A Meal on Golden Leaf

Posted on Thu Mar 17th, 2022 @ 4:55am by Giuseppe Orsini & Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI & Empress Cosima Orsini & Crown Prince Paolo Orsini & Princess Elana Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 6:53pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Grand Imperial Palace, Rome
Timeline: Date 2371-05-05 at 1730
3168 words - 6.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Grand Imperial Palace, Rome, Imperial Mandate, Terra
As the son slowly set outside, valets entered the vast room and crossed the parquet floor in concert, placing utensils and other non-food items in their proper places with alarmingly well-timed synchronicity. They moved as if they shared one mind, preparing a place for each of the members of the core Imperial Family. In many places, family meals meant mom was cooking, but that was hardly the case here. At the table, a lone person was already sitting. The youngest son of the Emperor and Empress, fourteen year old Paolo Antonio Marco Cristoforo Orsini held a giant tome open in front of him and was reading with a noticeable curiosity, though emotion was barely visible on his face. His lips moved slowly with the words, but no sounds could be heard. The valets bowed to the prince together, and then left him alone.

Elana calmly entered the dining room, ahead of their elder sister, dressed in a dark blue dress that was sedate yet classical. She glanced at Paolo and merely nodded at him as she took her normal seat, further down the table and placed her ever present PADD beside her place setting.

"Hello, Elana." Paolo said, politely taking a pause in his reading to give her a grin. Before he could get a response from her, the large double doors opened again.

Giana entered soon after Elana had sat down wearing a pale pink modern minimalist dress with a rose gold belt, matching earrings, and necklace. Seeing her two younger siblings at the table together reading, she rolled her eyes.

"Gods above, can't you two do anything else?" she asked rhetorically, pulling out a chair and lowering herself down into it.

"I'd prefer not to." Paolo said with a small smile, clearly not bothered by the criticism. "You look beautiful, Elana. You both do."

"Thank you Paolo" Elana replied to their little brother. She looked at the book. "What are you reading Paolo?"

"The unabridged accounts of Julius Caesar during the Gaulic Conquest." Paolo said, placing his hand back on the book. "I got bored of reading other people's writings on him and decided to go right to the source. He's a very colorful and detailed writer, and I find his way of thinking really interesting."

Giana made a show of the genuine yawn that escaped from her mouth but said nothing else, choosing to busy herself by using her white glove to test the cleanliness of the empty glass in front of her. Mostly ignoring her, Paolo looked back at Elana.

"What are you reading?"

"A novel by Hayley Glades." Elana replied. "Its just a standard novel"

Paolo nodded, but didn't recognize the name. He wasn't one for novels, but preferred stories that were historical and full of wisdom to be gleaned. Whenever he picked up a novel, he couldn't help the feeling he was wasting his time.

"Giuseppe just got back from a tour on the ISS Bismarck as the Chief of Security. I'm excited to hear some of his stories." he said, changing the topic.

"I am sure it will be interesting" Elana replied softly.

"Yes, watching our big brother smell his own farts will be quite fun." Giana said in rather un-princess-like fashion. Then, for a space, there was silence between the three of them before the door was opened again.

Giuseppe entered the palace dining hall wearing his Imperial Starfleet dress uniform, complete with battle sash and officer's sword in a scabbard. "Greetings dear sisters and brother. I hope you have all been well during my absence."

Elana wanted so badly to ask the question of 'oh were you gone?' but she didn't. She noticed his wife was not with him. "Alone Brother?" she asked idly as she reached for her PADD. "Jessica letting you off leash is she?"

Giuseppe quirked an eyebrow at Elana's questions. He gave a sigh. "The Bismarck only made orbit over Terra an hour ago. Jessica is not yet aware of my return. I felt it more prudent to come and consult with Father directly regarding the campaign against the Orion Pirate Clans."

"Pirates?!" Paolo exclaimed, his voice echoing through the large hall. Realizing his outburst, he looked down for one moment in order to reestablish some self-control, and then looked at his older brother more soberly. "I'd love to hear about it."

