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In the Cosmic Year 649, the Empress of the Alore Galaxy’s Cosmic Empire and Sylus, Sovereign of the Khaosi Galaxy, entered into an engagement, making due on a deal that had long existed between them before they had ever met.
They considered it a marriage of convenience, purely political in nature. Yet, the Empress went against the pleas and advice of her ministers to annul the engagement.
In the Year 650, the Empress and the Sovereign were formally wed, bringing forth a tumultuous peace.
But soon the cosmos itself would be shaken to the core.
Because in the Year 651, the Empress and Khaosi’s Sovereign would have a child.
The child, born of both order and chaos, left the entire cosmos holding their breaths, waiting to see whether she would bring about their salvation, or their ultimate ruin.
- Excerpt from The Never-Ending Cosmos
Alore Galaxy, Cosmic Empire, Cosmic Year 663
“Princess!”
“Princess! Where are you!”
“It’s not funny anymore, Princess! Please come out!”
The Empress looked up from where she sat at her desk, signing off on diplomatic orders. “It’s quite active today,” she commented.
Her secretary nodded. “It seems the crown princess is up to her usual machinations once again.”
“What even is going on outside?” the Empress asked, furrowing her brow as the servants’ panicked yelling grew ever louder.
Her aide shrugged. “Seems like a game of hide-and-seek went wrong,” she surmised. “Would you like us to go and check what’s happening?”
The Empress nodded. “Please do.”
Her secretary and aides bowed. “As you command, Your Majesty,” they said, taking their leave. Within moments, they had left the Empress’s opulent office, the door shutting behind them with a click.
The Empress leaned back in her chair with a soft sigh. “Alright,” she said, turning her head to look at the desks in the corner of the room, conveniently with stacks of books piled up to block its view from practically anyone. “You can come out now.”
A tiny head of silver hair peeked out, giving a toothy grin. “How’d you know it was me?”
The Empress smiled fondly. “You were playing hide-and-seek, and knew no one would dare disturb the Empress while I’m working. So you figured the best place to hide was in my office, didn’t you?”
The child finally scrambled out of her hiding place. Her mother gave her a once over, releasing a deep exhale at the sight of her dress crumpled and stained with dust. Once again.
“Solana, you’re going to give your nursemaid a heart attack one of these days,” the older woman sighed, resigned.
Solana giggled, absolutely unrepentant. “You won’t tell anyone I was here, will you?”
“I will,” her mother stated.
The child stuck her bottom lip out. “Snitch,” she murmured under her breath.
At that moment, the doors to the office opened once more, as the Empress’s aides returned. And stalled in surprise, for the missing princess was right there, standing by her mother’s desk as the Empress dusted off her dress and smoothed out the wrinkles somewhat.
“Your Highness? You’re here?” the secretary asked.
The Empress cast her a look that only a weary mother as well as leader of an empire could possess. “She was hiding in my office because no one would come looking for her,” she said, deadpan.
Solana’s nursemaid had arrived by then, gasping at the sight. “Oh, Your Highness! This is mighty improper!” She went on a triage about how princesses should have proper decorum, and as the next ruler of the Empire, she should be more conscious of her actions.
All of it went right over Solana’s head.
The Empress couldn’t help but shake her head. “If you don’t care about your presentation, at least clean-up for when your father gets back?” she suggested. “Would you want to greet him covered in dust?”
Solana blinked. “I think he’d actually be proud,” she noted.
Her mother thought for a moment, then nodded. Yeah, her husband would absolutely see a rumpled, unkempt child and approve of it.
Whatever next words she meant to say were droned out by the reverberation and hum of starships approaching. A familiar, deep hum she’d grown to recognize even before seeing the bow of the ships, forget the insignias.
“The Khaosi fleet has returned!” Someone outside yelled. “The Khaosi fleet has returned!”
Before she knew what was happening, her daughter had slipped through her fingers and was already running outside the door. Her nursemaid followed behind her, yelling in vain.
The Empress made a mental note to increase the nursemaid’s pay, because her child was quite something. For now, she stepped away from her desk. As Empress, she would need to formally welcome the Khaosi ships on their return.
Outside, numerous starships roared across the sky, bearing the black and red declaring their allegiance to Khaosi. Many of the inhabitants within the Palace had run out upon hearing the approach, with only a few even required to be a part of the welcoming party. Most of them were there out of pure curiosity, like they always were whenever Khaosi ships landed in the Empire.
Solana went a step further, running out onto the tarmac. The great gusts from the landing ships did nothing to stop her from standing right there.
The ships landed, shaking the foundations of the hangar. The hatch opened with a hiss, opening out to rest on the ground.
A figure stalked out from within, clad in the black uniform and red epaulets of Khaosi warriors. An armored hand pulled off his helmet, handing it to the attendant walking at his side. As he walked down the ramp, the attendant stood back as the man walked straight towards the child.
This child, all of eleven years, crossed her arms and lifted her chin indignantly to the formidable visitor.
“You’re late!” she exclaimed.
A smile erupted on his face, and he knelt down.
“I’m sorry, little dragon. There was a delay on our way back,” he said. “Will you ever forgive your poor father?”
