An Empire of Burdens

Posted on Fri Jul 3rd, 2026 @ 8:01am by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Emperor Antonius VI

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Imperial Palace
Timeline: Date 2372-04-15 at 1600
5294 words - 10.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Giana had decided to act on Khalon’s advice despite her hesitation. She had quickly identified it was born from her complicated relationship with her father and family in general. She had rarely felt like anything she had said mattered and that her father was dismissive of her, so she had hardly seen the point in trying to speak to him when he wanted to speak to everyone else. The reality was though, he had made her regent, and without knowing any of what had happened, he had said he would make her his voice; that had to count for something.

She had to hope it counted for something.

While he was scheduled to speak with Ramsay soon after waking up and would also be meeting with Paolo after that, Giana had used her pull to convince one of his attendants to be informed immediately when he woke from his rest. Within ten minutes, she entered his room with two of her attending guards carrying the deep red government boxes. Cosima was absent, likely banished by his care since she was exhausted, and he was alone outside of the nurses and his own attendants.

“Father.” She greeted him gently.

“Giana.” Antonius stated. He was sitting up in his bed which had been raised and was giving a valiant attempt at eating his first solid food in months. He was dressed in particularly fine hospital robes, but there were hospital robes all the same. He chewed something gourmet that smelled amazing. “You needed to speak with me? Come, sit.”

“Are you feeling better after your rest?” She asked, moving to sit next to him while one of the boxes placed on the side table next to Antonius while she took the other directly into her lap.

“Oh, a bit, yes. I am feeling at least strong enough to lift my arms.” He said, looking from her to the boxes. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I wanted to see if you felt like going through these boxes with me.” She offered with a smile and reached out to touch his arm. “They have the reports of what happened while you were… asleep.”

“Ah.” Antonius said, immediately calling an attendant and signaling they should get rid of his tray. Ruling was his passion since he’d taken the throne. “Yes, let’s.”

He popped open the box with surprisingly nimble fingers, all things considered. He reached in for the stack of papers, but paused.

“Are all the goodies on the bottom as usual?”

“No.” Giana leaned into him in an almost conspiratorial way. “I brought all the good stuff up to the top. I figured you could use something more exciting.”

“Mmm..” Antonius said, seeming curious but, for some unknown reason, almost reserved as he pulled the first document. “Yes, well. It’s easier not to have to turn over the box, isn't it?”

“Yes.” Giana agreed and pulled out the first document from her box. She noticed he didn’t seem himself, but didn’t think too much of it considering the situation. He had to get his feet wet again sometime. “We don’t need to do this until you finish eating though, Papa.”

“I told the servant to take the food away, Giana, I know.” Antonius said with a gentle and intellectual tone of correction. The first one was a list of major legislation passed by the Imperial Senate. He perused it in silence, reading its contents very quickly before placing it down and reaching for the next document.

Giana still wasn’t as quick as her father, but she had also been keeping up with her boxes for a long while now - except on occasion for the very tops. Every so often, she glanced at him to see if he was having any reactions. She didn’t want to press him, but his silence did make her anxious.

The next piece was on the death of Lady Isadora Montreve. Antonius looked confused and dismayed as he saw the title and read the first few lines.

“Oh my…” he said. “I didn’t expect to read this at all.”

“Yes… that was unfortunate.” Giana frowned and licked her lips. He would find out eventually - one of those who had been brought in line might try to feel brave, and whether or not he agreed with what she did, he would have been upset she hadn’t been up front with him. “This report also isn’t… entirely accurate.”

“Oh?” He asked, looking up at Giana without saying much else, his cool blue eyes expectant but his mouth silent.

“Isadora was the leader of the Blues, the silent ones that escaped when you dealt with King and his lot. The report is accurate in cause and reasoning - she and the others were refusing to allow for the proper ceremonies for those we lost, trying to press for reforms, testing the authority of the regency. It was beginning to unravel, unrest was starting to brew and people were beginning to question our effectiveness.” Giana licked her lips, looking into his eyes and not shying away, feeling it was best.

