A/N: I'm not gonna pretend that I just sat and worked on this chapter for a year. Life caught up with me. Sorry for the super late update. Also my writing style has changed somewhat since my last update. What's sad is that this chapter has existed for some time and I just hadn't uploaded it. Anyway, here's the latest update—hope you all enjoy it. Hopefully I can power out these last few chapters and finish the novel out since we are nearing the end of our journey. As always leave a review, I love them so much.


Chapter 28: Time

It had been days since I had seen Graves. I'd last seen him the morning after I'd learned my family was still alive. He'd told me he would send for me later, and that had been nearly five days ago now. Since I'd become his Queen, the longest I'd gone without seeing Graves had been no more than a couple of days. This was highly unusual.

I paced anxiously in my room, wondering what could have gone wrong. A million ideas were running rampant in my mind. My greatest fear was that Graves was long gone, on his way to murder my family. As much as I tried not to think about this, it was the only thing I could picture in my mind. If that was what Graves had vanished to go and do, then I prayed to any God that Max killed him and protected my family.
May arrived at my room to find me standing on my balcony, anxiously wringing my hands. She suggested a walk to the night gardens to try to and ease my worries, and I accepted.

We left my room and were escorted by my guards toward the night gardens. While we walked the hall, I spotted James Dolye walking towards us. He brushed past us quickly, and normally I would've never said a word to him. But I was concerned, and so my curiosity got the better of me.

"Mr. Doyle!" I called out, coming to a sudden halt as I did. My guards stopped short and so did May. May tossed me a questioning look, but I ignored her and turned to face James Doyle. He had only gotten a few feet away from us when I had called him. To my shock, he'd actually stopped walking. He was looking at me with one eyebrow raised, his expression slightly amused. He was clearly as surprised by my sudden outburst as the rest of my party.

"My Queen?" he asked me, his voice mocking as he said the words. I took a few steps toward him before I continued.

"My husband, the King. Have you seen him recently? Is he well?"

James openly smirked at my statement. "Got a sudden concern for the well-being of Graves?"

"My concern is not sudden, Mr. Doyle, he is the father of my child. His well-being has always been of great concern to me."

"Oh, I'm sure it has sweetheart."

"Where has he been? Has he left on a mission?"

"No. He's been in the city, I assure you."

I felt my concern bubbling again and Doyle grinned to see me in such discomfort. If Graves was in the city, why wasn't he calling on me? Had I done something wrong? Had I lost his favor? Had he learned my secret? I tried to ignore Doyle's condescending expression and instead focused on why I'd spoken to him in the first place.

"Very well. When you next see him, please tell him I was looking for him."

"I will, my Queen, but I wouldn't get your hopes up on him coming to see you."

I felt irritation grow in my chest at his words. Doyle clearly knew exactly what Graves was up to, and was making an active effort to toy with me. "May I ask you why he won't?"

Dolye's grin only widened. "Hadn't you heard? He's rather busy."

"Enough, Doyle. Tell me or don't." I asked, my voice rising as my irritation with Doyle grew.

"He's celebrating of course. As I understand it one of his women has become pregnant. One of your half-sisters."

My shock at his words was apparent on my face, and immediately my eyes flew downward to guard my expression as much as possible. This wasn't good. Not at all.

Doyle's sarcasm cut into my thoughts. "Oh, I'm sorry for telling you like this. I'd assumed you already knew."

My eyes darted back up to Doyle's and I looked at him scathingly. He and I both knew that my exposure was remarkably limited in this place. I would've only known if someone had made an effort to tell me.

Doyle continued speaking, much to my displeasure. "To be honest, my Queen, I haven't seen much of him myself. He's been rather busy with her. It's my understanding she's spent the last couple of days in his chambers with him. He's been taking no visitors, but if I see him, I'll make sure to pass on your message."

"On second thought, Mr. Doyle, I think I'd prefer if you said nothing to him."

"Sudden change of heart, my Queen?"

"The King has enough to worry about. I'm sure he will find time for me when he can."

Doyle opened his mouth to deliver another scathing comment, but I didn't give him the time. Instead I turned heel, and made a beeline for my bedroom rather than my original goal of the night-gardens. I was irritated when I heard Doyle's footsteps rushing behind me. He cut me off and as he did I gave him an annoyed glance.

