2

It was not hard for the fire to completely destroy the rose bushes and when the flames are reduced to dying embers, I mourned my loss. The big rose bushes sprouting white flowers have become a black pile of ash. I did not understand why my sisters would suddenly light them afire after a whole week of leaving them untouched. If I get my hands on them, I will not be kind.

I have endured their ceaseless verbal and physical abuse but this time they attacked innocent plants. I did not expect my sisters to love the flowers but I also did not expect them to use the flowers to hurt me. They know I spent time to dig and plant the bushes. They saw the gashes on my hands and they had the nerve to use fire to destroy the bushes. With a cold heart I cleared my tears.

"They think number ensures no punishment. Oh, it's Lucerna," a familiar voice says out of the blue. Again, without any noise the Emperor of Tenebris comes to stand beside me. With a pointy finger he taps on my shoulder and I force myself to look up. His dark eyes reflected my haggard expression. In his hand, he held a black flower I have never seen in my life. "This is the Emperor's Flower you searched so desperately for. Of course, this one is in bloom and not the one that just went up in flames."

"Where did you get this? It is beautiful," I breathed. He offered the flower to me and I took it from his hand carefully. The flower looks fake, made out of lace or another cloth. The purple haired man sat down beside me and I start to doubt his status as an emperor. Emperors would not willingly sit on a dirty chair, not to mention plain dirt.

"Does the creator of the flower need to find the flower?" I gasp, staring at the man in black. He had changed his appearance once again, having taken off the silver mask and the horns protruding from his forehead vanished. His smooth skin made the black antlers seem like an illusion. A powerful man like him would create a flower? "I gave this flower to many merchants but I have not found anyone who can make them bloom. I can, but I think if yours was not maliciously burned, you would have succeeded."

"Oh, may I ask how you came here? Not a lot of people would visit these gardens." I see him turn his head to face me but I instinctively look away. I feel his cold hands lightly grip my chin which sends shivers down my spine. He forces me to look into his jet black eyes but I notice something strange. "Your eyes look like they contain stars!"

"Yes, I know." The suspicious man grins with so much confidence. I finally take the time to study his sharp jawline, his honey skin, the swirling tattoo on his neck and his lean body. He looks very terrifying, especially when he grins with his snow white teeth. He sighs, "Who would have known the girl in the library was Phoenix's fourth princess! It is such a pity your roses had to be burned the day I arrive."

"Did you watch me the whole time?" I was too busy feeling sad and spiteful that I did not notice the man enter the gardens. I did feel someone was following me into the garden but when I smelled smoke, I disregarded the unnerving stare. I tried to look away from his hypnotizing eyes. "Are you truly an emperor? The Emperor of Tenebris?"

"I am Noctis Malum, Emperor of Tenebris. I have invited your family to many of my balls and I must say, your sisters are snobby wenches. I do not believe you went often?" I cover my mouth to stifle a laugh. After he directly insulted my sisters I had more reason to doubt his identity. He knows my thoughts. "I truly am an emperor."

"I have attended about three in the last ten years. I know you hold yearly gatherings but I am usually grounded during those days. I love Tenebris but I'm too unruly to not be punished every other day." I shrugged at his disappointed look. His eyes betrayed his emotions. I twirled the black flower in my hands. "I will believe your words. After all, the host of the balls never showed up. I was always curious about who ruled such a vast kingdom."

"Are you surprised?" I told him I was very surprised. The deep laugh that comes from his throat sounded again, almost eerily. "I understand your confusion. I hold annual events but I watch the pompous rulers from shadows. Nobles from all over visit my palace hoping to find my favors. I think your siblings are still hunting me to this day."

"I thought you would be like a character from a book because you were so mysterious. the rumors I've heard about you were also not flattering," I told him without thinking. His dark eyebrows rose above his dark eyes. "They say that you bathe in blood at night, torture prisoners of war in your dark dungeons, kill anyone who is not your subject, tame the most vile beasts and-"

"And most of them are true," he says darkly. Noctis uses his magic to absorb the ashes still lying around the gazebo. He realizes that his unconscious action startled me and stopped. "I do not bathe in blood at night but I do like taking baths with rose petals. A little feminine but it helps me relax. I do not personally torture prisoners, I make them fight each other."

I had to shiver twice because my sisters enjoy rose petal baths and I do not think males would ever think of flowers in baths. The Emperor of Tenebris proudly lists his darker side using the prisoners as an example. Somehow, he can make the strongest teams crumble without meeting them even once. The frightening overlord sitting beside me knows the human mind and can easily manipulate others.

"I will kill anyone who trespasses onto my land but only if I find they are harming my people or land. Nice trespassers will simply be shipped back to their original place. I tame the most powerful beasts to find ways to prevent deaths from beast attacks. The rumors have fair grounds but all else is works of imagination." Noctis sighs wistfully. "I sometimes do wish I have a scarred face like they say. Do you also fear me?"

