Death-Bound

Bottled Rose

Chapter Ten

“You told me that your name was Jem, right?” he said, Solom was standing in front of me…far taller even if I was wearing a pair of heeled boots. “But then I remembered, fifteen years ago, I was a rival of the Emperor himself for the engagement of a princess. I memorized her face you see, for I was infatuated with her. But it turned out his Highness had won our little rivalry. Twelve years ago, on her way to the Emperor’s keep, she was lost with reports of her death. I thought I lost her—my first love.” He paused, and looked at me with his sharp teasing eyes. “But then again, the way I looked at you the day you passed out under that tree, I realized that I haven’t had lost her, well, not yet. She was you, wasn’t she? The Princess Hyacinth of the Gem of the Desert—the betrothed to the Emperor of the Fourteen Kingdoms, at the same time, his death-bound.” I took a sharp breath, He had seen through me. Memories flooded me about my childhood, how the three of us were playing and training as royals and head of each of our countries, “I didn’t know the Emperor could be so cruel.” he said cutting my reminiscent short and he looked down sorrowful.

“I don’t need your pity, Solom. I chose to be a death-bound.” I said trying to cover up for the Emperor. It was a lie. “I have to go.” I was stiff trying to avert the conversation. 

“I will present this at court you know.” He said. “For him to turn a Princess into his death-bound is injustice. And he will lose the crown. And if he does without an heir, I will take over this empire!” I slapped him without me knowing. He looked at me startled. “What was that for?”

“You and your father are alike!” I said. “You better pray for your life if the Emperor hears about this!” he smiled at me and just shook his head.

“You are in love with him aren’t you?” I got stiff again and I felt my face became warm. He then started laughing, the once he did to me at town that day. “Okay, so I am a sore loser after all.” The opened his palm. “Remember this?” a flower preserve in a glass—a desert rose—the once which only bloom in our garden back home. It made me smile. “At least, I can still make you smile even if all this horrible things happened to you.” He lifted it with its handle, and made the moon shimmered on the rose’s petals. “You gave this to me when you saw me crying over my mother’s death. You held my hands and said if I would let the moon shimmer on this rose, my wishes you come true. It did. It made me see you again. Listen, forget what I said about the Emperor. I owe him my life. And thank you for saving us.” He looked so serious, and I was blushing again. He grinned and finally said, “If the Emperor would grant me one thing it would be to see you as often as I could!” he waved his hand and vanished, or was he just fast?

Once a death-bound always a death-bound by ability, I sighed. I mounted my horse once again. Perhaps I missed the fact that if one is freed from being a death-bound, one is still blessed with the abilities one has being a death-bound, one thing is lacking however—immortality.

I traveled with my constant companion—the moon. She is the one who has been with me through all of these years. The moon was full and I wanted to travel slow to reflect what happened tonight. But then, I fell asleep. Yes, I fell asleep riding my horse. My horse is intelligent and he knows where to go if things like this occurs. I woke up when we were about to enter the gates of the city. It was almost dawn. I rubbed my horse on the back of his neck. “Good boy…” the servant on the stables must feed him well for this assignment! I couldn’t take my mask just yet. Not until I reached the castle’s keep. One thing, which disturbed me, though was the arrival of carriages with seals of the Empire’s different Kingdoms. The Empire is composed of more than a hundred kingdoms. And to see them all together is like being surrounded by elite people. As a death-bound, I had to place myself in the bottom of them.

I saw Margaritta waiting for me at the stables. She was so happy to see my return. The moment I slipped out of my horse, she dragged me inside the castle’s clinic where a doctor was waiting. She took of all of my armor and dressed me in hospice attire. “There sit! The Doctor will see you.”

“I am fine Margaritta. Just a gun-shot!” I said making her see my wounded, deformed hand, still numb from the pill I had hours ago.

“Just a gun-shot?! You have a hole at the palm of your hand, and you are saying just a gun-shot?!” she was panicking

“It’s nothing you can’t fix, can you?” I asked being silly.

“I’m a Pharmacist not a surgeon!” she hissed. “Now shut up and prepare yourself for your operation!”

Operation?! I gulped, “Is it that serious?”

“No, the doctor will just cut your hand nice and clean!” she said illustrating with her hand being sawed with her other hand. My eyes got round with surprise. She winked at me. “Just kidding.” She smiled, “the Doctor will just clean it up, the healing is already starting.” She pointed to my hand, it is healing, no more bleeding.

The doctor came and cleaned my wound he also placed bondage on it. Margaritta was worried about me. On the way out of the clinic, “Hey, Margaritta, why is it that all those high ranking officials are gathering in the castle?” I asked her. Being asleep for two days made me out dated with the castle’s gossip. And I get my latest gossips from Margaritta.

“Oh, why don’t you ask the Emperor about that.” She said. Yeah, ask him wearing this hospice dress! She then looked at me, “Jem, all this years I’ve seen you look at the lordship, and well, I know how you may be feeling”

“What?” I asked confused. “Margaritta, what are you saying?”

“Nothing child. You better rest, you haven’t had your meal yet! Oh, I was so worried about your wounds and all I forgot to prepare your meal!” she was once again in panicking. “I will be back,” she said holding my hand, “you, go to your room and rest there.” I smiled and just nodded. She then quickly walked to the kitchen to prepare me my meal. I was still in the hospice gown. I looked at myself in the glass window’s reflection, I looked a lot like my mother in her paintings, as if I am the younger version of her in a hospice gown. What will she say if she would see me like this—a death-bound.

On the next corner, I saw Rave arguing with one of the castle’s guest keepers. He suddenly stopped when he saw me. He looked dumb-founded. My hair was left hanging on my shoulder and some are covering my face. I could see the lust forming from his eyes but then I saw the hesitance there as well. “Jem, I heard you’ve come back.” He smiled. “I’m sure you fulfilled our Master’s wishes. Err, I best accompany you to your quarter.” He signaled the keeper to leave us. We walked together but silenced enveloped the two of us. But he broke the silence when he said, “The Emperor is looking for a virgin to marry, Jem.” I stopped death in my tracks. It took me a while before the information sunk in my head. I looked at him questioningly. “He never did inquired to me about this decision. He just ordered to send letters to his entire kingdom inviting their first born princesses to come to the castle for from one of them he shall have his wife.” I don’t know on how I would react to this news.