Slave to the Emperor

As soon as I look in the mirror, I see myself. I really didn't know who I was seeing, but if there's one thing I know for sure, it's that this person may not be the real me. My eyes looked tired and swollen from crying all night, and my whole body felt numb. Because I hadn't slept well and was tired, there was a dark circle under my eyes that I knew would take a lot of contouring and highlighting to hide. But I was ready to put as much makeup on as I could to hide how upset I was and fake a smile for as long as I could.

I wasn't new to putting on a fake smile and acting like everything was fine. As a nurse, I have to smile most of the time to keep my patients calm and confident. I also have to act like everything is fine even though I'm so stressed out that my body is coming apart. This is what I do: I use makeup and highlights to hide my under-eye circles before I put on blush. Besides the fact that I could see my cheeks getting brighter, there was nothing else on my face that showed I was happy. I finally put on red lipstick after thinking for a while about whether to choose a pink or red shade. I decided that pink would be too boring and red would be much more interesting. I didn't want to wear my hair in a bun, so I straightened it out and let it fall. My hair is usually very dark black, but I dyed it brown a few months ago. I ran my hand along the edge of the Amara green necklace that looked so nice around my neck. She got the collar as a gift from her mother, which she got from her father a few years ago. She came into my room last night to say she was sorry and give me this as a note of her apology. She claimed this was something she had saved for when I was to get married but because of the situation, it wasn't a wedding gift but rather, an apology gift. Letting out a tired sigh, I stood up and examined how my strapless black tube dress hugged my body and highlighted my curves. After telling myself that I looked just right, I slowly walked out of my room. Every step I took as soon as I walked out of my room only increased my nervousness and made my hands much sweatier. The fact that I had no idea who this man really was or how he was and yet, I had no other choice but to head to his place and meet with him, made the situation even more nerve-wracking for me. I didn't want to just go to him blindly so I ended up doing a full study on him as soon as I woke up this morning. Apparently, Stephen Ericson is no joke at all. He's a business mogul who was known for his cruel and cold nature. He owned several casinos in Las Vegas, he also owned several hotels and spas and is also a big name in the business world as someone who has shares in shares in several companies across the country. Compared to Stephen's wealth, my family's wealth was nowhere near his at all. "Are you ready my dear?" my dad asked as soon as I climbed down the stairs with my hands dragging on the cold rails of the stairwell. He was already all dressed up in a suit and I could tell he had been waiting for a while. What I couldn't tell was if he was actually excited about this or if he was also just trying to go with the flow because he looked way too good and way too calm and I found it very strange and weird. "I don't think I have any other choice dad. As you can see, I'm already prepared to go ahead with this ridiculous situation," I answered and he simply sighed without having to respond and I thank God on his behalf cause if he had made the mistake of saying anything at all, I would have had an all argument with me and changed my mind. I kept looking outside the car window, letting the cold air touch my face so that it could help me relax my mind. I had a lot going through my head and as much as I tried not to start overthinking and playing how the meeting would go in my head, I couldn't help it. At this point, the meeting could either go well if I'm able to just keep my thought in check or it could go horribly wrong, if he irritates me to the point where I can't take it. I really did not want to say anything to my dad at all cause I had a feeling that if I spoke to him, he was only going to say something to worsen my mood and luckily, he knew that I had no interest in talking to him and kept to himself without bothering me at all. After a few hours, we arrived at our destination and as soon as we did, my jaw dropped to the ground. The