CHAPTER 7: THE EMPEROR'S SHADOW.
1311 Words
The victory feast lasted until midnight.
Seraya did not attend.
She had no desire to celebrate a war she had never wanted.
Instead, she sat outside her tent beneath the cold night sky, sharpening her sword.
The battlefield stretched beyond the camp.
Dark.
Silent.
Still carrying the smell of smoke and blood.
She dragged the whetstone along the blade.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Her mind returned to Valeria.
Her father's castle.
The gardens where she had grown up.
Her mother's chambers.
The people who had once filled the streets.
All gone.
Because of him.
Seraya's grip tightened around the sword.
Emperor Kael Draven.
She hated him.
She reminded herself of that every time his name entered her thoughts.
And lately, it had been entering them far too often.
Not because she admired him.
Because she needed to understand him.
Understanding an enemy was useful.
Nothing more.
---
Inside the imperial command tent, Kael stood over a map.
Several generals surrounded him.
"The southern forces will return by tomorrow evening," one said.
Kael nodded.
"Double the patrols."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Move the eastern division closer to the forest."
Another general hesitated.
"Why?"
Kael looked up.
The man's face immediately changed.
"I meant—"
"You meant to question me."
"No, Your Majesty."
Kael's gaze remained on him.
"Then don't."
The general bowed.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kael returned to the map.
His eyes moved across the battlefield.
Then stopped.
"Where is Princess Seraya?"
The generals exchanged glances.
"At her tent, Your Majesty."
"With how many guards?"
"Two."
Kael's expression hardened.
"Twenty."
One general looked surprised.
"Twenty?"
Kael slowly lifted his eyes.
"Is there an echo in this tent?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Then why did you repeat me?"
The general lowered his head.
"Twenty guards."
Kael returned to the map.
"And no one tells her."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
He continued studying the map.
No explanation.
No reason.
None was needed.
---
Seraya heard footsteps outside her tent.
She looked up.
A soldier entered.
"Princess."
"What?"
"His Majesty has assigned additional guards to your tent."
Her brows furrowed.
"Why?"
The soldier hesitated.
"I don't know."
"How many?"
"Twenty."
Seraya stared at him.
"Twenty?"
"Yes, Princess."
She looked toward the entrance.
"Tell the emperor I don't need them."
The soldier went pale.
"I wouldn't advise that."
"Why?"
"He may take it as disobedience."
Seraya stood.
"Then let him."
---
Minutes later, she walked toward the command tent.
Two guards attempted to stop her.
"His Majesty is in council."
"I don't care."
"Princess—"
"I said move."
They moved.
Inside, Kael was still standing over the map.
He didn't look up when she entered.
"Why are you here?"
"You assigned twenty guards to me."
"Yes."
"I don't need them."
"That's unfortunate."
Seraya stared at him.
"What does that mean?"
"It means you have twenty guards."
"I had two."
"Now you have twenty."
"You can't simply surround me with soldiers because you feel like it."
Kael finally looked at her.
"I can."
Her jaw tightened.
"You're insufferable."
"I've been called worse."
"I want them removed."
"No."
The answer was immediate.
Seraya stepped closer.
"I can protect myself."
"I know."
"Then remove them."
"No."
She glared at him.
"Why?"
Kael returned his attention to the map.
"Because I said so."
Seraya stared at him in disbelief.
"You really are impossible."
Kael didn't answer.
She turned sharply and walked away.
He watched her leave.
Only when the tent flap fell closed did his expression change.
Barely.
His eyes moved toward the captain.
"Increase the patrol around the western perimeter."
The captain nodded.
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Three men were found dead near the tree line."
The captain stiffened.
"We thought they were Dareth soldiers."
"They weren't."
"Then who—"
"Find out."
Kael's voice became colder.
"And if anyone approaches Princess Seraya's tent without imperial authorization..."
He paused.
"Kill them."
---
Seraya returned to her tent furious.
She hated being watched.
