Iᴍᴘᴇʀɪᴜᴍ (Bᴏᴏᴋ 1) (editing)

Chapter 18- Long May She Reign (Part 2)

Previous Part

Rayna took a deep breath and then followed after them. Just as she was about to turn, She straightened up, stood tall, and ever so slightly lifted her chin like she had seen her mother do countless times. She tried to remember the confidence that her father always carried with him.

As she turned the corner of the castle, she saw the men there waiting. They did not look in her direction at first, her uncle still speaking. She heard her uncle speak, "What you all thought happened that night, was not true. King Gabriel Imperium did die that night, but not by his Queen but the new King. And our princess did not follow him." He turned to look behind him, smiling at Rayna. Both Kalevi and Revon stepped out of the way to reveal Rayna to the men.

"Rayna Imperium lives."

Part 2

Rayna stepped forward, looking out at all the men. The shock on their faces was to be expected. Many looked like they had seen a ghost. She had been told on many an occasion by both Revon, Catherina, and Kalevi how much she looks like her mother with a touch of her father. No doubt they think their eyes are playing tricks on them.

Rayna bowed her head to the men, but did not smile, nor did she frown. Some of the faces she recognized some she did not. The faces she did recognize looked at her like they were seeing a ghost. The younger faces just looked confused and curious all at once.

She turned to Kalevi and gave him a slight smile, "Thank you, Uncle." Then she turned to the men of the Bellator's. "Bellator's." The men straightened up and silenced their murmurs waiting to hear what she had to say. "I know this must all come as a shock, and some of you might not believe it. But that night I escaped with my life, thanks to my mother and uncle." She placed her hand on Kalevi's arm and squeezed it before she continued. "That night I was not in my chambers, but in my father's room as he read me a bedtime story." Some of the Bellators smiled, remembering the princess always sneaking off to her father's room at night. "There was a knock on the door that night, we didn't know who it was but we assumed it was alright since they were able to get past." Some of the men bowed their heads in shame at her words. "But just to be safe, my father had me go hide out in the hidden passages because he was not expecting anyone so late in the night." 

Rayna did not wavier from her story, did not look down or away from the men as she spoke. She made sure to keep eye contact, not to show weakness. "Lord Malum Serpentine came through those doors, he and my father made small talk, but then they began to argue quietly. Of what, I still don't know to this day. My father turned his back from Malum for one second." She closed her eyes remembering the moment. She tried to compose herself before she spoke again and opened her eyes to reveal the anger she felt, the men flinched at the fire behind her eyes. A look they had seen many times on her mother. "Then Malum pulled out a dagger, an Occidere dagger I found out later on, and he stabbed my father with it in his back piercing his heart." Rayna did not dare look to Theo, not wanting to see his face as she regaled the tale of his father's crimes. "With all of his energy left, he pushed his last thoughts out to me and told me to run." 

Rayna took a moment, trying to control her emotions. She tried not to think of that night often, especially not about her father. She took a deep breath and carried on. "I ran as fast as I could to my mother's chambers and told her everything. She took me and ran for my Uncle Kalevi, terrified." She paused looking at all the men, taking in their expressions of hurt and betrayal. Of anger. She was surprised to feel relief at their reactions. She did not know if they were now loyal to their current king. It was comforting to know that they still cared for their former King. "That's when they devised the plan to get me out of there. My mother did not want to risk them knowing I was still alive. She stayed behind because she did not want them to be suspicious that she was with me, and she let my uncle take me to his home." She chuckled bitterly. "If only we had known that Malum Serpentine had already faked my death, we never would have left her behind."