first thing that caught my eye was the huge black gate that looked like I had just arrived in some mafia boss's house. My mouth hung open when I noticed just how amazing the entire property was and how beautiful the view was. Compared to my home, this land was freaking huge and trust me, my home wasn't exactly normal. I spotted what looked like a basketball court and just when I thought my jaw couldn't drop any lower, it did. I stepped out of the car after our driver drove in and took a better look at my surroundings. I noticed that he had a pool house which wasn't very shocking, he also had a fountain and a yard that looked absolutely beautiful. From a distance, I also noticed what looked like a horse stable and a sudden feeling of shame overtook me. I thought I knew what wealth was but as it turns out, I didn't even know half of it. "How does it look? Beautiful, right?" my dad asked from behind me and I quickly rolled my eyes at him. "Is this why you're making me marry him? So you can have such a rich and powerful man as your son-in-law? Is all of this just another business strategy?" I questioned and even though it was only an odd quip, I wouldn't exactly put it past him. "Don't be like that Amara. If it wasn't for our family's sake, I wouldn't be making you do this," he replied and I didn't even feel the need to give him a reaction. I didn't want to go back to the mood I was in yesterday and responding to him would only upset me again. We walked towards the door until a young lady suddenly appeared from nowhere with a worried and tired look on her face. "I apologise for not welcoming you earlier madam. My name is Avi and I'll be leading you to the master," she introduced quietly. "Please come with me," she directed and I simply followed her lead with my dad following right behind me like he was some kind of bodyguard. When we entered the house– I mean, his palace– I was surprised to see several people, who I assumed were staff, based on how uniformed they all looked, lined up with their heads bent. I was quite taken aback and uncomfortable but I said nothing and just kept following behind Avi who was now going up the stairs and bringing me to where I assumed Stephen was. The fact that he didn't even think to show his face and welcome me like a good gentleman was already a sign of how tiring this marriage or rather, this sham of a marriage, was going to be. We finally got to the living room and I wasn't even surprised by how it looked cause everything about this place so far has been nothing short of beautiful and elegant. "Mr Ericson will join you both soon. Please take a seat and while you wait, would you like anything to drink?" Avi asked and I didn't hesitate to request for a glass of water. I really needed something to quench my thirst and stop my throat from running dry because of how scared I was. She immediately excused herself for a few minutes before returning with a glass of water and I gulped it down instantly. "Thank you," I said to her and she bowed slightly before excusing herself from the living room. About ten minutes had passed and there was still no sign of Mr Ericson. I haven't even met him yet and I already formed a great dislike for him. I detested guys who lacked courtesy and he clearly had zero courtesy. "I apologise for keeping you both waiting," a voice spoke from behind me and I quickly guessed that the man of the hour had finally arrived. I stopped myself from looking back to look at him and waited until he was in front of me. Almost as if he had read my mind, he emerged right in front of me, all dressed up in casual pants and an open t-shirt that was lazily tucked into his pants. He had a stone cold look on his face and when I tell you that this man looked like he had fallen straight out of heaven, I mean it with every cell of my being.

"Forgive me for keeping you waiting Mr and Miss Delgado but I had an urgent call to take and I needed to wrap that up first," Stephen stated. "It's lovely meeting you again Mr Delgado and you're both welcome to my humble house. I hope everything around is to your liking," he said, grabbing my father's hands for a handshake as I simply stood there, having a good look at his face. I had seen a few images of him previously on the internet and sure, he did appear quite nice looking in the pictures but nothing could have prepared me for how great looking he was in person.

