The Measure of a Husband

Posted on Fri Jul 3rd, 2026 @ 7:46am by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Lord Khalon Price

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Imperial Palace
Timeline: Date 2372-04-15 at 1430
3532 words - 7.1 OF Standard Post Measure

Emperor Antonius VI was awake and alive; he was not well, but he was alive. It signaled a hopeful return to order, but now Giana found herself wondering about her position. Her father had said he would make her his proxy, but it had been so quick when he had woken up that no one had time to drip venom into his ear against her. Perhaps they wouldn’t, perhaps she had finally proven herself competent and capable as a ruler in her own right; it hadn’t been flawless of course, but for a princess who was never educated with the role in mind, it seemed to suit her. Then again, perhaps all anyone would see her as was Princess Gigi; the thought was infuriating. What would happen in the coming days would reveal what those around her truly thought of her, and while she allowed part of herself to hope, she truly wasn’t confident anyone would have much good to say on her behalf - they never did.

Whatever the outcome, though, she had no choice but to just continue on with her life. She would never be like Elana and even consider for a moment stepping out of her position in society, and frankly she didn’t have many years of relevancy left with the next Empress likely to be a very young woman who would become the apple of everyone’s eye.

She had made her way to her office and sent a message to Khalon’s offices that she needed to see him urgently, now all there was to do was for her to sit and wait. So she did.

Khalon wasn't long in coming. He was concluding a rather contentious meeting with senators from the green and gold factions, both of which were rather upset about a new farming bill that would either give contracts to top performing Terran businesses to control certain major farming on imperial worlds or open it to a free market approach. The two factions rarely played a major part, but they did represent 21% of the senate combined, and for some reason, the major factions were split.

He arrived at Giana‘s office about 15 minutes after she sent the summons, having cut his meeting short and not being too upset about it at all. After being granted permission to come back, he opened her door and stepped inside quickly and smoothly. He was wearing a charcoal gray suit with a blood red tie.

“I came as soon as I could extract myself.”

“I’m sorry for the interruption, but it is rather important.” Giana gestured to the chair across from her. As he approached, her blue eyes studied him in his suit. “You look nice.”

“You have excellent eyesight.” He said. It was a joke, like and relaxed. He sat where he had been bid without any trouble. He regarded her. She looked full of concern and worry? But that had been quite normal for her.

Giana didn’t love Khalon, but she did care for him and had affection for him. She didn’t react to his joke, simply waited for him to settle across from her. Once he was comfortable, she spoke. “My father is awake.”

His eyebrows went up at that. It was a hint of surprise drowned in a bath of curiosity.

“That’s a change of fortunes.” He said, watching her features.

“Yes. A bit inconvenient when it happened, but certainly a joyous and welcome thing.” While she had of course felt those emotions in the moment, the past hour or so had brought reality back to the forefront. “You’ll be pleased to know Elana has been dealt with.”

“Let the record show I never complained.” He said with a grin. “What do you mean ‘dealt with’?”

“She’s been found a man and will be marrying that man… and she has decided to ostracize herself from the family. I thought she was incapable of giving nice gifts, but she surprised me.” Giana shifted slightly in her chair, sitting with a slight tension. “She will of course have to marry after me.”

“Which means you’ll have to marry soon.” Khalon said. His hopes were obviously on her wanting to marry him, but based on her vibe at the moment, he was slowly preparing to be turned down. She seemed downright unhappy. “Obviously, you must marry someone exceptional.”

“Of course.” Giana nodded and regarded him for a long, quiet moment. “I loved Sacha, but we were perhaps blinded by something born in a carefree youth. The truth of the matter is it never sat well with him that I… would always outrank him, that I would always be more powerful than he was in the public eye. He had no ambitions of his own, really, and all that jealousy and resentment festered.”

Her piercing eyes were on his face, studying him. “I understand it would be difficult for a man to accept that reality, but it is in fact the reality, and I have come to understand that it is probably one of the most important qualities I will need to search for as a husband - he can’t be jealous or envious of me, his wife.”

