Welcome to the Empire. Where the Prophecy is law, and betrayal is the only way to survive it.
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Two thousand years ago, the Prophecy of Fire and Light foretold the coming of the...
The palace had just come into sight when they spotted the figure racing toward them on horseback.
"Treyan!"
Jamison was practically standing in his saddle as he rode his horse hard, pulling back on the reins so tightly the horse reared and nearly threw his rider. The captain didn't seem to notice as he jumped down and approached them.
"Where have you been?"
"The storm kept us away longer than intended," he explained to Jamison, though concern colored his face. "What's this about?"
Jamison cast a small glance to Alex before returning his attention to his prince. "There was an ambush on one of the northern villages two days back. Riders just arrived, and with them a handful of survivors."
"A handful?" Alex chimed in. "How large was the village?"
Jamison looked pale as he answered. "At least a hundred. Mainly women and children. It was an outpost for the army that maintains the tree line between us and the Borderlands."
"You're not going out there," Jamison instructed him, and Treyan glared. "The Councillor sent me to get you because of the reports we're receiving. And to ensure both you and the Empress returned safely."
"I can handle it—"
"Not now, you can't," Jamison insisted, with another knowing glance to Alex. "I'll escort the Empress back to the palace. The Councillor and the riders are in the war room."
Treyan pursed his lips, looking between Alex and Jamison one last time. "If anything happens to her, Captain—"
"On my honor, Crown Prince."
It seemed good enough for Treyan, for he kicked the horse into a gallop and left them to their walk as he made his way back to the palace.
Alex watched until he disappeared from sight before finding the words to speak. "How many is a handful, Jamison?" she asked again, her voice small.
"Twenty," he said quietly. "And they're going to need their Empress now more than ever."
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Of the twenty, there were twelve women and eight children, five of whom were orphaned.
Alex followed Jamison to the war room nestled on the palace's basement floor, a large chamber lined with tables piled with paperwork, chairs occupied by concerned guards and servants, and weapons stashed against the walls should they be needed. As she walked through the crowd of people, to where Treyan stood next to the Councillor upon a small dais at one end, she couldn't help but feel the eyes upon her or hear the whisper of her name. Among that whispering, however, came other news she wished she could have ignored.
One of the riders stood next to a woman holding an infant, and Treyan looked devastated as he heard them out. Of the other eighty inhabitants, they were either lucky to be away, killed on sight, or too injured to make the trip to the palace to tell their story. It seemed the ambushers chose a day when they knew the men who composed the army would be focused on patrols and training far enough away where the attack could occur in the quickest amount of time with the greatest amount of destruction.