Not only was he very tall and well built, he also had a finely chiseled face that made him appear like he had dropped right out of heaven. His presence alone made me feel incredibly little and it wasn't because of our height difference cause I'm not exactly short or anything but his aura and his frigid glance alone was enough to make me feel frightened and inferior. He also had a slight smile playing on his lips but, even an idiot would be able to tell that his smile was quite forced and he looked like he would rather be anywhere else but here. "Thank you for having us Mr Ericson. You have a really wonderful home by the way," my dad answered as I mentally rolled my eyes at him. Here he comes with the ass-kissing and the sucking up. I'm more astonished that he merely ended there without going further to commend the furnishings and even the lights. "It's a pleasure meeting you Mr Ericson," I piped out, after finally finding the guts to talk to him first because it didn't appear like he had any plans of speaking to me. I wasn't one to leap into conclusions but I was getting this odd sense that Stephen didn't want to talk to me and I know it sounds crazy and everything but it's honestly how I felt right now. It felt like he was purposefully avoiding establishing eye contact with me and I didn't really understand what may be his rationale for doing that. Wasn't this concept of us getting married something he was aware of? "Likewise Miss Delgado," he said, holding out his hands for a handshake and I grasped his hands in mine after a few long seconds. We shook hands very briefly before letting go of each other and I instantly felt a shudder go down my spine as soon as our hands parted. All the duration that we were in front of one other, he didn't for once make eye contact with me and that did not set well with me at all. "Please take a seat," he urged and both dad and I returned to where we were situated before he walked in while Stephen took a seat on the sofa that was just opposite where I sat. "Have you been offered anything? Is there possibly anything you'd like to eat or drink? Feel free to order anything and I'll have it delivered to you promptly," he said and honestly, I didn't like how anything felt at the time. I thought this meeting was supposed to be an introduction between Stephen and I since we're getting married but right now, it felt more like I had accompanied my dad to a meeting with a client of his and all I could do was just sit through the meeting while my dad and his client focused on their business and completely ignored the fact that I even existed. The fact that my soon-to-be husband wasn't looking at me, much less talking to me, made me very irritated and uncomfortable. "There's no need for that Stephen. What we ought to do now is go directly to why we're here. You've already met my lovely daughter Amara and I truly believe it's better that I excuse myself so that you two can get to converse quietly," my dad said unexpectedly and my heart immediately fell to my stomach. Did he really just suggest abandoning me here? All by myself? With this dude that appears like he wants absolutely nothing to do with me? Just how could he even conceive of doing that to me? What precisely is wrong with my dad? I turned to look at him and tried giving him a sign that I didn't like his suggestion at all and I was momentarily relieved that he had seen me but instead of staying back like I wanted him to, he simply ignored me and walked out of the living room, leaving me all by myself with this guy that looked like he was going to get up and leave any second from now. We both just kept silent after Dad left us and if there was another thing that I despised very much, it was these types of awkward and silent times. It was one of the most uncomfortable circumstances in the world and I despised how stifled I felt anytime I found myself in an unpleasant scenario. I cleared my throat anxiously before mustering up the confidence to speak out first instead of dealing with this. "So Mr Ericson, is there anything in particular that you'd like to know about me? Like, do you have any questions before we get married?" I said. "Well, is there anything you'd like to tell me about yourself?" he answered with his own inquiry and I didn't notice when I scoffed out loud. "Did I happen to say something wrong?" he asked innocently and even though I wanted nothing more than to be anywhere else but here, I opted against simply walking out and made up my mind to grab the reins and carry this awkward discussion. "Listen Mr Ericson, I came over here today because my father explained to me that you and I have to get married as some sort of business arrangement or something like that and although I still don't get what it has to do with me, I'm still willing to make an effort at the very least to talk to you but I don't think you're making any effort at all," I said to him, expressing my frustration. "I'm aware this isn't exactly typical but can you at least look me in the eye? You've been avoiding looking at me since you stepped in here and it has been really distressing just so you know," I said, trying not to seem too angry even though I was now seething. He didn't say anything for a long and merely glanced at me with an inquisitive look on his face. I felt quite uncomfortable under his attention so I glanced away from him and focused on anything else than him. "It seems to me like you're the one avoiding me now, miss Delgado," he finally spoke up and something about how calm and soft he sounded made him seem quite dangerous and when I say dangerous, I mean, dangerously hot. "Anyways, I apologise if I made you uncomfortable miss Delgado...," he's continuing but I stop him off. "Amara. The name's Amara, Stephen and I don't believe the formality is essential," I responded to him and he merely inclined his head slightly without giving off any expression. "I regret if I made you uncomfortable Amara. It wasn't my aim to," he clarified and something about the way my name slid off his mouth made my stomach churn, in a nice way. "I also want to apologies in advance because I know I'm meant to have a lengthy talk with you but something came up earlier and I really need to attend to it as soon as possible. I know you made time to come all the way here and I'm so sorry that we'll have to finish our chat so abruptly," he stated and when I told you I wasn't shocked, I truly wasn't. It's not like I expected him to actually depart but I wasn't shocked that he was. I'm even doubting his reason of having work to do since it just seemed very weak to me and I wouldn't be shocked to find out that he just wanted me out and was searching for a chance to send me back home just because he didn't like me. I probably didn't appear as he anticipated me to therefore he could genuinely be rethinking his thoughts of marrying me. Truthfully, I didn't know whether to be thankful for it or to be wounded by it but I had absolutely no plans of making whatever I felt clear to him. "It's not a problem Stephen, I completely understand," I lied with a forced grin pasted on my face. At least now, this ridiculous thought of me getting married will become a thing of the past so I honestly can't complain. "To make it up to you, I'd like to invite you for dinner tomorrow night but that's only if you're interested in having dinner with me," he asked unexpectedly and I'm taken aback. "You want to have dinner with me?" I inquired again to be sure I wasn't hearing things. "Yes, cause I think it'd be a good chance for us to talk more comfortably," he said. After a few minutes of pondering, I decided to offer him an answer. "I'll have to check my schedule and if I'm available, I'll let you know," I informed him and he merely nodded before getting up from where he was sat. "Leaving already?" I questioned. "Unfortunately, I have to miss Delgado. Please do get back to me on my offer and one again, I sorry for this," he answered and just like that, he walked away, leaving me all by myself.

