Ah, the little dinner party. I almost forgot the reason I was heading toward the dining hall in the first place. It seems that mother has invited the Chancellor, but why?
As we reach the towering doors, Thoris pushes them open with a casual strength that belies their weight. The sound of the doors groaning on their hinges echoes throughout the whole room. Seeing his immense strength, I couldn't help but feel thankful that Thoris was a friend. I would hate to one day fight him as an enemy.
Inside the hall, rows of long, polished tables ran parallel on both sides of a red-carpeted path which led to a raised platform at the far end of the room. The hall is elegant, and vast, yet also empty. As I walk down the red carpet, I can't help but admire the beauty of it.
At the top of the stairs, my mother sits at the head of the table. Her presence is as domineering as always. She wears an elegant white gown, highlighting her long, braided silver hair and gray eyes. She wears many jewels just like my wife, but instead of ruby's, she wears diamonds. The dresses short sleeves revealed her muscular but feminine arms which bore five marks, each looking like a crown. These 5 marks are what made her one of the highest people in society, a vicar, a rank second to only the Chancellor and the Imperion himself. Despite her age, she still seemed like the very definition of grace and nobility.
Across from her sits Commodus Caius Tiberius, the Chancellor. Although he looks far past his prime, there is still something formidable about him. He's well over eighty, yet still doesn't look a day over 50 with a remarkably handsome face, neatly combed gray hair and olive skin tone. His light blue eyes give him a look of innocence, yet I will not be fooled. He is the chancellor, second to only the Imperion. He commands both the 1st Tiberius legion and the 7th Praetorian legion making him one of the most powerful men in not just the Aeperium but the Milky Way galaxy. He wears a custom tuxedo covering his marks, yet I don't need to see them. I already know that he has five golden crowns marked on his arm, just like my mother.
"My second son, Achilles, and his wife Aurelia." My mother introduces us, her voice smooth and composed as she introduces us.
Commodus gives us a small nod. "I remember them quite well." He says, his lips curling into a small smile.
"I remember witnessing Aurelia's placement duel a few years ago. She is quite speedy and aggressive, her swordsmanship reminds me of you." he said releasing a small chuckle.
"Of course she does, I am her teacher after all," My mother responds, glancing at Aurelia and giving her a warm smile. The chancellor's eyes shift from Aurelia towards me. "Achilles however seems to take after his father." He says with a slight chuckle. I watch as my mothers soft smile turns into a deep frown at the mention of my father. He had gone missing during a battle a few months before I was born. Mother never talked about him nor what he was like.
"From what I remember, his fighting style is much more dirty and gritty just like Thaddeus's." He says, giving me a smile. "That is not a bad thing, in fact, it's a skill. Many might call it unhonorable, but what does honor mean to the dead?"
Normally, I probably would've given him a smile, but now I was focused on much more important things. "Did you know my father?" I ask the man.
"Did your mother not tell you?" He asks me, tilting his head.
I watched as my mother's frown deepens, her eyes continuing to avoid my own..
"Your father was a friend of mine." Commodus says casually.
"Before my father died and I ran for chancellor, our families were actually pretty close. Considering that both your father and I came from powerful loyalist family's, I guess it was expected for us to get close." He says casually
Listening to the man, I couldn't help but feel excited and curious. My mother never really spoke about my father. I always assumed that she was still heartbroken so I never pressed her for answers.
"So what happened between you two?" I asked curiously.
"Well, I had a small power struggle with my own father and his loyalists before taking over as head of house. It was an excruciating time. I had to do many horrible things that I am definitely not proud of. I killed people who I thought were my brothers, my actual brothers, and many more." he said blatantly. "During that time, your father had already become head of house Virellis. He was my biggest supporter. He sent me many legions and credits allowing me to crush the rest of my family's resistance, and the people's uprising." he continued.
"Honestly, he is the reason that I am here right now, without him, I would probably have long been overthrown, with one of my brothers leading the house."
"Yet you still betrayed us..." my mother mutters abruptly.
Both me and Aurelia glanced at my mother. What did she mean? How did this man betray my parents?
"You are clueless Aurora..." Commodus sighs. He takes a moment to reflect, then looks back at both Aurelia and I. "After getting elected as chancellor by the council of Vicars, I abandoned the loyalist party and joined the councilist's." he said, staring at my mother. "I believed that it was in my best interests and I do not and will not regret my decision."