"Not sure if you noticed, phaser head, but we're here for family dinner and not to 'consult about the blah blah blah'" Giana stated, looking at her older brother with an irritated expression. "Gods, you always do this."

Elana calmly poured herself a glass of water from a crystal pitcher as her siblings spoke. She merely watched and listened. Hawaii was looking good now. She could put her plan into motion.

Giuseppe turned slowly to face Giana. His demeanor was slightly tense. "Perhaps, dear sister, you should consider that some members of this family have obligations to the growth of the Empire which includes more than hobnobbing with members of the Nobility at fancy parties." He gestured to Elana and Paolo. "Elana and Paolo are quite the scholars from what I understand. They are not content to be defined by who our father is, but by the merits of the diligent efforts they have put forth. What do you accomplish accept to set the trend for the seasons fashion?"

Giana gasped at the question and, immediately, the Orsini children were off to the races like they'd never left home. She smashed her fist on the table, causing Paolo to jump slightly as she responded in kind.

"Well, at least I have some social influence in the world. I have more say over the things that capture the imaginations of the Terran race than you'll ever have. Fashion; Art; Architecture. For all your work, you can't even make father like you." she said, clearly going way too far with her insults, as she so often did. "And you should go shave off that ridiculous facial hair; you look like an ape!"

Elana rolled her eyes. "Oh please " she muttered.

Giuseppe knew that Giana was just jealous of the fact he was First Born, though she was right about the fact that he and their father did not always agree in the direction the Empire should take in regaining its former glory and power. "Father knows I serve him and the Empire. Your biggest value to him will come when he decides which sycophantic courtier to marry you off to in the year or two...or perhaps he will marry you off to one of the alien lords in an effort to forge a stronger interstellar presence." He gave a chuckle as he imagined her married to an Andorian Warlord or Orion Slave Lord.

Elana calmly watched. So far it was one all, between her older siblings. She glanced at Paolo and shrugged. She knew what her role would be, the same as her sister's.

"You fucking animal! I should shave you myself." Giana screamed, standing up and taking hold of the crystal glass in her hand, every readable motion suggesting she was about to try and bash it over the Crown Prince's head. Fortunately for the both of them, they heard stirring outside the door which suggested someone was coming. She quickly sat back down and went about the rapid work of straightening her hair and making sure her clothes were straight.

The doors opened and a middle aged brown-skinned woman entered in well-tailored suit. Her Indian accent was slight and she had a no-nonesense look on her face. Nadiya Singh had served as Court Chamberlain since their father had ascended the Imperial Throne seven years before. Her role put her at the top of the court hierarchy for all non-family members. She administered everything from the finances and staff to the guest lists for parties. She knew the Orsini like it was her job, because it was, and she was a tough cookie. She gave the group of them a serious look as if she herself was their mother.

"Get yourself together, the Emperor and Empress approach and they want a nice family meal. That means no fighting, no drama, no politics, and no asking for money." She pointed at each of them, her crisp white suite making her stand out in the wood-paneled hall.

As soon as she finished her statement, the doors opened again and in walked Emperor Antonius VI and his wife Cosima, both dressed in black garments with golden accents and jewelry. The Emperor had the symbol of the empire emblazoned in gold and ruby over his heart. The aging man walked ever so slightly bent, but he shared the same smile his wife had on. Cosima descended on their children immediately, but Antonius merely took his seat at the head of the table and watched his family greet.

"Elana, you grow more beautiful every time I see you." Cosima said, taking her youngest daughter into her arms. She then hugged Giana with the same intensity. "I hope this wasn't too short notice?"

"No Mother, it was sufficient time." Elana replied as she curtseyed to her father and then retook her seat. She never asked for money and she rarely fought, only when her older siblings chose to turn their ire on her.

Having finished with the girls, she moved over to Giuseppe and kissed him on the cheek.