"Is there something else you'd like to tell me, Mr. Doyle?"

"It's funny, isn't it?" Doyle asked me.

"What's funny?" I snapped back. I was quickly becoming impatient with his games.

"It's taken him nearly five months to pump a baby into your half-sister. Yet, you were pregnant in a matter of weeks."

"What of it, Doyle?" I asked him.

"I just think it's odd. Two girls, raised under the same roof. Same food. Same water. One takes five months to conceive, and one two weeks."

"My half-sister does not share my mother. Her struggle to conceive is of no consequence to me." With every word I spoke, my voice grew sharper. Doyle was toying a fine line right now. He was getting too close to the truth.

"I just think it's a little odd is all, my Queen. Humor me would you? How long were you married to your previous husband?"

I didn't respond at all. Doyle continued to press me anyway.

"At least six months, it had to have been. Probably even longer. Maybe eight months? From what I've heard, you two were quite the couple. I imagine he was fucking your right up to the end. I mean, who could blame him? I'd be doing the same damn thing. I just think it's strange. All that time you were together, right until the very end, and you never carried his child."

"My ex-husband had spent many years out in the wasteland."

"No more years than Graves."

"Are you trying to accuse me of something, Mr. Doyle?"

"I'm just trying to ensure that Graves is surrounded by people that have his best interests at heart."

"Doyle, no doubt your brilliant mind has been well at work trying to find something to accuse me of, but this is a stretch, even for you. If you must know the details of my relationship with my late husband I will give them to you. Contrary to what you believe, Max and I didn't consummate our marriage until he had already spent months living with me. In addition my ex-husband is a good ten years older than Graves. And unlike Graves, Max would spend weeks at a time away from me, out in the wasteland. Sometimes we only had a matter of days together each month. But, if he somehow did get me pregnant like you're suggesting, and that baby survived my fall from the bridge, I was tested for a pregnancy before Graves ever laid with me. The kind of scheme you're attempting to accuse me of would have required contacts within this city that you know I do not have."

"Don't you? The old woman is one for sure-" He cast his eyes to May as he made this accusation. "and I'm sure there are more loyal to you in this city than just her. You're up to something, I know it. And sooner or later I'm going to find out what exactly that is."

"Well, Mr. Doyle, by all means feel free to continue wasting your time investigating a conspiracy that does not exist. If you don't mind, I'd like to return to my quarters now."

Doyle stepped to the side to allow me to pass, and I brushed by him quickly.

May and my guards followed quickly after me. I tried to keep my pace as even as possible and disguise the panic I was feeling. I walked into my room quickly, and as soon as May followed me in I shut the door and locked it. I walked straight back into my bedroom and shut that door too.

May spoke first. "I have to hand I to you. That was a good comeback you gave Doyle. Did you come up with that on the spot?"

"It's been on my mind in case anyone ever started asking probing questions."

"It was a good defense. Is that true about you and Max? You were married for months without consummation? I didn't even know that."

I hesitated before I answered. "It wasn't months. I stretched the truth. But yes, it was delayed. Regardless, none of those details matter. Only two things matter right now. This other baby, and Doyle catching on to us."

"Which should we tackle first?"

"The baby. Do you think that Graves intends to dethrone me?"

May shook her head. "No… I would be surprised at that."

I lifted my hand to the heavy necklace around my neck and toyed with it nervously. "Are you certain?"

"Yes. I believe if that was his intention then he would have done it as soon as he found out. You still hold his favor."

I bit my lip anxiously. "Do I? It was not so long ago that Graves preferred their company over mine."

"That was because you preferred it that way. Since you have given yourself over to Graves' will he has been a constant companion of yours."

"Not as constant as I thought. He clearly had time to get someone else pregnant."

"Who knows how far along she is? It could have been from before you became close with him, and he's only now finding out."

"But then why spend so much time with her?"

May sighed, "That I cannot answer for you."

"Then we might as well switch our conversation to our next topic. Doyle."

May hissed as I said his name. "He's a snake and a murderer. Twisted as they come but he doesn't miss a detail, I'll give him that."

