Fate I

CXCV

Rays of sunlight shone in through the curtains of the Dahlia Hall and squinting her eyes, Kougyoku slowly opened her eyes. She looked at her wedding garments which had been tossed to the side the night before and remembering the events that had transpired, she felt her heart prickle, tightening up in agony. But, at the same time, her heart fluttered with happiness. He said he would never love her and despised her but, humans were capable of change. He may not love her now but if she showed him her sincereness, he might slowly begin to trust her and perhaps, earn a bit of his affection. Turning to the side and expecting to see Sinbad, she brightened up.

"Sinba-!" she greeted him but, her heart sank as she was greeted with the sight of an empty, cold bed. Sitting upright with the blanket covering her, she lowered her head. "Sinbad-sama..."

A knock sounded at the door.

"Your Highness, it's Kiyo. I've prepared the water," she said, opening the door. Expecting to see Sinbad there, she placed the bowl of water down to the side and lowered herself. "Greetings to His Majesty the K-"

But, her sentence stopped short as she widened her eyes, greeted by the sight of only her mistress who sat there. It was clear even without saying that she had been abandoned by Sinbad right after they had consummated the marriage given by the blood on the bedsheet and the stale semen.

"Kougyoku-sama..." Kiyo knelt down by her bedside.

Kougyoku forced a smile. "It's fine," she said, her hair falling down beside her as she gazed at the ground. "I should've known this would happen. Since the one Sinbad-sama loves is not me but," she pursed her lips as she remembered Sinbad's words warning her not to address Lucy so familiarly when she had long cut ties with the Imperial Family on the night of the Autumn Festival Banquet, "Her Majesty the Queen."

"Even so, it's the night of your marriage!" Kiyo argued. "How could he just leave you like that and not show you any face?!"

"From the very beginning, I had no face to show," Kougyoku answered, aware of her situation and how she was seen in the eyes of not only the people of Sindria but also of her own Empire. "Sinbad-sama had clearly stated he would only take Lucy-sama into the Royal Harem and not only that, welcome her as his Queen. Yet, I forcefully barged in on their relationship by pressuring them through the use of the Imperial Family's power. It's only right for me to be hated."

"But..."

"They're all right," she said, a tear rolling down her face. "In his eyes, I'm but an eyesore."

Kiyo clutched onto Kougyoku, her brows furrowed in sorrow as she saw the lonely and destitute expression of her mistress.

"So I'll heed his words," she said, wrapping the blanket around her and curling herself into a ball. "I'll live quietly without so much as a peep. I'll live silently like a dead person in this Dahlia Hall. Even words of apology are not enough to earn forgiveness from them," the tears rolled down as she thought of Sinbad and Lucy, the two most precious people to her, her dream of living peacefully with them nothing more than an idealistic dream. "Kiyo."

"Yes?" she perked up.

"If you dare act without my orders and try anything against the two," she glared at her, emanating her Imperial aura and the aura of a metal vessel user. She knew that Kiyo was loyal to her but, at the same time, she knew how hot-headed and clueless Kiyo often was, often going so far as to purposely stir up trouble and plot schemes, "I will execute you myself."

She paled and lowered her head, her body quivering. "Y-Yes."

"I may be naive and an idiot but, I'm not so stupid as to ignore the actions of my subordinates," Kougyoku said. "If I see you dare do anything to Sinbad-sama or Lucy-sama, you'll know the consequence."