Family Catch Up

Posted on Mon Aug 29th, 2022 @ 3:48pm by Emperor Antonius VI & Empress Cosima Orsini & Princess Elana Orsini
Edited on on Thu Jul 13th, 2023 @ 10:15pm

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: China House
Timeline: Date 2371-07-08 at 1130
2862 words - 5.7 OF Standard Post Measure

Elana had been reading in her sitting room, quietly allowing herself some time off from her studying. There was a rap at her door. "Yes Maria?"

Her aide entered. "The Emperor and Empress's shuttle is landing in 5 minutes Your Highness."

Sighing Elana stood. "ok" She was already dressed in a deep red dress and she picked up her matching jacket. "Lets go meet my parents."

She exited her suite an glanced at Kyle Reece as she walked past him in silence.

Without a word, Kyle fell into step behind and to Elana's left. His team had already received notice of the arrivals, and had joined the compound security force in ensuring there were no gaps in the security of the Royals.

Lady Haughton joined the group as they came down the stairs and to the entrance hall where they would await the Emperor and Empress.

The dark shuttle settled toward the ground, moving from the trees into a clearing designated for landings. It was a sleek runabout with the Imperial logo on it. It was trailed by six identical runabouts which were loaded with the protection units of both the Emperor and Empress. When they travelled together, they came with 58 Imperial Guards, now joining the 8 already here, not to mention the marines who policed the entrances to the park.

The doors opened and Imperial guards poured out onto the concrete, moving toward the first shuttle and forming two identical perfectly straight lines as a walkway. Someone unrolled a pine red carpet along the path between then and two officers raised Terran flags. When the doors opened, a trumpet peeled a fanfare, but the Emperor and Empress exited without paying all the pomp any notice. It had long become background noise to them, but it thrilled the common people.

The Major who lead the Emperor’s detail took up position next to Kyle, his stature indicating he understood that he was in charge now. Yet he said nothing.

Kyle knew how things worked. While he was still responsible for the Princess's safety, should it come down to an attack on the compound with the Emperor and Empress were present, he would be forced to follow the Major's orders.

Antonius and Cosima stepped down the red carpet between the guard and straight up to Elana.

“Elana. It’s good to see you. Are you feeling any better?” Cosima asked, looking at her daughter with concern.

Elana curtseyed deeply to both her parents and head down replied "Yes, I am somewhat better, Mother. It is good to see you both Father." Due to the audience her words were formal.

"So glad to hear it." Cosima said. "Now, let's go inside, shall we?"

The Empress started ahead of the rest of them, not waiting for the answer. Things had been quite tumultuous in her family for a long time, but never this bad by far. She was uncomfortable. Wanting peace as much as she wanted her husband to succeed. Always caught in the middle.

Elana's gaze followed her mother but she stayed put as she turned back to face her father. She would wait for him to walk on or to at least say something.

Behind her Lady Gloria watched with a straight face the interactions. Her thoughts that Elana was on the outs with her family were being proven correct. She was babysitting a rogue royal.

Antonius put his hand on his daughter’s shoulder and directed her inside next to him. His hand lingered in the middle of her back as they walked in.

“Is everything to your liking here?” He asked, looking at her with a face that looked genuine and concerned.

"You know its my favorite place" Elana said softly. "For the most part I am happy here, just a few flies. And things are getting better Papa" Her voice was only audible for his ears. She didn't flinch from his touch as they followed her mother.

Antonius smiled at that. Elana had been his second least difficult child, but her lack of displayed curiosity in comparison to Paolo made all the difference. Though she had been the one who never got her time in the sim with him, he hoped now giving her some attention could help her along the path back to normalcy.

“I’m glad to hear that. I know it must be very difficult for you. I know you’re strong and that you can overcome this terrible trial.” He said, his voice warm as they arrived at the sitting room. He sat down in a chair near his wife.

Elana took a chair next to her parents and Gloria stayed out of the room, with the guards. She shut the door so the family could talk in private.

Elana looked at her mother. "Do you have news from the family?"

“Paolo is..withdrawn.” She replied, her eyes meeting those of her husband before returning to Elana. “Giana and Sacha are still courting and he has been on his best behavior. Giuseppe…has been quiet.”

Translation, Paulo was trying hard to figure out his place as it had changed and it was making him panic. Giana was doing as she was told, marry and stay in the good books and Giuseppe... he was plotting. Elana nodded. "Giuseppe won't be quiet for long" she said softly looking at her hands. No ring adorned them. Her fingers twisted. "I take it that the Reds are weighing the options now that Paulo has been declared?"

