Meyda sat in a chair, with Artal in her arms. Slowly moving back and forward, Nilith was laying inside her cradle, sound asleep. A soft knock landed on the door, Katelin opened it with a huge smile on her face. Isabel was behind her, together with an older gentleman and lady. Probably the King and Queen of Sodora. She stood up and slightly bowed.

“It is my honor to meet you, your Highnesses. Normally I would have said, I hope the Gods smile upon your future with favor. But that seems to be inappropriate for now.” Meyda said, her maids bowed a bit deeper. The Queen on Sodora, walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“I heard so much about you, from Isabel and Nava both. And I know you suffer from her death as well.” The Queen said, and she smiled softly. “Please sit down, you are still recovering from giving birth.” Medya did as she was told, which happened a lot lately. Ginat made it his priority that she ate, drink and rested well, at least when he was around. Which was not that often, he and the rest of the men where talking about the future off the Empire, now that Chezi was dead. She killed him, but to her surprise, nobody, not even the Karniel family blamed her for it. “Is this your daughter?” The Queen asked, while pointing to Artal.

“No your highness, this is my son Artal. My daughter Nilith is inside the cradle.” The Queen’s gaze went towards it.

“They both are perfect, so beautiful and healthy.” the Queen whispered, but it was loud enough for her to hear it. Katelin sat down in on of the sofa’s, Nicola sat on her lap. The little girl was a soft blend of her parents, gray eyes with dark brown hair. This of course could change when she became older, but only time could tell. “May I hold her?” the Queen asked, and Meyda nodded. The Queen herself was an experienced mother, she had six children and according to rumors she has fed them all by herself. No wet-nurse, or nanny. “Please, call me Prisca. You Highness is so formal.” Meyda nodded, she would keep that in mind. “Look at her, Boaz. Is she not a vision?” The King nodded and sighed.

“Do you want some tea?” Aleen and Milly arrived with two trays one was filled with tea cups and the other with tea, sugar, milk and some biscuits. Everyone sat down, and Katelin sighed.

“You know it is so strange, to be back inside the empire I mean.” Katelin said, while taking the tea cup. Shefi has taken Nicola from Katelin’s lap. “I didn’t have to worry about a thing inside Sodora, of course I worried about my husband and the rest of my family. But the people there do not life with the constant fear of being PURGED.”

“Nava, told me something similar, the first time we met. After Lady Karniel attacked me, and she gave me that white dress.” Meyda said, looking at Artal. Her children, little Nicola and Harel will they have to fear for this as well? Or was it in Ginat’s and Sayar’s power to change this. Speaking of Harel she has not seen him for a while. “Uhm Milly. Where is Harel?”

“In the library, bothering Sun ben Lion.” Milly replied. Meyda shock her head, she should have known. “I will get him.” Meyda was so grateful for her maids, even for Milly who has kept an eye on Harel while Brandon was inside that meeting.

“You are the one who found my daughter, is that correct?” That was the King, and Meyda nodded slowly.

“I was looking for a place to hid, Chezi attacked me inside his office, but one of his own men protected me. That man has paid for that with his life. The door which I used to enter the office was locked, and I needed another way out, I ran through the palace while I was suffering from my contractions.” Meyda lowered her head. “When I stumbled on your daughter’s room. She was friendly in the past, and I didn’t know any other way to hide. So I choose her room, she however was already dead when I entered. She and her unborn baby.”

“Unborn baby?” Prisca said. “She was not married, how could she be pregnant?”

“She didn’t have a choice in the matter,” Meyda said. “Sayar, and I offered her some Mandaragora tea to get rid of the unwanted pregnancy. But she didn’t had a choice in the matter of sex.”

“How do you know that?” The King asked.

“She herself told me, and Sayar when she came for tea one day. It was the last time I saw or heard from her and not by a lack of trying.” Meyda said, she had send so many letters towards Nava. But never got a reply. “I killed Chezi myself, not only for her, he wanted to kill me and my children as well. But still I killed him, in the same room.” The King nodded.

“May I ask why the Emperor wanted you dead?” He asked.

“That is something the other Lords and Ladies of the other houses want to know as well.” Ginat replied from the door. He walked in, holding Harel by the hand.“ Sun ben Lion, begged me to take this young man away from him. Apparently, he is asking to many questions.” This was something that made Meyda chuckle. “Aleen, Shefi and Milly can the three of you babysit the crew of children? I need my wife, sister and the Royal family of Sodora.” The three maids nodded, Aleen took Artal. Katelin and Isabel helped Meyda on her feet. Which was still not an easy feet. She wobbled towards Ginat, her husband and the love of her live. “You look beautiful today,” he whispered in her ear.

