by M. Dalto
6
The color drained from Alex’s face as she stared at the dress in front of her. The details were exactly as she remembered them, even down to the shine of the refracted light off of its embroidery. Her hands began to shake as she crinkled the material in her grasps, and she knew something was wrong. There was no way a dress from her dreams could be in her hands. It was impossible, even more so if she was wearing it. It didn’t belong to her, but his mother. His mother’s wedding dress. Was that his mother she saw in her dream?
Treyan didn’t seem to notice her distress, not as he continued on as if talking of the weather. “—the wedding. Of course, I have to ask you first, and who knows when that will be.”
Alex whipped her head towards him, now only catching bits and pieces of conversation. “Wait. What are you talking about? Who's getting married?”
“Oh...we are.” He responded nonchalantly, as if she had just asked him for the time. He turned and walked back towards where she stood at the armoire, standing uncomfortably close. “Did I forget to mention that part?”
“Yes. Yes, you did. Now, wait a minute.” Alex began backing away from him, placing her arms in front of her as an attempt to keep him at a safe distance while panic washed over her. “I did not sign up for this. Any of this. It’s bad enough, you stealing me away from my apartment in the first place—unwillingly, I might add—and now you're telling me...?”
“None of us signed up for this, Alex,” he informed her with furrowed brows. “If there was any choice involved in this, things would be a hell of a lot easier.”
He took a step towards her, and another, as she retreated in time with his movements. “I’m sorry that these things surprise you so, but we have been over this: You are the Queen Empress, and I am the Crown Prince. It only seems like the natural transgression of events to me.”
For a moment she remembered her dream. She thought about the dress and the ring—and the pregnancy. Her thoughts drifted, turning dark as she recalled the nightmare she didn't want to remember: the darkness, the vulnerability—
The eyes.
She looked at Treyan, remembering those eyes, so similar to his, and the panic set in. She swore the walls were closing in around her, and felt her breath catch in her throat.
But still, he continued on.
“Not to mention, do you truly think you would be able to run this place all by yourself?” He smirked as he took another step toward her and tried to reach out and touch her, maybe even grab her. She sidestepped out of his grasp and turned, running past him and out of the room into one of the many halls of this foreign place, her injured foot be damned. The last thing she wanted was him touching her, if not anywhere near her.
She heard him calling after her, but she increased her efforts to move as far away from him as possible. She didn't know where she was or where she was going, but she knew she needed to keep moving. She needed to find a way out of this mess.
Alex hurried blindly past unfamiliar doors and intersecting hallways, ignoring anyone she may have ran past in her haste to get away from Treyan. She ran for what seemed like an eternity before she finally came upon a sprawling staircase. It was a dark decent, but she surmised anywhere that led down was one step closer to the exit. Looking behind her to make sure she wasn't being pursued, she rushed down the staircase.
Deeper she descended, one step at a time, then two at a time, faster and faster until she was more than halfway down. As she went to take another step, the searing pain from her injured foot, forgotten in her haste, surged up her leg and she lost her footing upon the stairway. Down she went, spiraling towards the foyer at the bottom of the stairs. The world spun around her as her body plummeted and she lost her bearings by the time she landed on the marble ground. Her hip made impact first, and she was able to cover her head to deflect any serious damage, but the wind was knocked from her chest from the impact. She didn't dare move as she tried to calm her heart from exploding out of her chest.
She moaned slightly as she assessed her situation and knew she was going to be quite bruised before the day was over. Lifting her head and glancing around, Alex was still not entirely sure of what happened but swore at herself when the throbbing pain from her foot reminded her all the same. Taking a breath, she hoisted herself up on her good leg and pushed herself into a half standing, half hopping position.
Ow.
Brushing herself off, she looked up and discovered she was face to face with a painted portrait of a beautiful woman that spanned the height of the wall before her. Alex had to step back to allow her eyes to adjust but the female was gorgeous. Her golden hair was piled atop her head, framed by a crown of gold and diamonds. Her cheekbones were delicate, her nose, small, her lips full. Her shoulders were slender yet powerful, and as she sat upon a golden throne, with a bouquet of roses in her arms, she wore the exact same wedding dress she had just fled from. Trying to piece it all together, she looked up to her face again, and there she saw it.
Her eyes were the same striking blue as Treyan's.
This must have been his mother.
She looked so young, yet there was a strong presence about her. Alex supposed the woman would’ve had to be when she was expected to run an Empire. Following the frame along its edges, she finally came upon a plate at the bottom of the portrait.
Queen Empress Saratanya
Daughter of Saviors
Light of the Empire
Alex took a moment and looked back up at the silent Empress. She wondered if she was ever in the position she was in now. She was curious how another would handle that with which she had been bombarded.
