Page 24

The Emperor shifted his gaze to Roy, tilting his head slightly. “Lieutenant Toggio of Pyraxis, if my memory doesn’t deceive me?”

Shivers prickled down Roy’s back. He curtsied, definitely far more awkwardly than Cal, then cleared his throat. “Y—yes. Your Majesty.” Before he could stop himself, he said, “I wouldn’t think you’d remember me.”

“There’s a curse upon me that is sometimes a blessing.” The corner of the Emperor’s mouth jumped. “Eidetic memory. I retain a lot. Besides, I was freshly married when we met.” His voice mellowed. He adjusted the purple sash that draped from his shoulder to his hip and clasped his hands behind his back. “War always bring tragic stories, and yours hit a bit too close to a young man in love. I remember looking at you and thinking—how can one possibly keep going when their partner was ripped from them like that? And yet, here we are.” He angled his head toward the rack of burning incense, his throat bobbing. “My husband’s floating in a tank, and I have to live on.”

The Emperor’s valet must have done a thorough job with the makeup. Under the chandelier’s light, his face was a mask of alabaster perfection, only betrayed by the threads of red capillaries in his eyes.

“Allow me to express my mourning,” Cal whispered, pressing a hand over his heart.

“Davie liked you, did you know that?” The Emperor slumped onto the front pew and crossed his legs. “He always said you were the only one who wasn’t completely tone-deaf in that whole choir.”

A warm smile spread on Cal’s face. “That’s lovely to hear.”

“We wanted to help you. To help with the situation on Eiden.” The Emperor twirled the ring on his thumb. “Davie had plans; he wanted to investigate that referendum. The votes were genuine, but he noticed patterns in the external media streams flowing into Eiden. But then there was that Aether-damned tape, and then they took him from me and—” His words died out like a smothered flame. A vein pulsed in his forehead; his fists curled on the black fabric of his trousers. After he drew a deep breath, he shut his eyes. “I’ll make them pay. For what they did to both of us.”

Cal’s eyes widened before he bowed.

“Can I help you somehow now?” The Emperor asked, running a hand over his stubble. “I assume your siblings are with you?”

“They are, yes. Well, not here with me. They’re back on Pyraxis. The Eiden People’s Committee believes we perished in a spaceship crash there. If I could ask you to protect them⁠—”

“I’m afraid that I’m not able to offer you the safety you’d expect.” The Emperor propped his elbows against his thighs. “I had my most elite soldiers guarding my husband, and it still wasn’t enough. My intervention right now would only draw attention.”

“I see.” Cal hung his head.

“Don’t you have any relatives in the neutral colonies?”

“I do, yes, but none would take us in.”

“Ah.” The Emperor swayed, narrowing his eyes. “Perhaps I should talk to them.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty, but I don’t want to impose myself anywhere. If I may ask for one thing… it would be for my parents.”

“From what I’ve heard, they’re still waiting for the trial?”

“Yes,” Cal blurted. “Would you send overseers?”

“Are you concerned about the justice of the process?” After Cal’s minuscule nod, the Emperor shook his wrist and activated his armband. “Very well. I’ll dispatch lawyers.”

“And then, if I may—” Cal paused, his breath hitching.

The wrinkles around the Emperor’s eyes deepened as he smiled. “Of course you may, my dear. What is it? Money? I can offer you some patronage.”

“No. I mean—that’s very generous of you, Your Majesty, but I’m rather concerned about the people of Eiden. I just want to make sure everyone’s safe.” He blinked, squeezing Roy’s hand so hard his fingertips almost went numb. “That this is what they actually wanted.”

“Nothing is ever perfect, is it?” The Emperor huffed. “But yes, of course, I’ve been monitoring the revolution. We conduct sentiment surveys, and the overall acceptance seems only to be rising.” He rose from the pew and placed a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “I know this is hard to hear, but the best you can do right now is to stay away. They might hate you now, but over time, their sentiments will cool. Maybe in a few years, you’ll even be able to return home.”

Roy left Cal in the control room once they gained enough speed, letting him figure out a stable course. In the storage closet, jars of ground peppers were rolling around. Some broke during the chase, leaving red dust all over the floor.

“AVOS?” Roy called out.

A ceiling panel flung open. Two robotic arms descended, the end effectors clicking in a sequence one could interpret as excited. “At your service!”

“Any idea how to clean this up?”

“Hmm.” AVOS lowered one arm to the floor, carefully gathering ceramic shards and feeding them to the garbage collector. The other arm shortly disappeared into the ceiling, returning with a changed end effector—some kind of vacuum suction nozzle. He nudged it into the spilt spices, swirling the dust particles into the air. Once he reached a puddle of chilli jam, he paused and shook off the nozzle. “Oh no. It’s stuck, and I’m all sticky.”

Behind Roy’s back, Cal snorted. He wrapped his arms around Roy’s waist, resting his pointy chin on Roy’s shoulder. “That’s what they said?”