Dorcas Camillo brought his new second-in-command from his knees as he gestured among his new recruits in the Democrat Guard headquarters.
"I hope you like being a part of the Guard," Dorcas said. "Your life changes from here on in."
Dorcas believed in his words. Because it happened to him.
Years ago, Dorcas Camillo was regarded as one of the most cunning gangsters in Troyuvant and a main gunner of the Byzants, the main army for the Suntoris Faction. During the Force of Arms War, he was instrumental in making the Byzants the supreme sect to carry Second Renaissance into the new decade. However, he could not stop the Byzants from killing each other, which was what happened after the assassination of the Solarian Barbarian Tortila Suntoris.
Seeing himself a target, he found an escape thanks to the Lysanders and he became a Democrat Guard for the king, finding a new life in Crystal Metropolis.
Looking back into the eyes of his new second in command, he could not have been prouder. The Democrat Guard was a hero in the Force of Arms War: Alonso Fontaine. He was called from his home planet to come to Crystal Metropolis and worked personally for the king.
With Dorcas' mind and Alonso's youth and strength, the Democrat Guard was more equipped and more prepared to defend the honor of the Santos regime than in previous regimes.
Just as the Democrat Guards were enjoying themselves, the queen entered the room. Dorcas went to one knee quickly, prompting Alonso and the recruits to do the same. Kate gestured them to get up, guiding Dorcas to his feet.
"Gentlemen, if you don't mind, I would like to talk to your commander for a minute."
Dorcas nodded his head and his men left their version of a throne room. When the last man exited and closed the door, Kate took a breath.
"Looks like you're doing well with the Guard," Kate said.
"That crop just came got initiated today," Dorcas responded.
She could remember the first time she talked to him about the future plans for the Democrat Guard. The talk went into his own well-being. He was direct and serious; she was flirty and fleeting. She would drop by to see him when he was not busy for light conversations.
"If you have time, the king need to talk to you about something private. Meet him at the Nero Palace. Make sure you're alone."
Kate left and Dorcas stayed stern.
****
One night, answering Kate's invitation, Dorcas entered the docked Nero Palace, confused as to why the king needed to see him.
“King Ichiamo,” he shouted when he thought he would find the king there in a bedroom. Then, he saw her, wearing a silky, clear dress, where he could see the lingerie.
“Hello, Dorcas,” she said in her sensual voice, the same voice she used for everyone. When she did it, the men were hooked.
Dorcas did not budge. “What is it you need?”
“I wanted to talk. Can we talk?”
“About?”
“Anything you want.”
Dorcas scratched his arm, seeing that this was not what he wanted. He was about to leave, but then one question from Kate stopped him in his tracks.
“Are you afraid of me now?”
Dorcas turned to see her, observing the youth in her.
“What do you mean now?” he asked.
“I remember you when you just a Byzant. You was God of the Byzants. I remember how everyone looked up to you. I always loved that about you. That confidence! A part of me still does."
“What do you want?" A frustrated Dorcas said.
“Why do you say it like that?”
“Because I have no reason for being here.”
Dorcas turned around to the door. This time, Kate got out of the bed and grabbed both of his slender, but muscular arms.
"You have every reason for being here," she said. "I’m lonely. The king doesn’t love me anymore. He wants me exiled, just like he did Zola. He’s no different from his father or brothers. He wants me dead! Soon, he would kill you if you’re not careful. That’s just how paranoid he is.”
Dorcas broke away and headed out of the bedroom. She was desperate, and Dorcas could see it right away.
“Do you know what could happen if you turn you back from me?” Kate said furious. "No one has turned me down before.”
“Do what you must,” Dorcas said. “From what I see, you’re just a little girl looking for some attention. And as for Santos? I know of his actions and the actions of his fathers. I hope Ichiamo is different and can see through that.”
Dorcas left, not knowing what a mistake he made in turning his back on Queen Katharina Santos.
****
Two days after the visit, Ichiamo came back to the Santos Palace from the Bull Market Triangle and into the throne room where his cursers were waiting for him. Just as he was going to ask his court on news, Kate came to him in tears. Right away, Ichiamo comforted her.
Everyone who was there could see that Ichiamo was a softy when it came to the queen.
“What’s wrong my dear?” he asked sentimentally.
Kate could not bring out the words. He yelled at everyone that was in the room to leave. The minute the cursers left, Kate broke down crying on Ichiamo's shoulder.
He asked the question again.
Kate said, “He hurt me!”
“Who hurt you? Why would they do that?”
“It…it doesn’t matter.”
“It matters when it comes to you. You’re a part of me. Tell me who it is and I’ll make sure they’re punished for it.”