“Any man would be foolish to expect to outrank a Princess. You are the daughter of the Emperor. It’s a dynamic your husband should desire rather than tolerate.” He said easily. He smiled then. “He should also have power of his own…that way he doesn’t feel the need to steal yours, or to keep you down.”

“He should, in fact I encourage and support that wholeheartedly.” Giana agreed, seeming to relax a bit at his response. “Of course, any children would inherit my husband’s last name… unless I were to ascend to the throne… then they would be crowned Orsini.”

“Inevitable and understandable.” He said with a nod. “What role would you have your husband play in your affairs? Separate? Joint?”

“That would depend on my husband and it would be a conversation. It would also depend on his position. If he did not reside on Terra, we would need to come to terms on how to deal with that.” Giana motioned one of the servants over and the young woman poured some water for both of them. “Ideally, I would like my husband and I to be able to support each other in all endeavors.”

“I think that’s wise.” Khalon said with a nod. “You’re very busy and..not particularly available for that reason. Do you suppose passion should be an important part of your marriage? Is there any room for love or..at least insatiable lust?”

Giana considered his question before answering. “I’d like to think that with a properly supportive and equipped husband, we might lessen our burdens together to give more time to each other. There is room for passion of some kind, I’m sure. We will have to make room at the very least; the union is expected to produce children.”

It was far less than he was hoping for. He was the most eligible bachelor in the Empire. Marrying a woman who barely loved him seemed somehow completely unreasonable. Could he, a man so wanted, be faithful to a woman who didn’t want him?

“That seems to me like a very formal way of saying ‘not really’, Your Highness.”

Giana smiled just slightly, shifting her feet under the desk so she could reach out and run her foot lightly over his calf. “I’d very much like there to be, but I want to be realistic that this marriage may be rushed and my husband may not feel the same… then there would need to be more conversations on how to deal with that, though I’d prefer to have some time to see if passion blooms before resorting to such measures.”

“Then pick a man talented and famous at making passion bloom, ma’am.” Khalon said, catching her foot in his hand with swift reflexes. His brown hand moved up slowly to her calf where he massaged the skin there. “You’ve been nothing but business and worry for months. What you need, Your Highness, is a brief relaxation of responsibilities with someone who knows the value of your time and effort. You’ve spent so long pouring into others, it’s time you had someone pour into you.”

He smiled, handsome and bold.

Giana licked her lips, her eyes not leaving his handsome face. They’d been dancing around the edge of intimacy for quite some time, but had never fallen into bed with each other. A large part of that came from Giana’s hesitation on Khalon’s intentions. He had proven himself a climber with his actions with Elana, and now he had loyally served her. He claimed it was out of devotion to her, but the truth was it was impossible to be sure, and sleeping with a man like Khalon who was seeking more power and influence could have proven a fatal mistake. He was a charmer and knew all the right things to say, he saw her vulnerabilities; was he predatory or did he care?

Whereas she might have pulled back from the physical contact by now, she let her leg linger in his hand and enjoyed his touch. If he was a predator, he’d hunted successfully. She cared for him, had affection for him, and she thought of no one else when it came to fulfilling the role of husband.

“Yes, I’d like that. It’s been… a long time.”

“I’m confident you would.” Khalon said, moving his fingers. Then he withdrew them suddenly. “But, hypothetically, what if you discovered that you simply don't have the corresponding feelings necessary? What would become of your Lord Husband? A life of celibacy and contentment?”

When he withdrew his hand, she frowned slightly and pulled her leg back. She adjusted how she was sitting, the tension from earlier having returned. “Children are a necessity, and I would expect my husband to perform his duty to me and to the Empire to produce them. Two boys at minimum. After that, we can live as husband and wife in name only and seek others elsewhere - though I would caution him to discretion, as an exposed affair would ruin him at the least and at the worst, he may be done away with by my father or brother for dishonoring the family.”

