Love, Tears, and Second Chances III

Posted on Thu Aug 18th, 2022 @ 1:51am by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI & Crown Prince Paolo Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 7:09pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Mars
Timeline: Date 2371-06-13 at 1215
3656 words - 7.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Paolo looked at his big sister with interest. Of all the people she could marry, he knew she would choose someone inconvenient. She was upset about the danger, sure, but it was a good opportunity to stick it to the man. Too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Wow.” Was all he said for a while. And then he repeated it “wow”, as if he couldn’t really believe it. Then he seemed to adjust to the new information. “Tell father he’s changed. That he loves you and that he’s not a complete rebellious idiot anymore.”

The problem was… she wasn’t sure that was true. The rebellious idiot part, at least. Giana took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Do you actually think it would make a difference?” For once in her life as she looked down at her little brother, she was genuinely seeking his opinion on the topic. He was their father’s favorite, and truthfully more like him than any of his siblings. That’s why he was the favorite.

Paolo smiled then, genuine unusually warm. It wasn't directly related to what he was saying.

"It might." he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Or he might not be convinced. But Father is more reasonable than you, Giuseppe, and Elana give him credit for. In fact, I think that's the problem. Reason is what he cares about, so you have to reason with him. Wanting or not wanting is not enough, liking or disliking don't change his mind."

Paolo nodded, as if he was answering the question he was about to ask her subconsciously. "I could help you, if you really think Sacha Lavigne is the right man for you. As much as I don't particularly respect his brand of...Frenchness...I could see it not being bad in the long run."

“You’d… help me?” Giana asked, skeptical as she looked down at her little brother. “Why…?” It wasn’t like she had ever been particularly nice to him after all. None of them had, really. The problem was she was trying to figure out what kind of angle or game he could be running.

But was that like Paolo?

"Because he makes you smile. Not those fake ones you give all the time. Really." He said. "And I want that for you. Besides...I'm not the head of the family, so it's not my job to decide what happens with you and him. I am freer than our Father in that way. As are you."

Giana was shocked - and still mildly skeptical. She looked into Paolo’s eyes, searching for deeper intent but found none. Either he was much better at lying than she would have given him credit for, or he really did just want to help her. “How… how would you help?” She asked curiously. She was open to the idea. Having her father’s favorite be a buffer could only be helpful, but Paolo was a teenage boy and he could just as easily turn on her for a laugh. Though truthfully she had never really seen that in him either.

"Well, he's not as inclined to listen to you because of your history. But I have a track record of being a trustworthy source for him. I'll just go to him with you and nod every time you say something." he said, his face returning to its typical neutrality. "I do it for mother all the time, when I think that her cause is just. It works like a charm."

“It does?” Her voice was laced with disbelief but at the same time she could see it so clearly. “When… do you think I should talk to him?” She didn’t really even realize she was differing to her little brother in this moment. Her mind was too caught up in other things.

"Now." he said simply, not providing an explanation or reassurance. "Before he has time to stew. But it will be most effective if you tell him how you really feel and....that you'll do whatever he decides is best."

Paolo winced. Actually winced. He knew that wouldn't be easy for his sister. But it was extremely important if she wanted to get what she wanted out of their Father. Antonius VI could be extremely permissive with those who he felt really respected him.

“I’ll try but I really don’t think he’s going to believe me, Paolo.” She sighed and reached up to rub her forehead carefully so as to not mess up her makeup. “Should I request an audience? Should you. I mean you could probably just go right up and tug on his sleeve and it would be fine. Not that you would, but it would probably be fine.”

Paolo made a strange face, as if she had said something completely bizarre.

"Well just mean it then." he said, as if it were that simple. "And you can just walk up to him and ask to talk to him just as much as I can."

Paolo knew they felt he was the favorite, but this was getting ridiculous. "He's not a mustache-twirling villain. He loves you; you’re his daughter. Now come on, let's do this. I want to get back to Contessa Pennington and her...uhh...information about the Terran Stack Exchange."

