I woke up with a slight jolt on the chair. The dark room was still lit only by my mothers medical pod. The slow whirl and turning of gears within being the only nose.
"That... was one weird dream." I muttered to myself getting up slowly. Not trusting reality fully yet.
If I had been talking to the god Eris. I guess I should listen. Be a fool not to. And maybe he was right. But first things first. I must find a way to leave dreary world. And I can't leave without some trouble left behind for my brother. Fixing my overcoat I stood. My mother within the medical pod, unmoved. Unknowing of what would happen still.
"Bye mother." I smile gently before letting it fade and walking out of the rom. The door closed with a soft click and then lots of harder clicks. Pins and gears moving back into place. No one but family went in. No one but family came out.
I began walking down the way I came. And I spotted my sister Juliana Justinian Margrave. Wearing a black and red dress that reached down just before her feet. Her long straight blonde hair reached down to just the mid of her back. And her eyes like my brother and unlike mine were diamond blue. The dress was not some puffy ball gown. It was a long sleeve summer dress. The sleeves stopped just at wrists with red strings embroidered into it. The dress itself was black with small swirls of red lines making flower like designs that grew up from the bottom to the top like a ruby flame.
"Ah there you are Blake. The Praetor has requested you to his office. He doesn't seem too happy." She had a slight smirk to her face that I knew was there but could not see. She was happy about this. She always did side with my brother. I could not blame her. He was to inherit almost everything. As the second oldest and a girl of the family she had plenty of uses in politics and this family. And I was just another threat to it.
"Thank you Juliana. I am sure father would love to speak with the one who managed to capture the Calvar scout man." I said knowing how she would notice how I could our father. Father instead of Praetor like we have always been told.
"Blake. That is not funny. He is our Praetor first and father second. Do not forget that." She said calmly. Clearly planning to tell our father about this minor thing. But to our father it might not be so minor.
"Juliana when has he ever been our father? He has always been just a praetor to us. Do not forget that." I said as I walked past her. Head held high. Both our eyes not taking eyes off each other until we went by.
"She is not coming back Blake. She never will." Juliana said as she continued on her way and me mine. Clearly having meant our mother.
But I will fix my mistakes of the past when I was young. Or die trying. After all I did not learn a sword when I should have and yet now I am. Because I must. And if I had early on I would have more time for other things. I would be better trained as well.
I made my way down the halls finding my fathers office rather easily. The large void black door. That door I swear was so dark it looked non-existent. Yet the gold ornate handles that looked like roses that grown around the wooden handle looked delicate. Too delicate to touch. I slowly grabbed the door handle and opened stepping within my fathers office.
My sat at his Ivory wooden desk. The white of it mixed with hints of black veins barley there and yet made dozens of lines through it. Over him and behind on the wall was a painting of our family. Something I forget we are sometimes. The carpet was a dark red. Like dried blood. And Dozens of different rifles and swords lined the walls on either side of the room.
The lightbulbs sat within thier polished brass cases on the side of walls within glass to let the light through. Four of them. Two on the right and two on the left. Mt father sred eyes like mine looked back at me. Sometimes I hated how much we looked alike. He was like the older version of me.
His black hair was lionger then mine reaching down to his shoulders in messy waves and curls. And he wore a thick black tailcoat. The front was cut away allowing the black pants to be visible. But the back the coat continued down creating tow sort of tails behind the legs. And his red button up shirt underneath could be seen around the top and bottom of the tailcoat as he sat in the large black wool chair.
"Praetor. I hear you requested to see me?" I asked slowly. Making sure each and every word came out clear and formal.
"Indeed I have Blake. I hear you disobeyed your brother who was acting commander on the attack against the poachers. Is this true?" Mt father. Lazinus Justinian Margave asked. Both his hands were folded on his desk as he did not lean back or forwards. He sat straight, like a solider being given a medal like always.
"Yes Praetor. I did." I knew what would happen. Chores and tasks. The need to make sure I understand I cannot disobey orders. Maybe to help clean a ship or to study something stupid like calculating basic lightspeed travel. Or the worst. Organize every single one pf his files on one of his computers. That took months last time.
"Good. You found the bigger threat to this family and household. You did a good thing. But please try not to run after more scouts in the future." He nodded his head just enough in a way to show this was not a trick nor mockery. And for once. I was stunned.
"I... I do not know what to say. So. Why did you wish to see me thing?" I asked as I stumbled over the first two worlds as my tongue felt paralyzed in fear of breaking whatever the moment that had passed was.