After a while, the carriage finally left the borders of the Caliphate to head towards the Greenferr Forest where the Caesar's army was stationed.
In front of the line of sight in that green forest, the eyes of 100,000 soldiers focused on the small black carriage coming from afar.
The sight of the first knights sitting on the backs of their wild and majestic Germanic horses while the aura of murder exuded from every inch of their bodies was terrifying.
At this moment, they were all standing with respect and steadfastness awaiting the arrival of their Caesar with his promised bride.
Everyone in the army was aware of the identity of the woman that the Caesar said he would marry, and the matter was not hidden from everyone, even the Caesar himself did not try to hide it.
The famous Arab princess, daughter of the former Caliph of the world, the man under whose feet the East and the West bowed, Abd al-Rahman III.
Despite being fanatical Christians by nature, they did not dare to interfere in the Caesar's choice, as their loyalty to him was stronger than their religious fanaticism.
The moment the carriage stopped right in front of them and as soon as the carriage door was opened, 100,000 soldiers shouted simultaneously and loudly:
"We salute His Majesty, the supreme and greatest ruler, one of God's heirs on earth, Kaiser Gabriel I, whose name is Kaiser of Great Germany and its dependencies and colonies."
The tremor that caused 100,000 men at once was not to be underestimated.
The young Kaiser stepped out of his carriage with his huge muscular body that exuded brutality from every inch of it.
His luxurious red coat hung down while his golden crown shone in the sunlight.
When the sunlight hit his gray hair, it looked silver.
His sharp, turquoise-green eyes looked at the soldiers with a look of indifference.
After looking at his soldiers, he turned to the woman sitting in the carriage and extended his hand, offering her help to get out of the carriage.
"Come on," he ordered her. In a harsh and firm tone he was not pleased with the time it took her to get out of the damned carriage.
His patience was running out. He just wanted to get this over with and go back to his palace.
A woman came out wearing a white Arab abaya that covered her entire body, hair and face. The only thing that was clear of her human features were her large, alluring brown eyes.
She was holding a dagger in her hand while completely ignoring the Kaiser's hand that was extended to her.
"Take my hand."
The Kaiser said again, his annoyance growing every time she blatantly ignored him.
He stood there in front of her, his hand still extended and a muscle in his jaw twitching.
His sharp eyes stared at her dagger and anger flared up inside him once again. The damned woman still held a dagger in her hand.
"I don't touch strangers."
She said coldly in perfect German that surprised the crowds of soldiers lined up steadily.
He said coldly His tone was low and dangerous
"You dare to speak to me in my own language while you still won't touch my outstretched hand"
"What does this have to do with this??? Are you stupid?"
Laila called him stupid without any concern for the soldiers who were looking at this scene with astonishment and furtive curiosity
The tsar flared up inside as soon as the word "stupid" came out of her mouth. His eyes flashed with anger as he took a step forward and his facial expression changed.
He said through clenched teeth
"Do you dare call me stupid? You don't know who you're dealing with, my princess. Keep your disrespectful tongue under control and don't think for a moment that you can talk to me as you please even if you are my bride."
"You chatter too much."
Layla said sarcastically as she tried to fix the veil that covered her face well because the fresh air had hit her white veil, making it about to fall.
The tsar clenched his jaw so tightly that he swore his teeth were about to break.
He took a deep breath to calm down. The only thing that stopped him from shaking her until her teeth chattered was this woman's impudence and arrogance, which was really pushing him to his limits.
He warned again in a low, hoarse, masculine voice.
"Watch your tongue, my princess. You wouldn't want to "I remind you of your position"
Hearing the word "I remind you of your position" Laila scoffed as she looked out of the corner of her eyes with disdain
Meanwhile, the soldiers' eyes were fixed on the Arab Muslim woman who was supposed to be their Caesar's bride
Her eyes, which were the only thing that appeared in her, were so stunningly alluring that some of the soldiers were lost in her eyes unconsciously and blatantly
The Caesar was fully aware that his soldiers' eyes were fixed on Laila. He could feel the envy, hunger, and desire emanating from their gazes as if it were a tangible presence
It only served to feed the deep-rooted possessiveness within him
He clenched his jaw tightly, anger and tension flowing through him as he watched his soldiers stare shamelessly
He took another step forward and placed himself partially in front of Layla as if trying to block her from their gaze.
"This woman is mine, my wife and my bride. Whoever longs to lose their eyes and their lives, let them look at her again."
His turquoise green eyes exuded a savage glow as he said these words.
The Tsar's savage and bloodthirsty words caused the soldiers to wake up from their trance, who immediately lowered their eyes from the Tsar's woman.