After a few more cries and whimpers, she said, “Dorcas…Dorcas Camillo.”
“Camillo? Why would he--”
“I don’t know,” she interrupted.
Ichiamo took his time to adjust to this notion. He used his muscular arms and wrapped them around the tender body of Kate.
"Relax, my love! I'll deal with this."
He asked one of his guards to find Camillo and bring him here. As soon as the guard left, Dorcas came out in all his courage and stood before the king.
Ichiamo came right out with it. “Did you hurt my wife?”
“I’ve done no such thing,” Dorcas said right away. “I would never hurt the queen. You appointed me to protect you all.”
Ichiamo had to think carefully about what to do. Dorcas was a strong soldier and was needed for the Democrat Guard. On the other hand, if he did hurt his wife, he could do it again without hesitation.
Then, he had to wonder why Dorcas Camillo would hurt Kate when it was Kate that recommended him as a Democrat Guard Commander years ago when she first arrived in Crystal Metropolis to be his wife and queen.
In the end, he gave the order. "Until I get the complete picture, I suspend you for two weeks without pay. Also, you're not to talk to any of the Guard until your suspension is up."
Dorcas gave a bow and left the throne room. His good friend and second-in-command Alonso Fontaine got up from his seat outside and ran to him.
Dorcas was one of the few people Alonso befriended when the former Solarian soldier arrived to Crystal Metropolis. Sometimes, Alonso would come to his home on the outskirts of town, where he shared it by himself. His life was in the service of the royal family. He had no wife, no children. Only his friends in the Democrat Guards.
Alonso, however, had a wife, but she met her fate in the Force of Arms War. He never remarried. Even with all the offers of female flesh, he never gave into the urges. There was no way he could think about another woman when he still thought about Hermia Rasetta.
While they were walking away from the palace, Dorcas tried his best to tell him to leave before he gets in trouble, but Alonso stayed.
“I don’t understand,” Alonso said. "What did you do?”
“I did nothing,” Dorcas said. “The queen wanted to see me. I thought the king wanted me. I think she wanted to seduce me. When I said no, she got mad. She told the king that I hurt her. I d
id no such thing.”
“Are you sure?”
“Why would I hurt her, although she deserves it? She’s nothing but a temptress. I don’t see why the king can’t see it.”
“Because he’s in love. I can understand exactly what that’s about.”
Then, Alonso’s thoughts went to Hermia. He put his head down. “I’m not saying what she did was right, but you could have handled it better.”
“I did nothing. And besides, even if I did handle it differently, she knew what she was doing. Whether I say yes or no, I would be at the mercy of her.”
“I guess you’re right. She is something.”
“She’s something alright. Something not human."
****
Dorcas tried to calm down and relax, wait for the weeks to go by and he would be back on his post. When the weeks past, he told himself to be careful what he said or did, as Alonso told him time and time again.
He did, but it only lasted for a while.
He was ordered by the king to guard the Timon Palace for one of Kate’s wealthy parties. The Timon Palace was the only one of the three new smaller palaces on land as the other two were floating palaces. It was a bad time to be coming back into the Guard. The last face he wanted to see was the queen.
As usual, the party was lavish, the people energetic, and security tight. Dorcas was outside, admiring the stars above Crystal Metropolis. Despite being a part of the elite in the royal hierarchy, he never considered himself a part of that world.
After the party was cleared of people, he was asked by the queen to come inside. Once again, there was no one there but himself and the queen. This time, he was calmer than in their first meeting.
“How do you feel?” she asked.
“Nothing,” Dorcas answered.
“You should feel good. You’re back in the Guard. You’re back where you want to be.”
“No thanks to you.”
“Look, it’s simple. All you had to do was be my friend and this wouldn't have happened.”
Then, being cocky, Dorcas asked, “Is there any man you haven’t seduced?”
“There are plenty,” Kate said, “but none worth the time.”
“Why me?”
“Because I knew from the first moment I saw you in my father's house that you was someone special. Is there any other reason that matters?"
She paused and walked closer to Dorcas as he looked around the trashed party room. "Look, I know it wasn’t right telling on you like that. I was mad. I was stubborn. Sometimes I let my emotions get the better of me. I was so steamed at you. I just wanted to see you punished. Luckily, Ichiamo didn’t have you executed.”
“He wasn’t going to execute me. He needs me.”
“That’s right! He needs you. And so do I!”
Then, she went closer to him to the point he could smell her pheromones. This time, Dorcas did not step back and he was direct in eye contact. He viewed the same eyes the first time he met her in Solaria when he renounced the Byzant lifestyle. The eyes enhanced Katharina's lean stature, her sultry olive face and firm body.
