**Lydia, the Capital of the Catalan Empire**
The year 1430 in the imperial calendar
In the Imperial Palace of the Sun, before the altar of the god Catal, the god of war
Neron Cassius Lufin Famiron, the fifth prince of the empire, looked at his bride, who was wearing shiny red garments.
His bright blue eyes, resembling dragon eyes, gazed at the bride, whose face was covered by a veil, before his light blue eyes, a symbol of the great Famiron family descended from dragons, moved to the man sitting in one of the seats of the altar.
The man, strikingly foreign in appearance, with his Arab turban, jet-black hair, and sharp golden eyes, was watching him coldly from afar.
That man was the first prince of the Arab kingdom of Athela,
Hamdan, son of Ahmad, son of Muhammad Al-Asadi.
This prince was the one who
thwarted his military campaign to control the Arabian Sea and the lands of Eifron located near the Arabian Peninsula.
That cursed man with the ominous black hair was the reason for the failure of his campaign and the reason for signing that humiliating peace treaty with unreasonable terms.
One of the terms of the peace treaty was to establish a union through blood sharing (marriage)
Neron, who was ambitious, found such a marriage based on a humiliating peace treaty to be an affront to his pride as a prince of the Holy Catalan Empire
"Before the altar of the god of war Herod, do you pledge, O shining star of the empire and fifth prince of the great lineage, to be faithful to the princess Rawda as a loving and kind husband for the remainder of your life?"
The old priest said in his resonant voice that filled the entire altar.
The eyes of all the nobles present, as well as the emperor and the delegation from the kingdom of Athela, were fixed upon him.
Neron secretly pressed his hand to answer briefly to the priest's words.
"I pledge to be a loving and kind husband to Rawda Cassius Lufin Famiron for the remainder of my life, and the god Herod will witness my words."
Neron had deceitfully lied.
He pledged before the god Herod to be kind and loving to this woman, but he did not pledge to be faithful to her.
Immediately upon marrying her, the woman would instantly take her husband's title in the empire.
Thus, Neron referred to her by the royal title (Famiron).
"You may now place the wedding rings."
Upon hearing the priest's words, Neron glanced with the corner of his eye at the servant who approached, holding a luxurious purple silk cushion that bore two wedding rings.
The diamond-studded silver ring was different from the other ring made of gold.
The diamond ring was the one he was supposed to present to the woman who had become his wife, while the gold ring was the one that woman was supposed to present to him.
Unlike the Catalan people, who loved jewelry and diamonds, the people of Athela preferred gold and wore nothing but gold as jewelry.
Neron took the ring from the purple cushion and looked towards the woman who was wearing a traditional Arab wedding dress in red, specific to the kingdom of Athela.
He looked at her hand and said in a low voice in a strong Catalan language:
"Άπλωσε το χέρι σου σε μένα, γυναίκα" (Extend your hand to me, woman).
"....."
There was no response at all, despite the clarity of his words in the Catalan language.
Could it be that this woman does not speak the imperial language?
Neron's eyes narrowed as he watched the woman who did not answer him.
He tightened his grip on the wedding ring between his fingers.
"I said extend your hand to me, woman."
He repeated the words with his strong Catalan accent once again.
But once again, there was no reply.
Neron cast a scrutinizing glance.
He tried to see what he could of the woman's face beneath the veil that covered her entirely.
It was as if there was an impenetrable wall preventing him from seeing even the slightest of her features.
How could he place the ring on her finger if she stubbornly refused to extend her hand?
Neron extended his pale, large, white hand to grasp the woman's hand.
He had no desire today to prolong the cursed wedding rituals any longer than necessary.
When he held her small, soft hand, Neron felt the woman tremble slightly at his touch.
After placing the ring on her finger, he took the gold ring to forcibly place it in her hand while saying coldly:
"Βάλε αυτό το δαχτυλίδι στο δάχτυλό μου" (Put that ring on my finger)
Unlike the first time, the small woman seemed to understand what he was indicating and extended her trembling hand to put the ring on his finger
"And now the husband may unveil his wife's face and kiss her,"
said the temple priest in a loud voice for all those at the altar to hear
Upon hearing the priest's words, Neron felt as if the eyes of the people present had increased upon him, burning and noticeable.
Did he really have to kiss this woman?
A woman he did not know and had never seen her face in his life?
What if she was as ugly as that brother of hers? He felt he would only be disappointed
Neron extended his hand towards the shiny red veil to gradually remove it from her face
"....."
As he lifted the veil from her face, the features of the woman appeared before his eyes
Her curly black hair flowed over her shoulders and down to her waist, while she looked at him with her golden eyes, a symbol of the ruling Athela family, said to have been blessed by the celestial lion.