"Is something going on Amara?" My closest buddy Sienna questioned as she observed me taking a sip from my third vodka shot. She seemed really interested in finding out why I was behaving strangely and drinking on a weekday, which is not like me. I don't usually drink alcohol because I really think that it's my duty as a nurse to lead by example.

Additionally, I can't just drink whenever I want since I never know when I'll be called into work to respond to a patient's needs."Does it look like something is going on with me?" Sienna nodded her head yes without hesitation when I posed the obvious question."Em, you really shouldn't be asking me that. You are well aware of how strange your behavior is, and I'm beginning to worry a lot about you. Not only is it strange that you're calling me out for a drink on a weekday when you haven't done so in over three years, but you're also having multiple shots of vodka, which is something you would never do in a rational world. She reminded me, "You hate vodka, Amara," and I laughed a little without even realizing it.I murmured back, "Damn Sienna, I guess I'm really losing my mind," and she rolled her eyes at me."Exactly, Em. I need you to tell me exactly what's driving you insane since you seem to be going crazy. She asked in a tone that made it clear she was being very serious, "Stop keeping me in suspense and just tell me what's going on with you."Sincerely, all I wanted was to tell her everything, but I wasn't sure how to tell her that I was getting married to none other than Stephen Ericson, one of the wealthiest and most powerful men in the country. Even though I had only met him once, I still didn't know why I was under any kind of pressure to marry him even if he was going to become my husband. How was I going to explain to my closest friend that I found my soon-to-be husband to be really intimidating and that I felt a little afraid of him?I was more than ready to get wasted and forget about everything else in the world simply thinking about the whole affair.I honestly don't know how to tell you this, even though it's not like I don't want to. "You're probably going to think I'm crazy anyway," I murmured, causing her to furrow her brow deeply."Amara, are you serious right now? Is that how little you regard my opinion? Since we've been best friends for more than 10 years, do you really believe that telling me what's going on with you will drive me insane? What if I believe you to be insane? Does it really matter? That's how friendships operate, isn't that right? I sighed in frustration, "Just because I might find whatever is going on with you crazy doesn't automatically mean that I won't support you and stick with you," she snapped back."You face to promise me that everything I'm about to tell you will be between us, Sienna, because I'm going to explain everything to you. Do you realize that you most surely cannot tell anyone else about this?" I forewarned her.Sienna frowned. "You're not that important foolish, so I don't believe anyone in the world would like to listen to me blab about you as much as I would love to tell someone about my closest friend's life and disclose her personal business. She snarled back at me, "Now, start talking and stop sounding so dramatic."I sighed and took a little drink from my shot that was only halfway full. I motioned to the bartender to top up my drink, then turned to face Sienna, blurting out the details of my situation in one breath. "I'm getting married,"Sienna's demeanor changed instantly from intrigued to bewildered to startled as soon as I said those words. "Hold on, what? Are you getting hitched? You? Amara Delgado, a? The same Amara who's not even engaged to be married?" she said, and I didn't find it surprising that she answered in that way. I knew she wouldn't believe me, so I was prepared for her to be astonished.Her mouth dropped as I said, "Yeah, Sienna, me Amara Delgado-the girl without a boyfriend, much less a fiancé-am getting married.""Dear, do you know what? I believe it's time for you to just give up drinking and go home immediately. You're clearly not into alcohol, and it's already making you say a bunch of stupid things that don't make sense at all. I'll arrange for a vehicle to come and retrieve us so you can head home and relax. She started to get up to go, saying, "It seems like you