#pre-empressification

Valeria padded as quietly as she could down the steep stairs to the attic door, tying her dress closed as she went. She pressed her ear to the door and strained to hear who might be at the door. She heard the soft noise of one of her sisters’ house boots tap tap tapping across the room to the door, irritated muttering following, and the creak of the door being pulled open.

Silence, or at least nothing that would reach the attic, followed for many moments. Then her sister returning across the room, followed by the sound of much heavier boots. She heard her second sister’s harried footsteps up the stairs to the second level, where the door to the attic was, but headed away from Valeria as she banged on her step-mother’s door.

“Mother, we need you downstairs, we have a…guest,” her sister’s voice was strained, anxious. There was some disgruntled grumbling before Valeria heard her step-mother open the door and follow her sister down the stairs. Assured that all her family were downstairs, she slipped on her house slippers — not what she would normally wear at the start of the day, but much quieter than a pair of boots — and crept out into the corridor, following it down to the landing overlooking the parlor.

She was shocked to see a small contingent of soldiers lined up on the far side of the room nearest the door. Her sisters and step-mother were opposite them. The younger women stood just behind the matriarch, upright but exuding a clearly nervous air. And in the center of the room was the subject of Valeria’s idle musings, Emperor Solus.

“Census records indicate that you have a household of four, yourself and three daughters,” he was saying, making a show of reading over a document he held that he clearly already knew the contents of. “And yet, only two stand here now.”

“I have only two daughters,” her stepmother snapped, glaring. “You must be speaking of my servant.”

“A servant that shares the same family name?” he challenged.

“A distant cousin. We exchange her work for room and board.”

“Interesting, because here—“ the emperor pulled another document from the hand of one of the officers attending, “I see that your late husband had left everything in his will to a ‘Valeria’, until the year before his death, when the beneficiary was changed to you. Neither of the women standing with you introduced themselves as Valeria, so unless he was unusually fond of this ‘distant cousin’, you are a liar.”

From her hiding place, she could see her stepmother’s back stiffen. She couldn’t hear the next words Solus spoke, but she saw her stepmother give a stiff nod before turning for the stairs. Valeria barely had the time to hurry back to her attic room, carefully closing the door as quietly as she could to pretend she hadn’t been eavesdropping. She sat at the shabby vanity she’d been repairing since she was a child, pretending to fuss with her hair as she listened to the approaching footsteps thumping up the stairs, clunking down the hall, before the door squealed upon opening and the furious face of her stepmother stormed in. Valeria turned to act surprised, only for the other woman to greet her with a sharp slap across her face. Valeria grit her teeth, covering the spot with her hands, as her stepmother dragged her to her feet.

“You are becoming more trouble than you’re worth,” she snarled into Valeria’s ear as she dragged her out into the hall. “It would be a boon if they executed you for breaking and entering!” She stormed around Valeria to lead the way down the stairs, and Valeria hesitated for several moments before following, smoothing her shabby dress as she realized she was vastly underdressed for the company. She wondered if he would even recognize her as she started down the stairs.

“There you are, my dear,” he gave her a soft smile, only for it to vanish as he frowned at her bruised eye. He crossed to meet her at the stairs, taking her chin in hand and running one thumb over the weal on her cheek where she’d been slapped. He turned sharply to her family, releasing her face as he did.

“I’ll not mince words. If she accepts, I intend to ask Valeria to be my Empress. I’m sure it will be a great loss—“ the words dripped with sarcasm and fury in equal measure “—but consider it my price for letting you get away with blatantly lying to my face. Should she not accept, I can think of no small number of families that would be happy to adopt a woman with the emperor’s favor and treat her well. Either way, should she wish it, you are to never speak to her again.”

Valeria’s mind had gone blank when she realized what he said. He…wanted to marry her? Her? She was certain she must’ve fallen back asleep while getting ready for the day. Valeria gave herself a quick pinch on one arm, hoping she was being subtle about it, but all it did was leave a red mark on her arm. Perhaps her stepmother realized she had lost, because she only nodded, even as her sisters exchanged concerned glances. Valeria knew it had nothing to do with any familial concerns for her and everything to do with the fact that now they would have to do their own chores.

“Do you need to collect anything before we depart?” Solus turned to ask Valeria kindly, and she glanced up towards the attic door. After a long moment, she shook her head. If she was really, truly escaping this place, she wanted nothing to remind her of it. And most of it was only barely serviceable, anyway.

“Nothing that can’t be replaced,” she murmured. The emperor nodded before offering her his arm, and, after just a moment of again reflecting on how she didn’t look like she belonged on an emperor’s arm, she took it, letting him lead her outside without looking back. Outside, a chill wind blew harshly through the threadbare dress she wore. Solus signaled to a nearby servant, who brought over a long, thick cloak that he placed carefully around her shoulders.

“How did you even know where to look? I didn’t give you my real name,” she dared to ask, and he gave a small, amused smirk.

“You have a very loyal friend, dear.” Satisfied that the cloak would shield her properly from the cold, he led her towards a large machine, some magitek thing Valeria wasn’t familiar with that resembled a carriage. “She was ready to take your name to her grave if I hadn’t assured her I had nothing but good intentions. Her deal was that if she told me your name, I had to get you away from your family. Now I see why.” His gaze hardened again as he took in the bruising on her face.

“Y-you said you wanted… That you…”

“Want you to marry me?” He gave a soft smile as he lifted one of her hands to his lips, and, despite the cold, she felt like her face was on fire. “Would you?”

She hesitated. She barely knew him. They’d had a good time at the ball, it’s true, and he did just save her from a life of suffering with her family, but… She had no idea who he really was. Perhaps he could see the conflict in her face, because he dropped her hand gently, giving her space.

“You can tell the truth, I’ll accept it either way,” he assured her.

“I… It’s not that I don’t want to, but… we hardly know each other!” Valeria stared down at her slippered feet, growing colder by the moment. “I just… I always imagined being courted properly. You know, wooed, treated to dinners, getting to know the person I’m to spend the rest of my life with. I didn’t ever think I would get it, but… I dreamed.” She glanced up nervously, only to see a delighted smile illuminating Solus’s face.

“If that’s all, there’s nothing saying we have to get married tomorrow. If the lady wants to be courted, then that’s what she’ll get,” he opened the door, ignoring the officer that had stepped forward to do so, and helped her inside. It was far warmer than outside, and the interior was plush and comfortable. He took the spot across from her, the door closing behind him. She jumped as the machine rumbled to life and started to move.

“Is this your first time using magitek?” he asked curiously, and she nodded. “Much more comfortable than beast powered carriages. Faster too. We’ll be at the palace soon.”

“I’m sorry if it was presumptuous of me to not bring any of my belongings,” she apologized. He laughed.