The tension in the air was thick as the Tsar's words echoed in the soldiers' ears. They had unwittingly overstepped their bounds by openly and brazenly staring at their Tsar's bride, and now they felt the weight of his wrath.
A deathly silence fell over the entire army, and only the erratic and shuffling of feet could be heard as the soldiers tried to avoid any eye contact with the Tsar.
The Tsar was examining each one of them with his steely gaze, a silent warning to them to behave properly.
At that moment, General Oppenheimer, wearing an iron helmet, stepped forward to greet each of the Tsar. And his bride
"This general greets His Majesty the Great Kaiser of Germany"
The general's eyes looked furtively towards the Kaiser's bride
The look in his eyes carried doubt, curiosity and suspicion towards this Arab Muslim princess whom the young Kaiser was so fond of that he declared that he was ready to fight the Vatican and the entire world in order to obtain her
"There is no time for these formalities. We have to move towards the empire before the Vatican delegation learns of the news of my marriage. If the Pope launches a sudden purge, that will be a disturbing headache"
Gabriel said to his general while looking at Laila who was looking at the soldiers in front of her with curiosity and caution
General Oppenheimer nodded in agreement
The general answered with a voice as firm and decisive as his iron helmet
"You are right, Your Majesty"
General Oppenheimer said while looking at the Kaiser with a fixed look
"We must move quickly. I have already made the necessary preparations "The army is ready to move at your command." Hearing that, Gabriel looked at Laila who was standing next to him from the corner of his turquoise eyes.
"Do you know how to ride a horse?" "???"
After a short while, Layla found herself riding on the back of a fierce black Germanic horse, which happened to resemble the horse that had pulled them from the carriage earlier.
Feeling the thick, muscular chest that she almost touched whenever she moved her back a little, Layla sighed wearily while still covering her face with the white veil with determination.
Gabriel was leading his soldiers on the back of his black Germanic horse while he was sneakily glancing at the woman sitting with him from time to time.
The continuous sound of the horse's hooves on the ground and the rhythmic noise of his equipment created a monotonous background for his thoughts.
Gabriel knew that the journey would be long. They would be together for hours, sitting on the horse's back.
As the thought of spending all this time in her presence sunk in, he was filled with a desire for possession. He longed to reach out and touch her and feel her body on his, but he resisted the urge and maintained a polite and controlled distance between them.
Suddenly, he said in a low, masculine voice, Which seemed so deep because of how close he was to her
"Do you still prefer men with beards?"
Laila instantly tensed when he spoke. His voice was deep and low, sending shivers down her spine, especially because of how close they were.
For a moment, she was surprised by his question, feeling a little flustered. She quickly calmed down, trying to maintain her cool demeanor.
Laila replied in a cold and neutral voice, though she could feel his warm breath on her veiled cheek.
"I don't see the point in telling you about my own preferences."
The Tsar couldn't help but smile lightly at her cold response. Even in the veil, he could sense her composure and coldness.
"Oh, but that's really important."
He replied in a low voice, his voice echoing in her ear.
"You see, I'm just the man you're going to spend the rest of your life with. I think it's important for me to know what you prefer, a beard or not."
His voice was laced with a hint of humor.
Laila felt that this man was trying to lighten the mood.
"I still prefer them, and "You're still not my type"
Layla stated frankly while looking at his face from the corner of her kohl-brown eyes
Hearing that, Gabriel's smile deepened and it started to become cute in a way that sent shivers down Layla's spine as she secretly glanced at him
He leaned closer to her ear to whisper in a dangerously masculine voice
"Then should I kill every bearded man that your beautiful eyes fall on or what my dear Arab wife?"
It was clear that he was upset by her answer
"I am not your wife, this marriage is invalid and illegitimate, so stop talking nonsense"
Layla replied coldly
He laughed softly in her ear, the sound was a deep and resounding vibration that sent shivers down her spine even through the veil
"Oh, but in my eyes and in the eyes of my people, you are my wife"
The Tsar replied in a low and intense voice
He pulled back a little and looked at her from behind her shoulder, his eyes burning with a possessive gleam
"You may not consider it legitimate, but that does not change the fact that you are my dear Arab wife"
He insisted, his words were full of determination and confidence
"Then, since you consider me your wife, this means that I am the queen of this empire, right?"
Laila asked sarcastically
"That's right, you're the rightful queen of Germany since you're my rightful wife"
Gabriel said deeply
"Then you're telling me, will your people be satisfied when a Muslim and Arab princess is crowned queen of this empire?"
