The Emperor's Unfavored Empress

Chapter 1 Cassiopeia: Taken to be His Bride

"I refuse to marry that vile Prince who I barely know and am not interested in." Cronasia's voice cracked up. I am pleading with the Queen to turn down the Emperor's decree.

"Your father is the king and that is to be respected. The Emperor's decision can supersede him, and you do not want to anger him or your father, the king. Let's not argue about what happened today. I don't want your father to be mad at you." the Queen said, pulling her daughter upright as she gestured for her daughter to stand back up again.

"But mother--"

"No buts, we are not discussing it. I will speak with your father and make sure he is alright with this arrangement." the Queen said, raising her hand to silence her daughter. The princess sighed and nodded, remaining silent as she followed her mother back to their room.

"What's going on, Luciana?" King Theo asked as his voice echoed throughout the four corners of the hall. Luciana was hesitant, but when she saw the anger in her king's eyes, she let go of her daughter and turned to face him.

"My King, do we have to send our beloved Princess Cronasia to be married to that beast Prince? Shouldn't she be married to the crown prince–" Theo cut her off.

"That's the Emperor's decision, Luciana!"

"But, my King, do you think she would be happy living the life of a princess who has never enjoyed her life?"

"That's not for me to decide." her face fell. "I know it's not for you. That's why I'm talking about it. Maybe we can talk it out with the Emperor." She let out an exasperated sigh.

"I don't have the right to question his majesty."

"I already know that, my King." Luciana suddenly softened her voice and helped the king sit on his throne. "We don't need to send our daughter to that empire," added Luciana. "What are you thinking?" the king asked.

Luciana took the king's hands and began to pray. "My King, I am thinking of a way that we could save our daughter from going to that empire. Let us keep her hidden for a while, in the north, where she won't be seen." The king nodded his head in agreement.

"And how about marriage? We need to send the empire a bride." The king said.

"I don't know. Perhaps you would know what to do or have the courage to decide as you did years ago. We can send another bride. The empire wouldn't know." Theo nodded.

"Thank you so much for your advice, my Queen," he said. "It would be better if we sent someone else." She could hear the approval in Theo's voice as he continued. "Who do you think we should send?"

"Why don't we send your eldest daughter?" Theo was left speechless after hearing what his wife had just said.

"Luciana, that child was deposed after Zaravanna's death. She is no longer a princess." Theo answered with a serious look after accepting the wine handed to him by one of the maids.

"Then let's make her the first princess again." Theo looked at the second daughter, who got back on her knees and hugged his legs.

"Father, I don't want to leave you and mother. Please, please don't send me to that beastly prince." Cronasia cried. Her tears touched the king's heart, and he felt sorry for the princess. He tried to help her as she blotted away her tears. A part of him hesitated.

"This marriage will save Cassiopeia from that tribe of thieves. If that concerns you, she and our kingdom will benefit in this union, my king." Luciana persuaded the king with a cadenced tone. "Was that how it worked? Follow the powerful and benefit from their favor?" Luciana added. "I'm sorry for what you've been through. I know your people need this." She tells King Theo. "And maybe, just maybe, she will be a good wife to the prince." The king nods with approval. Luciana turned away to find Cronasia standing there, still holding her sash limply.

"I am quite worried that the girl may only bring shame to my kingdom," The King said. Luciana secretly smiled at what she heard. Luciana was sure that the king did not favor the deposed princess. As the late Queen's daughter, she had been resentful of Cassiopeia and now had reason to hate the exiled princess even more.

"You have nothing to fear," Luciana whispered as she smiled at the king and patted his hand. "I will teach her."

"I need your help with this. I want to take Cassiopeia from the Thyfe tribe and have her prepared for the wedding."

"I understand, my King," Luciana said, and bowed deeply to the king. He nodded and stood up once again.

"Then I think this conversation is over," he said, leaving before anyone could say anything more. "We should keep moving."

A blood-curdling scream awakened Cassiopeia. She stood up and quickly left the tent where she was sleeping. She was taken aback by the unfamiliar place and the scattered corpses in front of her. Her eyes roved around, taking in every detail as she tried to comprehend what had happened.

"God help me! Am I dead?" she whispered as she frantically slapped herself. "It's happening again!" she cried out in terror.