Solana turned her face away, lips pursed in an angry pout. “No, you said you’d be back days ago but didn’t. You broke a promise!”
He leaned forward a little. “What if I said I brought back those candy flowers from Lorne you love so much?” he lowered his voice conspiratorially.
She pursed her lips in deep thought. “Alright,” she said, turning back to him. “I guess you’re forgiven.”
He chuckled, ruffling her silver hair before standing up.
It was a well-known fact that Khaosi’s Sovereign knelt for only two people in the entire cosmos. One was his wife, the Empress herself. The other? His daughter.
He looked past his child to see the welcoming committee included his wife this time. Lips quirking in a smirk, he walked till he was standing in front of her.
The Empress lifted her chin. It didn’t matter what she personally felt. At this moment, with such a big audience, she was greeting a leader of another galaxy. She cleared her throat. “I welcome the Sovereign of Khaosi,” she said, voice carrying to everyone present, even over the drone of the ships.
Sylus smiled, taking her hand, and pressing his lips to her ring. To the Erythrostone that had marked her as his fiancée once, then his wife. Ever since that night Sylus had ended up in her bedchamber many years ago, the ring had not left her finger. And every time he returned from one of his trips, Sylus always kissed it, like a claiming, a reminder of their bond.
“Thank you for such a warm welcome, Your Majesty,” he said. His voice was low, rough, tinged with restraint. A shiver went through her as his words tickled her wrist. All it did was remind her just how long they’d spent apart. How many nights she’d spent in a bed with the other half cold.
She breathed, trying not to show just how his presence affected her, even after all their years of marriage. “It’s late, and you’ve had a long journey,” she said. “You should rest for tonight. Tomorrow, we can discuss the details of your trip.”
Sylus nodded. “I’ll do that.” And just to be cheeky, he placed a quick kiss to the inside of her wrist, before pulling away and turning his attention to their daughter, now demanding he make do on his promise to give her the candy he’d crossed galaxies to bring for her.
The Empress watched them walk away. Somehow, she knew that talk would be had much sooner.
She emerged from the bathing chamber, rubbing a towel through her wet hair, when she caught sight of someone sitting on the chair in her room. She stopped, releasing a heavy sigh. “This is my bedchamber,” she pointed out.
He had been turning a coin over in his fingers, but looked up when she entered. A pleasant smile played on his lips. “I’m well aware,” he stated. “After all, I’m more than familiar with this room.”
She wouldn’t lie and say she hadn’t expected Sylus to sneak in. Empire tradition normally stated that married couples slept in separate bedchambers, with a shared one used sporadically for their…marital duties. A normal tradition for a place where marriages happened not because of love, but because they served as a means to an end.
But Sylus was never one to follow tradition.
Emotions swirled within her. Finally, they were alone. No pesky nobles, no pesky servants hovering on their every word, looking for intent that was non-existent. Within the walls of this room, they were not Empress and Sovereign. Just husband and wife.
And that gave her the courage to go up to him and press her lips to his. “I missed you,” she murmured, letting her kiss linger for a moment.
A tiny puff of air escaped his mouth, a gentle caress on her bottom lip before his full kiss crashed down. Like two planets colliding, he was merciless, relentless, inevitable.
Her arms wrapped around his neck as he stood up, lifting her easily. His hands on the back of her thighs guided her legs to wrap around his waist. He groaned at how few the barriers were between them as he pinned her to the wall.
“That’s a first,” he said, breaking away for a moment to catch his breath. “Normally, I’m the one who has to tell you I missed you every time.”
“Well, did you?” she clapped back.
He chuckled, returning his lips to engulf hers once more. “Yes, I missed you,” he said. “Every.” He kissed the corner of her lip. “Single.” He kissed her jaw. “Moment.” He kissed the curve where her jaw connected to her neck. “I missed you. And I missed our daughter.”
Every place his lips touched burned hot, igniting her longing and greed for him. He always said how he couldn’t bear to spend even a day away from her. But looking at her own actions, she had to wonder who truly was the hopeless addict.
Because she was addicted. Addicted to his touch. His kiss. His scent. His presence.
All their years of marriage hadn’t changed a damn thing. Rather, it only seemed to make things worse. Like a desert traveler coming across a sip of water, and then being consumed by the thought of drinking.
She smiled as he continued to trail his kisses down her neck, sucking marks onto her skin. “She missed you too,” the Empress said, her hands running up the side of his neck to tangle in his hair. His soft, silky, silver hair that looked spun by pure moonlight. The very hair their daughter had inherited, along with those ruby-like eyes. “You’re staying away longer recently and she doesn’t like that.”
Sylus chuckled, his laugh sending vibrations right to her core. “I don’t have much of a choice,” he said, his voice a little low. “Especially considering how long I spent away from Khaosi when she was little, my duties call me back for longer.”
When Solana was smaller, Sylus had spent much, much time in the Empire. The Empress had once asked him if it was because he felt obligated to be around because he was her father. He had chuckled, wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to his side. “I simply can’t bear to be apart from my family,” he had said. The simplest reason of all, as if they weren’t leaders of galaxies, with all the duties and responsibilities that came with such lofty positions.
