His Favored Empress

Not Your Ordinary Priest

While he waited for Dagaslan and Abbot Faizan to arrive, Shaugn reviewed the protocol for a royal to meet with a priest. Baptist priests were easy. Just give a little extra to tithes. He didn't want to offend the abbot. He had Akechi send for some fruit and pastries and Kazim brought a fruit drink. He also prepared a few offerings and a monetary donation. Just in case.

It took more than an hour for Daga to return with the abbot. Shaugn paced the reception area with his hands behind his back deep in thought. Would he leave and travel to another time and version of himself when everything had been set right? Or would he pass through the light like OG? 

What about his child? Xoan? Was the priest even capable of sending him back? How did he even manage to get here in the first place?

An ache started just behind his eyes. Too much thinking and not enough answers. Shaugn closed his eyes and massaged his temples.

"Your majesty, you really shouldn't be moving too much," Akechi chided him. He noticed she was always mothering him and Xoan. 

He sighed. "If it were up to you and Xoan, I'd be in the bed until I gave birth." He unconsciously rubbed his growing bump. There was too much to do before he gave birth. The dangers would increase once the child was born. It would become a target as well.

Why was being the empress more dangerous than living in the hood?

The guard outside in the hall shouted, "His holiness Abbot Faizan is here to see the empress!"

Akechi, Kazim, and Shaugn stood straight and faced the door to the reception room. Radagar stood tall and opened the door. The steward walked in followed by a tall, thin man dressed in a pale blue tunic and pants. He was younger looking than Shaugn expected. His dark brown eyes were full of smiles as he approached.

Akechi and Kazim knelt and pressed their palms together in front of their chest with their head down. Shaugn didn't kneel due to his pregnancy but put his palms together and bowed at the waist.

"You are so formal. Just like the other Shaugn."

Shaugn's eyebrows went up to his hairline. Akechi, Radagar, and Kazim looked at Abbot Faizan with furrowed brows.

"Your holiness, what do you mean?" Kazim asked.

"Are we really so much alike?" Shaugn asked at the same time.

"You are indeed." Faizan grabbed his hand and pressed their palms together. There was a burst of white light and Shaugn gasped as his eyes rolled into the back of his head. His body convulsed as if he was having a standing seizure.

Radagar drew his sword at the same time a black blur appeared and tried to pull Shaugn away. Faizan was faster and pulled Shaugn behind him as Akechi, Kazim, and the steward cried out in alarm.

The black blur traded several blows with Faizan as Radagar stood in front of the three servants with his sword aimed at the two fighting men.

Akechi clamped onto his arm. "Do something."

"I can't." Radagar's body moved with the others looking for an opening. "I might hit the empress."

"Your majesty!" They screamed out at the same time as the guard nearly struck Shaugn. Faizan bent Shaugn over and turned him around as he blocked the guard's punches.

Faizan's smile never left his face as he blocked all of the shadow guard's strikes. "You're good. The empress is in good hands."

The shadow guard glared at him. "Let the empress go."

"If I wanted to harm the empress I would have."

Another voice responded.  "You'll have to go through all of us first."