by Vi Voxley
The reception was crowded as usual. He was given a wide berth though, his reputation preceding him. It wasn’t just Diego they spoke of in reverence and fear but him as well. Faren didn’t mind. At least his reputation came to his advantage in that – no one in particular came to speak to him. Those who knew him accurately guessed he wasn’t in the mood, and those who didn’t wouldn’t have dared anyway. Only Ryden, one of the most promising young captains, came to introduce himself. He was rumored to become a general very soon. The smile on his face hinted at overconfidence while he was clearly capable. Raw and rash, Faren thought. He'd have to keep an eye on the young upstart.
At least he didn’t have to make small talk.
That didn’t spare him from listening, though. Everywhere around him, people were talking excitedly of their possible fated. Of Rhea, of Diego, of him, of all the things he rather would not have thought about. And they talked about Leiya.
She was the new star of Briolina, an opposite of him if there ever was one. The daughter of Senator Tawren had always been a bit different, which Faren didn’t have an immediate problem with. He almost felt sorry for the girl, if he could have managed an irrelevant emotion like that. He didn’t exactly fit in either. But that was where the similarities began and ended.
To begin with, Leiya was a pacifist. It was a stance so strange and unknown to the Brions that Faren had met people who had to have the word explained. And then the concept itself... She promoted peace while Faren had spent most of his adult life learning the quickest and easiest ways of killing the enemies of the Brions.
They said Leiya didn’t think even the enemies of the Brions deserved to die. She was quoted saying war was terrible, blood disgusting, and the whole profession of warriors just a calling card for trouble. The last one was an interesting idea even Diego somewhat agreed to, but they were generals. They knew the galaxy was filled with plenty of species with whom it was impossible to rationalize. It wasn’t that Leiya seemed to want them to roll over, she just celebrated all occasions where the services of the warriors were not required. In short, her perfect world appeared to be one where Faren would be obsolete.
She seemed firmly on the other end of the spectrum from him in regards to emotions too. While Faren struggled to feel anything but detached curiosity for the world around him, Leiya could apparently be shaken by the smallest things. She was known for actively seeking out the stories of bindings, all of which made her cry, a concept Faren couldn’t completely grasp. In his mind, it was similar to masochism that some warriors fell to, seeking out pain to drive them further. And she put all of her feelings into songs.
Alright, so maybe there were two similarities between them. Faren had always excelled in being able to make people feel what he wanted them to feel. Only the range of those emotions usually went from fear to respect. Leiya could do that too, but her array was much larger, it seemed. He’d heard of whole thousands sobbing at her concerts, which of course made it right into her next song.
People Faren had never known to laugh left her presence with smiles of their faces. Even the Brions who didn’t think much of singers as a whole admitted through gritted teeth that hearing her voice was an almost spiritual experience.
Faren would have liked to tune out most of the talking, but he couldn’t make himself deaf. She was about to take the stage, so there was no helping him hearing everything the audience knew about her.
Leiya thought Briolina was the most beautiful planet in the galaxy. How could she know that when she hadn’t been to any other?
Leiya flew to the other end of the planet to rescue animals. Rescue them from what?
Leiya had stepped between two high-ranking warriors who were about to have a duel and told them they didn’t need to settle everything in blood. They’d stopped. Confirmation needed for that.
Leiya liked the smell of mornings. How do mornings smell? And who notices these things?
By the time the starlet stepped on stage, Faren was almost sure he involuntarily knew more about her than he knew about himself. Then again, there was much more about Leiya to know. For one, something he hadn't expected.
She wasn't a Brion.
There weren't many things that surprised Faren. Anyone else might have looked shocked, drawing attention to himself, but Faren's expression didn't even change. All the confusion took place behind the mask of his usual calm.
The differences were so miniature he'd almost missed them, but he was certain. Brion warriors didn't only study death, they educated themselves in life as well. They knew what a Brion looked like. And while Leiya was similar enough to fool everyone else, she couldn't fool him.
There was something missing, a very distinctive quality Faren couldn't name. Maybe it was a ferociousness, a sense of danger. Everything he'd heard seemed to confirm it. That explained why the girl was so different.
If she could convincingly portray a Brion, it meant she had to be something very much like them. It left only one option. She wasn't similar to Isolde in appearances, but Faren knew she was human. He wondered if she did. And who else knew about this. Interesting. He'd have to ask around about it.
Despite all that, he had to admit that the starlet was truly beautiful. Maybe it was the way she presented herself, but he found her features… pleasing. She had big, soft green eyes, sparkling like she was, made even more obvious by the shiny yellow dress she wore. She just stood out, even without the stage, basked in the golden glow of her dress and the lights around her. Her hair fell almost to her hips, golden blonde like rays of sun in the morning.
There was a sort of playful energy to her that exhausted him a bit even to watch, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. She was what she was, entertainment for the audience. They didn’t need to be her to appreciate her.
And her voice truly was mesmerizing. Even Faren had to admit that, though he very rarely grasped music. Sounds were something that merely happened to him. His valor squares sent out sounds known to attract the enemy, but music wasn’t something he easily understood. Listening to Leiya, he thought he at least came closer to seeing what other people got from it.