“So I invited the council of lords to a dinner, and made an example of her.”

Antonius listened without emotional interaction, though a silent rippling of thought happened behind his eyes.

“And you did this alone? Did you wield the knife yourself or did you command the Imperial Guard?”

“Not alone, no.” Giana shook her head. “I gave the command, but it was Lord Price who wielded the knife in my stead.”

“Ah.” Antonius said, seeming the process only for an instant before continuing to skim the document. He really wasn’t giving her much to go on. “And now it seems the politics of the Senate are…well in hand?”

“They are, yes.” Giana confirmed. “The message was… well received… and the remaining stragglers of the blue faction have been brought to heel. For now.”

“Good.” He said, nodding, but shifting to another paper without saying more.

When he shifted to another paper, Giana just looked at him. Her blue eyes moved rapidly over his face and body, trying to figure out what he was feeling or thinking. Eventually, she gave up and spoke slowly again. “I did what I thought you would have done…”

He looked up at her with an expression that wasn't unkind. His eyes lingered on her beautiful features and he could see the insecurity in her eyes. She was a contradiction. Charming the court, violently dominating the political apparatus, and desperately desiring his approval and affection.

“I see that very clearly.” He said. “This one is about the end of Giuseppe‘s rebellion.”

Giana placed her hand on his. “You should go over that one with Paolo when he gets here later.”

“Why?” Antonius asked, pausing in his reading, seeming temporarily compliant but not entirely intending on waiting. “This document is about the fate of my firstborn. How could I wait?”

“Because Paolo wants to talk to you about it himself.” Giana replied evenly. “At least the details.” She placed her hand on top of her father’s over the paper he held.

“He’s dead, Papa. That was his fate.”

“I can read and reserve judgement until I talk to Paolo.” Antonius resisted. “I don’t need my thoughts managed, Giana.”

Whereas before Giana might have become annoyed and retaliated with heat, she simply remained just as she was, her hand on his and her eyes on his face. When she spoke again, it was gently imploring; it was clear she wasn’t trying to manage him, but was trying to advocate for her younger brother’s desire. “Papa, please… for Paolo.”

Antonius looked at her with irritation in his eyes, silently contemplating the request. Surely there was no harm in waiting, and yet he truly desired to know what had happened to his Empire and his children.

“Fine, gods be good, fine.” He said, shifting the paper away and quickly picking up another one. “Ah yes, the Romulan betrayal. A deeply pressing topic.”

“Thank you, Papa.” She said, another rarity coming from her previously. She picked up the next paper with him, unable to stop the frown that appeared. While she was moving on in life, it still saddened her deeply to think of Sacha and what had befallen him. He was her first love, and he would always have at least a small part of her for that.

“Yes…”

The emperor simply began to read the document in silence, saying nothing. His eyes remained focused on the paper, but as he got halfway through the document, his aging hand moved to Giana’s and held it tightly. Observing him, it was impossible to tell what he was feeling, but the intensity of the grip of his hand signaled her grief at her loss and understanding.

“Admiral Faraday is the vanguard of their suffering for these conspirators.” He said, putting the paper down only when he was done and looking into her eyes. “A minority party..the First Consul can’t even control her own republic.”

It was strange, but until that moment when her father squeezed her hand, she hadn’t considered that now she knew part of his grief at the loss of Pia so many years ago, and he actually understood something in her life perfectly. It brought a rush of emotion, but she tamped it down by clearing her throat.

“No…” She spoke the word, it was shaky, and she tried again with an effort to remain steady. “No, she can’t. This has been the largest recent issue we have been working on, and we are close to figuring out the next steps.”

“I saw the suggested replacement.” Antonius said, her hand still tightly in his despite the fact his words were all business. “We have reason to believe this Commander Nairok can unite Romulus?”

“Yes. He is extremely popular with the men and women of their military. He is a natural, charismatic leader who has been a staunch supporter of our alliance with his people, and seems to know we are to be respected for our power. Our source has indicated he has been pursuing his own investigation about the incident that occurred.” Giana supplied, steadier now that she had pressed on.

