Shadow Seer [18+]

~ One ~

NOW

The Dark Emperor's war room shone in a resplendent golden hue, illuminated by a sea of flickering candles that made Sanaa blink when she entered. It was a gargantuan space filled with ancient maps and glorious tapestries depicting his growing realm and the violence he committed in order to control it. The sacred space epitomised the emperor's unrivalled power over their world... and over her.

At the farthest end of the room, the Emperor's throne commanded attention, along with the man who occupied it. The path leading to him resembled a gauntlet, lined with the swords of kings he had conquered across Cotai, each blade brilliant as it caught the light emanating from the grand braziers that adorned the room. At the heart of the chamber stood a table, meticulously carved from a solitary slab of marble. It mirrored the vast expanse of nations beneath the Dark Emperor's dominion.

Sanaa gracefully approached the table, her movements involuntarily commanding attention from the various eyes occupying the room. The silk garment artfully caressed her natural curves, its translucent nature offering a glimpse of her feminine form beneath and emphasised the fluid sway of her hips. Shielded by the veil of delicate strips of black fabric, her head and face remained hidden beneath a masked hood, lending an air of mystery to her presence. The fabric cascaded down her body, held together by strands of golden rope, which served both as an embellishment and a means of preserving her modesty.

Sanaa's confident steps resonated on the marble floor as she continued past displayed spoils of war. Items from Agmantia were not yet present and for that she was grateful, although she did not know if the emperor's ambitions stretched beyond Cotaini borders. The soft slap of her golden sandals became the sole accompaniment to the profound silence that enveloped the space. Eyes were on her the entire way, eyes she knew would devour her whole if only given the chance. It was her power that held them back. It was the threat of losing her power that stopped her from being a victim of their most base desires.

When Sanaa finally reached the grandiose table, its intricate surface became clearer. Etched with rivulets and crevices, it portrayed far-off kingdoms she had yet to lay eyes on. Among them, though, one shoreline stood out, one she hadn't seen in ten long years.

Sanaa delicately closed her eyes, simultaneously shutting off her mind and heart. She refused to let her pain immobilise her in front of these men. She would not look weak.

The Dark Emperor rose from his golden throne and descended the few brief steps to the marble floor. Clad in his customary black garments, the fabric draped richly over him, adorned with golden accents. If this were a different time and she a different woman, they might have made a striking pair in their matching garb. While old enough to be her father, the Dark Emperor was not as old as his achievements would have people believe. It was his cruelty that aged him, his ruthlessness that marred his tawny brown skin and extinguished the light from within his dark eyes. She'd stared into those eyes countless times in the last decade and still she found nothing but a barren field of decay.

The emperor finally reached the other end of the table, which prompted the men who silently stood in the room to step forward. They were all uniformly dressed in black, though it was only Sanaa who resembled some kind of assassin with her masked hood. The men flanking her were of varying importance to the emperor and his kingdom, yet they shared a common desire. They summoned her to quench their thirst for power once more. She had glimpsed the well from which they would drink, but only this current audience with the emperor would reveal if he demanded more from her than she was willing to sacrifice.

"Seer!" The Dark Emperor's thunderous voice filled the chamber, eliciting a shiver of apprehension down Sanaa's spine. No matter the years she spent in his presence, he never failed to terrify her. Steeling her expression behind her mask, she silently thanked God he could not see the slight quiver in her chin.