The next morning

"You kissed!!!!" Lizabeth screamed.

"Lizabeth, lower your voice!!" I begged as she washed my hair.

"I'm sorry empress, I am just so amazed. It hasn't even been a day. Not even 24 hours" she reminisces.

"It's been a week since he arrived Lizabeth, stop exaggerating." I chuckled, rolling my eyes at her lies. "And...well...he wanted to paint my lips and I just thought--"

She smiled and tried to suppress her laughter but to no avail.

"I hate you!" I teased, "and don't think I am not aware of the lie you told him"

"What lie" she gasps, pretending to be offended by my accusations.

"I will kill you after I kill Leo" I teased her.

"You know you love me Calla" she bothered, standing to retrieve some pink smelling oils. We let the comfortable silence steer our conversation as I look up to the delicate designs in the ceiling.

"Donatello is a unusual man. He makes me so...nervous but so sane? Every time he speaks to me I become flustered. I can never find the right words to say to him?"

"I see your love story brewing already" Lizabeth sighs, pouring more oil into the waters.

"Lizabeth, you are too much." I smiled, looking up to my friend in the highest regard. I was thankful for her friendship. She has been the only one keeping me sane these past few months.

"You know, I don't think he has returned your book by Athello." Lizabeth hinted.

"It is still probably in his room. He will return it in due time."

"Aww...I am so impatient to read it" Lizabeth lies, a mischevious smile painted her lips. Of course she could not read, none of the women in Genovia were taught. "Why don't you go check and see? Maybe he won't mind?" Lizabeth suggests, gently wiping the floor of my wet footprints as I stood from the waters.

I push her arm, relishing at her mischief and tiptoe to Donatello's side of the room. I tiptoe across the carpet, moving to the board where portrait of me rested and smiled. The way he captured me was so effortlessly perfected. And my lips, they were finally filled and of course they looked perfect.

My eyesight lifts to the bed where Donatello laid asleep. Dark brown paint stains still caressed his athletic torso. I tiptoed to get a closer look, gently running a finger against his lips, remembering the softness of his flesh.

How beautiful he was. A true man.

He smiled in his sleep as he felt my touch, his lips rising against the warmth of my finger. How delicate they felt.

"Calla!!" Lizabeth yells from the other side of the room. He shuffles in sleep as he hears the voice. I quickly grab my book from the table and tiptoe out the room, making sure to close the doors behind me.

----

That same morning, I head outside and finally spotted Oslo in the library. He was buried in a new set of books and manuscripts. "Empress" he smiles, "I was just reading the latest manuscript from Roma."

"Have you now?" I asked unconvincingly but that was his invitation to proceed. He droned on about the papers and while I would have usually lept at the invitiation of intellectual conversation, I had the plan of the killing Leo and forming a coupe in the back of my mind.

What would Oslo do if I asked for his assistance? Would he be as willing to go against the emperor he had served for so long?

"Don't you agree empress?" he asks, snapping me out of my distant thoughts.

"Oslo... I want to ...do something"

"Something? Like what? Discuss more manuscripts?" he smiled. I take the book from his hand and push it back to the shelf.

"Help me kill Leo" I blurted, making sure to keep my gaze. There it was! I said it; now to see how he reacted.

He looked into my eyes and froze, all color draining from his body. A couple of minutes pass before he opens his mouth. "I am sure I misheard what you said empress"

"You did not Oslos. Help me kill Leo."

"Empress! Are you! You are insane" he gasps, stutering over his words.

"I know you hate him as much as I do Oslo. I see it in your eyes. They are dimmed...hope is lost  but together, with your intellect, we can bring in a new era! Usher in a new Genovia. One filled with intellect and education! Where fairness for all will thrive."

He backs away, stumbling into the wall of books. "Oslo please." I begged, following him as he walked away.

"Oslo I need your answer .... Please I have no one else." I say, urging him to pledge his loyalty.

He shook his head, neither saying yes or no. "Fuck empress!" I was taken aback by his vulgar language. I knew he must have been affected enough to use it.

"Oslo wait..." I grabbed him, pulling his wrist to prevent his departure. "Even if you are not with me...do not tell Leo. This must main between us." I pleaded.

"I am...forgetting this conversation as we speak empress, for your sake and my sanity" he cursed before hurrying out the library.

-----

The next day

"Just fuck us up now! FUCK Calla!" Lizabeth cursed, pacing the bathroom as urged her to calm.

"Lizabeth..."

"Here!" she took a knife from her back, "Do it! Kill me now!"

"Lizabeth you are overreacting!"

"Am I? You ask Leo's CLOSEST advisor to assist you in the plot to assiante him" Lizabeth fumed. She looked down at the dagger and smiled, "Never mind...I'll kill myself" she bragged, going to the mirror to slice her throat.

