Page 49 of Ember and Eclipse
When he sat, he finally looked up. “Rel,” he started, “I know you’ve been out of practice. However, when your Imperator enters the room, you stand.”
She hated her name in his mouth. And though he looked at her expectantly, she didn’t move. A hard grip on her arm, bruising her where she was already sore, caused a hiss to part her lips before she could help it, but Asear raised a hand, and the man let her go.
In the time she’d been gone, he had changed. He was a handful of years older than her, so his boyish youthfulness had long since passed. He had carried a harshness with him before, a darkness even, but now it was a palpable energy.
He wore a deep scarlet, velvet-looking, embroidered jacket with black accents. He had told her once that his favorite color was red, and now everything was drenched in it. She had even willingly worn the color for him. Before. Before he had ripped her dress, carved into her back, and tried to force her magic from her.
Before that, when he was just a young prince, and she was just a silly girl in love with him.
Servants poured in, breaking her reverie. The smells were overwhelming after not having eaten in over a week and living on mostly dried meats before that. And even though it had been a long time since she ate, she found she had no appetite.
Devdan’s words ricocheted in her head, though. How would she fight if she was too weak? The first thing they sat in front of her was a soup, with two pieces of still steaming bread. They filled a goblet up with wine and sat it down. She didn’t move until the servants had left, and Asear tasted his.
“Delectable,” he murmured.
She tried a spoonful and couldn’t tell what it tasted like, but as soon as she swallowed, a wave of nausea washed over her. Closing her eyes, she willed it to pass. When it did, she opened her eyes again, only to find the Imperator staring at her.
“What?” Whatever game he was playing, she was not interested. Having her play dress up, treating her like she didn’t almost kill him when she knew that his rage might as well have been another entity in the room with them.
“Can I not take you in? It’s been a long time.”
“If only it had been longer,” she spat.
His lip twitched, a shadow of the twisted look she knew so well passing across his face before he conquered it. A smile took its place, and she wasn’t sure if she would have preferred the obvious temper instead. “I will excuse your behavior tonight. I’m a merciful man, after all. Why don’t we start afresh?”
The man knewnothingof mercy. Rel remained silent, though. Instead, she tore off a piece of bread and chewed it. For strength. So that when he came for her, she could kill him or die in the attempt.
Asear pressed his palms into the table and stood up. He motioned for the guards to leave them, and they did so silently and quickly.
“You don’t like an audience anymore?” She cursed Ares’ name. Why couldn’t the first course have been steak so she had a knife?
“Rel,” he said with a pained tone, “if I can get over what you did to me, surely you can get over whatever harm I’ve done to you?”
Rel blinked, then narrowed her eyes. Whatever harm? Like he had just broken her heart or tugged on her braid a little too hard.
He stepped toward her, walking languidly, his hands clasped behind his back as if he were planning on taking a stroll.
“I do forgive you, you know.” As he passed near the candle, she could just make out where the burns had left the right side of his face mottled and more flawed than the other side. “I have learned much about myself this last year and a half. It took me a lot of that time to heal—from the burns and other things. My father’s passing was a surprise and a great blow to Romul. I thought his death would bring you back. He was like a father to you, too, after all. I thought if anyone could understand what it was like to lose parents, it would be you.”
“Parents? The Imperatoress…?”
He nodded solemnly, taking another step closer. “Two moons after father.”
Thatdidhurt. She had always been kind to her and had always meant well. She was the reason Rel had been able to leave the streets and become a friend to the princess in the first place. Despite what the years afterward had yielded, the Imperatoress had certainly not been responsible for Asear’s violent nature. “And your sister?”
He shrugged. “She has no interest in ruling or politicking. Not to mention, her condition keeps her abed a lot. It’s just me, and it’s a lot to bear alone.” Another step. He was close enough now that she could see the fibers of his jacket. “I brought you back—”
“You mean you had me abducted from my home,” Rel said, tensing for the fight that would come.
“Thisis your home. I brought you back because I need you. I have always needed you, and—”
She stood up abruptly.
His eyes flicked to the witchsilver around her ankle, ensuring she couldn’t use her magic.
“Hurt me, kill me, do whatever you want to me. I’m not even here—I died the moment I left my land. Just stop doing whatever this is.” She gestured at the table and his person.
“Can’t you see what I’m trying to say?” His voice was heavy with sorrow. “I’ll give you anything you need to believe me. But I am sorry, and I just want you.”