really need it," but I stopped her."I meant what I just said, Sienna, and I'm not intoxicated. I told her, "I'm getting married soon, and yes, even though it sounds unbelievable and ridiculous, it's actually the truth." She calmed when she realized I was genuine."You're getting married, really? Why is that? Who is this person that you are ostensibly getting married to?" Sienna questioned, her questioning eyes gazing back at me. When she did ask me this question, as I knew she would eventually, I wasn't quite sure how to break the news to her that I was getting married to a millionaire. It's unlikely that she will believe me at first, but I still can't help but tell her.I told her ahead of time, "Don't be shocked, Sienna," and she rolled her eyes at me.As she scoffed at me, "As if anything can be more shocking than the fact that you're actually getting married," I moaned.I told her that Stephen Ericson was my soon-to-be husband.She scowled. Amara, what the heck are you saying? She said dismissively, "Which Stephen Ericson are you talking about because it can't possibly be the same one that I've heard about," but she let out a loud scream when she realized that I had said nothing at all. Is the holy mother of Christ making jokes about me? She questioned, "Is he really the one?," in a loud enough voice to draw attention away from where we were sitting. I hurriedly silenced her before she could announce to the entire bar that I was getting married."I know it sounds like the worst kind of joke but unfortunately for me, it's not a joke," I said. Fighting down the want to cry, I said, "It all still feels to me like some kind of bad dream that I'll be waking up from anytime soon but if I'm being honest with myself, it is the actual truth and I have to prepare to make peace with it.""Amara, this is unbelievable. Are you truly going to wed Stephen Ericson? Is this the same Stephen Ericson who is notorious for being a merciless businessman and a money-hungry bastard? But why, exactly? How come you would marry someone who looks like him? Do you know this man at all?" She enquired."Well, I called you out for a drink because I met him for the first time earlier today-I didn't know that at first. My realization upon meeting him was that I would actually have to marry him, and to be honest, the idea of that scares and chills me. We traveled for hours earlier today to see this man, and even when he was with us, he only gave us thirty minutes of his time. He hardly even gave me a glance. I said, remembering how annoyed and ashamed I had been about the whole thing earlier in the day. "It's like he doesn't want to marry me but is being forced to," I said."Why in the world are you marrying him if you already feel this way? Why is it the case?" Sienna asked, and I let out a frustrated sigh."Trust me, Sienna-I have no idea why this marriage is even being discussed, but I would also want to know. I have no idea why I'm even getting married at all. My father essentially left me with no choice than to marry him if I wanted our lives to stay the same. Dad won't talk to me, so I'm going to ask him why we have to be married when we have dinner together tomorrow," I informed her."Are you going to see him again? By yourself?" she enquired.Naturally, Sienna. "He asked me out to dinner to apologize for not being able to talk to me for too long today, and I said that if I'm going to marry him, I need to at least talk to him for more than five minutes," Sienna groaned."You know, I still can't believe you're getting married; everything about this is so fucking ridiculous. She responded, clearly just as perplexed as I was, "I'm just going to wait until after your dinner with him tomorrow and hear how it all goes.""I'm also eager to meet him in person to find out more about his personality. You know how uncomfortable I get in awkward circumstances, so I'm really apprehensive about spending time alone with him," I said to her. She grabbed my hands in hers and gently squeezed them."Aunt, don't worry too much. You may tell your dad that you can't marry him because he makes you feel uncomfortable if he turns out to be unbearable. All you have to do is cut him off and go without giving it any thought. I just sighed as she remarked, "You shouldn't be sacrificing your sanity just to please him."If only saying no was that simple.