'She'll come? She will come?'
Emperor Ghazeyh couldn't believe his ears. He felt the years of suppressed emotions were finally catching up to him and messing with his senses. As such, after a moment of dazed silence, he lowered his hands to his sides with a bitter smile.
'She still hates me. How could she come?'
Though he thought this way, he couldn't smother the kindle of expectation that sparked in his heart. As such, after making a hasty departure from the training field, he spent the rest of the evening in a dazed trance.
He couldn't concentrate on empire affairs, as his gaze kept shifting to the door every few hours. The pale twin suns gradually sunk below the horizon, and the Frost-Flame twin moons took their place.
As pearl lamps lit up across the palace grounds, and the figure of his anticipation still failed to appear, his hanging heart finally settled down again.
Only, it didn't seem to return to its original place, as he felt sick to his stomach.
Emperor Ghazeyh heaved and shakily pushed out of his golden seat. Stumbling out of his study, he barely managed to enter his chamber before his legs lost strength, and he slumped on the soft bed with a strained grunt.
He was the Emperor of the World. Thousands of beauties sought his attention. Immeasurable wealth lay at his fingertips. If he so desired, he could wipe off an entire race from the pages of the map.
A man like him, what couldn't he have? But the one he desired, the only one he wanted with painful desperation, abhorred his presence to the depth of her heart.
Xuma. The look in her eyes when she looked at him…
He'd only seen it in the eyes of his worst enemies. That look conveyed her deep hatred. It was a look that said she wanted to do nothing more than drink his blood and eat his flesh, then throw his bones to the fiery beasts.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"I don't need to be served today. Get out and shut the door."
If he couldn't have the one he wanted, it would only be a dirty and cumbersome chore to touch other women.
"Your...Majesty?"
Xuma gripped her silk gown. A thin white material that showcased her assets, and at this moment as she stood under the radiance of the pearl lamp, made her look like a soul enchantress.
Emperor Ghazeyh sat up in shock. "X...Xuma?"
Was it her? Was she really here?
Thinking he was hallucinating, the man got off the bed and approached the scantily dressed woman. She looked real. But when did she not?
Even if it was only an illusion, he was afraid to shatter it. However, he really wanted to touch her...
His hand rose at the speed of a crawl. His fingers trembled in front of her face, before lightly landing on her smooth forehead. With a force akin to the flap of a butterfly's wing, he gingerly traced the outline of her crescent brows, defined cheekbones, and pert nose, before hovering over her lush lips...
"Xuma..."
A beauty free from temptation. A beauty firm in conviction. A beauty pure in thought.
How he wished she were his...
His vision blurred as a scorching warmth slid down his cheeks. It hurt. His heart ached so bad, he found it difficult to breathe. Emperor Ghazeyh absentmindedly touched his face. When he drew back his hand, he froze in shock.
Tears.
He had shed…tears.
Warm, clear, and painful tears.
The symbol of weakness in the Frost-Flame Empire.
The Emperor was stunned speechless.
Equally shocked, Xuma stared at him in disbelief.
The tyrant Emperor was crying. Who hit him in the head before she appeared? She really wanted to ask them how they did.
If she knew how to torment this demon...
Her train of thought was abruptly cut off when a firm pressure fell on her lips.
Xuma stiffened, eyes wide as bells as she stared at the enlarged face before her eyes. She didn't react, or more specifically, couldn't decide how to react as her mind fell into confusion.
'Kill the Emperor. Kill the Emperor…'
She had to endure. To kill him, she had to endure!
The Emperor similarly froze. But for a different reason. He was waiting for a shove. When it didn't come, he blinked, then his lips stretched into a smile.
'She's willing! She's finally willing!'
His heart soared with joy. He tentatively touched her cheek. Her warmth transmitted to his hand. When he realized she was real and in the flesh, not a figment of his imagination, the warmth seeped deep into his heart and spread to the rest of his body.
The familiar aching throb in his belly brought more tears to his eyes.
"Xuma..."
"My Xuma…"
"You're really here..."
He picked up the woman and carried her to the bed. With tender care and adoration in his eyes, he gently laid her on her back and positioned himself over her figure.
His body burned. The need to become one with her went so deep, his root ached painfully. He wanted nothing more than to sink into her warmth and lose himself in all that was her.
However, a stronger part of him wanted to savor the moment, imprint their union into his heart and soul.
His hands slid down her silk gown as he littered kisses on her eyes, forehead, and cheeks, before lifting her chin to kiss the throbbing pulse at her throat.
His hands shook. With a frenzied tug, he removed her gown, freed himself from his own restraints, and settled between her legs. Skin to skin with nothing in between them, he felt so much, he was overwhelmed. But…
It wasn't enough!
This wasn't enough to quench his thirst. Not enough to calm his boiling blood.
Resting his forehead against hers, he cupped her cheeks and stared deeply into her bright eyes.
"Xuma...thank you." He rasped with gratification, kissing the corner of her eyes. The moment he entered her, he felt pleasure, the likes of which he never felt before.
His limbs shook. His mind went numb, as he grappled for control.
He was her first.
It shouldn't have, but for some reason, this fact pleased him. His heart burned with adoration, and as he slowly moved, he couldn't suppress his groans of pleasure.
"Xuma...my heart."
He shuddered and came in blinding, euphoric waves.
Emperor Ghazeyh was still caught in a state of inebriation. His mind reeling from the ethereal union, when a jolting stab pierced his heart, and spread to his chest with fury vengeance. His eyes snapped open. He watched in strange silence as the woman shoved him off, and pulled the bedsheets to cover herself.
"To kill you…to avenge my family and people…to make you pay for the crimes your empire committed against the various peaceful nations…I've waited so long for this day."
"GHAZEYH ASAEL, DIE AND NEVER COME BACK!"
With a vicious yank, she pulled out the dagger and stabbed him again. Over and over, as if she was venting years of grievance. The tears streaming down her face didn't match the crazed look in her eyes. It made his heart twitch in pain.
Blood flowed from his chest. The acid flame ate at his skin. But Emperor Ghazeyh's eyes contained no hatred or resentment. More than the wound on his chest, the rancid venom in her gaze burned him.
"If I die…will a day where you'll…love me?" He croaked, blood gurgling from his mouth.
Xuma frowned, then scrambled off the bed. "Love? Heh. Do cold-blooded murderers even understand the meaning of love?" Wrapping the silk fabric around her body, she spat, "Let alone a day, even a single instant wouldn't come in my life where I would love a demon like you."
Then with a turn, she strode out of the room without looking back.
The Emperor's eyes remained fixed on her figure.
The infatuation, reluctance, and deep adoration in his gaze did not fade away.
He did not close his eyes…until her figure completely left his line of sight. When his lids finally closed shut, a faint sigh resounded in the chamber.
"Xuma...my heart."
"Live long. Live well."
"Be happy."