by M. Dalto
48
The commotion coming down the stairs to the dungeon immediately had Reylor sitting up in his cell. He heard them before they came into view, but soon a member of the palace guard rushed past, followed by the palace’s lead healer, holding a blanket-wrapped bundle in her arms.
Alexstrayna had the babies.
An odd sense of pride coursed through him at the sudden realization, but he wouldn’t allow himself such a moment of weakness. He walked up to the bars of his cell to get a better look at the passersby, but they disappeared into the infirmary before they could be questioned.
He sensed something was off by their sudden urgency, and his suspicions were confirmed as another palace guard arrived, followed by the Empress’ Mistress who carried another bundle.
The mistress caught his eye as she passed, and he readied himself. His years of planning were culminating to fruition.
His time had come.
Reylor strained his ears for the slightest hint as to what was happening behind the infirmary’s door, closed to him like a protective armor, not allowing even a whisper to escape.
That was, of course, until the screams began.
He watched the door intently, knowing that whoever emerged next would determine his fate.
After what felt like an eternity, the mistresses stepped from behind the closed door. In her arms, she still held a wrapped bundle that cried as she hurried over to his cell.
“I apologize for the delay, my lord,” she apologized as the keys jingling in her other hand while she struggled to unlock the door. “There were some complications.”
“So, it would seem.” He looked towards the infirmary, a bloodied hand in view through the door. “Where is the other?”
“As I said, there were complications.” She followed his gaze towards the infirmary, where the erratic crying of a baby could be heard. “The Councillor does not believe she will last the night.”
Reylor turned to her, a look of utter shock upon his face. “She?”
The mistress nodded. “Aye, my Lord, and the look on the Crown Prince’s face matched the one on yours right now.”
He glared at her slightly. Was that his doing as well?
“And the Empress? What of her well-being?”
He could not refrain himself from asking, and the mistress seemed annoyed at his inquiry. “She is stable. For now.”
Reylor felt a movement within his heart that he hadn’t experienced in quite some time. Was it relief? Remorse? Guilt? He didn’t have the time to consider it as the lock to his cell finally gave way.
“Come, my Lord,” her tone was sultry as she led the way out from the cell block. “Let us return home.”
“We have one more stop before we leave,” Reylor reminded her as he followed up the stairs, and as they surfaced within the palace, he led her down the hall towards the library that housed the Annals.
49
With Alex in stable condition and safe with the Councillor by her side, Treyan had too many unanswered questions he needed to ask his brother.
Mainly, what the hell did he do?
He was able to single-handedly rewrite their entire history—their entire Prophecy—and Treyan needed to know why.
It was time for answers, even if he had to break every one of Reylor’s fingers to acquire them.
He turned the corner to the hallway that held the stairway to the dungeons and stopped as the hair on the back of his neck prickled.
All was too quiet.
But then he heard the crying.
He delayed no longer and vaulted down the stairs, where his suspicions were immediately confirmed.
Reylor’s cell was open, the keys dangling from its lock, and his brother was nowhere to be seen.
The cries rose in crescendo from doorway ahead of him. Unsure as to what to expect, Treyan hugged the wall as he slowly approached the infirmary, standing battle-ready as he cautiously opened the door.
The scene before him would have turned even the strongest of stomachs.
The corpses on the floor were nothing short of massacred. He counted three bodies total—the two palace guards and the senior healer. But where was the mistress?
The hysterical shrieks of the unseen newborn led him on a frenzied search until he found the source. Wrapped in a blanket and still in the arms of the dead healer, the dark- haired babe cried with newfound breath. He picked her up and wiped her off as best as he could.
Their firstborn. Sarayna.
She seemed unscathed despite the morbid setting, but he held her close all the same.
“Shh, nirr haesd,” he attempted to soothe her as best as he could while he continued to survey his surroundings.
Where was the other baby?
With one hand he searched around the other bodies, taking care in the search for his son, but the newborn Prince was nowhere to be seen.
An explosion from above showered dust and debris upon them, and Treyan used his body to shield tiny Sara from the damage. Looking to the ceiling of the infirmary, it was all starting to come together.
In the depths of his memory, he knew of only one source that could create enough power to quake the palace as such, and when another surge again shook the walls around him, Treyan finally understood.
He needed to get to the library.
Treyan handed the crying child to the Councillor while he began to rummage around the room.
“My Prince, where is young Lexan?” the Councillor inquired as he shifted his weight to support the newborn in his arms.
“My son wasn't there,” he responded shortly as he opened the armoire and searched its base. “Neither was Reylor, and the mistress has gone missing.”
Treyan shook his head, remembering the murder scene within the infirmary. “This was meticulously planned. Whether the mistress was involved or not, I know who was at the center of it.”
“My Prince, you cannot rush headlong into battle when we do not know what to expect.” The Councillor glanced over to Alex as she rested in the bed. “What of the Empress, or the Princess?” He held the infant slightly higher for added emphasis.