"My boy! You aren't eating enough. Are they feeding you that replicated garbage in the fleet?" the Empress asked, her brown eyes searching his.

Giuseppe hugged his mother before stepping back and shrugging. "Replicators provide adequate fare mother. Though I have missed Chef Giovanni's exquisite crepes for breakfast." He kissed the tips of his fingers before splaying them with flair. "Mostly I have missed my family though." He glanced at his father. "How are you these days Father?"

Elana looked down so her father and mother would not see her roll her eyes at her older brothers antics.

Antonius seemed distracted and didn’t respond when being addressed by his son at first. Once he realized he was being spoken to, he shifted his eyes tiredly toward Giuseppe.

“Hmm? Oh, me? Tired..tired but determined. An Empire doesn’t govern itself, you know? And when it does, that’s bad news for us. We must always be vigilant.”

Then, after delivering the dispassionate statement, the Emperor seemed to return shamelessly to his thoughts for a brief moment, that is, until his eyes fell on his youngest child’s book.

“Paolo!” He said, with a vigorous and eager tone. “How are you liking the tome? Are Caesar’s accounts not captivating in their detail?”

“They’re wonderful, Father.” The young teen said with a wife grin. “Thank you for letting me borrow it. I’m rereading the battle of Canae, trying to remember all the details.”

“Good man.” Antonius said with a smile, pointing to Paolo.”

“Giuseppe was about to tell me about his campaign against Orion Pirates, though. And I’m excited to hear that even more right now.”

“Oh? Was he?” Antonius asked, looking at his heir, all the energy and flair gone from his eyes.

“Gods…” Giana said under her breath, her eyes meeting her sisters. “When will they pour the wine?”

Elana merely met her gaze with a blank one of her own. She didn't say a word. This was normal they both knew it. Paolo was the golden child, and nothing would change that. Elana let her gaze move to their mother, who saw nothing wrong, she bet.

Giuseppe turned to his younger brother. "I will tell you about the battle later, after dinner. Right now let's have a good meal and catch up with one another." He glanced at his father and mother to see if his suggestion warranted even the slightest recognition of merit.

His father nodded an unemotional sign of approval while their mother smiled.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea, I think.” She said. “I want to hear all about what is going on in your lives.”

The doors parted again and several valets brought out dishes on plates made of porcelain and gold. On the dish was grilled chicken, corn, green vegetables, sautéed potatoes. The Emperor made no delay in starting his meal while Cosima slowly grabbed her fork and knife.

“I’ve got some men in mind for the two of you girls.” She said, a smile on her face. “You can’t be single forever.”

"Oh of course Mother." Elana said with a small smile. " I am sure they are very interesting..."

“Do they have hair, unlike the last man you tried to pair me with?” Giana asked, cutting up her own chicken.

“Oh yes, he has hair. Don’t be dramatic.” Cosima said with a wag of her golden fork. ”Marriage is not about appearances.”

“But photo shoots are. The cameras won’t be able to see me for all the glare.”

Elana rolled her eyes now, overtly. "You mean they missed you somehow?" she asked with a slight amount of sarcasm "I thought that was a statistical improbability."

Giana gave Elana a resentful face with a much nastier roll of her eyes. She mouthed the word "bitch" at her sister from across the table, but said nothing. She would get Elana back later, when it was just them and she could really torture her for that.

During the awkward paus in conversation, the doors parted again and in walked an unexpected guest. Wearing the pips of the Grand Admiral of the Imperial Starfleet, a woman with short blonde hair and a slim frame walked confidently for several steps, paused and bowed low, and then proceeded to the table.

"Please excuse me for interrupting your meal, but I have something you would want to hear right away, your Imperial Majesty." she said, speaking only to the Emperor who had paused in his eating, a bite still resting in his mouth. He then finished it and swallowed. Normally the Grand Admiral sent someone else with bad news, but she decided to do things differently just this once.

