...65...
IF ONLY SHE KNEW
The lady—her strength was puissant, astonishing.
They roved his quarters with her, trying desperately to restrain her, to contain her until lassitude met them.
She finally overcame them about an hour later when the urge was too animating.
Matrix grumbled in frustration, totally in inanition.
He was angry too.
He had warned the Emperor, several times.
Hadn't he?
Now how on earth were they going to take this, his woman, running wild, especially in his absence?
He hated all these, caused by his master's inability to listen.
He had no idea why all the Emperor's he had served were like this, stubborn and adamant, obsolete.
He watched as all of them, Vura and Xiera, including Hyeera tried hard to suppress her despite her enormous strength.
He understood what they were going through.
He had once been subdued by her once, when she had been wild, and not even seeking to break free of the enchantment placed on her.
She was a beast in this state, animalistic, thirsty for either her mate -or blood if her mate was not made available.
He sighed softly as he began casting another restraining spell.
Though he knew that the effect would not last on her.
Still he did it, despite the fact that it took a lot of his inner strength to do so because of the calibre of beast she was.
He needed to do so because the women restricting her needed to rest.
Of what use were they if they were tired, forced into slackness by her hyperactive form?
He staggered a bit the moment that he was done with casting the spell.
The Lady groaned as the enchantment held her down.
She struggled against it.
He sighed as the the women holding her sank to the floor respectively, thankful for the short time of rest.
They were drained.
They looked as if they had aged a decade, totally worn out.
The spell would last about twenty minutes because she was not yet fully awakened.
The Emperor, he must be feeling it too, the Nisus, hearing its voice.
He had better hurry back here before she easily tore down Linamine in his absence.
Meanwhile, far away, the Emperor staggered for a moment while trying to walk to his writing table.
His butler, Peter and his aide, Tiger flew to him instantly, in a nanosecond, steadying him quickly.
'My Lord?' both said with worried looks on their faces.
He turned to both of them, his face looked hard, as if he was bearing some kind of excruciating pain.
'My Lord, are you alright?' Peter asked him.
He simply nodded at the man to ease his worries.
'Yes,' he assured him in a voice that betrayed that he was slightly breathless.
His chest was beginning to hurt, something pulling him.
Still, he ignored it.
'Are we done with everything here?' he proceeded to ask Peter who nodded at his question.
'Yes My Lord, we are. They is nothing more to discuss here.'
'Then, quickly ready my entourage,' he instructed him.
'My Lord? What is wrong?' Peter asked the moment he staggered once again.
His well built aide, Tiger held unto him.
Peter stared at his master, the worry in his eyes flowing out like a fountain.
The emperor said nothing too, just staring at him, relying on the fact that Tiger was holding unto him to stand upright.
He groaned as his eyes flickered between silver and melanie.
Peter gasped softly as he realized what was happening, what exactly was plaguing his master.
'You are transitioning My Lord!' he exclaimed.
The emperor only groaned in response.
'Peter, no, it's nothing.'
'But, you are!' he protested.
'You can't turn here My Lord. What is upsetting you into doing so even? Are we under siege?' his aide, Tiger asked him as his eyes went to his blade at his side.
If he were not holding unto his master, he would have long unsheathed the weapon.
'Do not panic both of you,' he said still having enough strength to smile in absolute amusement.
He took a deep breath and then continued to speak.
'We are not under siege Tiger and most importantly Peter, I am not transitioning. It is only the voice of the Nisus reaching out to me,' he explained. 'I cannot suppress it any longer,' he explained to him as he recovered his strength and stepped away from his aide.
Both of them nodded.
'Oh!' Tiger said, understanding dawning on him at that moment. 'I was also preparing to transition,' he confessed to his master.
He was a demon too and he understood it all.
'It is almost uncontrollable. Find me some rose scent to soothe my inner psyche Peter,' he ordered.
The butler nodded and hurried to do so, leaving his master with Tiger.
He went to the shelf at one end of the emperor's assigned quarters and brought one of the rose pouches that he always kept handy.
He tore it open and put the rose petals into a clean white kerchief. He pressed it together with his palms and tied it tightly.
He took the small bundle and quickly brought it to him.
He took it from him and placed it close to his nose and like a potent medicine, it brought him instant bone eroding relief.
'I will go and see to the entourage My Lord,' Tiger informed him.
He nodded with a small grunt.
'Shall you be alright if I leave you alone for a few minutes?' he asked him.
'Yes Tiger, I will be fine. Now go and do as I have requested. The quicker I get to Linamine, the better.'
He bowed and left to do as she had been instructed, leaving the emperor with Peter who fawned over him like a worried mother hen.
The butler reminded him of Cora.
They were on their way to Linamine about fifteen minutes later on horses, riding at an insane speed.
Back at his manor in the Linamine Empire, the five people in his manor were still trying so hard, doing their best to hold the raving Lady down.
They were Hyeera, Vura, Cora, Xiera and of course Matrix.
They were doing their best to make sure that she did not leave the Emperor's quarters as that would be very disastrous.
Hyeera had had cocolemon pouches hung up and sprayed the Lady with some of the liquid fragrance from time to time.
Each time she sprayed, she sighed in relief, staying still for a while.
It was obvious that the fragrance took her pain away for a while.