Dorcas thought immediately that Ichiamo was a lucky man. She could have any man she wanted and for some reason, the man she wanted was Dorcas Camillo.
With her firm lips, she kissed Dorcas tenderly on his lips. It was a soft kiss at first, but then, Dorcas pushed his tongue into her. Heat rose in his body and there was no stopping it from increasing.
She had claimed him at last. He was the sucker for her, but at this point into the night, those thoughts escaped him. He was going to make love to her. The first time he had ever lost his virginity...
THIRTEEN: FLIGHT OF THE TEMPTRESS
Lucius Gaines became new man since the end of the war. He was given a good commission as a pilot in one of Ichiamo’s commercially-remodeled Beau Lombards. In the last four years, he relaxed and battled the remaining demons left to the point that what was left was his dream of flying and being in space intact.
The downside was that he was more in Crystal Metropolis than he was home, pulling his life into plenty of adventures.
He had gotten married to Juliet Barao in 80 B.E., but because of the job, he was not able to see her and his newborn son Rafe most of the time. He waited for a chance to take them away from Solaria and moved them into Crystal Metropolis, but she did not want to leave her family or her medical studies to become a full-fledged doctor. Plus, she always had bad vibes about Crystal Metropolis, even though aspects of life were better thanks to Ichiamo's administration.
Despite everything they had been through, not being together since the Force of Arms War, he had a hard time getting over it, but still he kept the job. He saw it as a honor working for Ichiamo and this new Santos regime. It was the first time he even cared about those types of things.
When he was growing up, he never knew that a king of the ATM even existed. Since fighting in the war, he noticed there was a massive galaxy around him to explore. He wanted to be a part of that world.
In his job, Lucius heard and saw a lot. The middle and upper class of Crystal Metropolis were more indulged in living life that he thought they were. He had always known people to be more to themselves where he lived. In Crystal Metropolis, they were all over the place, and it was more evident when he took the trips. People would drink their sophisticated foods and wines that he could not pronounce. They had the best gossip. He heard of broken marriages, plots of murder, rumors of the king’s policies, births and deaths. Anything and everything.
Since he took the job, he and his friends, with the exception of Juliet, had drifted apart. He knew that Alonso worked for the Democrat Guard. Cassio's whereabouts were unknown. Iago Fenton was an ATM doctor, taking the mantle from his father Claudius. He was given a chance to work personally for the king, but unlike his father, Iago did not want to be put under some kind of constraint.
Juliet’s friends were seldom seen, but they kept contact with her. Diana was as a nurse working mostly in Solaria along with making a home there with her new husband. Sylvia went back to school and decided to become a teacher.
In the end, the Solarian kids were adults living their own lives and achieving their own destinies.
Things got more interesting in the pilot profession going into 82 B.E. Rumors spread among the other pilots about King Ichiamo’s wife, Katharina. It was said that she led a secret life of overindulgence and sexual fever. Worse, Ichiamo was oblivious to everything and continued to believe that his wife was holy and faithful.
Lucius ignored the rumors for a while. Then came a trip in which he heard more than what he bargained for.
It happened when Democrat Guards came on the plane to guard a lord who was taking a business trip to Guapa for the Santos king. Lucius could not see the faces, but he heard the voices as clear as day.
“I’m getting sick and tired of that bitch!”
Lucius was at the edge of his seat. He could tell right away that it was going to be a mixture gossip and anger, which could mean murder; and restraint, which meant careful action, but heavy thinking.
“She needs to go!”
“Look, we can’t let the king know how you feel. You know how much he cares about her.”
“He has a good heart. That’s the problem. It’s a blessing that he has, but Katharina Santos is not the woman to be nice to after everything she has done.”
“Do you know what they’re saying about her? She’s the biggest whore in all of Crystal Metropolis. I heard she has more clients than the prostitute Kristina.”
“I tell you one thing. If this keeps going on and the king doesn’t do anything about it, you might as well kiss this empire goodbye.”
Lucius chuckled. The woman he had known as the greatest inspiration for the Force of Arms War was said to be a whore cheating on her husband. Could it be that this woman had a cold heart after all?
More rumors came from lesser people and Lucius figured that the rumors might have more truth than he realized. The only
person he told about this was Juliet through the cellphone. If there was a chance that he could, there was only one person who could tell him the truth if there was any. It was time he went to see him and catch up…
****
The love affair between Queen Kate and Dorcas Camillo went deeper than before. No more admirers were present after the queen romanced Dorcas. Dorcas was the only man she wanted, needed, and desired. They still met in secret, in either one or all three of Ichiamo’s “father villas." There was no way they wanted their time together to end.
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 27