Suddenly, in Ajax's palace made for him by the guilds, he received unwanted visitors in Timon's Democrat Guard. Touchstone wasted no time with royal drivel and went straight for the throne.
Touchstone was stopped by the guards. Ajax stood up from his throne and stood majestically.
"By order of the king, Timon Boardwalk Santos, you're ordered to return to Crystal Metropolis to stand trial for treason."
Ajax chuckled, making the guards around him do the same.
"Really? After everything I did for him and now he wants to kill me?"
With his court of cursers entering the room, Ajax made his presence known. "It seems as if King Timon has lost favor with me. It's quite interesting he would do that since he's not a true Santos anyway. But if it's a war that Timon wants, then war Timon would get. It's too bad! Who's going to supply his little drugs now? He's still taking Jove, isn't he?"
Touchstone could see that he was surrounded. He figured that even with the firepower, he would not make it out alive. Touchstone stood down.
"I'll let the king know. But I feel you made the wrong choice this time, Ajax!"
Touchstone took a bow and left with his men as Ajax smirked.
****
Days after Touchstone's sudden visit, Ajax decided to throw a party for the people of Troyuvant in the streets of downtown capital Troy. Feeling that war was inevitable, Ajax wanted to rouse his people up so that when the time came, everyone in Troyuvant would fight and defend their land as one. Ajax was for sure that if Timon ever came to his planet, the guilds were set Timon’s army up, embarrassing him.
Ajax traveled in the middle of the main street and people came out wanting to touch him. Ajax had a muscular body and even with his elder age sneaking in, it was still a specimen to behold. People figured that if the former generals ever fought, everyone thought Ajax would fold him like paper.
Not seeing what he was doing, he bend his head slightly low and with this, someone with a pistol came to his head and shot Ajax twice in his ear. Ajax's body dropped to the ground and people started running in the street screaming and crying. There were some that tended to their leader, who by this point was lifeless.
The deed was done. With two shots, the Butcher of Troyuvant was dead, starting the opening salvo of another family purge. This time, there was no more togetherness within the Santos family like Nero accomplished years before. Timon would see to it that he stood alone as the only Santos in the Aventine Monarch Galaxy.
****
With the help of witch doctors and the Democrat Guard, Timon were able to find some Santos relatives and in intricate ways like Ajax, they were being killed left and right. Timon would get reports on the latest killings. Most of the relatives that Timon observed in the reports were not power-grabbing usurpers, but basically regular citizens in the ATM who had no hand in the clan's politics and living mundane lives.
Nevertheless, Gintina’s last words to Luciana about the eradication of the Santos line was coming true.
What he thought was going to be something easy and quick ended up dragging itself on and on until it got to the point that even Timon hated himself for thinking of it. He was getting nowhere with it.
Even worse for Timon, Alejandro stayed where he was in Guapa.
After 58 B.E., no more threats came Timon’s way and for the moment, Crystal Metropolis was pretty quiet. This increased Timon's paranoia. It was this sort of silence that gave a sign that death was near. It had caught his mother. It had caught Dromio.
There was only one thing he could do to get his mind off of it. He had to keep the purge going, even if it was getting boring. He knew that the minute he stopped, death would be right there waiting for him.
This time, he wrote messages to the ruler of Guapa, making threatening remarks about his character.
There was one reply from Alejandro, saying "End this madness or the gods will punish you."
While this was going on, he was taking a break from one addiction and focusing on the other: sex.
He was not married, so there was no stopping him from relishing on his compulsion. Years of abusing Jove had driven his sex drive into overdrive to the point he was having sex ten to twelve times a day with three to four women at the same time.
The last time Timon had an exclusive partner was Xandria, the daughter of Ventilicus. Sadly, she ended up dying from sex exhaustion according to some accounts. In most circles, it was a sly way of saying that after he was tired of her, he had her executed.
From that point on, he ended up having three to four partners of both genders. The compulsion had gotten so out of control that he opened up one of his mini-palaces, strictly for the elite to have orgy parties as well as invite talent and cameras to record everything they observed. Timon’s parties became big-time news. For once, they were excited that Timon was the Santos king.
Touchstone was the one that brought on the news when he was at one of his secret parties. He was in a pool, cuddling with three different women at the same time, kissing them on the cheeks and lips. Touchstone entered in his calmness and gave Timon one message.
“Alejandro’s coming to Crystal Metropolis.”
This brought Timon right up from his sexual senses. He knew that was only little time he could pull this off. He gave Alejandro another message. He wanted him to meet him at the Theater of the Starstriker for the debate. It was going to be him, Alejandro, and the entire Strator Circle.
Over and over his head, Timon thought about everything he wanted to say and do to him just to bring out Alejandro’s true intentions. He wanted him to confess to setting the Santos Palace Fire and plotting to overthrow him.