Of course it meant that as Solana had grown, so had the number of trips as well as the duration her father took to his homeland increased. And while she spoke to him on a daily basis, sometimes not even allowing him a moment with his own wife, it wasn’t enough.
She conveyed this to Sylus as his mouth traced her collarbone, right on the edge of her robe’s neckline.
“That’s actually what I wanted to discuss,” he said. Pushing away from the wall, he walked them to the bed. Her back met silk sheets, the fabric caressing her flushed skin. But it was nothing compared to her husband’s touch as he kneeled on the bed. Grabbing her robe’s tie with his teeth, he gently pulled it apart, exposing her overheated skin to the cool night air.
She huffed a soft laugh as he pressed kisses to her abdomen. “And you’re discussing it in bed because?” she asked, her voice teasing. “Because I’ll be more likely to agree to your proposition?”
“Oh, I can be quite persuasive.” He traced a path up her stomach, between her ribs, her chest, to latch onto the side of her neck once more.
“I want Solana to come with me next time.”
She hummed. Somehow, that proposition didn’t seem to disturb her as much as she thought it would. “Why?” she asked, as he kissed the drops of water remaining from her wash off her skin.
“She is Khaosi, not just Alore.” He moved back up to capture her mouth in soft yet heated kisses. Meanwhile, his hands roamed over her body, his touch leaving trails behind despite gloved hands. Right then, she wished she could incinerate those gloves, so she could feel his bare touch. “She needs to know where she comes from, not just from stories or from a distance.”
Her brow furrowed a bit. “But Khaosi is no less dangerous since we got married,” she pointed out. “Didn’t you specifically keep Solana here because of it?”
“She is no longer a child.”
“She is eleven.”
“Soon to be twelve.”
She fixed him with a look that asked whether that single year mattered. He gave a soft laugh, returning his mouth to tracing the line of her jaw.
“It will be fine,” he reassured. “I won’t keep her long, and we’ll only visit the capital. She’ll be safe there.” He pressed a soft, tender kiss to her throat, a sort of funny contradiction to the heavy ones he’d been leaving. “In fact, why don’t you come as well? We can make it a family trip.”
She sighed. “Alright,” she relented. As usual, her husband was persuasive. She cast a glance at him, at how he was still fully clothed up to his neck. “Look at you, came running without even changing,” she commented.
He chuckled, bending down so his breath could brush her ear. “So help me undress.”
She did, pulling the buttons of his uniform off. Pushing the jacket off his shoulders. Slowly and surely, revealing skin.
All he did was smirk as she rolled them over so she straddled him.
“Indulge yourself, my dear wife.”
She woke to the sounds of scuffling outside the door.
“Your Highness! You mustn’t disturb your parents!”
“They’re my parents! I can do what I want!”
Internally, the Empress sighed. Only then did she begin to take in the rest of the room. The feeling of warm sunlight caressing her face, peeking through the curtains. The strong arm hooked around her waist. The heat of a warm chest pressing against her back. The steady rhythm of her husband’s heartbeat gently thumping against her skin.
She also, belatedly, recognized the silk robe on her person. At least he’d made sure to dress them before they fell asleep last night. Waking up bare had become a luxury since they’d become parents, especially parents to a child like Solana.
A low chuckle permeated from the man beside her.
Turning on her side in his arms, she saw his eyes closed, face serene. Yet an amused smile played on his lips.
“She’s definitely yours,” he murmured.
“Excuse you,” the Empress gently pushed him back, unhooking his arm from her waist. “But that lack of respect for authority comes from you.”
Sylus laughed gently. “Guilty.”
A bit more scuffling happened, and then Solana poked out from under the blanket, right between them.
“Hi.”
Sylus opened one garnet eye, giving an amused huff. “Hi to you too.”
Solana scrambled on top of her father as he lay on his back, spreading out over him. She rested her chin on her palms.
“Am I your bed now?” he asked.
“You’re comfy,” was her only reply. Before she started off on something entirely different, of course. “Dad, why do stars shine at night?”
He laughed gently, placing a hand on top of her head. Tucking his other arm behind his head, he began a long-winded response, weaving stories that made the child’s eyes shine with curiosity.
The Empress propped up on her elbow, watching them.
This, she thought. This was why she did what she needed to do. To protect this peace.
First thing in the morning, sunlight peeking through curtains. Cozy in bed, her husband and child with her.
Yes, she wielded her power to protect this peace.
The pregnancy had come as a surprise to everyone, not just to people in Alore and Khaosi, but in all other galaxies as well. Nobles gathered in hushed conferences, asking questions such as, what did a child who was both Alore and Khaosi mean? Would Sylus use the child to exert his influence over the Cosmic Empire? Would the Empress in turn use the child to annex Khaosi? What if the child took over both galaxies? That would immediately put her in harm’s way of the Federation. But what if the Federation’s High Marshal was her own uncle? What would the cosmos choose, when forced with a choice of family or duty?
Sylus paid no heed to the whispers around him, devoting his time and attention to his wife and only her. He had even left Khaosi in the hands of a trusted lieutenant, so he could stay in the Empire to support his wife.