"Cassiopeia!" a scream pulled her to the present, and she was dragged behind a huge rock. She could hear the ragged breathing of the lady in front of her.

"Who are you?" she asked the lady standing before her. The smile on the lady's face faded away.

"I think you lost your memory," the woman said. "I don't know what else I can tell you: we found you lying on the shore of the dark sea." The woman continued, "I don't know how long you've been down there. I don't know how long since anyone's seen you. People are starting to talk about your disappearance. The chief has offered a thousand gold coins for information on your whereabouts." The lady explained in between her breath.

"Who lost what? Well, I remembered who I am," Cassiopeia said.

"We have to leave before the King's men see us," said the lady, and she pulled her by the hand. Cassiopeia pulled her hand back.

"No," Cassiopeia said to the lady.

"Then goodbye. I will go by myself." She watched the lady walk away. The knights saw them and followed them as far as the vineyard gate, where they lost sight of them. Upon seeing the men, Cassiopeia decided to follow her at a distance.

"Who are you anyway?" Cassiopeia snorted at the lady.

"I am Lin, your friend!" the lady said as she pulled her hand and started running. They were close to the forest when the lady stopped and looked at her, "Are you not scared, Cassiopeia?" She shook her head.

"Who are those?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Soldiers of the Catiana Kingdom."

"And why are they attacking you?" she asked as they ran into the forest.

"What do you mean WE? US!" Lin emphasized.

"Oh, come on, why are they attacking us?"

"I don't know. Maybe the palace was robbed."

"You are thieves?!" She exclaimed. "My God, I've just been reincarnated as a thief," she said to herself in dismay.

"No, no. We're not thieves," said the lady hastily. "We're treasure hunters."

"Treasure hunters?" she asked incredulously. "Yes--we search for buried treasure," explained the lady, "real old buried treasure--as old as the hills."

"Within the land owned by other people and the monarchs?" Cassiopeia asked.

"Yeah."

"That's stealing!" she slapped her forehead. "That makes you a thief!" she added.

"What do you mean WE? US!" Lin emphasizes again. However, just before she can say anything, an arrow pierces the air and stops their argument. They slowly lift their hands and turn to face the knights before them.

"I didn't steal anything," Cassiopeia insisted, "maybe she did," she added while pointing to Lin, who immediately shook her head.

"Come with us." One of the soldiers said in a commanding voice as they gently but firmly tried to pull them back to where they came from. The tribe had gathered there and were looking on with intense curiosity and a touch of worry.

"Which of you is Cassiopeia?" the soldier on the white horse shouted.

"Wait, that's me, isn't it?" she whispered to Lin, kneeling next to her, who immediately grabbed her hand, telling her not to raise her hand. None of his tribesmen turned to her.

"I-" she started, but Lin held up her hand.

"Stop," Lin interrupted her. "You have to stop, Cassiopeia." Her voice was strained and emotionless. "We don't know what they will do to you." Cassiopeia didn't understand— she knew they would never attack her— but the way Lin had said it made it clear that this was something more significant than her, and she wasn't going to let anything happen to the tribe because of what might happen to her.

One of the knights reached for one of them, and everyone screamed. Lin then suddenly stood up and hobbled towards him, shouting, "I am!"

Cassiopeia was astounded to see Lin. Never in her wildest dreams would someone stand up for her. But suddenly, flashbacks of her best friend and boyfriend's betrayal came pouring onto her.

"Lin." She whispered as tears rolled down her eyes. Lin turned to her and then continued walking. She couldn't watch Lin walk into the hands of those who would kill her.

When Lin got close to the soldier, he signaled toward a woman and examined Lin's neck. His expression changed from confusion to disappointment and he shook his head as if he didn't get what he was looking for.

"Alright, kill that woman." the man ordered.

Cassiopeia shouted "stop" just as boldly as she walked towards them. They were looking for her and she knew it.

The same woman who examined Lin's clothes checked her. Lin had no idea what her face looked like, but she was surprised when the soldiers bent their knees and bowed respectfully toward her.

"Your highness, your father, the king is summoning you back to your kingdom." The entire tribe was shocked by what they heard. Who would have known that she was a princess?

"I will come on one condition." Cassiopeia was ready to bargain.

"What is it, Princess?" asked the chief soldier.

"You will take her with us," she said while pointing her finger at Lin.