Present Day

The former Lord Steward sat in his high-backed chair facing the balcony window that opened out to the castle's best view of what lay beyond the tree line between the Borderlands and the Empire. The suns had begun to set, and he had to admit to himself that this was his favorite time of day. His feet were propped up on the low table before him as he began to enjoy the first glass from his second bottle of wine. Reylor always felt like drinking whenever he remembered Master and the plan he laid out for him- the very same plan that had brought him to his current situation.

He was so distracted contemplating the past that he didn't hear Bria enter until his unexpected presence startled her enough to let out a cry. He glanced at her from where he sat, and noticing that she had an armful of linens, left her to finish her business while his gaze returned to the outside world. She muttered an apology but otherwise said nothing while she worked. She knew better than to disturb him when he was in such a mood. Normally Reylor would have left her to her tasks, but something felt different.

"Bria," he said sternly.

"Y-yes, my Lord?" she hesitantly asked from where she stood behind him.

"Join me." It was no more a demand than a request, but she did not disobey.

Bria slowly approached from the other side, obviously wary at his request, but he motioned for her to sit and began pouring a glass of wine for her before she could refuse.

"Drink," he offered as he held the glass out to her.

"My Lord, I cannot, the young prince..."

"...is asleep for the night," he finished, for he was aware of his son's sleeping habits. "Now drink."

Bria lowered her eyes but nodded, saying nothing else as she took the glass from his hand and brought it to her lips. Reylor watched to confirm she would follow through, and once he was certain she would not refuse, returned to his own libation.

The pair sat in silence for a few moments, Reylor returning to his thoughts while Bria dared not interrupt. Reylor was uncertain if it was the wine, or his recent nostalgia, but Bria's presence was almost a comfort.

"Do you remember the first night we met?" he asked her flatly, again startling her as he disturbed the quiet.

He felt her eyes on him, and he noticed the flush on her cheek under the candlelight. She finished her glass of wine much faster than he expected and began pouring a second before responding.

"Of course I do," she answered as her eyes watched him from over the rim of her glass. "I'd never forget."

"Mm," he agreed, maintaining eye contact. "But why did you consent?"

Bria looked at him for a moment as if trying to measure the degree of honesty in which she should answer. "You threatened me with violence, but promised me affection. Why would I not agree?" A slight smile came to her lips, and Reylor felt the effects of the wine may be lingering for her as well.

"I did not promise you affection--I promised sexual gratification." He couldn't help but notice as the blush on her cheeks deepened in color.

"Regardless," she said, avoiding his stare.

"Then why did you not report me to your Empress when you arrived at the palace?"

The look on Bria's face turned sour. "She is not my Empress!"

Reylor huffed out a chuckle and brought his attention to his own wine glass. She was right- Alexstrayna was not her Empress. She was his, but he was not in the mood to discuss semantics with the Mistress.

"Did your loyalties remain steadfast when she was taken from the palace?"

Bria looked to him and appeared to straighten herself in her chair, as if to seem more confident during her interrogation.

"I knew you intended to take her for your own the moment you ordered me to inform you once she was asleep the night of the coronation."

"Did you not once consider the ramifications of your involvement, should you have been caught?"

"If I was going to be caught, it would have been the first night I reported back to you," Bria reminded him confidently. "They were none the wiser and remained so until it was time to retrieve Lexan."

"Which you did fantastically," he applauded as he raised his glass in cheers.

She mimicked the motion and together they shared a sip in silence as they celebrated the security of his son.

Lexan, the First of His Name.

Crown Prince of the Borderlands.

Naturally, thoughts of the Empress and of his son led to the consideration of his conception, and again he looked at Bria inquisitively as he sat back in his chair, wine glass between his hands.

"When she returned, and you discovered what had happened to her after I took her to the Borderlands, you still came to my embrace. Why?"

Bria's eyes met his, and there was something behind them as she returned his gaze. Something strong, meaningful- they were the eyes of a woman who knew what she wanted and would do what she could to get it.

And she had.

"You did what needed to be done," she responded with a passion he did not expect from her. "Everything you've ever done has been for the greater good, and they were fools not to understand that."

Reylor had no need to ask what fools she meant, and after finding himself getting lost in her powerful stare, stood and walked to the glass balcony doors. The land beyond was dark- the Borderlands constantly held on to the overcast clouds that dampened the suns' light and darkened the moon at night. He could just make out the shadow of the tree line in the far distance, but beyond that was a vast emptiness.

