Chapter 93: A Night to Remember

"Your Majesty, may I enter?" Knocking upon the shut doors of the imperial study, Maid Tia hesitatingly voiced her request for permission. Her small hands held a silver tray upon which was dinner for the young emperor.

Her soft voice echoed emptily in the dark and silent hallways of the palace. Tia patiently waited and yet no answer arrived.

Normally, a maid or servant would simply leave after not receiving a reply. However, for some unknown reason, Tia chose to stay. She gathered her courage and stutteringly spoke, "I-I will e-enter."

She pushed on the door and, to her surprise, found it unlocked. Quickly entering the study, she shut the doors and heaved a sigh of relief. Turning around, Maid Tia suddenly let out a yelp and ran forward after throwing away the tray in her hand. She rushed toward the young emperor, whom she found collapsed on the carpet next to the fireplace.

With panic filling her heart, Tia forced herself to calm down and gently cradled Alexandros' head upon her lap. She then checked his breath and heaved a mighty sigh of relief when she found it stable and strong.

After looking around and observing the scene, she soon discovered the culprit of his fainting; an emptied bottle of alcohol. She then released a sigh of relief upon learning that it wasn't anything too serious.

Cradling his head within her soft lap, Maid Tia grew increasingly absent-minded as she continued to stare into that handsome, tanned face. His eyes were tightly shut and creases had formed on his forehead. Although he seemed to be asleep, it did not look like a peaceful sleep.

Tia unconsciously extended her nimble, white fingers and gently rubbed the creases on Alexandros' forehead. She gently massaged his face, hoping to use her meagre ability to comfort him. Under her continued efforts, the frowns on the young emperor's face disappeared and his stiff muscles relaxed.

Seeing his relaxed features, Maid Tia unconsciously exclaimed, "So handsome…" She then immediately caught herself saying those words and blushed deeply.

Just as she happened to be immersed in her happy fantasies, Alexandros' eyelids quivered following which he opened his eyes. He blankly stared with glazed eyes for a few moments before alertness returned to his gaze.

"Who is it!?" he yelled, leaping up to his feet. His sudden shout startled Maid Tia causing her to yelp with fear. Seeing that the young emperor had woken up, she immediately cupped her mouth with her pale, shaky hands and kneeled with her head touching the ground.

"F-forg-ive m-me," she begged while striking the hard ground with her forehead.

With a beast-like gaze, Alexandros scanned his surroundings. After confirming his safety, he slowly and unsteadily rose to his feet. Ignoring the maid begging for forgiveness, he massaged his forehead, feeling an unprecedented ache. He then wobbly walked toward the liquor cabinet that stood next to the fireplace.

Alexandros heavily swayed, his every action resembling a heavily intoxicated drunkard. His hands messily searched the liquor cabinet, knocking over and shattering a few glass bottles in the process, until he found the item that he was looking for. Popping open the cap, he directly began drinking from the bottle.

Meanwhile, Maid Tia refused to let up her cries of apology. A blood patch had appeared on the stone floor and her pretty forehead had become bloodied. Her face was incomparably pale and her eyes quivered with fear.

As a servant of the palace, her role was to remain within the shadows. By not only touching but acting so intimately with the monarch, Tia had committed a grave offence that was punishable by the cruellest of death sentences.

Just as he was quarter-way through the new bottle of alcohol, Alexandros suddenly frowned with irritation. He lowered the bottle from his mouth and scolded, "Could you please shut up? You are worsening my headache."

Maid Tia immediately shut up. Her small body shook like a leaf weathering a storm.

Alexandros suddenly asked. "Who are you? And why have you entered my study without permission?"

"I-I, y-your ma-jest—!" Tia stuttered so much that no one could understand her words.

Raising his hand to stop her, Alexandros irritatedly said, "Stop stuttering and answer properly."

Maid Tia caught her breath. She forcibly held back her tears and sniffles and forced herself to calm down. Then, in the most stable voice that she could muster, she answered. "Replying to your majesty, I am a scullery maid of the palace. I was tasked with delivering your meal for the night."

"You have yet to answer my question, maid," Alexandros sharply frowned. "Why have you entered my chambers without my permission?"

"That— I—," Tia bit the edges of her lips. "I was worried when I did not hear a reply from your majesty. Fearing that something untoward might have happened, I entered to check on your ma—!"

