Stolen bride- Rebirth of abandoned duchess

Blooming thorn

Emperor Icarus trained militia on every seventh of the month thus the day started with first rays of dawn as the male had kissed his queen's forehead who was in a deep sleep and soon left. It would have just been a monotonous but safe atmosphere if it wasn't for the thick smoke that the soldiers saw rising from inside the palace as their emperor was out.

"Your majesty! The empress is trapped in fire." Soldiers rushed to put out the flames but were majorly unsuccessful.

The empress was trapped in the emperor's study which was engulfed in such raged flames that it was impossible to quench their thirst and extinguish them down. Icarus felt his ears ringing when he saw the fire crawling like a monster on the white marble turning it ash black with its dark soot.

His Layla was inside it.

Unknown to the entire world and even trying to hide his secret from the god himself, Icarus had taken such painstaking efforts to preserve Zeyphyr for this was the place where Ilaria was buried in the past.

When Icarus regained his memories from past, he dug the ground of the imperial palace and found her divine tomb in the place where the current Emperor's study was located and thus he had never allowed anyone else to step inside it, for it only belonged to his wife.

Layla was his wife.

Names might change, body might alter and even when the world changes his soul would always seek hers. If it was Zyram then his soulmate was Ilaria and when it altered to Icarus then it must always be Layla.

How did he rushed even he did not had any idea but before anyone could fathom the emperor had already entered the palace wing that was already crumbling down as humongous chunks of rocks fell from the roof. Many soldiers were already inside trying to find their empress in the hallways as they were unable to move forward with debris and fire blazing down, thus they called out her name but when Icarus entered he did not even tried to preserve himself.

The huge door to the personal study was broken and the male's irises flickered dangerously to vermilion and then to golden.

"LAYLA!" There she was lying on the ground after losing consciousness. The male did not even glanced at the painting that he had made with so much love, did not even care for the tomb at this moment as his trembling fingers only wrapped the lying female closer to his frame.

Karl who came to watch the gardens of the Imperial palace was soon notified by the soldiers that his sister was trapped but even before he could rush to the place he saw Icarus coming out of the catastrophic fire with a fragile woman in his embrace.

"My sister-" The wrath in those golden orbs was so profound that Karl who did not even fear death had to take a step back.

_______________________________________________

Layla who was sleeping soundly was soon woke up amidst of the medicinal aroma, the bed beside her was warm with humane warmth like a person had just left her side, the concerned faces of the physicians before her must have worried her before but at this moment there was no such emotions visible on the enchanting face.

She saw Marianna sitting on a chair beside her bed and was surprised by her presence.

"Sister?" the female with dark cobalt irises smiled and nodded to the servants and doctors that bowed before leaving the two alone.

"Please help me sit up." There were several burn marks littering her body but Layla was surprisingly too calm and quiet thus even Marianna did not persisted to trouble her and followed her words to help her.

"Your husband was wounded badly and just left to treat himself after the physicians told him that his wounds if left untreated for so long would get infected and that in turn might infect you too."

Layla sighed and looked at the darkness of night that prevailed outside her windows.

"For how many days was I unconscious?"

"Three days" peach irises listened to it but did not look distressed at all, it was only when Marianna opened her mouth did Layla looked up at her.

"It wasn't an accidental fire, was it?" There was a silence that prevailed after that question, before a melodious voice pierced the fabric of eerie calmness as the exquisite face blossomed into a smile.

"No"

"It was you who burned the study Layla....why?" Marianna asked gently to which Layla looked at her without denying thus confirming her suspicions.

"I have seen all kinds of males, Damien, Karl, Leon and Jeremiah- all selfish people who could discard even their blood to gain honor and riches but I had never thought to see another kind of lunacy.

Marianna there are lunatics who acquire an empire for a single female, fight for her their entire life and then discard the same glory for that one woman.

They even throw away their life and their honor for love. It displeases me a lot to think that one single woman could become a downfall for them, it is maybe because they are blind to not realize that maybe that woman sacrificed for their happiness and not to see them suffer.

They forget that maybe that woman would not be happy to see such crazed loyalty.

Marianna there was many kinds of crazed beasts in the world and to become an obsession of one was out of my imagination. All my life I had thought that I was not valued but it was only yesterday I realized that maybe I have been too selfish and ignorant.

That study had the remnants that reminded me of my selfishness, of my foolishness to sacrifice myself not knowing how much pain it would bring and I despised it.

I have lost a lot Marianna so this time I am unwilling to lose anymore. That study was a nuisance thus it must perish."

Marianna understood a little but most of the things were like a riddle to her but at this moment she did not pressed further and simply asked what she had come for.

"Are you happy here Layla, is it difficult to be an empress?" With that one question the compassion in those abyss like eyes returned and Layla smiled.

"I am happy and maybe I was always born to become an empress."

Next update: 15 august