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Ariadne felt like she would never be allowed to leave the council that night due to last minute preparations. How was she supposed to get enough rest before her wedding if her advisors kept trying to remind her about tradition and the etiquette she had been studying for the last month straight?
“Remember, Your Majesty, you and the Sovereign will be expected to do an official toast before the wedding banquet starts…”
“You remember all the steps to the ceremonial dance, Your Majesty?”
“The trade routes will have to be updated as soon as possible after the official union with Khaosi, Your Majesty, to avoid any issues…”
Ariadne rubbed her head as she was finally allowed to get up from the council table to head back to her chambers.
“Your Majesty.”
She nearly snapped at the man as he appeared at her shoulder, but quickly schooled her expression.
“Councilor Corin, is there another matter you need me to address?”
He inclined his head and got right to business as usual. “I’d like you to re-consider the proposal you rejected last week, Your Majesty.”
Ariadne flattened her lips. “Councilor, I will not restrict Khaosi’s trade to only Alore and planets directly under my reign. That would be short sighted.”
“But, Your Majesty, surely you see where the issue could lie when their biggest export is weapons and other raw materials that could—”
“My decision stands,” she said firmly and began to walk out.
He hurried to catch up and Ariadne nearly called for the guards before he pulled up his tablet and thrust it toward her. “Please, Your Majesty, I hope you will look at this before you make a final decesion. One of our correspondents on Khaosi discovered this shipment log from the port.”
She snatched it away from him to look at with a frown. “When was this?”
He seemed too pleased for her liking. “Just yesterday, Your Majesty. Odd that a shipment of Erythrostone weapons would be going to the place we so recently quelled a rebellion, don’t you think?”
“Speak plain, Councilor,” she snapped. “I don’t have time for anything else.”
He gave a smug look. “It’s possible that some of Zynlai and Rogray’s rebels are still hiding out there, waiting for an opportunity to strike when the Empire is busy with your marital celebrations, Your Majesty.”
“I find that highly unlikely considering they have no leader. What little trouble they make could be quelled easily. I will ask Sylus to send a few of his ships to see it done.”
“I would highly advise against that, Your Majesty. Do you not think it possible that the Sovereign himself could be behind the rebellion?”
Ariadne scoffed. “I have every trust in Sylus, Councilor, and if you would like to avoid a sentence of treason, I would cease these speculations now before he is officially my husband.”
The councilor’s face tightened but he forced a smile. “Of course, Your Majesty. Yet it is my job to make sure all is well, yes? Of course, I don’t actually suspect your fiancé of nefarious dealings, it is only that Khaosi—”
“Khaosi will be part of the Empire by tomorrow night,” Ariadne reminded him. “I hope that will help you sleep better, Councilor.”
She turned away, marching toward her chambers in dismissal.
Her ladies-in-waiting helped her dress for bed, drawing a bath before leaving for the night.
Ariadne sighed heavily as she sank into the hot water, secretly missing Sylus. They had seen little of each other the past few days, both pulled in different directions for wedding preparation. She was grateful they would be leaving on a honeymoon disguised as a trip around the galaxy where they would appear before the people of the Empire and announce their marriage and the alliance between the Empire and Khaosi. Despite the appearances, Ariadne had hand-picked her attendants and knew she and Sylus would be bothered little outside of the planned engagements.
As the water cooled, she exited the bath and wrapped herself in a silk robe, feeling the weariness of the last few weeks pull at her.
As Ariadne stepped into her bedchamber, a shadow behind her dressing screen had her instantly on alert. She reached for the gun that was not at her hip, but a chuckle and shift in the shadows put her instantly at ease.
“Is that any way to greet your fiancé on the night before your wedding? It’s a good thing you didn’t have a weapon—you could have made yourself a window before you were even wed.”
She scoffed and crossed to the table where the maids had set out some tea and snacks before they left. “As if that would be enough to kill you.”
Sylus pretended to give a contemplating look, humming in amusement. “If anyone could achieve it, it would be you, Your Majesty.”
He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close. Ariadne couldn’t help but bask in his warmth just a little.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered, kissing her jaw. “Our duties have kept us apart these last few days.”
“We will be wed tomorrow and I’m sure we will grow weary of each other soon enough,” she teased, but couldn’t deny that his presence was a steady comfort, quelling all the stress that had been building up over the last few days.
