The small room echoed with the excited chatter of the young women as they dressed. Tonight the Emperor would choose his bride and it would be one of the ten girls standing in that room. They had all been picked as the best the kingdom had to offer - all except one. In the corner of the room, a young girl was bound and gaged, dressed in nothing but her undergarments. Two figures occupied her spot in the room. br
"Aren't you ready yet?"br
Tetzu sighed from behind the red curtain. "I look rediculous."br
"I'm sure you look fine," Yzma replied. "Come out and let me have a look."br
The curtain pulled back and Tetzu stepped out. The white dress fit loosely around her small figure and the gold armbands insisted on sliding down to her wrists. Her gold earings were much too large for her, pulling her ears down under their weight, while her shaggy black hair refused to stay in a neat bun. br
Yzma blinked. "You look rediculous." She shook her head and turned away to glance at the other women being prepared for the bride-choosing ceremony that would take place in a few minutes. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Kuzco will pick you."br
Sighing, the young girl pulled her hair out of the bun, letting it fall down her back. "How can you be so sure? I'm nothing compared to the other girls that are competing for this position."br
"You are right. You have one thing they don't."br
"An evil plan to kill the Emperor?"br
"Okay, you have two things," Yzma retorted. "You have that and a brain."br
"What good is a brain going to do me when the Emperor chooses? He's not going to look for the smartest; he's going to look for the prettiest."br
"Just try to fix yourself up as much as you can. I'll handle the rest."br
A older man entered the room and clapped his hands to get the girls' attention. "It's time, ladies. It's time to see the Emperor. Line up, single-file."br
As the advisor concentrated on organizing the group of excited girls, Tetzu took off her gold armbands. Noticing the golden cord that held a curtain back, she untied it from the curtain and tied it around her waist. After a quick glance in the mirror, she took off her cumbersome earrings and tossed them onto the floor. It was better she look plain than rediculous. br
The advisor hurried the girls out of the room and down the hall to the throne room. The girls' anxious wispers died out and the whole room became silent as they watched Kuzco sitting on his throne. He had a pained expression on his face, like he was being fourced to do some unpleasent chore.br
With a sigh, the Emperor stood and aproached the line of ten girls. He glanced over them all, his gaze not staying on any girl for longer than the others. After a brief pause, he turned to his advisor. "They all look the same."br
"You have to pick, your highness."br
The Emporor glared at the line of girls. "Fine." Closing his eyes and covering them with his hand, he pointed at each girl in turn as he chanted,"Ennie-meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Ennie-meenie miney mo." Tetzu gasped - he was pointing to girl beside her! br
Suddenly something fell from above and landed on the chosen girl's head. The girl shriked and fell back as a white ball of fluff clawed at her face. Taking the opportunity, Tetzu used her foot to shove the girl to the side, and took her place in the line. When Kuzco opened his eyes, he was pointing straight at Tetzu. br
"Okay, you - you're the Empress. Come on, let's go get the wedding ceremony over with." He turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Tetzu with the advisor. As she was lead out of the room, she glanced back at the girl on her knees, sobbing in dispair. The new Empress turned away after smiling at the white Persian cat grooming herself in the shadows. P
As soon as Tetzu left the throne room, the advisor grabbed her wrist and hurried her into another room. "Change into your new clothes in here," he said, motioning to the clothing folded neatly on an enormous bed. "Don't forget the crown." He nodded to a exact replica of the crown the emperor wore. br
Tetzu groaned as the man left. "I hate that hat." The clothes that had been layed out for her fit slightly better than the ones she had been wearing before. She hated being so scrawny. A knock on the door told her that she needed to hurry. After setting the heavy crown on her head, she pulled open the door and alowed herself to be led to the throne room again.br
The rejected girls had been ushered out of the palace. Kuzco stood impatiently tapping his foot as the servent led Tetzu inside.