Those beautiful, large eyes, resembling the color of honey, were adorned with prominent black kohl, seemingly an attempt to sharpen the features of the woman before him
Her features were far from sharp they were soft, with sleepy-looking eyes
She was plump, with full cheeks that added to the innocence of her features and a full, rounded body
The red wedding dress hugged her body completely, which was very modest, in accordance with the conservative customs and traditions of the Athela Arabs
Gold earrings adorned her ears, while the gold necklace she wore around her neck shimmered under the strong altar lights
She was beautiful, honestly
Very beautiful
Those golden eyes looked at him with evident worry and fear, to the point where he could see her tightening her fist until the joints of her hand turned white.
Neron approached her to wrap his arm around her waist and pull her toward him roughly.
"Stop acting like a frightened lamb it's not as if I desperately want to kiss you as well,"
he said harshly in his deep, masculine voice, looking at her with his bright blue dragon eyes
No matter how beautiful this woman was, she was the princess of the enemies he was forced to marry due to the failure of his first military campaign
This experience was nothing but a disgrace to his honor as a Catalan dragon
Neron leaned closer to her lips, and despite sensing her desire to resist, he forced her to comply with his will, bringing his lips to her rosy ones to plant a light, superficial kiss on them before quickly pulling away from her.
"May the gods bless this marriage, and with this, I officially declare you husband and wife in front of everyone."
When the priest officially announced them as husband and wife, the nobles and everyone present, including the emperor, some members of the royal family, and the Athela delegation, began to clap together and warmly
"May the great Herod bless your union!"
"May Herod bless this marriage!"
Amidst all the congratulations and blessings from the nobles, Neron felt his father's gaze upon him
Emperor Claudius I of the Great Catalan Empire rose from his seat at the altar and headed toward him, accompanied by a beautiful blonde woman with enchanting purple eyes, wearing a lovely pink Catalan dress and a golden crown on her head.
"May the great Herod bless your marriage, my son,"
said Emperor Claudius while looking at his son with his bright blue dragon eyes.
From the tone of his father's voice, Neron knew that the old emperor was pleased with this marriage.
Although this marriage had taken place under harsh circumstances, such as a peace treaty, it was beneficial for both parties, especially since the Athela side was the bigger beneficiary, having lost little in that war
The empire would benefit greatly from establishing a peace treaty with the Arab kingdom, especially since the Athela kingdom had included a clause for "joint forces and joint training" in the peace treaty, preventing both sides from waging war for the next ten years
Nonetheless, the empire would benefit significantly from the naval expertise possessed by the kingdom, especially since the Athela had, in just a few years, earned the title of "Masters of the Sea."
They were skilled sailors and also professional traders thus, despite Neron's emotional setback, his father seemed very happy
Neron suppressed his discontent and bowed respectfully to his father.
"May Herod preserve the eternal light of the empire."
As soon as he bowed, Rawda looked at him with her golden eyes and mimicked him
She bowed just like him but did not dare to say a word to avoid embarrassment, especially since she did not know how to speak the language these people were using.
Memories were slowly flowing in her mind
Memories of the original owner of the body
This world was the world of the novel she had read:
**"The Emperor's Rose."**
The novel was classified as dark romance.
The person standing next to her was the greatest villain in the entire story.
The author had based this handsome, blond character, dressed in ancient Roman clothes, on Nero, the tyrannical Roman emperor who was cruel and mad enough to burn Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire, for personal pleasure.
Neron Cassius Lufin Famiron, the fifth prince in the story, was the villain who would later become the emperor of the Holy Catalan Empire.
The man who would obstruct the heroes' love in the most horrific and insane ways
The man who would sit on his luxurious golden throne, drinking a cup of wine while watching the capital of the empire, Lydia, burn amidst music.
The difference between Emperor Neron in history and Emperor Neron in the novel was that the one in the novel descended from a lineage of dragons, which allowed him to burn the capital using his special powers.
Neron Famiron was a man who loved only one woman in his life to the point of madness and deadly obsession.
That woman was the heroine of the novel, Odette.
Odette, the daughter of a humble baron, had spent most of her life in the temple to become a saint.
She was the epitome of a beautiful heroine, with beautiful red hair and stunning dark blue eyes
Neron met Odette at the beginning of the spring month during the imperial Sun Festival banquet, where Odette, as a saint, was supposed to ask for blessings from the sun and war god Herod to bring goodness and prosperity to the people of the empire
Dreamily, his eyes fell upon her, and he felt a sick love and obsessive desire to control and possess her
The tragic outcome of his love story with Odette was the death of his wife, whom he married for political purposes, at his own hands in a fit of rage
It was said in the novel that the poor woman, whose name was unknown, died in a fire where she was found completely burned in her room.
Burned to death?!
Rawda felt her skin crawl at the thought as she glanced at Neron, who was greeting the lady standing next to the emperor
"How are you, mother?"
Neron said as he respectfully kissed the hand of the beautiful blonde lady.
Although she did not understand what he was saying, Rawda could notice the strong resemblance between Neron and that beautiful woman
"May Herod bless your marriage, my dear child"
said Agrippina in a voice full of maternal warmth and tenderness, her eyes moving between her son and his new bride
"Be kind to your wife, little Neron she is still a small child and knows nothing of the customs and traditions of the empire. She is five years younger than you; take good care of her"
Agrippina said to her son while looking at the woman with the jet-black curly hair.
