The Tiger Within 132 Heart Turned Cold Part 2

The physician was skilled and stopped the bleeding quickly. There was no sign of poison that he could see but the wound bothered him. Jagged and round, unlike any knife he had sceen. "was the empress found with a hairpin?" he asked looking at the Emperor who frowned.

"No. Well… I don't know, Adela was the Empress found with a Hairpin?" he redirected the question realizing he had been second to her side. Second. She had almost died and he had not been there for her.

"No, the Empress did not have a hairpin and she didn't wound herself." Addie replied seeing where the physician was going with this. It was not uncommon for a woman sentenced to life in the cold palace to end that life prematurely. It was a unusual sentence to begin with, self imposed for the Empress who stood for righteousness and the law.

"I was just concerned." he began but the Emperor cut him off, seeing no reason to discuss this right now. There was more important things to decide at the moment, such as how to make her more comfortable while she was in pain. Yes, who did this was important, but at the moment it was second to her health.

"Let me worry about the how, you worry about the her staying alive bit. Can we move her from the floor now?" The Emperor asked, running his hand through her hair. The Physician nodded.

"Yes, she should rest so her body can heal that wound. She should wake by tomorrow and I will look at her again then. I will send a in training physician to stay with her tonight and monitor her condition. He will alert me if anything else is amiss." the physician replied and the Emperor nodded, picking Eve up in his arms. Her blood staining his robe, but as the physician tried to protest and point this out, he was shot a death glare.

"Then I will move her to my rooms. Adela, come along. I will need you to help me change her out of this b.l.o.o.d.y mess." The Emperor replied striding out of the Cold Palace that had nearly taken her life. Adie was stunned by his words and how he held her mistress. She followed obediently, unwilling to let her out of her site. The physician followed, honestly relieved.

The Emperor set his wife into his bed, careful that her head landed gently on the soft pillow. His hand gently guided her hair from her eyes, the black strands curling around his fingers. She looked peaceful, though he knew in truth she was in pain. At least sleep dulled the edge of it and Eve seemed to truly rest.

"Emperor?" Adie spoke up behind him, her voice gentle and questioning. He didn't bother looking at her and simply hummed his inquiry. "I have a dress for her and Queen Kira is at the door. Apparently she needs to see you urgently." her tone seemed bitter as she spoke. He would abandon them again, and run to Kira as he always did. Addie had no doubt in this, no matter how tender he was at the moment.

"Kira? What could be more important than.... I will speak to her. While I am gone please change her clothes. If she wakes I don't want the blood making her feel guilty. She's odd that way." The Emperor ordered walking to the door and into the main room where Queen Kira waited. She was dressed for a evening dinner, pretty as a rose petal, and yet he barely looked at her.

"What do you need, Kira?" he asked, the formality falling away. Tired, stressed and irritable summed up his current mood. The worry in her eyes softened his heart slightly, but his mind was still in the other room reluctant to join him.

"I heard what happened to the Empress. I am so sorry she's gone, your Majesty. It is important we keep our heads held high during the morning time. I have had her son and daughter notified of the tragedy." The First Queen told him, being calm as her voice was filled with sorrow. The Emperor's eyes widened and he slowly blinked his eyes processing her words.