Fullmetal Alchemist Fan Fiction ❯ The Night Sky ❯ Chapter 10

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Emperor Yao paced thoughtfully and slowly, to and fro in his study, with a scroll in his hand.
He paused at the window and lifted his eyes to the sky.

"Attendant Ho."

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Which works harder? The sun or the moon?"

The Royal Attendant smiled in reply, "Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, both the sun and the moon,
works hard in its time."

"Oh?" Emperor Yao turned and lowered the scroll.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Attendant Ho went on. "The sun works hard in the day and while he rests,
the moon works hard at night so that the people will not be lost. So you see Your Majesty, they are both equally important. In fact, they compliment each other, just like how a wife should compliment her husband, hence,
an empress to the emperor, Your Majesty."
He bowed and gestured towards a red scroll, that sat apart from the rest of the petitions.

"Ah-hahaha! Is this your way of nagging us to find a wife, Attendant Ho?"

"Your humble servant wouldn't dare, Your Majesty," replied the old attendant. "If there's nothing else, I shall take my leave."

"Do so."

Although they were finally alone, there was silence and the Royal Bodyguard remained quiet nonetheless.
She peeked through the holes of the door frame that separated them.

"Do you have something to say, Ran Fan?"

It startled her. She quivered slightly and turned towards the courtyard, where a chill started to rouse the shrubs.
She thought for awhile.
"An emperor should have an empress, Your Majesty. It has already been some time since your coronation."

The emperor held his back towards her.
"I am cold. Would you bring me the cloak on my bed, please?"

The emperor didn't turn as she edged closer.
As she stood near behind him, she watched his shoulders rise slightly as he breathed.
She hesitated as she slowly reached out to wrap the cloak around him.

This time, he caught her hand, "Did you notice that I said 'I am cold' instead of 'We'?"

Ran Fan was speechless behind her mask.

"It is I who requested you to come close and not 'We'. Thus, it would be correct to say that it is I, as a man,
not the emperor, who wants you by my side and to always be the woman behind me."

The emperor turned around at last and with her hand still in his, his eyes softened.
"Let this just be my way of saying, that I will always be me, only in front of you, my queen."