War (The True Reign Series) (15 page)

Emperor Hamen
turned to go.

“Unc
le,” Darmik said, just as the emperor reached the door. “Why isn’t me telling you that this girl is going to be my future wife not enough of a reason to spare her life? Do you think so little of me?”

“
No,” the emperor said, turning around to face Darmik. “But let me ask you this, do you think so little of me? Do you actually think I would sit back and allow
you
to marry her? Surely, you know what I do to anyone who poses a threat or challenges my authority. So don’t stand there and disrespect me by claiming something so trivial as love. This has nothing to do with love—and everything to do with power.”

Did the emperor think Darmik only cared for Rema because of her lineage? Did he fear
he would try and overthrow him?

“I just want to take
my fiancée and return to Greenwood Island, where we can be married and live in peace.”

At the door,
Emperor Hamen said loud enough for Darmik to hear, “You’re not as good of a liar as you think.” Their eyes met for a brief moment. “Let’s not forget, I personally oversaw your training when you were here. I know everything about you.” And with that, he turned and left.

Rema

Rema sat on the cold, stone ground with the burlap bag over her head and her hands tied before her.
After what felt like hours, she heard a man say, “Emperor Hamen is ready for the prisoner.”

The rope
attached to her bindings tugged her forward, and she scrambled to her feet. Rema was taken through various twists and turns. Not being able to see anything only added to the panic swelling within her. Someone squeezed her elbow, bringing her to a stop.

“
Your Majesty,” a man said, his voice echoing. “Captain Nathenek of the Elimination Squad, and his prisoner.”

Someone
pulled her forward. It sounded like two heavy doors closed behind her. “Your Majesty,” Nathenek said. It felt like he knelt beside her.

“
Rise,” a dignified voice commanded.

“
May I present to you Amer of Greenwood Island,” Nathenek said.

“
I’d like to see the face of the girl who’s been causing so much trouble.”

Nathenek fumble
d with the rope around her neck, and the burlap bag was pulled off in one swift motion. Rema squinted against the bright light, blinking several times as she took in the sight before her.

A handsome man in his early fifties stood
in front of her with a look of curiosity on his face. He wore simple black pants and a tunic. Rema would never have known he was the emperor were it not for the emerald crown atop his head.

Rema scanned the ornately decorated room.
Gaudy gold covered the walls along with pictures of the emperor, his wife, and daughter. One of the portraits must have been painted recently because the emperor looked as he did in person. His wife stood next to him. She had beautiful chestnut hair, fair skin, and appeared to be of similar age as the emperor. Between them sat a girl of about fifteen years. Her skin was unusually white, and her eyes were sunken, giving her a sickly look. Peeling her eyes away from the picture, Rema saw large windows situated behind the emperor, the dull gray of the early morning light allowing her to see the lush green gardens outside, a stark contrast to what she’d observed of the city.

The emperor tilted his head to
the side, and his eyes narrowed, assessing her. Rema tried to decide the best course of action. Play dumb and innocent? Or claim her birthright? She quickly glanced over at Nathenek, trying to ascertain the situation. His chin pointed toward the ground, meek and obedient.

She focused back on Emperor Hamen. He had
thick, black hair, chocolate-brown eyes, and a jawline that distinctly reminded her of Darmik. She knew the emperor was Darmik’s uncle, but the similarities between them were uncanny.

She cleared her throat
and raised her chin in the air. “I am Queen Amer Rema of Greenwood Island.”

“
Excuse me?” Emperor Hamen asked.

“
My name is Queen Amer, and you will address me as such.”

He
laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the room. “I’ve heard a lot about you,” he said, clapping his hands together. “You are a piece of work.”

H
e moved to a chair and sat down, crossing his legs. “The question is what to do with you,” he mused, tapping his fingers on the armrests.

“
Let me return to my island. I will keep trade open with you. We can peacefully co-exist.”

Emperor Hamen chuckled.
“You’re delusional. When I said,
what to do with you
, I simply meant do I have Nathenek kill you now? Or do I have you beheaded in front of the city for all to see?”

Rem
a suspected he would do the opposite of whatever she wanted. “I’ve been sentenced to a public execution before. It didn’t go so well. I suggest you kill me now, so you don’t regret it.”

The sound of steel rang through the air as Nathene
k unsheathed his sword, making Rema jump. She tried to appear calm, even though her body shook uncontrollably. She stared at Emperor Hamen, daring him to order her death.

He shook his head.
“You’re disgusting. Just look at your blonde hair and blue eyes. You look like a filthy commoner.” He stood and came before her. He had the same height and build as Darmik, and it unnerved her. “Are you positive you’ve captured the correct person?” he questioned Nathenek.

“
I am,” the assassin said. “Not only is she the only one on Greenwood Island with that hair and eye color, but she bears the royal mark you spoke of.”

How did Nathenek know of her tattoo? Did he check for it when he drugged her and brought her down the mountain?

“Show me,” the emperor demanded.

Rema shrank back, away from him.

