"Mikan-sama," Michiko called. "Natsume-sama, please wake up. There's an emergency in the palace."
The empress stirred and opened her eyes slowly, adjusting to the lights seeping through the windows. She sighed and moved to sit up when she felt a heavy arm on her stomach, holding her down to the futon. Mikan turned and saw her husband's sleeping form beside her. The woman smiled serenely, removing his arm gently so she could shift to face him.
"Ryuu definitely looks like you, huh? The whole country will surely be in an uproar when the selection for the crown princess comes." Mikan whispered, trailing her index finger lightly on his jaw. "It's good that he takes after me in attitude so he will not be cocky. On the other hand, Sayuri looks very much like me but she is very straight forward, no nonsense kind of girl. It will be hard to find a man who will be able to handle her, right?"
"So I'm cocky?" Natsume suddenly asked making Mikan jolt in surprise. "Sayuri can only be handled by two types of person. Someone like me who will be able to match her blunt words or someone who is gentle like you who will be able to understand the true meaning behind them."
The empress laughed lightly, lifting a finger to her chin. "Yes, you're right. It makes me feel so old when I think of our children getting married."
"Mikan-sama, Natsume-sama, are you awake?" Michiko asked again from outside.
The emperor sat up. "What is it, Michiko?"
"There is an emergency in Nobara-sama's palace, Your Majesties."
"An emergency? What kind of emergency?" Mikan asked worriedly.
"It will be better if we are to go there, Mikan." Natsume interrupted before Michiko can answer.
He stood up and bent down to wrap an arm around Mikan's waist to help her up, before tilting her chin up and slanting his lips over hers. The empress can only gasp in surprise, immediately clutching in the front of his cloth. Natsume's lips twitched up at her reaction, taking her lower lip between his teeth and nibbling on it gently. Mikan moaned lightly, releasing her grip on his kimono to circle her arms around his neck before clenching it hard on his dark hair making him groan softly.
She pulled away before he can do something more distracting. "We're needed in Nobara's palace."
Natsume can only sigh before laying a quick kiss on her lips. Mikan smiled softly, running her hands through his hair to it smooth down. She turned and grabbed his sokutai and helped him into it.
"You can come in, Michiko." He called after Mikan tied the obi around his waist.
The first thing Michiko saw when she came in was the obvious joy on her mistress's face. Second was the arm around her as she held up another blue kimono to which the owner of the said arm shook his head.
"Are you color blind? Blue doesn't suit you at all, that's why I always sent you red kimonos." Natsume said, exasperated. "Michiko, tell her."
Michiko laughed, smiling at Mikan. "I personally think that every color suits Mikan-sama beautifully, however, I must say that the shade of Natsume-sama's eyes looks exquisite on her."
"You see? That's why I always send you the same color. It just as she says." Natsume gestured to Michiko making Mikan roll her eyes at him.
"Yes, that's why if you look at my clothes, more than half is in the same color." Mikan teased, taking a deep red kimono before raising an eyebrow at him. "You're not going to leave the room?"
Natsume just raised an eyebrow at her as well. "You still have something to hide?"
The empress flushed. "Th-that... how can you say that? W-well, at least turn around!"
Michiko laughed as Natsume smirked. The attendant took off the plain white kimono used for sleeping and slid it down Mikan's thin shoulders when the emperor is looking safely away. She helped the heavily pregnant woman in a loose white kimono, especially modified to fit her pregnant form, and waited for her to slip her arms in the red kimono that brought out the fairness of her skin.
"Done?" Natsume asked, spinning his wife's hairpin with his thumb and pointing finger.
"Yes, can you hand me that hairpin?" she replied, pointing to the one he's playing with.
Natsume opened the window a bit before closing it back. "It's not windy outside, leave it like that, it suits you."
Michiko smiled at the empress's exasperated look before picking up a comb and running it through Mikan's waist-length hair.
"That's enough, we need to go to Nobara's palace now." Mikan said, stopping Michiko.
The attendant nodded before taking a black haori and handing it to the empress. Natsume slipped an arm around his wife's waist, tugging her to him as they made their way out of the palace. The two made their way to the consort's palace quickly albeit carefully since Mikan is in a sensitive condition.
"This is silly," Mikan muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ears. "They're all looking as if they're seeing something extremely weird."
"Don't mind them, they'll get used to it soon enough." Natsume replied, looking over her head to glare at everyone who dare meet his eyes.
A few walks and turns later, the two arrived at Nobara's palace. Mikan glanced worriedly at Natsume when she saw the consort's attendants with their knees bent and heads bowed down, crying for their mistress. Mikan pulled Natsume along with her when she spotted Subaru among the crowd of physicians and nurses present.
"What happened to Nobara?" Mikan asked as the group bowed to them.
Subaru signalled to the others to leave them. "Someone poisoned Nobara-sama's tea."
