Secrets of the Villainous Empress

Chapter Fifty-Seven: Even If You Do Not

Azalea Oleander Cursix

-System, activate; divine healing.-

I placed my hand on the nearly half-dead corpse before me.

I am not that sentimental of a person. However, I do honour my debts. Inger, the man lying before me in a pitiful state, had helped me, even though it was most probably against his will, that still permitted me to regard him as an ally.

A yellow glow emanated from my hand, and I nearly cussed at it.

The drawback, which I had never really regarded as a drawback, was that the healing aspect of divinity, due to its closeness to primordial magic, strips away at ‘pretentions’. In my case, my pretence was Azalea’s mana because our souls differ.

Shit, after this, I may need to blood let.

In any case, I was still dressed in the disguise offered by Henderson before...well before our disagreement.

Shit, what was I supposed to say to him when we meet once again? Once he sees that I am now married to…the man he rightly suspects will take my life.

I squeezed the body's hand, and slowly its natural colour began to seep. Some light wounds slowly began sealing while the heavier bruises began darkening.

Will I have to pick sides between Aleu and Henderson? Over what? I would prefer my own side! But If I were to pick my own, then wouldn’t that mean that I choose Aleu?

Gods, I hope that Tea and Sofia will knock some sense into him!

The sound of thunder tore through the quiet night before the pitter-patter of raindrops followed shortly.

It was as though the weather wished to soothe my nerves.

I focused on the soft sound of rain, which was so comforting that it drew every part of me, so much so that I nearly closed my eyes.

The shadows of the raindrops against the window caught my focus, but before I could be further pulled into it, I felt as though I was being watched.

Immediately, I turned to the eyes twinkling in the darkness.

“Oh s**t!” I exclaimed, “No freaking warning? or I don’t know a forced cough?”

“A…n…gel?”

“Oh right, you have not been eating, so you are weak.” I said, “Someone will tend to you in a few minutes. Let me just finish up.”

-System, what is the percentage completion?-

-The system is 87% complete-

-At what percentage can I safely halt the process?-

-The host can halt the process safely at 92%-

-Good enough. In form me when you reach the ninety-two per cent-

“A..n..gel?” Inger repeated, the smile on his face displaying a gratified acceptance of his fate.

“Huh…no such luck,” I whispered back as my healing hand squeezed his.

“I…n..ot..afraid.”

“hah! Really, even if I was to say that I am the devil?”

“N..no. An..gel, F..feel good.”

“Yes, well.” I cleared my throat, “so, is there a board game you can play in your current state to pass the time?”

“A..moon, t-twice bloom, our hearts, were one…” he began singing.

“So that’s a no on the board game, I muttered?”

“I.. kno…w you.” He continued, “Your heart was mine, but boldly it shone you aw…ay from me….”

“I don’t know what I can do to keep you from running to the moon, Oh my he..art weak, Oh it cannot keep, keep  gazing at you with the moon.”

The folk song he sang was of a tragic romance that stemmed from Akonia of a female werewolf and the vampire king. The two were lovers; however, fate was against them.

During the full moon, werewolves are not only at their strongest, but they are also in heat. A maddening heat that can only be sated by a fated one, and the vampire was not hers. Despite their intense love, it broke him to see her require s*x from another just to go on, so he let her go after cursing the moon.

Some say, he was the reason that the moon’s view from the Vampire’s territory appeared blood red.

In my life as a vampire’s blood sac, I did not see much of the moon. Therefore I cannot confirm if that is true, and as it is closed off to humans, I do not know that I will be able to confirm in this life…rather, ever. Either way, the song oddly soothed me.

As Inger hummed the rest of the song, tears pooled from the corner of his closed eyes and flowed down his face. For a little while, as he hummed, I wondered if the folk tale had taken off in Mayflower because of the Oleander curse because in as much as it did not equate to my punishment, all the spouses of the Emperor or Empress of Mayflower who did not die of political assassinations died at the hands of their lovers

When Inger’s humming grew low, the system’s notification rung.

-System, initiate sleep mode for the rest of his recovery.-

-Initiating Melanin diffusion-

*

        *

                    *

We should have taken separate carriages. I realised this an hour in, sitting across Aleu’s large build, which was taking up the entire carriage, immersing it in a delightful mix of eucalyptus and pine.

 However, worse than his tantalizingly refreshing sent was that the white suit I had ordered for him was a size too small. Thus, it clung tightly to his muscles, outlining every dent and curvature that would have worked better imagined.

Gods, but who was I kidding. It was a little past eight-thirty, and I had had to open the window so that the cold air could save me.

“Empress?” Aleu’s deep voice sliced through my self sabotaging thoughts.

“Yes, Aleu?”

‘Why did you prohibit me from seeing Fuscia?”

“Prohibit? Is that not a strong word?” I said, “I think it is.”

“Please stop beating about the bush. You have not done anything to her, have you?”

“You will see her after the ceremony.”

“THAT IS NOT AN ANSWER, EMPRESS!” he growled.

A sound that sent shivers deliciously up my spine.

“Is your go-to to always raise your voice? Are you a child?” I asked, “No one respects the first to lose their cool in the conversation.”

“I DO NOT CARE!” he yelled, then leaned closer, an act that forced me to push my body further against the backrest. “Give me a straight answer. I do not feel like playing mind games with you!!’

“You listen to me, you hunk of flesh….” I immediately regretted my choice of words; however, I stuck with it, “You are the next Emperor, so unless you wish to be dethroned two days after my death, you will do well to remember to always maintain your cool. You will see Fuscia in the evening if you wish.”

“You can even tell her the news of our wedding and or ask her to be your concubine.”

He was not convinced, perhaps because I had not given the specifics on her health; however, he did pull away from me, regretfully so.

Still, what should that matter, I hold the same curse she does, and I am fine. Well, partly, it hurt like a b***h, which was why I spiked her tea with painkillers and a confusion serum.

Still, I guess it is because she is unaccustomed to pain that she has remained on bed rest since.

Is this a sign? Should…should I check in on her?

Perhaps later.

“It is cold.” He said.

“Are you looking for something to complain about?”

“No! it is cold and wet. It rained yesterday. We could get water splashed on us.”

He was right. Considering that we were going incognito, it would be tricky to raise a complaint if our white garments were splashed on water.

“Fine,” I said, then closed the window.

“Any instructions to offer for when we arrive at the temple?”

“Yes, uh, act a mix of irresponsible and horny.”

“WHAT?”

“Shh, again, with the loud voice, I can hear you.”

“Empress!”

“Alright, alright, but seriously, I need you to act like my pet. Keep your hands on me, even though you dislike me. We need to fool everyone effectively.”

“But why?” Aleu asked as the carriage drew to a halt.

“Easy.” I said, “Because the temple is the throne’s biggest threat, thus we cannot make them think that the task of overthrowing the leaders will be made near impossible by our union.”