Treyan looked between his sleeping wife and newborn daughter, but it only strengthened his resolve. “All the more reason. I have to do something.” He stood, strapping his sword around his waist.
“My Prince, if I may.”
Treyan glanced to him from the corner of his eye as he brought out a satchel and began packing it with various articles of clothing and supplies. “I don't know what's happening, or what else he may have planned, but right now Reylor is in my palace trying to destroy our Annals and I'll be damned if he succeeds!”
Strapping the satchel closed, he hoisted it from the floor and handed it to the Councillor. “You will stay here with Alex and Sara, and you will keep them safe.”
“My Prince—”
“No one is to come near my wife or my daughter, do you understand me?”
“Of course, my Prince, but...”
The Councillor pleaded, but Treyan continued to ignore him as he walked to the bed where Alex slept. She looked at peace despite the horrors that awaited her once she awoke. Brushing a few strands of hair back from her face, he leaned down and left a soft kiss on her lips.
“I'll be back when you wake,” he promised her quietly before turning to face the Councillor.
Sarayna had cried herself to sleep against his chest, and she, too, received a gentle kiss upon her brow.
“Prince Treyan.”
Treyan eyes met his, and as the Councillor was clearly nervous, Treyan was never more certain.
“You will keep them safe,” he commanded, unwavering.
With a final nod to his most trusted advisor, he ran from the room, ready to defend his Prophecy and their future, regardless of the cost.
50
Reylor remembered the Annals being far more threatening the last time he saw them.
He sent Bria ahead with the baby to begin the journey back to the Borderlands. He
promised her that he would be close behind and reminded himself that he would thank her graciously for her assistance with his endeavor.
The initial blast, though it knocked him off of his feet, merely shook the book from its pedestal—a vast improvement from his attempt years ago. The gathered power, however, repelled from his target, knocking over shelving units and littering the floor with books. He instinctively shielded his head as the explosion hit, blinking as the dust settled. He quickly discovered that he was still alive and well, which drove him to his feet.
Brushing himself off, he turned eager to complete the task at hand, only to face Treyan as he stood within the doorway, brandishing his sword and ready to fight.
Reylor smiled at the sight. “It's about time you showed up.”
“Where is he?” Treyan had a look of murder in his eyes.
“Who would that be?” Reylor responded coyly.
“Where is my son, Reylor?”
“Your son?” His lips curled into a devilish grin. “Are you so sure, brother?”
“Where is he?” Treyan shouted, his demand echoing from the ceiling to the floor as he took a threatening step forward.
Reylor stood his ground. “Treyan, you know you should never let your emotions become so obvious. Let's just say your first born is going somewhere safe.”
Treyan stopped and looked at him, a slight smirk appearing on his face. “That’s what this is about?”
Reylor peered slightly, uneasy at his brother's reaction.
“Perhaps you needed to translate your scrolls better, brother.”
“I don't know why you're being so smug,” Reylor cut his off. “I have your heir, and once I destroy the Annals—”
“Lexan is not the heir.”
Reylor paused. “He is the male twin. Bria was right there....”
Treyan perked his brow. “Bria? You should choose your traitors better.”
“But the new Empress was born.”
“An Emperor,” Treyan interjected, the look on his face arrogant and savoring in his brother error.
Reylor raged, kicking a pile of books at his feet. He deserved this turn of events for allowing someone else to do his labors for him.
Taking advantage of his brother's obvious distraction, Treyan took another step forward. “Now, I’ll ask you again. Where is my son?” he again demanded.
“Gone!” Reylor screamed, sending a ball of flaming power haphazardly towards Treyan's direction. His twin easily dodged the attack, rolling to his knees with his blue eyes afire.
“One twin is better than none,” he rambled on, pondering what to do next. “I will make due.”
And he would. He always had.
He'd make Bria pay dearly for her mistake, but in the meantime his gaze shifted from his brother. There was only one thing left for him to do.
Treyan followed Reylor’s stare as it fell upon the discarded Annals where it lay on the floor among the rubble.
“After all this time, do you still believe destroying the Annals will improve your position in life?” His brother’s tone dripped with pity.
“It will make yours worse, and that's all that matters to me.”
To emphasize his point, Reylor raised his hands and propelled another power spell towards the Annals. The red beams collided with the ancient book and ricocheted out towards the walls of the library. Treyan dodged behind a nearby desk, attempting to protect himself from the damage as the impact caused the large tomes from the library's higher shelves to fall to the ground.
Taking a few centering breaths, Treyan opened his eyes once he was certain no harm would come, observing the Annals from where he hid as the dust settled. The book appeared unscathed despite the damage caused, but the same could not be said for the library.
