"I beg your pardon, Your Majesty the Emperor, but what crime have I committed that would warrant my being dragged to the capital? I am just a village girl with her son. And I have never once set foot in the capital, which could make you come and drag me to a place I have never visited," I said, bowing my head calmly, even though I knew the sword was dangling over my neck. Because one small wrong move would do me in.
"Aria, is it that you refuse to recognize me? Your husband?" he said, moving his hand across his hair, taking them back.
"I apologize, Your Highness, but I have married to a countryside man only. I could never marry such a high status emperor like you, so I think you are being mistaken for what is going on here. I hope you return now as me and my son are planning to start our life here," I said.
"Are you joking with me, Aria? Are you joking because you are mad at me?" he said. I felt his voice toned down slightly.
"How could I do such things to the Emperor! I'm merely a countryside girl," I said while still kneeling on the rock road which kept on piercing into my knees.
"I don't want any of this coming out from your mouth. If you are not coming with me, then I won't mind taking you with me forcefully," he said, groaning out of anger. "Soldiers, take the future empress to the palace but with utter respect," he said walking toward his carriage.
"Your Royal Highness the Empress, please come with us," one of the soldiers said, stuttering.
"And I refused too. Can't you hear what I said a while ago?" I asked, my voice becoming cold.
He stared at the back of The Emperor Darius.
"If she doesn't come by word, then bring the female knights right here to bring her forcefully, but if any of you touch her, I will bury you all right here." He ordered while I was still kneeling there.
"There is no need. I can walk alone," I said, kneeling down. It was later that Elian saw the bleeding on my knees and wrapped his arms tightly around me.
"Mom, you are bleeding. Why did you get hurt? Why are you so angry with dad? He cares for you," Elian remarked cutely, making me smile a bit. But honestly, I don't know how this man met Aria because in my clear vision, he came all injured to the countryside, and Aria took him to the doctor. That's all. How could Aria ever fall for this tyrant known for making a bloody river worldwide? And if he really does care for her, he must have fallen on the bleeding knees of Aria, but he has not done that. It's just that he wants her, claims her, that's it.
"Your royal highness, please follow us to the carriage!" one of the soldiers instructed me as I followed him to the carriage. But suddenly I heard people whispering.
"Who is this woman? How on earth does the emperor get married to this woman and have a child? She can never be the empress but a mere concubine."
I heard them very clearly, but I know I'll end up that way. He might even be afraid that one day I would enter that palace with a child in my arms. But I understand all the tricks. I smiled thinking that as I went into the carriage which found Darius the emperor.
"Are you still going to keep acting like it?" Darius asked.
"I'm not so sure what you mean, Your Highness," I said politely, watching Elian, sleeping very soundly after we settled in the carriage. Must be so tired.
"I've had enough of this polite conversation between us, Madam. Kindly stop being like this," he said, trying not to groan.
After a while, he calmed himself and stretched his hand toward me, saying, "Give Elian to me. I know he is usually too heavy for you to carry, so I will lay him down on my lap."
"Ha!!! I don't know on what basis you are telling me that my own son is heavy to me but not to you? Did you ever get married, Your Highness? Do you have children which you ever carried? No right? Then how would you know?" I asked while smiling.
"Madam!!!!!!"
"Don't you even know it? Don't you remember that we are married and husband and wife? Don't you know he is our son and how many times I have played with him?" he said, anger evident in his voice.
"No, Your Highness, I don't know," I said, and it is true–I don't know until I gain those memories from Aria's past. Until then, I'm not going to believe who is in what relationship with me or Aria or Elian.
"I don't know what you are talking about, so sit back and enjoy your ride. I will handle his pain myself; it's not the emperor's job to deal with this," I said, turning toward the window, waiting for the journey to end soon. But it kept on going and going, making me feel awkward in this place with a man who is supposed to be my husband—I mean Aria's, who is me now—and now he has become emperor and wants me to be with him. I don't know what to do with this.
All these kept on playing in my mind when suddenly the carriage jumped a big stone in the middle of the way like a reckless driver didn't see it; I jerked all over the place and landed on the emperor's lap. Shocked for a moment-I looked up and it seemed to me that he had some happy smile on his lips, I don't know for what reason. But I hurried and got up.
"I beg your pardon for my rude behavior, Your Highness. It is the driver's fault for driving so recklessly. But still, it is my fault for sharing the carriage with you together. So if you could give me permission, could you please stop the carriage so that I could shift to another one right now?" I asked.
"Why? Are you feeling awkward riding in the same carriage with me? As you said, I'm not your husband but the emperor, so why such hesitation?" he asked, smirking at me.
I knew it, he was up to no good. "It's rather awkward, Your Highness. There are sky and moon differences between you and me, so I don't think I'm quite in a position to be here with you," I said, gazing right up at him.