The Nobles, of course, looked down on this. Not only was it unusual for a leader of a galaxy to shun his duties in favor of taking care of his wife, but he was doing things normally left to a lady-in-waiting. Sylus had made a simple move to show them that he wasn’t shunning his duties. A move so intense that the nobles switched tones quickly, to actually being thankful that Sylus was devoting his attention to being a father.
It had earned him a smack on the arm from his wife.
“You are in my empire,” she had chastised him. “Please do not start an intergalactic war before our child is born.”
He had laughed, kissing her knuckles and then her swollen belly. “I was simply holding my ground for my family.” He gazed up at her, and all she could see in his eyes was utter happiness, gratitude, love. Not the galactic conqueror she had first met. “I won’t start a war that would endanger our child,” he promised. “At least, not until they’re ready.”
“Sylus!”
He was smacked once more, and he took it with a hearty laugh.
When Solana had finally been born, tiny, red-faced, absolutely furious at the concept of existence, Sylus had held her and laughed loudly enough that the nobles hovering outside could hear.
“My little dragon,” he said, pressing his forehead to the baby’s. “Even the cosmos could not anticipate you.”
The Empress, lying on the bed, drained and exhausted, could not help but smile.
Here they were, a union formed of a political marriage, pure mutual need. They were enemies who coveted each other. But they were also lovers. And now? They were parents.
No one would be ready for that.
The Empire bustled about, preparing in high spirits.
Their crown princess was turning twelve soon.
Solana’s situation had been a unique one. While the Empire didn’t really follow bloodlines while choosing heirs (which was how the current Empress had risen to power), normally, the Empire had numerous heirs to choose one. Through some strange luck, this generation only had one heir; Solana.
The Council of Elders had still insisted that she be tested according to tradition when she had turned ten. If she failed, they had planned to maybe search for another heir, or wait for another heir to show up.
Hearing of the test, Sylus had been utterly unbothered. “Let them test her,” he said, shrugging his massive shoulders. “She’s my daughter. She’ll pass with flying colors.”
And truly, she did. So much so that the Elders had been stunned into silence. And from then on, Solana had become the undisputed crown princess.
Her 12th birthday wasn’t something grand. It was not her debutante, nor her coming of age, nor her coronation. But it was still something to be celebrated, so arrangements were being made to decorate the Imperial Palace on the home planet, decorate the starship fleets, invite dignitaries from other galaxies.
And of course, one of those invitees? The Glory Federation.
The moment the Federation’s starships landed securely, and the hatch opened, the figure inside was barreled into by a force of nature.
“UNCLE CALEB!”
The High Marshal had the breath knocked right out of him as this small child with a surprising amount of strength latched onto him like a koala. “Haha, I’m glad to see you too, Sol.” He hugged his niece back with just as much ferocity and love.
On the ground, several nobles puckered their lips and whispered to each other.
“I understand he’s her godfather, but she should also know her place as the Empire’s crown princess. She’s acting quite undignified.”
Their comments came to an abrupt stop with a single raised eyebrow from Sylus.
When Solana had been born, Caleb had been one of the first to hold her, having been pacing relentlessly outside the chamber. Immediately, the Empress had asked him to be her godfather, her guide, should something happen to her parents. Caleb had agreed at once.
They had even gone the extra mile to get the bond officialized by the Sanctide Court’s Sanctarch.
Rafayel’s eyes had widened ever so slightly when the proposition had been brought to him. “Oh, I see,” he had said. “You’re asking me because its not as simple as it looks.”
The Empress had nodded. “Caleb is my brother and Solana’s uncle, but he is also the Federation’s High Marshal. This bond needs to be solidified, if we want intergalactic peace.”
Rafayel had nodded, surprising the Empress, who knew that forces within the Sanctide Court would have objected. “Who cares, the Sanctide Court is me,” he had said. “And I shall bless this bond, just as I blessed her name.”
Sylus and Caleb had a lot of animosity between them. Of course they did. Caleb hadn’t liked the idea of his little sister marrying someone like Sylus, and the two had even come to blows quite a few times over power struggles. But there was also begrudging respect there. Caleb respected the man who his sister eventually chose to build a life with. Sylus respected the leader of the Federation who would eventually become his brother-in-law.
In particular, Sylus respected the bond between uncle and niece. Solana adored her uncle from the first moment, and he adored her in turn. So much so that many theorized that the reason the Federation and the Empire hadn’t gone to war yet was because Caleb didn’t want to endanger his beloved niece. They were not entirely wrong.
Solana peeked behind Caleb, her eyes widening in utter delight. “Gray! You came!”
The boy was half hidden behind Caleb, shyly pulling the sleeve of his tunic over his fingers. “Hi,” he said, his voice small.
It made no difference anyway, because Solana grabbed his hand and dragged him off to see the aerial garden and the new flowers they had managed to cultivate.
Caleb gave a fond sigh, shaking his head. “She hasn’t changed a bit, has she?” he said to his sister, who had come up to greet him.
“Is that a bad thing?” She raised an eyebrow.
He shook his head. “Not at all. She’s a child. Let her be a child a little longer.” His gaze tracked the disappearing figures of two children as they scrambled up the stairs. “She’ll be embroiled in complications soon enough. For now, let her have fun.”
“For once, High Marshal, we agree,” Sylus replied.
