Chapter Text
“Come to think of it, how tall can trees grow?”
A silver teaspoon hit the porcelain cup, mixing the black tea with honey. A silver knife slid across a crisp piece of bread, spreading butter evenly over the surface.
“So tall that you won’t see the top of it. Its shadow will cast over you like an eclipse, life will hang from it like vines, and you will meet the empire of nature. One we’re all obedient to, after all.”
Sunrays bounced off of the polished candleholder in the middle of the dining table. Various colours painted the room, all stemming from the stained glass that let the light through. The stain painted the empress, a symbol of harmony and peace, holding a dove in her gentle hands as a golden crown sat in her ginger hair.
“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” Her majesty spoke, a hint of jealousy sounding in her tone.
“Is there anything I haven’t seen, hm?” A lower, huskier voice answered. His bold tone as bold as his ruthlessness. But his loyalty as strong and bright like diamonds.
The empress and general share a serene breakfast, speaking of the wonders beyond the empire walls. While the empress hasn’t ever stepped a foot outside the walls, her dearest friend has slayed hundreds of enemies to protect it. Surviving in the outside world for years, serving his duty and showing his bravery. That’s what awarded him his rank, to his trust of the empress.
The dining door, big and wooden, decorated with gold opened ever so slightly. Neither would’ve noticed if it wasn’t for the soft creak it let out. Peeking from behind the door was a young boy, dressed in a white dress shirt and black pants. A sapphire necklace dangled from his neck, decorating his equally vibrant eyes.
“Your majesty,” The little boy spoke, walking into the room and bowing down. The empress smiled and stood up, the silk material dragged behind her as she approached him. The yellow flowers sewn into the sides of her waist and layered fabric made her excellence look much like her title given by the empire. The sun, a totem of light, peace, and hope.
“Goodmorning Phil.” The empress bopped into a curtsy, they held eye contact for a moment before both bursting into chuckles. She lifted the boy into his arms and hugged him, twirling in a couple circles. “AHH! Emma!” Phil shouted playfully as he hugged her tighter.
“We don’t have to always obey rules, how’d you sleep ya little bug?” Emma ruffled Phil’s hair when she put him down, smiling brightly and fixing her own dress.
“I dreamed of Ray actually!” The boy pointed at Ray, who still sat by the dining table, chewing on a piece of toast. The mention of his name seemed to snap him out of his thoughts, his eyes widening as he looked at Phil, then at Emma. He let out a soft “Huh?”
Phil nodded, “We were fighting to protect the kingdom, you were at the very front, swinging your sword and slashing enemies!” The excited storyteller chirped, Emma looked at Ray and smiled softly. “Then so many enemies came that you were gone, i thought you died! But you won’t guess what happened…” A silence of suspense fell for a moment. “You turned into a dragon!”
Emma held back her giggles, Ray snickered. “A dragon?”
“A dragon! You spat fire at everyone and they were all dead. You saved us all, Ray!” Phil ran up to him and hugged the guard, Ray placed a hand on the back of Phil’s head and hummed, “You have to show me the book you read where you learned of dragons, yeah?”
Phil nodded rapidly and pulled away, running back to the door. “That’s all! Have a good time.”
“Enjoy your day, little bug.” Emma smiled and nodded towards him before he left, his quick steps audibly running off into the hallway.
“Well well Ray, it seems you saved the day once more.” Emma taunted, Ray smiled and rolled his eyes.
“If only I could turn into a dragon, the dream, truly.” He replied.
Emma nodded and walked towards the big stained glass window, looking outside through it. Ray stood up and made his way to her side. The view was over the empire, people were up and working on farms and wandering the streets. Children ran around and from the castle, you could watch them play hide and seek behind houses and trees. Emma’s eyes drooped ever so slightly, her shift in energy didn’t go unnoticed by Ray, who put a hand on her shoulder.
“The weather is nice today, how about we go for a walk outside, hm?” Ray offered, as far as he knew, Emma didn’t have anything major scheduled. The empress hummed, something else being heavy on her chest.
“Is the outside world so dangerous?” She asked, turning her head to look at him. Her green eyes shimmered like gemstones, they were filled with a long lasting despair. Ray broke away from her gaze and looked towards the empire walls, a soft sigh escaping his lips.
“Dangerous enough for you, Emma.” One thing about Ray was that he’s always been critical, sometimes too critical for Emma. Her optimism was often interrupted by harsh reality checks from her friend, wild ideas sometimes ended in debates or arguments. Emma knew he looked out for her, he did what he believed was best for her, and yet she sometimes appreciated much less than she should.
“Not everyone is as happy with this empire as us, not everyone has such pure intentions as yours. People are against your way of ruling, your harmony – as great as it is, you have far from everyone convinced.” Ray continued, hoping to shine light on his perspective. Emma’s brows furrowed, her eyes locked onto the empire again. They slowly shifted to the distant walls.
“Okay! We'll just take a walk then. I’ll see you by the gates in 10.” She looked at him and smiled, then turned away and left the dining room. Ray stayed looking outside for a minute more, he crossed his arms and glared the walls down. Emma’s stubbornness sometimes got the best of him, if she wanted something, she’d get it. If she’d like to leave, she would leave eventually. Ray could only hope she’d tell him, at least.