"You're an empress. They are beneath you,"
"SO, where are we going first?" Serena asks Judy.
Judy takes out a small notebook and flips the pages until she stops at a specific one. "You like Venné. So, we'll start there," she tells her, and Serena nods.
When they start reaching the city, the sounds of the crowd talking start being loud, and Serena tries to take a peek but Judy hastily stops her by grabbing her arm. Serena turns to look at her and sees Judy shaking her head.
"It's not safe, empress,"
"Oh," Serena responds and leans back to her seat.
Judy is right—the city is in a havoc with sellers shouting their prices, some trying to coax others by offering a discount, and Serena laughs. Seeing that reminds her of the shopping center near her home. The way her mother would bargain until she paid according to her pocket makes Serena miss her. She wonders whether her mother has noticed that she's gone and is probably at the police station claiming that her child is missing. She imagines the way those police officers will be plastering posters of her asking if anyone had seen her.
The noise quiets down a bit as they move on, and the carriage comes to a stop.
"We're here, empress," Judy announces, and at that moment, the door on Serena's side swings open and she alights remembering to thank her guard.
The sun is blazing hot and Serena covers her eyes with her right hand over her forehead but she's saved when Judy opens up a small pink umbrella. She smiles and thanks her.
With the help of the shade, Serena can finally see where they are. This side of the town is clean, peaceful, and organized. Women walking around with hats on top of their heads and their maids striking right behind them, carrying heavy luggage.
Serena pouts at that and turns to a patient Judy. "I won't shop a lot," she tells her.
"What do you mean, empress?"
"I mean that I will help you carry the extra bags,"
Judy's eyes widen and shakes her head. "There's no need, empress. Peter will help me,"
Serena raises her left eyebrow. "Peter? Who's Peter?"
"I'm Peter, empress,"
Serena turns to the sound of the intruder and sees her guard who has his head bowed down in respect.
"Oh! I'm sorry," she apologizes.
Peter smiles. "It's alright, empress,"
Serena smiles back and starts walking. "Where's Vienné?"
"Right over there," Judy answers, pointing to a huge shop to their left. Walking closer, Serena admires the dresses displayed behind the window before getting in.
The exterior underestimated the large interior. Soft music is playing and a few women are shopping—skimming through the clothes, taking time to pick one.
"Empress!"
Serena turns her head and sees a woman; Mexican based on her accent—black wavy hair and olive skin. She is wearing a long red straight dress with a long slit on the side of her thigh.
The woman comes closer and curtsies. "I'm honored to have you in my shop," she says.
Serena smiles. "I appreciate your kindness lady...
The woman starts looking up when Serena's sentence drags on but Judy shuffles closer to the empress and whispers in her ear. "Lady Sorovan,"
"Lady Sorovan," she repeats after Judy, and the lady straightens up and smiles.
"Please, feel free to look at the dresses," she tells Serena.
"Thank you," Serena replies, and moves over to the hanged dresses—Judy closely following.
"Are we friends?" she whispers. "And be honest with me,"
Judy nods stiffly. "You aren't enemies, empress but you secretly dislike her,"
Serena squints her eyes. "Dislike?"
"Yes,"
"Why?"
Judy opens her mouth then closes it as if she is a gaping fish, and Serena's patience begins to thin out.
"Get on with it," she grits out.
"That's because she—rumors had been going around that she has sexual relations with the emperor, empress,"
Serena's mouth drops wide open and her eyes reflexively look for Lady Sorovan who is busy calculating her coins behind the counter then back at Judy who looks relaxed.
"You must be joking," she says but Judy shakes her head.
"No, empress. You said so because you saw it for yourself,"
"Whaaaat?" she drags out. "I said that?"
Judy nods and Serena shakes her head in disbelief. If Xavier did sleep with Lady Sorovan then she is very disappointed. Understandably, he hates her but the least he can do is respect their marriage.
Serena values marriage a lot. She wants to get married someday and spend the rest of her life with her soulmate hoping that they don't expand their family. This morning when Xavier looked "concerned", she was very touched but she has to focus on the main thing and that is, finding a way to get back home.
"Let's go. I don't want to shop here anymore," she says and starts heading out but two women come in, and one of them looks up at her.
The woman's eyes widen in shock and a wears a big smile on her face before dropping her bags and wrapping her arms around Serena's frame. Serena is too shocked since she doesn't know who this woman is and gives Judy a weird look but Judy looks irritated. As much as she tried to hide it, her eyes says otherwise.
The lady retreats. "Oh my gosh! Serena! How have you been?"
Serena takes a step back to create some space between them. "Uh...good?" she replies, but it comes out as a question instead.
"We need to catch up! I have so many things to tell you!" the mysterious woman squeals.
She then strains her neck looking left and right then back to Serena. "Have you finished shopping?"
Serena nods.
"Great!" the lady says then links their arms together, taking them both outside.
