Running Scared

Posted on Mon Aug 22nd, 2022 @ 4:21pm by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Major Sacha Lavigne & Emperor Antonius VI
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 7:09pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Rio de Jinero Palace
Timeline: Date 2371-06-15 at 1000
2777 words - 5.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Two days had passed since the mass slaughter that Antonius had carried out. Giuseppe was no longer Crown Prince and Elana was gone. Giana felt very alone and very afraid, not only for herself but for Sacha as well. Her father was a monster. Heartless, callous. Had he lied to her about Sacha? She felt it was very likely. Tell her yes, they could date, and then some tragedy would inevitably strike and he would be gone all for the love of her. She couldn’t let that happen.

Within the safety of the estate, Giana was dressed down for her in a pair of slim fitting jeans and a babydoll blouse. In pale pink. It looked good on her and she probably would have looked rather common were it not for the opulent gold jewelry she has paired with it. She found herself pacing a small stretch in the hallway outside the garage. She had called to meet with Sacha and was just waiting for the blacked out sedan to bring him to her.

If it would.

She continued to pace.

Sacha had just gotten off shift when the call came in that he should go straight to the palace. He had heard about the Martian Massacre already; everyone had, but he didn’t put much thought in it besides Antonius being Antonius. The car pulled up inside the garage and came to a full stop. He opened his own door and stepped out walking up quickly to Giana.

“Mon Cher, what is it? What’s the emergency?”

Immediately tears sprang to Giana’s eyes and she closed the distance, throwing her arms around Sacha. “Oh gods, you’re alright. I was so afraid…” She said softly. These were not words that she had ever spoken, but Sacha knew her well enough to tell that it was no exaggeration. She truly was afraid. “You’re okay? Right? No one has tried to… hurt you?”

“Of course I’m okay.” He said smiling, no sign of fear in him. “Giana, come on. Why would someone try to hurt me?”

“You’re… you’re kidding me, right?” She unwrapped her arms and took a step back from him. She looked at him with confusion and even maybe a tad of annoyance. “Did you not hear what happened?”

“You mean that nasty business on Mars?” Sacha asked, his expression one of patience and only slight confusion. “Everyone has. But what does that have to do with me? Your father said we could date in private and I’ve been extremely private about it.”

“What do you mean what does that have to do with you?” Giana was incredulous, that initial annoyance coalescing into something deeper. “Sacha, my father hates you. Who cares what he said? He’s a cat and you’re a mouse. He’ll kill you when he gets bored of humoring me and trust me that will be sooner rather than later.”

“But why?” he asked incredulously. “If he didn’t want me seeing you, all he had to do was say no to you, right?”

“Because he hurts people, Sacha. For fun. He inflicts pain on the people he hates and if you haven’t noticed, I’m not exactly his favorite child. He will use you to keep me in line, your life would be completely forfeit and rely on me not making him mad. If there’s one skill I seem to excel at, it is making my father mad.” Giana wrapped her arms around herself and frowned. “I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

His eyes warmed and he put his arms around her immediately.

“I’m not going anywhere without you.” He said, looking her in the eyes. “I’m not afraid of him or his men. So either stop talking like this, or start packing your bags because, if I go, you’re coming with me.”

“If I came with you he’d kill us both.” Giana frowned, her arms remaining at her sides. “You should be afraid of him, Sacha…”

He shook his head.

“Maybe I should be. But I don’t care what he does to me.” He said clearly. “I can go and talk to him; make sure he’s really okay with us being together. We could do it right now as far as I’m concerned.”'

"I'm not dressed to go see him... and I don't know that it would be a good idea anyways. I don't know what to do." Giana took a deep breath and stepped back from Sacha. "You might not care what he does to you, but I do."

“We’re going to see him.” He said decisively, no question in his face or voice. He meant it one hundred percent. He wouldn’t take no for an answer. “Let’s go get you dressed.”

He grabbed her hand then and waited for her to set a course to her suite.

"Sacha." Giana frowned and tried to take her hand from his though quickly gave up when she figured out he wasn't going to let her go. This wasn't a good idea, she knew it. "Fine." She gripped his hand hard for her and started stomping off toward her suite. He wasn't going to listen. He never listened. Nobody listened. Maybe that was the problem.

