Bride of the Emperor (The Prophecy of Sisters Book 4) by Hayley Faiman (the gingerbread man read aloud txt) 📗

moment the door opens. Marcellus stands in front of us, his gaze flicking around at the three of us before it lands on Laurentia and his eyes actually warm. They warm at the sight of her, it’s beautiful.

“They are ready for you, Drucilla,” he states. “Though, I should not get used to using your given name as you will be the empress in just a few moments.”

“Why can’t you call me Drucilla?” I ask before I make my way toward him.

He watches me for a moment, then shakes his head. “You will be the empress,” he repeats.

“But you call Tiberius, Tiberius, I have heard you.”

His lips curve up into a grin. “Tiberius is my brother.”

“And I will be your sister,” I state.

His eyes widen and they flick from me to Cassia, then back to me. “I suppose you will…”

“Then you will call me Dru or Drucilla, if you don’t, I’ll order you to.”

He chuckles, then takes a step toward me and another before he reaches out and wraps his fingers around mine. He squeezes my hand, his gaze never leaving my own.

“Then I will call you Drucilla as you wish,” he rasps, his smile still very much on his face. “Are you ready?”

No.

I am not freaking ready, but it doesn’t seem like I have a choice. I am about to marry a man who is clearly not thrilled to gain a wife. He also thinks I have some magic, which to be fair, I can’t really deny the purple light that came out of my hands or the wolves, so he could be right on that.

But I’m not ready.

Not at all.

I don’t know what he expects from me, we can’t communicate with one another. He doesn’t know anything about me, and I know less about him. I don’t even know if I really believe this prophecy thing, but I think that my sisters are here, especially after the reaction that Tiberius had when I mentioned them.

So, if it means I have to marry him to get to my sisters, to get the hell out of here, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.

I’ll marry the shit out of him.

Then I’m out.

I’m going to take my sisters and run. Out of the four of us, when we put our heads together, we’ll figure out a way to get back home, to go back to our lives. I do know that I won’t be hanging out around here forever, not with the asshole that is my soon-to-be husband.

“I’m ready,” I exhale.

TIBERIUS

I prepare for the nuptials quickly, throwing on my ceremonial robe as the pontifex maximus prattles on about why we should not leave to go to Curia without at least him there as my guide. I do not wish to have a guide, I wish to have my men with me, my brothers. They will protect me, and Felix of course, he is always my faithful guide.

It doesn’t take long for Marcellus to bring the women into my office. Blinking, it is hard for me to hide my reaction. Drucilla is stunningly beautiful. She is a natural beauty, but in her blue gown, her eyes look even more violet, her hair is a work of art in and of itself.

She makes her way toward me, her head held high and her chin jutted outward. She looks proud and breathtaking. She looks like an empress.

Holding out my hand to her, I am surprised when she easily slips her palm in mine. Immediately the pontifex maximus begins the shortened ceremony. There is no reason for a show, nobody is here to see it other than my family.

The pontifex maximus provides the documents for us to sign and Marcellus explains that this is our marriage contract, the paperwork that provides documentation that we are indeed legally wed.

A bond that cannot and will not ever be broken.

Shifting to Marcellus, I hold out my hand and he slips the rings into my hand. Facing Drucilla again, I wait for the instruction to slip the ring on her finger. It is nothing grand, not the like of which she should have as the Empress of Savona.

The gold band is topped with a violet jewel, one of the riches of my land. The fact that it matches her eyes is not lost on me.

Smiling down at Drucilla, my empress, I take a step closer toward her. She tilts her head back, her eyes locking with mine. I wonder what she thinks of my monstrous face. The hideousness that makes me the man that she is now married to.

Dipping my chin, I bend slightly as I cup her cheeks with my palms. Touching my lips to hers, I try not to moan at the sensation of her mouth on mine. It has been mere hours, but it has felt like a lifetime since her lips touched any part of me.

She gasps, then I feel her lips part and my tongue slides inside of her, penetrating her just the way my mentula will in a few moments. My family cheer for us, which is the only reason that I do not pick her up right here and plant her culus on my desk and slam inside of her, planting my seed, again.

With a grunt, I take a step away from her. She whispers something. I look into her eyes, unsure of what she has said and wishing that I could understand her yet again. She smiles sadly, then shakes her head before she withdraws.

Turning to my family, I take her hand in mine and hold our combined hands together in the air between us. The ceremony is not over, not yet. Clearing my throat, I smile at the few people in the world that I do indeed love.

“Marcellus,” I call out.

He was not just in charge of the rings, he has an even more important duty. I wait for him to gather what he needs, then he returns and hands me the crown. I am already wearing mine, it is part