The Emperor's Rose

Chapter 13 // Shocking News

The herbalist put his cold hand on the girl's neck. Eriko was standing next to him. Her face was darkened with worry.

She had been on her way to the Personal Maid's room to bring Aiko clothes and teach her more intricate and confusing rules, when a guard approached her and told her a maid had fainted in the Emperor's chambers. Eriko plunged into panic. She had had a feeling that the maid was Aiko, but she had her confirmation when she saw her, strewn on the bed, unconscious. The herbalist had followed her in, and the last arrival, the young maid, had just stepped in. She said she was there to inform His Majesty if anything was said regarding Aiko's condition. The three occupants of the room were clearly confused as to why the Emperor was worrying this much over a simple maid. The usual procedure would have been to go to Eriko and if it had been something she couldn't fix, go to the herbalist.
Eriko had quickly placed Aiko's clothes next to her before she turned around to face the jittery Herbalist.

"How is she?" Eriko asked nervously; her heart was hammering against her fragile ribs.

Aiko was still unconscious. She seemed so fragile enveloped in the blood red covers. Eriko realised she was still wearing the same kimono as three days ago. She huffed and shook her head. "Silly girl." She thought. Her mind was focusing on the ordinary things instead of focusing on the imminent problem as a distraction.

The herbalist pulled his hands away from Aiko's pale skin and slipped them together.
"As I suspected, her neck muscle is sore and strained. The intense pain made her faint. She also hasn't eaten well recently. That helped as well." Herbalist Eiichi explained. His nasal voice cut the silence of the oppressive room. The herbalist was an uncommon man. He was extremely boring and permanently nervous. He had short, grey, cropped hair that he always kept pulled back into a tight ponytail, although the many years of strain were starting to show as a bold spot in the middle of his head. Some people had named him "The Corpse" since his skin was a grey-ish tint and his skin was always freezing.
Eriko raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Strained? Intense pain?" She asked questioningly. The girl had been fine three days ago.

Herbalist Eiichi nodded with brisk movements, his hands twitching. "Someone hit the girl very hard on the cheek. Two times I suppose. The neck turned too fast; it is strained. There is no mystery regarding who did it." Herbalist Eiichi added under his breath, his glazed eyes jumping from one maid to the other. Silence fell upon the room as the realization dawned to the people present.

Eriko felt pain pierce her heart as she realized she could do nothing to protect the fragile girl from further harm. "Herbalist Eiichi, is there any way to heal the injury?" Eriko asked quietly, her voice firm. This is how Eriko responded to problems: firmness and control. A thin layer of anger was hidden underneath the perfect control of her voice. The maid that had arrived earlier remained silent in a corner. 

"Of course. The lady needs rest and a cream I will prepa-" The herbalist started saying before the doors were slammed open, cutting off his sentence in half.
The Emperor stormed inside; everybody bowed instantly.

The Emperor didn't look at anyone and just made a beeline for Aiko. Eriko stayed still while the other maid stood up and scampered down the hall.
"Everybody out. Except the herbalist." The Emperor snarled, his voice low. Eriko got up. She bowed down and left, sending a quick prayer to the gods, hoping they would protect Aiko, since Eriko could not. 

The Emperor's gaze moved to the herbalist. "Tell me what she needs, prepare it and leave this room instantly. If you're not quick enough, you will leave this castle without a head." He hissed, his eyes flashing as he glanced at him briefly.

The herbalist started trembling even more than usual. He opened his mouth, "The lady needs rest and a cream to rub on the strained area of her neck. That is what caused her to faint. As well as the absence of proper meals recently." He added, his voice becoming even more nasal. As soon as his words left his mouth, the herbalist dug in his bag and pulled out a few dried herbs.

He started cutting them into pieces and letting them fall in a wooden bowl. The Emperor's murderous glare was stuck on the poor herbalist's back. When the herbs had become green cream, he bowed and scuttled away. The Emperor quickly glanced at the cream and then looked back at Aiko. He had lied to his sister. Now the only solution left was to really marry her. He placed his face in his hands. "I hope nothing goes wrong." He groaned; his voice muffled. He sighed.

"What's wrong? Did your concubine get a pimple?" He heard a soft voice say. He turned his head quickly. Aiko's beautiful eyes were open. He felt his heart start beating normally on seeing her. He felt the knot untie in his stomach: Aiko was awake.
The Emperor replaced his expression before he could even think about it. From surprised it turned into a sick sneer.

"I have some news for you." He said. Aiko's brow furrowed.A dark smile spread on the Emperor's beautiful face.

"You're marrying me."