“And…can he be controlled?” Antonius asked, looking at her with curious eyes. It almost seemed like a test of her knowledge of the subtle and secretive details of Terran operations.

“Yes, but it may come at the cost of sacrificing one of our citizens to do so.” Giana frowned, seemingly mildly bothered by the thought, but not enough to speak against it.

“Tell me what you mean?” He asked, leaning toward her a bit, his hand remaining where it was.

“Our contact is a woman on his ship, a Terran agent who willingly underwent genetic resequencing to become a Romulan for our purposes. She is Nairok’s lover. Obviously if she is discovered, she will be killed and this whole plan will fall apart, but if she is extracted safely and taken from him, the result may be the same.” Giana explained, her eyes on his face.

“Well then she will simply have to remain.” Antonius said as if we were the most simple and obvious thing in the world. “After all, she's hardly the only one we have in the Republic, is she?”

“No, but she would be serving a very public and important role, potentially. If she is going to make that sacrifice, I think she should be honored for it, and we should make sure she has every resource we can give her to make sure the story of her Romulan background isn’t full of holes.” Giana felt for the woman. To be so far from home would be terrible. To be stuck in someone else’s skin would be terrifying. The thought of having to potentially live the rest of one’s life like that though… it was unimaginable.

“She is an Imperial Intelligence agent, Giana. She knows her business.” Antonius said. “Feel free to inquire about her wellness and resources, but so would be astounded if you found a single flaw in her story. We are…quite good.”

“Alright, papa. Thank you.” She nodded, seeming content enough with his answer even if it was mildly dismissive.

He lashed then, looking at her. He seemed as if he wanted to say something, and his lips parted, but no sound came out. His eyes were full of concern and a very clear and obviously present pain.

“Now….what’s next?”

Giana looked at the box, but out of the corner of her eye she saw his face. Slowly she turned her head so she could look into his eyes, and she found herself frowning slightly in concern. They didn’t discuss feelings, but this was hard to ignore.

“Is… is something wrong?”

“No, I just feel for you, Giana. That’s all.” Antonius said, squeezing her hand. “It’s a hard thing to lose love so young.”

Very slowly, she nodded, and finally she tightened her hand on his. “I came to see you when it happened… I wanted so badly for you to wake up.”

“Well I’m sorry I couldn’t.” He said with a frown. “But I’m here now. And Romulus will bleed for this.”

“Yes, they will.” She agreed quietly, the briefest flash of anger appearing in her eyes, but then driving away.

“You should know Lord Price will likely be proposing tomorrow.”

“That's very good.” He said, a small smile appearing on his lips, though it was cautious. “And, are you looking forward to that?”

Giana didn’t answer immediately, and actually seemed to give the question a moment of consideration.

“Yes.” She finally settled.

“That’s good.” He said, the shadow of a smile waiting behind his eyes. He loved his daughter, but he didn’t know how to communicate emotionally. Somehow he had lost that skill long ago. So he put on a smile and hoped it came across as the affection it was. “Why are you really here, Giana? I could have gotten this box from anyone.”

She took in a slow, deep breath and considered her words. “Because I wanted to talk to you before anyone else could and go over the things I have done in your absence with you; answer any questions you may have had, listen to what you may have done differently, or listen to you berate me for doing wrong.” She smiled just a bit on the last one, communicating she was joking - mildly.

“I am concerned that no matter what I do, no matter how successful I have been with this role you have given me, the people around me still see me as nothing but Princess Gigi, and I know I have made decisions that while were correct were certainly not popular with mother and Richard. I… didn’t want to give them a chance to speak against me first, because I know you too have struggled in the past to see me as more than.” It wasn’t an accusation, if anything it was spoken with some sort of sad acceptance.

“I wanted to make sure you saw me.”

Antonius reached for her, his eyes on her. She thought he didn’t understand, but like so many children, she simply didn’t like how he showed his understanding. His lips parted several seconds before he actually spoke, watching her carefully and calmly.