But sadly, it was only for a while.
They repeated the cycle, working tirelessly to buy time, awaiting the Emperor's return.
He too must have felt the pain of this Nisus, heard the bond calling out to him, strongly, enclair.
Well, she soon escaped from their hands, running out of the quarters and leaping down the stairs.
She headed for the exit as they chased her, hot on her heels in pursuit.
They barely managed to catch up with her and were on her in a few seconds, holding her down with all their might despite the fact that they were extremely breathless from the tiring pursuit.
'The Fragrance isn't working anymore!' Hyeera complained in a shriek.
'Oh no!' Vura seconded with angst.
'Well, dusk is long gone,' Matrix pointed out to them in frustration. 'It will be a miracle if it mattered anymore."
He groused.
"The Emperor is the only valid antidote to this right now. All we can do now is to make sure that she isn't provoked in the slightest.'
'He will be back soon. I can feel his aura gradually nearing. He must be too consumed by the Nisus to teleport."
"He can teleport now?"
Hyeera shook her head.
"No, it is not advisable to do so anyways, especially in this setting. It will definitely sap his inner energy,' she quickly opened up.
'Hot!' The Lady suddenly screamed. 'Hot! Hot! It burns! It hurts,' she said with pain evident in her sweet voice.
Her eyes blazed ox blood with an unusual energy in them.
'Shall we get her immerse her in a bath?' Xiera asked them all.
'No we can not do that. The Emperor would not like us touching her no matter the situation and you know. And besides, we can't leave her alone for a moment. A walk in the open would do her better,' Hyeera swiftly countered her.
'A walk in the open might keep her at bay, but what are the chances that she would not erupt while we are outside Healer?' Matrix pointed out then.
'We will stand by her sorcerer,' she addressed him. 'She will definitely be calm and more relaxed if she were to go alfresco. It will definitely allow the cool breeze to beat her skin,' she snapped at him.
'Well, I do not see much good that this would do in-'
'-It will do a lot of good!' she interrupted him a loud offending voice. 'Now if you will please let us take her?'
'The emperor is the only solution to this mishap healer,' he began. 'And nothing we do to her now will be a more better option than him!' he snapped in return.
'Well, if you don't know he is not back!' she screamed at him.
'Then, if you really don't know, we shall have to wait for him!' he retorted. The both of them stared at each other fuming. 'The Emperor would not want-'
'It will be fine sorcerer!' she interrupted him again with a sneer.
'Now, this isn't a mage fight!' Cora instantly scolded them. 'I know that we are all frustrated, but let us still try to get along.'
'Yes please,' Vura said.
'Both of you should listen to Cora please,' Xiera pleaded with the both of them.
'Fine!' Matrix snapped.
'I assure you that she would be better if she goes alfresco,' she assured him. He stared at her quizzically.
'Let us do that then,' Vura easily agreed. She was all for anything that would give her the time to rest.
'My Lady,' Hyeera addressed her. 'I shall let you leave the bedroom, but you have to let me dress you.'
The lady nodded, vaguely understanding what the healer was saying to her.
Matrix turned and left the bedroom, leaving the ladies.
By the time they all came out and met him outside, the lady was dressed in beautiful clothes.
They all escorted her, forming some sort of protective circle around her without even realizing that they had done so.
They escorted her out of the manor entirely and into the open courtyard.
Hyeera led the entire procession in the direction of the garden.
It was the best place for if and when the lady turned while they were outside.
They could easily hide whatever was going on there from others.
'Well well, if it is not the emperor's supposed wife,' the empress dowager's voice rang out.
They all turned in her direction.
'Oh God! Not now,' Xiera instantly muttered to the hearing of the inner caucus alone.
The empress dowager was there with her retinue and the seven empress candidates were behind her.
'Where are you headed?' the empress dowager demanded to know.
They all paid obeisance to her except of course for the subconscious lady.
'And won't she acknowledge my presence?' the woman pointed out noticing.
The lady in question kept mute.
'Izhxel,' the lady murmured rather softly.
Hyeera beside her thought of what to do when the lady began to tug her to indicate that they should carry on with movement.
'I apologize your highness for the interruption. The lady is not well. Can she continue on?' Matrix took the initiative to speak up.
'I shall not let her leave until she does right by me. If she is walking just fine, then she can talk just fine, wether she is indeed sick or not or just trying to avoid paying her respects!' she snapped, unaware that she was courting trouble.
'Please your high—' Matrix began again just as the lady began to walk away, pulling Hyeera along with her.
The empress dowager matched to their front, blocking the way.
'And where do you think that you are going?!' she demanded.
The lady tried once, twice to skirt around her, the hindrance.
'Will you not answer me?! Or are you sick in the head too?!' she ranted on.
If only she knew!
The lady raised a questioning brow at her for a few seconds.
Then she tried once again to manoeuvre the empress dowager.
The woman would not let her.
No one saw it coming, not even Hyeera who was standing there with her.
She was swift, knocking the woman to the ground with one slick move.
The woman screamed as she fell to the ground in a heap.
'Your highness!' he retinue shouted as two of her maids came to help her up.
She hit their hands away and turned to the seven empress candidates.
'All you,' she ordered, 'teach this stupid bitch a lesson! Help her to learn her place!'
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...OmaPhinaPhire