The Empress Wears Gucci

86

         I can see myself leaving soon. My hands are sweating, clammy as I sit in the sedan chair to make my way to the Emperor. It was time for me to tell the truth. I was afraid if I was too nervous, I'd mess things up and make things even worse.

        It was two in the evening, fairly early to be visiting the Emperor, but he wasn't busy today. If anything goes wrong, Jaxon and I would make a run for it. I already pulled a few strands from my hair. After submerging ourselves in water mixed with the weird recipe Jaxon found in the book, we would leave.

       But I wanted to end things off with the Emperor at a good term. I didn't want him to hate me. I didn't want him to be hurt. I wanted peace and I wanted to leave, knowing that I left a good mark in this world. There was no plan I came up with. It was rough, almost like a bullet note in my head because I felt like it was good to go with the flow. I didn't want to seem ungenuine. 

       "Greetings to Your Majesty," I solemnly bowed, deepening the dip of my head. 

       My heart was beating while my hands were sweating puddles. I could feel my adrenaline rushing through my veins, shocking my body into a fight or flight mode. The heavy fabric of my attire was the only barrier to hide my anxious self.

       His back was facing me. He was facing the embroidery of the dragon I made that was propped nicely on the cabinet in his bedroom. I continued to keep my head down, as I waited for him to address me. 

       There was an unfamiliar vibe to him. I couldn't pinpoint it, but I felt uncomfortable in the room that had been comforting in the previous weeks. 

       Finally, the Emperor turned around. "At ease."

       "Thank you, Your Majesty," I responded with a slight smile. It was so small that it almost looked like I was pouting. 

       I couldn't lie. I was afraid. I was afraid of how he was going to react to what I was going to say. Will he believe me? Will he get angry at how I was trying to deceive him? Or will he laugh at me and tell me to stop joking around?

       "What are you here for?" he asked. He looked at me with his eyebrows slightly knitted, but he kept the gentle expression on his face. Besides, I still was vulnerable after the ambush. 

       With a lack of confidence, I walked towards him. He stayed still as I took his wrist with his palm facing up. Slower than ever, with a shaky hand, I removed the Empress pin from my hair and placed it on his palm. My breaths were becoming irregular. 

      My eyes were watery, but I ignored my urge to cry. As I clasped his fingers over the pin to secure the pin in his hand, I noticed that he didn't say anything. He kept his silence the entire time. And it alarmed me because I expected him to say something sooner. 

      Removing the intrusive thoughts in my head, I took a few steps back. I nervously looked up at the Emperor who remained stoic.

      He brought his hand down. His fingers played with the pin. "What's going on?"

     "Your Majesty, I have to confess something," I whispered. "You may need to sit down to hear this..."

      He obliged and he made sure to pull a seat for me to sit on. His hands continued to play with the pin. His eyes continued to watch me like a hawk.

      When I adjusted, I took a deep breath in and exhaled. "Your Majesty, I'm not from this world. I'm from the... I'm from the future. Not the future in the way you think—I'm from another world that is over a thousand years later than this world."