Chapter 28 The Emperor grabs my breast in the presence of his guards.
Amarien's POV
The emperor pressed his greedy lips on mine, making me want to vomit up the portion I drank.
“Amarien! You're alright!” He cupped my chin in his palm.
The Bamboo hut was filled with his entourage at this point. The old man kept at his humming and stirring, not even looking at the giant, fully armed men towering over his humble abode.
My heart ached in my chest, and I wanted to wince off the Emperor’s arms. But he seemed to be ready to consummate our union right in this room, in front of everyone.
The moment he climbed down from his horse and barged into the room, he lunged at me and refused to let go.
If only he knew the storm brewing in my heart. If only he knew how much I want to run out of this room and cry.
“The werewolf came again. This time for you, Amarien. You have no idea how much it would break my heart to see you die.” The emperor said.
I forced a smile. Corvin would die for this moment. The emperor never goes out of the palace for anyone, not even the queen. His coming for me will mean a lot to Corvin. More to his pocket, that is.
I managed to tilt my head in a bow.
“Are you alright?!” I felt his minty breath on my face. For a moment, I looked up at him. Something I had never done before. The last time I saw him this up close was during Basgrid's trial. He looked horrid, agile and not at all the sickly old man he was rumoured to be.
With him up close now, I saw him better than I could have.
He wasn't old.
No. Not as old as I thought. His face held a sharp handsomeness you wouldn't miss; his long hair was lined with silver, and his beard was trimmed and not out of line.
He looked like the older version of Daevir, except his eyes held more weight.
People in the palace claimed Daevir took his mother's tender, fair eyes. Looking at the emperor now, I definitely agree with that.
“Can you talk, Amarien?”
I nodded, “Your majesty…” tears streamed down my cheeks. These tears came from the aching of seeing a shadow of Daevir that isn't even him.
“Oh…she's crying…” The emperor looked around the room. He was panicking. “Do something…” he snapped at one of his guards.
The guard wiggled awkwardly, not knowing what to say to a wounded teenage girl in the woods.
Oh, I forgot the emperor hated tears.
I quickly wiped my tears and smiled. “I'm alright, your majesty!” I quickly said and stumbled to my knees, bowing so my face touched the ground. “I'm just so honoured that you would come all the way for me.” Tears streamed down my face.
Tears for Daevir.
My heart ached.
But…
I had a role to play, else my head would be piled on a spike by sunrise.
“Get up…get up…Amarien.” He pulled me to my seat. His eyes were fixed on me. “I've had my eyes on you for a very long time. You've been the picture of my imagination. You think you're just an ordinary concubine? To me, you're delicate and precious. Of course I would come all the way for you…”
My eyes lowered to the ground.
I want Daevir.
He held me even closer, like he was dying to have my attention. “I haven't even touched you, yet, you consume my mind.”
He pulled me to himself, his breath on my face. “Didn't I tell you I'd make you queen if I could? I make no empty promises, Amarien.” He pressed his lips on mine again.
Everyone in the room awkwardly looked away. I stood there, stiff and immobile.
How ironic that the one I thought I had escaped is now desperately chasing me. The one I thought was here, the one I so desperately wanted, is now gone.
I shut my eyes and let the emperor have his way. After all, this is a fate I would never escape, no matter how hard I try.
“Amarien…” he whispered as he buried his head on my neck, kissing, licking, nibbling. “You're so tender…” he swung his head to the other side of my neck. His hands are travelling back and forth. His body is leaning into mine. His hands were grabbing my breast and squeezing hard.
Daevir. Are you going to come rescue me as you've always done? Or this is it? You've left me to my fate.
Daevir. I want you the way you are. I want you to come back. I want you. Not him.
“Your majesty…” one of the guards in the room with us cleared his throat.
The emperor froze mid-section, his gaze darkened as he turned to the guard who dared to interrupt him. The other guards in the room shifted awkwardly. Everyone except this guard had buried his face away from the scene going on.
“It's nightfall, your Majesty. The emperor needs to be safely tucked in the palace, not in the woods with a lowly concubine like her. Let's get you to the palace now, your majesty.”
“A lowly concubine?” the emperor muttered, a dangerous glint snapping through his eyes.
That glint was too familiar for me to ignore. It was the same glint in his eyes when he chopped off Basgrid's head.
“I believe there's more honour to you than being here with her, your majesty. Please let's take you back to the palace immediately!”
Slowly, the emperor pulled away from me and rose to his feet. “How bold of you to think I want to be anywhere else but here with her in the woods.” He said curtly.
The emperor's eyes swept through the guard. “It must take great balls to interrupt the emperor while he is with his concubine. It must even take greater balls to call her lowly.” The emperor’s gaze swept to the head of his guard. “Snap his neck.”
In seconds, the head guard matched up to the guard who interrupted and twisted his neck, snapping it to two. The guard fell to the floor dead.
I screeched and pulled away.
The emperor’s gaze whipped back at me, and there I saw something intense and dangerous. It was the same intensity I saw in Daevir's eyes when he began to shift.
I bolted to the wall, my heart bursting through my chest. That blood thirstiness, that lack of restraint, those bloodshot eyes.
My body shivered as the emperor towered over me.
I can't possibly miss it this time.
There's something inhuman in those eyes!