Humming a small tune, I secure the front half of my (h/c) locks behind my head, leaving a few pieces out to frame my face. A simple, albeit gorgeous, light blue dress fell down to my ankles, a white coat providing some warmth.
"My lady, we should make our way there, soon. Brunch is approaching," Sarah folds the last of the clean towels, placing them in a drawer in my bathroom.
Not wishing to be late, I agree. "Let us." Taking one last peak at the bouquet upon my nightstand, I make a mental note to thank his majesty.
"Sarah, how did his majesty have the flowers arrive so quickly?" I questioned her.
She looks at me, before turning back to the path in front of us. "If I am not mistaken, I believe he sent a few servants out after you had spoken to him."
I look at her, astonished. "But we finished speaking quite late. They traveled all night for flowers?"
Sarah nods. "Yes, my lady. A command from his majesty is a command, regardless of the time and occasion."
I couldn't help but press my lips together at that. Sure, what she said was correct, though it didn't make me feel any less bad for them. Traversing when it is freezing and dark for flowers is far from ideal.
"We have arrived, my lady," she opens the door.
Sat at the end of the table was his majesty, in his usual spot. This time, however, I appeared to be the first one to arrive.
'That is odd. I know I usually come a little early, though I must be extremely early today, since not even Lady Mary-Ann is here.' I look at Sarah, about to ask her what time it is, though the emperor beats me to it.
"You are quite early today. Come, sit." His majesty stands up, the chair he sat upon screeching as the legs slide back. He walks over to the chair on his right, pulling it out, gently bowing.
I scrunch my eyebrows, taking slow steps to where his majesty was waiting for me. When I near where he was standing, I beckon out, a little confused. "Thank you, your majesty."
As soon as I sit down, he walks back over and takes his seat once more. "Sarah." He curls his finger at her, and her movement toward him is instantaneous.
Bowing down, his majesty leans forward, turning his head slightly, before whispering something to her. I cannot hear, though she nods her head. "Yes, your majesty."
"You are dismissed." He nods his head, before she disappears.
"What did you tell her?" I ask curiously.
"Nothing for you to worry your pretty little head about," his eyes glinted.
I narrow my eyes at him, though he paid no mind to it. "Did you receive my flowers?"
At that, I hastily nodded, remembering my mental note. "Yes, your majesty. Thank you, they are beautiful. If you don't mind me asking, why did you do that?"
He peered at me, taking my appearance in. "You said you liked hydrangeas, no?"
"Well, yes...but you didn't have to inconvenience yourself by getting me some. Don't mistake me, I am very grateful, though it must have been difficult." I squirm a little bit, his crystal eyes unrelenting on me.
"Nonsense. Whatever you wish for, I will get," he grins a little, and I feel my cheeks heat up.
He seemed to be in a good mood, which is wonderful for everyone around, though I can't help but fluster at the way he phrases his words.
"Thank you, your majesty," are the only words that I could muster up, looking away. His gaze never wavers from me.
At the empty seat across from me, I turn back to look at him. "What time is it? How come I am so early?"
"It is ten forty. Brunch begins at eleven," he informs me.
'How peculiar. I am not even that early, though I am still the only one here.'
I don't question him, doubting he knew why the other ladies hadn't arrived early per usual.
'They must have overslept.' I sigh, thinking back to my beautiful, warm bed.
"What is on your mind?" Emperor Kruos responds to my sigh.
"My bed," I mope a little bit.
Emperor Kruos laughs. "I take it you are not a morning person?"
I shake my head in denial. "Not one bit, your majesty. No matter how many times I wake up early, I still loathe it everytime. What time do you usually wake up?"
"Around six, when the sun rises," his answer makes my eyes nearly bulge out of its sockets.
'Six!?' I could barely get up at nine this morning!
"My goodness, I really pity you," I wince at the prospect of getting up that early.
Emperor Kruos gives a small chuckle. "I am used to it. Waking up early builds good habits and increases productivity." He gives me a pointed look.
I shrug. "I am sure it does, but that is a small price I am willing to sacrifice for the luxury of being bundled up and happy. The bedding here is to die for."
"Are they suitable for your comfort?" He tilts his head.
I nod. "Quite, your majesty. I have never slept in a bed so plush and comfortable."
His majesty sits up, resting both arms against the table. Leaning in a little, his voice soft and slightly husky. "Mine is much more comfortable."
I lean on the arm of the chair, sighing. "I do not doubt that one bit. The emperor must have the most luxurious of them all," I am a little envious at the thought of what an emperor must sleep like.
