Bride of the Ruthless Emperor

Episode Two

“My lady,” Emperor Alaric said, bowing. He wore a mischievous smile, his dark eyes twinkling with devilish charm. He brushed his dark hair away from his face as he rose.

“Your majesty,” Leanna said. From behind, her mother echoed the same. They both curtsied. Leanna wondered why he was there, at her room door, but she was unsure if she could ask that.

“May I come in, my lady?”

Men were typically not allowed in the bedchambers of women unless they were brothers, fathers, or husbands, but given his status, Leanna wondered how those rules applied to him.

“You may,” said her mother, coming up behind Leanna, and placing a calming hand on her waist.

The Emperor nodded, stepping in. He was a large man. The room seemed to shrink with him inside.

“A lovely chamber,” he said, looking around. His eyes rested on a painting at the end of the room, of a hilly terrain with deer running across.

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence, my lord?” Queen Halaria’s voice trembled.

The Emperor looked at her. His smile was gone now and his features were cold, his eyes dark and full of unpleasant mysteries. “I wish to speak with Princess Leanna.”

Queen Halaria beamed. “Well, that’s reasonable. What would you like to discuss with her?”

“Alone.” His voice was quiet. “I wish to speak with her alone.”

Queen Halaria spared a small glance in Leanna’s direction. Her eyes bore a question. Will you be all right?

Leanna nodded.

“I shall take my leave, my lord.” Queen Halaria gave Leanna’s shoulder a reassuring squeeze, then she left the room.

The door shut.

Rain splashed against the windows and the fire sparked in the grate.

“We leave in two days.”

What? Leanna wanted to cry out, but his stern tone let her know he didn’t want an argument. What little time was left!

She nodded, keeping her head bowed.

“What have you heard of me?” He moved deeper into the room, his cloak brushing against the ground. He always wore dark garments, as though they gave him protection. “Speak freely.”

Leanna thought of the good things. “You battled the dragon Wyrith and claimed its power for your own. It gave you and your empire unimaginable strength.”

“Boring.” He sat on her bed, comfortable, as though it’s a space he had been in for years. “Tell me other things.”

“You are feared across kingdoms, across the continent, across the world.” It didn’t seem like she had said enough. But what more could she say? The rest of his reputation consisted of foul rumors; talks of brutal killings, dark magic, and a harem of women he routinely sacrificed. How can she say any of that to him?

“You don’t speak freely, Leanna.”

He said her name like he was casting a spell. She felt the power of his words wash over her.

Lifting her gaze, she looked at him. She could read nothing favorable in his dark expression. “What would you have me say, your majesty?”

The question pleased him. “What do you think I desire the most in the world?”

Desire? What could a man of his position desire the most? “Power?”

“Such a smart princess.” He smiled, but it fades quickly. “I love power. I crave dominion and rulership the most.”

“You’re already the most powerful man in the world,” she blurted, unable to understand the sudden animation that came over him. “Why would you want more?”

“Because you can never have enough. Power is the only thing valuable in the world.”

“Isn’t that a lonely way to live life?” She clapped her hand over her mouth, shocked at her own brazenness. “Forgive me, your majesty.”

“You have a fire in you. I feared you might be a delicate creature, but it seems I was wrong in my assessment.”

Approval. That was a good thing. If she was to be with this man all her days, she needed to endear herself to him.

“As someone constantly searching for power, what do you think I would want in a bride?”

A chill ran down her spine. “A powerful bride?”

He ignored her, turning his attention to the window, beyond which the storm was calming. “You’d acclimate well to the sleet in Thollus. The rain isn’t quite as cold, but it’s bleak enough.”

A diversion. She wondered about the mountains and snow. She worried about the powerful witches and warlocks in his land. Every moment brought a fresh dimension to her situation.

“You’re not my bride, Leanna.”

She should have been relieved, but rather, the words struck fear into her. What became of her parents and their plans?

“Not yet, at least.” When he looked at her, she thought he might be able to see into her soul. “For now, you’re my first concubine. I have other plans for my empire and I’m prepared to take them when they come. I can’t allow the seat at my side to be tied to you.”

Silence. A log shifted in the grate, sending up sparks.

“You have nothing to say?”

“Does my father know?”

The Emperor nodded.

Leanna swallowed what little saliva remained in her mouth. “Does he approve of this new arrangement?”

“He does.”

So not even a bride. A concubine! A mere side dish, someone who could be discarded easily. What an embarrassing thought!

The Emperor rose, signifying the end of the conversation. “Your father believes you would prove indispensable to me. He said you would show me why you deserve to be my Empress, rather than a mere concubine.”

What does that mean? How could she show that?

When the Emperor stood before her, Leanna’s knees weakened beneath her, growing boneless. She had to force herself to look him in the face, to be brave, like everyone expected her to be.

But the darkness in his eyes was unsettling. It was like staring into a pit of nothing. A pit that sought to devour her, too.

He touched her hair, trailing an auburn lock around his finger. When he spoke, he lowered his head, until his lips were close to her ears. His warm breath tickled her ears. “You’re beautiful, yes. But I have no need for beauty. You’d have to prove your worth some other way, Princess.”

With those words, he stepped past her and left the room.