The walk wasn't long and Giana aggressively opened the door, dragging Sacha in after her and leaving him there as she continued to stomp all the way into her bedroom proper to pick out an outfit. This suite was very Giana - opulent but still falling on the side of tasteful. Going to her closet, Giana considered her dresses and thought about a black one as it was a good color on her, but decided against it as she didn't want to send the wrong message to her father. She opted for a decidedly modest navy dress that came down just above her knee and had long sleeves that were off the shoulder, nothing flashy or fancy. It wasn't the time for that.

Sacha waited, more disappointed he hadn't been invited back to watch her change clothes than he was anxious about the coming meeting. When she exited again, he gave an easy smile, though he didn't force it since she was clearly frustrated and frightened.

"You look beautiful." he said, watching her approach. "I can't look away."

"Thank you." It was more curt than she meant to be, but she was on edge. Who could blame her really, after everything that had been happening? Taking a deep breath, she grabbed hold of Sacha's arm and exited the room with him. "I still think this is a very bad idea." She said but marched resolutely forward at his request. As they left the room, she paused to look at her attendant.

"Please go inform my father's aid that I - we - would like an audience with him when he is available."

"Yes, ma'am." the man said, bowing low, and was off quickly. It only took a few minutes before he came back with a reply. "His Imperial Majesty is holding court in the Audience Chamber, but he is nearly done. His attendants request that you meet him there."

“Alright,” Giana sighed then looked at Sacha, squeezing his arm a bit. She led the way, waiting for her father to finish with court before they entered the Audience Chamber when they were summoned in.

“Father.” Giana greeted respectfully though tenuously.

The room was large, an audience chamber in the Rio Palace was smaller than the astounding one in Rome. Yet, still, it was fit for the head of the Terran Empire. The floors were white marble speckled with pale green to compliment the walls which were grand panels of the same colors. Large white roman columns buttressed the ceiling and the surrounding structure was decorated with statues of the early Terran Emperors and their families. At the end of the room, Antonius sat in an exalted place in front of a pale curtain on silver throne with white fabric on a raised platform of stairs made of the same white and pale marble as the floor. At the base, on either side of the stairs, two statues of eagles perched, menacing and vigilant.

He watched the two of them enter, waving away an attendant who had come to deliver something to him. he was wearing an all-black suit with a mandarin jacket, as always, but this time it was inlaid with silver rather than gold. He looked every bit the Emperor and his face was inscrutable.

Sacha paused for a brief moment in the doorway, despite his claims that he had no fear. The last time he had been with her father, it was in a situation such as this, and the judgement had almost cost him his life.

"Come forth." Antonius called, his voice ringing clearly through the empty hall, saving a few servants and the Emperor himself. Two of his Imperial Guard dressed in full honor uniforms, stood at either side of him.

When Sacha paused, Giana’s grip tightened on him and she pressed forward. She would pull him along at this point if she had to. There was no turning back now. Meeting her father here like this though, she felt even more uncomfortable with the situation. “Father.” She greeted again, releasing Sacha and curtsying formally to him.

As Sacha bowed, Antonius watched the two of them.

“To what do We owe the pleasure? A visit from perhaps the only child We have that does not think We are a monster?” He asked, a frown on his face.

Giana frowned slightly as she stood and then looked to Sacha, canting her head just a bit to prompt him to speak since this whole thing had been his idea. She shifted closer to him, taking his hand and looking up to her father and trying to look brave. She wasn’t sure if it was working.

Sacha stood up straight, his momentary hesitation now placed solidly behind him. He went into dangers head first, never looking back. it was his way, and he wouldn't change for anything. He offered a furrowed brow and not a simpering smile.

"Your Imperial Majesty. Congratulations on your recent victory over the blues-" he started, but was quickly cut off.

"Congratulations?" Antonius asked, his eyes narrowing. "And what do you think of the slaughter of unarmed enemies, young Lavigne?"

"Ugh..." Sacha said, his mind searching for an answer. He knew in that moment what his answer had to be, yet he looked to Giana, knowing she wouldn't like it and that it was a dangerous answer indeed. He looked back to his Emperor resolutely, showing no fear. "I think its appalling, sir. Absolutely brutal and wrong."