Emperor Kruos's eyes crinkle a little as he smirks in amusement at me, though it drops at the sound of the doors opening, his face going back to the familiar, apathetic appearance.
'It is a talent to be able to hide your emotions like that so swiftly,' I can't help but admire the seamless switch.
As per usual, Lady Mary-Ann walks in, a small smile on her face which is overridden by shock when she sees me.
I smile at her, giving a small greeting. "Goodmorning, Lady Mary-Ann."
Compared to the warm gratitude she showed me during our previous day's activity, she seems a bit more cold as our eyes interlock.
"Goodmorning, Lady (y/n). You are early." Her words are stiff.
I try not to let her tone affect me, perhaps she just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. "Yes, though I was not quite sure when to have arrived, I just followed my maid's advice."
Lady Mary-Ann hums, a tight-smile on her face. She turns to his majesty. "Goodmorning, your majesty."
Emperor Kruos nods at her. "Goodmorning, Lady Mary-Ann. Please take a seat." He doesn't get up from his seat as he once did when I had arrived, merely gesturing at the rows of empty seats.
She takes the spot to his left, directly in front of me. I clear my throat. "How did you sleep?" I really needed new opening greetings.
"Good, and you?" Her words are curt, and her question seemed disingenuous. Well, I am unsure of what I had done wrong for her to switch moods so suddenly.
"Quite well, thank you for asking." I give another unreciprocated smile.
She turns her head to his majesty, who looks amused at our conversation. I bit the tongue which wanted to demand that he wipe that smirk off his face.
This stay has been nothing but a whiplash of emotions.
One by one, the seats began to fill.
———
"And I said to her, surely you jest! I could never wear that, it looks like it was made for peasants! Hahaha!" Boisterous laughter comes from my right. Lady Diane Wright, from the House of Wright, recalls her story of walking into a dress store, to which a few ladies, of which include Lady Mary-Ann, laugh along with.
'My goodness, what dull tales,' I can't help but cringe internally at the blatant judgment.
Lady Annabeth, who is sat on Lady Mary-Ann's left, across Lady Diane, looks less than amused. "You didn't try it on? Perhaps it would've fit you."
A few gasps from the ladies around are released from her passive aggressive, disguised as innocent, retort. Lady Diane clenches the fork in her hands a little bit tighter.
'Oh my, war has begun.' My eyes widen in partial shock, yet intrigue as I witness the drama unfold in front of me.
Brunch and show? Count me in! I scoop another bite into my mouth, switching gazes between the two ladies as I wait for someone to start swinging.
"Of course not, Lady Annabeth! I know what suits me best and do not need a personal stylist as some do," she gives a thin lipped smile back.
It was now Lady Annabeth's turn to grip her silverware a little tighter.
'My goodness! It is getting juicy!' I eye the emperor to my left to see his reaction. I know he can hear all of this.
Our gazes lock and he quirks an eyebrow at me. The side of his lip twitches. It was so minuscule you would have missed it had you not been paying attention, though I noticed it.
At least I am not the only one amused. I turn to the end of the table where Lady Aria sat. She looks more concerned than amused, though I am unsure of what.
Unfortunately, Lady Aria had been one of the last to arrive, so we could not sit next to each other. Hopefully, I will be able to meet with her soon, we have a lot to catch up on.
"Ah, I see, Lady Diane. Though, having a personal stylist is quite common in high society. After all, even an empress has one," she grins back.
The two ladies are now smiling so tightly at each other, it looked like their lips were permanently glued shut.
"What do you think, Lady (y/n)?" Lady Diane looks at me, her eyes beckoning me to back her up as Lady Annabeth glowers at me. I freeze, mid-bite.
'What the hell!? What do I have to do with this!? This is my karma for enjoying watching them brawl.' I curse at myself.
Clearing my throat, I lower my utensil, scanning the ladies who glance at me. "Well...I think whether you want a personal stylist or not is all personal preference. I personally do not have one because I don't find it necessary, though there are benefits to having one, such as access to a second opinion and saving time."
I pulled all of that out of my bum. I couldn't care less about a personal stylist, so I went with the safest option.
"Well said, Lady (y/n)." A deep, masculine voice startles me. We turn our focus to Emperor Kruos, who sports a proud look on his face.
"Something as trivial as 'whether a personal stylist is necessary' is all up to the individual. In the case of an empress, the typical choice is whatever is most efficient," he drawls. Giving me another glance over, he continues. "Lady (y/n) does not have a personal stylist, yet she is always early and well-presented. In this case, it is simply unnecessary for her to have one."