I quickly shake my head, choosing my words carefully. As a princess I must watch my tongue and when speaking to a powerful emperor, I must be more careful. "I am more fascinated than afraid. You are not like other kings and emperors, you are an enigma. I heard your people adore you and they even consider you to be godly. Why would others spread half truths about a formidable emperor?"

"My people have never seen me as their emperor. If it does not confuse you, I use many disguises in this world. You saw me as a noble attending your family's balls. My subjects see me as the best knight in their kingdom. Even my soldiers cannot recognize their emperor." I have never heard of such a thing and Noctis knows this. "Tenebris is usually peaceful despite the constant threat of attackers. I create another image to act as the emperor."

"You are indeed an interesting man. If you are a ruler of a huge kingdom, I think it is interesting that you lie low. Perhaps, do you change your appearance to stay mysterious and out of the eyes of rival kings?" I see him nod, purple hair bouncing as he does so. I commented on his success in fooling me. "I thought you were merely a young noble."

"I just recalled my reason for searching for you. Back at the showing room, you were told by the queens not to ask questions. I have been curious as to what it is you wanted to inquire about me," the emperor moved to sit on the steps of the glass gazebo. Again, his dark figure does not look at peace with the shimmering building.

I am still seated on the dirt. I shrugged to tell him the question is no longer important. Still, he urges me to ask. "The question is slightly intrusive. You said you bought land from my grandfather. He was at least one hundred and seventy when he gave up his throne. How old are you, and are you married?"

"Calor was a very admirable king but I was an emperor way before he was born. In your life you may have heard of three Emperors of Tenebris? The original, the son and then the nephew?" I nodded as I remembered attending two funerals in Tenebris. It is said that the original was poisoned and his son became the emperor. The son also died tragically and now, the nephew is the one on the throne. Noctis' smile struggled to hide his emotions. "There was only one emperor the whole time. The generations were all illusions I created to avoid speculation. I am also not married."

I find myself gawking at the Emperor of Tenebris once again. If his words are true he is old and looking for a bride. As much as I felt comfortable talking to him, knowing his age suddenly turned off my interest. "I apologize, I do not think I can speak with you any longer. Please do not waste your time here and find someone else. Phoenix has many beautiful women and if my father is brave, he can break one of my sister's betrothal for you."

I gather the skirt of my dress in my hand, rise from the ground and stumbled away from the glass gazebo, hoping Noctis does not follow me. I run through the garden arch, confronted by my sisters. I gulp, too exhausted to dole out their punishments. All seven princesses block my way and strategically corner me, picking an area far away from my sparring brothers.

"Oh, what is this ugly flower doing here?" Glim says as she ripped the Emperor's Flower out of my hands. With encouragement from the other girls she plucks the flower, petal by petal. The black, lacy petals fall to her feet and explodes. Glim stared at her torn shoes, livid once she realizes the flower I held almost harmed her. "Is this black magic?"

"It is black magic! What type of good flower would explode and it is black!" Clara shouts as she slaps me with her small hands. She is the youngest princess but she is the most physically violent. She is short so she can only hit my abdomen but she does punch with emotion. "She must have inherited the evil magic from her mother! Let's beat her until she loses her powers."

"No, we cannot touch her because father likes her so much," Flare says mockingly. She flips her golden hair behind her back, blue eyes rolling as she speaks of my relationship with Father. She holds up a knife and my heart starts to beat. They may not touch me but if they work together, they can kill me and fool my father. They start to close in on me.

"Stay back of you do not want to be scorched!" I shout out to them whilst shooting a ball of fire into the sky. I can feel my throat start to dry. The fire ball shot up because I could not focus during my moment of panic. If I can find my composure, I will be able to give them a few burns. "Clara, remember the time I burned your hair until it looked like porcupine quills?"

Clara covers her ears with her small hands and shouts over my voice. "I still hate you for that! Look, my hair could be at my waist but you made it shorter. Maybe we should cut your hair in clumps. You will appreciate your fiery hair when it looks like a sheep had been abandoned while getting its wool shorn."

"Whose hair do you think you lot are cutting?" A loud voice thunders from behind my sisters. All seven girls split on either side of me, throwing accusing looks in my direction. Of course, they think I caused then to be caught by the newcomer. I see Noctis glide across the ground, looking disgusted. "Is that how you should treat your sister?"

"Do you know who we are? We are the princesses of Phoenix, we can do anything. Who are you? A mere noble who is self-righteous?" I wince for my sisters, wondering how Noctis will react to their high pitched screams. Clara stepped away from me and lifts her hand as the man in shadows glided over to the huddled group. Now that I look at his feet, he is literally floating.