“Now, this next thing I say, Giana, I want you to listen to me very carefully. Do not dismiss it or treat it as either some form of sentimentality or brutality depending on how it makes you feel.” he said. “Will you do this?”

“Yes, Papa.” She agreed readily and with the enthusiasm of a daughter who simply and desperately wanted to please her father.

“Good.” he said, then put his hand on hers again. “There is no curse or evil spell that’s worse than ones we give ourselves. Now, I blame you for none of your terrible challenges growing up…you were punished and taught to blame yourself for everything; hold yourself responsible for everything. But now, Giana Bella, you aren’t being blamed or held responsible, and yet you still feel the weight…of that burden.”

He pushed down on her hand gently, causing it to move down to her knee.

“It is causing you to sink into your mind…your self-talk, your personal doubt and image. No one can see those things about you. You have done an excellent job, and no one can change my view of that because I see your actions…as they are.” he held her hand tighter now. “Princess Gigi isn’t real. She is a girl you made up to stand behind…so you could survive your life. You do not need her anymore!”

He raised his voice suddenly, but there was no anger in it.

“Kill her. Before she kills you.”

Giana had listened to her father quite intently, and it was clear to him it wasn’t simply her acting like she was doing so. Surprisingly, her expression really didn’t give much of what she was feeling or thinking away, and when he finished, she remained just as she was. The truth, however, was that her mind was racing and her heart was pounding, but over her years of being paraded about as the most public face of the family, she was disturbingly good at presenting a calm front no matter what was happening when she needed to. Antonius’ words were affirming, loving even, and really all she wanted to hear from him, but when he spoke of how Princess Gigi wasn’t real, her feelings wavered.

He had helped create Princess Gigi, him, her mother, Giuseppe, Elana, Paolo… her tutors, the friends she was “given”… was she made up? Perhaps he was right, but what would happen if she went away? In her mind, he was asking for a huge amount of trust from her. Princess Gigi was safe; the masses adored Princess Gigi. Even those in higher society liked her to a point, and many that didn’t at least understood she was necessary. Of course not everyone loved Princess Gigi, that was simply reality.

But what did they know of Princess Giana? Did they love Princess Giana? Did they value her? Did their daughters aspire to be like her? She sat back in her chair slowly. If she was let down again, what would become of her if she didn’t have Gigi to retreat back to? Who was going to value her? What was to stop Antonius from changing his mind just as he had with Giuseppe and pushing her into what amounted to disgrace? He would have a very hard time doing that to Gigi because of public outcry, but Giana?

He watched her as she battled her mind. Telling the anxious to stop being anxious could be like telling water to stop being wet. Truly, trauma cut deeper than a sword. He said nothing and merely watched her as she did battle with herself. Only she would be able to decide if she was going to end her constant identity seeking and be great.

Giana knew very well what the problem was in the end though, Gigi and Giana could not exist together. There was only room for one, otherwise she would live her life doing things exactly like what she was doing at this very moment with her father. It was no way to live. She licked her lips, and slowly turned her head to the side, she looked at nothing but something at the same time. Gigi was familiar, and through her she found the love she had been terribly lacking in her life; deep down though she knew it was shallow and it would evaporate as time siphoned away her youth and beauty. Gigi had served her well, but it was time. It had to be time, and despite everything in her past, she had to make the impossible choice to try and trust her father - and later her brother - one more time.

As slowly as she had turned her head from him, she oriented back to facing Antonius, and then gave a slight nod. “You’re right.”

He gave her a look as though it was the last thing he’d expected her to say. Indeed, it wasn’t something she had ever said when it wasn’t totally necessary.

“Hmmm….” he started, then he spoke poetically, “Perhaps power has straightened your path; perhaps war has shattered your will; perhaps loss has broken your heart.” he looked at her closer then, his hand returning to her hand. “Perhaps love has seeped in between the cracks.”

