Embracing His Empire Excerpt
Third release by Author Sai Marie
Chapter One
Cosmic Beginnings
I was born after the great Nebula Havannis imploded, just as the planet Saritys lost all
sustainability, such to begin the weaving tapestry of my tale. I was said to be one of the most
striking young girls born to my new planet, beginning a time of joyful abundance in our new
homeland of Kanavisil. I had been most abundantly blessed with a life of esteemed privilege, born
to the Senator of Daeja. My mother was doting, as was my nurse of equal merit, and with the proud
insignia of my Servili clan, I had never experienced the cruelty that rested beyond the gates of our
fine city. By every account, my father was one of the wealthiest of Daejians and he possessed more
than two hundred slaves. He also owned some of the fastest and finest of the questri, what I later
learned were called horses to the human tongue. The first memory I recall is my parents bestowing
me with the gift of an elegant questri, possessing the sleekest of black fur. Much like the weaving
arachnid, it seemed to shine like the night sky. They are majestic creatures, possessing eight legs
with several beady eyes and they spin thread from their hind ends and the other, a four-legged
animal with the ability to transport our kind. They had large eyes which reminded me of blackened
slits with a starry gloss covering over them. Though they were mammalian and bore their babes
by the very flesh of their bodies, they had an amphibious quality that made them capable of passing
through watery terrain just as equally as they could land. The questri I was given stole my heart
immediately. Father told me she was a radiant gem of a questri and that, one day, she would bear
many beautiful babies to serve in battle, all while serving me fondly. A second gift was a rare
Saritsi gem, set in silver. My mother told me once, long ago, our people had travelled from a planet
in a distant galaxy—a planet called Saritys—and the gem had come from the planet, which had
since become a barren wasteland. I wondered often if it had been something of importance, after
hearing the horrifying legends of what had befallen our homeland. From one empire to the next, I
watched over a thousand years of history's effect on our people. The many planets which housed
us all by nature had died and we fled to Kanavisil as refugees, hoping to find domicile, though
some rumored we were invaders who took over, we now controlled this land. My father did not
worry much about an uprising amongst the natives, and safe in Daeja, we never had to give much
concern to the outside activities occurring on our planet. My father only gave concern to one strong
and virile empire—Pretus. I could never have expected my life would take a turn and the currents
of my ocean would soon be shifting by the unexpected tempest my child-like mind could never
comprehend. But as with all, it was only later that I came to understand why my father worried so
much.
On a hazy summer evening of my sixteenth year, all I knew came crumbling down. I found
myself peering out the windows of our palace as the warm summer's breeze slid over my skin. A
sudden crashing sound broke me from my silence, and with a gasp, as the ruckus arose, I leapt
from my bed in fright toward the balcony, where I hoped to see what was going on outside. What
I found could not be defined by the word horror as orange and red blasted my irises. All that was
visible was the neighboring estate in a roaring inferno. Even the trees had been set ablaze. I could
see the emanation of flames licking at the building, but what was even more terrifying was the
view of what was coming toward our gates. There were already several soldiers over the walls and
the guards were doing their best to fight them off with their spears. The men who fought them
carried larger swords and spears. Black and silver breastplates adorned their broad, nude, and tanned chests, but each of their faces were shrouded by a black helmet. Already, they had slain
four people in the courtyard before I even realized what was happening. We were being ambushed
by a foreign invader and my father was most certainly their target. I rushed toward the doorway,
where I lifted a vase and readied myself for the inevitable. The sudden sound of men's voices,
barking orders to one another, filtered into my room.
"The senator is dead, sir. We will have his head on a platter for you!" one soldier bellowed
with a triumphant voice. My heart sank instantly. My father was dead. These men had murdered
him, and I was sure my mother probably would be taken as a slave or killed, also. I froze in terror
as I leaned against the wall behind me to keep from falling to my knees in despair. I had no choice
but to remain calm. I could do nothing. Nothing but wait.
About the Creator
Sai Marie Johnson
A multi-genre author, poet, creative&creator. Resident of Oregon; where the flora, fauna, action & adventure that bred the Pioneer Spirit inspire, "Tantalizing, titillating and temptingly twisted" tales.
Pronouns: she/her
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