With their plan's focus shifted, Alex and Treyan began to prepare. From that point forward, they spent their time in the library, plotting out their attack, both against Reylor and the Councillor.

The only one within the Empire with the ability to construct Keys was the Councillor. If the plan was going to work, they would need to convince him that infiltration was the best chance they had.

Alex knew the most difficult task upon her would be convincing Treyan to remain with her through this endeavor. He still needed to be persuaded as much as the Councillor. He continued to be very vocal about his objections and vowed that he would find another way to keep her from putting herself in danger, especially without him by her side. She knew deep down that though they were working together for a mutual cause, Treyan had his own agenda about how they were going to get there. So she vowed to keep him as close as possible until their task was done, otherwise she knew he would have a mind to venture off on his own and end his brother's existence once and for all, if only to keep her safe within the palace's walls.

On the night before they were scheduled to propose the plan to the Council, they sat together in the library, lazily flipping through a few more volumes of interest.

Or at least Alex was. Treyan had his legs upon a nearby table while leaning back in his chair, floating a blue power orb back and forth between his hands.

She glanced up at him as if to reprimand him for his current lack of purpose, when the sight of the orb grasped her attention.

"What are you doing?"

"Floating an orb between my hands," he responded nonchalantly. He appeared to have concluded his focus, but Alex was in awe.

"It was you."

"What was?" he asked, his attention still on his hands.

"You led me here that day. It was your orb."

The blue ball dissipated as he smiled, finally looked over to her. "I wondered if you ever figured that out."

"You were there?"

He nodded, swinging his legs down to the ground and standing from his chair. "I followed you from the room but didn't want to give you further reason to run. When I saw you heading toward the library, I figured I'd try guiding you to help you understand."

"You saw me fall?" A flush of embarrassment grew on her cheeks.

He smirked at her while he sat on the edge of her desk. "I made sure you were going to be okay, but you should have known better than to run on that foot."

She jabbed him playfully in the thigh on her desk, and he chuckled at her, easily grabbing her hand in his and holding it. His thumb ran over her knuckles as he looked down at her, and she couldn't resist meeting his stare.

She rested her head on her other hand as she looked up at him. "And here we are."

"Here we are," he returned, lifting her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers.

Suddenly, an idea came to Alex, and without a word, she stood and walked over to the pedestal that held the Annals.

Treyan watched her from where he sat. "What are you doing?"

"Have you ever read our Prophecy?" She glanced back over her shoulder.

He rolled his eyes and looked down to a book on her desk. "I've read plenty. I don't need to read my own."

"Fine, then tell me about the ones you have read," she inquired as she walked around the pedestal.

"The last time I did that, you wanted to murder me."

She perked a brow. "Tell me anyway."

He looked up at her, skeptical.

"I promise I won't murder you," she assured him.

Sighing, he stood. "Fine, but I warned you."

He walked over to where she stood by the Annals, and using both hands, attempted to open the book. The manuscript, however, had another plan, for the moment he touched the cover, a powerful shock hit him, making him withdraw, holding his injured palms.

"Fisc! Damn book."

Before he could continue to curse, the tome began to glow a light red and flipped itself open, stopping at a passage all on its own.

Treyan stared as he had seen this happen before, but Alex slowly stepped up to the book, cautious yet intrigued, and immediately began reading.

"Treyan, this is from two thousand years ago."

He looked up from his injured hands and hissed. "Rhaid."

She glared at him. "What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing."

"We were just talking about the Mark of the Empress," she went on, ignoring Treyan's unease. "It happened every two thousand years, and now this? They have to be connected." She turned back to the book.

He walked away, leaning against a nearby pillar, as she read out loud.

"But should the Crown Prince perish before his time, the Lord Steward shall relinquish his position and reclaim the title of Crown Prince as his own. It will then be his sole responsibility to continue the Empire's royal line."

She immediately looked up at him.

"Am I reading this right?"

"You mean the part that says if I die, Reylor has the right to take my place? Most likely, yes." He was not amused.

"So, you knew about this."

He shrugged slightly.

"Does he know about this?"

"Probably not, seeing as I'm still alive. Something tells me he wouldn't have allowed himself to be banished if that was the case."

"You still think you have a chance of setting the Key in the Borderlands, knowing well that your own life is on the line?"

He avoided her stare.

"No. You are staying here. I'll make the Council lock you in your quarters if I have to."

He turned to her. "Did you keep reading?"

"What?" she blinked.

He motioned to the Annals. "There's more."

She returned her attention to the book.

"Should, however, either or both of the unborn twins perish before being born to the Empire, it will be the responsibility of the Crown Prince to ensure the royal line continues. This is the same for the Lord Steward should he need to take his place as Crown Prince."

"Does Reylor know about this?" Her heart caught in her throat as she looked to Treyan, but he was already watching her, his gaze serious.

"I don't know, and I don't want to find out." He walked back over to her. "He may think he has his own agenda in that demented head of his, but there's something bigger here that even I don't think he knows about."

"So, there's no winning here."

"Depends on how you define 'winning.' Now do you understand my reservations? You may be concerned for my well-being, but nothing says you're safe either, Alex. You may have the benefit of his affection, but if he plays his hand right, he could get everything he wanted, and more, at his door without having to lift a finger."

"So, we're back to square one." She had to step away from the Annals, unable to read any further.

The look of sheer disappointment on her face caught Treyan's attention, and he brought her into his arms, wrapping her in a hug. "I didn't say that."

Her resolve began to waver as she snuggled into his shoulder. Was this a fruitless endeavor? Were they putting too much at risk?

She had the Mark. That had to mean something.

Pulling away from Treyan, she turned back toward the Annals.

"I wonder..."

"Wonder what?"

Before she could answer him, as though the book had read her mind, the pages fanned forward and, once again, stopped on their own.

Now they were both curious, and stepping forward hand-in-hand, they peered over at the pages of the tome.

Herein Lies the Prophecy of
Queen Empress Alexstrayna
&
Crown Prince Treyan

It was their Prophecy.

But it was blank.