The Emperor and the Knightess

Poliana then announced, “I must insist on seeing his highness immediately, Master Chail.”

“Marquess Winter, I realize it must be very hard for you, but his highness is having an even harder time. I think it’s best to leave him alone for now.”

“That is exactly why I must see him.”

Without knocking or announcing herself, Poliana walked into the reception area, then into his private room. Master Chail and the other servants didn’t follow her. His room was dark, and all the curtains were closed, making the room look like a cave. It perfectly represented how the emperor must be feeling.

Once Poliana became used to the darkness, she could see the emperor’s shape slumped on the chair. He was leaning against a table without making much movement. He asked quietly without looking up, “Is that you, Inno?”

It seemed that Lucius the First thought it was Sir Ainno who walked in, not Poliana. The table and the floor were littered with bottles of wine and hard liquor. Did he drink all of them or did he drink with Sir Inno? Either way, it seemed the emperor was drunk. Poliana hesitated to approach him.

It wouldn’t be a good idea for anyone else to see the emperor in such a state, so Poliana first closed the door behind her before lighting the nearby wall lamp. Still without looking up, Lucius the First said in a pained voice, “Inno… Inno… I really have no luck with women, do I?”

The emperor continued to mutter about his life. Lucius the First’s mother was a fragile beauty. She used to be even weaker than Lady Rebecca, and everyone believed that she would die young.

What Lucius the First remembered of his mother was different than most people. Some would remember their mother as a loving and warm being while others probably thought of harsh punishments when they had to describe their childhood. For Lucius the First, the word “mother” brought back the images of dry coughs, blood, and indifferent gazes. Even then, the emperor loved his mother. He was an only child, and his mother used to promise him that she would get him a younger brother, but Lucius the First’s mother was unable to keep her promise to him.

The first girl Lucius the First slept with was a mean girl, but he liked the fact that she was confident of herself. This girl did not doubt she would become the next empress, and Lucius the First thought very highly of her confidence.

But in the end, Lucius the First’s father, the former emperor, was against his son marrying such a bold girl, so he kicked her out of the castle. The girl ended up marrying into a good family, but she died of an illness at a very young age.

By the time Lucius the First arrived at the Yapa castle, Lady Rebecca was unconscious. She was no longer the pretty girl with her entire body grossly swollen. Her small blood vessels were ruptured, making her look horrendous. As soon as he saw her, Lucius the First knew that she was not going to make it.

The will she left for the emperor was filled with the legality of the situation, proving that she was indeed a royal princess who was well aware of her duties; this made the emperor even sadder.

His own mother died at a very young age. His first girl ended up marrying another man and dying young too. The woman he loved right now was the one person he could not have. His own wife ended up dying while giving birth.

Lucius the First thought to himself, ‘I am so lucky in many things, but not in women, I guess.’

He was given the gift of a daughter in exchange for his wife’s life, but the emperor was terrified that this baby might leave him too. He could not even bear to look at the tiny being without trembling.

A baby born at eight months… There was a good chance she might not make it. She might die at any moment and prove that Lucius the First was indeed very unlucky. Just thinking about this possibility made the emperor feel unbearable.

His mother, his first girl, his wife, and now his daughter… There would be no one left in his life. The emperor waved his hands in pain as he muttered desperately, “More drinks! Inno! Get me more wine right now!”

“You need to stop, your highness.”

The one person Lucius the First wanted to see the most was Poliana.

The one person Lucius the First wanted to avoid the most right now was also the same person.

Slowly, the emperor looked up to find Poliana looking tired.

His mother, his first woman, his wife, and his daughter… Would there be any woman left in his life?

Yes, and he knew the answer to this question. There was only one woman that mattered the most in his life.

The woman he loved.

The emperor whispered, “Am I dreaming? Or am I hallucinating from too much wine? If this is a dream, it has to be a nightmare. If it is a hallucination, it is a terrible one.”

Only

“Your highness, I believe you drank too much.”

Poliana had never seen Lucius the First looking this disheveled and helpless. Just as Poliana was in terrible pain, it was clear that the emperor was suffering as well. Unable to help herself, Poliana hugged him tightly. The emperor, although shocked at first, felt ecstatic as he felt her warmth envelope him.

Poliana Winter.

The woman he loved.

Feeling overwhelmed, Lucius the First exclaimed, “Pol… I…!”

The heat from her body proved that this was no dream. Poliana, the woman he desired, was here. She was with him and she was hugging him. Even though he was intoxicated, his brain worked calculatingly with cold clarity. If he took her now, his dream would come true. Poliana was also in pain from losing her friend Lady Rebecca. If Lucius the First professed his love for her and took her to bed, Poliana would not resist him. He could even blame his actions on alcohol and the sadness from losing his wife. Afterward, he could insist on marrying her, which would mean he could keep her by his side as his forever.

This was the chance he has been waiting for a very long time, and it was finally here.