Chapter 77Poliana ran away from Sirs Donau and Howe and visited Lucius the First, even though she was still on her break. The guards standing in front of the emperor"s room saluted Poliana. Realizing there was a guest inside the bedroom, Poliana raised her eyebrows. The guards used sign language to let her know.
"A woman, no danger."
Poliana nodded. It was a common occurrence for the conquered colonies to offer women to the new conqueror. Lucius the First never sought a woman for himself, but when he was offered one, he didn"t refuse her as long as all the conditions were met.
Because he was the emperor, a woman could not be a commoner, but she also couldn"t come from an overly high-ranking family. All the women that were offered to him were very beautiful. Lucius the First wasn"t too picky about one"s appearance, but the colonists worried that they might upset him if they sent an ugly woman.
The women could be divided into two categories: fearful vs. ambitious. Some women trembled in fear while the others dreamt of becoming his empress. Lucius the First gave these women no time to fear or gloat. As soon as they entered his bedroom, he told them about it plainly. If they were afraid, they could leave at any time. And even if she stayed, he had no intention of taking the women with him back to Acreia.
The women that spent the knight with the conqueror were still considered pure and untouched, so they would have no problem getting marriage offers afterward.
At the beginning of their war, most women were scared to enter his bedroom, but as time pa.s.sed and people heard about Lucius the First, the majority of the women sent to him felt curious. The stories of his beauty were legendary.
All the women that spent the night with him left satisfied. The emperor wasn"t the type to force any woman, and he was the most beautiful man these women have ever met. All his life, he never lacked women because of his good looks. In fact, he became more and more indifferent to women.
But Lucius the First was almost 30 years old now. It was now his time to start thinking about marriage. Poliana was worried that her emperor wasn"t taking this problem seriously.
Then suddenly, the door was opened, and a woman walked out. It was a lady Poliana had seen a few times before. She had distinctively dark smooth skin, which was usual for the southerners. Her black straight hair looked silky, and she also had generous b.r.e.a.s.t.s. Poliana knew that all the knights were drooling over her.
The lady always looked at Poliana irritably, and today when she spotted her, the lady looked away rudely and left. Her disrespectful behavior didn"t bother Poliana. She knew what kind of rumors people were talking about. The strange stories between Poliana and Lucius the First were still very popular among the many. Many called Poliana the "Seductress Witch."
Most women who saw Poliana in person quickly realized that the rumors were false, but there still some who looked at her with jealousy.
Poliana knocked on the door and before she received the permission to enter, she announced, "It"s Poliana. I"m coming in, your highness."
Lucius the First was getting dressed with help from his servant. Based on his and his bed"s current state, it looked like nothing happened. Poliana became confused.
"The lady didn"t look like someone who would get scared or make a mistake… So what happened? Or I guess the real question is… why didn"t it happen?"
The emperor gestured for her to come closer and ordered the servant to bring in new gla.s.ses and another bottle of wine. He then explained to Poliana, "I sent her away."
Apparently, they were drinking and talking together. The lady was very smart and an excellent conversationalist, so Lucius the First was pleased with her. When he was about to take her to his bed, the lady brought up the rumors between Poliana and himself.
"She believed in those stories about you and me, Sir Pol."
"But it"s not true. I would never sleep with you!"
Poliana replied immediately. She hated how her presence damaged her emperor"s reputation. With an unhappy frown, Lucius the First replied, "I wouldn"t sleep with you either."
It was rare for the emperor to show such displeasure. It meant that he was indeed very upset about this situation. He continued, "And she also told me about some other kings who like to collect different types of women. Ugly women, beauties, young and old, widows, and disabled… She was talking about some pervert and was looking at me like I was too! But I am not a pervert! Why would I ever do something so hideous like that?!"
Poliana stood up quickly and set down her gla.s.s. She turned around and announced, "I will go find her and beat her up for you, your highness."
How dare she insult her greatest emperor? She may have been a lady, but she deserved to be beaten. As Lucius the First"s personal guard, Poliana had the right and responsibility to punish those who insulted her emperor. When she raised her fist angrily, Lucius the First replied, "It"s alright, Sir Pol. Just sit down and drink with me."
"My s.h.i.+ft starts in two hours, your highness."
Poliana took her job very seriously. She enjoyed drinking with her emperor, but her job and duty came first. The emperor replied, "Then drink with me just for the next two hours."
"I can"t enter my s.h.i.+ft drunk, your highness."
"Then I will give you a special vacation for today!"
Lately, Poliana was the emperor"s most trusted knight. She had no reason to refuse this reward, even if she didn"t do anything to deserve it.
They began to drink amicably and talked about the war.
"Sir Pol, I sent the messenger from Pucachi away. It sounded like they wanted a war with me."
"But Pucachi"s defense is poor at best. They are very underprepared."
"Pucachi is nicknamed the Winner of the South. There must be something more to this kingdom than we know. We must remain vigilant."
Lucius the First worried that they would end up needing to battle during the summer. The Acreian men were not used to such heat and humidity, so it would have been a huge disadvantage. But thankfully, the rainy season came and historically, the southerners didn"t fight during this time. It seemed that the war was going to resume in winter.
They continued to talk about the war when suddenly, the emperor looked at her kindly and said to her, "You know what, Sir Pol?"
"Yes, your highness?"
Lucius the First looked at her warmly. His affection didn"t stem from the love between a man and a woman, but between two people who genuinely liked each other.
"I am sure we will be drinking and talking like this then too."
"I am afraid I am not smart enough to understand your meaning, your highness."
"After we unite all the kingdoms of this continent, I am sure we will still be like this, you and I."
Poliana tried her best not to burst into tears. She was so grateful and honored that her emperor saw her this way. When she bit her lips to not show any tears, Lucius the First patted her shoulder and said to her kindly, "There is no need to cry, Sir Pol. There will be plenty of time to cry your happy tears when we accomplish our dreams. It won"t be too long until I became the ruler of this continent, and you will remain by my side."
"I"m not crying, your highness. It"s the alcohol."
Poliana hated lying, but it was necessary for this situation. Lucius the First hated liars, but he let it slide this time.
Was this really ok? Poliana felt a sense of overpowering happiness and she wasn"t sure if she was allowed to have this. To be trusted and loved by this great man… It was more than she could ever dream of.
The gift he bestowed upon us was too great. She didn"t know how to repay him for his kindness. All she could do was to protect him with her life.
It wasn"t just Poliana who felt emotional. Lucius the First also was grateful for Poliana"s unconditional love and loyalty. This was why he was so angry when that woman earlier insulted Poliana. If the lady only brought up the rumors, he would have been fine, but she disrespected Poliana and the innocent relations.h.i.+p between them.
Questioning Poliana was the same thing as questioning the emperor. There was nothing stronger than a bond between the emperor and his knight. Lucius the First hated making a woman cry, but to protect Poliana"s reputation, he was willing to do it to any ladies that he would come across.