The nobles braced for a tense standoff between two men who loved the Empress. To their surprise, it was much less of an impending war than they thought.
A smile tugged at the corner of Caleb’s lip. “My information led me to believe you were away in Khaosi,” he commented. “Good to see you returned in time.”
Sylus gave a small chuckle. “Always. You know me. I’d never miss a birthday.” No matter the duties that pulled him away, Sylus always made sure to be there for important events. Birthdays, milestones, important tests, he was there for all of it, waiting with open arms for Solana to run to.
The Empress strode out in front of them. “Come, let us walk.”
Both men followed her command with mirthful smiles. A flick of her wrist dismissed the nobles and servants hovering around, allowing the three of them some peace and quiet for a private talk.
“Gray seems to be doing well,” the Empress commented, catching a glimpse of Solana dragging the boy towards all manner of flowers.
Caleb grinned. “Much better than he used to.”
Gray had not been in anyone’s plans. Caleb had led a force to suppress a minor galaxy’s rebellion against the Federation, a battle that would be written off in the annals of history. However, it had led to the destruction of a planet, and Caleb had found a small boy surrounded by fire and the bodies of his family. Unable to leave him behind, he had taken Gray in as his adopted son.
Both Sylus and the Empress had been stunned when Caleb brought the boy to them and explained the situation to them. Regardless, they’d supported him, even becoming Gray’s godparents, and promising sanctuary in the Empire should anything happen.
The three of them, leaders of the most prominent forces in the cosmos, had come together to protect this fragile peace. For the sake of the children, until they could take over and forge a new destiny for the galaxies.
“The Council isn’t all that pleased I took in Gray,” Caleb informed. “But, its not like they have any control over my personal life.”
Sylus smiled. “I’m guessing they weren’t too happy when you pointed that out.”
“Not at all.” Caleb paused by a particular flower, one that Gray had actually grown a year prior. “But it means that he isn’t all that safe in the Federation, especially since military isn’t in his temperament.”
The Empress nodded. “I know, we’ve made arrangements to bring him here should war begin.”
Caleb glanced up, catching sight of the kids in the Aerial Garden. “I won’t put them on opposing sides of a war,” he said, determined and firm. “Not this time.”
His sister nodded. If there’s one thing Caleb would do, it was keep his word. He would maintain this peace, to protect those children.
“That being said, I won’t just roll over and allow you to encroach on my authority,” Caleb turned to her. His eyes were playful, yet his voice had that tone to it, the one that said he wouldn’t let things go so easily.
As expected of the High Marshal of the Glory Federation.
She smirked. “I wasn’t expecting you to let things go so easily,” she said.
Caleb chuckled lightly. “You’re starting to sound more like your husband every day.”
Sylus was smug. “Thank you.”
Caleb’s eyes rested on the blooms along the path, all manner of bright colors found nowhere else but right here, in the Imperial Gardens.
“So, what’s new since I last visited?” he asked.
The Empress sighed. “The Elders keep hounding me to find someone for Solana to marry,” she pressed her fingers to her temples, the very thought of the Elders bringing forth a headache.
Caleb hummed. “Of course they would.” He had more than enough experience with the Elders himself, while he was still an heir to the Imperial throne. “I’m actually surprised you haven’t betrothed her to anyone yet.” He cast a glance at them.
Sylus folded his arms across his chest. “As if any of those sniveling brats of nobles would ever be worthy of my daughter,” he grumbled. The haughtiness then faded away as his lips quirked in a smirk. “Is that what you expected me to say?”
Caleb sighed. His sister cut in. “I know, she’s well beyond the age where she should be betrothed,” she said. “But, we decided we wanted her to live freely as long as she can. And…we want her to choose her own partner.”
“That’s ambitious,” Caleb commented.
“That’s us,” Sylus simply said.
Caleb couldn’t help but shake his head fondly. “Of course it is,” he relented. “Well, anyone who approaches her would have to get past me as well.”
“At this rate she’ll never get married,” the Empress grumbled. With two protective men hovering over her, what boy would have the confidence to approach her.
“Good,” was Sylus’s only answer, that earned him a bump from him wife.
Up in the aerial gardens, Solana had just spent the last half hour pulling Gray along to rare plant to rare plant, explaining all about him. Gray, as usual, listened calmly, interjecting with his own knowledge at times. Eventually, they’d both tired and had plopped down on the edge of the terrace.
Solana lightly kicked her dangling feet. For once, she seemed quiet.
“Is something wrong?” Gray asked. Of course he’d know instantly that something was off. He was her best friend, the one person her age she could talk to. Who didn’t put her on a pedestal.
But, it didn’t change the fact that technically, he was now of the Glory Federation.
The thought made her throat tighten.
“Do you think…” she began. “That there will come a day when we’ll be on opposing sides?”
“Like…enemies?”
She swallowed. “I know that the reason we’re not at war with the Federation right now is because Uncle Caleb is High Marshal,” she said. “But he won’t be High Marshal forever. And I can’t help but think…that would mean war was inevitable.”
She nodded. Her hands folded in her dress, clutching at the fabric. “I…don’t ever want that to happen.”
