Mark of the Empress | The Empire Saga #2

Chapter Twenty-Two

The night had grown dark and quiet, but luckily it was warm enough to travel lightly. Bria didn't think any of them would ever fall asleep, growing restless as the hours passed on, but eventually even the young princess succumbed to her slumber, and it was soon Bria's turn to be restless.

The upside of being a traitor, she decided, was that no one kept you within the circle of their plans and discussions, which left her plenty of time to decide upon her own. While the royal family was preoccupied figuring out their family issues, she was making her own arrangements.

Besides, it was her cottage she was allowing them to use. They had no right to expect that she would stay put. They could keep the damn thing for all she cared. As far as she was concerned, she was going back to Reylor and would never look back. The closer she remained to him, the safer they would be.

She had left her satchel outside, hidden just beside the door underneath an overgrown rosebush. She had filled it with a few provisions for her trek throughout the day, storing a few simple items here and there. She had kept it light enough that she would be able to still hold onto it and be able to run if she should need to.

Bria was able to sneak out undetected, unseen and unsuspected. She looked behind her only once to make sure she was not being followed, and then, in the darkness of the night, she was able to sprint towards the Borderlands without interference, and was soon undercover of the overgrowth, an odd comfort.

The Borderlands extended the length of the boundary line of the Empire. No one truly knew how long it extended, but there were stories about the lands existing since a great battle between the two kingdoms some two thousand years ago. When the battle was over and the dust settled, after the Empire took its prisoners of war and left the remains of the Borderlands to be damned, it was believed that they remained vacant and uninhabited until Lord Reylor had been banished. It wasn't until Reylor crossed the border that he came to learn that the lands were still inhabited by a people who had been left behind—forgotten by the Empire—just as he was. He once told her that it was the uniting of those people that made him realize that he was truly meant for so much more, and after that he began his plotting against the Empire.

The mile-long overgrowth of the boundary line soon gave way to miles and miles of barren wasteland. It was said this was once as luscious as the Empire itself before it was ravaged and war torn. Magics had been used that were unnatural to this land, which prevented the greenery and wildlife from returning. The absence of flora and fauna made it possible for her to see right to her Lord's castle, with nothing but open arid land between them. She knew she'd be able to reach it by morning on foot but hoped that a scout would spot her first and bring a horse to assist her on the rest of the ride.

The hours passed with no rider in sight, so she welcomed the solace to be lost in her own thoughts. She felt she needed to mentally prepare to see Lord Reylor again, and all for the better—she had missed him so. She knew in her gut that he would initially be cross with her for leaving unannounced, but she also knew he would understand that she had done it in his best interests. Of course, that meant that the Empress was only a handful of miles from him once again, instead of in a completely different realm as she had been.

Bria was well aware of Reylor's obsession with the Empress. Many times, he had called out Alexstrayna's name instead of hers during both their lovemaking and while he dreamt. She knew she would never replace the Empress in her Lord's heart, but so long as she could be there for him and support him in his endeavors, she was resigned to this. She lived to serve, and he was the one she chose as her master. He may never feel entirely the same way about her, she knew, but at least she knew there were no others.

At least, there wouldn't be until the Empress' arrival.

She considered hand-delivering her to him as a peace offering in hopes of forgiveness for leaving him, and maybe she still could. Her uncertainty revolved around the Crown Prince—knowing that his brother was back and still an obstacle would be problematic.

Then there was the issue of the twins.

No one expected the Crown Princess' sudden maturity, and now it would need to be handled. It was another detail she needed to tell Lord Reylor. With the princess of age much sooner than expected, it would be her time to retrieve her Emperor, and another point of contention for the line of succession if she succeeded.

Informing Lord Reylor that the Empress was back would also give him the heads up should they decide to retrieve her friend—yet another wrinkle in their plans.

Movement ahead brought her attention out of her thoughts, and she noticed she was much closer to the castle than she realized. Up ahead, a cloaked figure was peering around the far corner closest to the stables. She recognized the cloak as Lord Reylor's and her heart leapt. Had he seen her as she was walking towards the castle and decided to clandestinely meet with her? She sprinted towards him and he beckoned her around the corner. The stables would have to do, she convinced herself with a smile. The urgency of seeing her Lord again was beginning to allow erotic thoughts to overtake her visions, and soon she found herself more than ready for his embrace.

Around one more corner, and he finally stopped. As did her heart.

He turned to face her, his arms outstretched, waiting for her to come and join him.

"Oh, my Lord!" Bria explained as she leapt into his arms. "I've missed you so, and I have news from the Empire."

"Welcome back, Bria," he said, holding on to her tight. "Now, tell me this news you bring?"

Only, it wasn't Reylor's voice she heard.

She struggled to move away when she realized that the hooded man was not her lover, but the arms around her held her in place with unnecessary strength. In the struggle, the hood of the cloak fell away, and her worst fears were confirmed.

Bria tried to scream but a cold, wrinkled hand covered her mouth, and she soon felt as though she was suffocating. Tears came to her eyes as she was filled with panic.

"Shhh, Bria. We mustn't scream now. We wouldn't want Lord Reylor to know you're already here, when he may begin to worry why you haven't shown up."

The hand over her mouth tightened as he turned her around so that her back was against his chest. She could feel his heart beating calmly while hers was racing a mile a minute. Her fears intensified, and she felt her heart stop when she finally realized what he had been holding in his other hand.