Family Favors

Posted on Mon Mar 4th, 2024 @ 4:28am by Count Raoul Orsini Hale, Lord of Brazil & Major Sacha Lavigne & Crown Prince Paolo Orsini

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: Palácio da Alvorada, Brazil
Timeline: Date 2371-09-02 at 2015
3319 words - 6.6 OF Standard Post Measure

ON

Following the very unfortunate exchange at the Azure Dragon, Sacha and Paolo returned to their limousine. They sat in silence for several moments as neither of them wanted to break into what had just happened. After the vehicle had been in motion for nearly five minutes, Paolo looked over at Sacha and smiled.

“What did you do to her to make her hate you like that?” He asked, with an uncomfortable curiosity on his face.

“Honestly? I treated her like she didn’t matter. I used her and ignored her often.” Sacha said, his voice low as his eyes watched the bustling streets outside the window. “You’re too young to understand.”

“I’m not. I just haven’t had it explained to me yet.” Paolo said, dismissive of the idea he couldn’t comprehend what happened between the former couple. “Why did you do those things?”

“I was hung up on your sister. I didn’t care about anyone that wasn’t her.” Sacha responded wistfully.

“Why?” Paolo asked next, studying the side of Sacha’s face calmly.

“I don’t know.” Sacha said even quieter, and then they were completely quiet.

Twenty minutes later, the pair were exiting a different limousine on the other side of the planet, having used a government transporter to make their way to Brasilia. As they approached the modern palace, walking past the pond which reflected the sky like glass, they were approached by an aide who had spotted them pulling up unannounced.

The woman was middle aged and slightly thicker set with a welcoming face and warm grey eyes. She was dressed in a dark navy shift dress that was belted by a fine leather belt in the middle and wore a simple set of dark brown pumps and gold earrings; her brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun. She looked mildly concerned and nervous, but was still projecting a warmth and welcoming to the men as they all closed the distance to each other. Once she was appropriately close enough, she stopped where she was and curtsied.

“Imperial Highness, Mr. Lavigne, welcome to the Palácio da Alvorada. My name is Isabelle. Is there something that I may assist you with?”

“I need to see my Lord Cousin right away.” Paolo said, a determination in his step that mirrored the movements of the woman but with less anxiety. He had a tone that suggested he was serious. “Is Lord Raoul present?”

“Of course, sir. He is in his study. Please, come this way.” She turned her body slightly toward the house and preceded Paolo when he gave her the nod to do so. While the Ivers family had kept the grounds fairly well, since the return of the proper Hale lord, things had once again been restored to their immaculate state fitting of royalty. There were simply some things one couldn’t understand if they were not part of the blood.

They moved into the main house full of its simple elegance: woods, tasteful decorations, rich leathers and luxury fabrics. It communicated wealth and opulence without being gaudy or garish. Isabelle seemed to understand the mostly unspoken assignment and was moving with a quick step through the long hallways, taking a few turns and then finally slowing. As they stopped just shy of one of the carved mahogany doors, Isabelle turned to Paolo and Sacha and gave a respectful half bow.

“One moment please. Allow me to announce you.”

She turned and walked into the study, closing the door behind her only to walk back out seconds later, this time leaving the door opened. She indicated inside. “Please.”

Paolo and Sacha followed her invitation by walking into the room. It was familiar to Paolo, but Sacha had never been there before. He set his eyes on the massive windows and the foreign art.

Raoul was standing in the middle of the medium sized room to receive them. It was filled top to bottom with shelves full of books and decorative small art pieces with the obvious exception of the single large window that spanned the entirety of the back wall and offered a stunning view of the gardens. There was a small, functional desk and comfortable chair set up on the left side of the room; this wasn’t Raoul’s office so it didn’t have many amenities or clutter. On the right side there were two plush dark red leather armchairs with a matching loveseat arranged around an oval coffee table. It was meant to be a comfortable area for reading.

“Cousin.” Raoul greeted with a respectful half bow.

“Raoul, it’s good to see you.” Paolo said, smiling in a courteous manner as he reached forward to offer the handshake. He wasn’t sure how much Raoul knew about the current situation. To the best of his knowledge, information had been restricted to ‘need to know’, but in a vast political system like theirs, that could be hundreds of thousands of people or more. Telling would be a dangerous bet, but not likely for him. “I hope all is well with you.”

“Well enough.” Raoul replied, returning Paolo’s handshake with a firm one of his own. He was dressed in a simple white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and the first few buttons open, showing off a hint of his muscular chest. A dark wash jean and comfortable moccasin style shoes completed the everyday look. The young lord was a handsome man with his barely tamed curly hair, athletic physique, and beautiful green eyes that stood out as a rarity on his complexion. He turned to Sacha and offered a small but easy smile.

“We haven’t had the chance to meet formally. Raoul Hale.” He offered his hand to Sacha. He’d seen the man with Giana of course, but they’d never had an opportunity to speak.

“Nice to meet you.” Sacha said, giving good eye contact and shaking the younger man’s hand. He had a casual way about him, as usual, and didn’t care much for formalities. “Nice place you have here. More my style than any palace the family has except for the Tower in New York.”

