Chapter 2: Preparation.

Aurelia dresses me as if I am a doll. I don't hate it. In fact, I kind of like it. I like how her hands take control and arrange every part of me. Today, she dresses me in all black suit, vest, button-up shirt, dress pants, and some polished shoes. Each part, chosen separately and brought together by her in a way that looks stunning.

I sit in a chair watching myself in the mirror as Aurelia combs my hair. She combs my hair carefully, as if she's performing surgery. I don't particularly mind how I usually wear it, messy but presentable enough. However, today Aurelia insists that she's in charge. She parts it down the middle, ruffling the sides and the back. She adds products here and there, doing whatever she pleases, all the while saying that they will give my hair "texture." I think it is a bit much, yet I don't argue. I love how her fingers feel as she touches me. I love how gentle she is. I love how even though she doesn't need to do this, she does. I feel like she's not just piecing together my appearance, but also piecing together my heart. I love her so much.

I stare at her through the mirror. Her black dress is covered with intricate gold patterns matching her beautiful blonde hair. She looks radiant. Her ruby necklace and bracelet match her eyes perfectly. To me, she looks just as beautiful as she did in her wedding dress. Everything about her effortlessly draws my attention. I could sit here forever, just looking at her gracefully move about, capturing every detail of her presence. I have no idea how I got so lucky.

"You look so handsome, dear" she whispers into my ear as she looks at her creation. Her voice makes my heart race. I want to tell her that she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, that nothing can compare to her, that I would give everything up to be with her. But I don't. I freeze up.

She glides to my closet, pulling out a small box of accessories. She has me try on various rings, ties, bracelets, and necklaces.

After a while of deliberation, she settles on a silver chain and a pocket watch. She lifts the chain and gently wraps it around my neck. I feel the silver, gliding smoothly against my skin. She takes a few moments to secure the clasp. Her fingers run down my throat, adjusting the chain to make sure it looks just right. It's such a small thing, one that no one else would notice, yet she does it anyway. I love her for that.

"Silver looks good on you" she says softly. She meets my gaze, and for a while everything disappears. She stares deeply into my light gray eyes, as if she's lost in them, similarly to how I am lost in hers. She moves to attach my pocket watch to my vest, trying to mask her affection. Yet I know, her red cheeks betray her.

I love the way she looks at me. It makes me feel like I'm the only thing that matters to her, at least for a few moments. I tend to find myself getting lost in her gaze. To me, her red eyes are more beautiful than even the most expensive of rubies because they're not just beautiful. They carry the meaning, the depth, and every emotion she carries.

…

We exit our quarters and start heading towards the dining hall. Most servants stand still at attention once again and avoid my gaze as I pass while the others once again do not. Aurelia smiles at them, I act as if they don't exist. They know that I am the second son, a person of minor power compared to my brother and mother. They know I can't do anything to them, it makes me a little mad.

As we near the massive door to the dining hall. I hear laughter and conversation. As I move closer to the door, I start to wonder, who did my mother invite for dinner? 

Before I could continue my thoughts, I saw A figure standing before the dining hall's gigantic doors.

The man is a giant. He has tousled brown slick backed hair and a chiseled face. Brown eyes meet mine, they are sharp yet warm. They scan my body up and down.

Clad in Nebula Armor, he looks more robot than man. The armor he wears is made of interlocking scales, resembling a type of exoskeleton that is crafted with an elegance that speaks to its high-tech nature. Each scale, detailed and layered shift with his movements. They allow for quick fluid movements and great protection. The armor adapts with the wearer, being able to predict both its wearers and their enemies movements.

Seeing me, the scales move ever so slightly towards my direction, as if preparing in case of an attack. The armor brings out the wearers full potential, while protecting them at the same time. A blue hue flickers under each black scale as it glides to a new place, always adapting, always changing. It freaks me out, the way the scales shift, repair and replace depending on the wearer's environment. It's like they have a mind of their own. 

In his right hand, he holds a customized Ion Blade, a sleek, and slender blade, that seems almost fragile in appearance. Unactivated, it is merely capable of cutting through weaker metals like iron. However when it powers up, it starts to hum due to its powerful energy. It can slice through the toughest of metals and cut iron as if it was butter. His ironblade has a slight curve to it, making it easier to slash but harder to stab.

In his left hand, he carries my family's banner. Its light blue fabric ripples ever so gently as he holds its pole. Upon its flag resides a white dove's wing, symbolizing my family's drive for peace and its control over the skies.

I know this man. His name is Thoris and he is our house's 33rd blade. I've conversed with him a lot over the past, he is a man of great wisdom and experience. I haven't talked to him since the early years of my childhood. Last I heard, he led a decently successful campaign against the democratic republic of Terra under the name of my mother and the Aeperium.

A little astonished, I slowed down and Aurelia took the lead. She has never met this man. My eyes meet his again, he is smiling. He recognizes me. I show no reaction, but deep in my heart, I'm glad he remembers me. As I awkwardly speed up to Aurelia she glances back at me with a smile, probably admiring her handiwork.

"It's been a while, hasn't it little Achilles?" The giant's voice boomed loudly down the hall, startling the nearby maids.

