Mila couldn't believe it, but he had asked the same question that Ambrose asked. Mila faced him with a gentle smile. "No, there's no need to hold such unnecessary feelings for someone who only wanted benefits from you."
He thought of his lover at that moment when Mila smiled with her hair moving with the wind. "Oh, you never told me your name. Will I keep calling you mister?" Mila asked innocently.
'The way you only call me mister is offensive to the emperor.' He sighed. "You can call me Aiken, but when I am in my other mask then it has to be 'your majesty', got it?" Aiken looked to the little child that would amuse him but also offend him.
"Okay!" Mila didn't think that she would have a good talk with him. She already knew who he was since he didn't have anything hidden much. The mask was the only different part of him. "Hey, what's with your family thing involving the mask?" Mila asked hoping it wasn't offending him.
"If I tell you, will you think of me differently?" He asked letting Mila think for a moment, but there was no need to wait.
"I will never think of anyone differently!" Mila kept her composure from bursting in annoyance. "I only have one thought and feeling for each person. If a promise or trust is broken between me and that person then our path will be nothing but shattered fragments of the past. I will never change how I think of an individual at first glance. I trust my senses and instinct."
Aiken scoffed seeing how Mila was really one of a kind. 'What a strange girl.' He thought seeing how she really trusted her senses more than any others opinions or words. "This has been a curse that's been bestowed on this kingdom. If I removed the mask, anyone who sees my face will die immediately within a day. Honestly, I do not mind if anyone dies because of seeing my face."
"Then, why do you wear it?" Mila wanted to know his reason.
"I have people that I love that's why. I do this for their safety. If I was a cold and heartless man then everyone in this kingdom would be the ones wearing masks instead." He said looking at the strange girl.
"I think you are a good emperor. You only wish to see your people and your loved ones happy. I do not wish to see you harmed in any way. You are one of the greatest rulers that I've met. I wish that the Mireraweth emperor can be more considerate than to drown himself in his harem." Mila stood with the man looking at the sun.
"I know of your emperor. He's a disgusting man." Aiken said looking to Mila once more.
"I know. I've seen him before. We can bad mouth him all we want because he's not the ruler of this kingdom." Mila laughed which Aiken also laughed with her.
"Hahaha!!!"
"You would actually bad mouth your emperor behind his back." Aiken couldn't believe a little girl like her would do so.
"Like I said, I do not change my feelings or thoughts about someone at first glance. You are a good person to me at first glance." Mila stretched her hand out. "Till we meet again." She said with Aiken smiling under his mask.
"Till we meet again." He shook her hand as Mila left. He stood on the roof still. "I know your there. Why don't you come out?" Aiken waited patiently and calmly.
Walking out, Emmett walked over to stand beside Aiken. "You didn't want to expose me. Why is that?" He didn't understand why he didn't just call him out when Mila was there.
"I don't want to hurt the little girl's feelings. She is far more unique and you've been with her longer so I do not want you and her to have any 'broken fragments' like she said." Aiken didn't understand why he would hide.
"Thank you for your words of advice, but I will have to tell you that she already knew I was there."
Aiken was a bit surprised. "Oh, how so?"
"She isn't a ignorant child. She's trained her entire life to know and detect others. She isn't weak. She was born in a home where her siblings all hated her expect one. Both were alike since they were disliked by their siblings and found a family bond there. She even won her father's favor at birth. Every servant or maid that had harmed her had been punished and nearly killed."
"Oh, she's from a noble household?" Aiken didn't even think about that.
"Yes, but she was born between a maid and noble man. She was seen as one of the lowest and left alone, but she found more friends and people who were willing to serve and protect her. She brought all of us out of our dull world to hers." Emmett smiled remembering his harsh moments in his family that despised him.
"Oh, so you really do care for her? You weren't planning on helping your kingdom?" Aiken knew that once Emmett found out about the war he would do something.
"I did think about it, but I would rather watch my kingdom crumble than to see my loved ones perish and disappear before me. My kingdom isn't my pride or life. My loved ones that supported and encouraged me are." Emmett had surprised Aiken with what he had just admitted. "I have no more to tell you now because I have already said what I wanted to say. If you do not trust me, then trust my young lady." Emmett left not long after with Aiken speechless.
"Tsk, you people are strange. I thought the girl was but you all are." Aiken figured it was about time for him to go back to the palace anyway.
***
Mila was off on her own, she needed to find Skye. She still didn't have that much time on her hands. "Hey, what are you doing here at this time?" Vivian spoke to Mila who stood at Maedda's holy monastery which only women could enter.
"I just wanted to see if I could get any connection here." Mila walked inside to be greeted by a nun.
"Greetings, what may this little lady be doing here?" The sister asked with Mila smiling to greeting her.
"Greetings, I wanted to see if I could visit this place. I haven't seen it before." Mila was allowed in.
"No weapons. Please allow me to hold it." Another nun stood as Mila gladly handed her the sword. She didn't want to disrespect them.
Entering inside, Mila was hit with another strong aura. [Master??? Your here already?]
"Skye..." Mila looked around to feel the air around in the monastery.
***
A/N: Massive update lol! Happy Valentine's Day!