He didn’t actually want her. She wasn’t surprised. Her eyes drifted away from him slowly. What had she done in life to be cursed like this?

“No one said your husband would desire an arrangement like that. We were talking about your desires.” He said. He noticed she had pulled back, and understood that their intensely subtle and hypothetical discussion had been mistranslated somewhere. The problem was he couldn’t speak overtly because it would spoil the courtly game. “I doubt your future husband would be mercurial as far as you're concerned. Surely, you should find a man who desires you above all other women. But there are duties of love that go beyond the mere production of children.”

“You asked what would become of my husband if necessary feelings didn’t develop; I won’t restrict his life to misery, no.” Giana slowly looked at him again. “What duties do you feel those are?”

“The duty to keep trying. To forgive. To trust each other.” He said, his tone even and confident, though last with a subtle note of meaning. “At least, that’s what I always saw in my parents.”

Giana listened and didn’t reply immediately. Instead, she turned her head to look out of the window and the sky turning all sorts of beautiful colors as the sun started to lower. “I don’t know what love looks like, Khalon, but I would try. My mother adores my father with every part of her being, but he is all she has known. My father cares for her, but he doesn’t love her in the way a woman would want to be loved - his heart belongs to his first wife in that way. My aunts and uncles all seem to have a range of disdain for their own spouses, so even there, there is nothing.”

“Maybe. Or maybe you just see relationships through that lens. Maybe you just see the bad parts.” He said. It was meant, but not something he lingered on. “That doesn’t mean life will be that way with you, Giana. I’m sure the man you marry will know what love is..and you’ll learn it too with time.”

“I hope so.” Giana nodded and even allowed a small smile. “Can you think of any other topics that might need to be addressed with a future husband of mine?”

“Yes. How soon could the wedding be?” He asked, licking his full lips as his polished shoes met her own.

“Soon. There are a few logistics that would need to be worked out, including trotting my sister out into the public eye with her intended. It would also depend on how much say my husband might like in the wedding planning. I was taking care of most things myself previously because my late fiance thought details were too boring to deal with and he would be fine with what I picked.” Giana didn’t move her feet, but felt his toes touch against her own.

“I’m sure he’d want to be involved. After all, it's an incredibly important day. It had to be perfect.” He responded.

“Then a little longer, I imagine, but I am Princess Royal; people will work themselves to death to please me in hopes of getting favor.” She took a sip of water and shook her head slightly.

Khalon leaned forward, his eyes on Giana with a sense of purpose. “Say you’ll meet me in the gardens tomorrow after lunch.”

“Well… I will have to check my schedule.” She said, smiling a bit more and by her tone she was clearly joking. “I’d be happy to.”

“”We’ll take a walk and I’ll tell you whom I think you should marry much more specifically.” He said, leaning forward. His hand found hers and he held it, kind and intimate. “You’re father’s awake. How are you doing?”

Giana turned her hand over so that she could gently clutch his hand in return. “I was very happy when he woke up, but now that the shock has worn off I’m… I’m trying not to feel much, I suppose.”

“You’re feeling something you don’t want to feel then.” He concluded, his hand still in hers. “Are you afraid?”

“In a way.” Giana admitted. “My father is going to be talking to my mother and Richard and then my brother… he was going to name me his proxy, but I’m afraid they are going to poison him against me before I even get a chance to speak with him, and when I do he won’t want to listen to me at all.”

“What do your mother, your brother, and Richard Ramsay have against you?” he asked, seeming like he genuinely had no idea. “You’ve done well as a regent; the Prince’s Rebellion, and the Council..who could fault you?”

He had been a great help to her in managing the council and the Imperial Senate, as they knew. It had been a success; he had been sure of it.