He could not wait.
****
Timon put out all the stops on the day of the debate. He made sure every strator and lator was there to see it. He wanted to really embarrassed Alejandro before the powers of Crystal Metropolis.
However, Alejandro was nowhere to be found.
When minutes turned into hours, Timon's anger began to rise.
Thinking all this was a rouse, the infuriated king started taking it out on the strators. He went wild in the Theater, kicking and punching strators and lators left to right. It was not like the last spectacle, in which half of the strators lost their lives to Timon’s suspicions. If it was not for Touchstone and his Democrat Guards breaking it up, Timon’s next step was to go for the blade.
****
Days went by. Still no sign of Alejandro Santos.
One night, Timon decided to go to the top of the palace and look out into the two full moons that were supposed to be a sign for the gods as in another season change. Every three years, there was a different season. This was the winter season, which meant that conditions were going to be shakier than they already were.
He drank some more of his Jove elixir once again to release the pressure.
“Still on the stuff, I see?”
Timon turned around and there before him was the person he called out for the last two years:
Alejandro Santos, the last of Nero's biological sons.
Timon stared at him and saw that like his mother before she died, he was getting to that age. His face was wrinkled more than before with white, long hair. He still had the body, although bit by bit, it was fading to a shrivel shell.
Alejandro started walking towards him. He thought he saw Timon stepping a few feet back. He could see it in Timon’s eyes. The drugs were working quickly and he was reaching to that state of highness.
“You wanted to see me?” Alejandro said.
“What’s the use in coming now?” Timon asked. “You already made an embarrassment out of me.”
Alejandro observed the view, realizing that it had been a long time since he stepped foot back in Crystal Metropolis. By this time, he had been all over the planets and moons of the Aventine Monarch.
Alejandro came closer. “You did that all your own with this madness. I have done nothing to you. Why do you want me dead?”
&nbs
p; “You tried to kill me. The fire? Don’t think it didn’t come from you. You sent your nephew to kill my sons.”
Alejandro started taking more command on the conversation. "And you took in his children. So what’s the point? I didn’t send them. I don’t want you dead. I never wanted to rule Crystal Metropolis. I look at your face and realized that I made the right decision. I didn’t want to make the same mistake my grandfather made. He wanted absolute power and his comrades wanted him dead. My father killed one of my uncles and countess others for it. And now you. You killed strators and lators. Even your own cousins! And for what? Because you thought they wanted it? Did you even take the time to ask Bastiannius why he wanted you dead?”
Timon said nothing.
“You didn’t,” Alejandro continued. “Unfortunately, it would be easier to blame you for everything wrong with this place. Your mother killed my mother just to get you this far.”
This got Timon’s attention. He had his sword handle in his hand and was ready to take it out.
Alejandro shrugged. "You know, there was a time when you were just a soldier for our father. You used to talk about how you didn’t want power because you thought you couldn’t handle it. You didn’t believe in power. What changed that, Timon, huh?”
Once again, Timon was at a loss for words. He knew that Alejandro was right. He never wanted to rule as a Santos king until his mother told him about it and all did not come to a head completely until the death of Dina Boardwalk.
Alejandro came closer. He thought he saw a tear come down Timon’s eye. Then, Alejandro took two steps back.
“Death is nothing to me,” he said. “If you still feel the way you feel, go ahead and kill me. Satisfy your blood lust, since that’s the only thing in your world now. Everyone you think is an enemy is dead. Kill me and you won't have anyone else to fight. As far as I see it, there’s nothing else you can do but kill. As you say, I’m standing in the way of your rule. So kill me and get it over with.”
With tears coming from his eyes, Alejandro turned around and stretched out his arms, tempting Timon to use his sword. Alejandro had come to the point where he was just tired of living. Timon gripped the handle to draw it slowly from its sheath but his hand began trembling uncontrollably. The lust to kill Alejandro drove him to keep going. More than anything, it was the remnants of Jove inside of his veins that drove his demons of madness.
“In the end, I’m an old man,” Alejandro said. “And so are you. That’s who you’re killing! A wrinkled-up old man. Not a ruler. Not a conspirator. Just an old man growing vegetables. Soon, I’ll be among the stars. Hopefully, you have made your peace so you would be pardoned for everything you’ve done. I’ve already made mine.”
Alejandro walked away, waiting for Timon to make his move. Somehow, he managed to get out of the palace and out into the streets safely.
Standing on the roof, Touchstone came up and found Timon there.
“Alejandro left the palace,” he said. "You want me to kill him now?”
Timon stared off into the sky. Then, he said softly, “Let him be.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Make sure he reaches Guapa safely. No one’s to harm him.”
“What went on here?”
“He was right,” Timon said as he put his head down. “What would killing him prove? He’s just an old man.” He turned to Touchstone so he could see all of his face. "And so am I.”