Raoul smiled. “Thanks, I can’t take credit for everything though. Please, both of you come sit down. Would you like something to drink?”

“No, we’re alright.” Paolo answered for both of them, taking one of the offered seats while Sacha took the other.

As the trio took their seats, Raoul looked at Paolo again, his face full of sympathy. “How is your father, Paolo? Is there any news?”

He knew then. Good. It would make things much easier.

“As of a few hours ago, his condition had stabilized, but he hasn’t woken up. They don’t know when he will be at this point.” Paolo said, looking sad about what he was saying, but still very much composed. “Thank you for asking. We’ve actually come in some need related to what’s going on.”

“We are praying for his swift recovery.” Raoul nodded, regarding the boy who was hardly older than his own brother. Raoul himself was intimately familiar with the pain of losing a father, but the loss of the Emperor would bring so much more. Sitting on the loveseat alone, he leaned forward slightly. “What is it you need, cousin?”

“As you know, Giuseppe is a dangerous and treasonous rebel who, by an act of the Senate, has been declared an enemy of the people. My father wasn’t able to solve the problem while he was alive, so I talked Giana into taking a direct hand. Our problem is..”

“She left us, the silly girl.” Sacha finished, shaking his head. “It’s dangerous, for one, and she has no idea what she’s doing. We need to get to her, but we have no way to get the prince off the planet.”

“We were hoping…” Paolo said, pausing for a few seconds, “you might have a shuttle or runabout we can borrow so we can fly under the radar.”

Raoul sat back then, crossing his legs while he reached up to rub his bearded chin slightly with his hand. They’d come to the right person of course, not only was he Lord of Brazil, but with his mother owning the UP shipyards, he had easy access to what they needed. The problem was given what they had said, this obviously wasn’t something above board and that could be risky for his own position.

After a long, tense moment, he sighed slightly. “I can help you, but I have something I would like to say first.”

“Of course.” Paolo said with a shallow nod of his head, not expressing any emotion at the suggestion that he was getting what he wanted. Instead, he tried to remain objective.

“I understand why you may feel responsible for your sister doing this,” he looked to Sacha and nodded, “and of course I understand why you would want to protect your fiancé.”

He looked at Paolo again, his expression kind and even. He wasn’t trying to lord over Paolo by any means, but give sound advice. “However, I ask that you stop and consider one more time what you are thinking about doing, cousin. This is a time of crisis for the Empire as you know; you are the heir to the Empire. Is it wise or right for you to leave right now with the state of things, especially to chase your sister into a war zone? What if something were to happen to you, or to both you and your sister? Then what if something went wrong and your father doesn’t wake?”

Raoul frowned, obviously not enjoying bringing these things up, but he had the expression of a man who felt it was necessary. He doubted Paolo hadn’t thought about it, but he needed to think about it again. “I strongly urge you to remain here while Sacha goes to your sister.”

Paolo furrowed his brow, his mind turning the proposal over in his mind. Of course, it occurred to him he might be in danger if he went along, but he hadn’t actually thought about what would happen to the Empire if he didn’t live. If he and Giana died and his father didn’t make it, it would be Elana followed by a bloody civil war, and then gods knew who. Perhaps even Raoul.

He shook his head, deciding once and for all exactly was he was going to do.

“I have studied the documents in my government box closer than the secretaries that provide them. I have attended supreme council meetings, I have attended strategy meetings, and I have been tutored by the Imperial Secretary for Defense and the Grand Admiral. Believe me when I say, I have no disrespect for my sister, but she has spent the last 30 years of her life deciding what dress to wear. She has no idea what she’s doing.”

He looked at Raoul, a resolute, though calm expression.

“I’m going. I’m tired of reading reports of failures I have no chance to correct. I can do something now; actually do something. I’m going to, one way or another .”

Raoul lifted a brow, having a few questions in his mind, but he didn’t ask them at that point. “I have no intention of stopping you and I will help you as I’ve said. Keep in mind though, Paolo, that reading is one thing, actually witnessing and doing firsthand is another.” He paused and considered a moment. “I’ll send you in a runabout. They are faster and sturdier.”

“Thank you.” Paolo said. It was an obvious sign of his age that he didn’t. He did the Wise warnings of his cousin. Inside him, however, stirred a desire for competence. He wanted to prove himself, even if only he knew he had, and sitting back and letting others safeguard the Empire while he waited for a new round of papers detailing what had been done was off the menu for now. “I will do my best to stay alive.”

“Please do, because if you don’t come back it will probably be the end of my house too. I don’t have any sons to replace me, and a vengeful father can be rather cruel.” Raoul just smiled, “I don’t think his love for my mother will save me if he finds out I was the one that lent the shuttle to his son that ended up carrying him to his death.”

“Then we’re both a bit reckless here.” Paolo said with a grin, standing up. “Thank you again. I won’t forget this.”

“I’ll need about an hour to make sure this is covert enough to not draw attention. Please feel free to wander the grounds or if you are hungry, something can be prepared for you. Is there anything else you need?” Raoul asked and moved to stand as well.

