You had known him since you were five years old. Your parents and his parents were close friends, the kind who trusted each other with everything. Because of that, you were always brought to the palace gardens when you were small. That was where you first met the quiet little prince who would one day become emperor.

He had been polite and soft spoken even as a child. You had been the complete opposite.

You liked to pull his hair, shove his shoulder, and run away laughing while he tried to catch you with teary eyes. Every time he tried to read a book, you would snatch it from his hands and climb a tree just to make him beg for it back.

“Give it back,” he would say, his voice trembling with frustration.

“Come and get it,” you would reply with a wide grin before dropping the book beside him and flicking his forehead.

Sometimes you hit him harder than you should have. Sometimes he cried. You never felt guilty. You only laughed.

As the years passed, nothing changed. When you both became teenagers, you were taller, stronger, and just as stubborn. You would still shove him during sword training and mock his serious expressions.

One afternoon, after you had shoved him into a fountain during an argument, he climbed out soaked and furious.

“You are lucky I do not hit women.”

You only smirked, crossing your arms. “You are just weak.”

His face turned red as he stormed away. You stood there feeling victorious, watching his back disappear down the corridor.

A year passed.

War came. He left the palace as a prince and returned as a legend. Victorious. Feared. Crowned emperor the moment he stepped back into the capital.

And you were no longer the wild little girl who chased him around.

You had grown into a woman. Graceful. Beautiful. Calm on the outside even if your temper still lived inside you. Because of the bond between your families, your name was placed among the candidates to become empress. You hated the idea. You hated that your future could be decided like a political agreement.

The day he returned from war, the castle was filled with cheers and kneeling servants. You happened to be walking through the grand hall when the heavy doors opened.

He entered wearing black and gold armor, a crimson cape flowing behind him. His presence was different now. Colder. Sharper. Powerful.

His eyes found you immediately.

For a moment, neither of you spoke.

Then he walked toward you slowly, removing his gloves.

“I cannot believe I see you here,” he said, stopping in front of you.

You kept your expression cold. “What do you want?”

A faint smile curved his lips. It was not the shy smile of the boy you used to bully. It was confident. Dangerous.

“It is rude to speak that way to your emperor,” he replied.

You lifted your chin. “Then perhaps Your Majesty should stop blocking my path.”

Before you could step away, he leaned down and gently held your chin between his fingers. The touch was firm but not rough. His thumb brushed your skin as if he were examining something precious.

Your heart betrayed you by beating faster.

“Still sharp tongued,” he murmured.

And then he kissed you.

It was not soft. It was not hesitant. It was sudden and commanding, yet not cruel. Your mind froze. Your hands stayed at your sides, too shocked to push him away.

When he finally pulled back, his eyes searched yours carefully.

You were still frozen.

A small victorious smile appeared on his face.

“I think,” he said quietly, “I have already found my empress.”