The Emperor's Unfavored Empress

Chapter 3 Cassiopeia: In front of the God of War

"Cassiopeia! What are you doing? Why are you destroying your clothes?!" Lin's eyes widened. I continued to tear off layer after layer of fabric, leaving only the white chemise and petticoat.

"I will not let that evil sister of mine humiliate me in front of the whole empire," I kicked the torn clothes to the bottom of my seat.

"What do you mean? It’s pretty." Lin raised her eyebrows in response, a look of surprise on her face. The confusion was apparent in the set of her mouth.

"Lin, we are going to a wedding and black is inappropriate." Reading medieval stories and novels helped me understand my current situation.

Lin said in a low tone, "I do not know that."

"Of course you don't," I whispered. "I think Cronasia was plotting something for me," I said.

"I'm sure the Cassiana will not do anything that could destroy your kingdom's reputation, Cassiopeia." Lin shrugged.

"The king? Yes, he certainly doesn't want to spoil their image by sending an embarrassing bride," I quipped, "but their favorite daughter is stupid and a narcissist, isn't she?" I added.

"Sounds like a scary combination." Lin joked and we both laughed.

"The king is an old, self-centered man who cares only about himself. He even killed his own brother to take the throne." Lin sat back in his seat, convinced by what I said.

We both frowned when the carriage suddenly stopped. "Why did we stop?" I asked Lin. She quickly opened the curtain of the carriage to peek outside and while doing that, he turned back to me and said, "It looks like we got lost?"

"What's happening?" Lin asked, and one of the soldiers approached us.

"Large logs are blocking the road," replied the soldier. "We are removing the roadblock because we cannot take a detour to the other side of this village," the knight said.

"Why?" Lin asked.

"That part of the village is said to be where pirates live."

Lin closed the curtain again and then quietly rested his head on the seat. "Are you okay, Cassiopeia?" she asked.

"I'm nervous, Lin. I'm going to throw up from being so nervous." I adjusted the dress sleeve and looked around nervously, "Can we run away?" I asked in a whisper.

"Everyone knows about the engagement, Cassiopeia," murmured Lin. "I'm sure a picture of you is all over the land. Just like those," she continued while pointing at what was on the trees.

"That's not me!" I exclaimed.

"The nose is big and the eyes aren't alike. Our new artist isn't that good, Princess, but believe me, it’s you." We were taken aback when a woman suddenly appeared by the window. She seemed to be exhausted and weak.

"You surprised me!" I exclaimed.

"Forgive me, Princess," she said, and then suddenly disappeared. Lin and I turned at the same time when she suddenly popped up at the carriage's door. "Can I join your ride, your highness?" she asked, rushing as she got closer to his side. "I'm not used to walking," she added as a shy smile crossed her face.

She was starting to get my attention, so I gave her permission. "How forward of you," I whispered before letting the smile break across my face.

"Thank you," she said as she sat down. Peering at Lin, "Do you have any water?" she asked, "I'm thirsty." Lin winced. The girl grabbed her pack, took the water she had been carrying, and drank it. "Ah, thank you, I've been thirsty for a while," the girl said as she carefully returned the bottle to its case.

"Are you serious?" Lin raised an eyebrow as she glared at the girl. I couldn't stop myself from laughing. They both looked at me, seemingly unamused by the interruption.

"I am so sorry, Princess." The girl says, shaking her head. "Please forgive me."

"Who are you?" I asked her.

"One of the slaves sent by the queen, your highness."

"Ah, maybe you were forced," I said with a sneer. The girl shook her head. "No?" I said in disbelief.

"I made sure I would be chosen. I don't want to serve Princess Cronasia," she explained, "I want to serve you."

"And why is that?" She suddenly hesitated to answer, then looked away.

"There weren't a lot of men in Cassiana. I heard that there are plenty of them in the empire" she laughed as she put her hand on her cheek.

"Are you blushing?!" Lin exclaimed in disbelief and the girl responded with a nod. "Weirdo!" Lin cracked.

"What is your name?" I asked.

“Hera.”

"Princess." Our conversation was interrupted by a voice from outside. Lin opened the curtain, and a soldier appeared. "We have removed the logs blocking the way," I answered with a weak nod. "We will continue our journey, your highness." Lin closed the curtain again. The carriage moved forward slowly.

"Hey, that man from the tribe? The one riding a white horse, why isn’t he here?" Lin suddenly asked while peering out the window, "I wonder where he is."

Hara said, "Is it the chief knight?" Lin nodded. "Do you like him?" Hera asked with a suspecting look on her face.

"Of course not! It's just weird seeing there is no officer with us," Lin said.

“I overheard a rumor that only rookie soldiers would escort the princess.” I immediately looked outside and saw how young they were.

We stopped talking when the carriage suddenly stopped, and there were noises outside. "What's happening?" I asked, before anyone could answer my question, a sword pierced right through the curtain. I could see the knights falling one by one. From afar, I heard the deafening screams of people. Lin and Hera came to my side and made me lie on my chest on the floor. "Don't go out," Lin said, "you accompany the princess and don't leave her," she said to Hera, who nodded in agreement.