“Perhaps we should take the time to enjoy each other’s company before that happens then?” he murmured suggestively.
Ariadne wanted to give into his wiles, but she pushed him away instead, sitting down in her chair. “You’re being very bold, coming to my chambers the night before my wedding and suggesting such scandalous things.”
“Playing coy now? After all that we’ve already shared together in this very bed?” He chuckled as she reddened.
“My ladies-in-waiting will be here first thing in the morning. If they see you it really will cause a scandal. Everyone will say you seduced me into marrying you to take over my Empire and the next week the gossip threads will say I’m confined and with child.”
He laughed. “A ridiculous notion indeed, but I am well aware of the way gossip eats away at polite society.” He took her hand to press a chaste kiss to her knuckles. “I’ll leave you if you truly wish it, Your Majesty. After all, it will make our union tomorrow all the more sweet. I can wait to lavish my devoted attentions on my new bride for our wedding night when I am even more ravenous from longing.”
The heat spread to her belly but Sylus caught her attention again by producing an ornate box from the table behind him.
“If you will not let me stay, then at least accept my wedding gift.”
“I suppose in recompense, I will allow an early wedding gift.”
Ariadne took it into her lap and opened the box. Inside was an elegant pistol, dark, polished iron with gold accents, the glow of Erythrostone in its chamber. It was even finer than the one he had given her previously, obviously custom made; the barrel and handle were carved with floral designs so delicate, Ariadne couldn’t help but run a finger over them in awe.
In addition to the gun, there was a custom thigh holster—sleek, unobtrusive; the implication was clear.
“You think there will be trouble,” she stated.
Sylus chuckled, leaning over slightly to wrap his fingers around where her hand rested on the gun, thumb brushing across her skin. “I think a firearm would better suit you as adornment for your wedding day than any jewelry I could have picked out. But yes, I wish you to keep it close.”
She felt her heart beat a little faster, as it always did when Sylus truly understood her in all her intricacies. Ariadne grabbed him by the collar, intending to pull him in for a real kiss, but Sylus pulled back with a teasing smirk.
“I think not, Your Majesty. You should save our next kiss for the ceremony.”
“Sylus!”
“Goodnight, my dear Empress,” he whispered as he left the room as quickly as he had come in.
Ariadne huffed and slumped back into her chair. She took up the gun again before she got up and went to bed, slipping it under her pillow as she settled in. Despite the turmoil and stress, she fell asleep quickly, completely exhausted. She truly hoped everything would go smoothly tomorrow and there would be no potential rebels causing trouble.
~~~~~~~
Sylus returned to his own chambers, pointedly placed as far from the Empress as possible. He hadn’t been unaware of this fact when they had first shown him to his rooms. Despite their approaching marriage, it was obvious he was still unwelcome within the Empire.
That was made even more apparent when he entered to a pitch-black room, none of the servants having so much as bothered to turn lights on for his return.
He snorted, reaching for the nearest lamp before he stopped.
There was a subtle shift, but it was enough to alert him of a presence—several presences, in fact.
Sylus moved by instinct, grabbing the wrist of the shadow that made to stab him and breaking it, throwing the man to the ground with a grunt. The next one slid from under the bed, trying to hobble him, but he dodged and kicked the knife from the man’s hand before slamming his boot into his head.
The third wrapped something around his throat from behind and Sylus wasn’t quite quick enough to stop it, only getting two fingers between the wire and his throat. He felt it bite into his flesh, grunting as he finally pulled his gun.
Before he could fire, something slammed into his chest and an explosive numbing pain overcame his entire body. Every muscle locked up as electricity flowed through him and he collapsed.
When it finally subsided he gasped for breath, tasting copper on his tongue. A bag was shoved over his head and in his weakened state, his wrists and ankles were locked with high-tech manacles. He could see the red glow through the bag and swore under his breath. These were Khaosi made.
He struggled and a boot slammed into his head, sending pain spiking through him again.
“Do it, we don’t want any trouble,” a muffled voice said, sounding somewhat familiar to Sylus.
But before he could place it, something pierced his neck, injecting a hot liquid into his body and he felt consciousness fleeing him. He continued to struggle as hands grabbed him and lifted him up to drag away, but the blackness was coming before he knew it and with a final growl, he was forced to submit to it.
