The Empress' Bargain

The Empress met with a strange man today, one hooded and reeking of death. The floods have taken a great deal from us all, most notably in the Empress’ spirits, but I warned her right away this man was not to be trusted. Still they had a meeting in her palace, my treasured ruler ignoring my counsel. When the two emerged from their meeting the stink of death was on my Empress too, and no matter how many times I bathed her it would not come off. I asked her what the man offered, to which she replied: “Everything we lost. But the price was too high.” I asked her what she was to give in return and she paused before whispering: “Everything we might become.” ZL