Maybe she had died with Sacha. Tears suddenly welled in her eyes. Maybe Sacha and Gigi could be happy together, away from everything like he had always wanted. Maybe it had always needed to be that way. What love could have seeped between the cracks? What love was left? She was fighting for everything.

“Perhaps, Papa.”

He sat with her for a while, the weight of words unspoken weighing down his lips so that they hung open. He never talked about it. He didn’t know what to say about it. Yet, eventually, the Emperor did speak.

“Half a century ago, I suffered…the worst tragedy a young man could imagine.” he said, and he meant it that way. At the time he couldn’t have imagined anything hurting more. “I have suffered many more since then, but that one…was the first and it stung like fire in my veins.”

He laughed then, feeling tears come to his eyes he refused to let fall.

“She used to call me ‘Tony’, can you imagine?” he asked, his voice thickening with grief. He kept his composure, but barely. “Tony was a very different man…very different. But it was Antonio who married your mother…Antonio who fathered you…and Antonius who sits before you now, Lord of the Terrans. We cannot keep all our playthings..”

“They were never playthings though… and we lie to ourselves calling them that. We loved them deeply, they were a part of us, and they took that part with them.” Giana frowned and took a slight, shuddering breath.

“Does it ever stop? Thinking about them in the quiet moments? Thinking about them when you catch sight of something you know they loved? Do they ever stop visiting in dreams?”

Antonius nodded. 10,000 times in 10,000 different ways. Instead of answering, he seem to look at his daughter and raised his brow. “If it did, we would dread it. We would fret and rave and rage against the fading for those memories. what a horrible thing it is to forget the ones we love. The laughs… The moments only we remember.”

“But it hurts.” Giana protested, her voice wavering with emotion.

“Yes.” He said, offering nothing profound. “Yes, it hurts.”

“Does that part ever stop?” She asked, looking into his eyes for reassurance that it did, but already knowing the answer.

He blinked and was silent for a little while, but then responded simply. “For those who heal, it gets better.”

Giana’s lips moved upward just a tad, but it was anything but happy. “But it doesn’t stop?”

“No.” He said simply then. “No, it doesn’t.”

She nodded slowly, pausing to collect herself and allow herself a moment to process the truths of what he was saying. She licked her lips then, her hand drifting over his. “How did you make it work with mama?”

Antonius frowned and looked at Giana. “What are you talking about ‘make it work’?”

“You didn’t love her when you were married. You were forced into it.” Giana pointed out. “So… how did you make that work?”

He narrowed his eyes at that.

“I didn’t know her. My grandfather selected her because, as he said, she was the most beautiful girl he’d seen all week.” He said, chuckling a bit, mirthlessly. “But I never said I didn’t love your mother. Ever. She’s my wife…my partner in love. I wouldn’t switch her for any woman in the universe, even Pia.”

Giana wasn’t sure she believed that, but that also wasn’t something she was trying to explore at the moment. “But you didn’t at first, and maybe not for a while… so what was your life like?”

“Well, we got to know each other..we became fond, we got pregnant…and we grew to love each other with time. Most arranged marriages are like that. Bound by duty and commitment, perfected with love.”

His daughter hesitated then, a question on her lips that she knew was very inappropriate, but she desperately wanted to ask it. He’d likely take offense, maybe even be angry with her, but she desperately wanted to know what to expect from the male side of the equation, and he was the only one she knew in this situation to ask.

“And in that… time until you grew to love each other… did you have other women?” She asked slowly. “I don’t ask to judge… I just… I want to know what to expect.”

Antonius turned to her, watching her, and trying to understand the true meaning of the question.

“At the time I married your mother, I wasn’t interested in women. I lived and breathed books, art, music, philosophy…I left no room for such things.” He said, looking her up and down. “I wasn’t Khalon Price. I was a..nerd of a Grand Duke who worked too much at my teaching job.”

“But you married her, and you became interested enough to perform your… duty.” Giana fought not to make a face. No matter what age or what circumstance, it was commonly uncomfortable to consider one’s parents having sex. “Nothing more?”

