The Emperor's Rose

Chapter 48//Mirror

The silence in the room was oppressing. Aiko could feel it pushing her chest, crushing her already broken heart. Fumi, still standing, glared at her brother which had accused her of making a mistake.

"If my mistake is so important, dear brother," she spat. "Tell me: what did I miss?" Her gaze furious, not hiding anything. Her fan quivered slightly. Her politeness tumbled down with her security.

"When exactly was the truth serum put in my drink?" The Emperor asked, starting to walk around the room.

Fumi clenched her jaw. She gripped the fan so tightly it snapped in her hands, the splinters of wood slipping through her fingers. She threw it on the floor, disgusted. "The first time I met her." She jabbed her thumb towards Aiko, not even mentioning her name.

Aiko stayed silent as she watched the two siblings fight. The scene would have made her think of two little kids arguing over a doll if she didn't know what the price was for the winner.

"And that same night I came to you, correct?" The Emperor asked, slowly, enunciating every word clearly. All the eyes in the room followed him.

"Yes, can we please get this over with?" Fumi hissed.

"Well, today, Aiko's family came to visit. Before they came, I had done my personal researches. Finding out a few things about them."

Aiko gasped, turning to look at him. He was the one that had invited her family! Tears burned her eyes. The Emperor had been working behind the scenes all the this time. All the questions he had asked her, when they were together, at night, in his room, weren't because she cared about her, just to confirm what he had discovered. She felt tears prick her eyes.

"Yes and so?" Fumi hissed.

"Before yesterday I didn't know much. But yesterday afternoon one of my private soliders came back with very interesting  informations. Meaning things I didn't know when you gave me truth serum."

Aiko slowly realised what was happening. "Aiko's Uncle is a merchant, not a commoner." The Emperor said, smiling.

"Merchants can be promoted to governors. Which later can be prime ministers. If the Emperor promotes my uncle, our marriage will be less frowned upon. Even thought we will still get glares and rumours from people who believe in tradition too much." Aiko thought. Her eyes clouding briefly with thoughts, before bringing her mind back to the present scene.

Fumi's eyes were glazed. Her hands were clenching empty air. The fan broken like her plan, at her feet. Her jaw was clenched shut. "A merchant." She hissed in the silence. That one word slithered through the cracks of the tension in the room and made the Emperor smile.

"And of course, dear sister, poisoning the Emperor, oh my...you could get executed for this." He said, a silly tone in his voice. A smile spreading on his lips. Aiko's heart was slowly starting to beat normally again.

Fumi yelled in frustration. Her feet moved like wind towards Aiko, who was kneeling down on the floor. Aiko tried getting up but her kimono had gotten stuck in between two tatami mats.

Aiko tried pulling it away. Right as the coloured silk escaped the cackling tatamis, Fumi came closer to Aiko. Her eyes ablaze. Her hand turned rigid like stone. Aiko got in defensive position but it was too late. Fumi slapped Aiko on her cheek. Aiko got ready to kick her, but her multilayered kimono blocked her movements. She felt like a Dragon in a cage. Her fire was terrifying but harmless to those out of the cage. The heavy silk made her stumble backwards. A mirror was standing on the wall. It's clean surface reflecting the pale sun. Aiko's head cracked against it.

Her eyes rolled to the back of her head. The Emperor felt a hole being tore in his chest. Aiko collapsed at Fumi's feet.
Blood staining the tatami.