THE CHOSEN ONE : CHAPTERS 1 – 10
BY HAZEL BOOKS. H
CHAPTER 9
…EMP. AUGUSTUS CHAMBER
The emperor’s chamber was dimly lit, the only sound the soft scratching of his pen on parchment was heard, his brow furrowed in concentration, as he worked on a intricate drawing. Guards outside announced, ” Your Highness, your slave is here with your refreshments from Madam Eloise.”
Augustus’s voice was curt, his focus not wavering from his drawing. “Let her in.”
Aurora entered silently, her eyes cast down. “Your Highness,” she whispered, placing the tray on the table before him. Her hands trembled slightly as she arranged the cups and saucers.
She turned to leave, but Augustus’s cold voice stopped her. “What gave you the right to leave?”
Aurora’s head bowed, her voice barely audible. “I’m sorry, Your Highness.” She stood still.
Augustus’s gaze never left his drawing as his expression was void. He added a few more strokes to the parchment, his eyes fixed on the drawing and he took the cup of tea sipping it slowly.
Aurora stood frozen, her heart racing. “He’s more like a devil, just like I heard,” she thought inwardly. And then, to her horror, Augustus chuckled, his eyes glinting with amusement.
Her eyes widened in terror. “Does he read minds too? Is he reading my mind?” she wondered, her thoughts racing. “Oh Lord, let it not be.”
The silence in the room was oppressive, the only sound the soft scratching of Augustus’s pen. Aurora felt trapped, her heart pounding in her chest. She didn’t dare move, didn’t dare speak, fearing the emperor’s wrath.
As the moments ticked by, Augustus finally dropped the cup of tea. “Clear the table,” he said curtly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Aurora’s hands trembled as she packed the saucers, her mind racing. “He didn’t even touch the saucers,” she mumbled inwardly, her eyes fixed on the cup. She knew how much the emperor valued that cup, how it was his favorite glass cup, the one Madam Eloise had warned her about.
As she reached for the cup, her hands shook even more, her fingers feeling like ice. The cup seemed to slip from her, and she watched in horror as it fell to the floor, shattering into a hundred pieces.
The sound of the cup breaking was like a knell, echoing through the room. Aurora’s eyes widened in shock and fear, her heart racing wildly. She knew she was in trouble, big trouble.
The emperor’s head whipped around, his eyes blazing with anger, his face red with rage. “How dare you!” he thundered, his voice echoing off the walls, making her tremble even more. “Guards!”
The guards rushed in, their faces expressionless, their eyes cold as stone. “Take her to the ice room,” Augustus ordered, his voice cold, devoid of emotion. “And don’t let her out for the next six hours.”
Aurora’s eyes widened in terror as the guards dragged her away, their grip on her arms like iron. “I’m sorry, Your Highness!” she pleaded, her voice shaking, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t mean to, I swear!”
But the emperor’s face was unforgiving, his eyes cold as ice. He didn’t even look at her, didn’t even acknowledge her presence.
The guards dragged her down past the Palace Kitchen as the maids murmured.
…On her first day, she got punished.
…Serves her right
…I hate her already, such a witch..
…Maybe she tried to bewitch the Emperor.
THE CHOSEN ONE : CHAPTERS 1 – 10
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