Chapter Six - Blooming Affection (Part 1)

Chapter Song Suggestion - "Way Way Back by Lvly, Megan Wofford (Instrumental Version)"

She was surrounded by a fathomless chasm of emptiness and pain. In her dreams, she was crying, curled up into a ball. "There's no one else…," she sobbed. "Everyone's gone…,"

She was alone. Her family was gone. And the friends she grew up with were gone.

"Inka…,"

Startled, she lifted her head and looked around. "Who's there?"

"Inka, wake up!"

Her brows scrunched in confusion. "Wake up? I am already awake…,"

"Inka!" The distraught voice became more distinct. It was...vaguely familiar. She knew this man.

Lying in bed, the little witch moaned but didn't open her eyes. Kyou was beginning to worry in earnest. It had been five days since her fever showed signs of abating, but still, she didn't awaken. If he weren't so overwrought, he would have laughed at the irony of her being in his bed — twice — and injured.

Gently shaking her, he said her name again. Her lids twitched and finally those beautiful silver eyes stared back at him. Kyou ignored the fact that he could breathe again, the overall tightness dissipating a little.

"K-kyou?" she murmured, blinking against the bright sunlight. Her throat felt scratchy, like she had swallowed sawdust in her sleep.

"How are you feeling?" he asked softly, his hands sifting through her hair, gently massaging her scalp.

"Hmm," she moaned lightly. "That feels good."

"Can you sit up?"

Her sore muscles protested when she shifted. "My body hurts a little. Can you help me?"

With his assistance, she managed to prop her back against the soft pillows, leaning her head against the headboard. Her body felt heavy. "What happened? How...how long was I out?"

"You've been ill for five days. Your body sustained mild injuries from the fight." And perhaps the shock of Kusunagi's revelation had been too overwhelming, sending her into a total shutdown.

She licked her dry lips, and he didn't miss that subtle action. Pouring her a glass of water, he watched as she drank thirstily.

"Slowly," he murmured, "Or you'll make yourself sick."

She forced herself to take smaller sips, noticing that Kyou looked a frightful mess. His hair was distinctly out of place like he had yanked them over the hours and his clothes were crooked. The impressive, polished version of him was nowhere to be found, though she admitted it didn't detract his good looks. "What happened to you?" A wild thought crossed her mind. "H-have you been…taking care of me?"

Kyou cleared his throat, swallowing his embarrassment. "I had to. There was no one else." His eyes were everywhere but on her.

He was lying. Terribly. The Emperor would never be short on staff. It brought a small smile to her face, tendrils of warmth spreading throughout her chest. "Thank you."

Kyou ignored the strangeness in his stomach, schooling his expression. "Kusunagi is dead. The rebellion was arrested and sentenced to years of labour as penance. Unfortunately, Lord Daifuku was murdered, and I will be paying the King of Shiryuu an official visit regarding this matter."

Did that mean she was free to go?

"You are free to leave," he remarked, having read her mind. "But I want you to stay until you are fully recovered. Remember, there's no use escaping."

Surprisingly, she didn't argue. It was a testament to her poor condition.

"Did anything occur in Beihai while you were gone? What had Kusunagi planned to distract you?" she suddenly recalled.

"The bastard hired a bunch of thugs to raid a nearby village, destroying the homes of the innocent. Fortunately, my Commander saw to the problem and repairs are being carried out." Seeing the distress on her face, he kindly reassured her, "It's not as bad as it sounds."

For some reason, her eyes shuttered, and he decided to ask. "What are your plans after this?"

"I'm going to Donggu," she announced determinedly.

His lips thinned in disapproval. "Donggu isn't safe for a young woman like you to be traipsing around. It's a dangerous playground for slave drivers. You could be captured and sold to rich aristocrats just like that."

"I know, and I am counting on it." Came her frank admission.

The thought of her leaving rankled, and that she was ready to endanger her life again…it darkened his mood. "Why are you fixated on Donggu?" Before he could stop himself, the words escaped him, "I forbid you to go there."

Silver eyes narrowed, a hint of anger flashing. "You cannot forbid me anything, Your Majesty. You heard Kusunagi. My brother, the womenfolk and children of my tribe are in danger. I have to save them."

"I hate to burst your bubble but there is no way you can save them on your own," he pointed out, half-mocking. Kyou hated sugar-coating the truth and he wouldn't start now. He also refused to see her get hurt. He wavered. When had he cared about another person's feelings?

"I know that!" Her tone brimmed with frustration. "But I have to. I know that he's waiting for me. He's counting on me to rescue him. If our positions were reversed, I would be comforted to know he's out there looking for me."

Although he had many siblings, they didn't share the same bonds that Inka and her brother did. He was secretly envious. "I will be tied up for the following months. I can't help you —,"

"I'm not asking for your help," she interjected stubbornly. "You're the Emperor. I understand you have duties to attend to and I don't want to be a bother."

Kyou was vexed at her rejection as if she had a choice. "I wasn't done speaking. I was going to say that I can assign my men to search for your brother and tribeswomen. I'll put out a word or two on the streets. Donggu is a large province, and its dangerous terrains make it difficult to search every crevice and nook."

Sitting up straighter, her eyes shone with hope. "Oh, can you do that?"

"Yes," he readily agreed. "With the condition that you stay put until word comes from either sources."

Just like that, her spirit deflated, and she sulked. "Then I shall decline your help. I don't want to stay cooped up in here like a jailbird while every day my tribespeople could be one step closer to death's door. I'm leaving as soon as I can walk."

Kyou felt his blood pressure rise. Off the battlefield, his patience had never been tested so frequently. He struggled to find the right words. He didn't — no — couldn't let her to leave. He was afraid if he did, he would never see her again. But why couldn't he just tell her that? "Fine, go if you must but don't expect me to come rescuing you the next time you're in trouble."

Kyou was back to his sardonic self, and she would be lying to say it didn't hurt. After all they had been through, she believed they had bridged a distance and maybe could even be friends. Clearly, she was naïve and the pain squeezing her heart made her walls came up.

"Fine," she remarked, amazed at how calm she sounded. "I won't."

Kyou hissed at her stubbornness and mentally cursed himself for being an idiot. "Either way, you're staying until I say you can leave." He marched out of her bedchamber, sliding the doors shut with a force that rattled the frames.

A sense of helpless fury shot through her. Crossing her arms, she muttered. "We'll see about that, Your Majesty."