"I'm assuming this is a report on the mission, Alynna?" he asked vaguely.

"Yes, sir." She said with a serious expression. Grand Admiral Nechayev handed him a PADD with the information on it. He read it, and his eyes darkened.

"Missing? Missing where?" he asked, becoming slightly excited. "In the Badlands? in their space? Where is the detail here? You've told me nothing."

The Grand Admiral, ever the cold professional, showed some sign that she wished she had indeed sent someone else to deliver the news.

"We don't have more information, sir. All that we know is they were scheduled to execute their mission orders three days ago and they failed to do so. There has been no sight or sound of them since then."

The Emperor looked confused for a moment and then, suddenly, furious. He slammed the PADD down on the table several times, scratching both it and the tabletop in a rare rage. He then cast the device across the parquet floor, causing it to skitter and come to a rest on the wall.

"DAMNIT TO HADES, CAN WE DO NOTHING RIGHT ANYMORE?!" he bellowed with his famously distinct voice. His wife looked uncomfortable, but unafraid. "Every single report! Failure! Failure! Failure!

"We're trying to find them, sir. I've ordered Admiral Watley from the Third Fleet to deploy two warships along their path. Hopefully they will find them and-"

"But that wasn't my question, Alynna! I asked you why the Imperial Starfleet is so fucking incompetent? Where is the Vengeance? Where is Ivan Petrov? And on top of that, what happened to our FUCKING ACE IN THE HOLE on Quonor?! I'm tired of being confined to one star system. I'm tired of hearing bad news."

Alynna Nechayev's famous composure was starting to crack. Her Emperor was normally an even-tempered and rational man, but the pressure was getting to him in this area. Though he had been kind, she knew that even Grand Admirals could lose their lives when Emperors lost their tempers.

"Your Imperial Majesty, please. Give me time to get to the bottom of this and I will find out what happened to the Vengeance." she said, her voice shaking.

The Emperor said nothing, instead reaching for his glass of water and taking a long sip and then turning away from the Grand Admiral as if she wasn't there. Alynna seemed disquieted at the cold shoulder and seemed to be quiet worried about her career. The Empress, in response, gave the Admiral a reassuring nod.

"Do the best you can, Alynna. Antonius knows this is not your fault." she said, placing a hand on her husband's arm. "His anger may be misplaced, but he truly wanted this mission to succeed for the Empire. Go, and...come back with good news."

Alynna bowed, looking at the family around the table briefly before backing out of the room.

Giana raised her eyebrows. She had stopped eating as soon as the conflict had started.

"Trouble in paradise, Father?" she asked, somewhat sarcastically.

Anonius looked at his daughter, a serious look in his eye.

"Stop it, Giana.." he said, almost growling. "Just stop it." he then paused and seemed to muse in the silence for a while. "We used to be great, you know. We had nearly two quadrants under our thumb. Now what are we?"

"We will be great again." Paolo said, sitting up straight in his chair, a certainty in his voice that was unique and forceful.

Elana glanced at her brother. And then she looked at their father. "Father, You have led the Empire this far, I am sure you can lead us back to the days of greatness again." and if he and her brothers could not, well, then they would all suffer.

"Father. We can set up a meeting with the Admiralty to discuss options." Giuseppe looked from his father to his mother and back again. "We should just have dinner now."

The Emperor looked at his eldest son with a suspicious eye. Holding meetings with him hadn't been at the top of his list of priorities, particularly when they involved high-level officials. He hadn't spoken on his reasons, but one could easily tell there was some tension on the subject.

"Yes, yes..." he said, picking up his fork again, his face relaxing. "I suppose now isn't the time."

Giuseppe settled into his chair and glanced about the table at the others. He knew that the next few days would be somewhat hectic with after action meetings and strategy proposals on how to deal with the disappearance of the ISS Vengeance. He only wished for his father to take a breath and rest tonight.

Elana ate silently, ignoring everyone at the table now that the situation had changed. She may need to alter her plans slightly.