Darkest Days

The Emperor's Deal

"Please Emperor... We can't leave right now. Where would my wife and I go? My wife is too early in her pregnancy to just leave!" I get on my knees and beg. 
"Pregnant, you say?" He looks shocked briefly, but then licks his lips and smirks. "I once had a child.... She is no longer with us. But we can make a deal." The Emperor says, sitting in his throne "I will let you stay, but when your child is born, you must give her to me. If you do, I'll let you stay for as long as you need. If you don't, however..."

-Eight Months Later, In A Little Shack Near A Bandit Camp -
"HONEY COME HELP I THINK MY WATER JUST BROKE!" I come running in to see my wife standing in a puddle of her own fluids. I began to panic.
"Ok, uh... breathe! Just breathe!" I lay her down and keep her calm, and hours later, she gives birth to our beautiful daughter, Hypatia. I cut the umbilical cord a wrap her in a blanket, then proceeded to cover my wife and hand her Hypatia to hold. My wife suddenly looks shocked. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the child?!" I feared the worst. She manages stammered as she stared down at the innocence snuggled in her arms.
"T-t-the deal!" I froze, remembering the deal I had struck that day.
"... I'm sure he has forgotten... That was eight months ago. He's a very busy man. Besides, we left the Empire after that disgusting display in the square. We managed to fix up this old shack with what we had, we managed to survive out here alone, and we'll manage to raise this child. The Emperor doesn't own us anymore. He can't do anything." I suddenly looked up when I saw a figure out of the corner of my eye. A silhouette vanished instantly from outside our window, and I froze.
"What's wrong?" My wife's concerned voice brought my attention back to her, and I sighed.
"... Nothing. Like I said, this is our child, and we'll protect her with our lives."