Kuzco's advisor raised an eyebrow at the girl before him, but went on with the ceremony. After chanting a few prayers to the sun god, the advisor motioned for a small group of servants to aproach them. "To finalize this sacred bond, you both must recieve the mark of the bonded."br
The Emperor looked around, confused. "The what of the who?" br
"A simple tatto, your highness."br
Kuzco paled a few shades as a servant held up a tatooing needle. "Can't we just get matching earrings or something?"br
"I'm afraid not."br
The servents gathered around the couple and started their task. The rest of the evening the palace was filled with screaches of pain and shouting of "No touchie!" P
That night, Tetzu was led down the hall towards the Emperor's room. They had been separated after the tatooing process because the Emperor had passed out in the middle of it. He had been taken to his room with a half-finished golden band around his upper arm. Tetzu absently rubed at her own golden-banded arm. It was swollen and tender from the needles that had been so harshly jabbed into it. At least she remained conscious for the whole ordeal. br
When she arrived at the Emperor's door, the servant who had escourted her left her to enter by herself. With a gentle knock on the door, Tetzu pushed it open. Kuzco lay awake on his bed. He cradled his half-tatooed arm, as he watched her come in.br
"They are going to finish your tatoo in the morning," Tetzu stated as she entered and shut the door behind her.br
"Great."br
"So," She sat herself down in the large, cushioned chair in the cornor of the room. "I guess we're married."br
Kuzco frowned. "Yeah, well, don't get too excited. I didn't want to get married or anything." He pulled the thick blanket up to his neck and settled down to go to sleep.br
Sighing, Tetzu followed his example by making herself comfortable in the chair. In the silence of the night, the couple drifted off to sleep, unaware of a white cat watching them from the corner of the room.P
"Aren't you ready yet?"br
Tetzu sighed from behind the red curtain. "I look rediculous."br
"I'm sure you look fine," Yzma replied. "Come out and let me have a look."br
The curtain pulled back and Tetzu stepped out. The white dress fit loosely around her small figure and the gold armbands insisted on sliding down to her wrists. Her gold earings were much too large for her, pulling her ears down under their weight, while her shaggy black hair refused to stay in a neat bun. br
Yzma blinked. "You look rediculous." She shook her head and turned away to glance at the other women being prepared for the bride-choosing ceremony that would take place in a few minutes. "Nevermind. It doesn't matter. Kuzco will pick you."br
Sighing, the young girl pulled her hair out of the bun, letting it fall down her back. "How can you be so sure? I'm nothing compared to the other girls that are competing for this position."br
"You are right. You have one thing they don't."br
"An evil plan to kill the Emperor?"br
"Okay, you have two things," Yzma retorted. "You have that and a brain."br
"What good is a brain going to do me when the Emperor chooses? He's not going to look for the smartest; he's going to look for the prettiest."br
"Just try to fix yourself up as much as you can. I'll handle the rest."br
A older man entered the room and clapped his hands to get the girls' attention. "It's time, ladies. It's time to see the Emperor. Line up, single-file."br
As the advisor concentrated on organizing the group of excited girls, Tetzu took off her gold armbands. Noticing the golden cord that held a curtain back, she untied it from the curtain and tied it around her waist. After a quick glance in the mirror, she took off her cumbersome earrings and tossed them onto the floor. It was better she look plain than rediculous. br
The advisor hurried the girls out of the room and down the hall to the throne room. The girls' anxious wispers died out and the whole room became silent as they watched Kuzco sitting on his throne. He had a pained expression on his face, like he was being fourced to do some unpleasent chore.br
With a sigh, the Emperor stood and aproached the line of ten girls. He glanced over them all, his gaze not staying on any girl for longer than the others. After a brief pause, he turned to his advisor. "They all look the same."br
"You have to pick, your highness."br
The Emporor glared at the line of girls. "Fine." Closing his eyes and covering them with his hand, he pointed at each girl in turn as he chanted,"Ennie-meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe. If he hollers, let him go. Ennie-meenie miney mo." Tetzu gasped - he was pointing to girl beside her! br
Suddenly something fell from above and landed on the chosen girl's head. The girl shriked and fell back as a white ball of fluff clawed at her face. Taking the opportunity, Tetzu used her foot to shove the girl to the side, and took her place in the line. When Kuzco opened his eyes, he was pointing straight at Tetzu. br
"Okay, you - you're the Empress. Come on, let's go get the wedding ceremony over with." He turned and stalked out of the room, leaving Tetzu with the advisor. As she was lead out of the room, she glanced back at the girl on her knees, sobbing in dispair. The new Empress turned away after smiling at the white Persian cat grooming herself in the shadows. P
As soon as Tetzu left the throne room, the advisor grabbed her wrist and hurried her into another room. "Change into your new clothes in here," he said, motioning to the clothing folded neatly on an enormous bed. "Don't forget the crown." He nodded to a exact replica of the crown the emperor wore. br
Tetzu groaned as the man left. "I hate that hat." The clothes that had been layed out for her fit slightly better than the ones she had been wearing before. She hated being so scrawny. A knock on the door told her that she needed to hurry. After setting the heavy crown on her head, she pulled open the door and alowed herself to be led to the throne room again.br
The rejected girls had been ushered out of the palace. Kuzco stood impatiently tapping his foot as the servent led Tetzu inside.
Kuzco's advisor raised an eyebrow at the girl before him, but went on with the ceremony. After chanting a few prayers to the sun god, the advisor motioned for a small group of servants to aproach them. "To finalize this sacred bond, you both must recieve the mark of the bonded."br
The Emperor looked around, confused. "The what of the who?" br
"A simple tatto, your highness."br
Kuzco paled a few shades as a servant held up a tatooing needle. "Can't we just get matching earrings or something?"br
"I'm afraid not."br
The servents gathered around the couple and started their task. The rest of the evening the palace was filled with screaches of pain and shouting of "No touchie!" P
That night, Tetzu was led down the hall towards the Emperor's room. They had been separated after the tatooing process because the Emperor had passed out in the middle of it. He had been taken to his room with a half-finished golden band around his upper arm. Tetzu absently rubed at her own golden-banded arm. It was swollen and tender from the needles that had been so harshly jabbed into it. At least she remained conscious for the whole ordeal. br
When she arrived at the Emperor's door, the servant who had escourted her left her to enter by herself. With a gentle knock on the door, Tetzu pushed it open. Kuzco lay awake on his bed. He cradled his half-tatooed arm, as he watched her come in.br
"They are going to finish your tatoo in the morning," Tetzu stated as she entered and shut the door behind her.br
"Great."br
"So," She sat herself down in the large, cushioned chair in the cornor of the room. "I guess we're married."br
Kuzco frowned. "Yeah, well, don't get too excited. I didn't want to get married or anything." He pulled the thick blanket up to his neck and settled down to go to sleep.br
Sighing, Tetzu followed his example by making herself comfortable in the chair. In the silence of the night, the couple drifted off to sleep, unaware of a white cat watching them from the corner of the room.P