"He's undoubtedly very intelligent," I conceded. "But he hates me and is most certainly closer to finding out the truth than I'd like."

"He'll keep good on his promise, too," May replied. "He'll keep digging. We'll have to be even more careful from now on."

I sighed and nodded. As I did, I weighed my odds carefully. With everything I knew about my family, the smuggler that Jax had managed to find, this new baby, and Doyle's impending discovery of our plan I knew there was only one option left open to me.

"It's time, May," I finally declared.

"Time?" she asked me.

"When you leave here you're going to go home. Make sure you aren't followed. When you are certain you haven't been followed you are going to go to Jax and youare going to tell him that he needs to bring Max back here. Now."

"I know you've just found out your family is alive and you want to see them, but we need to be careful. We only found the smuggler days ago. Isn't this a bit rushed? What if we can't trust him?"

"Time is not on our side, May. You heard Doyle. He's discovering I have other contacts. If he finds out about my connection to Jax, to Doctor Stone and to the resistance in this city- We might not get another chance."

May contemplated for a moment before she finally nodded. "I understand. We knew this would happen eventually. I just didn't think it would happen so soon."

I made my way to my night stand and shifted aside the items before I finally withdrew what I was looking for. A single sapphire on a broken chain. I turned and pushed the necklace into May's hands.

"Here." I told her. "Give it to Jax. Max knows this necklace. He knows I was wearing it when I fell. If Jax shows it to Max it will help him prove that he is telling the truth."

"You don't think Max will believe him?"

"My husband is smart. He'll guess a trap by Graves first. Something to lure Max, Marcus, and Furiosa out of the Citadel."

"You think the necklace will prove you're alive?" May asked.

I shook my head. "No. He'll want to know things I would only have known." I thought hard for a moment before I finally came with my decision. "Tell Jax to ask about the Thunderdome. About Master Blaster and Aunty Entity, Jessie and Sprog, and the name Rockatansky."

May looked at me like I was out of my mind. "Does this list of random names have meaning?"

"Only to Max and I. These are things he told me about. Secrets we shared with one another. Only I would know about them. He knows this. Especially Jessie, Sprog, and Rockatansky. Those will be the most effective. Combined with the necklace and I'm sure he will at least hear Jax out."

May nodded. "Is there anything else?"

I hesitated before I answered. "Yes. Tell him that I love him."

"Alright." May pocketed the necklace and nodded once more. "And what of your baby? Should we tell Max of the child?"

I hesitated, unsure. On one hand I wanted to tell Max myself. I wanted to see his reaction. But on the other hand, it wasn't like I was telling him something he wouldn't be able to see for himself. The moment he saw me he would see that I was pregnant, and automatically assume it was Graves. "Tell Jax it's his choice. If he thinks my family can handle everything, then he should tell them everything."

"Very well." May responded. "I will deliver the news to Jax." With that, May exited my bedroom.

I stood alone in my room and listened to the sound of the front door closing. I found myself wishing desperately that May made it home safely, and that this smuggler was everything we'd hoped he would be. With the threat of this other child and Doyle's probing questions, there was nothing more that I wanted than to be able to go someplace safe and quiet with Max and our baby. I'd been away from him for some time now, and the ache that had filled my chest in his absence had yet to subside. I could not lie that for a moment I had started to give up hope. I had begun to resign myself to this life. I had told myself that the life I was living was acceptable, and that Graves was kind enough to me. I had begun to settle for less. Now that I knew for certain he was alive I found my thoughts about my situation had changed drastically. I wanted to go home, wanted to go to him, wanted to be with him. I wanted to be with someone who loved me and who I loved. I had pushed Max to the back of my mind so I wouldn't have to feel conflicted between him and Graves, and to numb the pain of losing him. I had been deliberately distancing myself from Max in preparation for hearing the news that he was dead. But with my new information Max was the only thing on my mind. I hadn't even begun to worry about Graves' absence until yesterday. I had only been focused on my husband. I worried over how he was. What he was doing, if he was alright after my death, or if the voices in his mind had come back to torment him. I wondered if he was staying true to his promise to protect my family or if he was starting to move on from me. After all, he thought I was dead. He'd have to start to move on eventually. I wondered if he would believe this child was really his after all my time with Graves. I wondered if he would still love me after everything I had done. My greatest fear was that he would not love me after he learned of Graves and I. I hoped desperately that he would understand I had no choice. That my only options had been being a Queen or being a sex slave. But I had no way to know what Max would think after all of this.

