I now find myself sitting on the couch with Aurelia coddled up in my arms. She was asleep. Today was an emotional rollercoaster for her, so I don't really mind it.
I grab my glass off the table in front of me, taking a small sip before continuing to scroll on my communicator.
Knock Knock
Hearing the knocking, I try to maneuver myself out from under Aurelia without waking her up.
I fail.
I anxiously watch as Aurelia's eyes slowly open as she continues to hold my waist, keeping me pinned down on the couch.
"Baby, someone's at the door." I tell her, attempting to release myself from her arms.
"Mmmm" she groans, gripping me even closer.
Knock Knock
The person knocks again. "Cmon Aurelia, let me go get the door."
"We were so comfy," she mumbles, closing her eyes once again.
I sigh, forcing my way out of her embrace. I hear her mumble and groan in dissatisfaction as I move toward the door.
I open it, only to find Joseph, our head butler.
"Sir Achilles, the lady summons you and madam Aurelia to her office." he says with a slightly condescending smile. Unlike Falco, Joseph never talks to me unless he has orders to do so. He always has this vibe about him that I hate. He clearly shows his favoritism toward Ares, probably attempting to get a promotion or something.
Nevertheless, I thank him and wake Aurelia up. We walk through the estates many halls, making our way towards my mothers office. At this point, word has already spread and everyone in the estate knows that Commodus has asked me to become his pupil. They don't hide their hatred. As I walk by. I hear their hushed voices, gossiping and insulting me. My family is part of the Loyalists, a group of old and powerful families, loyal to the Imperion, while Commodus is the chancellor, leader of the Councilist party, a larger group of newer vicars, loyal to the chancellor and usually in opposition to the Imperion. The Loyalists were usually richer with powerful legions which they used to maintain their power while the Councilist's were newer, poorer vicar's who used politics to gain power. Me, now becoming a pupil of the chancellor, did technically make me a traitor to both my family and the Loyalist party.
Nevertheless, I continue walking toward the office, ignoring their harsh whispers. As I reach the door, I stop.
Would my mother try to stop me? Was Commodus able to convince her?
Various scenarios run through my head as I wait for Aurelia to open the door.
Sighing, I follow her into the office, ready to hear what my mother has to say.
The room is messy, papers and letters are spread all over the desk while books cover the ground. Mother has clearly been stressed.
She sits behind the large oak desk, facing Commodus and Thoris who sit opposite of her. The room felt tense and not a single word was being said. They watch us like hawks as we take our seats next to Thoris.
"I've heard that you made a decision." she says unfazed, staring deeply into Commodus's eyes.
"I have." I say pausing for a moment, wondering if I should really go through with this. I would give up every luxury I've ever had. Is it worth leaving my loved ones? Is it worth going through so much pain? Is it worth the struggle?
Yes, yes it is. I need to do it to not only survive, but flourish.
I do not wish to die. Even if Ares doesn't kill me, I don't want to see my wife bleeding out on a battlefield among millions of my comrades. I do not wish to bar my own children into serving my brother, a violent warlord who seeks glory. I do not wish to be known as some sort of killer. I want to be remembered, not as a villain, nor as a murderer, but someone who achieved something. If I stay, I cannot control fate. If I leave, I don't know my fate, but what could be worse than living a short pointless life, one easy but full of no meaning that ends in my brother's hands?
"Well?" she asks, her gaze shifting to me. Her eyes are full of darkness. She knows my decision. After all, she was the one who raised me. She knows how I think, she knows how I feel, and she knows my dreams. I merely wish to be safe and happy. I have lived in luxury all my life, yet I was never really happy. I hated the way lesser people looked down on me, I hated the way servants thought they were better than me, and I hated the look on their faces when I couldn't prove otherwise. I was pampered and spoiled, but now I must earn my worth. I must make my own decisions, and I must protect the person that I love in whatever way I can.
I realize now that I cannot let Aurelia become a house blade. I cannot let her become a machine built for war. I cannot let her die for some random cause like most blades do. She is sentenced to the same fate that I was, yet she has no way out. Except for me. I must become powerful enough to save her. I cannot let her become a house blade. I cannot not let the love of my life be in danger.
"I have decided to accept his offer." I say staring into her eyes. This was the first time i've actually made a decision of my own. It felt good, like some sort of freedom.
The room stays silent for a long time, everyone lost, deep in their own thoughts.
"And how do you feel about this?" My mother asks, turning her head toward Aurelia.
She remains composed and elegant, thinking of a response.
"He is doing this to protect us." she says, frowning. "I will miss him a lot, yet there is not much I can do. I cannot stop nor hate a man for doing what he believes is right." She says. Her voice is clear, yet her tone is full of sadness. I can tell that she supports me, but hates the idea of parting from me. I can't help but feel the same. She and I will quite literally be worlds apart, doing who knows what. I can't stand the thought of leaving her for so long, but at least I'll still be able to talk with her through my communicator.
My mother sighs, staring at me for a long while. "I know that I haven't been a great mother to you, nor your brother Ares. That is probably the reason why you two are the people you are now. As your wife said, you are grown now, almost 18. You are old enough to make your own decisions, I just hope you don't grow to regret them." she says, sighing. "Commodus really thinks that Ares will kill you. I as your mother cannot accept that..."