“My mother thinks I am a terrible person, and truthfully I was in the middle of dealing with the Elana issue which part of was signaling to her that this would be done with or without her consent. She had a breakdown, ran to my father, and that is when he woke up. Despite our working relationship, I don’t know that he actually sees me as anything more than a spoiled princess still. I think Paolo and I have a better understanding of each other, but he may not think to speak well of me, and when he tells our father about what happened with Giuseppe, I don’t know that he will think to mention that I pointedly tried to leave him behind so he wouldn’t be in danger.” Giana shook her head.

“Good thoughts tend to not be at the forefront of peoples’ minds when thinking of me.”

“Not for me.” He said with a smile. “They’re at the top of mind.”

He leaned forward smoothly and casually.

“So why are you waiting for other people to decide your fate for you?” He asked, opening his chocolate hands. “You need to get back in that room and set the frame yourself.”

Giana blinked. It was actually a very good question. “I suppose it is simply because he has what he wants to do planned out, and who am I to challenge the Emperor?”

“The Emperor doesn’t know how important it is for you to brief him.” Khalon said, looking directly into her eyes. “And you are his daughter as well. You owe him and yourself a clear and unbiased hearing of the truth.”

“I don’t know that he will appreciate me being assertive with him, but perhaps I should try, given everything that is at stake.” She agreed with a bit of hesitation and a slow nod.

“Do you really think you’d have to be? It’s not like he’s forbidden you to come and speak to him, has he?” Khalon asked. “You could just show up and start to tell him everything. If you share your concerns with him, even being honest about your fear that others might bad-mouth you, I imagine he might see you positively and likely not take those other peoples’ concerns as seriously.”

“I suppose that is true.” She agreed, listening to him and taking his advice to heart as she often did. “He needed rest, but in a couple hours I will go and see if he will speak to me, assuming he’s awake.”

“What else can I do for you?” He asked, running his fingers gently along her own. He had a way of being attentive that felt like he truly cared, made easy by the fact that he did.

“Just be here as you always are.” Giana answered, her expression gentling. “I hope you know how much I appreciate and value you, Khalon.”

“I think I have an idea, Giana but..” he grinned, a smile that was somehow both sexy and tender. “I do like to hear it.”

“Then I will be sure to remind you often.” She squeezed his hand again, then finally sat back. “I should let you get back to your meeting. A farming matter, isn’t it?”

“Yes. The farming bill concerning control over established farming ventures on conquered worlds. Terran textile and grain companies in particular have been sending representatives and either wiping out planetary businesses and largescale family operations or barely returning to Terra with their lives. The First Senator sponsored it, but the Royalists, and the Old and New Reds are split. They need to pick up ten percent on the positive side to pass it, so I’ve been helping them by having conversations with Golds, who want Terran companies to dominate, and the Greens, who want a free marketplace so that the strongest companies win.”

“And what are your opinions on the matter?” She asked, lacing her fingers together slightly and resting her chin in the cradle they formed.

“I appreciate the importance of strong traditions, but as you know, I am sympathetic to the cause of the New Reds like many nobles our age.” He said, opening his hands. “Boosting Terran businesses has its benefits, but the Empire would be made stronger with a competitive environment. I would like to see the bill modified to include only small carve outs for our companies, say 10 percent of arable land on newly conquered worlds. The rest could remain in the hands of smaller, more local businesses, and the people living there.”

Giana listened and nodded. “Perhaps compromise could be found in the numbers. Terran superiority is obviously quite important, but what better way to encourage our own people to be their best selves than pitting them against aliens who may very well best them if they don’t put in work? As you say, competition betters us all.”

“I’m sure I can convince enough of them to support it. After all, this proposal is the best they're going to get.” He said with a shrug, then stood. “I need to prepare for our garden stroll tomorrow. With your permission…”

“Of course.” Giana stood then, rounding her desk and approaching him. She reached for his hand, and when he took it she leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I will see you tomorrow then.”

Khalon smiled and gave her hand a squeeze, then without another word, walked out of the room.

END