Laila scoffed in amusement as she looked out at the beautiful green forest path from atop the towering horse
The Kaiser's response was immediate and firm
He said in a steady voice
"Of course"
His hand moved to rest on her waist
He continued speaking
"My people will accept you as their queen"
His words were full of absolute certainty
He admitted
"It may take some time and there may be resistance at first but in the end they will accept you because you are my wife, the woman I chose to be by my side"
Then he tightened his grip on her waist a little
"What you are saying is just empty words far from reality, for God's sake, how will the Christian Catholic people accept a Muslim woman as their queen? Speak logically"
Layla mocked his words indifferently as she reached out towards his hand that was clinging to her waist to pinch his hand
The Caesar felt the bite of Layla's fingers pressing on his hand so he clenched his teeth in response and his anger flared at her mocking tone
He said through clenched teeth and his grip on her waist grew tighter despite her attempts to make him let go by squeezing his hand
He said in a low growl
"I will speak logically then"
"I am the Kaiser, the ruler of the German nation and the Holy Lands of Germany. Therefore, I have ordered you to be appointed queen over all those in these obedient lands. Whoever objects to this must face the blade of my sword."
Layla listened to the Kaiser's words in silence. Her facial expression was a mixture of stubbornness and anger. She did not want to admit it, but she was beginning to feel somewhat afraid of his firm determination.
She tried to maintain her calm.
"Take your hand off my waist."
She said in a low, feminine voice while continuing to pinch his hand that was surrounding her waist.
He said in a low, mocking tone, his voice a little hoarse.
"And why would I do that, my dear Arab wife?"
He pulled her body closer to him, pressing her back against his muscular chest, making it impossible for her to ignore his presence right behind her.
"You!!!"
Laila said excitedly while looking at him from the corner of her charming brown eyes
At that moment, her white veil almost fell, revealing her beautiful face, if it weren't for the intervention of that pale, rough, and large white hand
Gabriel fixed the veil that covered her face well
Whispering in a sweet, masculine tone in her ear
"Be careful, my dear, your beautiful face was about to appear"
Despite her resistance, Laila couldn't stop a shiver from running through her body when she heard his low, masculine voice whispering in her ear, his warm breath on her skin hidden behind the veil
She felt the weight of his hand as he fixed the veil, his fingers gently stroking her hair and face
He pulled her closer, her slender back pressing on his strong chest, his arm like pliers around her waist, holding her tightly close to him
"I will kill you one day"
Laila whispered angrily while biting her inner lips
Gabriel laughed at her angry whisper, his chest shaking against her back.
"Oh, I'm trembling with fear, my dear."
He replied sarcastically, enjoying the way she felt in his arms.
He leaned closer to her ear, his voice dropping another notch and becoming dangerously seductive.
"But I must warn you, my dear Arab wife."
He whispered, his breath hot on her skin.
"You'll have to catch me first."
There was no way this huge, savage man was the same gentle monk she knew before.
There was no way they were the same person.
This man was different from the monk she knew before, as if the soul of that innocent monk had completely disappeared, replaced by the soul of this strange man with a cunning, sarcastic, and nervous personality.
Layla bit her inner lip in anger at the thought.
Could it be that those few five years were enough to change him this much??
Laila had to endure the mischievous and mischievous behavior of Gabriel, the young version of the girl, all the way.
When night fell, the army camped in the forest and lit a fire.
The army set up camp in the heart of the forest. The sound of horses neighing and soldiers chattering filled the air.
Gabriel and Laila were given the privilege of having a tent, a spacious pavilion of cloth and velvet surrounded by a small circle of guards.
Gabriel led Laila to the tent. The space was comfortable and the fire in the middle of the tent provided warmth in the cold night.
Gabriel guided Laila to a pile of soft pillows and fur in the corner of the tent. He sat down and pulled her with him, his hand still on her back and his body close to hers.
He looked at her in the firelight, admiring her fierce and stubborn eyes.
He laughed softly.
"It seems you want to kill me now."
He said jokingly, his voice tinged with playful amusement
"Yes... I will kill you one day by stabbing him with a dagger, or by poisoning him with a deadly poison, or by appointing an assassin to kill you."
Laila said between her clenched teeth.
This man in front of her had inhuman strength, and despite her fierce resistance to him, he was still much stronger than her.
She was waiting for the moment when she could pull out the dagger to threaten him with it.
The Tsar laughed loudly at her poisonous threat, and his deep, manly laughter filled the tent.
He reached out and wiped her cheek with his thumb, enjoying the fire burning in her eyes.
He said, a warm smile playing with his lips.
"You are a strong woman, my dear wife, but you have to do better than that to get rid of me."
He reached out to quickly and forcefully remove the cloak from her head.
Before she could respond, the Tsar's hand shot forward, grabbed the edge of her cloak, and pulled it off her head with a quick, forceful movement.