All around him, people were swaying along with her melodies but more so with her, the words she was singing. She held them all at the palm of her little hands, and Faren couldn’t help but be impressed.
Also, relieved. At least for a short time while the star was on stage, no one seemed particularly interested in him. He stood as away from others as he possibly could, and Leiya managed to make them forget there was a feared general in the room with them. It wasn’t something Faren had often experienced before and honestly found himself liking being out of the center of attention.
“She’s quite something, isn’t she,” a voice said, and there went his peace of mind.
With the whole Rhea dispute, the collective reputation of the senators had taken a heavy hit. Months had passed, and the Brions had slowly but surely found out all the details, even if things naturally got exaggerated in rumors. They didn’t blame the Elders for hiding Rhea from them, it wasn’t the Brion way to doubt them. They understood.
It wasn’t as easy with the senators. The guiltiest of them were dead by Faren and Diego’s hands, a justice delivered to them on Rhea’s surface before the eyes of the whole galaxy. High Senator Eren who had used his year in power to nearly push them into extinction had been the last to die. Yes, the ones stupid enough to hold on to their misguided views were dead.
In Faren’s mind, that left the most dangerous ones still roaming around.
When Gawen had died, and Diego had had almost no support from the senators, he had taken note of those who opposed them. Faren didn’t like senators by default – their whole being was built around lies and deceit.
One by one, as it became more obvious that Diego was truly on the side of the Elders, the senators began to defect. The father of the starlet on stage was among the first, so Faren was of a mind to give him a quick death the next time he crossed the line. Senator Tawren hadn’t
wanted to part with Rhea, an argument Faren could understand. He’d been able to admit he was wrong. That was a sign of a man to him.
But the one standing before him had been the last. Faren felt his hands clench in fury that only rose to surface within him when his deepest beliefs were under attack.
He’d argued against forgiving any of the senators that had sided with Eren, especially the ones who had jumped ship last. He’d been prepared to be lenient with the early leavers, even if it grated on his sense of honor.
Diego and Eleya, the new High Senator and their most trusted ally within their ranks, had convinced him otherwise. Senators still had to rule Briolina in the absence of the Elders. They couldn’t bear to have their office stripped of all members and all trust. They had to stay.
Yes, the one standing before him with a sly smirk playing on his lips was definitely the one who Faren had the hardest time forgiving. Most of all because he had no intention of doing so.
“Senator Primen,” he said, the words feeling like ash on his tongue.
“General Faren,” the senator said. “I must say I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
Faren said nothing. The need to kill was almost unbearable in his heart. He focused on the arguments Diego and Eleya had made. They were still trying to show the Galactic Union they weren’t mindless killers. The Elders had forgiven the senators for the sake of their legitimacy. He couldn’t ruin all that in a fit of anger.
The senator’s eyes were cold as he continued.
“Although I can’t say it’s a pleasant surprise.”
An ugly smirk twisted the corners of Faren’s mouth upwards.
“I can’t imagine it is,” he said. He’d given in to Diego and Eleya, but that didn’t stop him from keeping an eye on Primen. It didn’t go unnoticed, nor unanswered. He and Diego were heroes on Briolina right about then – although heroes parents used to scare their children with. Their words carried weight and so did their opinions.
He allowed himself to relish the look of pure loathing Primen gave him, knowing quite well he’d caused him a lot of trouble and cost him his position. Primen was no longer the bright future he’d been when he was younger. Now he was merely tolerated, kept an eye on. He was a loser of a war that didn’t happen, and everyone knew it.
The hate almost oozed off him, but Primen had to know that if he wanted to keep his life, he couldn’t do anything stupid. Not to mention he was a mere senator, while Faren was one of the most feared men in all the galaxy. He could have crushed Primen’s throat in his fist like it was nothing but an annoying bug buzzing around his head.
The moment passed and Primen put on the face all senators wore these days when having to deal with the generals. One of easy, respectful delight. It was so fake it hurt to watch.
“I suppose it’s understandable, though,” the senator said. “Receptions are a place to meet one’s fated, after all. I have hopes in that regard myself.”
Faren followed the senator’s line of sight up to the stage where the starlet was finishing her performance with a magnificent aria. It had to sound amazing to all those who appreciated music. Something twisted in his stomach at the thought of that bright creature in the hands of someone like Primen.
“Why her?” he asked, curious despite himself.
“I’ve had my eye on her for a while now. She was a very talented child, and as you can surely see, has grown into a very beautiful woman. Even if she’s not my gesha, though I wouldn’t count that impossible anymore, I imagine she’ll be a good fuck.”
Something about that anymore told Faren without any doubt that Primen knew she was a human too. That was interesting as well. Yet there was something even more out of place and that was how much the senator's words bothered him.
Faren had heard a lot of things being said about Leiya that night. Among others there had been a rumor that for all of her popularity, she’d only ever been with two men. He didn’t point it out to Primen. Instead, from a place deep inside him came a low, dangerous growl that battle-hardened warriors ran from,
“Stay away from her.”