The various servants in the hallway went silent and glanced nervously at one another. I could feel the tension in the air. Who would be dumb enough to call their lady's son "little"? Sure some dare to show disrespect towards me, yet they don't disrespect me that much knowing that there would be real consequences of acting like that in public. They clearly don't recognize the hulking figure standing before us. Aurelia who was holding my arm stops in her tracks, her expression full of confusion and disbelief

"Little?" she repeats, her eyes looking up to meet mine for a moment before proceeding to scan my body. "But your quite large…" she mumbled

Her eyes are hinted in confusion while her brows are knitted into a scowl. I am so embarrassed, how did this giant lose his sense of decency? Can he at least be a little more respectful with the servants around?

The giant strides towards me at an inhuman pace. His massive frame dwarfed the various servants around him. His body seems to have grown even larger since the last time I saw him. His sheer size is intimidating. He lifts me up and squeezes me as if I'm a toy. I can feel myself being crushed by the man's massive arms.

"It's been a while, Thoris, " I say as he puts me down. He is absolutely massive. I myself stand a little above six feet, yet I still have to tilt my head back to meet his eyes. He's easily eight feet tall, with muscles as large as boulders. Even with my own muscular and toned body, compared to him I must look like a stick.

"Indeed, only what… five years?" he asks, as he tilts his head

"No, seven." I corrected him.

He studies me for a moment, his expression softening a little into something close to affection. "You're not so little now…" he says, his tone carrying a slight hint of disappointment. He reaches down ruffles my hair which Aurelia had just perfectly combed.

Before I could even think of reacting, Aurelia has already leaped into action. In just a few moments, she's on Thoris' shoulder, a gleaming knife in hand pressed to his throat. Where did that knife even come from?

Thoris doesn't even flinch. The white scales on his armor quickly shift with an almost mechanical precision, creating an impenetrable defense guarding his face, neck and shoulders. Yet Aurelia stabs down anyway, her blade leaving small scratches against the tough scales that heal almost instantly

Thoris grins and, with casual ease, plucks her from his shoulders with one massive hand and sets her down next to me.

"Your wife is quite feisty huh?" He says to me, his eyes glinting with amusement while the scales of his armor return back to their original position.

"I still can't believe you got married!" Thoris continues, his voice filled with disbelief. "I didn't even know until I debriefed with your mother last night! You could've sent me an invite"

I raise an eyebrow, my irritation barely concealed. "It's kind of hard to send an invite when your galaxies away, fighting an intergalactic war!" 

"Good point…" Thoris chuckles realizing his foolishness.

"Who are you?" Aurelia asks, interrupting our conversation

"I am Thoris Valerius Varrus, first of my name, and house Virellis's 33rd blade."

Aurelia's eyes widen in shock after hearing his title. Many of our house's blades were either governing planets, leading war parties, or dead. Rarely did any of them ever return to our homeworld of Tundara-a harsh planet where it always snows during the Autumn and Winter, while relentless rain pours down during the spring and summer.

While Aurelia was trying to compose herself, Thoris started escorting us towards the gigantic doors. The sheer scale of them always made me pause. They were carved from black stone and adorned with silver designs. They towered over us, like a city gatehouse.

"So, " I ask, trying to break the silence, "How did the battlefield treat you?" 

"It was bloody,"Thoris replied, his voice steady, and calm. "We managed to easily obliterate the democratic republic's fleets, allowing us to blockade their planets and gain air superiority with little to no trouble. But the planets themselves… they were another story entirely. The people on those worlds were like ants. They were hard to spot, and when they were spotted, there were usually many of them. They hid in underground cities, forests, and mountains. The major cities were like fortresses. We bombarded them repeatedly for days at a time, yet the 2nd legion still suffered millions of casualties attempting to storm them. The republic soldiers…" He paused and his lips tightened as the memory of the events flooded back into his mind.

"They fight dirty, they know no honor, nor do they ever surrender. Each street, hall, and house was held as if it was a last stand. At times, it took days to make any sort of progress. They kept luring us into buildings, then blowing them up. They have no regard for human life. They don't even care if they kill their own soldiers in the process, they just want us dead. They poisoned our food and medical supplies, threw bodies and poison into wells, and set fire to the land wherever we were victorious. In those 7 years, The second legion only took 7 planets before our resources ran thin and supply lines were halted. We needed to abandon 2 of them, they had little to no worth. Even now when we are at peace, the enemies are like rats, hiding in the cities, moving through tunnels. Although it seemed like we were in control, we never were."

I stayed silent, taking in the weight of his words. Millions of casualties. Trillions of credits wasted. All for five insignificant military planets along the border. The thought of it was staggering. What was more staggering to me was the way Thoris reported it as if it was a routine task. It reminded me of how war strips away even the smallest semblance of peoples humanity.

"How did mother punish you?" I asked, knowing there had to be some consequence for his failures. He led one of the largest armadas my house has ever created, yet he only conquered 7 planets in 7 years. My mother had to have given him some consequence for the lives, credits, and resources lost under his command.

He glanced at me with a solemn expression on his face. "She hasn't yet. I assume it will happen after her little dinner party with the chancellor." he said with a sigh. his tone was flat. It genuinely seemed like he was ready to accept the consequences of his actions.