The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Thirty-Two

"His highness sent these?" I ask, dumbfounded.

Sitting in bed, I stare confused at the large amount of vases of flowers in my room.
Rows of bright coloured flowers stand against the wall, windows, and tables, taking up a majority of my room.

"Yes, my lady. He sent them in hopes of your quick recovery." Lance speaks eloquently.
"He's visited me every night so far, there was no need for him to send these." I stare at the massive bouquet Lance hands me.
"To be honest, I tried to dissuade him from ordering so much, once I heard from the florist how much he purchased. But, I wouldn't be able to stop him if I tried."
"It's very sweet of him." I whisper, admiring the gentle scent the bouquet has.
I fondly gaze at the light pink flowers, accented with the snow white baby's breath.

"Cabel?" I call out, knocking.
I stand and wait in front of his office.
Soon the door creaks open, Cabel looks out at me.
"What are you doing? You shouldn't be walking around." He speaks, holding his hand out to me.
I place my hand on his as he escorts me inside.
"It's okay, I feel better today."
Cabel looks out into the hall, until closing the door behind me.
"Where are the knights I assigned to you?" He asks.
"Er... I left them behind." I honestly admit.
"Why's that? If another incident happens-"
"I-I know... To be honest, I didn't feel too comfortable with them." I stammer, looking at my feet.
"Did they do anything to you?" His voice growls.
I jump, surprised by the anger in his voice.
"Pardon?-"
I look up to meet his eyes. His eyes glow vibrantly, looking back at me with concern and rage.
"I'll make sure they can't lay a hand on anyone else if they dared to touch you."
"N-No! They didn't do anything!" I hold his arm, attempting to stop him from walking to the door, "It's just..."
I trail off, catching the words in my throat.
His expression calms down as he waits for me to speak.

"Just be honest."
I tell myself, taking a deep breath.

"They didn't do anything to me... Rather, I'm afraid they will." I mutter.
The memories come back to me. Knights of Avris hurting me, trying to touch me as I grew closer to adulthood, and the sleazy looks they held in their stares.
"Is it something they did?" He asks, his hand cupping my cheek.
I shake my head, nuzzling into his warm palm.
"No... It's because of memories from my kingdom that I'm afraid..."
"I see." Cabel mutters.
"I-I'm sorry. Please don't punish them. I promise they didn't do anything, it's only from my own fears."
"You have nothing to apologize for." Cabel's long fingers slowly move to tuck my hair behind my ear, "Fear is something people don't have control over. If you're uncomfortable, I'll have it arranged so they don't crowd you."
"Thank you for understanding." I whisper, touched by his consideration.
"Your friend is a guard too, is there a reason you didn't fear him?"
"Hayden?"
He nods, escorting me to the sofa.
"Well... I was afraid of him from the authority he gave, but I wasn't afraid he would hurt me. I was never afraid of him in that sense."
"We could have him be your guard, if you'd prefer?"
"I-I couldn't do that to him! That would be a fairly large demotion if he went from a high position to suddenly guarding a concubine." I shake my head, taken aback by his suggestion.
"I could be your guard, how's that?" He gives a small playful grin.
I freeze, looking back at his amused expression.
"I-I wouldn't mind if it was you..." I mutter, embarrassed as I truthfully speak.
"Oh? What a brazen concubine I have. Who would have thought you'd want the emperor to be your guard." He raises his brow, flashing a small pleased grin.
My cheeks heat up as I look at his sly-playful expression.
A chuckle escapes his lips as his thumb gently caresses my cheek. Walking over to the wall, he pulls on a tassel.
"I have some work left to do, but enjoy a treat until I'm done." Cabel gently speaks.
I nod, looking back at him.

I watch as he takes a folder off the shelf, until he turns to notice my staring.
Averting my eyes for a moment, I flash a small smile as I meet his gaze again. Placing the folder on his desk, he suddenly walks towards me.
Watching his movements, my eyes widen as he kneels on the ground in front of me.

"Y-Your highness! W-What are you doing?" I exclaim.
"Don't worry, I'm only checking your injuries."

Cabel's fingers reach out to gently hold my chin, tilting my head upwards. His other hand lightly pushes my hair away from my neck.
"May I?" He asks, looking into my eyes as his fingers rest on the neck of the dress.
I nod feeling my cheeks warm up.
His fingers gently push the fabric down, exposing my neck to the cool air of his office.
Analyzing the bruise closely, I flinch, surprised by his warm breath tickling my neck.

"Did I hurt you?" He rips his hands away quickly, carefully looking at my expression.
"N-No, not at all!" I grasp my neck from where it tickled, feeling my body grow hot.
"Was it uncomfortable?"
"N-No, I just..." I trail off, embarrassed.
Cabel stares at me confused, making my cheeks flush even more with his innocent gaze.
"You're getting red, do you have a cold?" He worriedly asks, moving up slightly.
Moving closer, he presses his hand against my forehead.
I jump back as his eyes carefully examine me.
"Ah!" I yelp, hiding my flushed cheeks, "I-I promise I'm okay!"
"Then, what's the matter?"
Averting my eyes, I muster up the courage to speak.
"I-It was because you were so close... Your breath tickled my neck." I whisper.
A moment of silence goes by, and I glance back at Cabel.
My eyes widen at the sight of his ears and cheeks turning red.
"I see." He mutters, standing as he averts his eyes.

I look at him dumbstruck, staring at the 'demon' emperor wearing such a vulnerable expression.
His cheeks a slight shade of rose, with his ears burning a vibrant tomato red. My cheeks begin to heat up more, my heartbeat quickening as I look back at his expression.
We stay in place flustered, too embarrassed to move or speak.

"Your highness?"
Lance calls out, knocking on the office doors.

Flinching at the sound of his voice, Cabel turns his back to the door.
"Come in." Cabel speaks up.

Upon entering, Lance pauses as he gives a confused look at the both of us.
Cabel walks to his desk, sitting down. He turns the chair around as he reads a document.

Lance places a tea set in front of me, confused by the atmosphere of the room.
"My lady? Are you ill? Your cheeks seem red." Lance asks, staring at my expression.
"N-No, I'm okay! Thank you for the tea!" I stutter, attempting to hide my embarrassment.
"The pleasure is mine... Shall I bring a book for you to read?" Lance replies, confused by my expression.
"That'll be wonderful, thank you." I stammer, clearing my throat.
"Of course, my lady."
Lance glances again at me as he walks away. He bows, shutting the door behind him.