Henry prepares himself for the sparring match with his teacher. Etienne had placed weapons on a table for Henry to choose from. There were simple weapons prepared for him: a dagger, a sword, and a spear. Henry chose the spear as he thought keeping his distance from Etienne was the best choice. Etienne laughed and shook his head.

"Are you afraid?"

"No."

"Good, fear makes you hesitate, and hesitation gets you killed."

Henry nods. Etienne and Henry begin their duel. Etienne charges at the boy with his sword. Henry uses the length of the spear to his advantage and keeps Etienne at a distance. Etienne swings his sword, but it is deflected by the spear. Etienne then attempts to close the distance. Etienne's plan does not work as Henry moves back to keep the distance between the two. Henry thrusts his spear forward. Etienne is quick and dodges the attack. Henry quickly takes advantage and strikes with the butt end of the spear. The blow connects with Etienne's temple.

Etienne falls to the ground, blood trickling down his head. Henry stands over him. Etienne grabs Henry's ankle and pulls his leg out from under him. Etienne then pins Henry to the ground and punches him. The punch connects with Henry's face. Henry is dazed, but he recovers and elbows Etienne. The blow connects, knocking Etienne off of him. The two then stand.

"Why is this sparring so aggressive, Etienne? Is something wrong?"

"Your father wants you thoroughly tested. What may happen at this event could change the course of history. I am sure that some houses may not like what your father has planned. You will need to be ready to face anything. That is the only way."

"I understand."

"Good."

Henry and Etienne continue to spar. After hours of sparring, the two carry each other to the medical wing of the ship. They are patched up, and Henry meets his parents and Remmy. They were now about to land on Tempest. They met on the landing platform accompanied by the Jaegers and Etienne.

"What is the weather on Tempest, Remmy?" Philip asked.

"We are currently in Tempest's summer, so the weather is mildly cold. It is fifty-two degrees today," Remmy answered.

"And what is the coldest day here on this planet?" Marie asked.

"I believe the coldest day is a low of twenty-seven degrees."

"It doesn't seem like it's that cold," Marie commented.

"This is mild for a temperate zone," Remmy explained. "On the coldest days in the winter, the planet can be negative one hundred and forty degrees."

"How is the planet even populated if it's that cold? Why would this be the emperor's capital?" Henry asked.

"The emperor was a native of this planet, and the Fiore family has always been based here. I believe it's just tradition, but there is also another factor," Remmy explained.

"And what would that be?" Marie asked.

"Tempest has no known predators. The highest predator on the chain would be us humans. Everything else is smaller than our average human."

"So, this planet is peaceful?" Henry asked.

"Yes," Remmy answered. "Very."

"What a paradise," Marie said in a sarcastic tone, looking out the window. She hated the cold.

The ship landed with ease. The Jaegers then prepared themselves to protect their master. Henry's family then disembarked. Henry noticed that there was no snow where they had landed. The weather and atmosphere seemed similar to home to some extent.

"Where's the snow?" Henry asked Remmy.

"The capital is insulated through a biosphere placed around the city. Outside of the city is a wasteland of snow."

"How does the biosphere work?"

"Through a combination of artificial lighting and a temperature system. It is a marvel of engineering."

Henry nods his head.

The Jaegers step out of the ship and clear a path for Philip and his family. They approach the emperor, who was standing with his own army waiting for them. The emperor was a man of average height, but his stature was intimidating. He had short greying brown hair and a beard to match. His eyes were green, and he wore the same armor that his soldiers wore. The emperor was also accompanied by his own family. His two daughters, his wife, and his sister were all standing with him. Henry stared at the eldest of the daughters. This is whom I'd be married to, he thought. She was short compared to her family. She was beautiful, with long brown hair and bright brown eyes. She looked soft, kind, and gentle. She looked at him and smiled.

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"Philip," the emperor said as the family approached him. Henry and his parents and companions bowed before the emperor. The Jaegers stood at attention.

"Emperor Fiore," Philip responded.

"Welcome, please introduce me to your family."

Philip nods his head and gestures toward his wife and son.

"May I introduce you to my wife, Marie, and my heir, Henry."

"Pleased to meet you," Marie curtsied.

"It has been a while since the last summit," the emperor commented.

"Yes," Philip replied. "At our last summit, we both had no families and were charming young bachelors."

The emperor laughed. "That was maybe twenty years ago."

"It was," Philip said.

"And you have an heir, you must be proud," the emperor added.

"I am."

"Please introduce me to the rest of your family," Philip said.

"Of course."

