the food was gone, so she drank the water.
Setting the glass down made a clicking sound against the plate. The handmaid stirred and then sat up with a jolt.
"It's okay. Thank you for the meal and..." she looked down at her nightgown.
"My Empress, I thought it best that you rest and not be disturbed."
Nykostra managed a weak smile. The girl got up and came to remove the plate. Nykostra stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Velore. Will you stay here with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."
The girl nodded and waited for her arm to be freed before letting go of the plate. She was unsure what the Empress wanted from her and she stood there silently waiting for instructions.
"You can join me on this bed, it's big enough," Nykostra said. There was nothing flirtatious in her tone or her intent. Her eye lids were heavy as she fell back onto her pillow.
Velore went around the bed and nervously slid on top of the covers. Nykostra had already drifted back to sleep by the time the handmaid had rested her head on a pillow.
***
Lord Kasaga paced back and forth in his room at the Imperial castle. The Empress had refused to talk to him after her ordeal in the Soothsayer's den. She had commanded him to seal all entrances to the den from the castle. His men were still engaged in finding all the secret ways in and around the castle and then closing them off with stone walls.
Kastra leaders were pressing him to get her to agree to another contest. The Empire could not continue without an heir. But she had refused to even talk to him about the possibility. She had kept herself locked in her room for nearly a month and rebuffed all heads of state.
Kasaga needed to return to the front. The war with the Alliance demanded his attention. He could afford no more time away from his fleet.
His second in command, Captain Verrad was with him, watching him pace back and forth relentlessly. The man said nothing until he was addressed.
"Verrad, I'm returning to the front lines. You will stay with the Empress and ensure she is protected. Try and convince her to find a mate. All of the Kastras have offered to send new challengers. It's very important that she produce an heir soon. People are loosing their confidence in her and if that happens, we could see another attempt on her life."
Verrad nodded.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Understood, sire."
Kasaga studied his second in command for a moment. He was tall, handsome and in perfect military shape. A rising star in the fleet with a promising future. It will be a shame to lose him to a petty home world assignment. But sometimes the career warrior did what had to be done.
"I know that this is not a glamorous assignment, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the Empire. Consider this sacrifice critical for your career."
Verrad bowed his head and crossed his chest with his right arm. "I accept it with honor, sire."
Kasaga returned the salute.
***
Nykostra sat in her warm bath and stared at the tablet resting across from her. It showed the smiling face of Ketar. She missed him so much it hurt. She missed their silly chats before they had met, she missed the smell of him when they hugged and most of all she missed his company. It was so lonely in the giant castle without him.
A single tear fell down her pale blue cheek and dropped into the water never to be seen again.
Velore entered the room with a clean towel.
"My Empress, it is time to get out of the bath."
Nykostra raised her hands out of the water and rubbed her face with wrinkled fingers. Rising up she stepped out onto the heated floor panels and waited for Velore to wipe her off. Then the handmaid slipped the white nightgown over Nykostra's head. The Empress stood before a mirror and stared blankly at herself.
"Do you think I'm pretty, Velore?"
Velore was using the wet towel to dry the floor near the bath. She stood up behind the Empress and cautiously stared at her image in the mirror.
"Yes, my Empress."
"Are you just
Setting the glass down made a clicking sound against the plate. The handmaid stirred and then sat up with a jolt.
"It's okay. Thank you for the meal and..." she looked down at her nightgown.
"My Empress, I thought it best that you rest and not be disturbed."
Nykostra managed a weak smile. The girl got up and came to remove the plate. Nykostra stopped her with a hand on her arm.
"Velore. Will you stay here with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."
The girl nodded and waited for her arm to be freed before letting go of the plate. She was unsure what the Empress wanted from her and she stood there silently waiting for instructions.
"You can join me on this bed, it's big enough," Nykostra said. There was nothing flirtatious in her tone or her intent. Her eye lids were heavy as she fell back onto her pillow.
Velore went around the bed and nervously slid on top of the covers. Nykostra had already drifted back to sleep by the time the handmaid had rested her head on a pillow.
***
Lord Kasaga paced back and forth in his room at the Imperial castle. The Empress had refused to talk to him after her ordeal in the Soothsayer's den. She had commanded him to seal all entrances to the den from the castle. His men were still engaged in finding all the secret ways in and around the castle and then closing them off with stone walls.
Kastra leaders were pressing him to get her to agree to another contest. The Empire could not continue without an heir. But she had refused to even talk to him about the possibility. She had kept herself locked in her room for nearly a month and rebuffed all heads of state.
Kasaga needed to return to the front. The war with the Alliance demanded his attention. He could afford no more time away from his fleet.
His second in command, Captain Verrad was with him, watching him pace back and forth relentlessly. The man said nothing until he was addressed.
"Verrad, I'm returning to the front lines. You will stay with the Empress and ensure she is protected. Try and convince her to find a mate. All of the Kastras have offered to send new challengers. It's very important that she produce an heir soon. People are loosing their confidence in her and if that happens, we could see another attempt on her life."
Verrad nodded.
"I'm leaving tomorrow."
"Understood, sire."
Kasaga studied his second in command for a moment. He was tall, handsome and in perfect military shape. A rising star in the fleet with a promising future. It will be a shame to lose him to a petty home world assignment. But sometimes the career warrior did what had to be done.
"I know that this is not a glamorous assignment, but sometimes we have to make sacrifices for the Empire. Consider this sacrifice critical for your career."
Verrad bowed his head and crossed his chest with his right arm. "I accept it with honor, sire."
Kasaga returned the salute.
***
Nykostra sat in her warm bath and stared at the tablet resting across from her. It showed the smiling face of Ketar. She missed him so much it hurt. She missed their silly chats before they had met, she missed the smell of him when they hugged and most of all she missed his company. It was so lonely in the giant castle without him.
A single tear fell down her pale blue cheek and dropped into the water never to be seen again.
Velore entered the room with a clean towel.
"My Empress, it is time to get out of the bath."
Nykostra raised her hands out of the water and rubbed her face with wrinkled fingers. Rising up she stepped out onto the heated floor panels and waited for Velore to wipe her off. Then the handmaid slipped the white nightgown over Nykostra's head. The Empress stood before a mirror and stared blankly at herself.
"Do you think I'm pretty, Velore?"
Velore was using the wet towel to dry the floor near the bath. She stood up behind the Empress and cautiously stared at her image in the mirror.
"Yes, my Empress."
"Are you just
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