The Villainess wishes to be loved

Chapter 1: Peace Conference (Diana's pov)

A sigh left my lips.....

I held my head down as my hands clenched each side of the skirt of my dress which was spread. 

'Dear God, when will my father tell me to stop curtseying? One more minute and my legs will give up.'

'' You may stand, Diana. I wish to see your face.'' my father asked into the silence. I stand with my eyes aimed straight at the imperial father. My father clapped his hands and the guards stood with their heads down looking up at the scene of me standing below obediently and my father who put his hands together.

' Are the rumors that he is sick perhaps true? Clearly, he is not in his right mind.'

'' These unwavering eyes are true of Claudius' blood, my dear.'' my father said whilst beaming. 

'My father would have called me for nothing. There must be something.'

My father suddenly held his chin with his fingers and looked at me with piercing eyes and with a face that was so serious that I almost thought I had committed treason. 

My heart was beating so fast that it felt almost suffocating. I clenched my dress with my fingers and felt my sweat covering the palm of my hand.

 '' Well, I called you here to make an announcement. Members of other royal families and imperial families will be coming together this week. The council has advised me that we should be the host this time around for the peace conference especially since we had just gone to war with the Empire of Erenian. As you know many had died during the Battle of Jeremium, both the Erenian Empire and we may have drawn but the future isn't certain. I wanted to let you know that the crown prince of the Erenian Empire would be coming as a representative with his aide and important dukes and duchesses of the Erenian Empire. I heard stories of the crown prince's intellect and of course his beauty which cannot be compared.'' the emperor said with the same serious tone he started the talk with, 'You are smart, I'm sure you understand what I mean?''

' Of course, I knew it. A political alliance - a necessity which is needed for an empire to survive.' 

'' I have said what I wanted, you may leave.'' the emperor said with a tone of achievement in his voice. 

''Then I shall take my leave first. May the Sun prosper through glory.' I said, holding my hand to my chest as I curtsey. I turned around and started walking gracefully as the guards were watching closely and intently as if they were trying to pick faults with me.

 When I reached my bed-chamber, I asked my lady in waiting, Elena, to leave me alone and close the bed-chamber door. I aggressively took my bracelets off and smacked them on the dressing table and pushed everything that lay on the table to the floor. My eyes that looked down at my tears that dropped one by one, moved their way up to face the mirror. 

'How stupid could I have been to believe that he called me for anything but to do something beneficial for him. In order to make the throne stable, he would do anything.'