Instead of an answer, she caught sight of movement out of the corner of her eye. Looking over her left shoulder, a floating orb of light, so similar to the one from her apartment, hovered a short distance down the dark hallway. She would have run in the opposite direction, the memories of the orb in her apartment pummeling her mind, had this one not been blue in color. Its flames swirled like clouds in a summer sky and there was something calm and beckoning about this orb— such the opposite of its fiery red counterpart. This one pulled at her, silently asking her to follow, whereas the other made her want to run.
She should have run far away from that orb in her apartment the moment she saw it. She knew that now.
As she took a step toward it, however, it floated deeper into the darkness. With each step it continued to move. When she ceased her procession, it too halted, as though waiting for her. Like it wanted her to follow it further. She listened while she watched it, her panting breaths the only sound within the cavernous hall. If Treyan was following her, he wasn’t anywhere close, and perhaps this orb was trying to show her a way out.
She had nothing to lose, she decided, and gave the portrait of the dead Empress a final look before following the orb on its journey.
Wherever the orb was taking her, it never wavered and continued its path through the maze of hallways and passages, turning right here, shifting left there. She followed carefully, more out of curiosity than anything else, until she had followed it to a pair of large wooden doors.
The orb disappeared through the doors. This must have been where it wanted her to go. She leaned up against one door, listening for a moment before proceeding further. Allowing a floating orb guide to a set of doors was one thing; haphazardly entering a room without vetting it first was a different situation entirely.
As far as she could tell, the other side remained silent. Applying the slightest pressure, she discovered the door was unlocked. Was this the way out? Had this mysterious orb heard her pleas and come to rescue her from this place? Without waiting any longer to find out, she pushed it open and sneaked inside, closing it behind her and she rested herself against it to assess what lay before her.
Before her sprawled not the escape from her confines, but instead something just as comforting.
Something familiar.
From the floor to the vaulted ceiling were rows and rows of books, tomes
in every size, shape, and subject matter. The foyer where she stood was circular, with tables around it, but beyond that rested levels of bounded knowledge.
Perhaps there was no coincidence in the orb leading her here, knowing that she would need some sort of reminder of the world she knew before she deemed herself absolutely and completely insane.
Not that following a floating blue orb wasn’t insane all on its own.
But that the familiarity of books, or of a library, would give her the certainty she needed that she was not completely out of her mind was reassuring. That even here, in this strange world, such a place existed.
The room was warm and bright. Glancing up, the sunlight streamed in from the ceiling- length windows that ran along the circular walls of the library. She noticed unlit candelabras and sconces along the walls, and candlesticks upon the reading desks that circled the main entryway for when the suns set.
Below her feet was an intricate mosaic that resembled a map, surrounded by celestial details, but neither the land nor the solar system resembled anything she knew. The high ceiling was domed, with murals upon murals of fantastic scenes from corner to corner. The pictures seemed to tell the story of a history, but without a reference to the source material Alex couldn't place it.
Something caught her attention, ahead of her through the main corridor of the library. The blue orb revealed itself again, this time hovering over something before the window, but with the suns shining as they were she could only make out its outline. Cautiously she crept towards it and before her, on an intricate pedestal, was a massive tome.
No words were on the cover. There was no obvious answer as to what waited inside, but here the blue orb hovered, for the first time unmoving as she approached. Something tugged at her gut from within that book, an unseen force that pulsed along with the orb appeared in time with the beating of her heart and both grew in intensity the closer she came. She was close enough now to touch it, but as soon as she extended her hand towards it, it dissipated into the book before her.
Its cover was made of dark leather, similar to that of oxblood, and inlaid within were stones resembling marbles, creating a pattern unknown to her. With her hand still extended, Alex ran her hand over the leather cover, and as her fingertip brushed the stones upon the surface, a red light emanated from the point of contact. Before she could pull her hand away, her mind was bombarded with images:
The birth of twins.
Death.
An empty room.
Betrayal.
Loneliness.
The Prophecy.
A journey to a land unknown.
The Empress.
True Love.
Happiness in a time of sorrow.
A kidnapping.
Choice.
Vengeance.
Unnecessary loss.
Regret.
Mourning.
Life.
All of this, and more, flooded into Alex's psyche, and regardless of how hard she tried to pull away or the amount of effort she exerted to close her mind, the images and scenes from another life kept coming, bombarding her further into submission.
Brothers playing.
A mother dying.
Unwanted dreams.
Banishment.
A battle against fate.
A race against time.
The book finally released her hand and she stumbled back, hitting the window before she realized she couldn't retreat any further. Her eyes were wide and sweat beaded her brow as she clenched her chest, her breathing heavy with the weight of it all. She needed to escape this place, of that she was certain now more than ever, even despite the nagging sensation insisting that there was no way she could now. It was too late. She would never be able to forget all that she had seen, even if she wanted to. There was no longer an escape to any of this.
“There you are, Empress.”
Startled, Alex jumped and looked up through tangled hair. Her heart pounded as a single, hooded figure approached her from the front of the library. She never heard him enter; he must have come in while the book held her in its trance, but she doubted she would have heard him even if she wasn't distracted. The bottoms of his robe floated over silent footsteps, and he glided towards her as smoothly as though he was skating over ice.
