EMPEROR AND I

PRINCESS LE-ANNE

MILITARY GROUNDS CAMP

When the impertinent eunuch that had disqualified Dao laid his eyes on Le-anne, he was more than happy to have her as a replacement. Hurriedly, he opened another door Le-anne had not realized existed, and ushered the ablution maids down the corridors where they saw a few other maids scurrying in and out of another ma.s.sive room. There, they waited behind the eunuch before being asked to enter.

Le-anne did not expect to see someone lounging inside the bathtub, his eyes closed and aloof about whatever that was going on around him. Both his arms rested on the edge of the bathtub while his head was tilted to the back, easing on the headrest. How could someone be so calm and at such peace when there were people scampering around his naked body that was barely covered by rose red clear water?

She squinted her eyes a little bit, realizing that he looked familiar. What puzzled her was that it was like they had met before.

When the the eunuch waved his hands, so that they could draw a little closer to the grand pool that glazed magnet red, two and two came together. Le-anne recognized him as the man from the forest that afternoon, one who had shamelessly hit on her like a starved maniac.

That man was the Grand General? Not surprising, any bit.

And what was scary is how her body had a slight reaction apropos to him, something she did not want to admit. But how could she not? His looks were dazzling; in simple words he was strikingly handsome. He had a strong and defined face, his features a work of art as if moulded from granite. Dark arched eyebrows and thick l.u.s.trous eyelashes graced his almost symmetrical face. His dark brown thick hair was pulled up into a knot which was neatly held in place by a gold cuff and locked by a sharp pin.

He also had beautifully etched side bangs, enticing lips, sharp nose…

Being stuck under the dark cloud earlier, she had not noticed all this although he had stood in front of her.

"Would you like me to call someone to help you wash?" the eunuch asked him.

Le-anne got sure confirmation that he was her most wanted thief the moment he locked eyes with her. She expected him to act like they did not know each other but he did the opposite. He brazenly looked at her with a grin on his face which made her stomach quiver with heebie-jeebies.

"Don"t worry about that Eunuch Nam," the Grand General responded, then dropped his tone, "my lover will do that for me."

Le-anne looked around expecting to see the said lover only to be met by interrogative glares directed at her. Back at him, he was pointing at her. She snorted, something Mistress Kei would have chastised as being unlady like.

"What is he doing?"

Without further ado the room emptied and she grew anxious. She had no conversant in this because no training had been received for it. What she knew how, was being the emperor"s woman―the tone she would use with him, how she would address him and be his seductress. Persuading a common man to give her what belonged to her was something that was not among her skills. Anyway, she had failed dismally when she tried to be clever with him the other day.

Then again. What if he seduced her and took away her virtue? Did she have the power to say no?

His eyes narrowed. "Are you going to stand there all day or help me out?"

"Ah, yeh…" She picked a sponge by the table stand then reluctantly hunkered down behind his back. He rose to a proper position, stepping forward to make s.p.a.ce so she could wash his back. She almost heaved in horror at the sight of his back.

His back was like a paper in which a child had slashed angry strokes. The difference was that this was flesh and the brush had been a sword. It was awful and horrendous to look at the pink swellings of scars that marred him. Her hand trembled with weariness as she soaked the sponge in the warm water.

"I don"t like the way you are looking at me right now," his hoa.r.s.e voice berated a silent threat. His back faced her but probably he had been treated this way before that he did not need the witness of his eyes to know her facial expression.

She tried to lighten the atmosphere, "Looking at you with l.u.s.t? Don"t all woman do that with you?" She did not owe him a dime but due to her weakness to the concept of having humanity, she felt the need to give him a different response, a different reaction that others likely had not given him.

"Behind those scars is a story of victory," he said pridefully and she rolled her eyes. She kind of liked how he had a non subjugation att.i.tude concerning them. Gently, her hand skimmed over his back, forming small white fluffy bubbles of soap.

"Glad you are back to normal."

"Normal?" She didn"t know what he was on about.

"You looked like one I wouldn"t bed back there, but I desired you anyway."

The forest. He was the b.a.s.t.a.r.d who hara.s.sed her in front of the servicemen and he dare bring up the topic again? Outrageous!.