The atmosphere quickly seems to have become filled with tension as my mother continues glaring at the old man. I glance back and forth between the chancellor and my mother. They both seemed to really hate each other and I understood why. Our family had helped Commodus establish his power. He then used the loyalist party to become the chancellor, then betrayed us. He basically fed us to the hounds.
We sat in silence for a while, all of us in our thoughts. It was only broken by the shuffle of servants who began serving the food.
Maids enter carrying large plates of various dishes. Placed on the table were stacks of steaks, ribs, chicken thighs, along with bowls of rice, noodles and many other alien dishes.
Honestly, it was the most awkward dinner I've ever had. The sound of chewing and occasional cling of silverware filled the room. No one spoke for a long time. I was honestly getting quite nervous and bored. As my mind started to wonder, I finally started to ask myself, why was Commodus here? What did he want?
Surprisingly, the first person to speak about the topic was not Commodus, not me, not my mother, but Aurelia.
"What was my father-in-law's reaction?" she asked curiously.
I raise my head, putting down my fork and wiping my hands with a cloth. I wondered that as well, how did my father react?
"Your father was well aware of my plans..." he said, "He actually spoke to me about it. He neither supported nor was against it. I knew it would cause him much harm, yet I went through with it anyway." he says, his voice quieter than before. "Neither of us spoke to each other again for many years..."
The silence once again filled the room, followed by a quick sense of discomfort. Although I was quiet, my mind was racing. I was learning many new things about my father and about Commodus. Why was he telling us this? What did he want? That question kept coming to my brain. He had to be here for a reason right? There was no way the man would haul his entire fleet across the galaxy just to visit us. What did he want!?
As if reading my mind, my mother finally asked the question. "What do you want, Commodus? We've been sitting here for over an hour! get to it already!" she barked.
Even if she was a vicar, wasn't she being a little too disrespectful?
Commodus stares at her for a while with a saddened look. "Very well…"
"A few months before Thaddeus went missing, he came to me. He had just recently learned that you were pregnant with Achilles. We talked for a few hours, catching up with each other just as old friends do. He didn't seem to hate nor resent me for my actions. In fact, he actually requested something from me." He pauses, taking a sip from his glass.
The Imperion, supported by the majority of the older parts of the council, ordered your father to take his already fractured legions deep into republic territory in an attempt to distract and disrupt the republican invasion. Worried something would happen to him, he requested for me to watch over you all. That was all he wanted. I of course agreed. Your father was one of my greatest supporters, and the request wasn't too difficult. I'd just have to distract the council and pull their attention away from your family onto mine which was simple to do.
"Anyway," he says, continuing his story. "A few months after our conversation, he went missing and his legions were routed off the planet Zarathis." He paused for a moment, releasing a small sigh.
"Ever since then, I've tried to keep the council's attention away from house Virrellis. Again, it was a simple task. However, the circumstances now are a bit different." He says, turning his attention toward me. "The imperion's health is decreasing significantly fast. Your mother probably knows of it, but the news hasn't been released to the public." I turn to my mother, yet her expression remains unchanged.
"He's over 150 years old, it's about time for that old man to die." He says, releasing a small chuckle.
My mother taps her nail against the wooden table.
"Watch your mouth Commodus. He is still your emperor." She comments.
The chancellor gives her a small glance before turning his attention back to me.
"You and Ares are about to enter adulthood now meaning that you will need to make your own choices and spread your own influence." He says calmly.
"With the emperor's organs failing, and you almost reaching adulthood, it is important for you to gain a strong hold of power. A bastion of defense against whoever you might offend in the future. And I was thinking…" his voice trailed, his pale blue eyes narrowing slightly as he studied me. "Your brother Ares is the heir of this house. His position is already established, but what about you?"
He lets the question hang for a moment, taking a measured sip of his wine before continuing.
"You could go to the university, of course," he says at last, his tone carrying both dismissal and subtle disdain, "but you would be one among thousands, bound by the same doctrines, tested by the same traditions, forced to compete for scraps of recognition. That is no bastion. That is a cage." His lips curl into the faintest smile.
"I am offering you something different. I have trained a few house blades before you, strategists, and warriors who now command fleets and govern entire sectors. Some would call them my protégés… I prefer to think of them as my legacy."
He continues
"As I'm sure you know. I currently bear no children, nor do I plan on having any. That leaves really only my students to fight over what I possess and the remnants of my house when I die." He pauses.
What I'm trying to say… is that I would like you to join their ranks, Achilles. To take you as one of my students."