********

They entered the imperial office, the same one Chezi trapped and attacked her in. The Lords and some Ladies of every house were present, and all of them were looking at her.

“Meyda, please sit. I have prepared a chair for you.” Brandon said. She gave him a smile, he still felt guilty for how the things played out. But he was not to blame for all of this. Meyda sat down with a sigh and looked how the others of her companions took their places inside the already crowed room.

“So, now that Lady Eldar is here. You can finally answer why the Emperor wanted her dead. We all can guess that it is because her father killed his former fiancee.” One of the Lords said. But Meyda wiggled her head.

“That was his excuse to PURGE my family,” she said. Quickly looking towards Lady Karniel, whe was already to say something. “And my father, and the rest of my family has paid for that crime with their lives. But Chezi’s goal was to kill me all along. My mother, Zohara Inaam was my father’s first legal wife. My stepmother was his second, and yes, I said Zohara Inaam. My mother was the aunt of the current Lord Inaam. But that is not all, my grandmother was Elia Oran, the youngest daughter of Chezi’s great grandfather.” She looked around the room. “I was born with ties to the Imperial throne, a fact that was not known to me before I met my husband, and was discovered by Mizmor Inaam and my father-in-law after they smelled something fishy.”

“So you are telling me that you have a claim to the Imperial throne!!” Lady Karniel screamed, and Meyda nodded. She felt someones hand fall upon her shoulder, she was however not sure who’s it was.

“Chezi was not only after Meyda, she was a huge threat, yes. But she was not his only target.” Sayar said. A drawer was opened. “This inside my hand are PURGE warrants, one for each and every house. Grand or minor. And each of them are signed, not only by Chezi, but also by a priest.” Some faces in the crowed became pale. “No, not by my son Brandon.” Meyda looked over her shoulder, while Sayar gave Brandon the warrants. “Can you pass them along would you, and after that can you go after the priests who signed these documents.”

“Already on it, father.” Brandon replied. “All of them have being expelled from the temple, with the blessing of Volaris.” Brandon walked around with the warrants, and some Lords started to talk to their neighbors, still not able to believe that their deaths and from those they hold dear were signed. Chezi would have abused this power, one way or another. Lady Karniel looked shock at the warrant that carried their name.

“I can’t believe it, we were so loyal to him. He was going to marry my sister and still he signed this.” She said, loud enough for Meyda to hear her.

“Your sister, wouldn’t have belonged to the Karniel family. She would have belonged to the Oran family, she would have being safe.” Meyda said. “If not for my father, he was a monster and I would be the last person inside this empire who would say otherwise. But Chezi was one too, he killed Nava, Second Princess of Sodora and their unborn child. After he forced himself on her, he wanted to show to everyone that he was the one with power. The power to let someone life or to let someone die. Ginat, when he took me in, took away that power.” Lady Karniel nodded, and sighed.

“I miss my baby sister so much, it is not fear.” Lady Karniel said. “She was a pure ray of light in every bodies life.” Meyda nodded, looking at the King and Queen of Sodora. They are thinking the same thing as well.

“It was Princess Nava, who found the warrants. And she risked her own life to bring them to Sayar’s attention.” Meyda said. “She was also a ray of pure light, and she didn’t deserve to die.” Her parents and Isabel nodded. The hand was still on her shoulder, Sayar and Brandon have moved away so the owner was Ginat. She raised her own and took his hand. She smiled at him, and he nodded.

“You are also a ray of pure light, Lady Eldar.” The same Lord who spoke earlier said. “You didn’t let yourself become a victim of your families abuse. You were willing to fight to live. Yes, you had help from your new family, but you needed to do it by yourself as well. Ginat Eldar was the cousin of our late emperor and he and the rest of siblings would have a claim to the throne as well. And I believe that you and your husband would become excellent leaders.” Most of the Lords raised their hands, as if this was a vote. No, she couldn’t become the next ruler of this nation. She was Lady Eldar, she just gave birth to House Eldar’s heir Altar and his sister Nilith. If she became empress, then her son would become heir to her throne. Not House Eldar, Harel was adopted which meant that he couldn’t become heir until Sayar says otherwise.

“Alright I see, five House for and four house against. Which means that this land has a new rulers, Meyda Eldar and Ginat Eldar. All hail the Empress and Emperor of the Sharax Empire. Let the Gods guide their reign.” Mizmor said loudly.

“All hail the Empress and Emperor of the Sharax Empire,” the rest of the crowed scream not all of them with a happy face. So that was it Ginat and she were leaders of this empire. Crazy.