~~~~~~~
Ariadne was woken before dawn by the maids who fussed even more than usual, bathing her in perfumed water, fixing her hair in an elaborate up-do that would compliment the ceremonial crown she would be wearing that day. Then they laced her into the dress, fixing the long, flowing sleeves and train, making sure none of the diamonds sewn in had come loose.
Ariadne endured, staring at the glowing red stone ring sitting on her vanity. Her head lady-in-waiting presented it to her last and Ariadne slipped it onto her finger. Sylus would be giving her a wedding band during the ceremony and she wondered what it looked like. Regardless, his engagement gift still held a certain sentimentality.
“You look beautiful, Your Majesty,” her lady-in-waiting said, near tears. “Does it truly please you to marry the Khaosi Sovereign?”
Ariadne frowned at the woman’s forwardness. “It matters little to you what pleases me.”
The maid seemed to take that as nervousness and fussed over the crown in Ariadne’s hair again. “It is a powerful match, Your Majesty. I am sure you and the Sovereign will learn to love each other.”
The irony of that nearly had Ariadne curling her lips, but playing the distressed bride was easier. “If I may have a moment.”
The ladies-in-waiting left quickly, heads bowed, whispering things to each other as they made their retreat.
“Poor Empress, being married to such a man.”
“I bet he is a brute in the bedchamber…”
“He must be positively loutish. At least he is pleasing to the eye, but still…”
Ariadne shook her head at the ridiculous women and stood, crossing to her bedchamber to retrieve Sylus’s gift.
She slid the holster on under her long skirts and fixed the gun in place. It brought an instant feeling of security and steadied her.
She could not shake the feeling that something was off. She had woken up with a headache that had persisted stubbornly, and even now, she felt that there was something brewing in her court.
She pulled out her communication device and sent a message to Sylus:
Be cautious. I can’t help but feel there is something going on under my nose.
He didn’t reply, which was odd. Usually even when he was back in Khaosi, he would reply to her messages within minutes.
Are you also being primped into a beautiful bridegroom then?
The joke still didn’t get an answer. Ariadne frowned and tried to call him but it instantly disconnected.
She sighed, but the knot of anxiety didn’t leave her stomach. Sylus was probably just tied up in preparation. She would see him soon enough at the ceremony.
She had nothing better to do than kick around, waiting for her ladies-in-waiting to escort her to the royal hall.
Before long she became aware of a restlessness in the palace. Whispers hissed out in the hallway as feet made their way quickly back and forth. She did not like that at all and decided to step out of her chambers, catching her secretary and one of the other palace staff speaking in hushed tones. They stopped and bowed their heads as soon as they saw Ariadne.
“Is there a problem?” Ariadne asked.
“Your Majesty,” the secretary said hesitantly, hands fisting in her skirts. “Nothing serious, it’s only…”
“Spit it out,” Ariadne commanded impatiently.
The woman took a deep breath. “Your Majesty, the Sovereign…he seems to be missing.”
Ariadne frowned. “What do you mean ‘missing’?”
“He is not in his room or seemingly anywhere in the palace, Your Majesty,” the lady-in-waiting chimed in. “In fact, his room seems to be empty as if he left in the night.”
Blood began to pound in Ariadne’s ears. Her first response was fury. Had Sylus truly played her after all? Despite their truce after his rescue and their undeniable connection?
But once she shoved those cynical thoughts aside a more worrying coldness settled in her gut at the thought of his insistence on giving her a very specific wedding gift the night before. Her hand went down to rest on the gun underneath her skirts as a nagging suspicion ate at her.
Footsteps heralded the arrival of Councilor Corin—the last person Ariadne wanted to see right now.
“Your Majesty, I heard about Lord Sylus. I did warn you last night that the Sovereign of Khaosi might have ulterior dealings.”
“And if he did, why would he leave before our marriage?” Ariadne snapped. “After all, if he refuses our alliance, he can lay no claim to the Empire’s resources.”
The man’s face tightened. “If he thought he would be discovered, he might have made a tactical retreat.”
The secretary got a call on her comm and spoke quietly before she turned back to me. “Your Majesty…Lord Sylus’s private ship is still in the hanger. He must still be nearby.”