Gray leaned back on his palms, gazing up at the sky. The Empire’s Skycurtain had it looking like a beautiful summer evening at the moment, light gold painting the canvas.
“If it helps, Caleb told me that he made arrangements for me to come to the Empire if anything happened to him.” He tilted his head to look at her. “He told me he’d make sure we were never on opposite sides of a war.”
She smiled at that. “That sounds like Uncle Caleb,” she murmured.
Gray shrugged. “So, I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much.” He smiled softly. “Maybe think about how to put me to use? Will you stick me in the library with Xavier? Or have me take care of the gardens forever?”
Solana laughed at his jokes. The tension of the moment eased, and for this one perfect moment, she allowed herself to not be a crown princess or the future Empress, but just a child with her best friend.
It made sense that since Grand General Zayne had been the Empress’s teacher, that he should teach the crown princess as well. The Empress had personally asked him to tutor Solana when she was of age.
“You guided me,” she told him. “So, please, guide her. With you at her side, she’ll be unstoppable.”
Zayne had sighed, eternally tired. Yet, his Empress had made a request of him, not an order. He wouldn’t have been able to refuse an order. But a request? It was just the sign of how much she treasured their friendship.
“Alright,” he relented in the end. “I’ll teach the crown princess.”
Solana’s lessons with Zayne had been about political strategy and battlefield history. And just like her mother before her, a lot of it lay in chess games.
Of course, Solana was also taught chess by her father.
Zayne often stared at the board in utter confusion, before slowly lifting his head to her. “You’re…your father’s daughter, Your Highness,” was all he’d be able to say.
Solana would just giggle. Meanwhile, her father, standing at the back and watching the game, would be utterly smug and proud.
The Empress beside him would sigh. “You’re raising a terror,” she’d tell him.
“I’m raising a ruler,” he’d correct, voice dripping with amusement.
Solana’s lessons also included observations of the Imperial forces training. Zayne would one day personally train her in swordcraft, but for now, all she had to do was observe.
Which meant she obviously wandered off.
“Oooh, what does this do?”
Zayne only realized the princess wasn’t at his side then. Looking up, he found her next to a wall of weapons, vibrating with energy.
“Princess! It’s dangerous! Step away!”
She pointed at a button. “There’s a button!”
“Don’t press the button!”
Naturally, she pressed the button.
The entire wall of weapons came down in a tumble of crashes. Everyone at the training ground had to stop and stare, because no one could fathom how such a thing could even be possible, through the press of a small button.
Zayne pinched the bridge of his nose. Sylus, standing at his side, smiled softly.
“Well, at least she has spirit,” he commented.
“The spirit of what? Destruction?” Zayne murmured.
“You’ll learn to love it,” Sylus grinned. Of course, the Sovereign of Khaosi delighted in unrestrained chaos.
Zayne sighed. This was his charge, his student for the foreseeable future. And he’s taken an oath to teach her, no matter how chaotic things could get. And it wasn’t like he was doing this purely out of duty either. He knew exactly why the Empress had asked him to stay by Solana’s side; one day, Solana would be Empress, and she would need the support of the Grand General.
Despite everything, Zayne saw potential in the young child. So, he didn’t find a problem with swearing his allegiance to her.
“Heh, I knew I’d find you here.”
Solana turned around to find her uncle walking up the path towards her. “Uncle Caleb!” she exclaimed.
“You like to come here, don’t you? When you need to think?” Caleb sat on the ground next to her with a soft grunt.
“How’d you know?” she asked.
He chuckled softly. “Your mother and I used to come here all the time when we were your age to think too.” He gently ruffled her silver hair. “This used to be our little escape away from all the responsibilities of being heirs.”
Solana smiled softly, leaning into her uncle’s touch. She was sitting on the ground, knees pulled up. Her shoes were discarded somewhere, so her toes could feel the grass.
Solana had long complained about the grass in this garden. “It doesn’t feel right!” she’d say, no matter what new species the Imperial landscapers would install. It was always too prickly, or too harsh, or too soft. Never the right amount.
Gray, upon hearing it, had removed his glove and placed his palm on the soil. Verdant grass had spread from his hand, covering the available soil in the garden. Solana had kicked her shoes off at once and danced in it, twirling among the green strands.
“Gray’s grass is the best!” she announced.
Caleb and the Empress, standing off to the side, had gone quiet. Especially when they’d analyzed the grass, and found it to be a species of grass only found on one dead planet; Earth.
“I see why you’re protecting him now,” the Empress had said to her brother.
Caleb watched the children, brow furrowed. “If my suspicions about the boy are correct, then he’s more powerful than he looks.” He looked back at his sister. “If the wrong people get their hands on him…”
She placed a hand on his arm. “That won’t happen,” she promised. “You and I might not see eye to eye on a lot of things, but we’re aligned regarding the children.” She had turned to him, determination in her gaze. “Gray will be safe in the Empire when the time comes.”
Caleb had thought for one moment, how his bratty, spoiled little sister, had grown into a true Empress. Even if it hurt to admit, Sylus had been good for her, marriage and motherhood changing her into a responsible monarch, someone galaxies willingly followed. This person, in front of him, he could trust, especially with the boy he couldn’t leave behind.