"As you can see I"m a palace maid, therefore I belong to the emperor." She set the record straight. Nothing close to what happened when they met at the rendezvous the other day could ever happen again.

He guffawed a ghastly laugh. "More reason I should have you."

She didn"t respond but concentrated on his back. The sooner she got out of there, the better. The emperor would not marry her if she gave herself to someone else.

"How did you find out that the pendant was fake?" he teased her, his voice soaked with amus.e.m.e.nt.

It baffled her how he was quite intent on chatting her up. There was nothing of interest about her.

"And how did you get rid of that tension I left you with?" she whispered, jumping on the game wagon. "Cold shower? Some courtesan? Or torturing your troops with intense exercises?"

He laughed, his back vibrating with what seemed to be pure earnestness. "Is it also one of your expertise to answer all my questions with another or your art in purloining is your only faculty?"

Whack!!

Her hand bounced on his back leaving a blush like imprint. Madly, she pulled him by the neck towards her and held out a knife by his neck.

"Oh?" he exclaimed as if he had just gotten an answer to a problem that he had tried to figure out for so long. "So threatening with knives is one of them?"

"My pendant," she demanded not willing to caper along anymore.

His calmness to her threats ruffled her feathers because what she wanted was him shaking like a leaf and wetting himself in terror.

"Easy," he tenderly held her hands and tried shrugging her off with clemency. It took all her willpower to keep the knife on his neck as he was too strong.

"Let"s wield our knives later on, little fox," he jerked his hand backwards, making her keel over to the floor. Leisurely, he stood up, and she shrieked, covering her eyes in bewilderment. She had never met someone who could be so shameless.

"Your bedroom experience is riveting." He was back at it again, teasing her.

"Hmm…" she grunt and gave him her back, her cheeks reddening. "Anyway, why do you have eunuchs and maids serving you?" She played around with her hands nervously, hoping that this would change the topic of their conversation.

"Because I am royalty." He took the pool steps and strode to the stand that had his black silk robe. He twirled it around and fit it on his sculpted body with causality.

"Hah!" she mocked. "Then I am the Empress of Nevoria."

She peeked to see if he was covered yet, then relaxed.

His clothed self was approaching her with a powerful stride that spoke domination, one hand rested on his back while the other arched majestically in front. Mindful of her, he pulled her up by the hand.

Not quite immune to him, her breath hitched at his touch and she hoped he didn"t notice it. Her heart ached at how his essence possessed familiarity.

The person who saved her from some freebooters years ago had a stomach wound. She looked down at his stomach which was covered by the black robe. Was it possible to get him naked again without being shameless?

But it couldn"t be. Luo Meng was not a womanizer. He was tender, loving, caring, understanding, warm, sweet, considerate. He was Luo Meng.

"I wouldn"t mind having such a foxy empress," he smiled, the kind of smile that seemed to stop the world. He nudged her chin up so she could meet his gaze, "So tell me my empress, what are you doing here?"

"I am not here―"

"The truth," his eyebrows raised in warning.

"I… I don"t see how it"s any of your business."

"You are in my camp, isn"t it?"

Her mind was already flooding with possible explanations and figuring out which one of them would not bite her back later on.

"Dura mountain, the palace, the camp. Why have you been in all these places?" Hazel inscrutable eyes observed her sharply.

Her heart beat vigorously and she didn"t know whether it was just his mere presence or the thrill of being a spy.

Thump, thump, thump.

"Roaming the world and searching for somewhere my soul could beatify."

He chuckled and his hand lowered to caress her neck, "You think you can play around with me?" Slowly, his whole hand coiled around her neck and stopped the air from reaching her lungs.

"Silly girl," he muttered.

Her eyes widened in shock to what he was doing to her. Bit by bit, he was throttling her. He was sucking life out of her.

There was no emotion in his eyes, no pity, no mercy.

"I can"t … I can"t breathe." Her languid hands helplessly fought to pull off his hand off her neck. His face was indescribable and she realised at that moment that he was going to kill her. With all her strength she struggled against his forceful clutch.

However, it was no use.

She was slipping away as he was choking her dead.

S.V