A few days passed by.
Violet dreaded the night that was coming.
The night the Emperor would sleep in her room.
Though she was the one who suggested this condition to avoid rumours from spreading , she did not quite like it.
She felt extremely uncomfortable to be alone in the same room with this man.
"Greetings , Your Majesty."
"Empress."
"Would Your Majesty care for a cup of tea?"
"Sure."
"Lillian , please serve us Passion flower tea."
Passionflower tea is made from the dried leaves, flowers, and stems of the Passiflora plant.
Drinking passionflower tea is said to alleviate anxiety and improve overall sleep quality.
Passionflower tea is mild in flavour with a grassy earthiness and can be sweetened with a floral honey.
Violet loved the taste of this tea and she preferred it to be unsweetened.
"Empress , you seem to have a collection of a variety of tea ."
"Yes , Your Majesty. "
'Tea enjoys a special place in my heart. '
But Violet wouldn't tell him that.
"Your Majesty , how's the situation with the drought and famine affected regions?"
Though Violet did not want to continue the conversation with the Emperor ,
she was genuinely worried about the people who were dying.
She had heard news that provisions had been sent and help had arrived at their doorstep ,
but she didn't know the details.
"Relief has been sent.
Progress is slow but the people are surviving. No deaths has been recorded since we sent out rations.
They've starting working on the emergency water interconnections. "
"The Empire will get through this,
Your Majesty. The monsoon season will arrive in a matter of weeks.
Hopefully , the heavens will open and bless the people with rain."
"Anyway , I'm retiring for bed.
Goodnight, Your Majesty."
"Goodnight , Empress."
Next morning.
"Let us visit the Royal Library today , Xander."
"Yes , Your Majesty."
Violet wore a golden V-neck sequin ruffle trim puff sleeve maxi dress and she headed for the library to browse through the books.
Her dress sparkled with sequins.
The Royal Library was the biggest library in the Empire by volume with a collection in excess of 600,000 books.
Violet entered the library to see rows of books neatly arranged.
A look of awe crept into her face at the sight of thousands of books in front of her.
Forget the smell of warm apple pie ,
nothing could beat the smell of books.
Violet breathed in the intoxicating scent of paper .
' I prefer the smell of books to roses ',
Violet thought as she walked into the library.
As she walked while slightly grazing her fingertips onto the books she passed by , Violet happened upon a book titled
"The theory of life and death."
"What constitutes death?
Death is considered life's ending.
What is the relationship between existence and death?
Do people and other creatures continue to exist after dying,
or cease to exist without dying?" ,
Violet read aloud the first paragraph of the book she picked up.
"Since the beginning of time,
people have always expressed their thoughts on death in plentiful ways.
What do you think of death , Xander? "
"I do not think anyone wants to die if given a choice.
Yet , death is a destination we all share.
No one can escape it.
But death shouldn't be feared either
if you have lived life to the fullest extent."
" I fear death, Xander.
At the same time , life seems to be more painful than death.
Maybe I'm just afraid of the unknown after death.
But yes , why should we fear death when it can only exist when we do not?"
Do think you've lived wisely , Xander?
To the fullest of your capacity that you have no room for regret?" , Violet continued.
" I've tried my best , Your Majesty."
" But you could have more.
If you had not become my personal Knight and followed my father, don't you think you would be wealthier and have a more prominent position?
You could be his most trusted aide."
" Material possessions don't mean much to me , Your Majesty. Nor positions. Or power.
For we brought nothing with us when we came into the world,
and we cannot take anything with us when we leave it.
Is there a need to fret so much about the things that will cease to have value after death?
And I am content being by your side , Your Majesty.
Your happiness.That's what matters most to me in this world."
" I am glad you're content with your life , Xander. Truly , I am.
But I hope you will think of happiness that comes outside of my existence."
"There can be no such thing , Your Majesty."
" Yes , there can be , Xander.
Have you ever thought about it ?
A family. A beautiful wife. Adorable kids. Doesn't it sound wonderful?"
" I can't imagine , Your Majesty.
You are family to me. That is enough for me.
I do not have space in my heart for more ."
" Xander , there is always space for more love.
If you make room for someone new ,
it doesn't mean that there's less space for me.
' It's magical', mom says.
' That the more you give it away ,
the more love that will come back to you .' "
"Hmm."
" Don't just 'hmm' me , Xander.
Ponder upon it.
I truly wish for your happiness."
Violet said earnestly as she stood on her tip-toe to gently pat Xander's head.
"Your Majesty should have just asked me to bend, and I would have done so."
" I'm sure you would.
But I wanted to do it with my own effort.
And mind you , I'm just 15 , I'll grow taller in the future. "
"Sure , Your Majesty." , Xander replied as he lightly smiled.
Violet and Xander spent the entire afternoon quietly browsing books in the library.