The Empress (MxM)

Chapter 7

3rd person pov

Satomi didn't sleep a wink that night, his sorrow filled cries fell on deaf ears

When he got out if bed he rung alittle bell and Hoshi appeared not too long after

She gasped when she saw how distraught he looked

"What happened, you look like such a mess, your face is red and puffy and that nasty mark on your arm!" She exclaimed, gently cupping his face as if he was gonna break like fine China

"You need a bath and some ointment for that nasty bruise"

Hoshi held his hand all the way to the washroom and prepared a warm bath then started to clean him

"Can we go outside today?" He whispered so softly that she almost didn't hear him

Her frown deepened

"I don't think his majesty would agree with that"

"He doesn't have to know, I just want to leave for some time"

She was torn, wanting to put her foot down and say no, then report to his majesty but, when Satomi turned to look at her with big teary eyes her heart ached

She looked away with an embarrassed blush

"Fine but 1 I'll be going with you, 2 you will wear a cloak and no fancy clothes, 3 keep the interactions to a minimum, his majesty must not know"

He nodded enthusiastically

After his bath, Hoshi brought him different clothes to wear along with a big cloak which she draped over him after getting him dressed

"We will use the servants quarters to leave, keep your head down and do not make eye contact"

Satomi nodded fidgeting with excitement and anticipation

They made their way through the long halls and passed through the servants quarters without being discovered seeing as it was early and most servants were either tending to chores somewhere else or preparing food

While Hoshi and Satomi made their escape, Takeshi laid in bed with one of his concubines, silently staring up at the ceiling

"So my lord, I never would have imagined you'd pick such an unsightly thing as your queen"

The woman spoke

Takeshi uttered not a word so she took it as a green light to slander the soon to be Empress

"I mean, the commoner boy even tried seducing governor Yun, how filthy, just like a natural born whore"

At this he shot up staring dead eyed at the startled woman, Takeshi grabbed her face harshly

"Say it again, I fucking dare you"

The woman was terrified beyond belief

"I-I"

"You will not talk about my soon to be wife in such a light, he wasn't trying to seduce anyone but me, he is mine and mine alone to judge, spew anymore shit and I'll slaughter you like the pig you are" he said in a low menacing tone

Takeshi got up and stormed to his room

He wanted to apologize to his wife, he didn't want Satomi to feel like he was always like this

Upon entering the room, he wasn't expecting to be greeted with an empty room and dead silence

He paused confused and terrified

'Did he run away?'

Takeshi walked back and forth in panic trying to figure out what to do

He sent out his guards to search for his run away bride

Satomi and Hoshi were now in the market looking at things the vendors were selling

"Look Hoshi! This is so cool!" he said staring at a street painter

"Satomi, wait for me, Takeshi will have my head if I lose you"

The man painting looked up at the pure beauty that was Satomi staring down at him in awe, he was baffled himself

"you"

Satomi smiled and took an empty canvas

"May I try? I promise I'll buy it back" he asked with big pleading eyes

The man nodded

When Hoshi finally caught up to the excited boy, she was unpleased to see he was on the filthy ground with some random street painter, paint smudging him cheek

"Satomi, what in heavens name are you doing?"

She pulled out a silk cloth and tried wiping of the unwanted color that had brandished itself on his face

"Well I was painting, he said it was ok"

Hoshi looked at the man apologetically who just gave her a smile in return

"I'm sorry for the trouble sir, here" she dropped a bag of coins in his hands

"That should cover the expenses of everything"

The man was astonished and thanked them both before they left

Soon guards started to fill the market place, looking for the run away bride and thus began a chase

Some grew suspicious of the two cloaked figures while others questioned the villagers, they all got the same answer

"A beautiful young man walking with a woman named Hoshi"

As the two wondered through the streets naively, a hand pulled both of them into a near by ally

Hoshi bit into the hand and was about to throat punch the attacked when she saw that it was Kang, a special servant to the king

"What is wrong with you?! You almost gave me a heart attack"

The man held his bitten hand, features twisted in pain 

"Are you psychotic? What are you even doing here with his majesty?" He said while looking at Satomi, who found looking at his dirtied shoes more interesting

He felt like he was gonna get scolded 

"And you, the Emperor is throwing the biggest temper tantrum I've ever seen since I've been there, everyone's saying his bride ran away, possibly with a new lover"

Satomi's head shot up with puffy red cheeks and teary eyes

"L-leave Hoshi alone,  I asked her to follow me here because I needed some fresh air and I wanted to explore"

He held out the canvas showing Kang what he painted 

"I even made this"

The small boy said before starting to sniffle, making Hoshi glare harshly at the shocked man

She snarled like a lioness protecting her young

"You have the nerve to scold him? Who gave you the right?"

The man was baffled and turned to the upset boy

"My apologies, I didn't mean to upset you your highness"

Satomi shook his head

"I'll be heading back then"

Both Hoshi and Kang knew they were  screwed,  if the king saw the boy's distressed face it would mean death by Takeshi's own hands and they dreaded the slaughter to come