Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4) by Hayley Faiman (urban books to read .TXT) 📕

I hold back the groan. “This I know, I was ignoring her.”

Marcellus chuckles. There is a good match in Gigia. Quintillus Lucius. He is without a mulier, young and powerful. The largest landowner in the entire city-state. It would be good for her and for the joining and strengthening of Savona.”

Typically, I always agree with my brother. There isn’t much that we do not agree on. I don’t tend to ask him questions about scholarly things and he doesn’t ask me about war, this keeps us always in charge of what we are most knowledgeable.

“I was hoping to strengthen Savona by binding her to someone of another country,” I confess.

There is a moment of silence, then he clears his throat before he speaks. “You would send her away?” he asks, keeping his voice low.

Chuckling, I look over to my brother. He would miss the young spirited Cassia, as we all would. “What is best for the country?” I ask him.

He’s quiet again, then finally speaks. “You have thought this through?”

“I have,” I admit. “Though he has agreed, he is not ready yet. I have not pushed. I have his agreement in writing and I quite enjoy having Cassia here. It is no hardship to keep her under my watch.”

“Did you converse with Brutus?” he grinds out.

It is obvious that me making this decision without him has somehow angered him.

“I have. Brutus agreed to the match before I approved it. Did you wish me to converse with you as well?” I ask.

Marcellus’ body jerks and he lifts his chin, looking down his nose at me. “You do not need to do such things, Emperor,” he sneers. “Have you chosen a bride for me as well?”

“Marcellus,” I sigh.

He doesn’t speak, though with his chin jutted as he looks down his nose at me, I’m sure that he has a few things that he would like to say to me, thankfully he doesn’t make the situation worse by voicing them.

“You are free to choose who you wish to wed, just as Brutus was free. Cassia is under my guard, therefore I needed to choose someone who would not only serve her, but the empire as well. I also made the match as if she were my own daughter.”

Marcellus drops his chin and relaxes his features as he lets out a heavy sigh. “I realize you do not have to consult with me on such matters, but I thought that you might.”

Lifting my hand, I wrap my fingers around his shoulder and squeeze. Giving him a shake, I smile at my little brother.

“I had planned on consulting you, but all of it happened when Drucilla arrived. Do I get a pass on this?” I ask.

He lets out a sigh and nods. “Just this once.”

Smiling, I look at him, my eyes searching his. “Have you chosen a bride, then?”

“When I have, you will know.”

We end the conversation and I ask him if he would like to have some wine with me. He agrees and all anger and irritation are gone and forgotten.

Chapter Twenty-Six

TIBERIUS

Walking toward my cubiculum, I lift my hand, balling my fingers in a fist, and knock on the door. Normally, I would just walk in, there is nowhere in this domum that I am not allowed to enter. I own and am in control of everything. There is no privacy here when it comes to the emperor.

However, today is different, this situation is different. My bride readies herself for our celebration. Since our wedding wasn’t in the traditional sense, I want to give her this celebration, to show her my people—her new people.

The door slowly opens and I am surprised to see the room filled with women. Drucilla has captured an entire audience. Cassia, two famulus, the dressmaker, and several others are filling my room.

“Are we ready?” I ask, shifting my gaze from the famulus who answered the door to Drucilla who stands at the other end of the room.

Her back is to me, but I know her blonde hair when I see it, even when it is twisted and pinned up off of her shoulders and back. She’s wearing a white gown, gold ropes arranged and ties all over her body to accentuate every beautiful aspect of her.

She lets out a noise, then turns around. I watch as she lifts her hand to her hair, but she doesn’t speak right away. She doesn’t need to. She is breathtaking.

The air leaves my body at the sight of my mulier dressed in her celebration attire. It makes me want to think of a reason to celebrate weekly, just to see her like this.

“My crown, I left it back… in my homeland,” she says.

My lips twitch in a small smile at the worry in her voice. Turning around, I walk out of the room without a word. Leaving her with her women, I head toward my office. Closing the office door behind me, I put the lock in place and make my way toward the empty wall.

There, I push through the false wall and into the jewel room. If Drucilla thought that the crown I gave her was the only one, she would be mistaken. Gathering not only a crown, but I also take a necklace and set of bracelets from the room.

Once the wall is secured and locked into place, I leave the office and make my way back to her, to my bride, to my mulier. Walking back into the room, this time I don’t bother knocking.

Cassia has her arm wrapped around Drucilla’s shoulders and their heads are tipped together as they talk. One of the famulus’ clears her throat and mutters something that I cannot quite make out. When she does, Drucilla’s head pops up and her eyes widen as she looks at me.

“Tiberius,” she exhales.

Silently, I make my way toward her. Lifting my hands, I raise them