"Twenty..." The breathless murmur fell unbidden from her lips as she stared at him with wide eyes. Over two decades from now, the Empire would finally fall. It seemed like such a short time, yet it felt like a lifetime away. Twenty-five years of hiding herself away, being of no use to anyone. Twenty-five years of not knowing whether her children were alive or if she would ever see them again.

The tears that slide down her cheeks were startling, breaking the brief trance that had fallen upon her. She straightened slightly, steeling herself against the onslaught of emotions, and quickly and efficiently brushed the tears aside with the back of a hand.