Cerena passed through the door, closely followed by the Captain. She walked slowly, her eyes fixed on the far end of the great audience hall stretching before her. The room was partly in darkness, the braziers casting only a faint light on the throne, which was flanked by two guardian lion statues.

  Seated on the imperial seat was a figure with silver hair. The Emperor, slightly leaning forward, his elbows on his knees and chin on his hands, had his eyes closed, as if deep in thought or resting.

  He seemed calm, and would probably not have looked so imposing had Cerena not known him so well.

  Her heart pounded with each step. When she came within a few meters of him, a burning pain in her chest nearly took her breath away. She struggled with all her strength to control her trembling and maintain her composure.

  At last, the two visitors stopped and waited silently for their host to speak. After a moment, he finally opened his eyes, locking eyes with Cerena in the same impassive way she could never forget.

  She shivered again, but refused to look away, her gaze nonetheless heavy with anxiety.

  The Captain, who had followed her so far, stepped forward, came to her side, and dropped to one knee.

  “Your Majesty, I have the honor to report that I have fulfilled my mission.”

  In response, the Emperor gestured with his hand and rose.

  “Well met. We shall speak of it anon. Be gone now.”

  The man rose in turn, bowed deeply, turned on his heel, and left the room through the door he had entered, without a glance back.

  ???

  Cerena and the Emperor now faced each other alone in the throne room. In seven years, he had not changed at all.

  As she waited for him to speak, he studied her carefully, as one might a beast at a market. After a long moment, he smiled and finally spoke:

  If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

  “Welcome again to my palace. Thy time beyond its walls seems to have done thee much good.”

  She said nothing, her gaze fixed beyond him, as if he did not exist.

  “How fares my son? Hath he made progress? I had hoped to behold him once more.”

  At the mention of Owen, she turned her eyes toward him, overwhelmed by anger. She narrowed them, ready to speak, but held back, knowing all too well the danger of a single misstep.

  He had not missed the look she had given him, yet his smile remained unchanged. His provocation had not been wasted.

  They held each other’s gaze for long minutes, each waiting for the other to falter or give way. Sweat ran down the back of Cerena’s neck, and the pain in her chest did not lessen.

  Finally, the Emperor sighed, easing the tension slightly.

  “Thy journey must have been arduous. I shall visit thee anon. Rest thee well.”

  He turned and called a guard, who signaled for her to follow. The Emperor left the hall before her, as if nothing had happened.

  Cerena could scarcely believe it. She didn’t understand. She had expected something entirely different… yet nothing of the sort had occurred. It was as if her body and mind had prepared for the worst… for nothing.

  She set that thought aside. This meant nothing; it wasn’t over. Anything could still happen.

  She followed the guard, her heartbeat slowing slightly, as he guided her through several corridors to the upper floor. She remembered passing this way on her first visit… after which she had been condemned to two years of suffering and isolation.

  But unlike that time, she paid no attention to the closed doors she passed. She felt no curiosity, no desire to know what lay behind them.

  Deep down, perhaps she wasn’t the only one confined within these walls. Perhaps he had never truly needed her; she was only a pawn among many…

  Strange thoughts drifted through her mind, guiding her tirelessly, without complaint, toward the place she imagined as a gilded cage.

  When the guard stopped and opened one of the doors, a familiar scent of incense drifted out. She entered slowly, her face set, her head held high, fearing she might never leave alive.

  Cerena looked around the room. Despite its warm appearance, a shiver ran through her. It was exactly as she remembered. Just like the Emperor, nothing had changed: within these walls, time seemed frozen.

  She had returned to the very place where it had all begun.