She didn't move. She didn't have the energy even if she wanted to. After everything she had seen, she felt weakened and drained. Whatever it was that the book showed her, those images of what may have happened or what may come to be, it struck her deep. She felt a part of her soul was now entwined with the pages of that book, and it both frightened her and enthralled her. She wanted to get away from it, from everything, but she wanted to know more. A part of her needed to know more.
Maybe this person could be the one to do just that. And if he wasn’t going to tell her about that book, perhaps there was a chance he could be convinced to help her find her way home.
Licking her dry lips, she found her voice through a parched throat. “Who are you?”
The robed figure removed his hood to reveal an older gentleman with a bald head and patchy skin. He was plain and ordinary, but when he looked at her his eyes shone with the same bright blue as Treyan's. Another relative, perhaps—she was certain she'd find out eventually.
“I am the Councillor, my Empress.” His voice had the familiar rasp of an accent, like Treyan’s, though she felt as though she'd heard it before. “The Empire has been waiting for you.”
7
She peered at the robed figure before her. “We have much to discuss.” The one calling himself The Councillor spoke again. “We are already behind on your training, and time is of the essence.”
Alex returned her gaze to his. “My training?”
“Yes, of course. One cannot run an empire without being properly suited.”
“You are going to show me how?” She shook her head in exasperation and couldn't help but chuckle to herself. What could possibly happen next?
The robed figure folded his hands in front of him as he cocked his head to the side in question. “What’s so funny, Empress?”
“I'm just trying to figure out what 'training' I could possibly need.”
His face remained emotionless despite her attempted taunts. “There will be lessons in diplomacy.”
“Are you going to teach me how to ballroom dance and curtsey to the nobles?” she inquired with a mocking tone. “Tell me, will there be homework? And how would that grading curve work?"
The Councillor was not amused. “Empress, there may be some—”
“You do not want to overdo it before we have even begun, do you?”
Treyan’s voice echoed through the library as he strolled towards them. He continued to walk past the Councillor, his eyes intent on Alex until he stopped with the wooden pedestal between them. Leaning on its edge, he traced a finger right above the cover of the book.
“Enjoying some heavy reading, are we?”
Every fiber of her being was on edge as he smiled at her. Clenching her fists at her side, she tried to forget what the book had shown her, those small glimpses into his life that weren’t hers to see. And though she didn’t feel guilty for running from him like she did, she knew much more about him now, yet truly still knew nothing at all, which only added to the confusion. Despite it all, she still felt comforted, though hesitant, towards that smile. Perhaps there was a chance she’d be able to talk to him before she made her final escape. To thank him for trying to show her a different world, to opening her eyes to another way of life, even though he more or less kidnapped her from her apartment. Even still, she felt she owed him that much.
Unfortunately, she felt it would not be that time as the Councillor cleared his throat, apparently wanting to regain her full attention. She hadn’t even realized her focus on Treyan and cursed at herself as she pulled herself away from his stare and returned her gaze to the Councillor, who was now, himself, fully focused on the Prince beside her.
“So glad yo
u could join us, my Prince,” the Councillor interjected, a thick brow raised. “The Empress and I were just discussing the course of training during the days to come. Though I was surprised to see her roaming the palace, after you informed me of how injured she was.”
Treyan shrugged at the Councillor’s questioning gaze, giving Alex one final glance before turning his attention wholly to the Councillor. “We’ve had some complications.”
The Councillor did not seem amused. “With all due respect, my Prince, these complications of yours could be exactly the delay Reylor needs.”
He returned his attention to Alex. “My apologies, Empress, but as you can see, we are teetering on the edge of desperate times.” He sighed as if to compose himself. “If you would not mind, perhaps we can continue this conversation elsewhere? Somewhere a little better suited for the conversation at hand?”
Alex looked to Treyan for further guidance, but before she had a chance to respond, the Councillor turned on his heel and retreated through the main library door.
Uncertain as to what to do, she stood where she was until Treyan offered her his arm. “There is really no use in fighting it, you know.”
She did know. But there was still so much she wanted to discuss with him before being forced to sit before this adviser who apparently planned on laying out all that he expected of her without further delay. Reluctantly she nodded and linked her arm with his, a different jolt of excitement shooting through her body as his skin connected with hers.
She couldn’t help but glance at him, wondering how much of what that book had shown her involved him.
He began to escort her from the pedestal at the back library, and she could feel his assessing gaze on her as they walked. “When’s the last time you took a bath?”
She ground her teeth together, trying not to take offense. “How long have I been here?” she countered, hoping to finally get an answer to that variable in this equation.
He merely grinned before responding. “You can wash up before you sit your first Council meeting, if you’d like. Something tells me you won’t exactly want to do so wearing the same outfit you have since you arrived?”