Halsten coming back… it could surely mean a good thing, Silvan pondered in the back of his six-seated hovering Craft as it glided over one of the many freeways that zipped through the skies of Xanadu City. It was he who was the first of all Titanian Emperors, Solich or Karesti, to actively attempt positive relations with the Terrans. He even had close relationships with Terran prisoners of war. This could all mean a good thing… but what about Ninon? I can’t even imagine what could be going through her mind right now. She’s only ever known the man to be a breathing corpse. All I can do… is support her. She doesn’t deserve to be a mindless receiver of Rhona’s insane words.
“Would you like me to drop you off here, Master Silvan?” Meurig asked as he slowed the Craft down to a stop outside an elegantly constructed building somewhere in Xanadu City.
“Oh, we’re already here? I hadn’t realized. Yes, I will be getting off here. Thank you, Meurig.”
The tenured guard opened the door for his patron. Silvan asked not to be escorted inside. The building was a dining establishment, only two stories high. A high fence surrounded the roof of the building, making eating under an open Titanian sky a private possibility.
So this is where Quirina chose for our dinner to be, Silvan mused before he stepped inside. An odd choice for the head of a noble family, being so far outside the hustle and bustle of downtown. But there are no complaints from me.
“Good afternoon, sir,” the host of the establishment greeted with a warm smile. “Do you have a reservation with us today?”
“I’m actually here with Duchess Quirina Calvo.” Silvan confirmed with a smile.
“You’re…” the host muttered, dumbfounded. Never had he expected in his entire life to be serving a member of the royal family, so he was rightfully astonished. The young man wore little to signify his status, wearing a simple but professional grey tunic and brown loafers. “Of course, of course. Right this way, Your Grace.”
An elevator near the reception area led the two to the rooftop. At the centre of the floor was a single small round table. On one of its two seats sat a young mustard-colored dress that made Silvan look almost grossly underdressed. His cheeks reddened with embarrassment in realization.
“Duchess Quirina has already ordered for the two of you,” the host said. “Please, be at ease.”
“Thank you,” Silvan nodded with humility. “Please alert me when my guard returns. I’ll be right there.”
“Good evening, Duke Silvan!” Quirina greeted as if almost singing.
“Evening, Duchess. Quite a…”
Silvan took a look at the meal Quirina had ordered. The main course, and only dish, were moon cinnamon and thyme rolls, while the beverage consisted of strix milk, coming from a rarely seen avian creature that lived in the crevices and cracks throughout the moon. Eating more than one dish was uncommon and considered a major form of gluttony, which was heavily frowned upon in Titanian society.
“…. humble selection you’ve made.” he said politely, but in truth he did not think a duchess of the Calvo family would order such an ordinary dish.
“It probably isn’t too your taste, I know. But that is what you get for showing up so late.” Quirina sighed.
“M-My apologies, I had family commitments to take care of. I did tell you, didn’t I?”
“No need to be so sorry, Duke Silvan,” Quirina’s smile returned, as if a switch had been flicked on. She was simply teasing him. “In all honesty, I had a difficult time making a choice, so I went with something that I was familiar with. During my childhood, the household cooks would sneak in some of the dishes they made in their homes and let me have it. And this is better than any fancy dish I had with my family.”
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“Well, let’s see if I agree with your choice, then,” Silvan nodded, taking a fork in hand, slicing a roll in half. Steam evaporated from the cut he made, emanating an excellent aroma that he hadn’t smelled before. It wasn’t exactly fragrant, but it sure was not bland either. He stabbed one of the cut halves with the fork and brought it to his mouth.
“It’s… different. But not a bad different. You sure have a unique taste.” Silvan noted as he finished chewing and swallowing the food.
“Th-Thank you. It means a lot coming from you, Duke Silvan.” Quirina suddenly found herself getting shy from the man’s remark.
