The silence wasn't tense: it was fluid and relaxed. The couple was hugging each other with a sense of nostalgia as they realized they had always loved each other. Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned on his body. The Emperor's soft hands caressed her back. "We're together now...that's the important thing..."he whispered in her ear. Aiko nodded and she couldn't feel more relieved: she was in her lover's arms and that would never change.

The hug slowly melted as they pulled back to look at each other. Passion was floating in their gazes as they leaned forward to press their lips together. She gently laid her arms around his broad shoulders and deepened their passionate kisses. His hands went to untie her sash before the bed creaked underneath their weight.

The moon glimmered over the wedding pavilion as their night of passion continued.

•

•

•

The dawn broke over the skyline as Aiko and Hisato were asleep in each other's arms, the flower petals strewn over their bodies. Aiko's eyes slowly fluttered open. The first thing she saw was the Emperor's relaxed face, free of all anger and masks. She couldn't help but let out a small smile.

Aiko turned around and moved to a sitting position, ready to stretch her legs. Right before she stood up, two warm hands rested on her waist and pulled her back underneath the covers. Aiko squealed in delight and found herself in the Emperor's arms. "Morning," he croaked out.

"Morning...Hisato," she said shyly, her voice echoing around them. He let out a low chuckle and hid his face in her neck.

"I like that. Call me that more often." Aiko laughed and nodded.

"I will....but only one condition," she murmured, turning to face him. "You will never go with a concubine again." She said, her voice cracking slightly.

Hisato sensed her fear and wrapped her tightly in his arms. "Never again. I will never speak to them anymore..."he nodded, pecking her jawline various times.

Aiko smiled, satisfied. "That's what I wanted to hear."

"Come here," Hisato croaked, kissing her softly. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him again.

•

•

•

The morning was spent in bed and so was the afternoon. Only when the sun started to dip behind the horizon did Aiko slip out of bed. Their dinner had been brought outside to them, their first meal of the day, and Aiko was quickly grabbing the tray to eat something.

When she walked back inside she found the Emperor sitting towards the edge of the pavilion, on the side which was directly on top of the lake, his feet sloshing in the water. Aiko smiled and approached him, placing the tray in between them and adjusting her kimono so she could place her feet in the water as well. She shivered as it enveloped her feet but didn't flinch.

The warm rays of the sunlight dipped them both into a romantic light. Hisato turned around and grabbed a pair of chopsticks, starting to eat the dinner. Aiko wasn't quite hungry yet and just watched the sunset until the Emperor took a bit of fish and raised it to her mouth. "Open up, love." He said. Aiko rolled her eyes but did as she was told.

As she chewed the food she mumbled, "I can feed myself, you know."

Hisato laughed. "I know that, but it's meant to show my affection and my deep sorrow." He said.

"Sorrow? What for?"

"For causing you so much trouble," he sighed.

Aiko didn't say anything but simply leaned on his shoulder, her hand on his thigh.

"Well, I wasn't the nicest either," Aiko murmured as the Emperor interwove their hands.

"Let's just forget, and live together from now on," he proposed, turning around to look at her. She nodded and admired his eyes as they glowed in the sunlight. He felt his heart flutter with a love he hadn't felt in so long. This love wasn't even comparable to the love he felt for his previous lover. The other paled in comparison.

"I love you, foolish maid,"he caressed her cheek.

"I love you too, crazy emperor," she leaned in his hand.

As they both drank in each other's features, a gush of wind blew in between them, bringing with it a few petals of a rose. They landed on their interwoven hands.

They both saw them and looked at each other, laughter bubbling out. "The roses are our destiny," Aiko whispered, picking one petal up. The Emperor nodded, taking the petal from between her fingertips and placing it on his lips.

Aiko giggled and leaned in to press a kiss to the petal. The Emperor backed away at the last minute, making Aiko tumble on him. "Bastard!" She squeaked as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm your bastard!" He laughed. They both started giggling and kissing as they laid on top of each other next to the edge of the pavilion as the sun died behind them.

Aiko leaned too much towards the left and accidentally tumbled in the lake, disappearing under the water.

The Emperor blanched. "Aiko!" He roared, worried. Before he could throw himself to her rescue, she popped back up. Her hair was wet and plastered to her face as her eyes glimmered. "Come in the water!" She called, untying the sash of her kimono and throwing the wet, soggy piece of clothing back on the pavilion.

The Emperor calmed down as he saw her, laughing and giggling. He opened his kimono and jumped head first in the water. Aiko laughed as the water sprayed her. The Emperor popped back up and wrapped his arms around her. They both started laughing as they swam around the lake.

•

•

•

Their honeymoon lasted a whole week. They never set foot out of the pavilion and stayed closed in their own little world. Usually, the honeymoon lasted about three days at most, a whole week was a first.

Furthermore with the Emperor and his idea of never being with one woman for long. After the honeymoon ended, the couple, unfortunately, had to get back to their daily lives. Their love had blossomed into a wonderful rose and everyone could see how much they loved each other.

The Emperor had confined the concubines in a special wing for them and didn't speak to them ever again. His temper changed and he wasn't as mad most of them time, but it did return sometimes. This surprised everyone but no one complained. Three months after the honeymoon, Aiko started feeling ill, vomiting and fainting easily.

"There, there Your Majesty," Eriko mumbled through gritted teeth as she held the Empress' hair out of her face as she hurled in a bowl.

Her skin had paled and her cheeks were a watery red. The herbalist Eiichi watched from behind her. He had had his doubts for sometime on what her illness could be, but hadn't had the time to confirm it. Yesterday, he had seen her almost faint at the perfume of the garden which usually didn't affect her.

He kneeled down and looked at Eriko. She had had her suspicions as well and they were ready to tell the Empress.

"Your Majesty?" The herbalist asked. Aiko let out a feemble whimper to tell him she was listening. "I think...you...may....be with child..." he trailed off as his courage failed.

Aiko blanched even more if possible, all of the signs connecting in her mind. She looked down to her stomach and realized she had grown slightly plumper. She thought it was because of all the banquets that she had attended to celebrate her wedding, but now it made sense. Plus, her monthly cycle had stopped, but she had been so busy she hadn't realized.

Aiko stood up, slightly tittering to the left; Eriko held her arm.

"I need to see the Emperor," Aiko said, her voice dazed and her thoughts unclear.

"But, Your Majesty, he is in a meeting with the prime ministers," Eriko said. Aiko waved her hand in the air.

"I don't care." She stumbled towards the door and rushed to the Strategy Room. As she walked towards the door, the guards looked at each other, confused, before they opened the entryway.

Loud male voices bombarded her sensitive ears as she stepped inside. The Emperor was in a heated argument with a Prime Minster, his eyes flashing.

"Hisato," Aiko called to him, waving her arm. The Emperor turned around and saw his wife, standing in the middle of the room, a beautiful flower in comparison to the old, dirty and sweaty men around the room.

"Petal, what are you doing here?" He asked, stepping back from the Prime Minister and opening his arms to welcome her in them.

"I need to talk to you," Aiko said, walking towards him and settling on his lap. The Emperor gently caressed her cheek before he turned back to the other occupants of the room.

"Get out."