"Shut up!" Alexandros suddenly yelled. "Damn wrench! Trespassing into the emperor's study; what do you take me for!?"

He marched forward with his hand raised to deliver a slap. Just as he was a few steps away from the fear-stricken maid, his foot suddenly slipped on the carpet below and the young emperor came crashing down.

"YOUR MAJESTY!!" Maid Tia screamed, startled. She forgot her fear and pain, pulsing from her injured forehead, and ran to catch him. Just as Alexandros was about to heavily hit his head against the stone floor, Tia caught him in her bosom and fell heavily in his steed.

Her bottom landed squarely and weightily on the stone floor, sending a sharp and piercing pain through her spine and lower body. Tears immediately appeared in Tia's eyes, however, she did not cry. As a servant, her master's needs and conditions always came first.

Stifling the stabbing pain, Tia gritted her teeth and painfully asked, "Is… your… majesty… safe?"

Alexandros did not reply; his feeling of shock had yet to pass. This little incident of slip and fall had been the closest that he had ever come to real death. Alexandros was immediately knocked sober, his mind repeating a single question. 'What the hell am I doing?'

Just as he was about to fall into a pit of intense self-loathing, a few wet droplets of water fell atop his face. The young emperor's attention was distracted and he found the young, bloodied scullery maid desperately holding back her tears.

Alexandros felt the wind getting knocked from his chest. He scrambled to leave her grasp and moved to support her. Wearing an anxious expression on his face, he hurriedly asked, "Are you alright!? Wait a moment, I'll go get someone!"

Just as he was about to go and seek a guard, he felt a weak power grasping the edge of his shirt. Turning his head, he saw the wounded scullery main mouth something feebly. Thinking that she perhaps had a request, Alexandros lowered his ears and neared her lips.

With a few hairs-width of space between her lips and his ears, the young emperor finally heard her sentence. "I'm glad… your majesty… is… safe… the empire… still… needs… you…"

Alexandros froze; his body and mind turning rigid. A few minutes later, he mechanically reassured her and robotically stood up and exited the study.

The moment he arrived outside the study, Alexandros suddenly turned around and slammed his head into the adjacent wall. The force of his slamming was so great that a nearby table holding a vase shook heavily causing the porcelain to fall and break.

The sharp sound of the porcelain breaking immediately summoned the nearby guards. Upon seeing the men arrive, he immediately instructed. "There's an injured maid inside the study. Call the imperial doctors and have them carefully tend to her wounds."

He then turned around and began walking in the direction of the throne room.

"Also, summon all officials to the throne hall. I have orders to pass."

---

When Tia opened her eyes, she found herself enveloped by an indescribable softness.

"So soft…" she absentmindedly mumbled; her buzzed mind yet to recall the events that had occurred before her passing unconscious. Opening her heavy eyelids, Tia gazed at her surroundings. A moment later, she fell into confusion; finding it vastly different to her usual quarters.

"Have you awoken?" A voice suddenly asked from the side. Tia found this worried voice strange yet indescribably familiar. Just before she could place the identity of the speaker, another query followed. "Perhaps, are you feeling pain somewhere?"

"No, I'm fine," replied Tia as she turned her head towards the speaker. The instant she took a glance at the worried inquirer, Tia froze. Her mind had completely blanked; shock, disbelief, and confusion abound.

"Is that so? I'm glad then." Alexandros released a sigh of relief. He then adopted a solemn expression on his face, gazed deeply into Tia's eyes and sincerely spoke. "Firstly, I owe Miss Tia an apology. In a moment of intoxicated madness, I've caused you pain and immeasurable trouble. Please forgive me."

Alexandros tilted his head in a bow. Seeing his action, Tia's brain directly short-circuited.

"Secondly, I owe to Miss Tia, a word of thanks. Thank you. Thank you for pulling me out of my hazy pit of despair and reminding me of my duty."

"For your sincere contribution, I owe you a reward and a favour. Please do not hesitate and ask me for anything."

With the candlelight falling on his solemn-looking face, an indescribable handsomeness was brought forth on Alexandros' face. Having gazed at this sight, Tia felt that she had been rewarded enough.

She also realized her heart; she was hopelessly in love with the young emperor. Tonight would be a night to remember.