“My mother always taught me to call things out as they are,” Silvan said. “Oh, and by the way… don’t you think we should drop the formalities by now? We’ve worked together for months now, and well… we are friends, are we not?”
“Friends are supposed to know much more about one another. Their dreams, their passions… their enemies,” Quirina said as she ate a roll. “It’s not simply just about being the same age and having similar backgrounds. So, tell me, Duke Silvan… what makes you and I friends?”
Silvan placed his fork on the plate, nearly dropping it in the process.
Even after all the time we’ve spent colluding in the Chamber, our shared thought process, she doesn’t think us to be friends? Is this a trick question?
“Would you think I’m lying if I said I liked crocheting?” Silvan gave a smirk.
Throw her off a bit, that’s right.
“Not at all,” Quirina gave a soft giggle. “You certainly aren’t the warrior-type our men are known for being. You’re nimble and slight. Your fingers definitely look it. You can tell a lot about a person by just looking at them. Duke Silvan… I’d like to know what you hate.”
“What I… hate?” Silvan requested clarification.
“Exactly. What makes you so furious that you could just… tear everything down?”
What makes me that furious? What I hate that much is…. Is…
There were a number of things in his life that Silvan hated greatly. His mother’s depression, his sheltered way of life, his lack of any close friends, his status as the last legitimate male Karesti besides the Emperor. Although those were all different things, they could all be attributed to one cause.
“My father’s killing,” Silvan lowered his head, gazing at the fist in his lap that he tightened. “What I hate the most is that my father is dead for something that could’ve been totally prevented.”
“An interesting answer," Quirina nodded. "I love going swimming in lakes far outside of any settlements and playing instruments. The harp, the barytone, the piano… during my downtime at Heimat, that was all I could focus on doing. It helped me make a lot of friends, too. It was so easy and peaceful living that way. But the conference changed everything…”
In the matter of one single night, Quirina’s life had gone from being that of a pampered yet protected noble girl who was practically eager to be deployed to Terra one day as a reserve soldier, to a woman who had the burden of leading the most influential non-royal family in Titan’s history.
“My father had me trained to take the helm of our family from a young age. I learned how to organize meetings, appoint servants to various parts of the estate, assign lesser nobles to guard our properties and take tribute from, study the negotiation tactics I would have to use if I ever became part of Calvo Industries, but the one thing he didn’t teach me was…”
She sniffled as a plethora of good memories rush throughout her head.
“How to live without him. Six months on, I still expect him to walk into my bedroom, have him tell me good morning and then get a kiss from him on the cheek before he left for his office. It’s just… it’s just--
She brought a handkerchief to her eyes, wiping the wetness off of them. Her pale Titanian skin almost glowed red as her golden eyes glistened.
“I- I apologize. I invited you to dinner and I am behaving in such an embarrassing way.”
“No, you don’t have to apologize.” Silvan waved his hands in front of him, mentally punching himself for even having the though of feeling disturbed by the woman’s expression of emotion.
“I haven’t had proper time to mourn him, you know,” Quirina continued. “I’ve spent all my time trying to fill the gaps he left. I can’t even confide in my friends because, well, that’s not the way the head of a family is supposed to behave. I didn’t come with the express intent to release my pain onto you, but… can I now call you a special friend, who I can relate to and rely upon?”
“I’ve always considered you my friend, Quirina,” Silvan walked around the table and put a comforting hand on the duchess’ shoulder. “From the day we first made that agreement in the library.”
“I’ve been told so much about the Karesti family growing up, but,” she turned around and looked Silvan in his emerald, green eyes. “I never thought I could have something to bond over with one of them.”
“Me neither,” Silvan smiled. “Let’s get through our struggles. Together. You have my support.”
I don’t want another woman to suffer like my mother has. She didn’t have a shoulder to cry on, but this woman will. I vow that.
“And you have mine too, Silvan.” Quirina blinked new tears away, before putting on a smile that mirrored the Duke’s. “We asked what we hate the most. I think ours is one we share.”
A common enemy.