“Your mother was young and very beautiful. It didn’t take much work.” He said with an almost chuckle. “She adored me from the start and..I suppose that won me over rather quickly. It’s hard to resist the genuine love of a woman.”

He turned to the door, setting his eyes on a memory rather than his daughter.

“I would do much to make her happy. And I have.” He looked to her. “I should have done less I’m afraid.”

“What do you mean?” Giana frowned at that.

“There were times in the family I should have been stronger..more decisive.” He paused then. “Life has its many regrets, Giana, That’s all Im trying to say I suppose. But you did what you came for.”

“No one is perfect.” Giana lifted her shoulders in a shrug. “You did what you thought was right, learned from what mistakes you could, and you hope those you can’t learn from, others do.”

Antonius nodded, but he didn’t respond to the idea verbally. Instead, he simply looked at Giana. She had come here to unburden herself, and he wondered what else she had to say. He wanted her to be happy just as he wanted Elana and Paolo to be happy, but he was not only their father; he was Emperor.

“A prince is a simple thing. He will find his way in the dark and, eventually, may even get a role of real responsibility to pass down to his children. Elana..was more like a son in that way. The princess is driven into the spotlight by everyone, especially herself, though she rarely notices that part.” He admitted with a nod. “You are to marry the High Lord of Mars, but it’s very unlikely your children will inherit both Mars and the Northern Dominion. Does that…infuriate and terrify you?”

Giana had noticed. It had been hammered into her over her whole life that she was the face of the family. In a perfect world, she shouldn’t have had to shoulder that burden alone and she should have been able to share it with her sister, but the fact she loved books had softened their father to her and she had been allowed her life as a recluse. Giana wondered if that was one of his regrets. She refocused her attention on her father. “It doesn’t terrify me, but it does frustrate me. I know a large part of the reason you gave it to me was that my chosen husband lacked a title and didn’t want one for himself, but I have been a good lady to the Northern Dominion, and I think it will be lessened without my hand.”

“Hmm..” he said, seeming to be considering her words seriously. “Where will you raise your children? Split between two places? Or will one place be without their Lord?”

“It is something we will need to discuss, but since it is a trivial matter to go between Terra and Mars, neither place would need to be without their lord for any sort of extended period, realistically.” Giana replied. “Our current positions and activities see us favoring Terra, though.”

“Hmm..” Antonius said, as if he had learned some information he had been seeking from the exchange. He turned away without another word on the topic. “Let Lord Khalon know to expect a summons from my office once I can dress and go to my desk.”

“Ah… alright.” Giana frowned slightly. “Though.. I think he was planning on proposing tomorrow, Papa. Do you think your doctors will advise you to get up that quickly?” She didn’t say “allow”, because no one could tell the Emperor what he could and could not do, but ignoring their advice would have been incredibly unwise. “Or should I tell him to hold off until you two speak?”

“After the proposal will be fine. We can simply hold off on the announcement for a few days. It’ll give the Household Press Office time to wrap their minds around it anyway and give Elana time to be seen with her intended.” the emperor said, clearly not meaning to disrupt her plans. “Is there anything else, Giana?”

“No, Papa.” Giana replied after giving it an actual moment of thought. She squeezed his hands then, and leaned in to kiss his cheek. “I’m happy you’re awake. I couldn’t imagine you not being at my wedding.”

A smile suddenly creased Antonius’s aged eyes and he returned the grip Giana had given him. Things had certainly changed with her, and he was grateful for that.

“The gods strengthen our Empire every day. And they will strengthen our family as well. You’ll be blessed with children, and me with long life.” He said in a voice that communicated full confidence in what he was saying.

“Yes. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for our next little Grand Duke in the family, hm?” Giana smiled at him and moved to stand. “Would you like me to leave the box for you, or have it taken?”

“Leave it. I've rested enough.” he said, his voice, confident and stronger than it had been the last time she spoke to him. One could already see the color and life coming back into his face.

“Alright, Papa. If you need anything I’m not far.” She gave him one more parting squeeze of his hand and then finally moved to leave the room and him with some peace before his next visitor.

END