taken a liking to her?"

Emperor Cabel turns to Lance, focused on Lance's words.

"You don't wish to hurt her, but your mind has made it seem like these feelings aren't normal. You try to focus on how she was supposed to be executed to draw yourself away from the truth, when the truth is that you just miss her." Lance states.

Emperor Cabel thinks to himself.
He sighs, glancing at the lights of the library.

"These feelings are... Unsettling. She smiles and laughs so uniquely, it makes me feel light. Yet it angers me that she's unable to open herself to me. With Hayden she's warm and welcoming. I want her to look at me as she does when speaking to Hayden, yet that look of hers seems reserved only for him."
"Then you must make it so she's warm towards you as well. It may seem redundant, but you can see it as a way for yourself to feel connected. Not just feeling as though Hayden's connected to her, while you're unable to join."
"Yet, how can I join when I spoke such cruel things? She has every right to hate me, she has every right to ignore me." Emperor Cabel sighs, a self-loathing smile appearing on his face.
"Your majesty, Lady Luna is someone who'll listen to you if you explain why you want to talk... If you tell her you wish to apologize, she'll think about it and eventually come."
"And if she doesn't?"
"Then... You can send a letter to apologize. If you miss her this much, you need to do everything you can to reach out to her—that way there'll be no regrets if she chooses to never contact you again."
"Do you think I'm able to handle that?"
"I believe so... I think it'll help you move on from these feelings. If you tell her everything and she chooses not to respond, at least you can continue each day knowing you were honest with her."
"Hm..." Emperor Cabel scoffs, "Since when have you grown into such a romantic? You've gotten wiser."

Emperor Cabel's lips curl into a small grin.

"Thank you, your majesty." Lance chuckles, bowing his head.

Luna sits in her bedroom, watching the snow melt. The warmth of the sun seeps in through the windows.

She sighs as she closes her eyes, basking in the warmth of the sunlight.

"It feels like spring's around the corner." Luna whispers to herself.

Looking down in front of her, she stares at the pile of invitations from the emperor—frowning at the sight of the royal wax seals.

The door opens and Magnolia enters carrying a tray.
She sets a cup down, with slightly shaking hands as she tries to place the cakes.

"Have your injuries been healing?" Luna asks.
"Y-Yes my lady..." Magnolia avoids looking at her as she pours the tea.

Taking a moment to analyze Magnolia's behaviour, Luna sidhs.

"There's another letter, isn't there?..." She asks with a pained look.

Magnolia slowly nods, reaching into her apron to pull out another letter. Handing it to Luna, she keeps her eyes on the ground.
Luna sighs, dropping it on the table with the other envelopes and looks at Magnolia.

"Where's your other injury?" Luna asks, analyzing her face.

Magnolia hesitates until she pulls up her sleeve, revealing a gash and bruising on her forearm. A pained expression appears on Luna's face as she quietly lifts the ointment off her table.
Assisting Magnolia to sit down in front of her, she opens the jar of medicine before gently tending to her injury.

"P-Please don't hate the emperor..." Magnolia quietly whispers.
"What? Maggie, you're only a child, yet he continues to harm you. It angers me to even think of him."
"B-But... He didn't do anything wrong." Magnolia hesitantly speaks, her eyes welling with tears.
"What do you mean? You're covered in injuries. That's not acceptable."
"But..." Magnolia goes quiet, her expression holding a lingering air of guilt.

Luna pauses, taken aback by the child's trembling body. Her eyes filled with stress and sadness as thoughts overtake Magnolia's mind.

"Maggie... Is there something you're hiding?" Luna asks gently, confused by her expression and words.

Magnolia shakes her head and smiles.

"I-I'm sorry, my lady. I've made you worry."
"Please, don't be sorry. I just want to make sure you're okay."

Giving a soft nod, Magnolia purses her lips—refusing to speak more.
Curious about her strange behaviour, Luna worriedly looks back at the child before continuing to care for the wounds.