The only shift in expression Giana gave was a slight widening of her eyes as her little brother mentioned Pennington. He was at that age after all. Out of all of them, Giana had always been the best at taming her face. “Alright, little brother. I wouldn’t want to keep you from talking to her about all her fascinating assets.” She teased harmlessly. Putting a hand on Paolo’s shoulder, she started to walk back to the door with him. Hopefully Giuseppe wouldn’t get in the way.

Paolo was slightly embarrassed, but he did his best to keep from showing it. His silence was his only reply, and he walked with her back toward the entrance to the gate building where they were. When they crossed the threshold of the door again and stepped out under the red-tinted sky, he watched the post-meeting shindig still in full swing. No one would leave until the Emperor did, and he was still quite active in the conversations. A new group had found him and he was telling an anecdote about an experience he had falling out of a tree when he was seven. They all laughed, they all grinned, and they all hung on his every word like he was the most interesting person on the planet. In a real sense, he was.

Paolo's eyes wandered toward Contessa involuntarily and he found her looking at him as well, her cool blue eyes blinking rapidly, her full pink lips turning into a small smile. She gave a small wave and he raised his hand slowly, hesitantly, awkwardly, and gave a small passionless wave back.

Giana had been distracted looking at Antonius and trying to figure out a plan of attack and hadn’t noticed her brother’s wandering eye, but when his hand lifted and waved it did draw her attention back to Paolo. She followed his gaze and saw the way Pennington was looking at Paolo. Immediately her expression soured. One arm went around Paolo’s back and both hands settled on his shoulders as she physically steered him away from the woman. As she did so, she cast a baleful glare back to Contessa. While Giana lacked the might of her father to command people to their knees, she could very easily cut a person off at the knees socially; governmental official or not, it wouldn’t be a good look. It wasn’t really apparent if her sudden protectiveness was that of a big sister to her little brother or simply someone who didn’t want the person helping them distracted, but it was effective.

She moved with Paolo over to the group that Antonius was standing with and released his shoulders, though she did make sure to still stand in a way she was blocking his eye line back to the object of his boyhood desire. She waited patiently for a lull in the conversation. “Father?” She spoke up but her voice caught and was barely above a whisper.

“Father?” She called to him a little louder. “When you have a moment, may I speak with you?”

Antonius turned his head, having heard the voice. When he saw Giana, his smile faded ever so slightly from his eyes, but not completely.

"Ah. Giana. I'm surprised to see you. I thought I would have to hunt you down." he said, his eyes meeting hers. Watching her and reading. "You've made the news again, I see."

Giana wore her typical social smile. She could feel the eyes on her, but she didn't balk. She never did. Despite herself, she couldn't completely keep the fear from her eyes as her father leveled his gaze on her, but for once she didn't look away from him. "Yes, I wanted to speak to you about that. I think perhaps some things might have been... misrepresented by the media."

"Of course they were. That's what the media does." Antonius said, his face falling. "But not to worry about that. CJ kept most of it out of print. It just took a call from her office to all the stations. They will find the existing copies of the videos in the next few days and compel people to destroy them. The moment will be erased from history."

He spoke with certainty and soberness, and then turned his gaze to the others.

"Excuse us." he said, and turned without another word. He grabbed his daughter by the hand firmly but didn't pull her along, instead waiting for her to come with him. For all his power over everyone around him, he was still a far sight more gentle with her than was Giuseppe. As they passed him, Antonius looked over expressionlessly. "See these people to their cars, would you son?"

Paolo frowned, looking over at the Imperial Treasurer again. For the love of his sister, his day was effectively ruined. The woman, though talking with several others, still managed to catch his gaze. Her look was one of openness, interest, and something else he knew was inappropriate to show a 14 year old boy. He linked his hands over the front of his pants and kept moving.

"Of course, Father." Giuseppe replied respectfully, sharing cold glances with his sister as she moved past him and then his eyes slid down to his little brother. Immediately there was a look of amusement; he'd been there before. Neither his eye nor mind lingered on his retreating family as he moved to do as his father had commanded.

