Daishoga had imagined the many ways she would respond to such  a kiss. Perhaps she would simply not react at all. Perhaps she would reluctantly return it. Perhaps she would quite simply pull away from the kiss. What he didn't expect was for her to strike him. It caught him completely off guard and surprisingly stung quite a bit. In all of his years as an Emperor nobody had dared to hit him in such a manner. Oh he had known quite a few indviduals who would have loved to to it, but none had actually had the audacity to go through with it.<br/><br/>In truth the Emperor was in a state of shock. He was uncertain. And then he felt her cool hands on his cheeks, and apologizing to him. He felt her hand on the place where her hand had struck him. But her words were meaningless for a brief moment as he sat there in a daze.<br/><br/>Finally he seemed to come back to reality.<br/><br/>"You just did what not even the bravest warriors of the land would dare to do," Daishoga remarked wryly. "It has been such a long time since I have been smacked in the face like that. The last time I was smacked like that it was for backtalking my mother during the invasion of the castle. And now I'm getting smacked for kissing you. Perhaps your actions weren't out of any sort of courage. Perhaps they were merely a reaction. But the result is the same."<br/><br/>Daishoga reached up and grasped the hand that was touching his cheek. He then gently moved it across his cheek gently as if needing the comfort of the touch. It was nice to feel her hand against his face. It seemed caring for that brief moment if only out of fear of what it had just done. He wanted to feel that touch without his coaxing. But he realized it would never happen. She tolerated him out of fear of what he could do to her. She dealt with him because he was in a position of power while she was subject to that very power.<br/><br/>He pushed the hand away from his face and got to his feet. He pulled back on his robes and made himself decent. The emperor snapped his fingers.Immediately four soldiers marched into the room.<br/><br/>"Please take her to the bedroom at the end of the hall," Daishoga said without turning to look at them. "There will be food waiting for you."<br/><br/>Two of the solders grasped her by her arms with unnecessary roughness and practically dragged her out of the room. They did seem a bit confused as to why they were taking her to the bedroom at the end of the hallway. It was, after all, Daishoga's own room. Nevertheless, they knew better than to question Daishoga's eccentric ways.<br/><br/>One of the guards not holding Sage's arms opened the door and they literally threw her into the room. But the room itself was elegant yet simple. A large bed sat on the far corner of the room. There was a small doorway on the right side of the room that opened up into a bathing chamber. There was also a table with a platter of food waiting. It seemed fresh as if it had just been put there.<br/><br/>Three of the soldiers left but one remained. He was a short man with small eyes and a mushed nose.<br/><br/>"Why is he giving you this sort of special treatment? You're just a servant girl." The soldier walked over to her and pressed his boot against her back. "Your life here isn't going to be a cakewalk. You Vaandom Kingdom peasants are nothing but scum. You're lower than scum. I would delight in breaking every one of you in half." His boot pressed harder against her back before reluctantly pulling away. "Watch yourself, girl."<br/><br/>The soldier stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind himself.