Nathenek sheathed his sword. Taking a hasty step toward her, he squeezed the back of her neck, causing a shooting pain to radiate down her spine. With his free hand, he tugged the neckline of her tunic off her shoulder, exposing her one inch wide, circular mark. It was pale, almost a soft gray, with delicate lines of red interwoven into a complex symbol, looking like a unique piece of jewelry.

The emperor leaned in.
“It’s true,” he whispered in disbelief. “Tell me, how did Barjon miss this one?”

The assassin
released her, and she quickly covered herself. “After the entire royal family was disposed of,” Nathenek said, standing tall before the emperor, “King Barjon gathered his proof. He collected the head and tattoo of each individual. At that time, he discovered that Princess Amer, who was only a few months old, didn’t bear a royal mark. Barjon mistakenly assumed the island didn’t tattoo their children until age one. Trell, whom I’m sure you remember as your previous chief battle strategist and King Barjon’s father-in-law, tried to tell him that wasn’t the case. Barjon refused to listen. Trell has been hiding in exile ever since.”

Rema was stunned. Trell was Darmik
’s grandfather? Neither Trell nor Darmik had hinted at any sort of relationship with one another.

Emperor Hamen crossed his arms.
“I don’t suppose you managed to locate Trell while you were at Greenwood Island?”

“
I found him near her.” Nathenek jerked his chin in Rema’s direction. She kept her mouth shut, curious to hear what the assassin had to say. “Trell discovered Rema’s true identity and was about to kill her.”

“
What?” Rema asked, shocked. The old man had seemed so sincere when he said he wanted to join her cause and place her on the throne. He only did that to get close to her? In order to murder her?

“
Where’s Trell now?” the emperor asked.

“
Here,” Nathenek said. “I brought him with me.”

“
Excellent work, as always.” Emperor Hamen went to the window, gazing outside. “Very well, she’ll be publicly beheaded.”

“
Yes, Your Majesty,” Nathenek said. “Next week with the others?”

“
No,” Emperor Hamen said, “today. We’ll hold a special execution. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have duties to attend to.” He turned and left.

“
He’s not what I expected,” Rema said. She had assumed the emperor would be volatile like King Barjon.

Nathenek shook his head.
“That’s why he’s so frightening. He is always calm and in control, but lethal and unforgiving at the same time. He’s not someone you ever cross and expect to live.” Nathenek turned to leave. “Let’s go.”

Rem
a started to follow him when she saw the handles on the golden doors were in the shape of keys. She froze, studying them in greater detail. They were the exact shape and had the same features as her key necklace.

“
Rema,” Nathenek said, recapturing her attention. She felt an overwhelming sense that she belonged here. Her key necklace was more than a family heirloom passed down through the generations—it tied her to this strange land. Never before had she wanted anything to do with Emperion. Now she was beginning to understand it wasn’t simply a choice, but rather a duty to her people. These keys unlocked the secrets of her past, revealing a destiny she’d never imagined.

Emperion was hers.

She hurried from the room. “Are you going to cover my head again?” she asked, wondering where the burlap bag had disappeared to.

“
No,” Nathenek replied. “I’m taking you directly to the Execution Tower, where we keep those who are sentenced to die.” He grabbed the rope, leading her along like an animal. “Hopefully, there will be an empty cell for you,” he mumbled under his breath, barely audible.

Walking down the hallway o
f the palace, Rema became intrigued with the idea that her ancestors had walked down this very corridor. The rounded ceilings were covered with intricate paintings. Rema examined the beautiful artistry above her. Between two black horses was a picture of a key—an exact replica of her necklace. What did the key symbolize in the Emperion culture? There had to be a way to discover its true meaning.

Nathenek jerked the rope,
and Rema flew forward, almost losing her balance. He led her out of the palace to a dirt path that was surrounded by vibrant green grass and lined with rose bushes. The walkway went directly to the wall encircling the grounds. The guards opened a small wooden door and Rema quickly passed through. On the other side of the wall, a bleak, dry landscape covered in sand greeted her. In the distance stood Emperor’s City.

“
I can’t believe the sheer number of buildings,” Rema observed, looking ahead to their destination. “There has to be thousands of people living there.” The idea of so many crowded together, living on top of one another, was astounding. “There’s open land over there.” Rema pointed to the dry, brown hills outside the city wall, behind the palace. “Why don’t people spread out?”

Nathenek chuckled.
“You are young and naïve.”

“
But why is everyone so crammed together?” There was a lot of empty space surrounding the emperor’s palace and the military compound.

“This entire area,” Nathenek pointed to the open land surrounding them,
“used to be covered with buildings as well. When Hamen married Empress Eliza and ascended to the throne, he ordered all structures within one mile of the palace be torn down and removed.”

“
What’s on the other side of the wall surrounding Emperor’s City?” Rema asked, pointing to the area behind the palace.

“
Those hills are used exclusively by the army. Not only is the training facility located there, which houses all cadets and classrooms, but the nearby land allows instructors to run various exercises or officers to run practice drills.”

“
What’s beyond that?”

“
There’s nothing but dry, open land for several miles. Then, eventually, small villages and towns are scattered throughout.”

“
Is all of Emperion so dry and brown?” she asked.