Sitting on the Earth grass long gone extinct, Caleb rested his chin on his palm. “You look troubled,” he said to his niece. “Something on your mind?”
Solana cast a glance at the ground, playing with a blade of grass between gloved fingers. “Everyone is holding their breath, waiting for a war,” she said. If there was one person in the cosmos she could always confide in, it was her uncle, who always listened to her, no matter how stupid she felt her worries were. “I think I ignored it when I was younger, but…I don’t know how much longer I can.”
She looked up at him, gem-like ruby eyes swirling with concern. “Uncle, is war inevitable? Is there no other way?”
He sighed softly, leaning over to press a kiss to the child’s temple. “It might seem like that, but its because humans are stubborn,” he explained. “We don’t like to compromise, because it gets in the way of our ego.”
“You too?”
He chuckled. “Yes, me too,” he grinned. “Your mother and I nearly threw the cosmos into war so many times because both of us were too prideful to trust each other.”
He exhaled, casting a glance at a flower bobbing lightly in the wind. “Trust is difficult, because it requires you to put your pride aside. Your mother and I learned that the hard way. But you, you’re not alone, Solana. You have us to guide you.”
Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, he continued. “Your parents will always be on your side, even if they fight each other. You have the Grand General as your teacher, the Santarch’s blessing, even the former crown prince’s fealty. And, as always, you have me.”
She curled up against him, leaning against her side as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. For one moment, she was tiny once more, pulling at her uncle’s uniform until he set her on his hip and pointed out all the constellations in the sky.
Her eyes fluttered closed. “I don’t like this feeling,” she murmured softly. “Like everything is bad and nothing is good.”
He chuckled softly. “What you’re feeling is called growing up. And unfortunately, growing up as an heir to the throne.” His gloved fingers stroked her head gently. “One thing I can assure you, as long as those of us who love you are in power, you won’t see war. And who knows, maybe, by the time you actually take over, you’ll find a way beyond our primitive wars.”
She glanced up at him. “You really think so? Why?”
“Because you’re your parents’ daughter,” he simply said, kissing the top of her head.
“So, Mom and Dad really had an arranged marriage?” Solana asked, arms crossed over a pile of books as she rested her chin on them.
Xavier nodded as he put some books away. “From what I can find from the records, they’d been betrothed since they were young,” the scholar related. “However, it was at Her Majesty’s coronation that the Sovereign showed up to make good on a deal no one was sure he’d even remembered.”
They were in the Imperial Library. Solana was supposed to be studying, but had gotten carried away asking Xavier about his past as the former crown prince of the Empire, and his current role as an Imperial Scholar studying the Interstellar Gate. At first, Sylus had been suspicious of Xavier’s presence, especially if his existence could pose a threat to Solana’s safety. However, Xavier had long since denounced the throne and all his titles, happy to just be a scholar and study to his heart’s content.
He often accompanied the young crown princess whenever she’d have long study sessions in the library. Of course, she rarely stayed on course. But he was more than happy to serve his future Empress and indulge all her questions.
This day, Gray was also with them. He had an encyclopedia about rare plants open in front of him, and a stack of botanical journals and records beside him.
“That’s strange,” he piped up. “It doesn’t feel like Uncle and Auntie are in one.”
Xavier slid another book into its place. “I can assure you it was a political marriage. They might have told everyone it was love, but it was politics that brought them together.”
Solana, Gray and Xavier cast a look out of the window that overlooked the Imperial hallways. There, they spotted Sylus and the Empress, but not only taking a normal walk. No, Sylus was crowding her against a pillar, arm braced above her head. His head was lowered, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as she laughed, a laugh full of resigned fondness, but made no move to push him away. Her hands rested on his biceps, her gloved fingers tracing the lines of his skin under his uniform.
All three of them simultaneously squinted.
“Yeah, that’s not an arranged marriage,” Solana stated. She was old enough now to know the distinction.
Xavier nodded. “Insightful observations, Your Highness.”
Solana’s birthday morning began in the best way possible, waking up to her parents on either side of her, greeting her with cuddles and teases.
“Happy birthday, little dragon,” her father said.
“Happy birthday, little menace,” her mother countered.
That one made her giggle uncontrollably.
Her birthday breakfast was a lavish spread with her family, including Caleb and Gray, followed by gifts. While she would get more gifts during the birthday gala, her parents wanted to give their gifts now. And of course, when Sylus unveiled his gift for her, a small training sword he’d forged himself out of Erythrostone, Solana leapt into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Mid-afternoon, following a morning of lessons, Solana had been dragged away to prepare for the gala. She protested, of course, because nothing was worse for her than to sit still for hours so servants could do up her hair and makeup and dress her up like a doll. She had no idea how her mother bore such things. The Empress got ready as Solana did, and she never understood how her mother could still for so long.
Eventually though, she was prepped, and the party began. The hall was grand, lavish, tastefully decorated. Dignitaries roamed around the hall, interacting, mingling, discussing politics at a child’s birthday party.
Solana’s parents stood on either side of her as nobles and dignitaries approached, wishing her and presenting their gifts. This event wasn’t just a child’s birthday party, and everyone knew it. It was a show of fealty, and any galaxy that didn’t manage to provide a gift would be seen as opposing the future ruler of the Empire, and the Khaosi Galaxy.