I sighed and shook my head, trying to rid myself of my thoughts of Max. Now that I was alone I could finally process a plan to deal with my current predicaments. I had no idea if our smuggling mission would succeed or not and I needed to come up with plans to deal with my current situation as long as possible. I knew I had to see Graves as soon as I could. Between this other woman and Doyle, I had no idea what notions they might be putting into his head. I would need to step up my act even more than before, truly make Graves believe that I loved him. He needed to believe me more than anyone else that spoke to him, and more importantly I needed him to fall in love with me. If he loved me, he would not replace me. It was as simple as that. But pulling off this feat would be more difficult than ever. With my mind so focused on the man I really loved, I wasn't sure if I would be able to pull off this act. But failure wasn't an option now, my freedom and my life teetered on me pulling this off. I had to at least try.


A few hours later I was on the balcony of my room reading when I heard the door to my room open and close.

"Back already?" I called out, not bothering to lift my eyes from my book as I did. I expected to hear May's voice in response, but my heart skipped a beat when I recognized the heavy footfalls of Graves. I looked up as the footfalls stopped and saw my brooding husband leaning on the doorframe to my balcony.

I snapped my book shut and set it down on the table in front of me. "Axel!" I declared in surprise. I stood up suddenly and bowed my head as I did. "I was not expecting you."

"You asked to see me," his voice growled out in response to my statement.

So Doyle had in fact delivered my message, which meant he was lying when he said Graves was not taking guests.

I fiddled with my hands as my heartbeat quickened. When I'd asked to see Graves I hadn't realized the full extent of the situation. Now that I knew I had no idea what to say.

"Yes. I did," I finally stated. "I was worried about you. I hadn't seen you in so long, I thought something might be wrong. But then I ran into Doyle and he told me about-" I cut myself off. I didn't really want to have this conversation with him. I didn't want to talk about his child with another woman. Despite myself, I was feeling a pit of jealousy in my stomach. I had grown so confident in my manipulation of Graves. I hadn't seen this coming.

"I know," Graves replied. "He told me he'd informed you of the… situation."

"I didn't mean to drag you away from your obligations." I replied.

"You didn't."

"Doyle told me she'd been staying with you."

"She did. For a day or so. She's been gone some time now."

I nodded, "I see."

Graves exhaled before he replied. "It was my intention to tell you myself about what had happened. Doyle was aware of this, and I'll deal with him. I haven't called on you because I didn't know what I would say to you."

"I thought I had done something wrong, that you no longer wanted me."

"You've done nothing wrong," he finally told me. "I just had other priorities."

"It was my mistake," I told him. "My expectations were different. I thought things had changed between us."

He tilted his head to the side. "Changed in what way?" he asked me.

I sighed and turned away from him. I let my shoulders sag before I spoke. This was it. This was going to be the moment that determined how Graves treated me from here on out. I was going to have to sell this performance harder than any I'd had before.

"It was foolish, really," I stated. "I see that now."

"What was foolish?"

"For a moment I let myself believe that you cared about me." I finally stated. "I thought that I was enough. That you'd gotten rid of the others. We'd spent so much time together- I didn't think there still could be others. I couldn't have been more wrong."

My statement was met with silence, and I wanted to turn around to gauge his expression. I chose not to, and instead waited patiently.
I heard him walk toward me, and eventually he came to stand beside me on the balcony.

"You weren't wrong. I do care about you, Sapphire."

"Then why keep the others around? You said you did it before because I hated you. I have not hated you for some time."

He glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow. "I find it hard to believe you don't hate the man that slaughtered your family."

My breath caught in my throat and for a moment I was stunned into silence. We don't talk about what happened to my family.

"I told you I was willing to try to forgive you."

"And have you forgiven me?"

I grew silent, and Graves responded. "That's what I thought."

