Era of Stone

Part 1

Ever since I was a little girl my servants always told me: "You are so lucky, my lady.", "You will became the empress!", "The emperor son is such a pretty boy!", "You will have such a good looking husband!" or "You will have all you ever wanted!".
At first I believed them, I gave everything I could to learn how to be a princess, an empress. All the boring behavior lessons, all the inconvenient frilly dresses, all I could do, I did.

When the day to meet my betrothed arrived I was walking on the clouds. Would he be as tall as I imagined? Would he be gentle? Would he be caring?
I was 12 and it was the emperor's son 15 birthday. When I walked inside, butterflies dancing around in my stomach it felt as if I had been hit by a horse, all air leaving my lungs at once.

He was sitting in the middle of the throne room, his wood throne shorter than his dad was but still pretty impressive, at his right side was a woman on her knees. She was feeding him grapes while he held her in a leash. At his left side another woman, she was holding a glass of water and some napkins as she waited for his orders, she also wore a leash. In front of his feet another one caressed the foot he forced against her face and just like the others, there was a leash on her neck.

- Who are you? - he looked angrily at me. - Nobody is allowed to enter my party without my calling!
- I-I'm your... fiancée. - the words burning my throat as I held my tears back.
- Oh! The kid my father promised I'd marry? Yeah, I don't like younger girls.
- B-but the emperor and my dad...
- I don't care about some agreement my old man did. If he like you so much he should be the one having to bang you. You don't even have boobs yet. Ew.

I ran away before he could continue. I ran straight home and held onto the head maid's waist while I cried my eyes out.
She held me as she soothed me, but she was right about something, there wasn't much I could do about it.
Even if my father once saved the emperor's life, the emperor had already paid his debts when he agreed to marry his son to me, there was nothing else we could do besides hoping for an uneventful life for me. That the emperor's son would get his pleasure elsewhere and forget about me.

As years passed I learned what I should pray for. That he only looked for me once. That I'd get pregnant in the first try and that I'd give him a male heir.
That way he could possibly forget about me and have fun with his concubines.

I trained every single day of my life, dreading the day I'd have to go live in the castle. When that day finally arrived, when I was 18 years old, I thanked my servants and got on the carriage waiting for me. When I got to the palace there was no one waiting for me, I asked a servant to take me to my abode and she did as I asked.

- It is a shame you arrived at such a dangerous time, my lady.
- Dangerous?
- Haven't you heard? We are at war, the emperor and his son will be leaving the castle tomorrow morning to fight.
- Oh, is that so?
- Yes. I'm pretty sure that is the only reason your betrothed haven't come to see you himself.

I could tell by the way she nibbled at her nails that she knew that wasn't the case, but she was trying not to hurt my feelings, so I smiled at her, such sweet servant.

- Yes, that must be it. I'll wait until he is back.

I didn't know at that time that he would never be back, actually, more like he never got the chance to leave.

When the morning came I didn't dare open my windows. I hoped the servant that helped me yesterday would be too busy and forgot about me, I didn't want the emperor and his son to remember my existence.
I was making myself some tea when my door was kicked open. The man on the other side of the door wasn't using the usual attire for guards, he had blue short hair and fair skin, his eyes watched the inside of my abode without much interest.