Free Empress Aurora Trilogy Quest For the Kingdom Parts I, II, and III Revised With Index (Quest For the Kingdom Set) by L. M. Roth

is a terrible thing and even strong men quake at her fury, but
to be loved by her would be more terrible still. She cannot let go of anything
she wants or possesses, but guards it as fiercely as a dragon guards its
treasure hoard. She would destroy any who try to take it from her. And to destroy
any who try to escape from the prison of her love.”
    Marcus shook
his head as he pondered on his father’s words.
    “So that is
why you were seized, for the insult of refusing her love. But why now ,
why not long ago?”
    “She could not
have done this had her father the Emperor Beatus lived. He was a just man and
would never have left me in this prison. Aurora would have been merely
humiliated if she seized me only to be forced to release me at the command of
her father. If you take note of the timing, I was imprisoned barely two months
after her father’s death, and only one month after the death of her husband.”
    An idea
suddenly came to Marcus. A dreadful idea, but one which must be addressed.
    “Father, is it
possible that Liberius was murdered? Surely the deaths of Aurora’s father and
husband so closely together is too much of a coincidence to be true!”
    “Hush, Marcus!
Watch your words in this place. But, yes,” Valerius lowered his voice. “I have
wondered about that myself.”
    A new thought
tore at Marcus’ heart.
    “What about
Mother? Do you think Aurora would harm my mother in revenge?”
    Valerius
grabbed the hands of his son.
    “Marcus, do
not torture yourself with imagination. I have not seen your mother since the
day of my imprisonment. But know this and mark it well: if any harm comes to
Honoria at the hands of Aurora, she will not live long to regret it. For then
it will be her turn to see my fury unleashed.”

Chapter X
The Quest Begins
    They set out
with the rising of the sun, as the first light of a pastel dawn stole slowly
over the gray eastern sky. The sun did little to warm the frosty winter day; it
merely lightened the darkness of their path. They left with the blessings of
their fathers, the tender tears and comforting kisses of Felix’s mother, and
one final warning from the Empress.
    “Remember,
Marcus,” she menaced in a low voice. “Bring me the Pearl or your parents are
imprisoned forever. In fact, you will join them if you fail. The only reason
you are free now is because I want that Pearl.”
    Having already
seen what the Empress was capable of, Marcus did not doubt that she meant what
she said and would keep her word if he failed to accomplish the task she had
given him. Were it not for her greed he would no doubt be dead already!
    Marcus mounted
his horse with a leap over the saddle, and settled in for a long ride before
touching ground again. He despised using the stirrups, preferring to show off
the strength in his legs. Despite his misgivings at the magnitude of the task
assigned to him, he realized that it was good to mount a horse once more!
    The horses
were a loan from the Empress to speed them on their way. They were to be left,
however, at the fort on the border to the northern boundary, where they would
then be returned to the Empress. So greedy was she for the Pearl that she permitted
them to be used for the journey north to expedite their progress in the heart
of winter. But the risk of taking them into foreign lands was too great for her
to permit their leaving the boundaries of Valerium.
    Now he glanced
at Felix, and wondered how he felt at being forced to go on this quest. For
Aurora did not trust Marcus to go alone. So greedy was she for the Pearl that
she imagined Marcus might find it and keep it for himself. So she sent Felix
with him, warning him that if Marcus found the Pearl and withheld it from her,
Felix’s life would be forfeit.
    And now they
were to begin their journey, on a cold winter’s day, at the dawn of the year.
They had been forced to wait the start of their journey until the Feast day of
Regat had come and gone. Regat was the god of war whom