How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Chapter 29- To Be Free of Him

She trembled, body shaking, voice shaking, eyes shaking, she shook in both fear of the consequences of her current actions and she shook with rage. The rage directed at me, her husband who only ever just wanted her to love him and only him.

Was that so wrong of me?

I know that I loved her more than she loved me. I know that I loved her more than a normal person could ever comprehend, but the least she could do is try to love me back at least half that amount.

No, this won't do... I've been letting her off too easy, haven't I?

"How dare-"

She cut me off.

She dared to cut me off.

"I am not going to stay silent so that you can remain comfortable, no more. No matter how scared I am of you, Stacius, you need to know that it is wrong to play with people as if they're puppets... You say that you are an Emperor, but why don't you act like it?"

My jaw ticked.

"That's enough!" I raged, screaming so loudly, the vibration rang through my ears and head but surprisingly, Ria didn't even flinch. As if she were expecting it.

"Darling," I breathed out, outstretching a hand to cup her cheek but she growled, slapping my hand away and this time, instead of being frozen in shock, I grabbed hold of her hand and forcefully placed my hand on her chin, turning her head to face me.

"You have made me angry,"

"You have made me angrier!" She yelled right back.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I counted to three, massaging the place between my brows while waiting for the anger in me to subside, at least even a little bit.

"I went through all this trouble to teach you a lesson but it seems that you do not want to be taught today," I talked to her as if I were talking to a child having a tantrum and I might as well have been doing that since Ria didn't look like she wanted to listen to me today.

Oh well. I guess we'll have to move on to plan B.

"Claud..." I called, moving to pick Ria up in my arms. She struggled but her attempt to get free of me was as useless as an injured deer running from a lion.

"Yes, your majesty," He called as I finally succeeded in picking her up bridal style, ignoring her punches to my chest and holding back a laugh at her adorable self.

"The Empress will not be leaving our chambers for the next week. See to it that enough guards are spread around the area and everything she needs will be brought to her before she even gets the chance to ask for them. As her new personal bodyguard, you will be expected to guard her with your life, there is no room for mistakes," I moved to go to the door.

"What?..." Ria breathed out, halting in her punches as she listened to me, shocked.

"Understood, your majesty," Claud nodded. The doors were pulled open and I left the room with a still, frozen in shock, wife in my arms, not sparing another person a single glance.

"You-You can't be serious-"

"I'm serious," I cut her off, tilting my head down to meet her wavering gaze and smiled at her. "You claim that you do not have freedom but you will understand what freedom is once you are forbidden from leaving our chambers for a week,"

"No, you can't do that! What about Evan-"

"I will see to it that Evander is with you throughout the day, in our chambers. It is just for a week, flower. Since you did not learn your lesson with Linus just now,"

"No, I've learnt my lesson. Please, do not confine me even more," She almost wept, clutching onto the fabric of my clothes, begging me with her eyes but I will not waver. Just as she didn't when she chose to slap me in front of everyone.

I paused in my strides for a moment and after a short staring contest, I broke it by leaning in and kissing her eyelid as she squeezed her eyes shut. Chuckling, I kissed her nose and she flinched back this time.

"My mind will not be changed."

And then I continued on my way.

"But-"

"It is just for a week, flower. Do not be so dramatic unless you want me to change it to a month..." She bit her lip after hearing that, holding back any more rude words. Good.

"And do not worry..." I kissed the top of her head. "I will be with you whenever I can," Unlike me, who loved that idea, she probably didn't. But that will soon change, she just has to learn to love me more than she already does.

And maybe one day, she'll love me more than I do. But I highly doubt that.

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KEYWORDS:

The Great Fire of Rome- The Great Fire of Rome (incendium magnum Romae), was an urban fire that occurred in July, 64 AD.

History has blamed Emperor Nero for the disaster, implying that he started the fire so that he could bypass the senate and rebuild Rome to his liking. Much of what is known about the great fire of Rome comes from the aristocrat and historian Tacitus, who claimed that Nero watched Rome burn while merrily playing his fiddle.

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