Through the Shadows

Posted on Sun Dec 29th, 2024 @ 12:12am by Princess Royal Giana Orsini & Lord Khalon Price

Mission: Historiae Terrae Et Imperii
Location: The Pyramid
Timeline: Date 2371-12-27 at 1700
2225 words - 4.5 OF Standard Post Measure

The ins and outs of life on Mars had been left to his ministers and mother; Khalon was bound to Terra. The work of the Council of Lords had quickly fallen under the influence he wielded from Princess Giana, and he’d grown very good at pulling the right levers. Hosting gatherings, bribing Senators, and making veiled threats had become the work of his daily life. It showed as he grew on political astuteness and knowledge.

The High Lord of Mars, fashionable as always, walked into the outer office of the Princess Regent, his slender, muscled body adorned with a cream suit, brown shoes, and a tie of bronze. He looked like a prince himself.

He approached the desk and simply waited. The staff knew what he was after by now.

The man behind the desk greeted Khalon with a respectful nod and the typical motions began now without words exchanged by anyone. It took about thirty seconds until he looked up at Khalon and nodded again.

“She will see you now, Lord Price.”

Giana was in her office behind her desk reading a document in front of her. She had slowly come around to being more herself - at least physically - over the past few weeks. She didn’t look as hollowed out, and as she had promised CJ she had easily cleaned up and made herself presentable. She was sitting in a modest black pencil dress, her blonde hair pulled back in a neatly braided bun.

When the doors were opened and she saw Khalon stepping through, she lowered the document down to her desk. “Khalon.”

“Your Highness.” He said, his voice friendly and amiable, stepping closer to her. He’d given her the space she’d needed without even a hint of needing to be asked following Sacha’s death. They’d barely spoken on the subject, but he wasn’t suggesting they should. He paused in front of her desk. “You called for me.”

Giana gestured to the seat across from her and sat back in her own chair. Things had been… odd with him for a while, at least in her mind. She’d taken interest in him before Sacha had died and she couldn’t say it had all been professional. He excited her in a way Sacha hadn’t for a long time, and she felt guilty over that especially after his death.

“I’ve been hearing whispers of dissent in the Senate regarding the Romulan issue. Is there any truth to that?”

“Many Senators are concerned that antagonizing the Romulans is the wrong move and could put us in the wrong end of a compact between them and the Alliances.” Khalon said honestly. “Besides asking quite a lot of questions of the government, they haven’t exactly made any moves. I think they’re waiting to see what happens next.”

“We have strong evidence that the Romulans had a direct hand in the death of over five thousand Terran souls. Does that mean nothing to them?” Giana asked with a scoff.

“No.” Khalon answered, seeming unphased by how she summed up the issue. The Senate was full of heroes, and the suggestion they didn’t care about the fallen would be offensive to many. “They’re concerned that more Terrans will die if the situation isn’t handled with care. They’ve had endless debates on the subject full of impressive rhetoric if you’d like to listen to the transcripts.”

“Are they actually worth listening to?” Giana asked skeptically, her manicured brows lifting up slowly.

Khalon smiled, handsome and genuine. “Yes, if you want an exchange of philosophical rhetoric on the values of the Empire. I’d be lying if I told you I didn’t enjoy it sometimes.”

Giana made a slight face at that, then sighed and reached up to rub her forehead. “Fine. If you have a list of the better ones I’ll have my assistance collect them and listen to them; but the notion that we shouldn’t do anything to antagonize the Romulans is moronic. If we allow such a move against the Empire, we appear weak - we are weak.”

The strange thing to Khalon was that her father had reestablished the Senate to bring a sense of continuity and wisdom to the practice of government. But so far, all he’d seen is a kind of gridlock amongst them caused largely by him and the other lords on the council. He knew Antonius had intended to lead the Senate himself, but now he wondered what it’s point was. To debate and never be heard by those who decided over morning coffee?

“If you’d like. Though it doesn’t sound like you’d really enjoy it.” He said, not entirely sure why she was asking. “But my point is there’s nothing to worry about from them for now. Not in that at least.”

“I wouldn’t, but it doesn’t mean it isn’t worth hearing.” Giana replied and looked down at the document in front of her. “Is there anything else you find worth telling me?”

“Besides an ongoing debate over trade regulations or new subject worlds, it’s all pretty routine.” Khalon said, watching her beautiful eyes as she looked up at him.

“Mm… alright.” She looked down again, then licked her lips and took a deep breath. “How… have you been?”

“Busy.” He said, looking down at her and hearing her personal question, the likes of which hadn’t been asked in a month. “Very busy. Hearing the Senate is like playing whack a mole.”

“How has your mother been faring on Mars without you?” Giana followed up and finally brought her eyes up to look at his handsome face.

“She’s been having her way in every place instead of just in the Palace.” He said, grinning. “All you have to do is look at the horrified expressions on the faces of my ministers to see that. She’s happy though. It’s kind of you to ask.”

Finally, Giana cracked a smile. It was small, but it was there. “I’m glad she’s enjoying herself and that things are going well, I’d hate to think I pulled you away from your home and it was floundering without you.”