When Lin got down, the horse suddenly disappeared, causing the carriage to run fast. I saw a man come up with his face wrapped in plaster and cut the rope holding the chariot. We rolled down.

I opened my eyes and first looked for Hera, who was unconscious. I carried her to the back of the wrecked carriage and then returned to the road. I was relieved to see that she was still alive. "Here, use this," I said as I let her hold the cloth against her forehead.

I saw Lin fighting alone, so I picked up the sword of one of the soldiers and positioned myself behind her. "Lin, I'm here." I was an unexpected ally. She also saw that the carriage had been destroyed by a giant boulder and stopped fighting. Neither soldiers nor horses were left in the distance; they were all dead or wounded and lying on the ground.

"Cassiopeia?!" she exclaimed in surprise, "why are you here? You don't even know how to use the weapon. Put it down and hide!" She yelled.

"Just watch," I sneered, "eyes on your enemy, Lin," I said seriously. Now I can use what I learned in fencing. Five men stood in front of me.

They're very far from me. I held my hand straight from the shoulder, my right foot in front and the other at the back, as we usually do when I'm on defense. "My right of way," I said. They stared when they saw me take my place. I know that the weapon I am holding now is heavier than a fencing sword and that this bandit does not follow the laws of war.

My eyes narrowed as they laughed. "Look at this little kitten with its claws out! Isn't she adorable?" said one mockingly. Their laughter grew louder as I stepped forward and my laugh bubbled to the surface. "I want to see you try," I said, laughing. They backed off, looking at each other uncertainly.

"Save your breath and be a good princess, okay?" The other guy said.

"You must be worried then?" They exchanged saddened looks.

Lin and I stood panting among the corpses, both of our clothes covered in blood. "How did you learn to hold a sword?" Lin asked, "Who are you really?"

"I'm just a goddamn Princess," I shrugged, then threw the bloodied sword and ran down the cliff. I caught up with Hera, who had just woken up. The side of her face was full of scars and blood was still dripping from her forehead.

"The sun is about to set," I said, looking out at the vast ocean before me. Hera was now sprawled on the grass with Lin, and we watched it together as it set over the horizon.

"Are we still going to the empire, princess?" Hera asked, wiping the cloth on her bleeding forehead. She was a little more cautious now, but the fear in her eyes and trembling hands showed that she was still scared.

"My father gave me away and we have nowhere else to go. I will have a word with the fourth prince." I promised. Lin and Hera looked at me at the same time. "One of the bandits who tried to attack us admitted that the fourth prince sent them." Lin and Hera gasped.

"Oh my god, indeed, the prince doesn't like you," Lin exclaimed.

"Looks like our life in the empire will be difficult." Hera's voice was filled with dread. Inside, I was preparing myself. I had to fight to survive until I figured out how to return to my world.

The sun had already set by the time we reached the empire. The great gate of the Aurelian Empire opened, and people greeted us in fancy clothes, coming in and out. Everyone was looking at us, and in my current state, they would not recognize me as a royal.

"You! Come," I called to one of the soldiers. It approached me, looked at me from head to toe, and looked at Lin and Hera.

"The distribution of donations was postponed today because the fourth prince is getting married. Just come back tomorrow." The knight said, "Get away from here!" He could have thought we were beggars.

"We are not asking for donations," I said calmly to him. He looked at us again and said nothing.

"Ah, the hospital is over there–"

"You are in the presence of the Princess of Cassiana, the bride of the fourth prince of this empire. How dare you?" I raised my voice, and some passersby looked toward us while the man looked at the pin on my chest. He immediately knelt and apologized.

"Please excuse my posse, Your Highness." A man in an overly decorated uniform appeared.

"Take me to my good fiancé," I said. The man in front of me gulped as he politely held out his hand and led us into the vast lobby.

We came to a stop in front of a towering cathedral-like building. "Behold, Princess Cassiopeia of the Cassiana Kingdom." After announcing our arrival, the big door of the Cathedral opened, and we saw the guests standing up, getting ready to leave. They stopped and looked at us, a moment of silence before the room was covered in whispers. Towards the end, in front of the altar, I saw a man standing elegantly in front of the emperor. In the first row of seats were the king and queen of Cassiana.

When I reached the altar, the fourth prince and I stared at each other. "Surprise, motherf*cker!" I mocked with my hands folded. I saw the frowns of the Emperor and Empress and even the prince, so I quickly turned to the king and queen, "I mean... surprise, mother, father." I smiled.

"Cassiopeia, what happened to your dress?" the queen asked with concern. Behind her empathetic expression, I could see hatred.

Instead of answering Luciana, I confronted the fourth prince. "We were ambushed, and guess what I've learned?" I hung up and then extended my hand. Lin immediately placed the sword of one of those who attacked us and dropped it at the feet of the fourth prince.

"What is the meaning of this, Magnus?" the emperor asked. The prince didn't answer and stared at the bloody sword in front of him.

"That sword is familiar, right, my prince?" I said, hoping he would admit it. "Answer me." He picked up the sword and then looked up after examining it. Our eyes met, half of his face was covered by a silver mask, and I couldn't see much of his eyes.

He got down from where he was standing and said, "postpone the wedding first," he commanded as he left the Cathedral. I was left looking at its broad back in the presence of the emperor and empress.