“No, we should be fine.” Sacha said, looking pleased. He stood up too and offered his hand to Raoul. The shake was firm, and his eye contact serious. “Thank you, my friend. I am so grateful for your help.”

Raoul took Sacha’s hand again firmly and returned the look he was given, his green eyes projected an easy confidence and reliability. “You’re welcome.”

Releasing Sacha’s hand he looked between both him and Paolo. “If you’ll excuse me now, I’ll go and get that arranged. Isabelle will come find you both when everything is ready.”

Paolo and Sacha acknowledged what they had been told and then walked out together, starting their own stroll around the grounds. Once they were standing outside the building and walking by the tall stone structures that held it up, Paolo looked at Sacha.

“I have a question for you, Sacha.”

“What’s that?” Sacha asked, accepting the sense of relief that was washing over both of them.

“Do you think those things Erin said about you are true? That you can’t change and that you’ll make Giana miserable?” he asked with a curious expression. There was a surprising lack of judgment in it, but he was always a fair-minded boy.

“Oh damn, kid. Really big question.” Sacha remarked, putting a hand through his dirty, blonde hair, and stepping casually next to the crown prince. “To tell you the truth, I have no idea. But if there's one thing I’ve learned since being with her, it's that a man has a choice to make every day. So far, I’ve made the right choice. I think, in the end, she’s hurt that I wouldn’t make it for her.”

“Well…” Paolo paused, looking confused and dissatisfied. “How do we pay for the bad things we do? How do you make it right if you can’t even be forgiven?”

Sacha waited several seconds before he finally produced another unsatisfying answer.

“Clearly sorry isn’t enough sometimes. I don’t know if you can. What’s done is done.”

Paolo frowned even deeper at that. He didn’t respond, but it was clear he didn’t like the answer at all. The two of them kept walking together in silence as they thought, the Brazilian sun warming their heads as it started to set in the distance.

It was a little less than an hour later that Isabelle appeared nearly out of nowhere, approaching Sacha and Paolo with a respectful and congenial smile on her face. She gave a curtsy and then spoke immediately. “Lord Hale has sent me to collect you. Please follow me.”

They made their way through the gardens and back along the outside of the estate to the small transporter pad inside. They materialized then in a shuttle hangar that was filled with several craft which looked immaculately maintained except for one vessel - something that looked akin to a Captain’s yacht from a fleet ship - that appeared to be in some disrepair. In the middle front of the bay was a runabout type vessel with Raoul standing next to it speaking with another man.

Paolo strode out before Sacha slightly, stopping just short of Raoul’s presence in order to courteously allow the man to finish his conversation uninterrupted. He eyed the runabout. He’d never been aboard this model before, but had obviously seen them in person and in technical manuals.

It took only a moment more and the man Raoul had been speaking to left, not turning around to see Paolo or Sacha and instead ducked under the nose of the runabout and headed off in that direction. Raoul then turned, his eyes immediately going down to his shorter cousin. “Good, you’re here. This is one of the best runabouts I have. Faster and sturdier than a shuttle. More room too.”

His eyes then moved up to Sacha though he spoke to them both. “If you need, I do have someone who can pilot this shuttle for you. I trust them, they won’t give you away.”

“I’ll take that deal. I’ve got some mediocre piloting skills from my marine training, but I don’t know if we’ll be able to talk ourselves through the tight security net without having to account for all our passengers. We might need to slip out.” Sacha said, looking around the pristine room. “We can drop him off at the nearest opportunity long before we get to where we’re going.”

Nodding, Raoul indicated to the open hatch. “He’s already aboard and running the flight checks for you. After you.”

He followed Sacha and Paolo into the runabout and up to the cockpit where up at the front in the pilot’s chair an older man with dark brown skin and black hair flecked with some grey was sitting. He spoke to get the man’s attention. “Rajesh.”

The chair turned to reveal the middle aged man who stood to a not so impressive height. He had a bit of extra weight all over his whole body, but carried himself with the poise of someone who had been in the military once. Though he was wearing a jacket that hid his arms, if one looked at the man’s hands, one could see something was slightly off about the left one.

“Imperial Highness,” Rajesh greeted with a bow. “It is an honor.”

“Rajesh,” Paolo repeated in greeting without bowing or extending his hand. It wasn’t customary, for all the honor due was to him. Still, he was always very pleasant and respectful. “You will be ferrying us past the Terran System blockade without having us be detected. Can you do that?”

“I can and will, Highness.” The older man nodded with an easy smile on his lined face. “We will leave at once.”

“Very good.” Paolo said, turning to Raoul and offering his hand once again with a smile. “Thank you again, cousin. I will, of course, reimburse you for every expense as befits the dignity of the Crown, as soon as I return.”

Raoul shook Paolo’s hand, offering a nod of familial warmth and then turned to shake Sacha’s hand as well. “Good luck to you both, be safe. Our prayers will be with you. Rajesh, we’re counting on you.”

“Of course, my lord.” Rajesh bowed his head respectfully.

“Let’s go then.” Paolo said to Sacha and Rajesh, then he watched as Raoul stepped down the ramp and the door closed. In the next few seconds, the runabout was off the ground and launching into space. The journey wasn’t a very long one, but it wouldn't be easy.

END