“Yes, your majesty.” She answered truthfully. “I want to be given access to some parts of the palace, and I want you to allow me to see my family.”
The emperor sighed softly, a little worried because he knew this would happen sometimes, he drummed his fingers on table not once looking away from her enchanting green eyes.
“Can I please see my family?” She thought to ask more nicely, and then she sighed softly staring at the silver plate before her. “If we are going to be married, it has to be traditionally, my father has to give me away. Besides they would be your family too.”
“That is correct,” He finally muttered and then withdrew his hands from the table. “They would be my family but I can’t let you go meet them.”
Her eyes suddenly widened, she thought if she had asked politely and calmly, he would let her meet her family.
“But why?” Her voice raised lightly, “I am not asking for a lot, I just want to meet them, and see how they are doing.”
“Yeah, I know but that doesn’t mean I can let you go see them, because it is dangerous.” He muttered, not seeming interested in the conversation to begin with. If he could he would just sit down and watch her being pretty. “The moment you became my property any unnecessary movement could pose a threat to your life, that is why I have insisted on keeping you in the castle.”
“I am not your property! I-” Natalia paused for a while, realizing that the outburst might not be the best thing to do. She was trying to gain his trust and yelling at him might be disrespectful. “Pardon me, I am just a little confused. Why can’t I go to my family? I am not going to stay with them. I just want to see how they are doing.”
“You can’t because it’s dangerous.” He answered calmly.
“If it’s dangerous, then you can just go with me,” She suggested again, locking eyes with him again. “Aren’t you the great, high and mighty emperor of the dragon lairs? Is there any fort stronger than yours?”
He paused for a while and then nodded his head. Truly, there wasn’t any fort that could ever overthrow him, but it’s not something he wants to do.
“I am too busy.” He muttered again and Natalia rolled her eyes.
“Then let them come.” She snapped again, her calmness suddenly slipping out. “I just want to see how they are doing. If I can’t go to them, and you won’t go with me to protect me, then let them just come.”
“I can’t let them come either.” He muttered again, and what seemed to annoy Natalia the most was the straight face he kept the entire time. It was as though they were discussing about the weather or something. “They are slaves now, and allowing slaves be roaming freely is favoritism and it would cause a division.”
Natalia felt her eyebrows furrowed together.
“They are slaves because you made them slaves” She volled numin her tiny voice hammeing off the wall and
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Chapter 27
the emperor raised his eyebrows, questioning her audacity.
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She paused for a while, tension running through her, she ran her shaky hands through her hair, her breath shook as well as she tried to adjust herself.
“I get you are frustrated, dear princess.” He started in a softer voice. “But as the emperor there are responsibilities that goes beyond.”
“I am not even asking for much,”
“You are not going to give me an ultimatum.” He decided and she sighed. “The marriage is the ultimatum.”
“I am not asking for an ultimatum,” She snapped back. “I am asking for a favor. You could do that much for the woman you are going to marry.”
There was a small silent that stretched between them, and then Natalia blinked back the tears that well in her eyes.
“Please, just let me meet them, only once.” Her voice shook as she stared down at her fingers that curled in between each other. Tears dropped from her eyes, as she tried to look as pitiful as possible. Anything that would make the uptight emperor’s guard fall; but it seems like that won’t happen anytime soon.
“In exchange…” he muttered with a soft look on his face. “I will allow you to leave the bedroom, once in a while.”
Once in a while? The thought that would be only allowed to leave the bedroom occasionally seemed to gag her.
“Why can’t I leave the bedroom more often? You have no idea how suffocating it its.” She answered with a small frown on her face. “You said I am not a prisoner and you brought me here to be your wife, but I don’t feel any different from a prisoner.”
He lets out a stiff sigh, and dropped the chalice on the table and pulled back.
“You are here to be my queen,” He continued truthfully, “But at the same time everything I am doing is to protect you. As you may know, humans are way more fragile than we are, and killing you will only have to take is a good opportunity and a few moments.”
It happened very fast, like the gust of wind, but Natalia felt the breath stolen from her lungs and her eyes carefully trailed down to Azmaveth’s hands pointed against her throat like a weapon. His nails centimeters away from her throat, and she swallowed hard. For a moment, she thought he was going to kill her, he came at her with the seriousness to kill her.
“You see…” His voice rung out coldly, and he withdrew his fingers, making a shaky breath escaped her. “Its as easy as that to kill you, and you must know, people are not happy with our union, especially council
members.”
He let out another sigh as he adjust himself, picking the chalice from the table, sipping the wine again. “Who knows if there is anyone out there that needs to kill you?”
“Why?” she wondered out loud.
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Chapter 27
:
“Like I said they don’t support this union,” he continued in the same small voice.
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“If they don’t support this union, then why are you doing it?” She asked curiously. “I am not in support of this marriage too. Why do something against the wishes of your people?”
“Because I want you,” He answered. “That’s why I am doing it.”
Chapter 28
Chapter 28
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
