I sat up in bed, rubbing sleep from my eyes, trying to make sense of Hera's words. My mind was still foggy with sleep, but the panic in her voice was enough to snap me fully awake. "What do you mean the Emperor is dead?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Hera's breathing was ragged, and tears were streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, your highness. But it's true. His Imperial Majesty was found dead in his chambers this morning. The palace is in chaos, and everyone is trying to figure out what happened."
I felt like the wind had been knocked out of me. Mattias was good to me, and the thought of losing him was too much to bear. I couldn't even bring myself to imagine an empire without him.
As I tried to process the news, I noticed that Hera was still trembling. "Hera, please try t
