Turned Table of the Phoenix

What is going on

The emperor was outraged.

He swiped his arm across the table, sending trays to the floor with a loud clatter. All the delicious food that was to be in my stomach was thrown across the table.

Such a waste of food.

"This is enough proof! I will never be fooled again! I strip Empress Saku Miyo from her title and will have her executed for treason. There is nothing more to say. Everyone leave this room".

I trailed out of the room hastily with Katashi at my side.

"Eu-meh... I don't want to think you'd do something so terrible... but I can't help but think..... I need to leave for my chambers..".

"Katashi wait! I didn't do such a thing".

He paused and nodded, but he still had that same disgusted look.

I spoke the truth. I didn't do it, Katsuro did.

Katashi, he seemed so broken and hurt... why did I feel the same?

...................................

"What did you do?! Who was that man"?!

Katsuro shrugged, as he sat crisscrossed on my bed.

"I know a few guys who know a few guys who knew that a man was hanged for stealing a woman's chicken... well he committed many other crimes too, but that's not the point".

"Gosh I thought you murdered someone".

"No, he was a common thief. He was set for justice so I only borrowed the body".

"Well, you did your job. Perhaps it was done too well... I need to clear my mind for a moment, forgive me".

As I took a second glance back at Katsuro, he almost looked... angry.

I walked from my room and down to the opposite end of the castle. I knew his room had to be around here somewhere. I tiptoed past every open door, hoping and praying a maid or servant wouldn't catch me. As I snuck around the are, I listened hard and carefully, not to miss any sound.

Somewhere, there was a loud thud. The faint sound of something hitting the ground.

Grunts and gasps followed.

I knocked on the door, from whence the sound came.

There was the sound of feet shuffling slowly across the floor. The door opened slowly.

He didn't look anything like the man that I was used to seeing.

Katashi's eyes were blood shot red and his cheeks were stained from tears. I did not know why he was in such a state of despair.

"It's best that you just leave".

I didn't even have a chance to utter a single word before he stated that I should simply leave. I looked into his eyes, paused and took a deep breath.

"I don't plan on leaving, not anytime soon".

He looked over his shoulder, back into his room, then back into my eyes, meeting my worried gaze.

"Get in here. Don't push my buttons, I can't fight with you. Not tonight".

"What's wrong", I asked as I walked over to his bed and sat down, rubbing the blood red silk sheets between my pointer finger and thumb.

"You shouldn't worry about me, it is none of your concern".

"I should be concerned. I've never seen you act this way and you're my husband".

"You never cared before, why should you care now"?

He walked towards me and sat next to me, resting his hand on my thigh as he looked at the ground.

He had a point, but that was also incredibly rude.

Katashi interrupted me in my thinking.

"Whoever did this is sick! Entirely sick in the mind! Whoever did this, they must not care about a life. Every life is valuable and precious. To someone that could have been their son, brother, or father. But who would care as long as they don't know them"?

I only wanted to be rid of the queen... I never wanted to involve anyone else.

I lied down on top of the sheets and closed my eyes.

"What are you doing on my bed".

"What does it look like".

I felt his body right against mine as he pulled me towards his chest.

"It isn't right to take a life...".

I was nearly tired of his crying and everything he was saying. There was no reason he had to act this way or react the way he did. It was only a thief scheduled to die anyway. I had to tell Katashi what I knew about the man. However, what could I even say. Nothing would make sense. I couldn't lie on how or where I got the information.

"I don't know what has gotten into you, but whatever it is I'm sorry".

Katashi pulled me in tighter and whimpered into my hair. I felt his chest rise and fall with every breath. Together we had faced war and death. Death was not unusual to us neither was blood and gore. There was something more to the reason.

"Katashi, please let go of me".

I heard a sniffle and the weak words of, "I'm never letting go".

He removed his face from my hair and said, "stay the night with me".

I didn't want to go back with Katsuro for an odd reason. Deep within my guts I had the feeling that here, right in the arms of Katashi was where I needed to be. I don't know when he fell asleep or when I finally closed my eyes, but when the sun came up, I was still in his arms. Perhaps being with Katashi wasn't so bad, maybe everything I had ever known was wrong. He was kind and sweet, maybe he was a good man.

I rolled over looking into his eyes, his hair brushed over his eyes. I pushed the hair back behind his ears and watched his eyes flutter open.

Those eyes gave my stomach butterflies.

I had to shudder at how I was thinking that.

"Katashi"?

He smiled weakly and stretched out towards me, kissing my lips softly.

There was a loud knock at the door and was immediately thrown open.

"Prince! Prince Katashi! The princess is missing"!

The young maid looked at the two of us in bed.

I cursed to the moon and back in my mind. There were going to be a lot of rumors spread. Rumors of how the prince and I could not contain ourselves before the wedding.

The maid giggled and ran out of the room. All I could hear were the words, "the princess has been found"!

"Get out of my bed".
I glared at Katashi. He could be such a gentleman but also such a pain in the rear.

"Really," I scolded him.