The Book of Time: A Guardians of Time Novel

Chapter Two: Forward

Kathryn took a while to finish getting ready as she stared into the mirror once again. She had put on very light pink royal robes. The pink amethyst earrings, the stones which held her power, in her ears glistened in the sun. As she gently placed the petite diamond crown on her head, she began crying again, her husband's crown lay cold and uninviting on its pillow sitting on the chest of drawers next to the mirror. 

I hope you're happy where ever you might be, Ayden. She thought to herself with a broken kind of faith. 

She took a heaving breath and exhaled with force as she flattened the wrinkles in her robes and wiped away the tears. It was going to be a difficult day and she couldn't even think about what the evening would hold for her when she tried to sleep.

It wasn't going to be easy for her to stand in front of her people, next to her Warriors and speak knowing that Ayden wasn't coming back. She wished he was here. He would know what to do. Of course, Emelia would have been nice to have as well. She missed them both; she truly felt alone. 

In the mirror, she took a sudden interest to her stomach. She had found out the night before that she was pregnant and the thought was enough to hinder her ability to control her tears again. She turned sideways and pressed her robes down against her still flat abdomen. Small amounts of rage and anger brewed behind her sadness. Stenos had better pray he was dead because what she wanted to to him was nothing short of torture. 

There was a small rapping at her door as it began to open. 

"Are we about ready, Your Highness?" Jakoba asked as he made his way into the room. 

"I guess so." She replied. 

"I know this must be hard for you Kathryn but--"

"You have now idea, Jakoba!" The explosive reply came from no where as all of the terrible feelings rushed from her core and out of her mouth. This rage was for Stenos, but Jakoba was there. She turned and gave him her eyes. 

"Your Highness, I--"

"I understand that everyone has lost loved ones. But the loss of our king is more than just the death of my husband and father of my children!" Her voice cracked. 

"Kathryn. I know you're angry, and I can be the place you need to put that anger if needed. But please don't do this to yourself."

"Do what, Jakoba? Grieve for my husband? Worry about the fate of my family and billions of other people?" She continued shouting. 

"Ayden is gone. It was meant to be. There is nothing we can do to change that." Jakoba replied softly. 

"Did the almighty timeline, tell you that?" She asked snidely as she penetrated him with her gaze. 

"My heart tells me, Kathryn." He said with a smile. "Ayden was a good man and I can't explain why we can't see him in the Midway. Perhaps his parents were wrong and the prophecy was mistaken." 

"Prophecy? What prophecy?" Kathryn looked at him confused. 

His face turned up in a look of shame, as if he had just spoiled someone's surprise birthday party. This prophecy he spoke of was obviously a secret that he was supposed to be keeping. He let out a heaving sigh as he made his way over and sat on her bed. 

"Emelia didn't tell you?" He asked. 

"Tell me what, Jakoba?"

"She was supposed to have told both you and Ayden on the day of your wedding. Of course, that day was....chaotic. Ah well, I guess its up to me then." He smiled at her again. 

Kathryn moved next to him. 

"Long ago, there was a Warrior that lived here in the castle that had abilities much like those of Stenos." Jakoba started.