The Orange with Peculiar Medicinal Effects
The Emperor eyed the orange in his niece's hand. It was twice the size of a normal one, with a deep, golden skin that seemed to glow. He was touched by her thoughtfulness, but the truth was, he couldn't stand anything sour.
"You eat it, Solana," he said, his voice gentle. "It's just this old ailment of mine acting up again. A good night's sleep is all I need."
Cassidy completely ignored him. "It's delicious, Uncle. You have to try it."
With that, she quickly peeled the orange. The skin came away easily, revealing plump, juicy sections that filled the air with a sweet, intoxicating fragrance. Before anyone could react, she plucked a slice free and popped it right into the Emperor's mouth.
"See? Sweet, right?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.
The Emperor, an orange slice now unexpectedly on his tongue, was about to scowl and spit it out. But the sour tang he was bracing for never came. Instead, a pure, clean sweetness flooded his mouth, present but not overwhelming, followed by a refreshing, fruity scent.
His eyes lit up. All pretense of formality dropped away as he took the rest of the orange from Cassidy's hand and began to slowly peel and eat it himself. It was so rare for his brother and niece to act this sensible, and he let himself sink into the simple pleasure of being cared for.
After he'd finished the whole thing, the Emperor was surprised to find that the throbbing in his forehead had mostly vanished.
The tension from a long day of court affairs had eased, too.
He didn't think much of it, just figured that seeing his brother and niece finally show him some concern had put him in a better mood, which in turn had eased his headache.
"Solana, where did you get this orange?"
Cassidy lied without missing a beat. "A friend gave it to me."
The Emperor blurted out, "You have friends?"
The girl's reputation in Argent was, to put it mildly, terrible. The noble ladies of the city avoided her like she was carrying the plague.
*Was he even trying to be polite?* Cassidy thought. "What, I can't have friends? I have friends all over the world!"
Just then, Physician Miller, who'd caught the fresh scent of the fruit, stepped forward, his expression serious. "Your Majesty," he asked solemnly, "may I smell the peel in your hand?"
Surprised, the Emperor looked down at the orange peel he was still holding, then handed it over.
Physician Miller took it cautiously, leaning in to inhale its scent. A clean, bright fragrance filled his nose and seemed to travel all the way down to his lungs. His eyes widened.
"Your Majesty," he said, turning back to the Emperor, "this is no ordinary orange. It has the same properties, regulating energy, nourishing the body, as that Mixue remedy the Princess presented to the Empress Dowager a few days ago."
At that, the Emperor snatched the peel right back out of the physician's hand. He brought it to his own nose, took a deep breath, and felt a jolt of shock. He'd thought his headache had faded because he was in a good mood. But it hadn't been his mood at all. It had been the orange.
"Solana," he asked again, his tone more urgent, "which friend gave you this?"
"A friend from the martial underworld," Cassidy replied.
The Emperor's mind immediately went to the girl's mother, and his gaze on Prince Ashworth sharpened with scorn. *So, his sister-in-law is too embarrassed to be seen with this rogue,* he thought, *and only visits her daughter in secret now?*
Prince Ashworth, completely oblivious, just saw the Emperor's disgusted look and felt a pang of confusion. Was his brother mad that he hadn't gotten an orange?
He thought for a moment before offering, "Brother, if you like oranges from the martial underworld, I'll have someone ship a whole crate back for you."
The Emperor stared at him, incredulous. *Is this really about me liking oranges? Did this fool not hear a single word the physician said? This is an orange that can heal!*
"You should drink less," the Emperor advised, his voice strained with earnestness, "and try to act a little more respectable. Otherwise, no woman is ever going to give you the time of day."
Ashworth was baffled. Why was his brother suddenly talking like he was on his deathbed, handing out last words of advice?
He shot a worried look at Physician Miller. "Physician, is my brother's illness still curable?"
Physician Miller was speechless for a moment.
"Your Highness, please rest assured. His Majesty's headaches are a chronic issue, but they are not life-threatening."
He raised a finger and pointed to the peel in the Emperor's hand.
"This orange the Princess gave you is extraordinary. The peel, especially, has unique medicinal properties. If His Majesty carries it with him and smells it often, it will, over time, surely cure this ailment completely."
Hearing this, Prince Ashworth immediately turned to Steward Payne, who was standing nearby. "Quick, go get an embroidered pouch! We need to put this peel inside so His Majesty can wear it at his waist."
Steward Payne didn't dare hesitate. He returned in moments with a bright yellow pouch embroidered with a coiled dragon, carefully placed the orange peel inside, and tied it to the Emperor's belt.
With the peel safely secured, Ashworth let out a sigh of relief.
"Brother, you must never take that off," he advised seriously.
"If you get tired reviewing documents, lean in and smell it. If my daughter and I get on your nerves, just take a quick sniff, it'll definitely calm you down."
He patted his brother's arm. "You have to take care of yourself from now on. Please don't make my daughter and me worry anymore."
The Emperor was speechless. The nerve of this guy, acting like *he* was the responsible one.
But now that he had the medicinal orange peel, he had no desire to argue with Ashworth any longer. He turned and smiled lovingly at Cassidy. "You really are a thoughtful child. If only my own kids were half as considerate as you."
Cassidy's lips curled into a wide grin. "Of course! Uncle, your sons are all busy chasing pretty faces, and your daughters are all eyeing your throne. I'm the only one who's actually worried about your health. I went through so much trouble to get that orange from my friend.
I didn't even save a piece for my own father; I brought it all for you."
The Emperor was utterly charmed, his mood brightening considerably. "You're the sweetest girl," he said, his voice thick with affection. "Seriously, none of my own children are as thoughtful as you. You truly are the child I raised. My affection wasn't wasted."
Prince Ashworth, practically vibrating with jealousy, had to jump in. "Brother, that's *my* daughter."
The Emperor rolled his eyes at him. "Your daughter? Have you personally raised her for a single day?"
Ashworth choked on his words and fell silent. It was hard enough for him to take care of himself; how was he supposed to know how to raise a daughter?
Seeing the Emperor in such a good mood, Cassidy seized her chance. She wiggled the worn-out bow and arrows on her back. "Uncle, look. Don't you think my bow is getting a little old?"
The smile on the Emperor's lips froze.
*So, while they're after the Dragon Throne,* he thought, *this little rascal is after my private treasury.*
He glanced at the plain-looking bow on her back. It was, indeed, shabby.
He lifted his chin toward Steward Payne. "Go. Get the Cloudpiercer Bow from the imperial treasury and give it to this little troublemaker."
Steward Payne bowed quickly, a smile flickering in his eyes.
Only Princess Solana would dare to so brazenly raid the Emperor's personal collection.
Just last month, after the Third Prince had returned victorious from putting down a rebellion, Noble Consort Shen had begged His Majesty to award the Cloudpiercer Bow to him. The Emperor hadn't budged.
But now, the princess just batted her eyelashes, mentioned an old bow, and the Emperor handed over his prized possession without a second thought.
That kind of favoritism was something else entirely.