Page 78 of Betrothed to the Emperor
“Turtle House was supposed to send a few of your outfits over this afternoon, but they didn’t, and now that the emperor’s quarters are closed, we cannot open the door again until morning.” The servant bowed, forming a triangle with his fingers and then adding the up-down motion that indicated a plea.
“One of the servants can’t just hop out for a shirt and pants?” I asked Asahi.
Glaring at the two servants, he crossed his arms. “This should have been dealt with days ago.”
“We had no idea Emperor Tallu would actually want him to stay the night,” the other servant whispered. Then, to my horror, he dropped to the ground, prostrating himself in front of me, pressing his head to the damp stone. “We deserve any consequences you see fit, Consort Airón.”
“Just…” I waved my hand, knowing as soon as they blanched that what was a casual gesture in the Northern Kingdom clearly meant something different here in the Southern Imperium. “I’m sure Emperor Tallu will let me borrow some of his spares.”
The servant on the floor flinched with his whole body, and the one still standing looked horrified, mouth open and eyes wide.
“Right. I’m not allowed to wear the emperor’s clothes? What is it? Some unspoken rule? You would have to burn them after his sacred cloth touched my filthy skin?” I held out my arms, the towel dipping dangerously. “You just scrubbed me. I think I’m fine.” Then, before I had to deal with any more of the rigid imperial nonsense, I sighed. “Just give me my old clothes.”
The servant in front of me gripped a spare towel, his knuckles going white, eyes going wide. “We couldn’t possibly?—”
“Is there a problem?” Sagam looked in from the hallway, his mask shadowy in the hall light.
“Apparently, the emperor can touch my skin, but I can’t wear one of his shirts.” I gestured at my nakedness. “Well, itismy wedding night. Maybe I won’t need anything until morning.”
Sagam blinked, and his eyes narrowed slightly. It looked like laughter, but it was impossible to tell under his mask. “Just a moment.”
He disappeared, and Asahi made an annoyed sound that was barely more than a breath of air. After a few awkward minutes, Sagam returned, offering over a matching set of shirt and pants. The gray would blend into shadow without being dark enough to stand out at night. “We keep spare Dogs’ clothing up here. Dress him quickly. The emperor does not like to be left waiting.”
The servants clothed me in my fresh shirt and pants, demonstrating even more efficiency than Nohe and the seamstress. When they were done, I was clearly meant to follow the one already halfway through the door, but I paused, turning my back to everyone and making a show of going through my clothing. I used the movement to hide the dagger as I slid it up my sleeve. Then I turned around, frowning.
“Asahi, there was a box—a wedding gift from the emperor?” I knew he had it; I’d given it to him before my fight with Kacha’s soldiers.
Immediately, he took it from a pocket and handed it over.
“My apologies,” he said.
I tucked the box into my own pocket, ignoring the awkward silence. When I looked up, I saw Sagam and Asahi staring at each other, and I couldn’t see their eyes, but Sagam shook his head. He looked over when he saw me straighten. “This way.”
He led me down a long hall, and I looked into the rooms we passed: library, an office, even an indoor garden, the windows stretching from floor to ceiling so that the plants got as much sunlight as they could. Everything was expensive: the fixturesmade from pure gold, the carpets made with such costly dyes that I had never even seen the colors.
As we walked, I turned back to Asahi. “What does it mean? That hand gesture.”
I repeated it, waving my hand from side to side. In the north, it was only a simple refusal, but from the way Asahi’s eyes moved, I could tell his expression was nearly disgust.
“It is a sign that someone is beneath you, that their existence is offensive. If you respond to someone with it, it is the greatest insult.” Asahi paused and then said, “I will inform the servants that you didn’t mean it.”
I blew out a long breath. “I would appreciate it. The last thing I want is sand in my food.”
“Trust me, the emperor’s personal servants can do a lot worse than sand in your food. Ask me how I broke my arm,” Sagam said from ahead. He turned, winking, and I wished I could see under his mask to see if the smirk matched the tilt of his eyes. He reminded me of friends from back home, and the homesickness hit me fiercely.
“In the north, during the darkest months of winter, the Silver City’s gates close, and it is impossible to leave the city.” I let my own lips twist into a smile. “Trust me, a few imperial servants have nothing on what my sister would get up to when I annoyed her during those dark months.”
Sagam snorted, and then his shoulders shook in a laugh. “I will say that Emperor Tallu gives them less leash than his predecessor.”
“You served Emperor Millu?” I tried to keep the question light.
“We both did,” Asahi answered. Something in his tone indicated that even for the stoic Asahi, he hadn’t enjoyed his service under Tallu’s father. There was another line for meto follow. What would happen if the Emperor’s Dogs turned against their master? Or their next master?
“Such a pity what happened to Emperor Millu,” I said finally. “And the young prince.”
“And the empress,” Sagam said quietly.
“We are here,” Asahi answered.