"What did you say?" Natsume asked as Mikan gasped.
"A servant heard her asking for help and when she got to the room, Nobara-sama was already gasping her breath while spitting out blood."
Mikan wrenched out of Natsume's hold and started for the consort's palace. For once the servants did not bow to the empress and instead continued to cry and utter their prayers to their mistress. Only the head attendant of Nobara's palace, Riko, went forward to greet their empress.
"Mikan-sama," Riko began, her voice steady even as her hands shook in suppressed emotions. "It's terrible, Mikan-sama. Nobara-sama is..."
Mikan placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, feeling it shake as the attendant tried to calm herself down. "Let me see her."
Riko took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders before turning to open the door to the palace. The empress started to go in when a hand grabbed her own. She did not need to turn back in order to know that it was her husband. Pulling the man along with her, the two entered the palace.
The first Mikan noticed when she finally saw the consort was that she looked as if she was only sleeping, the only thing that gives away her condition is her quick and shallow breathing as well as her pale complexion. The empress went forward and sat down next to the bed of the sick woman.
"Nobara..." Mikan whispered, taking the woman's hand in hers.
Almost as if only waiting for her to call out, the sick woman's eyes opened revealing hazy blue orbs.
"Mikan- sama," The consort uttered weakly.
"Oh, Nobara, what happened to you?" The empress asked. "Who did this?"
At the question, Nobara's eyes widened fearfully, searching frantically around the room and finally landing on Natsume. Clutching tightly at Mikan's hand, the woman shifted to her side and gestured for the emperor to come closer. Natsume, at Mikan's gaze, obligingly went forward until he was right beside his wife and consort.
"Natsume... sama, danger... danger in the palace." Nobara was cut off as continuous coughs raked her body. Mikan gently pat the sick woman's back to help alleviate her sickness. After a few moments of heaving, the consort continued. "You must... be careful, Mikan-sama. There is danger... in the... palace."
Mikan slowly shifted her gaze to her husband's eyes and saw that he was looking at her as well.
"What do you mean, Nobara?" Natsume asked. "What danger?"
"Someone... who seeks to... gain more power. Please, Mikan-sama... Natsume-sama... you must... be very careful... and Ryuu-sama too. Protect... the rightful... successor to the crown."
Nobara gasped as coughs overwhelmed her. Placing a hand over her mouth as it shook her body until she felt a warm liquid on her hands. Taking it away from her mouth, the woman looked and saw drops of blood on her palm. Mikan and Natsume both saw it, and while Mikan took a towel to wipe the blood, Natsume called for a physician.
Subaru and a couple of nurses went inside as they tried to stabilize Nobara. The emperor and empress stayed back, watching as they worked on the consort.
"Okaa-san!" A little voice echoed through the hallway and loud footsteps were heard before the screen door slid open to reveal Nobara's daughter.
"Haruka-sama!" Riko exclaimed. "I told you that you must not go into this room."
"Okaa-san is sick! I must stay with her!" The girl exclaimed, tears brimming in her eyes. "I just want to make sure that she'll be fine."
"You cannot-"
"It's fine, Riko, let the child in." Mikan interrupted. She turned to the little girl who bowed low, having just realized that both the empress and the emperor are inside. "Come here, Haruka."
The little girl raised her head and hesitantly walked to where Mikan and Natsume are. Upon reaching them, Haruka immediately bowed low again, keeping her distance even towards her met her husband's eyes, urging him to do something about the child's distress.
"Haruka," he called, making the girl raise her head. The father lifted his arms slightly. "Come here."
Haruka stepped forward into her father's arms and began to shake. Sniffles came from the child until it grew louder and louder into sobs.
"Natsume-sama, is mother going to be alright?" The girl asked, as her father rubbed circles on her back.
"The physicians are doing everything they can to save her." Natsume answered.
Mikan felt her insides clench painfully at the child's sadness. The emperor's children all know the fact that their father will never be only theirs. First and foremost, he is the emperor and the father to their nation. When it comes to being a husband and a father, the empress and her children will always come first. Losing a mother is very painful to a child with a father, how much more does it hurt when that child only has her mother to support her.
"We have done all we can to ease her pain for the moment, Natsume-sama. Nobara-sama is asleep." Subaru reported before gesturing for the other physicians to stand up and leave the room.
Mikan moved to stand up as well. "Haruka, come with me. I'll bring you to Sayuri's chambers so she won't be alone. It's not good for you to stay here."
"No," Natsume interrupted, grabbing her hand. "Riko-san, take Haruka."
At the order, the attendants took the girl from her father and left the room. The empress turned to her husband.
"What's wrong?" Mikan asked.
Natsume kept his head straight forward. "Stay with me. Don't go anywhere, don't go to a place where I won't be able to see you anymore, Mikan."