“When the Empire calls, Price men answer. We always have; we always will.” He said, his conviction obvious and unguarded. He was proud of his family’ legacy of service to Terra. “My mother knows the art of ruling, and she does it with less patience than me, so..shit gets done.”

Giana chuckled very softly at that, short but audible. “She sounds like an imposing woman.”

“She had to be to raise a boy like me.” He said with a grin of his own. “I was wild. I know that’s a surprise to you now..”

“Oh yes, quite a surprise.” She sat back in her chair and continued to simply look at him, her eyes taking in his handsome face and the way he presented himself. Always pristine and stylish. “I know I have met her in passing, but perhaps one of these days I could meet her in a more private setting instead of some grand party where I am shaking hands with half of Terra.”

“You’re not going to hear a protest from her. She’s been asking me to bring you around for weeks.” He said, winking at her charmingly. “Once you’re feeling ready, we can set a date.”

Giana’s smile faded, but it didn’t recede completely. “I don’t know if I will ever really feel ready, Khalon, but I have to… try… at some point. What better way than to meet your mother if she’s been wanting to for so long?”

Khalon listened as she spoke. It was the most human thing she’d said since the tragedy that had rocked her world. He licked his full lips and rounded her desk boldly. Pausing next to her, he daringly grabbed her hand in his.

“You have my support completely. I’m on your side, and if you want to meet my mother, I’ll make that happen for you.” He said, his voice gentle.

“I know you are.” Giana said and looked up to him as he held her hand and after a beat, she turned her chair and stood, their bodies close. “I hope you know how grateful I have been for your help and support these past weeks. I don’t know that I could have done any of this without you.”

“You didn’t have to.” He said, mostly keeping his hands to himself, though his eyes said everything as he looked at her.

“No, you were the one that didn’t have to do anything, but you chose to anyways.” Her thumb shifted slightly over his hand, the sensation of touching someone familiar but somehow distant in a strange way. “How can I repay you?”

Khalon smiled and shook his head.

“What I want I’m not asking for.” He said, his smile infectious and handsome. “How about just a smile from you?”

Giana didn’t give him his smile and instead simply considered him quietly for a moment. She pulled her hand from his, but instead of withdrawing, she shifted forward and wrapped her arms around him, pulling herself into him and giving him a hug.

The hug was sudden, warm, and a surprise for him. His own strong arms wrapped around her and held her tight. He could feel the chaos still battling inside her, and his hands moved to rub her back as he held her. He didn’t say a word.

There was a part of Giana that felt instantly guilty, but to her surprise it wasn’t as large as she thought it was going to be. She was missing human contact, and she received it from so few. She lingered in Khalon’s arms, her body tense at first but she began to relax slowly but surely. She didn’t seem in a rush to part from him; it felt good to be held.

Khalon didn’t rush the process either, holding her for several minutes without wavering or showing any sign at all of disinterest or boredom. He allowed his face to fall in her fragrant blonde hair and closed his eyes.

“It’s going to be okay, you know.” He said in a pleasing, low voice.

The only answer he received was the slight tightening of Giana’s grip and her fingers curling slightly into the fabric of his suit. She wanted to cry, but she settled for taking a slow, deep breath. This of course made her breathe him in as well, and she bit her lower lip slightly, the action hidden by her face being buried into him. Most people could say for certain that their love would have wanted them to move on and be happy, but she realized she actually wasn’t sure if that was what Sacha would want for her or not… but she could choose to think it was.

After another long moment, she finally pulled back from him and reached up to brush a few strands of hair from her face.

“That was nice.” He said with a smile. “You’re a great hugger, you know.

Giana averted her gaze, being made to feel self conscious by his comment though she wasn’t exactly sure why. She only took a beat to steady herself - a sure sign she was finding more normalcy in her life. “Would you… like to have dinner?”

“Now?” He asked, surprised at first, and then nodded. “I’d love to. Let me take you somewhere wonderful for a little while.”

“No.” She cut him off quickly and then raised her hand. “No.” This time, her voice was more gentle and sympathetic. “We’ll have dinner here. I need to be… very careful about going out in public.”

“Oh, right..” he said, pausing as If he simply hadn’t considered those pressures. He smiled then. “Here it is then. Playing it safe. Nothing wrong with that.”

Giana nodded, though this time she did feel instant regret at giving the invitation. She wasn’t about to go back on it, however. “I need to clean up and make myself presentable. When would you like to meet?”

“How about 1900? I should put on an evening suit anyway.” Khalon said, being careful not to say anything to trigger her sensitive conscience about what they were planning. “It’ll be nice to get to talk to you. It’s been quite a while since we really connected on anything but the business of the Council of Lords.”

“Alright, seven it is then.” She agreed and gave him a small smile. “We’ll meet at the same place as last time. I’ll have someone escort you if you don’t remember the way.”

“I remember.” He said with a confident nod. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be there.”

He forewent kissing her hand, knowing that her conscience was bothering her, just as he had since the death of her intended. Instead, he merely turned around smoothly and started for the exit.

END .