Empress Natsume ✓

III

Leaving Home

✾

On the day Natsume left her home, no one came to see her, except for her father who's trying to fight back his tears as to not destroy his tough image. Her mother was busy crying in her chamber, when Natsume came to see her, she said that she's doing something important so she doesn't have time to see her leave. Though it was clear in her voice that she has been crying, she even heard her sobbed. Not one of her friends also showed up, not even Yuta.

She stared at her fading home as the carriage pulled.

She's going to a new place she has never seen. To her new home, to a strange foreign place full of strangers, she's going to be married to her future husband.

That word sounds so strange to her.

The travel took five days, with these many guards, it's impossible for the bandits to even attempt an attack, just the sight of the guards intimidated them. Raiden sent a thousand of his best soldiers to pick her up, he knows that bandits now a days are all over the roads to rob people, especially when taking a long travel just like now.

Does he loves her?

The answer is pretty obvious, it's a big NO. It's just an obligation, that's why he's doing this, it's his obligation to keep his bride safe. The feeling is mutual, they don't love each other but a part of her still hope, that maybe, just maybe-- there will be love in their marriage, even if it's so little or she'll spend the rest of her life in depression, she may end up ending her own life to end her suffering but she'll be depressed either way.

She doesn't even know if Lord Ryuu is there in his own castle, waiting for her. That was not the case. Natsume will always be the one waiting for him, she's pretty sure about that.

Raiden Ryuu is a warlord, it's natural if she arrived at his home and he's not there, he's not engage to her, he's engage in war.

She knows what kind of life awaits her, after he consummate their marriage, he's going to war again and she's going to wait for a year or maybe years, not knowing whether he'll come back alive or not. Her husband will fled from time to time, he's not going to be there for her when she needs someone to hold on. This was not the marriage she dreams about.

"Milady...?"

Natsume looked from the already opened carriage, her maidservant is waiting for her outside the carriage and she can see the golden dragon palanquin beside her, four men are behind to carry it.

"It's time for you to ride the palanquin milady, we're already here"

She just nodded and silently descended from the carriage before getting in the palanquin again, although her feet are numb, she didn't complain. Natsume wants to get there as soon as possible and rest, the journey was tiring enough for her.

She already expected his home to be grand and huge but seeing it now makes her jaw slacked.

It's a palace, the finest and most beautiful palace she had ever seen. This was far from she was expecting.

She expects her betrothed won't be able to make it today and it was true, he's not here.

She was told when she arrived that Lord Ryuu is engage in war 'again' and they didn't know when he will come back.

'Months or Years?' She thought

After being in his palace for a week, she realized that big houses are more lonelier and more depressing, could she spend the rest of her life here? Being depressed all the time.

She doesn't know.

'What would it be like if she married Yuta instead?'

She has to abandon everything and lead a simple normal life with him, he'll make her happy at least but she knew that it's impossible.

Her parents won't allow it or rather, she won't allow it, she doesn't want to be in conflict with her parents, especially her mother.

What if she'll had a child with Lord Ryuu?

That was to be expected right?

Just the sounds of it --makes her face heated up in embarrassment.

Would she be happy?

And more importantly, what will she do on her wedding night? Her mother said that it will hurt at first but it won't be the same the next time they do it, her face was burning while her mother discuss it to her, it's embarrassing enough.

There are so many things running on her mind.

"Lady Natsume! Lady Natsume!"

Her maidservant, Ayano, was running frantically while shouting her name.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.

"What happened to cause you to act like this?"

Ayano stopped, catching her breath.

"Milady... Lord Ryuu has arrived"

Meaning of the characters' names:

Natsume - summer beauty

Takahiro - widespread Nobility

Raiden - thunder and lightning

Ryuu - dragon

Yuta - very helpful or brave

Ayano - of color; from love

Yuta doesn't have a surname for now and I don't know if there are any other meaning to the characters names.

Votes and Comments are highly appreciated :)

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