Oh! My Empress

"Your highness, I must apologize that you had to see such an embarrassing display," Ivan Whittemore finally broke the awkward silence that was brewing among the four males in the party headed towards Emmeline Whittemore's room.

"Oh well, it's okay! She is just a kid. You people are making a big deal out if it all," Prince Aaron replied. As much as he hated entertaining these lowly people, there was somewhere, a special place in his heart for Emmeline Whittemore, even unknown to him.

"Alex, you dummy, teach me swords…," Kim Su Won mumbled in her sleep, stunning everyone.

Ivan and Aaron looked at Alex with puzzled eyes. What the heck?

Alex had not told anyone that Emmeline had expressed interest in learning 'male' skills. He thought it was supposed to be their secret! What happened to that? He had no idea she was still thinking about it so much that she was dreaming about it too. After this, he had to teach her.

"Swords? She is interested in learning swordsmanship?" Aaron's ears had perked up. He had not seen any female interested in the martial arts. Even in the kingdom's knighthood, the females were not allowed. And this young female was mumbling in her sleep to learn something forbidden for her? His interest in this kid was growing more and more.

"Your highness, it was just a kid's thought. Please do not take it to the heart. We know girls are not allowed to learn martial arts and we will abide by the rule," Alex instantly replied. He could not put the kid in trouble when she probably did not know it was not even allowed.

"Heh! I will give you the royal permission for you to teach he, if she can keep up with the training, that is," the corners of Aaron's lips curved upwards. It would be fun for this girl to fumble around, flailing her weak arms. It would be a hilarious sight.

"Your highness!" Alex almost cried in surprise. It was not right. How could this guy go against the royal orders? Was this a trap? Countless scenarios swirled in his mind, but he could not put the reason why crown prince would do this.

"What? There are no laws in the kingdom forbidding females to participate. It is just our society that has made their status such that they can't. Anyway, I would like to see if she can accomplish this. I think she has talent for a lot of things," Aaron looked at the girl who was sleeping in her brother's arms soundly. She had no idea she was the topic of discussion in the whole household right now.

"With due respect your highness, my sister will not be an experiment. I am very well aware of your tendency to be excited with new avenues but she is not your toy," Ivan interrupted the prince who was going on and on.

Ivan was one of the people who had seen the change in his younger sister firsthand. Although he was not really interested in her before, things had been interesting in life after she woke up form her accident. What if this crown prince had started developing a similar interest in her?

He could not lose her, not so soon. She was also going to be his ticket to consolidating his future as the duke against their sister. He had to keep this crown prince away from her. He actually scooted the girl in his arms closer towards his chest.

He glanced at her peaceful face. This innocent but genius girl, he had to keep her close.

"Pfft… hahahhaha," the crown prince laughed, his voice ringing loud in the hallway, waking up the girl too. "Well, well, well… this is interesting. From what I know about you from the academy, you are not someone who cares about anyone. What is with this display of love for your younger sister who did not even exist in the eyes of this household a few days ago?" Prince Aaron squinted his eyes and put both his hands on each hip.

He was almost appalled by the hypocrisy here. He had heard so many stories about this girl before her accident from his aides that everything today looked fake to him.

He was livid for some reason. But since he did not have any compelling justification for it, he had to control his temper and expressions.

Alex and Ivan and even Timothy were looking at Aaron dumbfounded.

"Elder brother, what is happening?" Kim Su Won rubbed her eyes and her childlike squeaky voice helped cut through the thick tension in the atmosphere.

"Are you awake? Do you want to stand?" Ivan gently asked Kim Su Won.

Kim Su Won eyed her brother suspiciously. His voice was especially soft today. What had happened during the time she had dozed off? He was even princess carrying her. It seemed as if he was trying to show off their sibling relationship to outsiders.

"Brother, please put me down. This is embarrassing," she whispered to him, but the hall was just almost empty, so her small voice also reached everyone.

Ivan's face started turning red. He had thought this girl would take a hint and help him out but she was going to embarrass him at this rate. He put her down, still tenderly.

Kim Su Won then went ahead and hugged her tall muscular brother with her small arms, "thank you for carrying me all the way here brother. I must have been heavy."

Ivan was completely taken aback by this public display of affection. She raised her head to look at the shocked expression of her brother and winked slightly. Hah! Did he think she would not catch on what he was trying to do?

Well, whatever, he was still family. She mouthed to him away from everyone's eyes, "You owe me one."

Aaron was not sure anymore what he was feeling. He had thought he had gotten Ivan Whittemore. He just wanted to do a healthy rivalry and may be, make some friendships with the sons of the dukes.

But he always ended up widening the distance between them for he did not know how to behave as the top person in the chain. He had seen his father working with the dukes but there was always a respectful distance from them.

What he really wanted was friends. However, loneliness came with his position. He sometimes cursed his fate so much. But as his mother said, he probably did not need them at an equal footing anyway. They would lose respect for him. What was he supposed to do with this loneliness then?

"Your highness, it is my pleasure that you decided to visit the humble place of mine. Would you mind going for another round tea? We could play a few games too," Kim Su Won invited the lonely and sad looking prince to her place.. The prince's eyes sparkled instantly at the invitation.