The Emperor's Concubine

Chapter Thirty-One

"How stupid... You bring me to my knees with just a smile." Emperor Cabel whispers, glancing at Luna sleeping peacefully.
"Who knew I'd become this selfish... I don't want anyone else seeing your smile, and all I can think about is how I want to monopolize that innocent smile of yours... Would you laugh at what a fool I am?..." Emperor Cabel leans against the arm rest of his chair, closing his eyes as thoughts run through his mind.

Emperor Cabel sits in his office, dozing off as he stares at the sunlight seeping into the room.
He thinks about Luna, remembering her sleeping expression.

"Your highness- Your highness?"
Duke Oslo repeats, attempting to get the emperor's attention.
"What is it?" Emperor Cabel replies, uninterested.
"Well, I was telling you about the new recruits who've graduated?..."
"Right, after the knighting ceremony, send the top ten best knights to be stationed in the main palace grounds. The others you may enlist with your squadrons."
"Yes, your highness. Does stealing my recruits have anything to do with Lady Luna?" Duke Oslo questions, amused.
Emperor Cabel glances at him.
"I'd prefer to call it mere borrowing. Just until we find someone more suitable to protect her."
"If it involves Lady Luna, I highly doubt you'll return the knights back to me."
"Who's to say." Emperor Cabel cheekily shrugs.
"Is she healing well, since the incident?" Duke Oslo asks.
Emperor Cabel stands, staring out the window.
"Physically, she's better. But in her sleep, she calls out and cries. It seems all I can do is watch her suffer with her nightmares."
"May I ask why all the attention? She's just a concubine, yet you've mercilessly executed all of your other concubines. You've even decided to guard her personally."
Emperor Cabel pauses, thinking to himself.
His lips forming into a solemn grin.
He turns back to Duke Oslo, an expression of amusement and curiosity on his expression.
"I wonder that as well." Emperor Cabel stares at Duke Oslo's watchful eyes, "You're quite attentive with my personal affairs."
Duke Oslo chuckles, amused.
"No, your highness. I'm sure if someone who had never met you, saw the way you act with Lady Luna, they'd notice your feelings for her. Surprisingly and quite possibly, they'd even notice it before you do."
"What feelings? Don't taint my office with romance talk." Emperor Cabel scoffs.
"Your highness, surely you must know... Oh, don't tell me..." Duke Oslo dramatically covers his mouth.
"Spit it out. You're giving me a headache with your roundabout way of speaking."
"Your highness, speaking from anyone's perspective, it's clear you fancy Lady Luna."
"Me? The emperor, fancying a concubine from a ruined kingdom?"
"Phrase it how you wish, your highness, but we both know you don't care about titles or statuses. It's clear you have feelings for her, but reject your own feelings by trying to use the fact that she's a concubine to turn you away. Surely if that bothers you, her past would bother you more."
"How could I be bothered by a past of someone who's been abused?"
"The same way how her being a concubine would actually bother you."
"Regardless, she belongs to me. How would her past affect anything?"
"... Well, wasn't she meant to marry her brother?"
Emperor Cabel's eyes shoot up to glare at Duke Oslo.
"Where did you hear about that?" Emperor Cabel growls.
"Forgive me, your highness. At our time in Avris, I went through the books we found in her bedroom. It stated things about the union between her and her brother." Duke Oslo bows.
"Who else has seen them?"
"No one else. Everything has been burned. I have not shared this with a single soul."
"If you do, no matter how much power you hold as a duke, I will rip that title away from you and personally cut your tongue out, regardless of our so called 'friendship'."
"I understand, your highness, forgive me."
"We'll speak later, I'm tired."
Emperor Cabel scoffs, staring out the window.
"Yes, your highness. May glory of Helios rest upon you." Duke Oslo leaves quietly, bowing his head.

Emperor Cabel sits alone in his office, until chuckling.
"How absurd, wanting to punish anyone who speaks ill of her... I never saw it myself, but being with her is easy... I want her by my side more..."
Emperor Cabel sighs as he stares out the window.
His eyes widen, a realization flickering across his face.
He scoffs, shaking his head slightly.
"That bastard duke sticking his nose everywhere..."
Emperor Cabel groans as he rubs his forehead, his cheeks and ears turning slightly red from embarrassment.