“Reylor, you need to end this or you're going to destroy the palace and everyone within it,” Treyan pleaded, hoping there was still some way to talk sense into his brother. “Alex is still here. If you have even a sliver of the love for her like you swore you once did, at least consider that!”
He couldn't see his twin from where he crouched but could tell by his delay in response that mention of the Empress had made him pause.
“She should never have come back!” Reylor shouted into the depths of the hall. “I will not be held accountable for her foolish choices. I would have given her everything and she chose to come back to you. How ironic, should she die now. What would you live for then?”
With a yell of frustration, Reylor sent another shock of power towards the Annals, knocking away Treyan's protective desk and thus sending him sprawling from cover. Mural pieces from the ceiling above began to fall in large chunks, shattering into violent shards as they collided with the library floor. Treyan's concern for the structural integrity of the library was no longer his primary objective—he now worried about the resilience of the whole palace.
Thinking about his wife and daughter, Treyan hoped the Councillor would follow his orders sooner rather than later. And if he didn't put a stop to Reylor's attacks swiftly, Alex and the baby would never get out alive.
51
Alex held Sarayna closer with each tremor that rumbled through the palace, causing her body to ache with each eruption. She awoke to a missing husband, a lost son, and a crumbling palace. The longer Treyan remained away, the more morbid her thoughts became, and the panic began setting in.
Now she was torn. Before she would have carelessly rushed into the middle of a firefight to save the one she loved, but now her love belonged to others who depended on her and putting herself at risk was no longer an option.
She clung to her daughter tight. The small bundle was snug against her chest in a post- milk haze. She wondered if her son felt as safe.
She closed her eyes as she tried to hold back the tears for her lost son.
No, not lost.
There was still time.
There was still the Councillor.
“I need your assistance,” she summoned, and handed Sara over to him upon his approach while she prepared herself. Placing a hand on either side of her, she tried to stand, but gasped as a surge of pain seared through her lower extremities.
“Empress, please,” the Councillor insisted, but she waved him off as she braced herself to try again. “The healing magic worked better than I imagined, but you still need to rest.”
She quickly determined getting out of the bed was the hardest part, but once she began to move, she soon began to feel human again. She changed her clothes in front of the Councillor with little shame—he had just assisted in the birthing of her children, modesty was the least of her concerns. She found a loose-fitting blouse and a skirt she was able to hike above her boots. She had just finished tying her hair into a low tail when the Councillor approached.
“Empress, I must insist.”
“Councillor I'm fine.” she claimed as another tremor rocked the palace, and she braced herself against her dresser to avoid further injury.
“Be that as it may, the palace is not,” he reminded her from his secure place again the wall. “I cannot allow you to run through the palace looking for Prince Treyan, should he come looking for you. It is counter-productive, not to mention dangerous in your current condition, especially if we need to evacuate at a moment's notice...”
“Evacuate?” she turned to look at him. “What are you talking about? Evacuate to where?”
He looked at her for a moment before he turned on his heel, still with Sarayna in his arms, and walked to the fireplace along the far wall of her room. “Empress, rarely has it occurred, but there have been a few instances within our history when it was required for the Empire's royal line to evacuate during circumstances of dire need. This, I fear, may be one of them.”
“We can't just leave,” she insisted. “Not with Treyan and Lexan unaccounted for, not to mention the fate of the Empire itself. No, we can't abandon them to fend for themselves!”
“You can, Empress, and you must.”
“Coun
cillor—”
He cut her off. “The Prince himself asked me to keep you safe. You must be ready to leave at a moment's notice!”
Now it started to make sense. “Why that stubborn... I'm not leaving without him, Councillor!”
“Empress.”
“No! It's out of the question.”
As though in response, the palace itself shook violently, throwing Alex to the floor. From her position on the floor, she immediately looked up to see the Councillor struggling to maintain his own balance with her baby in his arms. Wincing as she placed her weight, she carefully pushed herself to her feet and approached him, protectively taking Sara back to her chest. The infant had woken from the commotion, looking at her mother with her father's blue eyes before emitting a whimper of confusion. Alex bounced her gently as she stood by the empty fire place. If this has to be their escape route, she hoped it was sturdy enough to withstand whatever damage was to be done while she waited for her husband.
Treyan needed to get back to her soon, and with their son.
She couldn't stand the thought of having to leave either of them behind.
The windows of the library shattered as the power within grew to dangerous levels. Between Reylor throwing everything he had towards destroying the Annals, and Treyan using all of his might to protect it, the battle between the brothers would inevitably destroy everything they knew and loved until one, or both of them, died in the process.
It appeared as though Reylor cared not for the consequences of his actions, his attention was only on the Annals. And while Reylor’s obsession continued to cloud his senses, Treyan’s only focus was on his brother.
Thus, neither of them saw the intruder enter the library, nor the stolen knife she held in her hand. It was not until she brought it down across Treyan’s back that his scream of agony caused his protection spell to dissipate as he fell to the floor in pain.