Mark of the Empress | The Empire Saga #2

Chapter Eight

It was a good hour into the train ride before Bria decided she was going to talk. Treyan had resigned himself to a silent ride and had already begun perusing The Complete Manual of Key Construction when she began the conversation without any prompting.

"It started when I was still a Mistress to the Empress. I had access to areas most others were not allowed, and one day I entered one of those areas unannounced and walked in upon something I most likely should not have heard."

Treyan glanced at her from the corner of his eye, marked his place, and closed the large tome, giving her his undivided attention and motioned for her to continue.

"It was soon after the Empress returned from..." She bit her lip.

"Talk freely, Bria. We won't resolve anything if you're stumbling over whether or not you need to tread carefully around me."

"It was after the Empress returned from being held captive by Lord Reylor. A meeting was to be called, and as Mistress it was my duty to ensure everything was prepared for the Empress and her Council. I entered the chambers bringing provisions for those who were going to gather. At first, I didn't think anyone was there, so I laid down the tray and was about to leave, when I noticed one of the side doors was ajar. I went to shut it, and that's when I heard him talking."

"Who?"

Bria bit her lip and looked around, as though afraid to say the name out loud.

"Who, Bria?" Treyan was losing his patience.

"The Councillor, my Prince," she finally whispered.

Treyan was not amused. "Bria, I have no time for your conspiracy theories. Of course you heard the Councillor talking—they were most likely his quarters. I think you've been hanging around my brother too much, always thinking someone is out to get you." He was ready to give up the conversation and return to his book, but Bria placed a hand on his arm to regain his attention.

"It was what the Councillor was saying that caused my apprehension." She realized that her hand was still on him, and awkwardly removed it. Treyan was neither bothered nor amused.

Instead he was skeptical of anything that escaped Bria's lips. "And what did he say, Bria, that made you so uneasy that it took you this long to inform us?"

She visibly swallowed before responding. "From the conversation, it sounded as though he was more than aware of what happened to the Empress while she was within the Borderlands, and whomever he was speaking to, it seemed as though he was instructing the Councillor as to the next phase of some plan."

Now it was Treyan's turn to bite the inside of his cheek as he stared at her. "Did he happen to mention what this plan entailed?"

Bria shook her head. "He did not, my Pr—Treyan, but he did mention Lord Reylor."

Treyan perked his brow, afraid she was going to again censor her story at the mention of his brother, but thankfully she refrained.

"He mentioned that he wished he could have applauded Lord Reylor personally for the curse he cast upon the Empress, but was certain his consort would do as much for him." The look in Treyan's eyes darkened as the words sunk in. The idea that the Councillor condoned Alex's abduction was implausible. To have Bria suggest that it was the Councillor, his lifelong mentor, to speak in such a way about his wife was almost more than he could handle.

The train car suddenly felt very small, and he had to close his eyes and breathe through his nose before he attempted to claw the nearby window open, just for some fresh air. Bria, on the other hand, seemed to understand his reaction, for she quickly continued with the rest of her story. "I heard nothing else after that. Another Mistress came into the chambers with more food, and I excused myself quickly in hopes that the Councillor hadn't known I was there."