He turned his back to the senator, trying to tell himself the smirk he’d seen on Primen’s lips didn’t mean he’d just done something he never did – he’d made a mistake.
CHAPTER SIX
Leiya
Her first reception, Leiya thought.
She had two options – stop smiling or stop skipping, she couldn’t do both. That just wasn’t possible. She chose skipping, because it would have looked kind of foolish to skip and not smile. So there was that.
The concert was over, and it had been magical, just like she’d wanted. And to top it all off, Leiya was pretty sure her stage awareness hadn’t completely failed her. She was positive that she’d seen the recognizing moment happen during the song she’d written exactly with that hope in mind. She’d been so happy she’d nearly forgotten the lyrics, but her audience was so enthralled that they hadn’t even noticed her stumbling over a note.
Now that her performance was done, she could just be a guest like everyone else and look to see if her fated was somewhere in the crowd.
There are just so many people here, he has to be here. I swear the whole of Briolina is here.
The reception hall was so big she could barely see the other end. If friends lost each other in that room, it was pretty much impossible to meet up again until after the party had ended. Leiya was sure it was done on purpose. It made people mingle more, and thus they had better chances of meeting their fated like they were supposed to.
Her friends looked as dazed as she did. Their eyes were shining as brightly as hers, though Leiya didn’t know if she should dare to hope. Some of her friends didn’t believe in the receptions at all, even if they had a fair success rate. After all, Brion bindings usually took some really emotional or personal moment to happen. Like hearing my song! Sometimes it wasn’t obvious in the moment, but later turned out to have happened at exactly the right time.
Still, bindings were difficult. Fate didn’t usually match up two people who had no chance of meeting. For example, it was highly unlikely Leiya’s fated would be on the other side of Briolina. But the happenstance could also come completely unexpectedly – after all, hadn’t General Diego Grothan found his gesha from Terra? And a human at that? Leiya was still trying to wrap her mind around that, but the Elders hadn’t said anything negative. The bindings were sacred, and if Diego’s fated was a human, it bothered no one.
Leiya had always felt jealous of the recognizing moment. Why couldn’t women find their fated, why did it have to be the gerion who found them? She would have loved to walk around the reception’s grounds and let her eyes brush over all the handsome men present. And then she would feel that amazing, magical moment, and she could tap on someone’s shoulder and say they were meant to be.
It would make the most amazing song, she thought. That was one of the most infuriating parts of her job in Leiya’s mind. All the stories people told her, but she still had to imagine what the recognizing moment felt like. No matter what, she’d never have the chance to experience it for herself. Maybe her gerion would be able to describe it to her in more detail than strangers were willing to. She could hope, at least.
Alright, so maybe she did hope for things, quite a few things in fact. All her friends did, even if they didn’t admit it, or else why would they have come? If they didn’t believe they could find their fated, what was the point?
To look, the answer came to her.
Receptions were the biggest gatherings after the mass assemblies when the Elders emerged to share their thoughts with the Brions. All brought together in a large area, it was truly the most social event she could imagine. Even if she didn’t meet her fated that night, she could still enjoy just being there. People danced, and drank, and talked. Most of them talked about Diego Grothan and his gesha, Isolde. That was just as well, because it interested Leiya too.
“It’s so exciting,” Iloya was saying. “Can y
ou imagine, a general? She must have been mad with joy.”
“She’s a human,” Aya pointed out. “I think she was scared out of her mind. It’s Diego, after all.”
Leiya agreed.
“I think so too,” she said. “I mean, to have Diego Grothan walk up to you and say your life was now bound to him? I would have been terrified.”
“Oh, but a general. Of course Leiya would hate it, but Aya, back me up,” Iloya argued, bright-eyed. “Tell me you wouldn’t like that.”
Aya shook her head, which was to be expected. Her tastes had always been more directed at senators and the like, being one in the making herself. Like almost all of them, she considered warriors to be too simplistic.
Leiya hesitated. All Brions were fighters, and their generals were the protectors of their people. She theoretically understood, but the idea she could be paired with a horrible bloodthirsty brute scared her to bits.
“No,” she said, like she’d done a thousand times before. “I don’t want a warrior. And definitely not a general. You have no idea how glad I was the day I heard Diego had bound. Not that I thought I would be the one for him, but just to have him out of the options… Or, gods forbid, Crane…”
They all shuddered, thinking of the monstrous general, although he’d only gotten to bear the title for a very short while. Then Diego Grothan had killed him in single combat during the Rhea dispute. All the better for it, he was an abomination every way you looked at it. Once he’d been a promising warrior, until they’d declared him mad and locked him away only to bring him back for the exact purpose of killing Diego. He had failed, ridding the world of him and making Diego even more terrifying to his enemies.
“Yeah, not like him,” Iloya agreed. “Gods spare us from those like him. He was just a monster. I don’t think he even had a gesha, who would fate treat so cruelly?”
She paused.
“Or, you know, the twins.”
They shuddered again. Crane had been a short-lived, almost absurd terror as a general before Diego had set it right for them. The twin generals had been around for a while now.