But Ariadne wasn’t so sure. She only knew that she would not be standing by and letting her people look for someone with Sylus’s slyness.
“Postpone the ceremony,” she snapped. “I will look for him myself.”
“Your Majesty, that is highly inappropriate,” Councilor Corin protested. “Let us handle this, I beg you.”
She spun on her heel, ignoring him and making her way back to her chambers as she motioned for her lady-in-waiting. “Come. Help me out of this ridiculous dress.”
Twenty minutes later, Ariadne was down in her council room with most of her advisors and a very nonplussed strategist who she knew to be of a similar opinion to Councilor Corin.
The Councilor himself seemed to be absent.
“I want everyone to scour all the palace cameras to see if they can catch the Sovereign’s coming and going. If he’s left the palace I want to know now. I want all flight logs out of the hanger, not just Khaosi ships.”
Everyone was jumping to, as her strategist came over to her with a stern expression on her face. “Your Majesty, I fear you should be assembling your soldiers for potential attack. Lord Sylus could only have nefarious intentions—”
“We have no reason to assume that,” Ariadne cut in. “I want him located first, and if we need to prepare for attack once we discover what is going on then so be it.”
It was only then that Councilor Corin entered the room, a look of shock on his face. “Your Majesty, there is an incoming transmission for you!”
Ariadne frowned but pushed her annoyance aside. “Let it go through.”
Corin snapped at one of the techs who tapped some buttons on the holo screen in the center of the room and the live video transmission appeared, showing a man in a mask that looked like a style that would be seen on Khaosi.
“Empress Ariadne, I’m pleased you agreed to give me audience.”
“Who are you?” she demanded.
“I’m nothing but a spokesperson,” the masked man said rather smugly. “Who I am is not important, what I represent is. And that is freedom from the Empire. We are simply carrying on where our former leader—gods rest his soul—Rogray left off.”
Ariadne grit her teeth. “What do you want?”
“A deal,” the man said firmly. “We want access to trade routes and mining rights on Khaosi.”
A familiar scoff was heard in the background of the video followed by a grunt and Ariadne’s blood turned to ice. It couldn’t be…
“What are you asking for in return for these demands?” Councilor Corin stepped forward before she could speak.
“It’s simple,” the man said with a shrug. “Hand them over, or the Empress never sees her fiancé again.”
Ariadne’s stomach plummeted as her fear came to fruition. The man stepped away from the camera to show the scene behind him.
Sylus was hanging, suspended by his wrists, blindfolded and gagged. His normal heavy leather coat had been torn open, exposing a plethora of bruises and wounds on his exposed skin.
The room gasped at the sight, most of the advisors growing pale. The strategist got a resigned look on her face as she swore under her breath.
“Well, Your Majesty?” the masked man asked. “Will you agree to our deal?”
“This is no deal,” Ariadne said through gritted teeth. “Who are you working for?!”
The man chuckled darkly. “I see that you don’t seem to be taking this seriously.”
He motioned to another man behind him who flipped a switch on a board.
Electricity shot from the cuffs around Sylus’s wrists. His body seized, an aborted cry torn from his lips as the current ravaged his strong figure.
Fury and horror clashed inside Ariadne, her hands clenching so hard that her fingernails bit into her palms. It seemed an eternity before the current cut out and Sylus slumped, chest heaving, dangling painfully in the restraints.
“Was that enough to convince you, Your Majesty?”
The Strategist stepped forward. “Your Majesty, let us handle this negotiation, it will be for the—”
“And let you get my fiancé killed?” Ariadne snapped. “No, I will handle this myself.” She turned back to the camera. “What do you want for him?”
The masked man chuckled. “You misunderstand, Your Majesty. The Sovereign needs to make the first move. Once he signs over the mining rights on Khaosi, we will ask you to kindly provide the maps and permissions to the trade routes. If he continues to refuse, we will kill him and send our fleet to the palace. If he agrees, we will release him to you once further negotiations are handled.”
Sylus yanked at the restraints only to be shocked again. Ariadne bit the inside of her cheek to bleeding to school her expression.
“We’ll be back with an update soon, Your Majesty.”
Before Ariadne could speak, the transmission cut off.
Everyone was silent. Ariadne took a deep breath before she snapped out: “Find out where that transmission came from—I want the fleet there. These two-bit rebels will pay for taking him.”
