~Letter~

"One hour has long passed," Hermes said. He held his tea in his hand but didn't drink it, instead he watched Oris. Watched her with cold, calculative eyes.

She felt his agitation, felt it match hers. There was this pressing need for them to part ways before something regrettable happened.

He needed to analyze the information the ring had given him, and the information that swirled around her head now needed to be processed.

Whatever had happened in those last moments of their conversation had changed both of their plans drastically enough that neither of them could keep up this facade of ignorance any longer.

They had shaken each other but were not fully aware of what exactly it was they did to shake their counterpart.

Oris knew that Hermes knew that his words had changed something in her, just as she knew that the ring cutting her had changed something in him.

In a matter of seconds, they had become different people. Their main goals hadn't changed but the little details had, and life was all about the details.

Oris pulled the wet cloth from her nose and used it to wipe the blood that remained on her face and hands. "Your ministers must worry, sire. As much as I wish for our conversation to continue, I know it can't."

Hermes nodded, his voice filled with innocent honesty. "I wish for our conversation to continue as well..."

Oh, how she wished she could continue prodding this man's mind for answers while delicately sifting out the whole truth contained in his carefully constructed replies. But it wasn't possible for dangerous discourse like this one to continue.

He feared her. She feared him. Or better put, they feared themselves.

There was a brittle uncertainty between them now, as though the next word that left their lips would seal their fate. The feeling permeated all through Oris, her fingers twitched for the needles she knew were on the table, so close yet so far away.

She watched his muscles tense but did not let her eyes betray her thoughts. Though he carried no weapons, with brute strength he could easily restrain her before she could reach the medicine case.

One wrong word from him and she would have the impulse to kill him. Whether she would succeed or not was another matter but the trigger would be pulled.

She knew that Hermes was mulling over the same thoughts in his mind. Looking back, she could tell the exact moment he had wanted to kill her-he still wished her dead, in fact.

It was when he had left using the excuse that he would take care of her wound. At that moment, he had radiated killing intent for the briefest moments before concealing it with expert control, but she had been aware enough to catch it in its infancy.

All because of that ring, she had been perceived as a threat but this uncertainty, this air of terror, enclosing them had little to do with what happened in this room. It was formed by the secrets they guarded: the secret of the ring, the secret of identity, the secret of why this Empire was made, the secret of why Orse needed to be revived.

While Hermes had just now confirmed that she was hiding something, she had been aware of him for over two years.

In this regard, she was more prepared than him. How to overpower his strength played out in her mind, in the soft folds of her dress. A simple tear and she had herself a garrote. The needles were only a distraction but...

Stop thinking ahead, Oris, she warned herself and forced her body to relax.

If this change had happened before she had taken off the veil, before they had made an alliance, before Hermes had offered to be as sincere as he could afford, one of them would have had to die today. That much was clear.

But now, Hermes was her ally. Even killing him would not solve her problems if the Empire did not go down with him.

I have to put it off for later, until I can contact Bren. The majority of her assassins had either been killed or captured. The morale of her army would be low.

They needed to be rallied to have their spirits raised. Bren also needed to recruit more men and win the rebellion some small victories.

What she needed to do was focus on consolidating power in the palace so that when the time came she could coordinate with him.

So she smiled and tilted her head in the direction of the grand doors leading to the room, pretending as though she did not know that Hermes expected her to attack. "I would keep sire longer but I am afraid that I am more than inconvenienced at the moment, and I am sure your ministers are fearing for your safety as we speak."

Quietly, the Emperor began to slip on his rings. "It is I who has brought undue stress to your person. It is best I leave now."

"To keep sire company and to entertain his interest for so long, there are few women as lucky as I."

He got to his feet, and sensing that Oris was about to stand as well, waved his hand dismissively "No need for formalities. I will see myself out."

"But sire-"

"A physician should have been called to attend to you long ago. It is my fault for putting it off for this long."

"Your Majesty's presence is all the healing I need."

He walked out the enclosure of furniture and headed for the doors. "You will be well rewarded for your honesty and in treating me as a companion, as I wished."

Oris turned in her seat to face him just as his hands landed on the doors' golden handles. "Will we speak again, like this, sire?"

Hermes laughed and the doors opened into the room. "We'll see after the hunt."

We'll see? An answer with a double meaning.

"I'll hold it to you then, Your Majesty," she said loudly as he left, watching him storm past a startled Andrea and fidgeting Faeradaigh, who said some quick words to the lady-in-waiting before scampering off after his Emperor.

Andrea entered the room just as swiftly and shut the doors behind her. "Mistress, what-- How did you get here?"

"The Emperor brought me here, of course," Oris answered with a small shrug. She hadn't exactly expected Hermes to leave out the front door. That was basically announcing their relationship to the palace but she had little strength to think about his plans now.

Her dress felt drenched with sweat. Her hands began to tremble. Without Hermes here to put pressure on her, she felt parts of her being crumble.

"I was so worried Mistress. The Head Eunuch was too. We had been standing guard at the doors just in case you came back on your own... how did you arrive before we did?"

"Andrea, can you... please bring me the basin on the dresser?"

"Yes." Andrea obeyed without even commenting on the bloody tinge of the water it contained. She held it in front of Oris, who leaned over immediately and threw up into it.

"M-Mistress?"

"Worry not, Andrea. Just nerves." Oris brushed away the girl's concern then wiped her lips the cloth that had staunched her nosebleed.

"You were nervous talking to Emperor?"

"Very, very nervous." Oris confirmed and stared up at the ceiling. As her knowledge grew, her doubts and questions grew as well. She was almost tired of the cycle.

"You two talked for a long time."

"We spent most of that time in silence."

Andrea nodded. "You can't have discourse if there is nothing to talk about."

Oh, there was plenty. Too many things too dangerous to say. Oris shut her eyes. "Andrea, do you think it is possible for a friend to be an enemy?"

"I don't quite understand, Mistress," Andrea paused to think, "but if a friend is no longer truthful and loyal and tends to do you harm, they are an enemy. Is that what you mean, Mistress?"

How simple my life would be if that was what I meant, Oris thought, making a sound of approval she was sure would bring a smile to Andrea's face. How simple my life would be if things were that simple.

"Can I find the records of royal lineages in the palace library?"

"You can find anything in the royal library, Mistress," Andrea said proudly, "Heshera is the home of knowledge."

"Then we will go to the library."

"Yes, Mistress," Andrea set the basin on the floor and pulled a tiny scroll from her sleeve, "but I must give you this first."

Oris held open one hand. "What is it?"

"A letter," Andrea answered. "The Head Eunuch handed it to me before he left. It arrived for you while you were still unconscious and had been in his possession for safe keeping until you were able to receive it yourself."

Oris jerked into a proper sitting position, her mind shocked awake. A letter? She stared at the small scroll resting in her palm. Bren?

~

Written today. A masterpiece. I've imagined this letter so many times, people. So. Many. Times.

Okay, I'm already preparing to write the next chapter and its in Hermes' POV. Hahahaha.

Look at Oris asking, "can a friend be an enemy?" Obviously asking about having a friend who is also your enemy, not because they're a bad person but because your goals collide negatively.

Ahh, Hermes is worming his way into that soft spot. This chapter is a chapter were we could have really diverted to the cliché. She'd try to kill him, stupidly, sure that the ring had revealed her identity and him being badass he'd stop her. They'd somehow kiss, blah blah blah. Feelings ensue but Oris doesn't really want him, yet he wants her cuz she's 'different' and doesn't treat him like an Emperor and even had the audacity to attack him without caring about the consequences...

😶 Yeah, no. I'm keeping you all on your toes!