How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Chapter 1 - Shy Glances

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I heard her before I saw her.

The sound of her laughter; soft, bright, and full of life. That echoing sound left my heart thrumming against my insides, making me halt in my steps and instinctively search for it. 

In this calculating world in which I was born, her laughter sounded through with a freedom which I could only yearn for. And with that said laughter of hers bringing light into my boring world, she became my undoing. And I, hers.

"Who is that?" I asked. Having been walking the length of the colonnade on my morning stroll as I enjoyed the sun from the shade, I found myself halting mid-step at the sound of that wondrous laugh which cut through this sweltering heat like a cool breeze.

One of my generals, Tiberius, who had been walking with me, answered my question. The situation was rather fortunate as Tiberius is a curious man who knows something about everything, and this time was no different.

"That would be Valeria, she is the younger sister of Julius," His curious eyes were focused on me as he answered, but having gotten her name, I now wanted more than that. "If I recall correctly, you had met her a number of years back," He added on. I did?

But the longer I gazed at her, the more familiar she seemed.

"Right, I do remember Julius having a sister, I did not pay much attention to her then as we were both young, but now..." I drifted off at a loss for words. How was it possible for someone to grow so beautiful? As a child, I may have thought her to be cute, but there was nothing out of the ordinary about her. 

Now, however, it was all different. Was it because we were both older now? Or was it because my attraction stemmed from the sound of her laughter over anything else? I could not say.

"Why have I not seen her before? If she is the sister of the head of my guard then she should be visiting this palace more often than not." There would be no way that someone as enticing as she could walk around without my notice in my very own palace. It would be impossible for me to not notice her.

"I assume it is because she is a sheltered child who does not stray far from her Domus, but it seems that today she was running an errand for her mother," He explained.

"An errand?" I echoed.

"Her mother is in poor health, and Julius has not returned home in a few moons, so she must have taken the task upon herself to visit him." I hummed, leaning against the pillar with crossed arms as I silently continued to watch her laugh with her brother as they talked about something in my garden.

This beautiful garden which was brimming with life where the fountains and birds made it seem like a place right out of heaven held nothing in comparison to her person. She stood out like the brightest dove, and nature itself humbled in her presence.

"It seems that the brother and sister share a close bond." Tiberius observed, and I couldn't disagree. Julius is the head of my guard, having taken over the spot his father left him a few years back. He was good at his job, so much so to the point where I would consider him a friend. Yet even as his friend, he rarely spoke of his family, and I was starting to regret not having asked about them, or rather, her, specifically.

"Is there anything you wish for me to do, your imperial majesty?" Tiberius asked. And in my entranced state, focused on her and only her, with the rest of the world fading into white, I spoke without much thought. But I spoke the truth.

"I wish to make her mine."

"Pardon me, your imperial majesty?" He said, surprised, snapping me out of my daze.