She hated being guarded.
And most of all, she hated the fact that Kael seemed to believe he had the right to make decisions concerning her.
She paced for several minutes.
Then stopped.
Something wasn't right.
The camp was too quiet.
She stepped outside.
The guards immediately straightened.
"Princess."
She looked toward the forest.
"Did you hear that?"
The guards listened.
Nothing.
Then—
A branch snapped.
Seraya's hand went to her sword.
The guards drew theirs.
"Stay here," one commanded.
Seraya almost laughed.
"Absolutely not."
She moved toward the trees.
"Princess!"
She ignored them.
The moonlight barely reached the forest floor.
Seraya moved carefully.
Then she saw it.
Blood.
Fresh.
She crouched.
Her fingers hovered over the dark stain.
A strange sensation moved through her palm.
Cold.
Then heat.
She pulled her hand away.
Behind her—
a twig snapped.
She spun.
Nothing.
Her eyes narrowed.
Someone was watching her.
She drew her sword.
"Come out."
Silence.
Then a figure moved between the trees.
Seraya stepped backward.
The figure lunged.
She raised her sword.
Steel struck steel.
The attacker was fast.
Too fast.
Seraya blocked one strike.
Then another.
The figure twisted.
She ducked.
A blade cut through a strand of her hair.
Seraya attacked.
The stranger retreated.
Then suddenly—
an arrow struck the attacker's shoulder.
He stumbled.
Another arrow followed.
The man fell.
Seraya stared.
She hadn't heard the archers.
She looked toward the trees.
Nothing.
"Princess!"
Her guards rushed toward her.
Seraya pointed at the fallen man.
"Search him."
They did.
He carried no insignia.
No identification.
Nothing.
Seraya looked toward the darkness again.
Someone had been watching.
Someone had fired those arrows.
And they were very good.
---
Across the camp, Kael lowered his bow.
The captain beside him remained silent.
"You saw nothing."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"You heard nothing."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Kael handed the bow to him.
"Good."
He turned away.
The captain hesitated.
"Your Majesty."
Kael stopped.
"Why did you personally come?"
Kael's expression became dangerous.
"Do you enjoy living?"
The captain immediately bowed.
"No, Your Majesty."
"Then don't ask foolish questions."
Kael walked back toward his tent.
Behind him, the captain watched silently.
Everyone knew the emperor was brutal.
Everyone knew he would execute a man for disappointing him.
Everyone knew he had destroyed kingdoms without blinking.
But no one understood why he had personally watched the princess's tent for half the night.
And Kael intended to keep it that way.
---
Seraya couldn't sleep.
She stood by the small fire outside her tent.
The strange attack bothered her.
Not because she had nearly been killed.
She had faced worse.
It bothered her because someone had been there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Protecting her.
And she had a suspicion.
A very irritating one.
Her eyes moved toward the emperor's tent.
She quickly looked away.
"No."
She whispered it to herself.
"Not him."
Kael Draven would never protect her.
Not without wanting something in return.
He had taken her kingdom.
Taken her title.
Taken her freedom.
And declared her his wife without asking.
He was not capable of kindness.
She refused to believe otherwise.
Inside his tent, Kael stood before the window.
His silver eyes rested on the faint silhouette of Seraya's tent.
His expression was unreadable.
He had no intention of telling her.
She would misunderstand it.
Or worse—
she would become careless.
Kael had no interest in making her comfortable.
He wanted her sharp.
Suspicious.
Difficult.
Alive.
That was enough.
For now.
Then the candle beside him flickered.
Blue.
Kael froze.
His eyes narrowed.
The flame returned to gold.
He slowly turned toward it.
For the first time that night, something close to unease crossed his face.
The blue flame.
Again.
And this time, it hadn't come from Seraya's blood.
It had appeared in his chamber.
Kael stared at the candle.
Then whispered to himself,
"What are you?"
He wasn't certain whether he was asking about the flame...
or the woman.
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