Giana frowned, looking into Sacha’s eyes with a pained expression. She didn’t look at her father, just at him. Why? Why did he have to do it this way? Even if he disagreed, why couldn’t he have been more diplomatic. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She was prepared to say goodbye.

The Emperor leaned forward, his eyes resting on Sacha.

"Then what are you congratulating Us for?" he asked, his jaw tight.

"Because, sir, you did what was necissary to strengthen the Empire." Sacha said, still not flinching. He ignored Giana's gaze. "It was bloody, it was brutal, and it was evil. But in the end, we can now stand tall with strong leadership."

Antonius considered this for several silent seconds. He then softened his expression slightly and looked at his daughter, giving little confirmation that he liked or disliked the man's words.

"Why have you come, Giana?" he asked her.

"Sir, if I may, we-" Sacha cut in, trying to do the talking as he said.

"We were talking to our daughter." Antonius cut him off, not aggressively, but with a notable terseness before looking back to Giana.

Giana frowned again and looked back to her father. Swallowing hard, she took a step forward. “In light of the recent events, I - we - just wanted to speak with you regarding our current arrangement and… make sure it is still acceptable to you.” She said slowly and honestly, putting forth her concerns and not knowing what Sacha had wanted to say.

“Has something changed in your situation that We are not aware of?” Antonius said, lowering his head and looking up at her. His finger laced around the ends of the armrests. “Why would you suppose We might have changed Our mind?”

Giana wished he would stop speaking like that. She looked down and then looked up to her father in earnest. "No, Papa." She said softly, calling him by a name she hadn't used in many years. "We were just seeking reassurance in light of recent events."

“Are We to be Papa now?” He asked, the question written on his face. “Nothing has changed.”

Giana wilted on the spot at Antonius' cold response. She lowered her head, taking a step back. "I... I am sorry, Imperial Majesty." She tried submissively. If he did not want to be father or papa anymore well... perhaps she was on borrowed time anyways. "Thank you for your reassurance, we will not disturb you further."

As the two of them turned and left, both of them feeling rather uncertain, Antonius stood from the throne and started to descended the white marble stairs.

"Wait." he said, finding the floor and walking toward them quickly. When he reached them, he noticed Giana's trepidation and Sacha's chin-up stance. "I said you could see each other and consider this idea of marriage. I meant it."

He looked to Giana specifically. "I did ask you to marry and, while I'm not thrilled by your choice of spouse, I appreciate what you are doing. I'm not so bad as...I've let myself seem. I would like to be Papa very much and...I want you to be happy."

Sacha resisted the urge to take a step back as Antonius approached them. Future father-in-law or not, the Emperor was a god in their poly-theistic religion. Many people believed he had power to heal sickness and to change the course of events by his own will alone. Not to mention, being near anyone who had the power to have you and everyone you love killed without any consequences was daunting.

Whiplash was the most apt feeling she could apply to the situation, but that was really just commonplace from her father - from their line. You never knew what exactly to expect from any of them. Though she felt the urge to recoil as her father approached them, she stood firm next to Sacha. She did notice the expression on her intended’s face and very briefly wondered to herself if perhaps there was more bark than bite to him, but that was something to think over later. She put on a sweet smile and looked to Antonius. Taking a step up to him, she reached a hand out toward his arm though she did not make contact; he would have to come the rest of the way.

“Thank you, Papa.”

He stepped closer to his daughter. He didn't trust it for a second that she trusted him based on how she has reacted for so long. But perhaps, he thought, if they could fain closeness for long enough, maybe she would start to feel it, and maybe he would let his guard down. He thought little of Sacha. It was best, in his mind, if he just blocked him out. He gave Giana a peck on the cheek. He had once been a very affectionate father, but Giana's teenage years had quickly done away with that; they had never recovered.

He turned to Sacha despite his conviction not to.

"My daughter may think I care nothing for her, but you should know that she is wrong. And I care infinitely less for you." he said, then he turned to leave before them, sending a warning behind him as he went. "Tread softly, soldier. You tread on your dreams."

As the door closed, Sacha looked at her, unaffected.

"See. Not so bad."

Giana let out a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding and looked to Sacha after Antonius was gone. "Sure, we'll go with that." She took his hand and walked out of the chamber with him, lost in thought and walking nowhere in particular.

It could have gone worse. Perhaps it still would.

END