Giana moved with Antonius without hesitation, not giving him the chance to drag her along but also not giving herself a chance to see that she wouldn't be. She looked back over her shoulder to make sure Paolo was coming, saw the state of her little brother, and then cast one more glare over his head toward Contessa before they disappeared past the doors.

"I'm sorry, father." She apologized immediately once they were alone. "I did not mean to make a spectacle."

Antonius had been thinking of what he might say once they were inside the gate house, but when they entered and she apologized, he was left speechless for an instant. His mouth hung open and his cold eyes seemed to dance around her features looking for the catch. This was probably the first time she'd willingly apologized to him since she went the way of a teenager. He frowned. Something was up.

"Oh, are you?" he asked, his face now neutral, his mind no longer searching for words, but seeming to look into her. "That's fascinating indeed."

Antonious was really the only person in the world who had the power to fluster Giana into forgetting herself. Others could fluster her, but it usually resulted in her becoming angry. She licked her lips and now looked away from Antonius. "I didn't... I didn't know he was here."

That wasn't an answer to his question at all, but he decided to let her off the hook as her discomfort became clear.

"So, you're telling me you haven't seen him since you were a teenager? Since I sent him as far away from you as I could?" the Emperor asked, his expression looking curious. But his eyes held a suspicion. Like he was testing her. He did so love his tests. And on them, some men lived and died.

Paolo looked to his sister, saying nothing, but waiting to see if she would tell the truth or if she would attempt a lie.

Giana swallowed and weighed her options. She was a good liar, she always had been, but not to Antonius. She could attempt it, but what would that serve? It would only put Sacha in danger and even if her father didn’t accept their “plan” of marriage, she hoped at the very least she could stay his hand. “No, I just didn’t know he was here.” She reiterated and looked up to Antonius again. She struggled to meet his gaze, but she managed. “He was in Rio a while ago, we saw each other then, and then he disappeared without a word.”

"Yes, he was." Antonius said. "And he took you to a little restaurant on his...motorcycle."

Antonius said the word motorcycle like it was dirty. Paolo's brows went up. This wasn't going the way he'd hoped.

"And then, after that, you took him back to your apartment." he said, his eyes narrowing, his fists balling. "And you stayed together for hours. He defiled my daughter before and now he's back for more. And did I not command you to stay away from him?!"

He had raised his voice, anger lining his features as he gestured with a pointed finger at her. Paolo flinched and blinked several times in rapid succession, taking a step back. Attendants who had been working in the background, quickly turned and hurried out of the room, leaving only the sound of the shutting door behind them.

"Did I not command you to stay away from him?!" he asked, even louder, his face reddening, his breath quickening. "And does my word mean NOTHING to you?!"

Unlike Paolo, Giana didn’t recoil. If nothing else, she took solace in the fact that Paolo would finally see the true difference in the father she knew versus the father he knew. “Your word means everything to me, father, but why did you let him come back then?” Her voice wasn’t accusing. It was desperate. “Was this some sort of test? Did I fail you? I’m sorry, I’m weak. I love him. He makes me happy and makes me feel loved. I know that doesn’t matter to you, but it matters to me. He asked me to marry him and I said yes. You said I could pick whoever I want.” She was crying now, but managed to keep her voice level by some miracle.

“But, if you truly will not let that happen, father, then I’ll respect it. I’m begging you though, please if you have any love in your heart for me don’t hurt him. Send him away and I promise I will never see him again.”

Antonius blinked. When she started to cry, his muscles relaxed. This wasn't something one saw from Giana every day. As the information poured in, his eyes grew wide and his mouth opened with some confusion. He was overwhelmed; that much was clear. He turned away slowly, looking out the window and giving her his back, his hands in his pockets, his eyes unseeing. He wasn't trying to be rude; he was just completely in his head. He said nothing, as if he were alone.

Paolo stepped up to Giana, putting his hand in hers, but also saying nothing. A single tear rolled down his cheek, but his expression was emotionless.

When Antonius turned around again, the vacant stare was gone.

"Of course your happiness matters to me." he said quietly, looking away from her. "but an Empire cannot be governed based on the whims of a father. And a father who loved his daughter would never give her to such a man."

