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“And the hero Marcelo was buried in a place of honor, the beautiful empress never forgetting the valiant man who had given his life for her, and her empire prospered ever afterward. The end.”
Emily blinked her large brown eyes at him, unimpressed. Corvo prepared himself for the flood.
“...Why are your stories all so romantic, Corvo?”
He chuckled. “Romantic? That wasn’t romantic.”
She pulled a face, mimicking him. “’And Marcelo pledged himself to the empress body and soul because he was so in lo-o-o-ve.’”
Corvo inclined his head and laughed, batting a hand at her. “Alright, I see your point. But that was just to keep things interesting. Move the plot along, so to speak.”
“I think battles are interesting. And whales. And magic!”
“That story had two of the three. Was that not exciting enough for you?”
Emily opened her mouth to make another (surely snappy) retort, but another voice rose from behind them, cutting her off.
“I think it may have been a little too exciting.”
Corvo’s face immediately lit up as he turned, beholding Jessamine’s silhouette near the door. She shot him a cautionary look and he responded with a sheepish grin, patting Emily’s head as he rose from his chair.
“There’s no pleasing you two, it seems. I believe this is goodnight, Emily. I think your mother would like to have a word with me.”
“Yes, I would,” Jessamine added, bending to kiss her daughter’s forehead. “Sleep well, darling.”
They continued out and traded glances when the door was safely shut behind them, Emily slightly disappointed but quietly resting inside.
The empress was the first to speak, facing her bodyguard with a sigh of relief. “Thank you for putting her to bed again, Corvo. She won’t sleep at all unless she gets a story from you.”
“You know I’d do anything for either of you. Even if it means receiving merciless criticism of my stories.”
They shared a laugh, but he noticed that her smile did not reach her eyes.
“Would the empress like a bedtime story as well?”
The tilt of her head and the drop of her eyes told him that he’d said the wrong thing.
“Not tonight, Corvo. I’ll be up reviewing documents until morning as it is.” Her hand drifted to her temple, and he winced, wishing to free those dark locks from their severe bun.
Disappointment came swiftly and acutely, but he adamantly refused to let his expression break in her presence, forcing a grin until he’d safely turned his face away. “Alright. I’ll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Jessamine.”
It was a few long moments before he heard her reply chase him down the hall, catching him totally by surprise. When it did come to him, he did not look back, but the furtive, abashed, and very familiar smile was there.
“Goodnight, Marcelo.”