Empire of Blood

Chapter 6: Oathbound

That evening after finalizing Selena's trip to Snowhaven with General Araneus, Silver invited Her Imperial Majesty to Dragonstone for a private discussion. At first reluctant to grant him an audience, she only agreed once Silver briefly mentioned the nature of their future conversation.

The Pyre struck two in the morning. The lamps lining the wide dirt path leading to Silver's manor flickered like a tinderbox kindling fire as Loki the fox ran past. Yet, he paused when he reached the footman and peered over his shoulder, waiting for the large, majestic white wolf to catch up. It was the Empress herself, granted abilities of the dire wolf. Fur as flawless as Thor's perfect bracelet diamonds, her sapphire eyes blazed from the strung lanterns guiding their lane.

Loki clicked his tongue against his teeth. "I have a terrible feeling—I can't understand why I agreed to come here."

The Empress' nose and ears twitched as the footman slowly approached with a quizzical brow, yet upon seeing Loki, he nodded and withdrew inside to call for Silver. She lifted her chin and spoke through telepathy: At least agree to be civil.

"I make no promises." When Her Imperial Majesty gave him an icy stare, Loki whimpered, parts of his orange fur bristling. "Perhaps I ought to wait out here until you two finish business."

Her paws grew heavy; the Empress paused and suddenly heaved over, vomiting a bloody, putrid mess. Loki froze when he saw her gory pile. "Your Majesty." Though rare, he had seen Her Imperial Majesty grow this ill on a handful of occasions, yet he cringed to see her beautiful snow-white coat dyed crimson. "Has Silver not yet found a cure?"

She wiped her mouth with her paw. There is no cure, but please don't fret—I will live.

"Then perhaps medical treatment—"

I said I would live. There is nothing that can help my torment.

When Selena was stillborn, Her Imperial Majesty had attempted to bring her back before the Well of Souls was completed through human transmutation. The process required an equal exchange, but the value of life was unmatched; yet, she desperately attempted the folly ritual, which backfired horribly, nearly killing her. Since then, the Empress could never again bear another child, and she was always gravely sick. Though Silver had tried, neither cure nor treatment could ease her pain. She remembered that dreadful day when she first held her daughter, how Selena's skin was grey and cold, her lips black and blue, her eyes lifeless.

"I see," was all Loki could say, and he sighed. "I delivered your message to His Imperial Majesty as you requested, but he gave me no reply. I expected he would have hastily agreed and joined our meeting, but—"

Vulduin has his reasons, the Empress interrupted, perhaps he believed it too risky for all of us to meet here. Yet, her stomach tightened; she had hoped to see her husband again after the long years of being apart. Vulduin Xyrrion hid under the guise of Phantom Dust after fleeing Mortemholdt. Although Silver and Kain knew of his ruse, the Empress was the only one who referred to him by his actual name.

Moments later, the footman returned with Silver, and the two welcomed their new company. Loki, however, hissed and backed away when Silver snarled at him.

"I will wait for you out here, Your Majesty," Loki growled and immediately dashed towards the lake, ignoring Silver's fixed ice-blue eyes.

Once Silver escorted Her Imperial Majesty to the drawing room, the Empress released her spell and had transformed into her regal elven form. Yet, she was reluctant to pull back her dark blue silk cowl.

"Would you care for some tea, or perhaps something stronger, Your Imperial Majesty?" Silver offered, but the Empress declined all refreshments.

When she carefully sat down on the couch and folded her hands over her lap, the three Oracle triplets arrived down the marble staircase and grinned. "Hello, Your Imperial Majesty." The first sister, Nona, whose hair loosely swept past her knees, donned her evening satin blue gown, extravagantly trimmed and decorated with lace and ribbons. Cassandra, the second, tied her hair with a red ribbon, matching the color of her embellished dress. Lastly, Morta, the third sibling, clad in green fashion, adorned her hair with a series of braids meeting in a single, thick ponytail. Their cold, pale faces matched their white hair set ablaze by the drawing room's flickering lamps.