Solemn and Terra arrived in Dreg a little before sunset. Terra looked confused and lost as she got off the stranger's carriage. The pink gown she had worn had a blood stain on it and it made everyone aware of her near death experience. Julius came running out to receive her; the love of his life. Solemn looked a little better now that he was sure he was far enough from the man who had threatened him.
"Terra are you alright?" Julius asked grabbing her shoulders.
She didn't answer. He was certain something was wrong because she would never let him touch her. He looked around her and realized that Ceaser wasn't there with her. Was that why she looked like this?
"Terra, Ceaser is inside." he said sighing.
This caught her attention and she looked up at him. For the first time, there was no hostility in her eyes as she looked at him.
"He arrived earlier this afternoon with ten men and Genevia saying you sent him ahead because there was danger." he continued.
Terra placed her hands on his shoulders as if she was saying thank you. She parted he lips to speak but her words failed her. Julius knew she still wanted to ask about the boy's whereabouts do he offered to take her to him to which she nodded vigorously like a child.
"Julius, have my ears decieved me or did you just say Ceaser is alive and well?" Solemn asked walking closer to the pair who were standing by the stair case leading to the second floor.
"Well I..." he started only to have his mouth shut but Terra.
"Julius, please. I'll explain everything later." she said locking her eyes with his.
The small act made Julius' heart flutter. He took hold of the hand covering his lips and she placed a small kiss at the back of her hand. She frowned slightly and Julius quickly led her up the stairs. His heart was beating against his ribs so hard he could hear it. If Terra acted like this whenever she was apart from Ceaser then he would steal the boy from her for a few hours everyday just to see her this way. But why did she have a blood stain on her?
Julius led her to the guest rooms and entered one of them without knocking. The ten men he had mentioned were there but she didn't see her son there. She turned to face him and tapped his shoulder to gain his attention. He turned immediately to meet her pleading eyes and they stayed like that for five seconds.
"Where is Ceaser?" she asked.
"Mother?" Ceaser called from the corner close to the balcony,"I live mother...." then in a deeper voice,"..I live."
Both Julius and Terra turned to look at the boy. They were certain he hadn't been there before but he had suddenly appeared.
*
*
In Zeth.
"You should eat something, my queen. It isn't good for your health nor for the king. He is worried about his beloved." said a maid to Rakka.
Rakka remained silent as she sat by her window. She had been shifted to another room with no balcony because she had nearly jumped off after hearing that her child's murderer had escaped.
"I won't eat until I know he is dead and rotting." she said in distaste.
The door opened and Eve walked in looking even worse than her mother even though she had eaten. She walked straight to her mother and took her mother's hand in her small ones. She made Rakka face her and held her gaze for a minute. Tears streamed down Rakka's cheek her daughter knew her secret.
Rakka was desperate to have a male child for Napoleon and she knew she wasn't very fertile. At least her cousin even conceived and was close to having children even if they were born as still bornes. She had taken even longer than Terra to have a child; a year longer. Unlike her, Terra had a son and they had even been invited to the naming ceremony. A few months later she found out she was pregnant and had a girl. Napoleon was happy for a while but later, he opened up to her that he wanted a child; a male this time and this devastated her.
Four years later, a woman came to her claiming that she could give her a male child. She had agreed not knowing how she was going to get pregnant. The woman took her to an abandoned building where her 'magical' son was conceived with only her and the woman.
Her mind returned to the present time and her daughter's face was in front of her. She started crying and turned away from Eve.
"If you refuse to eat, I will tell." Eve threatened her mother.
At this Rakka cried even more and picked up the plate of food and she started eating slowly while she sobbed loudly.
*
*
In Dreg a fortnight later.
Julius looked at Terra as the crown was placed on his head. The shouts of jubilation rose and the people hailed their new king who they hoped would alleviate their lives.
"Hail King Julius! Hail King Julius!" they shouted in unison as he stood from his kneeling posture.
He walked forward and looked down at his people. In the short period past, his life had changed and he was headed in the direction he always wanted. As the new king he was going to inherit his brother's wife and have a child by her. At last he would be with the woman he loved and in the position he desired. He remembered how he felt when Ceaser had asked his mother to agree to unite with him; he was over the moon. He looked at the boy where he stood with his nanny. He spotted Solemn standing behind everyone else looking at him enviously. Solemn uttered some words that Julius didn't hear and then he left.
Julius turned back to look at the people who were still shouting their joy. He raised his hand for silence and the people quietened. He prepared to start speaking when he saw Ceaser leave from the corner of his eye. Terra almost followed him but Genevia whispered something to her and she turned to look at him. He smiled because he could see the lines of worry on her face even from the corner of his eye.