Reylor's Lament | The Empire Saga Novella #1

Chapter Two

He was still uncertain as to how he felt towards the child.

Reylor was no longer one for affection, and there were times he wondered if he truly ever was, but he possessed a strange affinity towards the infant residing within his castle's walls. Could it have been because of the curse's magic, remembering its master and calling to him once again? Or more so, was it because the baby was hers?

Bria informed him they named him Lexan, a homage to his father, no doubt. Against his better judgment, he confirmed the name would remain, regardless of the namesake and the ties it maintained with the home he left behind. The resemblance was there, he couldn't deny that, as he watched the child sleep within the makeshift bassinet Bria had made for him. Passing him off as his own would never be an issue- the child had the same eyes, and his hair coloring as well.

His mother's hair...

Reylor glanced up towards the ceiling as memories of the departed Queen Empress flooded his thoughts. What would Saratanya think of her children, now grown and choosing their separate paths? Perhaps the Prophecy had been fulfilled for good reason, allowing the Queen Empress to pass on before her children came of age. The last thing any mother wants is to see her progeny in such distress.

Sometimes, however, he wondered if she had foreseen such conflict within her second-born.

A soft coo from the bassinet brought his attention back down to the baby- no, his son. He needed to get used to the concept, or else convincing the child otherwise would be harder as time went on. He needed Lexan; the Empire depended on it. Any remaining connection to the Empress was of the utmost importance. For that he would protect the child, with his own life if need be.

But until then, Bria did well enough with mundane tasks. The former mistress seemed to welcome it; her advances towards him were evidence enough of her instinctual maternal yearnings. Despite her hopes, however, the woman would never carry his child. No one would, for that matter.

None except her.

This wasn't a promise kept only to himself— it was the way things were. The way things were supposed to be. The Prophecy saw to that years ago, when he was the first to dream of her, when the duty to fulfill the Prophecy was to be his sole responsibility. That was, of course, until he was branded The Betrayer.

He lived up to his new title well enough.

The memory of his taking of Alexstrayna never once left him. In a way, it was his most cherished moment. True, the circumstances were less than desired, and for the slightest moment he considered what it would have been like to have her, even regrettably against her will. Would the results have remained the same? Or would the ends have justified the means, if only she had given him the chance?

His manhood betrayed him yet again while his desire rushed over him, and he gripped the edge of the bassinet to center himself.

How long could a woman have such control over him? It was a question he didn't know how to answer, but he swore to himself, should they ever cross paths, he would never again allow her to leave his side.

Even if it meant having to rid them both of his brother.

Another rustle and soon a cry broke into Reylor's thoughts as Lexan began squirming and fussing in his crib. Reylor flushed with a moment of panic as he looked around anxiously, hoping Bria had returned from her errand. Much to his dismay, she had not. The crying increased to a scream, and with no other option, Reylor reluctantly picked up the infant and placed him upon his shoulder.

The crying all but immediately stopped, and after a soft whimper and a snuggle later, Lexan was back asleep.

Reylor let out a sigh of relief as the new silence fell upon the room, but now he was faced with the problem of the sleeping baby on his shoulder. Despite the connection he seemed to have with the child, Reylor never considered child-rearing to be his forte, and in a position such as his, the last thing he wanted was anyone else seeing him as overly paternal. With a quick glance in its general direction, he ensured the room's door remained shut to prying eyes.

With no other option, Reylor began to travel around the room with Lexan in his arms, walking at a pace that wouldn't jostle the child. He eventually stopped in front of the room's large glass window and gazed out over the landscape.

"Out there, my little prince, is an Empire just waiting to be taken," he whispered against the infant's small ear. "You don't know it yet, but your birthright will be all we need to reclaim what's rightfully ours. And if we're lucky enough, your sire will remain wherever he is, and your mother will return to where she rightfully belongs. Soon-"

The sound of the door to the room creaking open made him turn quickly to see Bria, her face filled with a look of utter shock and confusion. Uncertain as to how long she'd been standing there, he wasn't in the mood to take any chances that she had seen him gently speaking to the baby. Taking the baby from his shoulder, he approached the former mistress and handed Lexan off with a forced look of sheer disgust.

"It took you long enough," he scolded while he wiped his hands on his pants as if they were soiled.

"But I—" Bria started, but Reylor held up his hand to cut her off. She flinched as if fearing he would strike her, and he rolled his eyes at her weakness.

"Make sure he's fed and changed, then I want you in my quarters. Without clothes. Immediately," he ordered, as if to add emphasis to his urgent need.

He felt her stare blaze into his skull as he quickly removed himself from the room, lost within his own thoughts of the past while contemplating what would come in the future.