[Vol. 3] Chapter 62

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I came to my room which was just beside the empress and I didn't know what kind of training it would be. She told me to come to her chamber by four in the morning! 

Did all of Arashi's family members wake up at four! Even Arashi used to wake up that early.

Arashi had told me to clean the Emperor's room with my hands since I could find something useful for him. Then after that I was to go to the empress's room and after that I was to go again to the emperor's room to feed him and clean him. 

After that Rei would be coming to teach me their etiquettes and I would have to study their culture through their royal books. Their history and everything. 

Just thinking about it made me sick to my stomach. 

I laid flat on the large bed as it was very comfortable. I had already turned off the lamps and it was dark. I felt lonely and scared because up until now, I always had Arashi with me but now, I couldn't even see him. My heart sank.

Then I heard footsteps. My heart thumped. Had they already started my annihilation!

I was about to scream when a large hand was placed on my face. "Mmm..."

"Shh... It's me." Arashi said in a low voice as he stood beside the bed but had bent forward to place his hand on my mouth. My eyes were wide but then I finally calmed down as I recognized it was Arashi. 

He let go of my mouth as I said, releasing a breath, "Oh! You..."

"So, my prince, how are you enjoying your home coming?" I asked and he gave me a puzzled look. 

"I am fine, thank you." He sat on the bed as I sat as well before him. He asked, "What about you?"

"Oh, no nothing. I am just fine other than I have to wake up everyday at 3 a.m., my prince." I said and he looked at me for a moment.

"Why are you calling me 'my prince'?'

"Why? Aren't you happy that I am giving you respect." I asked giving him a smile as he narrowed his eyes on me. 

He was trying to study my face in the dark and finally asked, "Did she tell you to call me that?!"

I looked away with a grumpy manner and he chuckled. He was just enjoying it and I was certain of it.

He came near as he placed his hands around my waist and pulled me toward him as I got surprised at his move. 

"What are you doing?" I asked, "You know we aren't supposed to see each other!"

"Ho~ So, you want me to go away?" He asked teasingly as I shook my head and buried myself in his embrace. I was already feeling lonely.

"I don't want you to go away." I mumbled against his chest as shyness crawled on my skin and reached my cheeks. As much as I liked to have a proper wedding with him but these rituals were too harsh because I had been living with him for a quiet while and it was heartbreaking to stay apart from him.

He patted my head and said in a husky voice, "Don't worry, it wouldn't be long. While you take care of father emperor, I will find the culprit in the palace."

I nodded as I looked up and our eyes met. He smiled at me gently as my heart flutter and he said, "I will be coming every night without anyone's notice. Don't worry about it and I will wake you up at three."

I nodded as I smiled back and he placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. "Now, go to sleep. Also, grandmother empress loves mint tea. Make sure you give her that with lotus flower starters. She will love it."

I chuckled. "So, I am getting some early advice?"

He shrugged and said, "Take it as a short way to enter her heart."

I mused with him and then we both laid down, wrapped against each other as sleep devoured us both.

Arashi had woken me up at three as he promised and he gave me some early cheat sheets before going into his grandmother's chamber. But before that came his grandfather's chamber.

As I was entering his chamber, I saw two men waiting beside the door. They were the men from Arashi, disguising themselves as Wansai soldiers. They nodded at me as I came. 

One of them gave me a small wrapper and said, "Prince Rian had given this."

I nodded and entered. I saw there was no one as I unwrapped the small paper. I knew Arashi had sent it since he had told me before departing that he would send me the medicines through his men. 

I started to clean the room but the room was very big so I decided to take my time cleaning it everyday. As I kept cleaning and searching, there was nothing unusual in it. 

After half an hour, I went to the emperor's bed and poured the medicine in a pot as I gave him. He wasn't drinking it and Arashi had told me to make him drink it somehow everyday. He would be sending me various medicines which I had to give him after every three hours.

I would be looking after the emperor in the day while he would be watching him at night. That was how he planned it and I hoped that his medicines worked.

After my chores in the emperor's chamber, I went to the empress's chamber while my heart thumped. I had prepared the mint tea and everything Arashi had told me. 

I knocked at four as I heard a hoarse voice of the empress. 

I came inside and saw one of her maids was combing her long hair. I was surprised she was almost ready by four and her sharp gaze fell on me.

I stood straight as she said, "What is that in your hands?"

"M—mint tea..." I said and she raised a brow. 

"Did my grandson tell you that?" She asked and my breath hitched. "I can smell the lotus leaves..."

I didn't know what to say as she said grumpily, "Come here! I don't have all day!"

I reached her and placed the tea pot and the plates before her on a bed table. Arashi had shown me the techniques to move the pot's small handle toward their right but for his grandmother it was to the left.

And as soon as I moved it to the left, her sharp gaze fell on me suspiciously. She didn't say anything as she instructed one of her maids to give me a book. 

I didn't know which book it was but it was a large old book with old pages. It was so old that its pages were turning yellow but whoever wrote on it and made the pages, must really be an amazing person since the book was still hard and the pages were still intact.

It wasn't even breaking. The writing was beautiful and the ink still wasn't fading. Her maid placed a lamp beside the book as the morning light still hadn't appeared and the empress told me, "These are all our ancient poems. You must be good at reading those. It says our tales and our origins."

I nodded as I sat on the mat I was given and my back was straight as a rod. Arashi had already told me about their sitting and eating etiquettes. It was a little different from Kosaki but they still resembled each other.

I saw the maids came with another old book and placed it on her table as she sat beside me on her mat and her eyes glued to it. 

She said, "Memorize everything in that book. Each word and its meanings must be carved into your memories. Otherwise I wouldn't let you marry my grandson."

I gulped and nodded as I looked at the ancient book before me. How would I memorize it? It had more than a thousand pages and each page had different words with their own meaning, not to mention the poems!

As I turned its pages I found some of those characters, I didn't even recognize. I had never seen them in my sisters' books. Even though I was the one who did their study work mostly, I didn't recall any kind of characters such as those.

I wanted to cry. I might never be able to marry Arashi! 

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23rd July, 22
1437
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A/n:

Enjoy! ❤️

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