The Emperor placed the food on the small tables from breakfast. They still hadn't been taken away. Aiko lazily slid off the bed and stepped closer to them. The Emperor sat in front of her. Aiko's hand went to grab the chopsticks, but his long fingers were there before hers. Aiko glared at him.

The Emperor seemed oblivious. He grabbed a bit of meat and rice with chopsticks. He then lifted them towards Aiko, holding his outstretched palm underneath it.

Aiko's eyes widened. "You want to feed me?"

The Emperor's eyes flashed. "You will do as I say, because I got the food for you."

"You didn't even do anything: the cook did." Aiko grumbled. But she got close anyways. Her stomach rumbled. The rice glimmered like pearls. She opened her mouth and closed her lips around the chopsticks. The meat melted slowly in her mouth, flooding her taste buds.

The Emperor felt a smile creep up his face as he saw his Empress smile. His heart calmed down; she was happy, safe, and far away from Goro. Before his thoughts turned murderous, he focused on his future wife once more. Aiko swallowed the small mouthful of food. Even if it was barely anything, Aiko felt her hunger start to diminish. And so, Aiko quickly wolfed down the meat, the bowl of rice, and the side bowl of vegetables.

Aiko felt satisfied, smiling drowsily. She looked at the Emperor, who was putting the chopsticks down. Aiko felt her heart tighten: he looked beautiful. His dark hair spilled on his shoulders. His eyes glittered. His nose was perfect. His lips looked as beautiful as roses. His night vest was open, revealing his chest. A small voice whispered in her head that the feeling of Goro's hands on her body was starting to vanish: the Emperor was replacing the recently lived memories by just glancing at her with his glimmering eyes. Aiko clamped her mouth shut, not wanting to admit it.

The Emperor was peeking at Aiko as well. Her long hair gently rested on her right shoulder. Her eyes glimmered. The red flecks looked like rubies in the moonlight. Her lips looked plump. Her ripped kimono showed her long arms, and her slender legs.

Aiko realized he was staring at her legs. She blushed, huffed, and tucked them underneath herself. The Emperor's gaze shifted to the wall. "How will we get you to the other side?" He asked himself quietly.

Aiko cleaned her mouth with a napkin. "What do you mean? If I jumped from the other side, I could get back to my quarters."

The Emperor shook his head. "You fainted a few seconds ago. I don't want you to faint while you're half in my garden half in yours. I'm not letting you go." Aiko started to protest. He shushed her instantly. "End of discussion."

"I'll sleep on the couch then." She muttered through gritted teeth.

The Emperor shook his head. His face closely resembled that of a wild tiger. "You will sleep in the bed with me, like you did the last time."

"Will this become a tradition?" Aiko spat, standing up.

TThe Emperor stood up. A snicker was plastered on his face. "I wouldn't mind. You know what, I'll visit you tomorrow night."

"You're joking right?" Aiko asked worriedly as the Emperor laid on the bed. Aiko slipped underneath the sheets, covering them both. Without hesitation, the Emperor grabbed Aiko's waist and pulled her closer. Aiko grunted but stayed in his arms.

Morpheus took both of them in their arms, whispering a sweet lullaby.

•

•

•

When Aiko woke up, dawn painted the sky. The light was soft and peach colored, illuminating the room. The bustle of the palace resonated outside the closed doors. The Emperor was still sleeping.

Aiko looked down at her body, happy the shadows of Goro's hands no longer lingered on her body. She sat up, admiring the light filtering through the screen doors. Her eyelids half covered her sleep filled eyes.

At some point, Aiko felt a warm hand on her wrist. Aiko turned to look at the Emperor, her heart fluttering when she noticed how beautiful he looked asleep. His face was not marred by anger; it was calm and serene. The Emperor's eyes fluttered open. He winced when the light hit his eyes, stretching, and yawning soon after. Aiko pushed down the small smile that was trying to illuminate her face. The Emperor stayed still for a few seconds, most of his brain still dreaming. Aiko shivered in the wintry morning air. She soon slipped back underneath the sheets, yearning for the warmth of the sheets... and maybe the Emperor's soft scent as well. The silence enveloped them. "I don't want to get out of bed today." The Emperor groaned, sounding like a child.

Aiko stayed silent. The Emperor's anger simmered in his chest when she didn't reply. "You will have breakfast with me, in bed this morning, since yesterday you barely ate." The Emperor said.

Aiko cursed under her breath. She thought she would be able to escape him after spending the whole night; she had been wrong. "What if I don't want to?" Aiko spat, wanting to be away from him. All her past anger from the day before washed over her once more.

The Emperor forcefully turned her over. Their faces were almost touching. Aiko glared at him. His eyes were black as coal. The phenomenon of them changing from clear grey to coal black still astonished her. How could they change so drastically? "I will burn the village if you don't obey." He blurted out, unsure why shame curled in his gut. He huffed in annoyance, irritated that he had been feeling so much guilt lately. He glared at Aiko. "You're making me become softer. I don't like that." He thought to himself.

Aiko felt her heart tighten. She clenched her jaw. The Emperor smiled darkly. "Now, sing me a song."

Aiko got up from bed. "Oh no, that's too much." The Emperor glared at her. The vision of fire eating houses made Aiko sit back on the bed.

"Aiko pushed his hand away from her wrist. "Oh no, that's too much." The Emperor glared at her. The vision of fire eating houses made Aiko's anger vanish like dandelion petals in the wind."Just for this once." She murmured. The few sweet and intimate memories they had shared the previous night felt like a stupid dream that only glimmered in the distance.