The silence is deafening. Lady Diane looks smugly at Lady Annabeth, who glares back at her. Lady Mary-Ann's eyes narrow at me.
I telepathically spew curses at his majesty.
———
The rest of brunch is uneventful, minor jabs being thrown here and there, but thankfully, none of them involved me.
"Thank you all for joining me for brunch. Your schedules are free to do as you please for today, as myself and the council discuss which three of you will be eliminated by tonight. You are dismissed." Emperor Kruos takes his leave, leaving a couple of ladies' jaws dropped at his nonchalant casualness of the announcement that three ladies will be eliminated.
Lady Aria rushes over to me, whispering. "I wonder who will be eliminated. It will most likely be me, Lady Edith, and Lady Charlotte. I think we all spoke to his majesty the least." She scans the other ladies who began to disperse from the room, whispers amongst themselves, all of which were most likely speaking about the same thing we were.
I frown a little at the thought of Lady Aria leaving. If she does, I wish to, as well, since she was technically the only friend I had here until I am eliminated.
"I am not sure, either." As I spoke, a frail maid walked up to us.
She clears her throat, before bowing deeply at us. "Lady Aria, please allow me to escort you to your room. A present from your father has arrived."
Her eyes widen at the mention of her father. She turns to me, before hugging me. "We will speak later. Find me in my room when you are available."
"I will see you later," I hug her back, waving as she departs.
'At least I will get to relax today. Perhaps, even get eliminated.' I open the door to my room.
"Sarah?" I call out as I shut the door.
'She must be on her way,' I think to myself, before a large, gloved hand clamps down on my mouth. My eyes widen, and I flail around, attempting to release myself from the intruder's hold, though their broad frame doesn't falter.
"Shhh, it's just me," a voice soothes me. I settle down a little bit at the familiarity, before relaxing into their hold.
Peering up at a certain ruler, I abruptly yank myself out of his arms. "What was that for!?" I hissed. "You almost gave me a heart attack! I thought you were an intruder!" I put a hand over my chest, my heart pounding as I attempt to regain my breath.
His eyes fall to my heaving chest as I regain my breath. "You are safe here. No intruder would be able to get into this castle, especially your room nonetheless." He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall.
"Then why did you do that? You could have just said hello or something!" I lament, throwing my hands out in exasperation.
Emperor Kruos shrugs. "I am technically not supposed to be here, as I have a few papers to attend to. I needed to be discreet."
My lip twitches at his unconvincing explanation. "I am sure that was the best way to be discreet."
He suppresses a laugh, before gesturing. "Follow me."
I begrudgingly follow him. He opens the door, scanning the hallway first, before walking. Trailing next to him, I whisper. "Where are we going?"
He turns a corner, taking me down an unfamiliar path. "You will see."
"That's very helpful." I deadpan, though still follow him, curious as to what was so important that he would abandon paperwork for.
Once we have entered an entirely new hallway, I stick extra close to him. This place was huge, and I did not want to somehow end up deserted with no direction on how to get back.
We stop at a grand, dark wood door. Opening it, he gestures for me to go inside. "Go on."
I take a peek inside, scoping the vicinity to ensure that nothing will lunge at me, before taking tentative steps in.
To my right was a large bed adorned with black sheets, resting in the middle of two dark wooden nightstands. To the left, across the room, was a bricked fireplace, with a few lounge chairs and a couch. In close proximity, was a wooden desk and chair.
A few scenery paintings decorated the wall, a chandelier hanging from the middle of the ceiling. Overall, it was a very beautiful, grand, yet simply decorated room.
"Is this...your room?" I turn to look at him as he shuts the door.
Emperor Kruos nods. "I am not a fan of decorating, as you can probably tell, hence why I had asked for your opinion. Anything beyond functionality is not important in my eyes."
Well, he wasn't wrong. It appears that he was not into decor. "I think it's nice, it's simple. Why did you bring me here, though? To help decorate?"
He shakes his head, before heading across the room. Pulling the curtain back, it revealed two windowed doors to the outside. I walked up behind him, puzzled.
As I approach, he opens the doors, a rush of chills run down my body as the air invades the room. "This is private land that only I can access. It was intended to be a private garden, though I never bothered to build it out, as I never felt the need for such things."
His hand rests on my lower back, lightly urging me outside.
"But, since you said you would like to see more greenery and flowers, I've decided that it is time to start making use of this dead space," he shuts the door behind us to keep the warmth from escaping.
