The Emperor stood still, hoping what he had heard wasn't a mistake. His hand an inch away from Aiko's sleeping face. Her plump lips had mumbled the only thing he had never planned to hear.

He thought she would forever hate him.

"Huh," the Emperor scoffed. "I'm sorry little maid, but I will not fall in lov...." the Emperor stopped mid sentence. He felt that something stir in his heart at the perspective of not loving her.

"Why do I feel this way?" He asked himself. His eyes jumped quickly, maybe too quickly on Aiko.

Her soft skin. Her silky and dark hair. Her plump lips. Her perfect nose. Her pink cheeks. Her gentle hands. Her eyes, so unusual yet so beautiful. Who had seen too much. Cried too much. Her heart, beating strong in her chest. Maybe too broken to ever trust sincerely again. Full of suffering, but still alive. Her fiery spirit. Her rebellion. Her courage. Everything made the Emperor stare.

"I'm just being ridiculous." The Emperor said.

Frowning at his own thoughts. But in the deepest corner of his heart, where he still didn't have access, where he hid his darkest desires, he knew that what he had said was ridiculous, and something resembling love was blossoming. The Emperor still had to discover it.

It was the golden hour. The dark clouds gone. One ray of light illuminating Aiko, her nose twitched.

The Emperor felt the same pull he had felt the first time he had seen her in his room. The light illuminating her. A nymph. A goddess.

His heart was attracted to her. So was his body. He bent down, gently caressing her head, before pressing his lips on hers. Her soft lips were warm. Aiko stirred in her sleep. The Emperor knew he had to pull back, but he couldn't. He was stuck to her.

Aiko slowly woke up. She was still half asleep. The Emperor soon realised that she must have taken a bit of her drugs while he was writing because the wooden bowl next to the bed was empty.

Aiko was so drugged and tired she didn't think it was wrong, being kissed on the lips by her soon to be husband. Her drunken brain told her it was complete normality.

Aiko saw the Emperor with hazy outlines. She giggled and deepened the kiss.

Hugging him tight.

The Emperor couldn't do anything but continuing kissing her. His hands roaming over her body. They both fell on the bed. Aiko smiled and continued kissing him.

•

•

•

Aiko woke up. Her kimono seemed slightly moved. Her head was pounding. The effect of the drugs strong but still there. Aiko looked around. The Emperor wasn't there.

"What kind of dream....was that?" Aiko asked herself. She passed her hands on her lips. They seemed slightly swollen, like she had kissed someone fervently. But it was a dream, right?

Her hand slipped off her face and down to her neck.

"That dream seemed so real." She mumbled.

She slipped off the bed with difficulty. Aiko walked to the studio, her head pounding and found the Emperor there. He was reading a book.

"I had a weird dream." Aiko said, as she sat down. Her head pounding.

"Either the drugs or your crazy mind." The Emperor said, without blinking.

"Stupid." Aiko mumbled.

"What did you say?" The Emperor asked, continuing reading. Now their discussion simple bickering.

"Nothing, Your Majesty." Aiko mocked.

The Emperor was about to fire back, when Aiko stood up. Something surging from her stomach. She ran to the open screen doors. Her kimono flapping, showing too much.She bent down and started emptying her stomach again.

The Emperor threw his book on the floor and rushed to her. He put his hand on her forehead and rubbed her back. After having finished, she was about to wipe her mouth with her hand, when the Emperor grabbed his handkerchief and wiped it for her.

Aiko then leaned back in the Emperor's chest as they both set back down on the floor. The Emperor encircled her with his arms, taking the hair out of her eyes.

"My lips feel swollen. Why is that?"Aiko groaned, hiding her face in the Emperor's chest.

The Emperor stayed quite, even though he thought, The dream wasn't a dream.