Chapter Fifty-Three: Boundaries I
2341 Words
“Good afternoon, welcome to the imperial palace, would you like some tea and snacks as you wait for her imperial majesty?” a maid asked, disrupting the tense silence between the two siblings.
“Nothing for me,” Virginia answered, “You may leave.”
“Understood; her majesty will be along shortly.” The maid said, then bowed and left.
Again the silence returned, only this time shorter than the initial, as though the maid had kept her word.
“Announcing the Empress of Cursix, Her majesty Azalea Oleander Cursix.” The Butler’s voice announced.
Azalea Oleander Cursix
As soon as I entered the parlour room, both Virginia and Aleu stood then bowed in greeting.
“You may sit,” I said, then joined them on the adjacent couch. “No desserts?”
“None, your majesty. I am still full from the hotel breakfast.” Lady Virginia answered.
“ah, that’s right, you are yet to return to Nissa. I hope you are enjoying your stay.”
“Yes, I am.”
“what about you, Mr Luciano?”
“None for me, thank you.”
“I see. Then shall we begin with the reason for the visitation request?”
“Yes! Yes, I wished to extend your invitation to the annual harvest masquerade ball held customarily in Nissa around mid-autumn.”
“During the ball, we honour Ceres, the goddess of harvest and fertility.”
-Of course-
“Ah, sounds interesting.” I said, taking the envelope she handed to me, “I will notify you two weeks prior to the festivities if I have decided to join in the ball.”
“Wonderful,” she said, then cleared her throat as though she had more. “There is also a slight issue I have, your majesty, pertaining to my knight.”
“He has been with me since I turned seventeen, and thereby I would be remiss if I do not mention his death in the gardens of the imperial palace.”
“The palace is a tricky place. Many, even my servants, want me dead. So I cannot say that he did not cross the wrong person on his path. However, which path was it that he was taking?” I asked, “I am certain that knights are only ever commonly known to die by their masters' side, so pardon my scepticism but, why was he all the way in the…you said gardens, right? Which ones?”
“The Western.” She answered, then sighed, “I sent him to retrieve something from the carriage.”
“Oh..but carriages are not parked on the western side.”
“Clumsy fool he was. He may have gotten lost. In fact, I was telling Aleu the other day that the imperial palace is almost twelve times as big as our home back in Nissa.”
“Is that so?” I asked, “Well then, no wonder he got lost.”
Aleu’s gaze was to me, trained wholly as though he could not believe the direction of our conversation.
“Yes…no wonder.” She repeated.
“I was hoping to get a tour of the palace. Would your Butler be able to do so as my brother keeps you company?”
“As we have just clarified, the imperial grounds is quite an ample space; therefore, that will leave too much time for Mr Luciano and me to resist trying to caress each other while you are away. I have taken quite the interest in him, you know.”
“So, what does your imperial majesty suggest?”
“What about an equestrian tour?” I asked, “As you know, every year, the royal academy brings their horses to the palace for riding training before their sports day. They happen to be transporting some today. Perhaps my Butler could show you around the space?”
“Oh, that sounds lovely. May I request the presence of another staff, say one who works in the gardens?”
“No, you will see horses. I do not see how that warrants a gardener.”
“Of course not, but perhaps to identify hay…types as I may decide to start keeping horses in the future.”
Don’t…don’t the Nissa's have a horse farm? What the hell is she planning?
“I request honesty from you, Lady Nissa.”
Virginia Nissa hesitated for longer than necessary, then sighed.
“I wish to speak to Leeroy Addams. He works as a slave here.”
“Ah, I see.”
So, he really did have history with the Nissian Duke.
“Very well, but I require a witness to escort you, as he is my slave, though he has no rights of his own, I will ensure that his interests are protected.”
A frown crossed her face.
“Are we clear?” I asked again, hoping that the hesitation was not because she wished to impose her thoughts on him.
“Yes, yes, your imperial majesty, we are clear.” She said, then turned to the door; Edwards opened the door for her then followed her outside.
Aleu Diox Luciano.
Sinister, the woman before him, had to be sinister. How easily could she spin a lie…?
Though…was it even a lie or misdirection?
She didn’t answer Virginia’s question. Instead, she threw a bunch of information that made Virginia think twice about her trial of interrogation.
She was dressed more…decently than when they had been in the gardens.
Her dress covered every ounce of her skin. She even coupled it with white gloves. But try as Aleu did, his eyes were glued on the ample swell of her bosom.
His mind focused on the soft feel of Fuscia’s lips, and suddenly the Empress’s raw s****l appeal did not reach him anymore, or so he wished that was the case. However, he still wanted to dive deep inside the Empress’s folds, so deep that her only sense of relief would be to claw at his back or scream in his ears, then he would have no choice but to kiss her to muffle her cries.
Or so it would appear, but truthfully he would kiss her simply because he could not, not, kiss her.
“So, the verdict?” she asked suddenly.
“Will you not butter me up as you did Lady Nissa?”
“Do you want me to?”
Why had he asked that?
All he could envision now was the Empress on her knees applying salty butter on his bare-
“I-, I will marry you.” He said, forcing his mind to draw a close on the dangerous image; however, it was too late.