"The Reds are doing what they're told." Antonius said with a raise of his brows. "They happily acclaimed Paolo as Crown Prince with me. He is the one most likely to keep things nice an cozy for them, after all. Giuseppe was always a wildcard."

Elana looked at her father " And his wifes family?" She asked curiously for it was known that they enjoyed their daughter being the future Empress.

“They are furious but powerless.” Cosima said, her head down slightly. “I’ve tried to calm them down, but they aren’t interested in speaking with my anymore.”

She seemed genuinely bothered by this. She took a deep breath, hoping these tensions were only temporary.

Elana highly doubted that Jessica's family would remain silent in their anger. "Shall I ring for tea Mother?" She asked politely, letting the subject drop for now.

Outside, Kyle stood ever vigilant for any sign of danger to any member of the Royal Family.

“Tea sounds lovely.” Cosima said, smiling.

Elana stood and walked to the intercom. She requested the tea tray the returned to her seat beside her parents. Even before she had fully settled there was s respectful knock and a servant brought in the tea tray which they placed on the low table in fron of the Royal family. Bowing the servant left them alone.

Cosima poured tea for each of them and handed cups and saucers out. Antonius accepted his with a thoughtful expression.

"Elana, I had your...hint checked up on. About schooling." he said, looking up at her with a curious expression. "Your grades are excellent; your teachers have nothing but good things to say about you. I had no idea you had such interests."

Elana accepted her cup and held it in her lap as she looked at her father. "I.. tried to tell you when i got accepted but ..." she took a sip of tea. "I was informed that you would not be interested in my schooling and I should just go to that finishing school like Giana and be happy with the fact that I am an Imperial Princess. I didn't need to use my brain. I was to marry whoever was deemed worthy and be content." She gave a shrug. "So, i used my allowance to go to university. "

Antonius looked at her, his jaw set and his eyes blinking quickly. She was saying that same thing Giana had been saying all these years. Only Elana had barely mentioned anything. He wondered who had "informed" his daughters of this lie. It was an idea he found repugnant as a man who loved knowledge, and art, and literature, and music, and his children more than they gave him credit for.

"Who told you that, "Elana?" he asked, his voice small and stilted.

Elana placed her tea cup down and said "My governess Lady Kostav. And the man who over saw the nursery, Lord Morten." Morten was dead 3 years before of old age, but Lady Kostav had retired when Elana had turned 18, to her family home in old Russia. "My grades were not deemed worthy of your time Papa. Giana stopped trying all together. Giuseppe of course was a different situation back then. And I know Paulo's tutors encourage him to excel. So you have no reason to be concerned about his education."

Antonius had tried to take part in Giuseppe's education, but the boy was so easily distracted and unstudious, it would send his father into a rage. He and Cosima decided it was best for him to check in at regular intervals, but not to instruct. When Giana was born that lesson stuck and Cosima had hired Lady Kostav once she was old enough to start to learn more than just letters and numbers. Years later, when Elana was born, the system had already been in place and the royal couple had trusted these advisers who had worked with them for years to continue to teach them. When Paolo was born, Antonius could tell right away that he was different. He came home to teach him every day because the boy gave him such delight. And his teacher was a different hired from a prestigious university with several brilliant staff.

He felt silly. Had this been the reason for this divide all these years?

"I never knew they were telling you such things." he said, his voice quiet. "If I had, I would have had their tongues out."

He pressed a call button on the table near him. When an attendant walk through the doors, he looked up at him.

"Get me Silas Sharp on the phone immediately." he said coolly. Then the attendant left. Both of the Orsini women would know that name: the Director of Internal Terran Security. His secret police. He looked at his daughter and blinked, a look of unspoken shame in his eyes. "This will be corrected very soon. At least, the injustice will be dealt with."

Elana lowered her head. She had not wanted Kostav punished but she would not lie to her father about this. "I am sure Giana will raise a glass to it." she said finishing her tea. "Frankly the woman was not my friend but she ignored me mainly."

"And that is the crime." Antonius said, his voice raising to a normal level again. "You are an Imperial Princess. You should excel in every way. I was told you had no interest...you told me you had no interest. And that wrong to our family cannot be calculated or ignored. Years of division and resentment. They've done more harm to us than our enemies ever could."

By the end of his speech, he was getting quite loud and upset. Cosima reached forward and touched his leg.

"Nino, please. I know you're upset but there's no reason to get all worked up." she said, using her nickname for him.