“Your Majesty, please allow me to make a suggestion,” the strategist said.
“If it has anything to do with letting Sylus die, I don’t want to hear it,” Ariadne said firmly. “We cannot afford to be at war with Khaosi because we let the Sovereign be kidnapped the night before a very important political alliance from my own palace. Surely you would understand what that looks like.”
The strategist shut her mouth, unable to deny that. Ariadne waved her hand. “Go do your job and find me a solution that won’t end in war.”
As everyone dispersed, a young analyst approached her, timidly bowing his head. “Y-Your Majesty?”
“Yes? Do you have news?”
He hesitated.
“Speak freely.”
He took a deep breath. “There are no records of outside ships coming into port within the last twenty-four hours that are not from wedding guests, Your Majesty. In fact, due to the added security, it would be nearly impossible to orchestrate a kidnapping from the palace without…inside help.”
Ariadne realized as he said it that she had been thinking the same thing. And Sylus might have suspected something of that nature sooner, considering his caution the night before. Unfortunately, it seemed he hadn’t assumed himself to be the target.
“That is good insight. What is your name?”
“Geoffrey, Your Majesty.”
“Then Geoffrey, please continue looking into the matter and report to me directly—only to me, do you understand?”
He nodded firmly. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Good.”
She left the council room, planning to start her own investigation, when she heard some kerfuffle behind her.
“Without an invitation to the palace, you will not be allowed in—hey!”
“Your Majesty!”
Ariadne spun around to see two nearly identical figures pushing past a guard, waving frantically to her.
“Your Majesty, please, we must speak with you!”
She instantly took in the Khaosi fashion they were wearing and the distinctive helmets and recognized them. “You work directly for Sylus, don’t you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” one said in relief as the other picked up right after.
“We need to speak with you in private.”
She nodded and waved the guard off as she led them into a private study.
As she closed the door, the two bowed.
“Luke and Kieran, Your Majesty.”
“The Sovereign’s most trusted.”
Ariadne nodded. “I’ve seen you two around, so I’ll take you at your word. What did you need to speak with me about?”
“We may be able to track him down,” Luke said, producing a tablet and tapping it.”
Ariadne frowned. “How?”
“You added a tracker to the ring you gave him.”
Kieran’s matter-of-fact tone had her freezing in embarrassment. She had honestly almost forgotten that she had done that, having wanted to keep track of Sylus’s movements early on in their engagement for obvious reasons.
“Of course he discovered that,” she muttered. “Why didn’t he get rid of it?”
The twins gave each other a slightly amused look. “The Sovereign doesn’t care a lot about being secretive, Your Majesty. He wasn’t bothered by it.”
Ariadne huffed, but her annoyance quickly went away at the memory of seeing Sylus being tortured by the rebels.
“Then find him.”
The two nodded and set to work, tapping at the tablet. As the beep indicating a result sounded, the two looked slightly surprised.
“What is it?”
“Your Majesty…it seems he hasn’t left the planet. According to this, he’s in a neighboring city.”
Ariadne took the tablet to look for herself. As she saw the location, a bad feeling began to form in her stomach.
She instantly called the analyst Geoffrey on her comm.
“Your Majesty? Can I help you?” his surprised voice came over the line.
“I want records on the ships in our hanger that have come from Crown City within the last day.”
She could hear the tapping of buttons. “Yes, of course…um…it’s looks like there has only been one that came in early this morning, Your Majesty, and…it’s registered to Councilor Corin.”
Ariadne swore under her breath.
“There’s also record of the same ship leaving the hanger a few hours before that.”
“In the middle of the night?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Thank you.”
She ended the call and turned to Luke and Kieran. “Sylus’s ship is still here, correct?”
“Yes, Your Majesty! His crew too.”
“Then ready it. We’ll be leaving shortly.”
The twins nodded, bowed, and hurried out as Ariadne stormed back into the main hall where most of her court was gathered, awaiting further news. She turned to her captain of the guard.
“Find Councilor Corin and have him detained,” she said firmly.
The man nodded and hurried off before the strategist rushed over. “Your Majesty, I beg you not to make rash decisions—Crown City is very important to our local economy, if we accrue ill favor—”
“I’m much more worried about our favor with Khaosi if my husband-to-be is killed,” Ariadne replied sharply.