"You wont try to stop me?" I ask, surprised by her reaction
"No." she says, staring at me. "Just know that, officially, I will have to cut off all support." she says, a sad expression forming on her face,
I knew that I would no longer be able to gain an allowance, nor live in luxury. By accepting Commodus's offer, I will have no one to rely on but myself. I have already accepted that.
"I'm aware" I tell her.
A brief silence washes over the room.
"Do you two have anything to add? You have been rather quiet." she asks, referring to Thoris and Commodus.
"This is more of a family thing. I don't really know why im here" Thoris says awkwardly "If I were to give you some advice however, be ready to go through hell. That bastard is extremely tough and will no doubt have many deadly challenges for you. Be prepared, he will hit you where it hurts most. He will knock you down and change you, mentally and physically." he says, looking at Commodus.
I note his words. The two of them clearly know each other, yet I don't know how. Maybe they've met in some prior conflict or something. Either way, I already know that everything Thoris said was true. He will try to break me down, then build me back up into something else.
"Like the giant said, I will work you to the bone and test you. Your days of living the easy life will be over. You will have to work for your worth. I will not treat you like a prince, but a soldier." He says seriously. "Are you sure that you are prepared?" He asks again.
"Yes, yes I am." I say this time with no hesitation. I am ready.
"Great. Then we will leave in the morning." he said, giving me a big smile. The morning? Isn't that a bit too soon.
"The morning, isn't that too quick!?" Aurelia asks, concern evident in both her tone and expression.
"The earlier I take him, the earlier you can have him back princess." Commodus says, chuckling.
Aurelia looks down, clearly dissapointed that I would have to leave so soon.
Seeing this, my mother tells us to leave but not before grabbing Aurelia's arm. "Stay back for a bit. We should talk."
Weirdly, I don't feel much emotion, leaving my mother's office. I just told her that I was going to leave her and the rest of my family for years, yet the only person I seem to care about leaving is Aurelia. Images and memories of me and my mother flash through my brain. I try to remember what I'm supposed to feel. But the truth is, I've never really felt connected to her.
Even when I was much younger, she let us do what we liked. She never enforced any rules, nor bothered to stop me when I made reckless decisions. She was never really cold, or even abusive. She was just sort of… well… indifferent. She was always far away, doing god knows what. She never visited or called me without a reason, and we never had those mother son moments that other children seem to have in stories. The ones where your mother protects, guides, and raises you.
I say I love my mother, but when I say it, I feel empty. Like words with no meaning. The truth is, I don't feel anything when I say those words. Not like I do when I say I love Aurelia.
With Aurelia, it's different. When I say those words, memories of our many hours together flash in my brain. I remember the time we spent together in each other's embrace. I remember the many conversations we had. I remember our most intimate of moments. They are some of my most precious memories. They are the memories that make me feel something deep inside my heart. But saying those words about my mother? I don't even know what I'm supposed to feel. Perhaps i'm supposed to feel a similar warmth, yet I don't, I just feel emptiness.
"I think that went well." Commodus says, a smile on his face.
I don't say anything, prefering to keep in my own thoughts.
"I agree she was surprisingly supportive" Thoris responds.
"Do yall know each other?" I ask. They are too friendly to each other, they are clearly not just acquaintances.
"Yeah, we met each other on the battlefield a couple years ago against the democratic republic" Thoris responds nonchalantly. "The chancellor decided to join the battle personally and helped us take a massive underground city on a sandy military planet." he continued. "He was a force of nature, his forces were able to quickly breach the backside of their keep and help us at the gate. He's a strong man and a good leader, almost as capable as me" Thoris says, chuckling.
Commodus however does not find his remarks funny. "There's a reason why I have 5 crowns and am the chancellor, while you merely have 3 crowns and lead a single legion." he remarks.
"Well, lets not forget that you were born into the Tiberius dynasty, I myself however was just a child in the slums of Tundrell. I built myself into a force to be reckoned with." he says proudly.
"Have you two ever dueled?" I ask, instigating. I am genuinely curious as to who would win. Not to mention that it would be a great send off before going through some hellish training.
The 2 of them stop dead in their tracks. "We have never." Thoris says, staring at Commodus. "Shall we have a duel?" he asks Commodus. "It's getting quite late isn't it." Commodus says pointing out the window. It is pitch dark, and cold. Rain still falls endlessly, its sound soothing.
"Are you scared?" Thoris asks, a smirk fiding its way on his face. "I understand, it would be quite embarrassing for the chancellor himself to lose to a mere 3 crowned general." Thoris says chuckling.
Commodus turns and catches me grinning behind them. He chuckled before turning back to Thoris and responding to his provocation. "Very well, we shall have a small duel before we head to bed." He responds. I really don't know who'll win. On one hand, Commodus is skilled and fast, yet he's not nearly as strong as Thoris. One the other hand, ive never seen Thoris seriously fight before. I cant imagine the destruction that is about to occur between these 2 fighters.
Instead of heading toward the main dueling arena outside the estate, we head toward the smaller indoor one.
As we enter the dueling arena, I cant help but take a peak at both fighters while they prepare. Both Thoris and Commodus wear their nebula armor and wield their custom ion blades. They were treating this duel as if it was a real fight and I, as the main instigator was set as the referee.
I now stand in the middle of the arena. On my left, a massive giant who stands at least 8 feet tall, cladded out in all white nebula armor with a sleek black hue under his scales. On my right, an equally menacing, skilled warrior, cladded out in all black with a golden glow under his armor. They were like exact opposites. I eye the clock, and as it struck midnight, their duel began.