Heart's Desire

Chapter 25

"Are you sure we did the right thing?" Odessa asked.

"We are free of him. And so is everyone else. And with him gone, more people have come clean about what he has done. Apparently, he was oppressive of the poor people by not listening to their wishes and ignoring them."

"What are we going to do now?" she asked.

"Well, the first thing we're going to do, is tie the knot."

"Eventually," she said. "I-I want things to die down."

I walked over to her as she was sitting on the edge of my bed. After what had happened in the Colosseum, which has only been a couple days since then, the empire was slowly falling apart. It was for the best. We needed to start anew. I was going to be taking over as Caesar for now.

"I understand," I said and sat beside her.

She rested her hand on my thigh, squeezing it.

"I-I'm sorry if I killed the mood earlier."

"It's alright, Odessa. I understand why you're hesitant with doing anything right now. Especially since we have bigger things we need to focus on before coming together."

"Do you still want to start a family?" Odessa asked.

"Of course I do. And I want to start it with you," I said.

She smiled, pressing a kiss to my forehead, "But we're going to wait."

"I know."

"Y/N," my mother entered the room. "Someone wishes to speak with you."

I turned and Odessa stood up, ready to protect me if needed. My mother moved aside and left the room as Aetius stepped in. Odessa stepped towards him.

"What do you want?"

"Your father was right," Aetius said. "You really are the stain of this empire."

I pushed Odessa aside, facing Aetius now.

"Is that why you wanted to come talk to me? To rub it in my face that my father never loved me? That he was only using me to get what he wanted?"

"Your father promised me and my father everything if the marriage went through. A place in the palace, a higher seat on the council, hell, anything my father and I could have imagined."

"You were making a deal with a devil," I said.

"The only deal I made with a devil was our deal."

"Which you should have known I was never going to take."

"Your father promised me an heir to my family."

"His promise can no longer be kept. He's not around to make sure it is fulfilled."

"I will make it come true."

"You so much as put one hand on her," Odessa said.

"Like I would be scared of you."

"You really should be," Odessa said, tilting her head up to look down at him. "I am stronger and taller than you. What are you going to fucking do about it?"

"Mark my words, Y/N," Aetius said as he walked out of the room. "I will have an heir."

"Good. Find someone who will provide you with one."

"I will come for you. Not even your beast of a partner can stop me."

Odessa was about to walk after him, but I grabbed her hand.

"Let him go. He's not worth it."

"You think I'm going to let that threat prevent me from killing him? He is basically saying he will have his way with you. I can't let that happen."

"That is why we're not going to let that happen," I said. "We're going to crack down on guards, on security. No one is allowed in the palace unless we give them permission to. Every door, window, any exit and entrance will be sealed and have a guard standing place."

"Y/N, do you know what kind of message that will send to the empire? You're making it feel like we're going to be attacked?"

"I was just attacked. Verbally. And Aetius is the kind of childish boy to follow through with his words."

She nodded her head, "I'll be beside you wherever and whenever."

I nodded my head, "I was hoping you would no matter what."

Her arms wrapped around me, pulling me close to her.

"You are my Caesar after all. I can't have anything happen to you."

I smiled, "You flatter me, Dez."

She leaned towards me and placed a few chaste kisses to my lips before eventually pulling away.

"I'll inform the guards of our decision."

"I should come with you."

We left the room and my mother found us as we were walking around the palace.

"I take it the talk didn't go well?"

"What did he tell you?"

"He said he wanted to make peace with you."

"That is the exact opposite of making peace," I said.

"What did the little shit head say?"

"Father promised him he would have an heir, since he wanted me to marry him."

"Shit," my mother said.

"So we're informing the guards that no one is allowed in unless we give them permission. And they will be stationed literally every where," Odessa said.

"Do we have enough guards for that?" my mother asked.

"If we don't, I am sure some members of the army or gladiators could help. Just as long as it comes from the Caesar herself."

"They're not going to listen to me. The gladiators especially. So you might have a better time convincing them," I said.

"You have a good point there."

"I'll see if Antonius can help us. Oh, he wanted me to tell you that was quite the show you put on," my mother directed it towards Odessa.

"Was it now? I thought it was too much."

"Too much? How he revealed you was too much," I said. "It was just returning the favor."

Odessa shrugged, "I wanted to get back at your father. I didn't mean for it to go that far."

"But for us to be happy, to be together like this," I reached down and grabbed her hand. "We had to get rid of him."

"But that means we left the door open for Aetius to finish what your father started."

"He's as scary as a drenched rat," I said. "He should be scared of you."

"I think he is. He just doesn't want to admit it."

"Pussy," my mother said, causing us to laugh.

Once we were finished setting up the new preparations for the guards, the gates that were constantly opened were lowered. There were two sets of guards there while there were patrols around the entire palace. We couldn't go two feet without running into a guard. I just hope this was going to be enough.