Five years younger?
So she was 18 years old
Neron looked coldly out of the corner of his eye at his bride in the red dress standing next to him
With those facial features, he honestly thought she looked younger
After receiving the congratulations from the emperor and the first lady, the Arab delegation, led by the first prince of the kingdom, Hamdan, came to congratulate the couple.
"Congratulations!"
Hamdan said in excellent Catalan while looking at Neron with his sharp golden eyes.
"Yes"
Neron replied coldly to his words while looking at him with his bright blue dragon eyes
Hamdan turned to look at his little sister, who was wearing a traditional red wedding dress.
He said in clear Arabic:
"So if you need anything, just write a message."
He said in a concerned brotherly tone while reaching out to caress her cheek tenderly.
Seeing her brother act so affectionately, Rawda immediately knew that the original owner of the body had a good relationship with her siblings.
"Yes, brother, I will make sure to write one message to you every week."
Rawda said while smiling brightly and beautifully at her brother
Seeing her smile like that surprised Hamdan a little, but he felt relieved.
His sister did not seem depressed about this political marriage.
After receiving everyone's congratulations, Rawda looked at the carriage waiting for her outside the altar.
It was a large, luxurious red carriage bearing the empire's emblem
(the sun)
It was pulled by six beautiful white horses with wings?!
Seeing the winged horses, Rawda
felt astonished and excited
"This... is this a real winged horse?"
She asked Neron, who was standing next to her, excitedly without intending to.
"...."
When she saw him looking at her in silence, Rawda realized her mistake and covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"Δεν μιλάω αραβικά, γυναίκα"
(I do not speak Arabic, woman)
Neron said with obvious annoyance in his voice
So this woman did not speak
Catalan how could he communicate with her?
He also did not speak Arabic
Seeing him speaking in that strange and incomprehensible language made Rawda feel even more embarrassed
Indeed, there was no reasonable way for them to communicate
The owner of this body, despite being a princess of a relatively powerful kingdom, did not speak the language of the empire
She would sleep through her lessons and preferred eating and staying locked in her room over studying because she believed that no matter how much she studied, it would not benefit her in the end; she would marry a man, and her education would not help her in having children
This mentality was far from Rawda's mindset, coming from the twenty-first century
Rawda remembered her life in the modern era, although her memories began to become hazy as she absorbed the memories of the original body owner
She was ambitious, driving a metal car and going to a place called university to obtain knowledge.
She wore black clothes and lived in a country with towering skyscrapers and a desert-like climate similar to that of the Athela kingdom.
She had a friend, and this friend was a writer obsessed with novels classified as dark romance.
When her friend published her first novel, she offered it to Rawda.
The hero of the novel, despite being a narcissistic, psychopathic character, was much better and far superior to the villain of the story
She remembered how, upon finishing reading the novel, she suffered real psychological harm
She did not like that genre she preferred novels that made her happy over those depressing ones
As they climbed into the carriage pulled by the winged white horses, Rawda looked at the man sitting across from her
He was the villain of the novel, exceedingly handsome in a rather exaggerated way
His dark blond hair flowed in the wind from the open carriage window.
He was a handsome man with beautiful, soft dark blond hair, pale white skin, bright blue eyes, and thick, sharp blond eyebrows
His facial features exuded Roman masculinity
The author had certainly depicted the villain of the story as stunning Roman beauty
He had a prominent black mole below his bloody red lips and another black mole beneath his left eye
He was a massive man with a perfectly muscular body, reminiscent of carved Roman statues.
He wore a beautiful white outfit with golden patterns and had a golden crown on his dark blond hair.
"Με κοιτάς υπερβολικά" (You are looking at me too much)
Neron said with annoyance while looking at her out of the corner of his glowing blue eyes
Upon hearing him say that, Rawda's cheeks flushed a faint pink as she turned her eyes away from him nervously
"..."
Seeing the woman turn her golden eyes away from him, Neron smiled a frightening side smile, and his glowing blue eyes sparkled with evident amusement
"Do not expect me to ever love you; this marriage was made due to a damned political treaty. I will never consider you my wife."
He wanted to say those words to her face, but he realized that the woman would never understand what he was saying
Her golden eyes had sparked some of his interest
The eyes that were said to have been blessed by the celestial lion
In addition to her jet-black hair, which did not exist in the empire
This color indicated misery and doom, which is why people hated black hair.
Seeing her plump body and soft cheeks, Neron tilted his head slightly while the clear amusement in his eyes widened
Unlike her brother, this woman did not seem too repulsive
"Κάτσε εδώ" (Sit here).
He gestured for her to sit on his lap.
He moved his hands a lot in an attempt to make her understand what he was indicating
Seeing his hand movements directing her to his lap, Rawda froze in place, astonished
This man was asking her to sit on his lap?!
Her face turned completely red from embarrassment as she waved her hand violently in rejection
It was clear that this woman was rejecting him
Neron's smile widened more at seeing her refusal
Did this woman just reject him?