THE EMPEROR 🔞

( 1 )

The rain fell mildly, creating a peaceful white noise interrupted by only the occasional strike of thunder and lightning. It'd been the first rain after such a dry summer. The open wall let in the cool wet breeze, tinted with the scent of the gingko trees. From the top of the palace walls, you could see the shimmering lights of the imperial city below: Diamandis, the city of diamonds. This was his favorite view: the young Highness.

As he sat with his one leg hanging over the edge, the other brought up and held by his one arm, he took in all that his senses could: the sweet smell of nature, the touch of mist from the passing rains, the sight of every droplet morphing into the translucent wall of grey that his city lights shimmered through, even as he softly inhaled through his open lips did he taste the morning air.

And then the first sound to interrupt the white noise of the rain came. As the young Highness overwatched from his second story room, this new sound was all he could now focus on. It made him tense and yet relax at once. It was done, what he'd been waiting for with such anxious anticipation.

The walls suddenly echoed with the new cries of his first heir.

He closes his eyes and smiles as quick and heavy footsteps rush from the other side of the room.

"Your Highness! Your Highness!" He hears them cry out. He turns to glance over his shoulder to the servants appearing within his open doorway, both gripping the walls with deep, adrenaline-infused breaths.

"The Gods have finally blessed us, Your Highness! We've already sent news to the Emperor!" One informs while the other quickly adds on. Lightening cracks the sky and thunder shakes the ground, as if in celebration of the news.

"He's here, Your Highness! It's a healthy baby boy!"

~ jin
[ 11:01 am ]

"I-I-- I can't do it!!" The loved one cries out. The heartbreak was so apparent in her voice as it cracked, letting the katana fall from her hands. She turns and looks to me with her sobbing blue eyes, distraught overcoming what would be a beautiful face otherwise. "Please, Your Majesty, please forgive him! I beg of you!! I beg of you!!" She drops onto her knees and holds her hands together to press against her forehead.

"Please, don't bow so low to me. You're a woman." I say as I watch from my heightened throne, one leg propped up into the seat while my other sits on the step beneath it. "I thought the family had agreed that this was what you all wanted."

She shakes her head with another cry towards the floor, failing to get up as I had instructed. "As his wife, Your Majesty, I cannot do it... please, forgive me..."

"There is nothing to forgive, madam. You've done nothing wrong. You've only been victim to loving this man unconditionally, but please understand that I'm not doing this to punish you in any way, I just thought that this is what you all chose, out of the two options that I'd given you." I stand from my throne and take the few steps down onto the court with her and her husband who breathed deeply through his chains and locked jaw, set on his knees in shame. I bend down and set a gentle hand onto her back, "Your husband wishes to go by your hands, but if it's too much for you, I understand."

She looks over my arm to her beloved and his sweaty, crying eyes. Then she glimpses back down to the katana sitting beside her, "I'm sorry, my love... I'm too much of a coward..."