"Lizabeth relax. He will not tell"

"You are always so sure things will go according to your way Calla? What gives you this false sense of assurance?"

"My heart. I know it sounds insane but I trust him. Even if he does tell, I will reject it."

"And Leo will belive you over an advisor he has known for 15 years?"

"Yes" I shrugged, lifting my leg out the waters to let the oil drip down it.

"We're fucked" Lizabth smiles, grabbing the towel from the chair so I could sit down. I signal her over, pulling her hands into mine, "You worry to much my friend"

"And you worry to little empress" she answered. I chuckled, smiling at her unraveling. Although the throat of Oslo's betrayal plagued my mind, I could not worry Lizabeth. I would just have to convince him again until he submitted.

"Calla! Calla!!!" I hear the emperor's voice.

"What is he doing here? He never comes to see me" I gasped shooting up from the waters.

"I was not aware of his visit Calla." Lizabeth frowns. She looks at me in fear, thinking of every bad outcome she could imagine. Maybe Oslo had told him already? Or maybe he hadn't.

"Donatello!" I gasped standing and pulling on a towel. I go through the doors of the bathroom, running to enter his room so Leo could see us together. We had to be convincing!

I burst through the doors and observed the room, desperate to spot him. He was in his bed still drifting to sleep. I hopped into the sheets, shifting into the covers and laying my chest against his, pretending to sleep. Just as closed my eyes Leo barged in.

"Wake up!" he yelled. I pretended to blink awake while Donatello groaned. He tried to sit up as he blinked awake, his eyes opening once he saw me in his arms. I signaled him to play along and instantly he understood.

"Ahh! Looks like my plan worked! You're smiling Calla!" he brags, smiling at his brilliance.

"Yes... it did." I smiled, gently leaning into Donatello's arms. Leo watched us suspiciously and turned to observe the room. He saw the painting of me and picked it up.

"I see you have done more than just sleep together?" his eyes inspected the painting with awe.

"Yes Leo. I truly thank you for this. I enjoyed myself but if you don't mind, he can be free. I am done with my gift" I lied looking over to Donatello. I enjoyed his company but I knew he did not have the freedom to leave. It was not fair to him be trapped in the palace under the fear of being killed.

Leo nodded and rubbed his jaw casually. "Oh?" he smiled, tilting his head. Donatello rose from the covers and stood to face him, "If that is alright with you emperor"

Leo grabbed his shoulders, pushing him to the ground before beating his stomach. "You piece of SHIT! You did not please her!" he yelled, kicking him in his ribs.

"Leo! He did! Stop it!! I beg of you" I screamed, running to hold him back.

"Is that why you are so eager to get rid of him??" he challenged my words.

"No! No...!" I lied, trying quickly to think of an excuse, "I thought he was a gift! Yes! A one time thing! I am ever so happy I can sleep with him again and again!" I confessed, clutching my towel over my body to face him. He looked at me then at Donatello as he hunched over on the floor.

"You really are not into this?"

"When you told me to take a lover it was a new concept. You have so much to teach me" I smile timidly. He looked at me then at Donatello before he started chuckling. "Oh, okay then. Well, enjoy him, and you?" he bent to the floor to face him, "Fuck her good" he nodded, patting his cheek before leaving the room.

As soon as he left, I ran over to Donatello and helped him over to the bed. "I am so sorry!"

"For what" he smirked, gently dropping his gaze to face me.

"I seemed to have put a wedge between you and the emperor"

"You say it with dismay? That seems like a favor no?" he smirked. I couldn't help but smile and continued to help him across the room and up to the bed. He was a bit heavy due to his size as he leaned against me. He winced with pain as we struggled to the bed. Finally, I reached it, but accidentally fell on top of his torso.

He winced again, feeling the aftermath of Leo's blows.

"I'm sorry!" I curse quickly moving to rise off him but he held my waist tight, his palm lingering against my sides. We stared into other's eyes, silently communicating with our eyes.

"It doesn't pain you any more?" I whisper, heat flushing to my cheeks.

"I suppose your closeness lessens the pain" he smirked, gripping my waist even tighter. It was as if..he was begging me to stay. Closer and closer we came, eager to kiss again until Lizabeth burst through the doors with a cold towel and pack of salt.

"I heard." she cursed already coming to prep his bruises. I lifted off him and stood at a distance as I watched him work. He winced again as she unbuttoned his shirt. He looked like a god incarnate; ever muscular ridge was on display. I blushed, observing him as he stared into my eyes.

"I should go..." I announced. "Lizabeth my dress is on the bed?"

"Yes, I have laid it out. I'll be there soon to dress you."

"No, I can dress myself. Stay with Donatello and dress his wounds." I commanded before leaving the room to start the day.

Author Note:

Seems like Oslo didn't tell Leo?