Two Thousand Years | The Empire Saga #1

Chapter Fifty

Alex held Sarayna closer with each tremor that rumbled through the palace, body aching with each eruption. She awoke to a missing husband, a lost son, and a crumbling palace. The longer Treyan was gone, 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. 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 ponytail 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 against 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 in our history when it was required for the Empire's royal line to evacuate during times 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."

"Councillor—"

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 shook violently, throwing Alex to the floor. From her position, 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 on her hands, 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 fireplace. If this was 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.