"Yes, you are princesses of Phoenix, I am well aware. Does that also mean Lucerna can burn you too? After all, she is a princess of Phoenix, she can do anything." The emperor politely held a hand over his mouth to hide his yawn. His yawn was fake but my sisters managed to take his action as a huge insult. Clara inched closer to him but he does not flinch, even when she attacked. With two fingers he held her wrist, "Clara, why are you still so nasty?"

"I do not know you!" Clara spits on his tan face in an attempt to make him release her wrist. I look closer to see his nails have grown and are digging into her skin, drawing a few drops of blood until the puncture started to leak red liquid under his fingernails. Clara failed to kick his groin. "Let go of me! My sisters and I will tell our father what you are doing to us. You will wish you've never messed with us because our father is powerful!"

"Oh?" A dark eyebrow arched as his voice becomes dangerously low. The emperor must be amused, not batting an eye at her threats. My sisters were hesitant to help Clara because they are calculating creatures. They know Noctis is not a mere noble. "I have met you at least four times in Tenebris. Of course, you have seen an illusion of me but I am an emperor, not a measly nobleman. If I rip your arm off right here, do you believe me when I say your father would be apologizing to me?"

"He would never apologize to you. You must be a bored man using the image of Tenebris' emperor, Noctis, to ruin our business." Clara turned to her sisters, begging them to help her escape Noctis' but each one pretended to look away. "My sisters and I will teach you how to respect princesses! Let go of me! My mother will castrate you!"

"If she dares to touch me, I will make you infertile. See if any prince or king will want to marry you and your nasty personality. I know your mother very well and I hope I do not have to offend her. You are all so disappointing," the emperor shakes his head and finally releases Clara. He watches the little girl run back towards her sisters who tried to soothe her with open arms. Noctis turned his nose towards the dark sky. "If you do not mind, I will take Lucerna away. I will speak to your father."

"Wait!" Solis, the eldest princess of Phoenix calls out to the man gliding towards us. She uses her delicate hands to stroke her hair and I can see she is about to try her 'charms' on him. My sisters all look away as Solis pushes out her chest and starts to lift her skirt along her legs. "Why don't you take me away first? My sisters can finish our business and since you want a woman, I am available."

"No, you are not. You are betrothed to the eldest prince of Gratia but your marriage has been pushed back for the past seven years. The eldest prince met you when you were both children and I assume you were nasty just like Clara is now. Being married to a spiteful woman such as you will be disgraceful. Also, I do not need women." Noctis grins in my direction which I do not understand. He brushed shoulders with Solis, ignoring her advances.

My sisters looks at him like curious cats. They must be thinking about his identity and his familiarity with our family's matters. I do not think anyone outside our family would know who each offspring of Phoenix is going to marry and yet, Noctis has proved me wrong. He must have known I am the only princess not promised to any royal family, but I cannot understand why he found interest in me.

For the whole time we spoke in the library we talked about my favorite books. Each book I pulled off shelves, he knew the title and story just by looking at the leather. Fantasy, romance, war strategies, history books, encyclopedias, map collections, he recognized them all! I was shocked he could comment on the romance books I used to read as a young girl.

The brooding emperor grabbed my wrist and strung me along as if he is pulling a cart. I do not hear my sisters follow us and I urge him to let go of my arm. I try to pry his hand off my wrist. "My Lord, a man and woman should not touch each other like so. I did not need to be rescued but I thank you anyway. Please release me."

Noctis spins on his heel to face me. Once again, his beady eyes speckled with gold stares into my mind. He looks disappointed, "Why do you let your sisters belittle you? Have you not changed since your younger days? You used to cower at my banquets, hiding from your sisters. Your brothers and father are not always near to help you. Why do you take their punches without even trying to block a blow?"

I use all my strength to rip his hand off my wrist, regretting using so much force. It seems I have injured myself more than the emperor. "You know nothing about my sisters and I. We used to be very close but now that we are all older, we changed under the stresses of life. I do not wish to harm my siblings."

"What if you had no choice? Suppose the girl with the blade did not think of stopping at cutting your hair. What would you do with a knife plunged into your heart, all for the sisterly love that died?" His dark eyes lost their golden flecks, reminding me of a crow's eye. Completely dark and dull. "You are letting the evils in them grow. Is that also sisterly love? I cannot comprehend."

"You do not know our family well enough, do you? You think you know everything about the royal family of Phoenix?" My hands itched to slap the arrogant smile off his face. He may know my family well but he could never know why my sisters are so vicious towards only me. "You do not have to understand me. My Lord, I suggest you sail back to where you came. I beg my leave."

I am glad to know he let me go without trying to hold me back. Out of embarrassment and frustration I let the river flow. I ran blindly towards my room, hoping to rest for the rest of the day. I do not wish to interact with any more people after the incident with my plants and the Emperor of Tenebris.