The emperor introduced his wife and his two daughters. The eldest of the two was named Emma; she was the oldest daughter and the first in line for the throne. The youngest of the two was named Alicia. The two were very close and seemed to be happy.

"Let us get you and your family settled here. I have prepared rooms for you in the palace."

"That is very kind," Marie said.

"Yes, it is," Philip agreed.

Philip and his family followed the emperor. They were escorted into the palace and to their rooms. Henry was given one to himself, and his parents another to themselves, only a walk across the hall. The palace gleamed with blue and gold, the colors of the Fiore house. Henry explored the room and found it very spacious. He also noticed that there were clothes set aside for him. They were red and silver. Red was the color of the Soleils, and silver was the color of the Fiores. They were simple formal robes, the same style as the ones he had worn before. The only difference was that these were tailored specifically for him. Henry observed these clothes and wondered how they got his measurements. He thought maybe Remmy had given them his size. Henry then sat on his bed. It was cool and soft to the touch. It must have been the finest linen in the galaxy. Henry was lost in thought, wondering if he should accept his future. He knew his mother and father had already made plans, but was this what he wanted? To be used as some form of treaty or arrangement. A chase for power or unity of a house. Henry disagreed with all of it. What he really wanted was to be a pilot or a captain in his own spaceship. He had watched videos that his father had collected from the old world. They showed a crew of adventurers and their adventures through their own galaxy. That's what Henry aspired to be. To leave his house and find adventure.

There was a knock at the door. Henry rose to open it, and his friend Remmy was standing there.

"Hello, son."

"Father."

"The emperor wanted me to introduce you to someone. Would you come with me?"

Henry nods his head and follows his father. They walk down the hall and enter the throne room, where the emperor and his eldest daughter were waiting.

Henry gazed at the eloquence of the room. It was covered in blue quartz and marble of such designs that he had never seen before. His eyes were drawn to the throne, a tall stone chair with inscriptions leading to the spire of it.

"Emperor," Remmy announced. "May I present my son, Henry."

"Ah yes, please approach."

Henry hesitantly walked toward the emperor.

"Your daughter is the most eligible in the galaxy. I'm sure she would make a great partner," Philip commented.

Henry turns and sees his father and the emperor smiling. Henry is confused. Did his father just suggest marriage?

"Henry," the emperor begins.

Henry was startled. "Yes."

"Do you find Ella Fiore pleasing to your eye?"

"Well, um, she is very beautiful."

The emperor and his father laugh.

"Is he always this awkward?"

"We have startled him, Richard."

Philip places a hand on his son's shoulder.

"The emperor and I have kept in communication with each other regarding a betrothal to Princess Emma."

"You have?"

"Yes," Philip said. "The two of you are the heirs of two great houses, and the marriage would unite the houses and the galaxy under one banner."

"It's a little fast," Henry comments.

"I think he is not ready for this yet," the emperor interrupts.

"No, he's not," Philip agrees.

"We should let the young man grow and become comfortable with the idea. How about you meet my daughter first? I'm sure she will be glad to show you around our home."

"I would like that."

The emperor's daughter then approaches Henry, and the emperor introduces her to him. "Emma, this is Henry Soleil, Philip's son."

"Pleased to meet you." Emma reaches her hand out to Henry. He shakes her hand and smiles. "It's nice to meet you."

"If you two will excuse me, I will be leaving. I have business with Philip."

The two parents leave the young ones alone in the throne room. Henry paces around the room still gazing at the walls and the sheer height of the building. His eyes then follow toward the princess. The emperor was right; she was beautiful. She had looked around the room the same as Henry had. Their eyes then locked, and they both shared a shy moment.

"This is weird," she says.

"It is," Henry responds.

"I know my father and your father have planned our marriage, but I don't want it to be out of obligation."

"I agree."

"What should we do then?"

"I don't know." Henry sighs.

Henry then increases his pace toward the throne chair. He tries to read out the words and mouths them to himself.

"Do you know what that is?"

"Yes, it's ancient Fiorian. I think the inscription says 'A crown is only as good as the leader that wears it.'"

"Interesting."

"What's so interesting?" Henry asks.

"Not many people know ancient Fiorian. It is practically a dead language that only direct family members of the house are taught. My mother taught me it, and my sister is still learning."

"Remmy was my teacher, but I had a book from the old world that had translations from Florian to Common. I studied it because I was interested."

"Why?"

"The old world has always intrigued me; there's so much history that we have forgotten."

"My father keeps books about the old world in the library. If you're interested, I can take you there."

"That would be amazing," Henry responds.