He found himself longing for a glimpse of the palace, just to catch a hint of his former home, if only to see the destruction caused by his vengeful wrath. There had been so much of it.

"Why did you kill her?" he asked out loud without turning from the window.

Bria coughed behind him, and it seemed a while before she could regain her composure. "My Lord?" she forced out between breaths.

Reylor turned to face her as he leaned against the door, his naked back chilled by the window behind him. "Why did you kill the Mistress?

"...you said to give them a wedding present they'd never forget."

"Aye, but you know how I feel in regard to murder."

"She fought me. I panicked."

"Are you sure it wasn't because of any regret or resentment you may have had towards her?"

"What does that mean?"

"Well, you chose the Empress' closest companion, did you not? The one the Empress trusted with her daily life. Were you not envious that you could not have had that connection with Alexstrayna?"

She glared at him slightly. "I'd have killed the Empress if you asked me to..."

"Come, Bria, jealousy is a horrible look for you."

Blushing, she turned away from him, and he smiled slightly at her discomfort. Being no more than a common girl, Bria still held a certain allure that Reylor had not felt since his encounter with the Empress. True, she was no more than a placeholder, but he had to wonder if there could ever be more than a physical relationship between them.

"Do you think I am capable of love?" Now it was his turn for his eyes to avoid hers as he watched the wine in the glass at his hands swish from side to side.

"My Lord?" The question was evident in her voice.

Reylor glanced up to meet her eyes, and Bria stood from her chair, looking as if she would approach him.

Swallowing another sip of wine, he continued with his thoughts. "After all the things I have done—all of the lives I have destroyed—do I deserve to love? I thought I did, once; I thought my dreams were all I needed to prove to me that such an emotion was possible. That, perhaps, I would not need to live my life in solitude if I could only find the one."

The words flowed from him as he walked towards her, and he knew the wine was to blame. Being this open with his emotions was not something he was apt to do with anyone other than the Empress. Standing before Bria, he could see the flush on her cheeks and the lust in her eyes. He brought a gentle finger to her cheek and slowly ran it along the edge of her jaw bone. Bria's eyes closed and she leaned into his touch, which Reylor discovered made explaining his emotions a simpler feat.

"Can someone like me, who has gone through the pains I have to achieve what I have wanted for myself, can I be allowed such a luxury?" he asked as his face lowered to hers, hovering just out of the range of touch.

Bria's eyes opened and met his straight-on. "You are allowed to love as much as anyone else should be."

"Not if you knew the extent to which my ambition ran," he muttered just loud enough for her to hear.

"So long as it is done for love, it will be worth it," Bria assured him, just as quietly.

Reylor held her gaze with his lips lingering just above hers. How he longed for a kiss, but not from Bria. His body ached to be touched, but the Mistress could not satisfy his urges - not tonight. He would not use her in such a way this evening.

"Mm," was all Reylor could say as he stepped away from her. She stood there as though waiting for a further advance, but Reylor would have none of it, not this night.

"I hope you enjoyed the wine," he mentioned casually as he walked back to the table, finishing off her half-empty glass before she could object. "Lexan will be looking for you whenever he wakes."

Bria watched him, slack-jawed and glassy-eyed at his sudden dismissal. "But, my Lord..."

"And there is a pile of mending by the door that needs tending to, if you don't mind."

Glancing towards the Mistress, he waited for a reaction, but she continued to stand there as though frozen to the spot.

"Bria!" he called sternly, and she finally glanced in his direction.

"The mending?" he offered again, and she nodded.

"Of course, my Lord," she responded meekly, her head bowed as she slowly walked towards the door to gather the garments from the pile.

Reylor watched as she moved to the door, head low as if to avoid eye contact. For a moment he felt guilty. It was clear that she had expected more from him than he was willing to offer, but he was in no position to give her what she wanted, not with his head in the state it was in.

Still, he felt he owed her something for her time...

"Bria," he called to her as she was about to close the door behind her.

Her eyes immediately shot up to his, and Reylor could see the glimmer of hope shining at his call.

Her response made him smile ever so slightly, and he bowed his head in gratitude. "Thank you for your time tonight. It was much appreciated."

Unaccustomed to hearing Reylor vocalize gratuity, the shock on Bria's face was all but expected. She muttered something in response and removed herself from his quarters, closing the door behind her to leave the former Lord Steward alone with his thoughts, once again.