Aleu took a nearby pillow with as much grace as he could muster, then propped it on his groin.
“Oh, wonderful!” she cheered, “Okay, we shall have two weddings, one will be done tomorrow, in secret, at the temple. This ensures the smoothness of our second more glamorous and public wedding aimed at appeasing the masses. That and rescinding my concubine request, gods only know what will become of them after my death.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Yes, tomorrow. In fact, I want you to send over your bags from the hotel in which you are staying. I do not believe you have a reason to leave the palace as this is your home now.”
“Are…are we not..are we not moving too fast? I mean, technically, we have only met. The courtship period is too little.”
“Aleu.” The Empress began, while his hardness throbbed at the casual calling of his name, “I do not have much time left.”
Right, the death wish. Of course, he was resolved in committing the act, however…
“Why is it…” he began, his eyes trained on her crimson gaze, “Why is it that you wish for me to kill you? Is it that you have a terminal illness?”
“What?” she startled.
“An illness,” he repeated, “a disease whose symptoms are far too outrageous for you even to fathom withstanding its pain?”
“Will it ease your guilt if I say that it is so?”
“I mean if you confess it-“
“Will you do it because you do not wish to see me in pain?” she asked, and a familiar throb, similar to those in his dreams pierced his chest, “I bet you wish to play the role of a knight in shining armour rescuing a distressed damsel.”
Aleu scoffed before he remembered in whose presence he was.
“Please, your majesty, forgive my rudeness.”
“You are practically the Emperor now. You may speak freely to me while we are in private, at least before our wedding.”
“Why are you acting as though you know me? Is it so easy for you to disregard anyone in your line of sight?”
The words flowed from him quickly, perhaps a little too excitedly, as though he was thrilled at the concept of giving the woman driving him insane a piece of his mind!
“Grow up. If you wish to create a fantasy in your head to ease your guilt, do so. However, please do not ask me to confirm it. I forget whether I told you this in the gardens, but I will make it easy for you to kill me, so do not fret about that.”
“You think that I -,” he stopped suddenly, then an irritated sigh drawled from his throat. “As you wish, Empress.”
“Should I take that as the cue to progress with rule giving?”
“Rule giving?”
“Yes, for every relationship to work, there needs to be boundaries. I am certain you know this. I have three simple rules. However, you can come up with any number for your rules.”
“Do not hurt Fuscia. That is my only rule.” He said.
“No.”
“No?”
“Yes, no.” she clarified, “You only behave when I whip her, so no.”
“What do you mean I only obey when you-, Empress, this is unfair. I am only asking one thing!”
“Perhaps you should enlarge your list of rules such that your only point of argument is not, ‘I am only requesting for one thing’?” She asked.
“What, how is..”
“My point is, your argument for my acceptance of your rule is illogical.”
“Gods, Empress, you are needlessly vicious.”
“Yes, well, occupational demands. Would you like to have another go at your rules, or do you need more time? I have mine on hand.”
She was irritating.
“Fine, my first rule is that you can not kill Fuscia.”
“Hmm…that is up to you.”
“What?”
“Whether Fuscia lives or dies is up to your cooperation.”
“Up to me? What? I- I don’t understand, my cooperation? Aren’t I cooperating with you at the moment?”
The Empress was quiet for a few seconds.
“I will not kill fuscia,” She answered finally, and though he should feel relieved, a sort of uneasiness latched on to him.
“What are you not telling me?” he asked.
However, his question was met with a jaded expression.
“Rule number one,” she proceeded, ignoring his question.
“Wait, no, seriously, what am I missing?”
“Aleu, I am pressed for time. I have a meeting with the transport baron in two hours; therefore, my things need to be in order.”
He did not press further, but he was certain where he needed to be.
“Alright, let us try this again, this time, no interruptions, okay?” she asked, but did not wait for his reply, “Rule one: you will only select three people for your harem; as per tradition, I will manage it. However, as I am not a zookeeper, you will have to wait until I die if you wish for more than three. I could care less then. Additionally, if the women in your harem step out of line, I will punish them.”
“I do not plan on having a harem.” He said, “Other than Fuscia, I do not-“
“Again, you think my commands are suggestions. Aleu, what do you think happens when the people around notice your favour only belongs to Fuscia? Naturally, wouldn’t those who wish harm upon you will turn their attention to Fuscia? Is that not obvious?”
“Wait, then if I take three, will she not be harassed by the other concubines?”
“Maybe, but is that not how one builds character?”
“What? You refer to harassment as building character. No, harassment makes you feel-“
“And what does fighting her battles make her? What kind of Empress will she become? I mean, sure, obviously, my reasoning is incomplete. However, isn’t it a little hypocritical to see no flaws in yours?”
“That is not-“ he paused, “Fine, but you cannot let them harras her, that..let that be part of my rules, watch over Fuscia.”
“I am the Empress, Aleu, not a babysitter.”
“This is not a request. It is a condition.”
The Empress’s crimson gaze did not leave his. Her usually weary visage dressed in confusion.
"Fine, fine, I will ensure her safety against your other concubines; however, you shall not question my methods."
- Writer
