Act One: Inquisitor's Promise
Chapter One: Lavinia
Castle Aquila stood atop the island of Prochyta, in the middle of Lake Tyrion. A large, towering castle, it was the second highest building in the island next to the island’s Basilica. The castle overlooked the Nepolian Channel. Across that channel was the main city of Nepoli itself. A towering collection buildings merged together into one large city known as a hive city. Like most hive cities, Nepoli City contained trillions of souls. A testament to the Dark Age Civilization’s aptitude for city building.
Aeneas Aquilanus looked towards the towering hive city. It was a breathtaking sight. A combination of Dark Age building and Holy League Era architecture produced the kind of grand beauty that the young Inquisitor could stare at for a very long time. In fact, Aeneas would most likely stare at the hive city for hours on end would it not for a timely interruption.
“Aeneas!” a feminine voice cried out.
The young Inquisitor turned and saw his cousin, Lavinia Aquilana. Lavinia was a girl a few inches shorter than Aeneas. Her pinkish hair, a telltale sign of a female deep one, was what truly distinguished the two cousins. Despite their respective pedigrees, the two of them could easily pass themselves off as close relations.
“What is it, Vinia?” Aeneas answered.
“Are you ready?” Lavinia chirped.
Aeneas blinked in confusion. “Ready for what?”
Lavinia looked at Aeneas in shock. “Are you serious? Uncle Anchises is coming back, and he’s bringing the blue alien here.”
“You mean the Lektros? That was today?!” Aeneas exclaimed. “I completely forgot!”
“What have you been doing, Aeneas?”
“A bunch of things, Vinia. Reading, combat practicing, and writing my reports to the Holy Office.”
“Hmm, I suppose it would make sense that you might forget,” Lavinia pondered. “But wouldn’t Uncle Anchises tell you of this?”
“I’m sure papa did, but I forgot,” Aeneas said sheepishly.
“Argh,” Lavinia groaned. “This is why you need a wife. Someone to be your helpmeet and get your life organized.”
Aeneas sighed. He knew where this conversation was going. “And you’re going to be that woman, right?”
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“Exactly,” Lavinia said confidently, acting as if she was completely ignorant of the sarcasm laced in her cousin’s comment. “I don’t want to appear immodest, but I’m great wife material. I’ve been helping out with Castle Aquila a lot.”
“And I appreciate you for that,” Aeneas said diplomatically. “But I will not be party to incest.”
Lavinia’s cheerful countenance turned to one of indignation. “Incest? I am not incestuous! I’ve traced our genealogies. You are closer to the average Nepolian noble girl than you are to me!”
Aeneas held his hand. “Peace, Vinia. You are right, it is not incest. Forgive me,” the young Inquisitor conceded. “But surely you must know that it is suspicious.”
“Suspicious?”
Aeneas was silent for a moment; he was thinking of a way to get his point across. Perhaps this might do it.
“Why is incest wrong?” Aeneas asked.
“What? It’s obviously wrong!”
“That’s not going to cut it!” Aeneas shook his head. “Why is it wrong?”
Lavinia was deep in thought. There was a moment of silence as Aeneas waited on patiently. His cousin was not a deep thinker and so this might take a while.
“I suppose,” Lavinia said unsurely. “It’s because children of such parents have genetic issues. Retardation, and such.”
“Good answer,” Aeneas responded. “But not good enough, the way I see it.”
“What do you mean?”
“First of all, not all children of incest have this issue,” Aeneas said. “Secondly, what do you make of adopted siblings?”
“Well, I don’t know,” Lavinia confessed.
“These examples mean that genetic deformation is not the cause for why incest is immoral any more than sexually transmitted diseases are the reason why adultery is immoral,” Aeneas explained.
“Okay,” Lavinia said. There was a hint of hesitation in her voice.
“So, if it’s not because of genetic deformities, why is incest immoral?” Aeneas asked once more.
“I guess you will tell me the reason…”
“The reason, my dear Lavinia, is because God wills all men to be connected together,” Aeneas said. “We are all one family, and it is not right for us to frustrate that design through consanguineal marriages. And it doesn’t matter how far apart our genetic stocks are, we are both of House Aquilanus and it is not right for us to be wed.”
Lavinia was deep in thought, processing everything that her cousin had told her. Meanwhile, Aeneas was hopeful that his interlocutor might finally understand.
“Wow, Aeneas,” Lavinia said. “You. Are. Such. A Nerd!” The deep one girl then guffawed.
Aeneas’ expression dropped. He was no stranger to this kind of thing. It always went the same way. Aeneas would give out a well thought and logical argument to Lavinia. And the girl would proceed to tear them down by calling him a nerd or whatever pejorative she could think of.
Seeing Aeneas’ countenance, Lavinia drew closer and gave him a hug. “Don’t worry, Aeneas. Just get ready, Uncle Anchises should arrive in a few hours or so.”
“Of course.”
Lavinia then gave Aeneas a respectful bow. It was a custom amongst the Nepolian nobility for a noble to give to an older member of his or her House. Aeneas found it strange, since Lavinia was never one to put much stock in custom.
Aeneas watched as Lavinia walked away. The young Inquisitor was still smarting from the insult. Another thing that Aeneas did not like about Lavinia. Her stubbornness, her pushiness, her lack of respect, she doesn’t listen to reason, and so many other things.
Aeneas took a deep breath; he was struggling to let go of the great wound that Lavinia had inflicted upon his pride. But he knew that she didn’t mean it.