"Papa I am sorry." Elana said her voice soft, yet there was tears in it. "The Emperor is busy, Do not disturb him with things that will upset him. He has no real interest in your interests, they are frivolous. Do not disturb him." She recited. "I am sorry Papa. I didn't mean to upset you."

“You didn’t upset me, Elana. You told me the truth.” Antonius said, leaning forward and touching her shoulder. “And truth must be valued above all things.”

"I know." She said softly. "So.. now you know my biggest secret. I have two Bachelor degrees and am going for my third."

“What I don’t know is what you want to do with this knowledge.” He said, sipping his tea finally. “That is most important of all.”

Elana took a breath "When I was little I heard that certain races used bio weapons on their enemies. That's why I chose the biological and science courses - to see if I could combat that for the Empire. The Political Sciences, is new. I applied for it before I met... anyway, I wanted to learn more so I started it."

“Do you have an interest in politics then?” Antonius asked , his tone light and curious now.

Elana nodded. "Before all of this, I started paying more attention to the news reports and such. Giana thought i was reading novels, they weren't. They were copies of laws and speeches from people in the current government. I got them off the holonet"

"Good. Keep that up." he said. "When the time comes, I'll let you know why."

At that moment, an aide entered with a tablet in his hands. On it was a man in a black suit with dark brown skin, a bald head, a trimmed salt and pepper beard, and one eye which looked like it had taken damage at some point in his life as the upper lid drooped significantly. He did not smile. Antonius stood and grabbed the device, not waiting for an announcement.

"Silas. Find one Ekaterina Kostav in Russia. Have your men show up in the night and take her into custody. If she refuses, you may use force as you must, but I want her alive. Deliver her to Shanghai and keep her there, questioning her gently on all aspects of her tutelage of Our daughters. Be gentle."

Silas nodded his understanding, his gaze consistent.

"And if others in her household stand in our way, Imperial Majesty?" he asked. Collateral damage happened and he wanted to know his limits.

"We aren't concerned with that. Just Lady Kostav and anything it takes to get her." Antonius said, his tone even.

"Yes, sir."

Antonius turned off the screen without any further fanfare and handed it back to the attendant who bowed and exited again.

Elana took a breath. "Papa... tell me... you have upped Paulo's security and moved any members of Jessica's family from his orbit."

"Paolo's bubble has been hardened, yes. He doesn't roam as freely as you and the others. This is easy, seeing as he is 14. Why do you ask about Jessica?"

"Not her, though it wouldn't hurt to watch her. I am talking about her family. Father, they agreed to marry her to Giuseppe because of what they as a family would gain. An Empress. Their Daughter, and Giuseppe maybe warm to each other but lets be honest, marriages to this family always gain the family marrying in something. And with Paulo being now Crown Prince.... they loose the one major thing they were to gain. They are sure not going to have her marry Paulo. "

Antonius scoffed at the idea.

"Of course not. They got a Princess out of the deal and that's all we ever promised. The Silvas have money, old blood, and nothing else. But I agree that they should get no chance to revenge themselves. Paolo is no less safe than you."

Elana considered his words. Promises were one thing, expectations another. "And how safe are you Papa?"

"As safe as any man can be when not hiding in a hole." he responded. "The Imperial Guard is hand picked and is constantly scrutinized by independent observers tracking their loyalty. I could ask them to take their own lives right now and they would do it. I am Emperor. We are in a bubble of thousands of military personnel at this very moment. A bubble that has never failed anyone in our family for the past 70 years. What are you getting at, girl?"

He was admittedly getting a bit annoyed at the pointed questions about security. When had she ever been unsafe?

"We are as safe as is possible. No one can be totally safe."

"Despite what people may think Papa, I do care about you and Mother. And i do not want anything to happen to you." she did not mention that if anything happened to them before Paulo turned 18..

"Very sweet, dear." Cosima said with a smile, looking to Antonius. "We feel the same about you. Is your detail satisfactory?"

"Captain Reece and his men are extremely competent." Elana said. "And our home here is very safe."

"Good." Antonius said, and then walked up to Elana, grabbing her cheek like he used to when she was a little girl and giving a friendly tug. "You're doing good, kid. Now, let's go grab some lunch."

Elana gave him a true smile and nodded. "Yes Father."

—

Several moments were taken for freshening up and transition and then the three of them were to be shown into the dining room. Before that happened, Antonius stepped outside the room and approached Lady Houghton, his face neutral.

“My Lady, we will speak privately.” He said, gesturing down the hall. “Lead the way.”

OFF