The strategist shut up but Ariadne could tell she was fuming. She would likely be replaced when this was all over.
The captain of the guard returned, shaking his head. “Your Majesty, my men have scoured the palace and the Councilor is nowhere to be found.”
“What do you mean?” Ariadne demanded.
“Your Majesty.”
She looked up to see the analyst hurrying in. He hesitated but she nodded to him.
“Speak.”
He handed over his tablet. “The Councilor just left the capitol.”
Ariadne’s stomach twisted. If he was behind this, would the fact that she had called his bluff mean Sylus was too dangerous to keep alive?
She waved to the captain of the guard. “Gather your best men and come with me. We will go and retrieve the Sovereign ourselves.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The strategist opened her mouth, but Ariadne swept past her. “My fiancé’s ship is ready to go. We will be joining his crew.”
Fifteen minutes later, Ariadne joined her captain of the guard and Luke and Kieran in Sylus’s private room on the ship as the crew saw it on its way to Crown City.
“We were able to pinpoint the exact location where the Sovereign is being kept,” Luke said, pointing to the screen in front of them.
The captain nodded, pulling up the map. “It seems to be just outside the city limits, Your Majesty. Does the Councilor own an estate there?”
A brief memory flashed through Ariadne’s mind as she remembered Corin talking about a summer home on various occasions. “Yes, he vacations there in the summer—a family estate he inherited, I believe.”
“If he’s hiding there, I’m sure he has plenty of evidence to convict him of his crimes,” Kieran stated.
“Exactly,” Ariadne replied. “I will make sure his treasonous acts and all the stragglers from Zynlai’s treachery will be erased for good this time.”
She turned to stare out the window as the captain planned the mission with Luke and Kieran. Her thumb rubbed absently against the ring around her finger.
Would this petty act of treason cost Sylus his life? If it did, Ariadne swore that she would burn the galaxy down in retribution.
~~~~~~~
Sylus hung in the manacles, pretending to be unconscious as he listened. It was embarrassing, knowing the Empire’s court had seen him in such a state, and all because of one minor noble who liked to call himself a councilor.
He had thought he’d been thorough in his hunt for Zynlai and Rogrey’s followers, but it seemed the rot had spread further into Ariadne’s court than even he had realized. At least he had been the one to pay the price and not her.
Still, he couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the hell she would rain down on Corin and his fellow conspirators now that she knew. Ariadne did not like people to take her things. Her unapologetic greed was one thing he adored most about her.
Sylus shifted, toes barely scraping the ground, not enough to give his shoulders any relief. They’d roughed him up pretty good, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle. He was more indignant at the audacity a two-bit Councilor had to kidnap him than anything.
Speaking of the two-bit councilor, Sylus could hear his annoying voice before the man rushed into the room.
“My lord, what—?” one of Sylus’s captors started as the door slammed open.
“We need to finish this now. We’re running out of time.”
The blindfold was yanked off of Sylus’s face, and he blinked at the sudden brightness stabbing his eyes. When his vision cleared, he could see the sneering face of Councilor Corin. Sylus gave him a look that pointedly said, ‘what do you want?’
“Choose what’s best for you, Sylus,” the councilor growled. “Sign over the mining rights and there’s no reason to let this go any further.”
Sylus jerked his chin pointedly and Corin huffed and yanked his gag down.
Sylus licked his lips. “What exactly makes you think that I would do anything for a washed-up councilor whose time in the Empress’s court is quickly coming to an end? I know you’re only here now showing yourself to me because she’s found you out. How long do you think it will be before she shows up with an army to take back what you stole?”
Corin’s face blazed with fury. “I refuse to let it end like this! The Empress and Khaosi need to be taught that it’s time for a new régime—a federation, not an empire, and I will be at the head of it!”
Sylus gave a cold laugh. “I hope you enjoy your short-lived reign, then, councilor.”
The man gnashed his teeth, shoving the gag back into Sylus’s mouth before snapping at his subordinate. “Break him—we don’t have time to play around. I want him begging to sign.”
The man gave a sadistic smirk behind his mask and opened a slim box, retrieving a whip from it. He pressed a button to activate the laser over the length of the lash, the red glow cracking dangerously.
Sylus eyed them with disdain, glowering at the man as he approached with the torture implement.
