Episode 5

"Hey, hold on! What are you doing? Where are we going? Didn't you learn how to treat a lady?" I shouted, feeling embarrassed as I covered my face with my hands. I didn't need to look; I knew everyone was staring at me.

"What? What do you mean what am I doing? Wasn't it you who asked for this? You mentioned it was a Northern custom, or were you lying? I'm doing exactly as you requested. Am I doing something wrong?" Icaro, the emperor, asked, looking at me utterly baffled.

"You're not going to kill me? I thought I'd be dead before even leaving the carriage" I asked, astonished. I never thought I'd have the chance to exchange words with him.

"Kill you? Nonsense! Why would I kill you?" Icaro gave me a confused look.

"Isn't it obvious? You're the tyrant emperor who's destroyed countless smaller countries in your path. Not to mention, you chose your bride by some random lottery, and you had no idea who you were getting. Plus, I'm pretty much a madwoman for making demands of the emperor. It's not foolish to think you might kill me" I explained. What made no sense was him carrying me to the church.

"Lottery? That's a lie. I didn't do that. I just tossed the dice onto a map to see where they'd land. It happened to land in the North, that's all" Icaro replied as if choosing a bride by throwing dice onto a map was the most natural method in the world. Yet, harmless as it might seem, he chose me with no intention of keeping me alive for long. That explains his nonchalance.

Anyway, why are all these people around us looking at me with such anger? I assumed it would be the emperor treating me this way. Had my reputation as a madwoman spread so quickly? What's really going on here? Is it just a rumor that he's a tyrant?

"Now that I think about it, I'm going to have all your teachers tortured. Not a single one will escape" Icaro said with a chilling smile. Scratch what I said. He definitely is a tyrant. Poor my teacher.

When we finally entered the church, I heard a round of applause as we proceeded, even though everyone was looking at us sternly. Not friendly at all. We stopped before a priest. That's when he finally put me down.

"Complete the entire ceremony in less than 10 minutes. If you want to stay alive, do not exceed that time" Icaro threatened the priest, who turned pale instantly.

"What?" Did I hear him right? Did he just threaten a man of God? The man really fears nothing.

"Your Majesty, I beg your pardon, but that's impossible!" The priest was ashen. "How could I conduct the entire ceremony in less than 10 minutes? It usually takes hours."

"Simple. By memorizing and reciting everything quickly" Icaro explained. "What? You can't manage? Take him away and behead him. You there, behind, you're in charge now. I hope you can do your job quickly. If not, I'll kill you myself. I hate having my time wasted."

In the end, our ceremony was completed in precisely eight minutes. The man who led the ceremony was gasping for breath, he rushed through it so fast. The rumors were true. My now-husband is a true tyrant. At the end of the ceremony, we parted ways. I was taken to my room with no idea where the emperor went after that.

"Hello, my name is Sheila. From today onwards, I will serve the empress. If you face any difficulties, I'm here to assist" Sheila said, beaming at me as I entered the room. She seemed friendly and quite trustworthy. "Are you alright, Your Majesty? You look pale. Shall I fetch a doctor?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Sheila, may I ask you something?" I was deeply curious about everything. What was the truth in the rumors?

"If I'm able to answer" Sheila agreed. I felt a bit embarrassed, but I needed to clear my doubts.

"Can you tell me if the emperor is as violent as everyone says?" I mustered the courage to ask.

"What? Of course not! Your Majesty, that's not true. Far from it" Sheila refuted before coming closer and whispering in my ear. "Experience it for yourself tonight. I'm sure you'll discover the truth. It will be an unforgettable night. I'm absolutely certain of that."