Two Thousand Years | The Empire Saga #1

Chapter Eleven

Despite his promise, Treyan wasn't in the chair when Alex woke the next morning. Listening to the sounds of the early morning, it didn't seem as though he was in the washroom either.

So much for keeping promises, Alex thought to herself.

Only a small part of her felt slightly guilty for expecting him to remain at her side all night anyway. He had offered, after all.

Stretching, she sat up, but then slowly settled back down as the remnants from the previous night's drinking immediately rushed to her head. So, too, did the memory of what she wanted to do with the Crown Prince of the Empire until he abruptly stopped her. For better or for worse, she was uncertain.

Treyan...

Groaning in frustration, she stared at the vaulted ceiling while she considered her new prospect. Her past relationship hadn't exactly been healthy in that it was borderline romantic relationships at all. But for some reason, with Treyan, she actually wanted to talk to him, to get to know him, to ask questions and listen to his answers. Clearly, the physical attraction was there, but even so. Regardless, not exactly the ideal way one starts a potential relationship, she thought, throwing herself at a prince she barely knew.

She attempted to get out of bed again and found that her robe had ended up on the floor over the course of the night; the crisp morning air prickled her naked skin so unexpectedly that she quickly gathered a quilt around her shoulders. It was this draft that caught her attention, and soon the source of the morning light brought her to her feet.

Someone must have been here early that morning for the heavy draperies that covered the windows spanning along the wall were already tied back, allowing the bright morning light to shine through. Picking up her discarded robe, she draped it around her shoulders in place of the quilt and held it closed at her chest as she walked toward the windows, allowing herself another moment to admire this strange land that would one day soon be hers.

The sun—no, two suns—shone like luminescent orbs in the blue sky above. There were no clouds to be seen, but in the distance, she saw a pair of bird-like creatures flying through the air. Surrounding the palace and desolate battlefield beyond were dense wooded thickets, and from within them she could hear the chirps and caws of the local fauna. Despite the remnants of the Empire's war-torn past, if she didn't know any better, she'd have thought she was still home in Boston, walking through the Public Garden on a spring morning.

She wasn't at ground level but noticed that this balcony led out to a terrace that ran along the outside of the palace, with what looked like an elaborate staircase leading down to the lower gardens that homed various plants and flowers that ran along the palace walls. These must have been the gardens Treyan mentioned before. She made the mental note that they would be the next on her list to explore, but first she wanted to find Treyan.

Bringing herself away from the windows, Alex began to rummage through the nearby armoire to see if she could find something decent to wear before she set off to search through the palace. Luckily, she found a spare shirt made of soft cotton and cloth pants close enough to leggings. The shirt was loose, so she was able to wrap a belt around her waist to solve the stylish faux paus. She didn't have any undergarments, but since the top was black and belted appropriately enough it should be fine. She hoped. She couldn't find the boots she was wearing either, but the smooth stone floor felt delightfully warm on the soles of her bare feet.

When she was finally done dressing herself, Alex took a moment to look in the mirror above the nearby dresser for the first time in what felt like forever. Her dark eyes looked back at her, encircled by lush lashes. Her nose was small, her cheekbones high, her lips average. Her bosom filled out the shirt that flowed to her hips nicely and her long legs ended in perfect little feet. She had tied her auburn hair up into a ponytail, allowing the ends to curl, tucking the few loose strands behind her ear to keep them out of her face.