“He’ll be begging soon enough, my lord,” the man said. “The Khaosi Sovereign may be powerful but even he isn’t immune to pain.”
The whip cracked across Sylus’s chest, stealing his breath briefly as the length seared his flesh. The next wrapped around his ribs, cutting into the leather of his coat which barely cushioned the blow.
The next tore across his stomach and he bit back a yelp into the gag. Several more blows had his knees weakening before he could stop them, the pain ripping through him was undeniably intense.
The torturer stepped back as Corin came forward again, grabbing Sylus by the throat and forcing his bowed head up.
“Well? Have you decided to cooperate?”
Sylus dragged his eyes open, breathing heavily, and glowered at the man.
Corin scoffed and pulled away, flipping the switch for the electricity again.
Sylus’s body snapped taut as the current ravaged every nerve. His teeth clenched, biting his tongue to bleeding, unable to breathe.
Corin paused briefly, watching him sag in relief, only to flip it again for longer this time.
Sylus finally slumped, gasping for breathing past the gag, cold sweat mixing with the blood on his body, darkness hovering at the edges of his vision.
“This will only continue, unless you agree to my terms, Sylus,” Corin said. “Even your heart will stop from long exposure to such treatment.”
He grabbed Sylus’s hair, yanking his head upright, nerves screaming.
“You think I’ll leave your precious Empress alone if you refuse? No, I’ll enjoy stringing her up like this too, and if you’re still alive, I’ll make sure you get to watch as I torture her.”
Sylus subconsciously yanked on his manacles, eyes blazing with fury and Corin laughed, reaching for the whip that his lackey handed to him. He pressed it up under Sylus’s chin, the sparks from the laser portion heating the air and crackling warningly against his skin.
“I don’t know what’s more pathetic—looking at you like this, under my mercy, or the fact that you actually care for the upstart bitch.”
He pulled back his arm and swung. The lash cut across Sylus’s chest, the end flicking up against his jaw, leaving a burning mark across his cheek.
As Corin was about to begin striking him again, there was the sound of an explosion from somewhere within the building.
Corin froze, eyes widening in horror and Sylus chuckled.
“Go see what’s going on!” Corin snapped to his hired thugs who rushed out of the room.
They didn’t get far. They didn’t even get through the door before it was blasted off its hinges by Erythrostone weapons. Sylus smirked to himself as he saw the twins leading the charge, and right behind them—
“Corin, you bastard!”
Ariadne strode into the room, the gun Sylus had given her as a wedding present raised pointedly at the councilor, her own guards and Sylus’s crew behind her, closing off any escape.
Corin snarled, backed into a corner with nowhere to go.
“You caught me, Your Majesty—what exactly do you plan to do?”
Sylus saw the deadly look in her eye as her finger tightened on the trigger along with the muscle in her jaw.
“Deal with a traitor.”
~~~~~~~
Ariadne shot at just the moment Corin jumped to the side. The bullet hit him in the shoulder and he howled, reaching for a control panel and slapping a lever.
To Ariadne’s horror, the contraption Sylus was being restrained with began to shock him, forcing his body to arc in agony.
“Turn it off!” she snapped.
Corin couldn’t go anywhere. He was trapped and he knew it. The captain of the guard strode forward and as Corin tried to reach for a gun, the man simply slapped it out of his shaking hand.
Luke and Kieran rushed forward to shut off the machine and the captain turned to Ariadne as she strode toward Corin.
“Shall I detain him for a hearing at the palace, Your Majesty?”
“No. There will be no hearing,” Ariadne said firmly. She pressed the gun to Corin’s sweaty forehead. “Let this be a lesson to anyone who tried to mess with anything that belongs to the Empire. To me.”
The gunshot rang out in the cramped space, blood spraying across the wall and Ariadne’s skirts.
She turned instantly toward Sylus. “Get him down.”
Luke and Kieran were already on it, lowering the chains until Sylus was on his knees before they unlocked the manacles.
Ariadne rushed forward as he slumped, catching him in her arms, feeling his weight against her chest.
“Captain, take the men and make sure there are no more stragglers.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The captain of the guard tactfully called his men to retreat, and only once it was just Ariadne and the twins left in the room, did she dare to hold Sylus closer, letting out a shaky breath of relief.
“Sylus.”
