How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Bonus Chapter #1

--Valeria POV--

"Well, you sure have lived one heck of a life, haven't you, dear?"

I woke up for a start, a subtle groggy feeling hovering over me and making me want to just close my eyes and go to sleep... But, wait... If I recall correctly, I should be dead. Or was I just dreaming? When Stacius stabbed me, I died; I was sure of it.

"Where... Am I?" I mumbled out, putting a hand to my head, confused.

"Life. After. Death," A voice answered.

I looked up, following the voice and came face to face with an odd-looking man. Actually, I don't think he was even human. We both shared a short staring contest with me mostly just trying to figure out who, or rather what, he was.

He had wings protruding out of his back, large wings, one of them being a dark black and the other a pure white. As if rivalling his white wing, his hair was of the same crystallised colour and his eyes were like no other, silver eyes with a golden border around the pupil.

"It is sad to know that such a kind-hearted and beautiful soul had such a sad ending," He sighed a sad sigh, looking at me as though I deserved better.

"What is considered a sad ending?" I curiously asked.

"Well, death, I feel most would say. The death of a good person," He added on, nudging his head towards me to say that he was talking about me. I smiled lightly at him after hearing his words.

"For me, that was the happiest ending I could have wished for... I could not have lived a happy life after everything that happened, death was the only answer... So, right now, I am happy," He gave me an odd look but pushed no further.

A few more moments of lukewarm silence hovered between us until I broke it, wondering what was going to happen now that I had died.

"Who...?" I drifted off, not knowing what to say.

"Right, I'm a sustainer, call me 4501... I work with souls after they die, I help them decide whether they want to choose reincarnation or the afterlife... Right now, we are in a place called purgatory. The 12 gods that you used to always pray to, don't exist and my mere existence is proof of that,"

"Wait... I don't really understand anything right now... I was- Stacius-" I cut myself off, looking down at my body but the blood or even the stab wound that was supposed to be there were gone as if it were never even there.

"Your body is dead, berried 6 ft under on Earth, right now this body in which your soul is residing is just a mere mirror image of who you used to be, the blood and all the other physical wounds you had on that body is on that body, not this one,"

"...Oh," I breathed out.

"Are my children okay?" I asked, thinking about my two boys who I don't know if I'll ever be able to see again. Evander and Ambrogio, I only wish I could have said goodbye to them.

"Why don't you see for yourself," The man nudged his head behind me and I followed his gaze, eyes widening at the sight of my two boys sat in front of a grave, my grave, small smiles on their faces and lips moving as though they were talking to me.

"Evander is the new Emperor with Ambrogio and Julius being his right-hand men," The man, or 4501, as he wanted me to call him, came to stand beside me as he watched my children with me.

"New Emperor?" I echoed. 

Then, what happened to...

"After killing you, Evander killed Anastacius," I jumped at his words. So, Stacius died too. "Where is-" He cut me off.

"I cannot tell you where your husband is right now, that's confidential..." I bit my lip, turning back to look at my children... "But, I can assure you, that wherever he is now, that man can no longer harm you," I turned to look back at the person and he smiled a small, encouraging smile.

"You are a new soul, you've just lived your first life and it may not have gone as expected by you. Hell, I've never heard of anyone giving birth to a devil's incarnation in their first life before, but-"

"What did you just say?" I cut him off with a glare... I gave birth to a devil's incarnation? So, this man is telling me that one of my children is a devil? No way... Neither Ambrogio nor Evander can be a devil, not with the beautiful lives they're living.

"Nothing, never mind... That is a story for another time," He quickly said, waving his hands, face clearly filled with regret after having heard his own words.

"Now, Valeria... I have a question for you... Do you want to go to heaven? Or do you wish to be reincarnated and try living as a human once more?" He got straight to the point.

I opened my mouth but no words came out, what am I supposed to say? I don't know what to do and I never could have dreamed to be in this situation.

"If you go to heaven now, with your soul as wounded as it currently is, do you truly believe that you can let this soul of yours rest?... That man that you used to call husband really hurt you in more ways than one and everyone knows that you deserved better,"

"So... What do you suggest?" I asked.

"Anastacius can never hurt you again. He will either burn in the depths of hell for his sins, or he will live a miserable and pitiful life if he gets reincarnated, far from you... Whatever decision you make, think only of yourself and your own happiness, not his or anyone else's... Because you are a beautiful woman with a beautiful soul and in whatever life you live, angels will always be looking out for you, keeping the devils and all other evil away,"

"Then, if I choose reincarnation... Will I get to truly live a happy life? Will I really be able to be free and live like I want by my own rules?" I asked, almost tearing up at my own words.

How long have I yearned for freedom?... My life with Stacius was so cramped, hidden from the large world and behind the suffocating palace walls. But now, now I've been given a chance to truly live a life again, one where freedom is not something anyone can steal from me.

"It will be your life. No one else's... And with the number of angels that will be looking out for your wonderful soul, I can guarantee that you will have both your freedom and your happiness, whether it be as a proud, independent woman or with a man that is deserving of your love,"

My eyes burned with the brimming of tears and I think a few may have even fallen out by accident when he patted my head, a warm smile on his face.

"I think we both know what your answer is then, right?"

And for the first time in, I don't know how long, I smiled a joyful smile, so bright and so wide that my cheeks began to hurt, I laughed a laugh, filled with so much happiness it burned my heart, and I looked forward to the future, something that I haven't had the luxury of doing for far too long. And, most importantly, over anyone else, I thought of myself first.

"Live a long, happy life... Ria,"

...

To everyone who wanted Ria to get her happy ending, here you go. 

Also, if you don't understand what's happening in this situation with the 'sustainer' or anything else then it would make sense if you read Book 2 (A Simple Man In Love).

P.S. If you want to know what happened to Stacius after his death and where he ended up then just let me know and I'll be happy to publish that Bonus chapter for you guys too :)