"Father." Paolo spoke up, hesitating at first but then going for it. "In all fairness, we don't know him anymore. He's no longer a teenager."

The simple fact, presented without bias or feeling, seemed to turn Antonius like a ship. He turned his gaze down, searching his mind. And then he nodded several times, short and slow.

When Paolo had taken her hand, Giana had squeezed it in desperation for any kind of support in this moment even if it was from the little brother she often resented. At least her tears still had some sway over her father. It was really the only thing she had left that did, she felt. She waited as Antonius processed, but as he turned and spoke, she lowered her gaze. She was disappointed, but perhaps she could still save Sacha after all.

Then the little wizard at her side spoke his black magic and she watched her father’s head bobbing in agreement.

She licked her lips and risked speaking again. “Just… give him a chance, father. Please. He’s changed in his time away. I… I won’t lie to you and say he has changed completely, that’s just not how he is… but he might very well prove popular with the people for being… authentic.” Giana swallowed hard. “I’m not asking to get married tomorrow. Longer engagements are popular and if it doesn’t agree with you it can be broken off.”

"Once an engagement is public, chances are harder to revoke." Antonius said, his mind working. "The question I have is...why is he not on the outskirts of our system? Or why is he not on deployment in the reconquered sectors? My Defense Secretary tells me he was reassigned despite an order placed in his file that he was to stay away. No record has been kept of what general rescinded the order. And, days after he is released, we find that he is mounting our daughter."

The irritation returned, but it was far less intense. He looked up at her, his eyes searching hers again.

"There is a scheme if I ever heard of one."

“I don’t know.” Giana replied and in that moment was telling the truth. Under the gaze of her father, her confidence shaken and emotions high, CJ and her schemes had completely left Giana’s mind. She wanted to ask him not to be so crass about Sacha - it wasn’t like she had been an unwilling participant after all - but she said nothing. “It doesn’t have to be made public… not for a while.”

“A man with daughters has no peace.” Antonius said, thinking of both Giana and Elana. He fell silent again. “We will see what happens for now. I will permit you to date. Privately. You won’t be seen in public together. And we’ll see.”

Giana's hand squeezed Paolo's reflexively at Antonius' words and she was frankly speechless and amazed. She was staring at her father, her mouth open slightly in shock; after a few beats she seemed to realize this though and snapped out of it, working her face back into a more neutral expression. "Thank you, Father." She really hoped Sacha wouldn't make him regret this, because it likely wouldn't just be Sacha's head on the line.

“Don’t ever say I never gave you anything.” Antonius said, a slight half smile as he turned and immediately walked away toward the inside of the compound.

“Congratulations.” Paolo said, his hand still in hers as his eyes wandered out the window. He looked just inside to see Contessa climbing into her government car. She didn’t notice him though. He watched the turn of her head and her shapely thigh as the door closed and involuntarily sighed.

Giana didn’t notice her little brother’s wandering eye as she continued to just stare after her father for a few seconds almost as if she were expecting him to turn around, come back, and say “just kidding.” When nothing of the sort happened and in the emotional aftermath she was experiencing, Giana suddenly turned toward Paolo and enveloped him into a tight hug. “Thank you.”

At first, Paolo was completely rigid, not expecting the hug in the slightest. He supposed there was a first time for everything. Ordinarily he would have relaxed into the hug, but the effects of his seeing even Contessa's leg were still very much happening and he decided it was best to seem cold rather than to give his sister a memory she would never forget. He patted her back and leaned against her, but kept his hips further back.

"You're welcome. Just...try not to ruin it." he said, pulling out of the hug and settling his hands in front of him again. "I have to go..."

Giana didn’t put too much thought into Paolo’s cool reception to her hug. It wasn’t like their family knew how to deal with affection. However, when his hands went down in front of him again, she understood. Keeping eye contact she gave him a smile and nod before she turned to find something more interesting to look at so he could retreat without her eye on him.

It wasn’t herself that she would have to worry about ruining anything…

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