The party was also a chance for children to get to know each other.
Which, unfortunately, meant that noblewomen attempted to push their children to befriend the crown princess in hopes of gaining favor and prestige. As young lords and ladies came up, trembling, to wish Solana, she kept a tight, polite smile. Everything about her said that she’d rather be elsewhere.
It really escalated when the orchestra began to play.
Sylus was first to hold his hand out to his wife. “Might Your Majesty grace me with a dance?” he asked.
The Empress chuckled, putting her hand in his. “Be good, have fun,” she told Solana, as her husband led her to the dance floor like they’d been doing this for decades (They had).
For the first time that night, Solana was left alone. And, it was time for the dances.
Noblewomen seemed to latch onto this like sharks smelling blood in the water.
“The crown princess is available.”
“Go ask her to dance.”
“You better get her favor if you want to bring honor to our family.”
Solana suddenly found herself surrounded by pre-teen boys, all terrified, confused, sharing the same sentiment as her to not be here, but helpless against their mothers. All trying to get her attention to ask for a dance.
She quickly looked around the gala hall, her eyes falling on a figure near the window.
Gray kept himself out of everyone’s way, finding a nice, cozy spot by the window. He even had a ficus to keep him company. It was looking good for him.
Until Solana ran at him and grabbed his arm.
“Gray! Dance with me!”
“Wha-Solana!”
“No time to explain. I need you to save me!”
“Wait! Solana!”
She didn’t give him much time to say anything else, pulling him onto the dance floor. By now though, he was plenty used to it, allowing her to spin with him in circles in the middle of the ballroom.
Of course, Solana’s parents noticed first, as the awareness of the crown princess’s chosen dance partner began to spread amongst the crowd. Sylus raised an amused eye, while the Empress just gave a resigned sigh.
“She chose well,” Sylus murmured.
“I’ll be dealing with the political fallout of this for weeks,” his wife countered.
“A problem for later,” Sylus grinned. “For now, a good distraction. Plus,” he raised his head to look at them. For the first time that evening, Solana was laughing, actually laughing. “She’s having a good time.”
His wife had no response other than resignation to that. Lifting her eyes, she met Caleb’s gaze where he stood by the wall, sipping wine. He matched her look. He too had seen it, how Solana had been cornered, and who she’d run to in order to escape.
In the eyes of everyone in the ballroom, the crown princess had chosen the adopted son of the High Marshal.
But to Solana, she just chose her best friend, the one boy who knew her best.
A fireworks display had been arranged much later. So, Solana found herself on the balcony of the palace, her parents on either side of her. Below them, a crowd of partygoers gathered, ready to experience the sky being lit up in beautiful florets.
Her mother had a comforting hand on Solana’s shoulder. Her father stood behind them both, pulling them into his side. One arm around his wife’s shoulder, the other hand on Solana’s shoulder, big and warm and gentle.
A feeling settled in her heart. It wasn’t exactly dread; she couldn’t put a name to it. It lingered at the edges of the light and happy emotions, a constant reminder of the reality she was in. That she was growing up slowly, and things that couldn’t be overlooked began to present themselves in front of her.
Eventually, she relented.
“Mom? Dad?” she asked, looking to her parents for comfort.
Instantly, both her parents tore their gazes from the sky to look down at their daughter. “Yes, little one?” her mother asked.
Questions bubbled in Solana’s throat, fighting for which one would be first to be asked. However, something else settled in Solana.
She shook her head. “Nothing,” she said, smiling. “It’s just been an amazing birthday.”
Sylus smiled, bending down to press a kiss to the top of her head. “Tell me, and I’ll make your further birthdays even grander,” he promised.
Her mother laughed. “Don’t promise her random things,” she chastised.
“Who said they were random?” he shot back. He resumed his original position, his wife and his daughter in his arms.
“This family is everything,” he murmured against his wife’s temple. “And no one will touch it. I’ll make sure of it.”
The Empress chuckled. “You can protect this family by not making more work for me,” she joked.
Solana laughed. Yes, this made sense. Despite all the worries and questions in her heart, at this moment, all she felt was love and security. She had two parents who were powerful leaders of state, and they were committed to protecting this family with their all.
The three of them, brought together by unusual means. A family that defied fate to exist.
Fireworks whined across the sky, exploding in colorful flowers above them all. They resembled the world of galaxies and nebulas that lay beyond the Skycurtain. A dangerous taste of the forbidden.
On the ground, Gray stood transfixed by the fireworks display as Caleb came over to stand at his side, a warm hand on the boy’s shoulder.
Back on the terrace, Sylus pulled his family closer to him. In his arms, he held his entire universe, his cosmos.
They didn’t know what the future would bring, but this moment would be one they would carry in their hearts for centuries.
The child born of chaos and order grew under the patient counsel of her family.
By the time she took over as Empress, the cosmos itself awaited her ascension.
She brought about revolution.
And end to the old order, and led us into the New World.
Just as the Empress of the Cosmic Empire and the Sovereign of the Khaosi Galaxy had foreseen.
- Excerpt from Revolutions of The Sun