The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Eighty-Nine

I stare out at the rain, the time moving dreadfully slow.
The awkward silence between us overwhelms me.
"May I speak freely?" Lord Christopher breaks the silence.
"Yes, of course." I glance over to him.
"I know you'll soon become royalty but I'd like to speak with you, without being reprimanded."
"It's quite alright, I won't hold any grudges if you'd like to speak honestly."
Lord Christopher takes a deep breath, stopping in his tracks to turn to me.
I face him, confused by what he has to say.
"Be wary of your actions." Lord Christopher speaks.
"Hm, is that a worry or threat?" I smile.
"Neither. I'm speaking on behalf of the empire of Cypheler. Status is everything and rumours will affect how you're viewed."
"And what rumours are you referring to?"
"You spent a month with Duke Oslo. It's none of my business but I found out from father. You've become a consultant, held the blade of poison in front of his highness, and have now become the future fiancée of his highness. The citizens will accept you because you're praise worthy, but there will be people ready to slander you if you make a mistake. It's private information you were with his grace, but for example if it were public, you'd be in a difficult situation."
"Will it be presumptuous to be assume that you won't be the cause of any slander?"
"No. I will have to stop the slander if it's for you."
"I never expected you to work so diligently for my sake."
"I'm not. It's my future duty as the next marquess to ensure the royal family is protected, just as it is the duke's responsibility. Don't have my words and actions be mistaken for care or sentiment."
"I'm aware. Regardless it seems you don't hate me, nor do you like me. I assume we'll have a professional, civil relationship?"
"Of course. That's what will be necessary for the future empress and future marquess." Lord Christopher begins walking again.
"You know, rumours do not define who I am as a person."
Lord Christopher looks at me as I walk beside him.
"I know for certain you don't hate me or have feelings of like towards me, but I know you're basing who I am off things I'm not. It speaks more about who you are if you'd rather judge me blindly, rather than to actually get to know me." I grin, shrugging.
"If you're caught in more rumours and gossips, it'll affect the empire's image. I just hope you'll act cautiously."
"I'm assuming you wish to just not know who I honestly am?"
"I will know who you are if we're to work together in the future, but presently there seems to be no rush in knowing you."
"I suppose. Than I have no rush in knowing you either."
"Of course."
"Let's head back, I've gotten rather too cold." I smile, slipping his jacket off.
I hand Lord Christopher's jacket back, smiling as I walk ahead of him.

We approach the west hallway, Marquess Simone noticing us from down the hall.
"Christopher, let's go." Marquess Simone calls out.
"Lady Luna, I hope you know, I don't hate or despise you. I said those things because I wanted to see who you were as a person if I spoke rashly."
"And? What do you think of me as a person now?"
"It's too early to know... But you're correct in a way that I judged you off what I had heard. This just let me know what kind of a person you are. Well then, goodbye." Lord Christopher bows.
I curtsy as he leaves to the marquess.
I continue down the hallway, heading to Cabel's office.

I raise my hand, ready to knock, until I hear voices from inside the office.

"Your highness, I will not sell my body for you!"
I hear a woman's voice.
"You're my belonging, I can use your body however I want. I suggest you comply or you might be in a difficult situation." Cabel's voice deeply speaks.
"Your highness!" The girl shouts.
"I've told you, the concubine's in the past all died by my hands, don't make it so I'll have to kill you too. I know your beloved would hate the news of the concubine dying."
"You... You're a monster."
"I'm the emperor. I have to be if I want to get what I want." I hear Cabel snicker.
I freeze, confused by the conversation I just heard.
I listen to rustling and noises in the office. I pull my hand back, unable to knock.

"Lady Luna?"
I turn to see Lance carrying a tray of tea.
"Lance..." I stare at him, shocked.

The door flies open.
I jump, frozen.
"Luna?" Cabel looks down at me, surprised.
"Oh..." I stare up, unsure of what to say.
My eyes look into the office to see a woman, her silky purple hair braided and styled nicely as she sits on the sofa with her clothes messed up.
She wears a traditional eastern hanfu of Xiao. Her hanfu hanging off her shoulders in disarray as she looks back at me with teary eyes.
"What?..." I whisper.
"Were you here long?" Cabel looks at me concerned.
"What were you doing to her?" I mutter.
"What?"
"What were you doing?" I exclaim, my eyes tearing up.
Cabel looks back at the girl and back at me.
"I told you to trust me, I promise it's not what you're thinking." Cabel calmly states.
"You haven't seen me for two weeks, I haven't heard anything from you and you're asking me to trust you, when you're in your office with a girl who's clothes are in disarray?" I speak attempting to stay calm.
"Luna-"
"What is it that was so secretive? I want to know."
Cabel looks at me, unable to answer.
"Cabel, I heard you talking with her... Tell me what's going on or I'm leaving."
"Damn it. Come inside, hurry." Cabel clicks his tongue, pulling me into the office.
Lance comes in, closing the door and locking it.
"Who is she, what did you do to her?" I look at Cabel, growing concerned.
"This is Princess Ming from Xiao. I didn't do anything, let me explain."

