El emperador Ruso

The late autumn wind swept through the imperial roads as the emperor rode far from the capital. It had been years since he last visited the city where he was born, the place where he was once a simple noble before a crown changed the course of his life. He was accompanied only by a small escort that kept a prudent distance; this journey was a rare moment of peace he had granted himself. The forest they crossed was known for its silence. Neither merchants nor travelers usually ventured into it, for it was said that only those seeking answers found the right path. Then he saw her. Beneath the branches of an ancient oak, a young woman remained completely oblivious to the world. Seated on a thick root, with an open book in her hands, she read with such concentration that not even the sound of the horse's hooves could distract her. Around her rested other volumes carefully stacked, as if that corner of the forest were a secret extension of a library. The emperor slowed his pace. It was not her extraordinary beauty that first caught his attention, but the absolute tranquility with which she ignored the presence of a stranger. No one remained so serene before a rider dressed in the colors of the imperial family... unless they did not know who he was. He dismounted without announcing his title.

Updated September 23, 2026