How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Chapter 28- The One Who Lies

"Stacius, you are scary, but I love you... Do not do something that will cause my fear for you to overshadow the love. You are Evan's father, I want him to be able to look up to you but he will never do that if you bring innocent people into our fights," She stepped forward this time and gently placed a hand on my cheek.

"Please, I will do anything... Just don't hurt him," Tears glimmered in her eyes and I intently watched as one of those tears broke free and trailed down her cheek.

Without knowing, I brushed that tear away and moved to hug her tightly.

"Even now..." I started.

"Why is he all you are thinking of?" She went rigid as the sound of the doors were pushed open and I peered up to see two guards dragging in the man that caused this rotting jealousy to surface in my chest.

"No... Stacius... Please, don't- Do not do this..." She whispered as I pulled away from her and now the roles had swapped, I was no longer clinging to her but she, to me.

In a normal situation, I would have loved it, but knowing that it was all because of another man only enraged me beyond which words could ever fathom.

"Stop!... Don't-" She tried to keep me from moving by pulling my hand but it was a futile attempt as I kept walking normally.

"None of this would have happened if you simply trusted me!" She shouted, giving up in stopping me and picking another way. But I must say, that it did more than enough to pause me in my strides as I turned to look at her glowering self.

"Trust you...?" I echoed, confused and she huffed as if I was supposed to know what she was talking about. I didn't.

"That day when I went to the market without your permission, or even before then; When I asked you for permission and you said no. If you had simply trusted me enough to say yes, then I wonder what we would be like right now?"

I finally gave her the attention she was asking for when I turned the rest of my body to face hers instead of just my head.

"What are you talking about?" I furrowed my brows.

She shouldn't know about that.

I made sure to shut them all up. Should I have slit their throats instead of shoving money down them? I should have tied the loose ends up properly. Damn it all...

"I know you paid that man to reveal my face to the crowd... and I know that you paid a few other people to spread the word about my presence so more people would come rushing."

I licked my lips.

The fury, once again, beginning to bubble in my chest.

No, don't let the anger control you. That will end up working in her favour and I'm the one that has to be in control right now, not my adorable little wife.

"What of it?" I breathed out as calmly as I could.

"What of it? Because of you, do you know how scared-"

"I did it to teach you a lesson. That would never have had to happen if you simply listened to me, right?... Flower, you should know by now that I will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe," I tutted at her like a child.

"Stacius! How could you-"

"That's enough, Ria," I cut her off once more.

"Stop wasting time. There is a man waiting to be executed right now. If you want my attention, you will have all of it; Just as soon as I'm done with detaching that head from that body..." I pointed to Linus's kneeling figure.

"No, you can't-"

"Claud, restrain her," The man didn't waste a moment to do as told, handing me his sword as he passed by me to hold back my wife.

"With this..." I started, walking towards Linus's crouching figure on the ground in front of me and I stopped right in front of him.

"With this, she will finally be free of you. And she will be mine once more," And I raised the sword, putting it by his neck before breathing out a heavy breath of air. Feeling as if I were about to cut the chains that bound her to him.

"Stacius! Don't!" Ria yelled from behind me, trying to run towards me but Claud did well in holding her back and I didn't even turn to look at her, my eyes were still stuck on one man, Linus as he sat in front of me, shaking in fear.

"Please, Stacius! I'll do anything! Anything!... Stacius!"

The sound of her voice ringing in my ears, the feel of the sword clenched in my hand and the frightened man who knelt in front of me as if regretting ever having gotten close to her.

Good, just as it should be.

In order for her to be mine, Linus would have to be gone.

...