"No," I replied. "No, it's not what you think at all."

"Then what is it?"

"I do care for you," I told him. "More than I think I should." I shook my head and looked down toward the city, away from his eyes which were analyzing me so closely now. "You've been kind to me. Kinder than I expected and kinder than others would have been. And the more time I've spent with you the more conflicted I've become. When I learned of you other child I was jealous. It wasn't a reaction I expected from myself. It's true I've had trouble forgetting what happened to my family. But the way things are today… My mother forgave my father for what he did. She told me herself she loved him. I've begun to realize that I can forgive you."

He reached forward and used his fingertips to tilt my head to look at him. "And do you?" he asked me. "Do you forgive me?"

I nodded once, "Yes. Yes, I forgive you."

He smiled and stepped toward me, closing the gap between us. He reached his hand to my face and stroked my cheek with the back of his fingertips.

"Do you love me?" he asked me.

I had known the day would come where I would have to say the words—the best lie that I would ever have to tell. "…Yes," I finally said, my voice just a whisper. "I do."

"Say it for me."

"I love you, Axel."

Graves' dark eyes met mine and I felt my heart pounding. The tension between us was overwhelming, and I wasn't sure if he truly believed me. He continued to stroke my cheek gently for a moment before he closed the distance between us and kissed me. I kissed him back, reaching my hands to his neck and pulling him down toward me.

"Am I making a mistake?" I whispered against his lips when our kiss broke.

"No," he told me. "You are my most precious possession, Sapphire. I will do everything in my power to protect you. I have grown to care for you."

"This other woman-" I began.

He took a step away from me to answer. "She is from before we became close… I hadn't seen her in some time when I was told."

"But you still called her back."

"What would you have me do? She is also the mother of my child. Our deal still stands. Our children together have priority over any others I may have."

I nodded before I spoke. "There is one other thing." I said to him. "Something I've been meaning to ask you."

He lifted his fingers to toy with my hair as he spoke. "Ask it."

I looked him in the eyes as I asked this next question. "My family… I want to know the truth." I told him.

"I have told you what happened to your family," Graves replied.

"I know," I replied. "I know you did. Just please." I took both of his hands in mine and interlaced our fingers. He glanced down at our hands as I did, and I pressed on. "If they aren't dead… If that wasn't true what you told me… Please. Tell me the truth now. I won't leave, I won't try to run away from you. I will stay with you, right here in this city no matter what you say. As long as you look me in the eye and swear to me it's the truth."
Graves cast his dark eyes back up at me and sighed. "Very well."

I looked at him in anticipation and squeezed his hands gently.

"We found your family. All of them." He told me.

I took a sharp breath in as he said this. "You did?" I barely squeaked out. I couldn't believe it. Graves was actually going to tell me the truth.

"Yes," he answered. "We found them just a week after you were found inside our walls. They were in a car. It looked like they'd been attacked. None survived. I am sorry, Sapphire."

At his words my eyes dropped to the floor to hide my expression of fury.

Liar.

Any second-guessing's I'd ever had about sentencing this man to die were gone in an instant. If he could lie about my family, he could just as easily lie about having feelings for me. Graves was nothing more than a monster. A murderer who killed my family and taken me hostage in a twisted quest for power.
I took a deep breath to calm myself. I was about one more lie away from slapping Graves across his face. I hated this man. He'd shown me what kind of person he was, and again and again I'd let it go. Not this time. He killed my family. Murdered them in cold blood. And now my husband was going to come back and make sure Graves got exactly what he deserved.

But for now I was here. And I'd just bared my heart to him. I couldn't blow it now and reveal that I knew the truth. Not just yet. There would come a time when I would tell Graves everything. I wanted to see his face as he watched his world crumble before him. For now, I had to act as though I believed every word he said.

I lifted my eyes back to Graves. "You swear they are all dead? You're certain?"

"I swear it," he replied.

I nodded before I let out a shaky breath. "Then I am alone in this world."

"You're not alone," Graves told me. "You have me. I'll keep you safe."

I lifted my hand to his face and stroked my fingers over the scar there before I leaned up to him and kissed him. "I know," I told him. "I trust you. Don't make me regret that."

"You won't."


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