How To Tame An Empress (BOOK I)

Chapter 1- Shy Glances

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I heard her before I saw her.

The ringing sound of her laughter which had left my heart thrumming against my insides, it was a familiar yet inexplicable feeling. One that I did not want to lose.

"Who is that?" I asked, standing beside one of the many pillars that kept my palace upright.

"That would be Valeria, she is the younger sister of Julius," Tiberius said as he watched me gazing at her. "If I remember correctly, you had met her a number of years back," He added on and with that statement, I felt myself remember.

"Right, I do remember Julius having a sister, I didn't pay much attention to her before, but now..." I drifted off at a loss for words. How was it possible for someone to grow so beautiful? As a child she was cute but there was nothing out of the ordinary about her.

Now, however... It was all different, even her voice seemed much more beautiful.

"Why have I not seen her before?" I asked, narrowing my gaze in her direction. There would be no way that someone as enticing as she could walk around without my notice in my very own palace. There's no way that I wouldn't notice her.

"She doesn't visit very often. She is a sheltered child and doesn't stray far from her Domus but today she was running an errand for her mother,"

"An errand?" I echoed, gesturing for him to further explain.

"It wasn't an important errand, just to deliver some fruits as Julius hasn't returned home to them in some time. Her mother is currently not in the best of health so I'm guessing that this is the reason for her visit," I hummed after that, leaning against the pillar with crossed arms, silently continuing to watch her laugh and giggle with her brother as they talked about something in the confines of my large garden.

Julius is the head of my guard and he was a good one, having taken over the spot his father left him a few years back, I'd call him a friend too. I knew that he had a younger sister but not once did I think much of her as I hadn't the faintest idea of the kind of woman that she'd grown up to become.

"Is there anything you want me to do, your imperial majesty?" Tiberius asked.

"I want her," I muttered to myself.

"Pardon me, your imperial majesty?" He said, surprised by my choice of words.

"Nothing," I waved, dismissing him and he didn't waste a second to bow a deep bow before scurrying away and leaving me alone with a few slaves and two guards.

I didn't waste more than a few seconds to push myself off the pillar and stride towards where she was stood. Julius was the first to notice me and the small smile which had been resting on his face instantly disappeared as he dipped down into a respectable bow.

"Your imperial majesty," He said and I waved him off as he stood up once more, a confused look on his face as I stared at the woman who had caught my eye.

Upon a closer look, she was even more beautiful than I had thought and as she turned to look at me, her large doe eyes filled with both mischief and innocence, I worked to hold myself back from grabbing her right then and there to drag her back to my chambers.

"Hello," I smiled at her, hands locking behind my back and she turned her body away from her brother to face me, a smile creeping onto her beautiful honey-kissed skin. This woman was really working me to the bone right now.

"Hello," She nodded at me, head moving down into a bow before she picked herself up once more, eyes locking onto mine and it looked like she wasn't planning on looking away. With her large hazel eyes that reminded me of fresh honey, her smile was beautiful enough to leave any normal man on his knees in front of her.