The Empress of Rome

Chapter 1

Today was a joyful day for The Roman Empire. Today was the crowning of their princess and future empress. The crowning ceremony was held with no audience and no cameras, only the Emperor, the Empress, the closest family and the Pope would be present as well as the Princess, as was the traditional, just like no one outside of the Palace had ever seen the Princess, it was customary for her to be introduced to the public shortly after with her crowning, which lies just a few days before her 15th birthday.

St. Peter's Church, Vatican

The ceremony was old and secret, but not a long or complicated event, it was merely the princess giving her vow that she would protect The Roman Empire, uphold its laws, always be fair and just.

The Pope lifted a golden laurel wreath of a ceremonial red pillow.

"Do you, Princess Marinette of The Roman Empire, vow to protect the people of Rome?" The Pope said, facing the kneeling blue haired princess.

"Yes" she answered The Pope, it was a short answer, but no more was needed.

"Do vow to uphold the empires laws, to be fair and just in your judgments in the time to come?"

"I vow to uphold the laws of Rome, to be fair and just."

"Then, by the power vested in me, I name you, Crown Princess Marinette of Rome" The Pope carefully placed the golden laurel wreath on top of her head.

The Pope then stepped away, allowing Marinette to stand up and face her family. Marinette slowly stood up and turned around. Her long white dress made no sound as she rose up.

Marinette stood a moment, the worst might have passed, but she was still nervous. Her crowning would be all over the news until her birthday, then it would be the fact that it was the first time since anyone, outside her family and the palace staff, had ever seen her.

After a few seconds she finally decided to take the first step down the stairs of the podium she stood on, she wanted to run down and hug her parents, who were smiling at her, as well as her grandfather, Emperor Fu of Asia, but it was improper for a princess to run. This wasn't the only crowning she would have before she became empress, in a few years she would travel to The Asian Empire to be introduced as Crown Princess there as well, for her mother would not take the title of Empress of Asia.

As Marinette finally reached her parents the first thing they did was pulling her into a hug.

"We are so proud of you my dear daughter" her mother said as she was released from the embrace of her parents.

"Thank you mother" Marinette turned to see her grandfather smile at her "Grandfather" Marinette said as she pulled him into a hug.

Her grandfather was an old and small man, no one knew for sure how old he was, but he was as leas 100 years, every time they asked him they got the same answer 'I do not remember.'

"It has been too long my child" he said as Marinette pulled away again.

Marinette's father, Emperor Tom, came from a long line of Roman Emperors, whilst her mother came from a longer line of Asian Emperors, but since she had married her father the title of Empress of Asia fell to Marinette once her grandfather died.

"Come Marinette" her father handed her a white summer hat with a white veil attached to it, they had to go outside to get to their cars, therefore she was supposed to wear it on their way to their limousines.

Marinette carefully put the hat over her golden laurel wreath and slid the veil in front of her face as they walked towards the doors leading outside the church.

Two of The Vatican's armored guards opened the doors as they approached, no more than a few moments after the doors were opened camera flashes could be seen outside, four of new guards joined them, to secure nothing happened to them once they were outside.

Outside St. Peter's Church stood hundreds, maybe thousands of people cheering. The imperial banners hung everywhere, moving in the wind.

The guards hurried them into the two limousines waiting for them, her parents in the one in the front, her grandfather and herself in the one in the back. Each of the two limousines was surrounded by four police motorcycles, in front of her parents were two police cars and the same behind her and her grandfather.

As they drove through the city of Rome many other of the empires citizens stood cheering at them as they drove by, the imperial banner hanging on many of the buildings, everything seemed perfect.

But as they drove by the old Colosseum the most unthinkable happened.

Marinette and her Grandfather were a bit behind her parent's car, Marinette sat looking out one of the windows, she still had a bad feeling, something was going to happen, and it wouldn't be something good.

As they neared the old Colosseum, the limousine in the front suddenly exploded without warning.

Marinette turned her head at the sound of the limousine exploding, for a few seconds she only started whilst her brain had a hard time processing what just happened. As Marinette finally realized that it was her parent's car that had just exploded, she jumped to the door, but her grandfather grabbed her shoulder and pulled down into her seat again.

"Stay here my child" he said, people out on the streets were screaming and the police were trying to get things under control.

"But Grandfather!" Marinette yelled, tears forming in her eyes.

"There is nothing you can do my dear" a tear fell from his cheek as their car began turning to drive away "they are beyond help."

Marinette buried her face in her hands to cry as her grandfather put his arms around her, hugging her all the way to the safety of the palace.