The smell of tea filled the air, the light flowery notes fitting for a garden tea party. The day while cold and unforgiving as it was usually in this land, the camelias contrast with the snow the same way the blush would show in a court maiden face
" I know this wouldn't be the ideal way of meeting each other but I would like to make do if you allowed me to" the redhead woman talked to you, bringing a foreign cup to her lips " I prepared some tea that I thought would fit your liking, it is the closest I could get to this nation usual taste" her voice was soft and mellow, such a difference between the voice she took to meet with the aristocracy and in the royal meetings. Even when you followed your young lady it was rather easy to her derisive voice as she yelled new laws and regulations
" I heard the empress taste in tea was immaculate, I'm sure I will enjoy it"
" Well it 's true! My wife really enjoys her tea" the loud voice of the blond man almost made your heart skip a beat, Luka took a seat between the ladies, his hair noticeably wet and clothes messily put
" Did you just get out of the shower Luka?" Even if the empress was his wife Anee seemed more of a caretaker than a spouse " at least dry your hair, and put a coat, you are making me feel cold just by looking at you"
" Love! It isn't even winter here yet" his laughter was too boyish for a man who fought so many battles and tainted so much snow with blood
" It is still cold" she scolds " what does the royal concubine yn think? Should the emperor put on proper clothes or stay dressed as…" it was really noticeable she was looking for proper words to describe his actual clothes" this"
"Oh i truly don't think I have the right to intervene here" Seeing your refusal to give your opinion they kept arguing
" Either way the emperor should dress appropriately, for he has a meeting in no more than an hour" sipping her tea, Anne side eyeing her husband.
" Dear! I'm the emperor; nobody truly can look at me badly for that" he put his hands in his hips, laughing proudly and at the same time showing off his chest
" Even then, it's improper for you to join this tea party dressed like that and without a chaperon. Even if I'm your wife yn has yet to have a formal concubine appointment! If someone found you here it would be horrible for her" she looked at you hoping you would side with her
" It's right! My parents barely let me become a concubine ! If they found out about this i would be sent to a nunnery" you agrees, in certain part it was true, but in another part your parents would simply be mad at you for a short while
" So if I dress 'modestly' and bring a chaperone can i stay?"
" It would be after your meeting, but I doubt the tea would stay hot for that long, but we can arrange for other day"
" Then I don't want to leave" he draped himself over you, his arms wrapped around your neck and his head in your chest
Almost too confident " if Albert comes and says that the meeting was cancelled or dismissed you may stay" her confidence was understandable, the only reason it could be dismissed would be because of rain and hail and given the day it would be almost impossible for it to happen " now prepare your paperwork, i saw it in your desk" almost to obediently he agreed.
" He truly doesn't dare to defy you, empress!" It was a sight to behold truly a lady so frail ordering a man of her same standing without raising her voice
" Oh my, oh my '' she laughed lightly. '' Don't be so formal concubine yn, you may talk normally to me. Soon we'll be seeing each other constantly"
" I guess you are right, but still, it's awkward to refer to the empress too formally, a week ago I would be punished for looking directly into your eyes"
" I guess it's insensitive for me to expect such a drastic change but still feel at ease to speak informally with me"
After all the ruckus you feel at ease to drink the infusion as soon as it touches your tongue you feel the smell of roses
" So? What is your opinion about my tea?" She doesn't look up from her own cup, swirling it around
" It is really nice!" After noticing your little yell you clear your throat " it was delightful, empress"
" Aren't you like my husband?" She giggled " glad to know you enjoyed it, I shall bring another one the next time. Do you want to have another cup?"
"Yes, please" you can feel the warmth of the tea through the ceramic cup and the smell reached your nose again. Even if everything was good something was still in your mind " can you speak to me about the court? I don't really know much, when used I to be a handmaid i only came here once following my young lady"
" The Court?" Anee looked at the garden, thinking about how to explain it easily " do you see those Lilylooks? "
" The dead one?" You were confused, you thought it would be compared to the lifestyle of the lionheart or the extravagance of the one who lives at the river. Not some dead flowers
" Yes" she drinks the little tea left at her cup " it died because the flowers around it took all the nutrients, during this time the Lilylooks need an important amount of nutrients but they can get them because the other flowers took all of them. That is the way of the court, take everything you can so your rivals die" she turned around, her sweet smile didn't match her words " it's easy, I'm sure you understand"
" Then will you dispose of me?" The sweat wet your skin even at the cold temperature
" Why would I? Objectively you hold no danger to my position, and I enjoy your company. I don't see why I would do such thing" she grabbed her coat, putting it above her shawls. " Do you want to go for a walk through the garden? The camellias are beautiful"
" Yes, empress" you sit up and follow her " i heard you like flowers, is that right?"
" Oh nothing, it's just that it was strange that the emperor bought so many flowers before your marriage. He must have wanted to make you feel at home" it wasn't a secret that the emperor started ordering a huge amount of plants, from flowers to trees to vines to plant in the royal gardens "and to think that this used to be training grounds"
" Hm where I'm from we have a huge amount of plants" she leans slightly to sniff at a flower
" I'm sure of it, i heard you didn't want to leave here after you came, you must have been in love with it" you laughed without noticing her shoulders stiffened
" I was relaxing to look at" suddenly a drop falls down her forehead "it seems it started to rain"
" Dearie!" A lovesick yell could be heard from the hall
" And it seems that just in time for the emperor to skip the meeting" she sighed lightly " i hoped we got more time to speak to each other"
" Dear!" Luka slams the doors open with ease, not minding one bit the maids asking him to knock the door. Looking around he sees the two of you in the garden "Anee, we can spend the evening together!" He links his arm around her waist securing her to his side
" Where do you want to go? The Library or the art studio?" Knowing the rain would worsen anee tries to go indoors
" The garden! I ordered a black sap willow, let's see where we should plant it!" Grabbing your hand he follows the little rock road until the plants start to thin out " i think we should put it there! What do you think? Anee?
" We should put it somewhere else there are too many plants there, it won't grow properly, your excellency."
" I agree with concubine yn"
" Then let's look somewhere else!" He drags both of you deeper into the garden, now you are worries about the woman, from what you heard she got sick easily, the rain would be bad for her health
" Do you want my coat?" You whisper
" Don't worry, I will be just fine."
" Anee! Yn! Here! It is perfect!" He is yelling from a patch of land of land he liked to plant the tree
" I think that is a nice place, sir!"