"Ah, I see. Is that what Sarah was speaking upon when she said that a few shipments of seeds have arrived?" I pull the coat tighter to my body, shivering slightly as the wind howls past us.
Emperor Kruos scans my figure, before taking off his gloves. He grabs one of my hands gently, his skin warm and inviting in contrast to mine which were bare all day.
"Yes. I had them shipped here overnight, so that we can start working on it as soon as possible, while the weather is still good." His fingers nimbly work the glove onto my hand, feeling instant gratification from the shielding of the air.
"I see, and that is why you have asked me to come here?" He grabs my other hand, clenching the one he had just sheathed close to my chest.
"Mhm. I would like your input on where and how it should look." His majesty places the other glove on, though his touch lingers for a moment, before his hands drop.
I bring my coat closer to my body, unsure of what to do with my hands after he had so fondly aided them. I clear my throat. "Thank you, your majesty. Are you sure your hands will not get cold?" I look in concern at his now bare hands, multiple blue veins running down the backs of them, trailing up his arms before being hidden by his jacket.
"No, you need it more than I do. I am used to this weather," he brushes off my concern before we both advert our gaze to the snow covered land.
"This is the garden?" I question in disbelief as not a speck of life seemed to grace our peripheral. There were no fences, no gates, not even a tree!
"As I said, I didn't bother building it out." He looks away, a hint of...abashment on his face?
I laugh, which causes his head to whip around to me. His eyes soften as I look at the barren grounds. "Well, for starters, you should probably build some sort of enclosure, if you don't want intruders."
"This castle is heavily protected, especially this side. You won't need to worry about intruders while you are here. If you are truly worried, I will post more guards," he emphasizes once again.
I roll my eyes. "No, silly! Intruders as in animals! Having lots of plants around is bound to attract some critters, so you want to take precaution unless you wish to have unexpected visitors!"
Emperor Kruos's shoulders drop in understanding. "Ah, I suppose you are right. Confining this area would be for the best, anyways," he mumbles to himself.
Ignoring his cryptic words, I nod in agreement. "The gardens back home had simple metal fencing, which is an option."
Glancing down at the white beneath my feet, another idea enters my mind. "Another option, if you have the funds, would be to use glass and build a greenhouse. That way you still get plenty of sun when it does come out, but will also block the snow from burying them before they have the chance to grow. This will also allow you to grow more than just flowers that can bloom in the snow. It will be quite expensive in comparison to just a normal gated area, though."
His majesty nods. "That sounds like a good idea. Money isn't a worry for us, so plan according to your heart's desire."
I look at him, stunned at his ease of expending for my suggestions. "Well...if money is not an issue for you, I would also suggest adding some sort of water source, that way you can increase the humidity of the enclosure, and so you can water your plants with ease."
"Would a waterfall work?" My eyes bug out at his suggestion. What type of money are we working with!?
"Well, I was thinking like a pond of some sort but I mean, a waterfall could also work..." I trail off.
"Which would you like more?" He questioned.
I shrug. "This will be your garden, your majesty. Whatever you prefer should be the pick."
"This will be yours, too." His majesty turns to me, an unknown glint flashing through his eyes.
I furrow my eyebrows, about to question his words, though he clarifies. "I mean, you are helping me design it, after all."
I feel my heart drop slightly at that, though I am unsure of why. "Ah. I mean, I personally would prefer a pond, since a waterfall may be noisy."
"Then a pond shall be built." He nods.
I can't help but feel flutters within my abdomen at his immediate agreement to everything I suggest.
"In that case, you would also need insulation if you don't want it to freeze in the winter," I point out.
"Good idea. It will reduce noise as well," he hums in approval. I am unsure what noise has to do with this. Perhaps he is afraid of attracting animals?
I glance at him, stifling a laugh at his expression. He seemed very into it, looking quite excited. I feel quite joyful at being included in such a process.
Perhaps the emperor really is warm at heart.
———
A/N: For everyone who asked for a picture of my cat, BEHOLD!
Adorable, I know. Maybe just a teensy bit penis shaped, but still cute regardless LOL.
I am traveling this week for some personal duties that call, so expect next update to come a bit slower. 😔 This chapter was 10 pages though, so hopefully it is enough to satiate you guys for the week!
It has been one month since I published my first chapter, and I have received so much amazing support! 24k reads, 120 pages, and wonderful new readers! Thank you to everyone who has supported me thus far, I see all the comments and messages!
Love yall ❤️