Then, Timon walked passed his shoulder and went back down to the palace. Touchstone looked around.
“I don’t get it.”
Timon knew that after that moment, it was going to be the last time he ever saw Alejandro Santos again.
****
Touchstone was getting bored with being a Democrat Guard. There was no more action since his encounter with Alejandro Santos.
He did not have a second option. It was not as if he could get involved in a relationship. All he ever knew was how to kill. Love and sex never came into his direction. Most of his nights were peaceful and alone.
This gave him time to travel. He went around Crystal Metropolis at the surrounding moons near the capital planet: Veneto and Milono. They were smaller than Crystal Metropolis, almost microscopic according to Touchstone. He was amazed that there was life outside Crystal Metropolis. The only other places he ever frequented was Guapa, when he killed Amilie’s son/Alejandro’s nephew Bastiannius Priam Santos; and Troyuvant, where he ended the life of Ajax Santos.
He retired from the Democrat Guard in late 59 B.E. He found a home in Veneto, but separated his time between the two moons. He put the sword and gun away once and for all. However, he still kept a close eye on the king, and Timon accepted his retirement without debate, being truly grateful for everything he had done for him.
One day, Touchstone came back to Crystal Metropolis and went to one of Timon’s orgies for the first time on his floating palace. At first, it was a little strange. Then, as all of the drunken and drug-induced women starting throwing themselves at him, something in him went off. Touchstone started becoming implicit. Timon always tempted him to get a taste, letting him know that once he tasted female flesh, it was the end for him.
For years, he had remained as sort of a monk and a servant of the king. With the exception of the king, his weapons, fighting, and seeking death had been the only sense of intimacy in life he had known. As the woman kissed upon his neck, Touchstone became aroused and his lust began to overtake him.
He took his conquest to an inn in downtown Crystal Metropolis, where they had wild sex throughout the night. He had the woman emulate every sexual act that Timon did to his conquests. Then, in a sick and twisted way, when he turned the woman around and starting to thrust her from behind, Touchstone imagined that the girl was Timon. When she was in her own zone, he did what he had never been able to do to the king. He released all of the years of bent-up aggression with screams of passion as if he were a wild animal while thinking of the times he was close to the king; watching him smile at him, giving him compliments, and even the usual nudge or bump every now and then when the king sent him on missions.
All came to the surface and made into one grand, aggressive statement on a woman for the first time.
After that, he went to sleep, resting up for the next drive. He lied down with his face to the ceiling.
Unknown to him, someone had snuck into his room concealed within the shadows, watching his sex drive with curious interest. He put a knife to Touchstone’s throat and started speaking in another language and then said a name:
“Bastiannius.”
Before Touchstone could open his eyes fully to see who it was, the knife went through the side of his throat. Blood came gushing out and the woman began screaming frantically as she was showered in his blood.
Touchstone held on to his neck, not able to scream or whimper. However, before he died, he could catch what his killer was saying.
“That's for my father."
FOUR: CHERON THE JOKER
65 B.E.
Crystal Metropolis’ Lucius Forest was a main attraction for tourists on the planet. The forest spread acres thanks to the efforts of the Santos royal court planting trees there every year. It was their way to honor the gods that kept Crystal Metropolis the center of the Aventine Monarch Galaxy. Lately, it has grown more and more in acres, and it still remained a tourist attraction.
For two people, it was their special hiding place from the Santos household.
One a nice, warm day, a woman runs to a tree and waited. Then, before she could get off of the tree, two hands grabbed her and playfully tackled her to the ground until he gently fell on top of her. Tickled, she burst out laughing. Caught up in the contagion of laughter, the boy chuckled also. The laughter died down and the young man was once again aroused from lying on top of her. He gently caressed the side of the woman’s face as the woman brought his waist closer to hers.
Then, they share a tender kiss; small at first, but became a tongue match se
conds later. The young man picked her up and pushed her against the white, glass-like tree. They turned their faces to see their reflection in each other’s eyes and snickered before kissing once again.
This was not the first time that they came to the forest for make-out sessions. In fact, for the past five years, this has been their home away from home for King Timon’s adopted children, Cheron and Imogen Priam Santos.
Throughout the years, no longer children, their compassionate playfulness has turned sexual. Every chance they got away from the public eye, they would go off into one of their sex escapades, and thanks to the Lucius Forest, they were perfectly safe with their secrets.
Since their time in the Santos household, they had been taught and manage well under Timon’s protection. Much had changed since their first time in the kingdom; including their adopted father, presently in his seventies. Usually when they were not in the forest, they were in their secret bedroom, where Imogen would touch Cheron's developing muscle-toned body and the two would have their dirty sex talks about themselves, their pleasures, and the pleasures of others in the court.
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 8