Father V Daughter

Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2022 @ 1:41am by Emperor Antonius VI & Princess Elana Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 10:14pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Martian Compound
Timeline: Date 2371-06-13 at 1930
1612 words - 3.2 OF Standard Post Measure

Elana walked around the bedchamber of the room she had always used when visiting Mars, grabbing clothes and items and placing them in a suitcase She didn't have much here. She was still dressed in the same clothes she had worn to the dinner and they were still covered in Lachlan's blood. She was dashing tears off her cheeks as she packed angrily.

She ignored her maid's words as the woman stood there wringing her hands. "Make sure the shuttle is ready to leave!" she snapped at the Maid sending her scurrying.

Antonius wasn't foolish enough to think that there was much to be salvaged from the dinner between Giuseppe, Elana, and himself. But she had at least been collateral damage, summoned to the trouble by her own obstinacy and disobedience. Try as he might, he could not save her from this heartbreak while still carrying out his plans.

The Emperor approached her door in time to see the servant scurry away in the other direction. Without a word, he pocked his head in, watching her pack quickly.

"Do you remember when you were a little girl and I used to bounce you on my lap? You would come up and ask for it all the time. 'Bounce me bounce me!', as if there was nothing else worth doing in the world." he said, his expression wistful. "Giana had been a bit mean and touchy, but you? You were my little ray of sunshine."

Elana spun around, hands clenched. She stared at him for a moment and then said "Maybe I should be more like her then. You can't hurt the heartless."

And so saying she turned back to zip up the suitcase. She then moved to grab her overcoat.

"It seems I can manage to hurt everyone since I got this damn job." he said, sighing wistfully. His father had never been like this. But his father had achieved nothing of note. He had always promised himself he would be different; he would give the Terrans back what they lost. And he was. "I tried to get you to stay away from Lachlan, Elana. You know that. I wanted to avoid this heartbreak your feeling right now."

"You could have spared him. Killed the others, spared him, he would have been loyal. " Elana was cold as she spoke. She shrugged on the coat, hiding the bloodstains on her dress. "But what is done is done. And now we all pay."
She picked up her purse and paused. "Did my brother survive dinner?"

"Of course he did." Antonius said, turning his head to the side. "Though he's even angrier with me than you, and that's saying something. Though, how you could think Lachlan King would have come to my side is beyond my imagining. He would have only ben the kind of ally who was looking for any opportunity to sow rebellion. You know that."

"You didn't know him at all. And you don't know me." His youngest daughter replied as she lifted the suitcase off the bed.

"And what, you do? After meeting him a few weeks ago? Elana, honestly. You would give up your relationship with your entire family because of a man you barely knew?"

She bit her tongue for a split second before saying "I would. Because he knew me, way better than you."

“You’re terribly wrong about that, Elana. Terribly wrong. I’m your father. I know you from your beginning. And I don’t want to lose you.” He said, earnest.

She so wanted to snif disdainfully at him. But angry as she was, Elana knew the limits. "Oh? Name one thing you know about me?"

“I know about your love for the downtrodden and forgotten. I know about your orphanage in Paris.” He stated, and then wondered. “They need you to remain in the family too.”

She had to clamp down hard on the sarcastic response that almost escaped her lips. "You only know that because I told you. You don't know anything else about me. Why would you? No one else cared enough to look. But HE did." Her right hand, had Lachlan's ring on it and both were still stained with his spilt blood. "Maybe he wasn't what you wanted for me, and frankly right now? I couldn't care less. He was what I wanted. He listened. He saw me! Not your daughter, not Gianna's dim sister, which by the way is the biggest joke ever! He saw me as I am. I suggest, your Excellency that you do some research at the Imperial Terran University. Look up E. Nerina Orsini. Now, if you will excuse me, Your Excellency, I have a shuttle to catch," She gave him a perfunctory curtsey.

“Again, my shuttle!” He shouted suddenly after her recent tirade he was still blocking the doorway and was clearly adjusted now. “You entitled little brat! You talk as if I’ve never done anything for you. You are so completely self absorbed that you don’t even notice that there is a war on around your head. I never recall you trying to get to know me, Elana. What are MY fucking hobbies?! How was MY day?!” His veins in his forehead were quite prominent now. “You care so little that you never even thought about the answers to those questions. Just you you you; what you want; who you want; when do I pay up.”

He shook his head.

“I am so tired of that. I am so tired of it. Everyone treats me like a damn monster and ignores all my wishes still, like you’re just playing at being scared of me as an excuse to stoke your own victim complex. I warned you to stay away from him for REAL reasons. And this is about more than your damn feelings you still selfish little girl.”

Scowling, he waved his hand at her and seeming to be preparing to leave before he turns back around again.

“Run away if you like, but if you do, you’ll find that those cards that linked directly to the royal account will be deactivated. My properties will be closed to you, and you may not use my shuttles. Furthermore, anything purchased with royal money, including that orphanage of yours, will be mine. And then you can complain about me, when you are no longer sitting in my lap! That is the option which remains for you, Elana. If I cannot have your love and respect, then I will have your fear or I will have nothing. Join your brother Giuseppe in feuding against a man who owes you nothing. Renounce me! Renounce the title of Princess! Renounce your innocent mother! Give back everything, and be the commoner you’ve always pretended to want to be. And marry whom you like, if that’s more important to you!”

He really didn't know his daughter that well. She would not join with Giuseppe any more than she would join Paulo. "You think so little of me that I would be on his side?" She asked her voice a whisper. "My brother could never lead the Empire. His son maybe but not him. Why.. oh forget it" she got out.

“It will be Paolo. And I would have you and your brother and sister by his side.” Antonius said, clearly irritated. “But you must first come to understand politics and you have to try and understand why I did what I did with the Blues.”

He had really done it. They had all discussed the possibility since Paulo was his Favored Child But deep down, Elana knew that her older siblings had never thought it would happen. She herself had considered Giuseppe being killed in action as the way Paulo would rule, one of her father's convenient accidents. By the Gods this was making her head hurt more than it had been from the start of this. He had pulled a coup of his own and now they had to deal with it. Her eyes filled with tears and she crumpled to the floor in an heap as the tears overflowed and sobs escaped her. She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them as she couldn't stop crying.

Antonius watched as his daughter sunk to the floor and began to sob. He wasn't surprised considering the situation, but he was certainly not familiar with it. His children buttoned up and hid their tears from him a long time ago. Though recently, he was making them all cry. He was old and a bit portly, but with some struggle, he lowered himself down beside her and pulled her into his arms. She was limp at first, putting forward no energy to stop him or help. He held her for as long as she would let him, and hummed a song softly. He had become Crown Prince himself at the death of his Grandfather when she was only two years old. He pretended he was only a prince again in this moment and wished it was as simple as she thinks it is.

"What you need is some rest and some time to put your heart back together." he said softly, his hand finding her dark hair. "I'll send you to the country back on Terra. I'll make sure you have the ability to communicate with the officials at your orphanage."

She knew what he wasn't saying. But she knew also she had no grounds to argue. She couldn't stop the tears as she sat there and sobbed but eventually her head nodded acceptance at his edict.

END