"Let's have some tea,"
Serena wants to reject the offer because she's still full from eating at Xavier's grandparent's home but shuts up and smiles. "Sure,"
They enter a restaurant that is packed and as they walk past, everyone bows their head because of the empress. Serena smiles and bows back but almost flinches at the hard gaze in the lady's eyes.
"Why did you do that?" she asks her.
"What do you mean?" Serena asks back.
"Why did you bow? You're an empress. They are beneath you,"
Serena purses her lips in disdain not appreciating her line of thoughts. "They are people. Just like me. Like you,"
The lady huffs. "If I was the empress, I would have demanded them to kneel,"
Serena stops in her tracks and rips her arm off the lady's. The lady looks at her with raised eyebrows. "What's the matter now?"
"Who are you?"
The lady tilts her head. "Serena, are you alright?"
"I-
"My apologies, Lady Jalon. The empress isn't feeling too well. Please, excuse us," Judy interrupts, then comes in between the women. "Empress, let's head home,"
Serena nods and turns around but when she looks back at Lady Jalon, she sees her hands balled into fists.
~
Arriving home, Serena takes a bath and changes into her nightdress. She informs Judy that she won't be taking dinner because she wants to sleep early when in reality, she wants to form an escape plan.
During her conversation with Judy, she learned that there are more guards at night rather than a day at the front of the home and back so, she's stranded.
As she starts to formulate a plan, she needs to find something that may help her remember. Opening drawers and her wardrobes, shuffling through the miscellaneous items, there's nothing significant. She stands in the middle of the room looking at the mess that she has made and feeling irritated, she starts to scratch her scalp.
It's a habit that she needs to stop because she tends to rip some of her hair off.
"What can I find?" she whispers. "I need to remember,"
She sits down on her bed, lays down, and stares at the ceiling. Everything is going too fast and she feels like time is running out. Even though she has no idea what is going on, she knows that she has enemies--Sorovan, Jade, and Lady Jalon. And all the hate revolves back to Xavier. It's not her fault that Xavier chose her over them and anyways, it's not like they like each other or anything because they sleep in different rooms, and from what Judy told her, Xavier's room is further from hers. It's in the west wing of the home while Serena's is in the east.
Feeling exhausted, Serena gets inside her bedsheets and switches off the lamp. At least, they don't use candles, or else that would have been annoying. From fluorescents to a small flame is the most annoying thing to happen. She would rather be blind. She sighs at the darkness in delight and closes her eyes. All she needs is some sleep to deal with life the next morning.
Five minutes don't pass when her door opens. She squints her eyes but they almost bulge out when she sees Xavier. She immediately shuts her eyes, pretending to sleep because she has no energy to argue with him, and tries to control her breathing. He then shuts the door and Serena's heart thumps confused about what he is doing and why he is here in her room--in her space. She can hear his footsteps drawing closer and almost gasps when he slowly pulls off the duvet from her face almost shuddering at the cold breeze that her bed cover had protected her from.
She is only wearing a black silk night dress so her neck, arms, and chest are exposed. She shudders when his finger caresses her neck down to her shoulders and stops at her straps. She doesn't feel him do anything but that's proven wrong when his actions continue when he pulls down her strap that now loosely hangs on her arm. Serena badly wants to snap her eyes wide open and stop him but deep down, she wants to see what he will do next.
Of course, she will scream bloody rape when he does something unimaginable but since they are a married couple and he's the emperor, everyone will turn a blind eye.
Xavier then lightly caresses her cheeks then his thumb moves over to her lips, slightly parting them.
"Beautiful," he whispers, and Serena inwardly jumps.
This man is confused. He says he hates her but now calls her beautiful. Which one is which?
She then hears some movements and can feel his hot breath on her cheek and she wonders if he'll kiss her as if she has turned to be Aurora from sleeping beauty but a knock on the door interrupts his plans.
Xavier goes still but to make things seem that she is dreaming, she starts to pretend to wake up but Xavier shushes her. "Go to sleep," he whispers, and Serena listens to him.
Xavier gets up and covers her with her duvet covers and Serena can hear his footsteps receding and a door opening.
"What is it?" he hisses out to the other person.
"Apologies, emperor," the man says.
"Speak quietly," Xavier commands and the man does so.
"Miss Jalon has arrived sir,"
Serena's eyes open at the mention of the name and her mind takes her back to the woman she met today. Judy told her that she is Jade's childhood best friend but what Serena doesn't understand is why was she so excited to see her if Xavier's sister hates her. Does she have an ulterior motive and even if she does, she'll be damned to fall for it.
"Okay. Where is she?" Xavier asks, but when the man is about to answer, Xavier steps out and shuts the door.
Serena inwardly cusses out but does not move. She'll have to deal with it tomorrow morning. The only thing that is occupying her mind is what Xavier had done a few minutes ago or was about to do.