--------------------

Emperor Cabel sits on his couch in his office.
A lady wearing a traditional white and pink hanfu sits across from him. The fabric transparent enough to show the outline of her body.
She sits, holding herself in her arms as she's unable to look up.
Emperor Cabel sighs.
"I know you speak multiple languages, so don't pretend you can't communicate with me." Emperor Cabel speaks up.
"I-I wasn't trying to..."
"Then speak. You must have questions." He stands, walking around the coffee table.
"No..."
"Hm... I have no use for you." Emperor Cabel coldly looks at her.
Her eyes shoot to him, filled with fear.
"Please! I'll be useful, I'll satisfy you with this body, please don't kill me!" She exclaims.
She quickly jumps up to grab his jacket.
"What are you doing?" He scowls.
"P-Please, give me a chance! Please don't hurt me!" She cries.
Tears run down her cheeks as she quickly tries to untie her hanfu.

"Are you insane?" Emperor Cabel shouts, grabbing her by her shoulders.
She freezes just before her chest is exposed.
"P-Please spare my life!"
"Are you trying to seduce me to stay alive?"
"Please, don't kill me! I have someone I love, I want to see them!"
She grabs onto him again. He scowls annoyed.
"Enough!" He shouts.
She flinches, holding her breath.
"Stay quiet, you're too loud." Emperor Cabel pushes her back, forcing her to sit back onto the couch.
He sighs, raking his hand through his hair as he contemplates to himself, averting his eyes from her.
He picks up a napkin, throwing it on her lap.
"Clean up your face. We're here to have a discussion, so you need to be calm. If you try to seduce me again, I swear I'll cut your head off, understand?" His eyes faintly glow as he grows annoyed.
The girl nods, holding back her sobs as she wipes her eyes.
He scoffs, rolling his eyes.
"Sit up straight." He growls.
He approaches her, quickly tying her hanfu back up.
She hiccups silently as she stares back at him confused and back down at her messy clothes.
"Y-You don't want my body?..."
"Why would I want you?"
She stares dumbstruck.
"Don't stare like that, you look like a fool."
"I-I thought I was your concubine... I thought you wanted to make our relationship official."
"Our relationship? Don't be absurd. I want no relationship with someone like you."
She stares, confused and slightly offended.
"Stop being sensitive. I'm already betrothed so I have no need for you or anyone else." He sits on the coffee table in front of her.
"Oh... I-I see... Then why have you made me your concubine?..."
"Listen carefully. I need to use you." He lowly speaks.
"P-Pardon?"
"You're going to be a gift." Emperor Cabel smiles.
"A gift?"
"I'm placing a new ruler in control of Xiao. Your brothers were not fit and had to go. It'll be under my jurisdiction, but since you're the princess of Xiao, you'll become the new queen."
"Me?"
"Yes. I have no need for you to be my concubine. I don't want you, and I have no use for you except gifting you to the new ruler of my choosing."
"Please... No."
"What?"
"I will not become a gift for a king I don't know. You know I have someone I love, why would you force me to do this!"
"Because you're mine."
"Your highness, I will not sell my body for you!" She shouts.
"You're my belonging, I can use your body however I want. I suggest you comply or you might be in a difficult situation." Emperor Cabel's voice deeply speaks.
"Your highness!" The girl shouts.
"I've told you, the concubines in the past all died by my hands, don't make it so I'll have to kill you too. I know your beloved would hate the news of the Xiao princess dying."
"You... You're a monster."
"I'm the emperor. I have to be if I want to get what I want." Emperor Cabel snickers.

"That's what happened." Emperor Cabel sighs.
He leans on his desk, explaining everything.
"This is the princess of Xiao, you've read of her." Emperor Cabel scoffs.
"Why would you do this to her?..." Luna glares.
"What?"
"She loves someone else! You'd force her to marry someone for your own needs?"
"Yes." Emperor Cabel blankly responds.
"How could you do this?"
"Very easily. I know what I'm doing, I told you to trust me so be patient until everything can unfold." Emperor Cabel gently speaks.
Luna shuts her mouth, staring back at Ming who sits silently on the sofa.
"Cabel... You can't treat someone so cruelly."
He takes a breath and looks back at her.
"I know it's cruel..." He lowers his body, his lips close to Luna's ear, "Just like before, I had to be mean to you to protect you... It's the same with Ming. Right now, I need to be cruel in order for my plan to work. Will you trust me?" He whispers.
Luna looks back at him and back at Princess Ming.
"Okay... I'll trust you..." Luna replies, biting her tongue.
"Thank you." He lightly kisses her forehead.

Luna sits in her bedroom, staring outside at the heavy pouring rain.
"I trust him... I believe in him." Luna whispers.
She sighs, staring at her books.
She fiddles with the book pages, lost in her thoughts.