How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Chapter 3 - Chance Encounters

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I am aware that the life I live is worlds apart from the lives of those I protect, so every now and then, when I am looking for a moment of respite from my acts of being emperor, I enjoy putting on a disguise and walking through the streets of my Empire. 

Seeing people living their everyday lives... Lives that are so different from mine has always intrigued me. We are all human, born and dying just the same yet I am the one on the golden pedestal, and they are the ones who put me there. 

But even then, rather than being thankful, I crave what they have. From the top of the world, I look down on theirs and see how content they are, yet even with everything that I have, I am always left unsatisfied. Perhaps it is because, unlike them who return to a warm home, I return to the cold walls of a constricting palace.

If I were given the chance to change that, to- just like them, be able to return to a warmer home where there is someone of meaning waiting to greet me, then will this dissatisfaction of mine be cured? I am certain that is so.

As I walked along the dirt path, doing my best to blend in amongst all the busy bustle of the market street, my eyes scanned over each and every stall that had sellers advertising their goods. Ranging from food to clothes and jewellery, there was something of everything, and I almost found myself giving into my curiosity to buy something.

Unfortunately, it seems that my attempt at discretion wasn't as successful as I would have hoped when an older woman, focused on selling her fruits, caught sight of me, and before I could dodge her, she lunged at me like a hungry piranha, grabbing hold of my arm to keep me from straying, much to my displeasure.

I was so shocked by her audaciousness; I almost pulled out my knife and slashed it through her throat in thoughts that she may have been an assassin.

"Buy some fruits, mister, brand new and just stocked up on them." She winked, going back to stand behind her vendor as I peered down at the fruit. The fruit itself looked fine, but the way this woman leapt forward and grabbed onto me before asking me to buy it would make one think that she had poisoned it.

"I... do not have any money right now." I lied, not wanting to risk anything.

"Aye, you cannot fool me. You look like a patrician with that healthy skin, sculpted stature and flawless beauty. Help a small plebeian like myself out by buying some fruit, will you?" I winced at her words. She didn't look very little, and her personality was that much bigger than her stature. "I need to earn money to live, you know?" She added on.

"Unfortunately for you, I do not care-"

My words were cut off by another. A familiar voice; soft, light and irresistibly sweet, one which I've been dreaming of for the past week.

"We will take two apples, please?" She seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, stopping me before I made a scene, and dragging the attention unto herself. Valeria, sweet Valeria, what was she doing here of all places? In the middle of the market street.

I had been thinking of her every passing day without delay, but not once did I imagine that I would bump into her on the street on the very day that I left the safe confines of my palace, what is this coincidence? The gods must either be playing with me or testing my restraint.

"Oh my, if it isn't my dear Valeria." The woman laughed, leaning forward to pat her cheek all while I continued to stare at this wondrous woman in awe as she picked out the fruits she wished to buy. I could only wonder if this was real or another dream of mine.

"Have you been well? The fruits today look nice and fresh." This woman who has been taking over my every thought spoke with no thought of the mess that was parading inside my mind right now. While I was still reeling from the fact that she was here, stood beside me as if it were a usual occurrence, I wondered if Tiberius had been incorrect with his information when he said that she was a sheltered child?