The moment of surprise left Laila stunned, and her black hair was now completely freed from the confinement of The cloak fell in waves over her shoulders and back
His turquoise eyes were fixed on her face intently, his gaze following her high, sharp cheekbones, her long, dark eyelashes, and finally her full, pink lips
His gaze finally met her sparkling, kohl-rimmed brown eyes that were staring at him in astonishment
His hand was still holding her cloak, so he loosened his grip and let it fall to the ground, focusing his attention on her completely
His large, hard hand suddenly grabbed her head, forcing her to lie on his solid chest
"Sleep, you're tired"
His speed and movement surprised Laila, and she suddenly found herself pressed against the Caesar's solid, muscular chest
She resisted for a moment, her pride refusing to give in to his demanding behavior, but exhaustion quickly took over and she felt herself leaning against him. The heat emanating from his body and the steady beat of his heart were strangely soothing, and she found herself closing her eyes despite her initial resistance
She muttered in a lazy, low feminine voice as she hit his muscular chest with the weakness of his appearance, the last remaining signs of resistance.
"I... I will kill you... one day."
The Kaiser laughed at her weak threat, enjoying her stubbornness. He ran his fingers through her soft black hair and held her tightly to his chest with his other hand.
"Shhh... sleep now, my little Arab queen."
He whispered in a calm tone, his voice deep and manly.
"You can plan to assassinate me tomorrow."
Laila was now fighting sleep, her weak resistance gradually fading as the heat of his body, his comfort, and the sound of his reassuring heartbeat began to affect her.
She still felt anger and frustration rising inside her, but the fatigue of travel and the events of the day finally won the battle, and her eyelids grew heavier with each passing second. The last thing she heard was the sound of his amused laughter as she finally surrendered to sleep, her head resting on his chest.
Gabriel watched Laila as she fell into a deep sleep on his chest. Her body relaxed and her breathing slow and regular. He continued to run his fingers through her hair, enjoying the softness and feeling of holding her in his arms.
He watched her for a while and noticed how her eyelashes fluttered on her cheeks and her lips were still open. He found himself enjoying seeing her weak in his embrace.
He reached out his hand that was caressing her long, silky black locks to remove the golden Arab bowl that decorated her hair. He gradually and carefully and gently removed all the gold that she had placed on her body to make it easier for her to sleep in a profitable way.
When he finished removing all the golden jewelry and decorations from her body, the Caesar changed his position slightly, making sure that she was comfortable and relaxed.
He continued to run his fingers through her hair as he stared at her sleeping form, and he felt contentment and relief settle in his chest despite her fierce personality and her steadfast resistance. There was something about her being in his arms that gave him a strange feeling of accomplishment.
This woman was the woman he had He longed for her for five years
This woman was the reason for his attainment of this great glory and power
His feelings towards her were an incentive
The woman he dreamed of embracing in this way as his wife was sleeping in his arms without any worry or fear
She was sleeping in his arms as his first and only wife for the rest of his life
He was, and despite having become a Caesar, still religious
He was a devout Catholic who believed in the sanctity of marriage contracts and vows that he said before God
She was his wife, and despite her different religion, he had already decided to deal with her according to his religious and cultural beliefs
The wife he could not divorce and who would remain with him for life until they were buried together in the grave
The Tsar's thoughts were filled with contemplation as he held Laila to his chest, his mind racing with thoughts of their future together.
The fire in the middle of the tent continued to burn, casting a warm, dim light on their entwined bodies. The Tsar held Laila tightly to his chest, her head resting on his shoulder, their breathing perfectly synchronized.
He tried to control the feelings of possessiveness and obsession that were coursing through his veins, but it was a losing battle. The desire to keep her close, protect her, and possess her was almost overwhelming.
He approached the woman sleeping deeply and strained against his chest.
He whispered as his large, rough hand felt her beautiful face.
The tent was filled with the deep, masculine voice of the Tsar as he whispered old Catholic hymns, his fingers caressing Laila's face tenderly and running through her long, silky black hair.
The air was filled with the sound of soft, melodic words, surrounded by the flickering of the firelight and the soft breathing of the sleeping woman. The intimate moment was filled with a sense of Peace, despite the possessive and obsessive thoughts that remained stuck in the man's mind
He had to give her their wedding ring in the morning
He thought while caressing her long black hair
The ritual of rings between spouses was famous in this era in all of Europe where the couple exchanged rings that symbolized their eternal marriage in the church
Layla was an Arab so naturally she might not know this ritual
He approached the sleeping woman deeply in his embrace to plant a gentle, superficial kiss on her head
His large, muscular hands surrounded her body as he muttered with dead turquoise eyes and a big, beautiful smile adorning his lips
"Ah my dear wife, my sweet queen, you are so beautiful"
Every word he said in this cheerful tone while he hugged her in this way exuded a frightening obsession and affection