The Emperor sat down on one of the stools, and only then did you do the same. You maybe didn't have the best etiquette, but you knew the basics well enough not to be considered a complete amateur. Everybody would know that you are only allowed to sit when the Emperor sits unless previously told to by the Emperor and if the Emperor stands up, so do you.
"Now, you may go and pick some flowers and arrange them however you like in your vase." The Emperor advised you, before standing up and going to pick some flowers around the room. You stood up as well and began to pick the flowers you found the most to your liking before returning to the bench. You laid the flowers before you, planning what to do inside your head instead of merely rushing in. Afterwards, you started to arrange the flowers one by one, placing them into the vase with great care. The Emperor returned to your side, the sunlight the window emitted in front of the table complimenting his features well.
"What do you like to do in your free time? I have a new job coming up for you soon, so watch out." The Emperor commenced a conversation, lightening the air. He knew that many people found it uncomfortable to spend time alone with the monarch of the empire, as even the slightest thing could end in severe punishment. He tried to understand and sympathise, and therefore was acting more lenient.
"Well, I enjoy spending time with sir Kirayo and the first knight. I also like to take walks in the garden and listen to music. I've been practising my embroidering further as well. I wish to become one of the best embroiderers this land has seen!" You vocalised proudly, your nose sticking up in the air from pride, convinced of your goal. "Do you have anything you like to do in your free time?" You inquired back, your curiosity growing with each passing moment.
"That sounds quite lovely. I do not have any free time, so there is nothing I take much pleasure in. Since the palace has been put under lockdown, and nobody's allowed to make appointments with me, I have decided to take this time to enjoy myself. All I have to do is paperwork and respond to letters, anyway. That is why I ran from Eli today. I understand that as the father of this empire I should take full responsibility and set an illustrious example. (When you are shining the brightest is when your shadow is the largest, after all). I am human too, believe it or not! So I wished to take a small break for myself today, even though I must return to my office soon to do more paperwork, else I will fall behind and make up for it with many desirable hours of sleep." The Emperor revealed to you his dilemma.
"That is why I am delighted to be spending time with you today. Other women I am compelled to spend time with are a regal pain, all so lovesick and desperate." He shivered slightly at the thought before craning his neck in order to look at you, a small smile easing the Emperor's cold features. "I haven't smiled this much in a while, and I must thank you for that, little tailor."
"Ah, I feel as though I understand you more now. It seems like you lead a very stressful life. Everybody needs a break sometimes, so do not feel guilty after today for leaving your responsibilities behind to enjoy freedom, even if it was just for barely a day." You claimed, peering back at him and giving a friendly smile.
The Emperor quickly reversed his posture to fully face the vase again, using his hair as a curtain to hide his facial expression. It appeared he was too afraid to let his guard down around you; he was too uptight and nervous. He tried to cover it up. However, his methods did not do well with you for some reason. Why was the stone-cold emperor slowly opening up to you of all people? He had been wondering the same thing, and had been cursing himself in his head for making such silly remarks. You believed that perhaps he was acting this way since he had never gotten to spend time like this with anyone in his life apart from his grandmother, who you now knew was just pressuring the young man into marriage. It seemed as though everywhere the Emperor turned or looked, there awaited a liability. You were his escape from responsibility's tomb and his only taste of sweet freedom, so it was only expected for him to open up to you after all.
You mildly shook your head. Perhaps you were reading too much into his behaviour and were overthinking yourself again. You would catch yourself like this pondering and examining the behaviour of those around you, letting your mind wander far and wide to worlds unknown as you did so. You thanked the glorious gods that nobody could read your mind, or else you'd be mistaken for somebody quite near the edge of insanity.
The Emperor softly set his last flower down before beginning to place more flower food into the water, deciding he wanted to ensure that the flowers would last for as long as he hoped. Meanwhile, you were still putting the finishing touches on your flower arrangement. Soft music seeped in through the cracks of the door, keeping you from the outside world. A cheerful tune could be heard from far, far away, instruments working together to create the perfect melody.
"Ah, it must be the townspeople. It is the parade for the goddess of the ocean today. The people always throw a sort of recession for the goddess in hopes that she guarantees them a safe journey whenever they travel across the sea. Yunoaiu is a wealthy centre of trade, so the river in the middle allows trade to happen with ease." The Emperor enlightened you, looking out the window: only to come into view with the garden that hid the palace walls from his sight.
"I wish that someday I will be able to dance with my people." The Emperor sighed, closing his eyes to let the music sink into his ears.
His eyes suddenly snapped open as if he just realised something, and he gave you a mischievous grin, "Would you like to make my wish come true?" He quizzed you.
"It would be my honour and pride, your ma-" Before you could finish with the honorifics, the Emperor stood up, filled with whimsical joy. He wrapped one arm around your upper waist while using his other hand to grab onto yours; exerting the promenade, an essential ballroom dancing position.
"Step on my feet; I will lead the dance. I know well enough that you are clumsy from Octavi's reports." He teasingly informed you as you smoothly stepped on top of his black textile material dress shoes. It didn't seem to cause him any pain whatsoever, and you did so because who were you to deny a direct command from the Emperor?
Your fingers interlocked with his as he began dancing to the fairly slow beat of the music, enjoying its sluggish yet cheerful tune. You looked into his eyes and realised something. When you were subject to the closet's darkness, he'd seemed strikingly similar to the knight when he had removed his blindfold, and the knight had looked strikingly similar to the Emperor. Your heart rate increased significantly at the thought of the Emperor being the first knight, especially after the way the first knight had been acting so carefree. Were you reading into things too much once again? Or were you correct? You definitely couldn't get a definite answer unless you investigated it more thoroughly or asked the first knight the truth. You'd rather ask the first knight. After all, if anybody were to laugh at your stupidity, you'd rather it be a knight than royalty. You examined the Emperor's features without any sort of awkward tension thanks to the fact he had been keeping his eyes closed for several moments. Soon enough, his eyelashes spread apart and his eyes opened once again, his blood-red eyes impaling your [E/C] orbs that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.
"Enjoying the view, little tailor?" The Emperor hummed emotionlessly, his features once again as cold and still as a winter statue. He always seemed to have such a look on his face after feeling cheerful, believing he needed to hide his positive emotions with a passive face. You both danced around the table innumerable times, the Emperor including a new dance move every once in a while before the song eventually ended, and you stepped off of the man's expensive shoes.
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