Page 49 of Betrothed to the Emperor

“Your duty is nowme.” I blew out a breath, lying back on the bed. Staring up at the ceiling, I realized how much this complicated things. My once-easy plan of killing Rute and stirring up dissent was now complicated by the guard theoretically there for my safety. “What’s your name?”

“Asahi.” The Emperor’s Dog bowed, low enough to show respect but without the triangle of the fingers to show my superior rank.

“Great. I’d like to return to Turtle House. I want to change and find out any new information about the assassination attempt.” I sat back up, swinging my legs over the edge of the bed.

“You need to wait for the doctor to see you.” Asahi’s words were firm, and when I turned to him, both eyebrows raised, hiseyes were in shadow, and his mask gave no hint of his feelings. “And the emperor ordered food for you.”

“What?” I asked.

Quiet voices in the hallway preceded a servant bearing a tray of food and a pair of men dressed in expensive clothes, the stitching marking one of them as the Minister of Medicine.

“Prince Airón, I’m glad to see you up.” The minister bowed. “I am Dr. Jafopo, Minister of Medicine for the Southern Imperium.”

“I’m hearing that a lot. Did you think I wouldn’t wake up?” I smirked. “Northern men need more than a long nap to kill us.”

The minister’s lips pulled flat in something that might have been amusement. “I saw you after you lost consciousness in the throne room. I thought you might take more time to recover. You were gravely injured last night, and Emperor Tallu said that it was your bravery that kept him from greater injury himself.”

I felt something cold settle in my stomach as I realized that Tallu had never asked me about his injury. He knew his leg had been sliced clean through by a blade. He knew and had felt the effects as we limped down the mountain and into the forest.

But he had never asked me what happened in that small cabin. Not once.

Maybe he thought the injury had not been that bad. Maybe…

Dr. Jafopo was still talking. “With your leave, I would like to examine your injuries.”

“Not with everyone in here,” I said. “Unless it’s some imperial custom no one has told me about that half the kingdom has to see me undressed before I can marry your emperor.”

Jafopo flushed, his cheeks darkening. “No, no, of course not.”

The servant set his tray down on the side table and left the room with the other robed man. They shut the door behind them. The Emperor’s Dog stayed behind, arms crossed, trying to fade into the wall. I eyed him suspiciously.

Jafopo was efficient. His hands roved over me, poking me in sensitive spots, testing the range of movement of my limbs. He felt my head, finding two spots that made me yelp with pain.

“You know, there are men that enjoy this sort of thing in bed,” I said, pulling away and glaring. “I am not one of them.”

“Well. That makes two of us,” the doctor said. “You appear well enough. The head injuries Iamconcerned about. They are soft to the touch. I cannot tell if that means the bone itself has been damaged or merely the tissue around it. If you begin seeing visions or lose consciousness again, you must let us know immediately.”

“And what would you be able to do about it besides prepare my death rites?” I crossed my arms, waiting.

“I do not know how it is in the barbaric north, but in the south, we do know how to drain fluid from an inflamed brain. More often than not, the patient survives.”

ThatI doubted.

Finished, Dr. Jafopo ran his hands over his coat, straightening up. He bowed to me, nodding at Asahi.

“If he seems unsteady at all, let us know immediately.” Then, the Minister of Medicine left, closing the door behind him.

“I would sooner jump into a sea serpent’s mouth while covered in pig’s blood than I would letthatman drill a hole in my head,” I said.

On the wall, Asahi didn’t even move; it was only by his eyes that I knew he was a real person and not a statue.

“Come. That wasveryfunny.” I waited and was rewarded when the Emperor’s Dog spoke.

“It wasn’t funny. It was sensible.” And that was it. His voice was lower than Sagam’s, and where Sagam had an air of energy around him, this man gave me the impression of a mountain lake, the surface unbroken by any movement under the water.

“I’m going to go back to Turtle House.” I started to push myself up, but Asahi turned to face me.

“You will eat first.” The voice emanating from behind the mask brooked no argument, and I glared at him, my eyes narrow, brows tight.