Disclaimer: nothing has changed

Rating: Ditto

"Boom, baby!"

Kuzco sprang out of bed at the first cock's crow, causing his valet to stare at him in surprise. It really wasn't his style to be all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning.

"Kuta! Dude!" he yelled, clapping his hands. "Send for my dresser!"

"Um......." Kuta glanced sideways at him, looking slightly afraid. "Is everything all right, sire?"

Kuzco raised an eyebrow. "Fine, except for the fact that you are standing there like a rock instead of summoning Anya- I'm great, otherwise."

Kuta scurried for the door, and Kuzco, whistling, headed for his baths and his dressing rooms.

Even Anya noticed his improved mood. "What did you do, take over the world this weekend?" she asked dryly.

Kuzco looked up from where he was combing his hair and turned his eyes sideways, up at her. "I will celebrate my good mood by ignoring your so-called wit."

Anya laughed and sat down on one of the divans in the room, arranging his robes in the order he'd put them on. "Seriously, Emperor. What has you in such a good mood? You're scaring me."

"I don't know," admitted Kuzco, fastening his mantle over his shoulders. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I'm so gorgeous….." he began blowing air kisses at his reflection.

Anya rolled her eyes and headed for the door. She paused. "Look, are there any outfits you need ready for today? Any luncheons, state dinners……"

"No," Kuzco looked up from his nail brush after a moment of thought. "I'm just going riding with the wifey."

"You two are going out again?" Anya raised her slender brows in a fashion that would have been much too familiar on an ordinary servant. "You go out like, every day."

"I guess so," said Kuzco, raising his own eyebrow. "And it seems that someone here doesn't have a life." He readjusted his mantle.

"And the new robe?" Her brows lifted to the limit. "Mmmmm…."

Kuzco shot her a look. "Don't you have clothes to wash, or some other servant-ey things to do?" he returned. Nosy Egyptian.

Anya retired, still wearing that insinuating grin, and Kuzco laughed, now that he was in private.

It was true- he and Alexandria had been hanging out a lot lately. It was as if, after the banquet- an unspoken truce- if not a tentative friendship- had arisen between them. Kuzco actually found himself enjoying spending time with a girl of his own age, station, and taste, and when Alexandria's sarcasm wasn't directed at him, she could be rather funny.

Plus, the girl could dress.

Not too shabby of a wife to have.

Kuzco exited his rooms, stopping to toss a couple gold coins to the guards in the hall- "buy some bread for your kids-!" and walked the short distance to Alexandria's door. He knocked. "Alexandria! You up yet?"

He waited but instead of her customary – "Lord, honey! Why don't you scream a little louder? Maybe take out an ad with the town crier-!" there was total silence.

"Alexandria!"

Seeing her little blonde maid walking down the hall, he grabbed her by the elbow. "Helena!" he said. "Where's your mistress?"

"The…..the empress is still in her chambers, your grace," she stammered.

"Is she awake?"

"I….."

"Look. I don't have time for this-" and Kuzco pushed his way through the door.

"GET OUT!" the screeching that came from her bed was so unearthly that he actually stepped back. "Alexandria-"

"I said get OUT!" Alexandria sat bold up in bed, pushing her hair away from her face. She was dressed in a thin white gown, and her skin was paler than usual, and streaked with moisture.

"Are you……are you crying?"  Kuzco asked in disbelief. Alexandria, CRY? No. It couldn't be.

But the tears were streaming down her face.

Kuzco neared her bed, concerned. Was she sick? "Alexandria, talk to me," he said, coming closer. Her hair was slightly mussed, her eyes looked wild, and she was still crying. In the simple nightrail and sans makeup, she looked like a little girl, almost. "Alexandria?" he reached out and took her elbow.

Alexandria jerked back from him with a force that surprised him. "Don't touch me!" she snapped.

"WHAT?" Kuzco said, defensively. He was beginning to get frustrated. "What is WRONG with you?" her being nasty to him wasn't anything new- in fact, it was something of a tradition with them. But her snippy comments had always been delivered with an undercut of playful sarcasm that they both enjoyed. But this……..

This was just plain nasty.

Kuzco stared at her, wondering why she was seemingly unable to formulate a reply. "Alexandria?"

Her eyes seemed to focus on something above his head, something far away. "Just……go away," she said, tonelessly.

Kuzco didn't move.

"Did you HEAR ME??" Alexandria was screaming, now. "Go away! I hate you!"

Whoa.

Kuzco stepped back, getting a surprisingly strong sensation of being punched in the gut.  Whaaaaaaatttttt? He had NOT seen THAT little comment coming.

Alexandria threw her covers over her head and plunged back into the depths of her bed in one melodramatic plunge. "Just stay away from me!"

After ten minutes of standing there with his mouth open, Kuzco managed to walk out of her room. Head swirling with unvoiced thoughts. Whhy would she……in spite of all their bickering, she had never actually said that she HATED him.

It hurt. More than he thought it could.

Still in his meditative state, Kuzco plunked down on the floor of the hall, trying to get his bearings. OK. So, Alexandria was obviously very ticked about something. And she was taking it out on him, for some reason. Kuzco's mind quickly scanned the events of the previous days, and found nothing unusual- he and Alexandria had even been getting along better!

So, why-?

And more importantly, why did he care?