Taming the Empress

"I hereby pronounce you, husband and wife!" and there were claps that you could hear inside the church. It was a grand wedding. "Screech!" the horse stopped and a beautiful woman got off it. "Princess Cassandra!" her knights as she ran towards the door of the church. "Stop the wedding!" panting and with tears in her eyes, she mustered up all the courage. "Gregor, what is the meaning of this?!" Cassandra Labelle got off her horse and suddenly all eyes were on her. "Oh my, is that the princess of Labelle?" "The only child of Emperor Trevor?" "Oh my goodness! We already know that she is a loose wolf, but to witness it with my eyes!" "She's even riding a horse! How vulgar for a lady!" "STOP WEDDING!" "Stop right there!" and there was a commotion where the guards had been restraining her entry. "Gregor!!!" "She's even calling the King by his name!" And then there were those who transformed into wolves to shoo her away. "What do you think you're doing to our princess?!" her knights appeared when they were about to jump at her. Cassandra wanted to go inside the hall and wanted Gregor to explain even though she already knew the reason. The tension between the Golden Moon pack and those knights has become more intense as more time passes by. "Let me in!" Cassandra tried to break in but her guards had been stopping her. "Cassandra..." King Gregor looked at her. He has just recently become the King, and the people's opinions are important to him. "Gregor..." the bride leaned to him, making him feel more pressured. "Take her away." He looked at his knights, and their wolfs, "She's ruining my wedding." "You heard the King!" one of the guards said, "It'd be best to take the princess away!" "Let's go, princess!" One of her knights grabbed her wrist and pulled her away from the church's entrance. Cassandra struggled to break free, tears streaming down her face. "Let go of me! I need to speak with Gregor!" she shouted, her voice thick with emotion. But the knight wouldn't budge, and soon they were on her horse, riding away from the church. As they rode through the forest, Cassandra's mind was reeling. How could Gregor do this to her? She thought they were in love. She thought they had a future together. But as her knight explained the situation to her, Cassandra's heart sank. Gregor had made a deal with the Golden Moon pack noble families, promising to marry one of their daughters in exchange for their support in the upcoming war. It was a political move, nothing more. And as a princess, Cassandra's duty was to serve her kingdom, even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness. Days turned into weeks, and Cassandra found herself consumed with loneliness. She missed Gregor terribly, but she knew they could never be together. And so, she threw herself into her work, helping her father to rule the kingdom with a firm but fair hand. But every night, as she lay in her bed alone, Cassandra couldn't help but wonder what could have been. "My... my princess!" her maid rushed to her, with breathing heavy and ragged. "Relax, Brenda! Why so rush?" she asked with a faint smile on her face. "H-His Majesty the King has collapsed!" "What?!" Cassandra had rushed to the door and opened it, scanning the hallway for any signs of commotion. There was chaos unfolding in front of her eyes. The Emperor was lying unconscious on the floor, surrounded by his advisors and guards. Cassandra's heart sank as she watched the scene unfold, knowing that her father's health had been deteriorating for some time now. "Father..." he held his hand. He opened his eyes and spoke with such a weak voice. "My only daughter... my princess..." he said while catching his breath. The Emperor of Labelle looked so weak. The once mighty man who slashed a lot of enemies and stood atop their corpses is dying in his bed. "No... I'm not ready yet, father..." she called him. "You'll make a very wise Queen..." he smiled... The princess could feel the weight of her father's words on her heart. She knew that she had big shoes to fill, but she also knew that she was capable of becoming a great Queen. She watched as her father's eyes slowly closed, and his breathing became shallower. She knew that his time had come. The princess stood up from her father's bedside and walked to the window. She stared out at the kingdom that she was soon to inherit. The sun was setting, casting a warm glow over the land. She knew that there were many challenges ahead, but she was ready to face them head-on. As she turned away from the window, she saw her father take his last breath. Tears welled up in her eyes as she approached his bedside. She took his hand in hers and closed her eyes. She whispered a prayer, hoping that her father's soul would find peace. When she opened her eyes, she knew that she had a kingdom to run. She wiped her tears away, took a deep breath, and walked out of the room. Her advisors and the courtiers were waiting for her outside. As she approached the group, one of her father's advisors turned to her. "Princess, you must come with us. We need to discuss the future of the kingdom," he said urgently. Cassandra nodded, her mind racing with thoughts of what was to come. She had always known that she would one day inherit the throne, but she had never anticipated it happening like this. As they made their way to the throne room, Cassandra's thoughts turned to her father. She knew that he had always been proud of her, and she hoped that she could make him proud as she took on the responsibilities of ruling their kingdom. When they arrived in the throne room, the advisors wasted no time in beginning the discussions. They talked about the state of the kingdom, its current allies and enemies, and the challenges that lay ahead. Cassandra listened intently, taking in every word and trying to make sense of it all. As the hours passed, it became clear that Cassandra was the only one who could take on the role of ruler. With a heavy heart, she accepted the responsibility and took her place on the throne. The days that followed were a blur of meetings, paperwork, and decisions. Cassandra had never felt so overwhelmed, but she refused to let her people down. She worked tirelessly day and night. "You need to announce his Majesty's death," one of her advisors said, "And will have your coronation too." "My fellow Labelleans," she began, her voice strong and confident. "My father, the Emperor, has passed away. It is with a heavy heart that I assume the throne, but I promise that I, with your help, will continue to raise this Empire!" The crowd erupted in applause and cheers as Princess Cassandra stepped down from the podium. "All Hail the Queen!" "All Hail the Queen!" "All Hail the Queen!" She made her way through the sea of people, shaking hands and accepting condolences. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel the weight of the crown on her head. She had always known that she would one day rule the Empire, but she had never expected it to be so soon. As she made her way to the palace, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horse's hooves hitting the cobblestone behind her. She turned to see a handsome man with jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes riding towards her. He stopped his horse in front of her and bowed. "Your Highness," he said. "My name is Dietrich and I have come to pledge my allegiance to you and the Labelle Empire." Cassandra smiled at the young man. "Thank you, Dietrich. Your loyalty is always appreciated." Dietrich stood up straight and looked into Cassandra's eyes. "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, may I escort you to the palace?" Cassandra nodded and reached Dietrich's hand. As they walked through the palace of Labellea, Cassandra couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction towards the young man. The Empress' advisors, mainly Count Ravio, have been looking. "I think it's time for us to find. consorts candidate for Her Highness," they smiled. Their eyes glinted with mischievousness as they spoke. The Empress had been ruling alone at such a young age as His Majesty, and it was time for her to get a partner.