She pushed him back just slightly, enough to remove the gag and look at him, taking his face between her hands, thumb brushing over the cut on his cheek with barely contained fury.
“What exactly are you doing here, Empress?” he asked, words slurring slightly but with clear amusement in his voice.
“I’m here to rescue you,” she replied pointedly.
He huffed a breathy laugh and she surged forward to kiss him.
The twins turned their backs to give them privacy. Sylus sighed into her mouth, body sagging in relief as his arms curled around her, body still trembling from the aftershock. She could taste blood on his tongue and the fury rose inside her again, but that would come later. Right now, she needed to get Sylus medical attention.
And they needed to get back to the palace before this became an intergalactic incident.
“Can you stand?” she asked him softly.
Sylus grunted and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
Luke and Kieran helped get him back to the ship and Ariadne left her guards there to take care of everything as they flew back to the palace.
Once they returned, Sylus was instantly whisked off to the infirmary on her orders, and despite the fact Ariadne wanted to be with him more than anything, she went to her court and explained the situation, still with Corin’s blood on her dress as a statement.
“Once my marriage is finalized,” she finished. “I will be conducting a thorough investigation of the inner workings of the court. No stone will be left unturned, and if there is any hint of treason, rest assured that it will be discovered and dealt with.”
The nobles and advisors shifted awkwardly, looking pale and worried. Ariadne basked in their discomfort.
“Now, I am going to go attend to my fiancé. Tell the people that the wedding will commence as soon as he is recovered enough to attend.”
She strode off to the obvious relief of her court and made her way to the private chamber she had intended to be Sylus’s—a room connected to her own.
The nurses were just cleaning up when she arrived and they hurried out with respectful curtsies as they saw Ariadne enter the room.
Her gaze traveled to the bed where Sylus sat up against the pillows. He was bare from the waist up, bandages covering a good portion of his chest and stomach. He looked annoyed, but his gaze softened as he saw her.
“Has my fiancé finally come to my sickbed?” he asked, pretending indifference.
“I needed to see if you were still alive—I would like to avoid interplanetary war if possible.”
He chuckled and she allowed herself to smile as she hurried to the bed and crawled in beside him.
Sylus pulled her into his arms, resting his chin on the top of her head as he let out a pent up breath.
“A wise choice. Especially with the potential issues within your own court.”
“Whatever issues remain will be taken care of shortly—it will be our first joint decision after our marriage.”
Sylus smirked. “So, the marriage is still on?”
“Of course.” She snuggled up, cheek pressed against his bandaged chest. “If you want to end the engagement so badly you’ll have to do better than get yourself kidnapped. I’ll find you easily enough.”
He pretended a longsuffering sigh. “I suppose I have little choice but to endure. I belong to the Empress now.”
He took her hand in his, threading their fingers together, rings brushing against each other. “You looked beautiful,” he murmured to her. “I like seeing you angry.”
“Even if that anger is directed at you?” she asked, raising a teasing eyebrow.
Sylus chuckled. “Oh, I have ways of…redirecting that anger, as you well know.”
She felt her body heat slightly, but pinched his side in retaliation, causing him to inhale sharply.
“Is that any way to treat an invalid?”
“Behave then, and I won’t have to punish you.” She was already smoothing her hand over the spot though, before wrapping her arm tenderly around him, resting her cheek over his heart, comforted by the steady rhythm. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
He let out a long breath and kissed her head before resting his forehead against hers. “They won’t take us out that easily.”
“No, they will not.”
Ariadne saw his weariness, and adjusted his blankets, helping him lay down more comfortably.
“You should rest. Get back to strength.”
“And you’ll stay here?” he asked with some amusement. “I thought it would invite scandal for the palace to know we spent the night in bed together.”
“I’m not letting you out of my sight again,” Ariadne said firmly, lacing their fingers together again. “Besides, someone has to look after you.”
Sylus chuckled fondly. “So, you’re an Empress, a warlord, and now a nurse? Your Majesty, you are quite multifaceted.”
“You forgot my most important occupation,” she told him, leaning over him on her elbow.
“And what is that?”
She leaned in and kissed him slowly, deliberately. Sylus’s eyes fluttered shut, a soft rumble of contentment in his chest as she pulled away.
“I’m yours,” she whispered against his lips.