****
When they got to the front gate Lysander Villa, Bianca Lysander breathed in the Solarian desert air. It had been years since she even came near Solaria. With her son Hector to the side of her and Benedict Biondello and Florizel behind her, she strolled inside and headed for her father's room.
She opened the door and she found him lying flat on the bed being tended to by his nurses.
Bianca looked up to her father like a god. Seeing him not able to control his own body, she could not believe it. However, Baptista did not feel as if he was sick. He felt confident, something Bianca wished she had in her.
She came closer to him, along with his grandson, Hector Bozario. Bianca introduced the two to one another. Baptista smiled with his partly-white teeth. Hector did not know what to think of this elder he hardly knew. Before he could, Bianca gestured him to step outside with Benedict while she and her father talk.
When they were alone, Baptista made his point. “I’m dying, sweetheart. Sooner or later, I’m going to be among the stars. Before that happens, I have to tell you this.”
“About what?” Bianca asked.
“It’s about your sister. Katharina…is dead.”
Bianca was shaken. “Kate can’t be dead. How did that happen?”
“She was killed by King Ichiamo himself. I don’t know what Crystal Metropolis did to her, but by the time it was over, the king was tired of her. He could have exiled her or send her back here. He didn’t have to kill her. Still, the Santos clan always thought they were masters of the universe. I practically gave Kate to him and this is what he does!"
Baptista coughed. “I brought you here to tell you that you’ll no longer have to be a dancer anymore. Because you’re going to be the next queen of Crystal Metropolis. Soon, your son is going to take over as the next Santos king. That would be the perfect revenge for me and for your sister. King Ichiamo disgraced this family. Now, we’re going to disgrace him.”
“Is this what you want with me, Father? You want me to marry the king of the ATM?”
“He needs a wife. And you’re beautiful. Plus, Benedict Biondello will see to it that it happens. He owes me."
Bianca’s shock turned to amazement. She could be queen like her sister. Being a queen sounded much better.
Baptista called everyone standing outside to come into the room. Hector and Benedict entered the room.
"Let me see my grandson," Baptista said.
Bianca nudged him and Hector went close to him and sat on the bed.
"My grandson! Growing up so fast. Just remember. No matter what you do with your life. You're a Lysander. You come from a long line brave men. There are only three things I want from you. Protect your mother. Protect your family. And scorn all others!"
****
The Lysander Beau Lombard were fueled and Bianca was given anything and everything she needed along with her son for the trip to Crystal Metropolis, a first for the both of them.
When they entered a Beau Lombard, Benedict made sure that Bianca and Hector was comfortable and ready to go.
"How do you feel?" Benedict asked.
Bianca shrugged. "Nervous! What's waiting for me in Crystal Metropolis?"
"Another world," Benedict answered. "But I'll make sure you get used to it."
Looking into Bianca's innocent eyes, he realized that he was about to entered old territory. However, what was different from his experience with Katharina Lysander was that this time, Bianca could be perfect for his plans, and since she was going to be an amateur in the ways of Crystal Metropolis, it would be perfect to manipulate her and Hector from the start.
For the rest of the trip, he planted the seeds in Bianca's ear to make sure she played her part to perfection...
****
Cassio was spending his last days making a few runs, but he made plans to see Bianca before he left back to his gangster lifestyle. He was planning to take her away from the life of a dancer forever in love and bliss for the two of them. There was no war standing in their way.
He went to the apartment where she lived. He knocked on the door, but no one came to it. Then, he asked around. No one saw her or knew where she was going.
He drove back to the Lumia. The bartender told her that Dementia did not work there anymore. Not believing him, he went more and more into Lumia, expecting to see her come out as if it was a surprise.
She never appeared on the Lumia stage. She did not return to her apartment. Cassio had missed her by a split second. Once again, she was gone. Once again, she left him for some unknown reason after finding each other.
Returning back to Issac after days staying away, Issac just welcomed him back; just like he did many times before.
“There’s plenty of stuff to occupy you,” he told his partner Cassio. "Forget her. If she did this before, she could do it again. Don’t be a fool and start chasing her again."
Even though it was tough, Issac was right. Cassio had to forget about her and attend to business.
In his final night, he returned to the Lumia and drank Bianca Livingston out of his system for good and said goodbye to that life.
For now on, he told himself, he was going to be Cassio Ramirez, co-leader of the Metina Byzants. Being there for his Byzant crew, the only family left, was his only responsibility.
****
99 B.E.
It did not take long before Ichiamo had another woman in his life. Between the cursers in his royal court, the Strator Circle, and his close friends, everyone presented a woman trying to seduce him and become the new queen. Ichiamo understood what they were doing and played along with the charade.
Suddenly, when he was in his throne room being entertained by evening music, a woman appeared before the king and in one of her best performances ever, she enchanted the king with the gift of dance. She brought out a round metal ring and wrapped it around her body. Using her hips, she spun it around and around. The coup de grace of her performance came when the ring caught fire, but she only went faster and faster, moving from the hips to her hand until it hit the ground and the fire went off the minute it did.
She gave a bow and everyone in the throne room clapped wildly. Even the king could not stop clapping.
"What is your name, my dear?" Ichiamo yelled.
"Bianca, your majesty! Bianca Stilicho!"
Ichiamo gave a nod and Bianca made her exit.
Benedict Biondello presented himself before the king as the rest of the patrons’ gossip amongst each other.
"What do you think, my king?"
With a smile to Benedict, Ichiamo's love fate was sealed and Bianca would go through a name change.
In the last month of 98 B.E., Ichiamo, in his seventies, had married upper-thirties dancer Bianca Stilicho without a hitch. It was a grand wedding with the entire court involved. Everyone in a position came to give their respect to the new couple and wished them the best of days.
He even made the announcement at the wedding he had adopted Bianca's son Hector Bozario as a Santos.
Despite everyone being happy, the happiest person of all was the one who brought Bianca into Ichiamo's life: Benedict Biondello.
Before the marriage, Benedict formed a good friendship with the younger Lysander. He had learned about her hard life during and after the war and felt a little sympathy. He would tell her everything to expect in Crystal Metropolis and being a part of the historic clan. He told Bianca that Ichiamo was a benevolent man and with his help, the king would accept Bianca into the family as well as her son Hector.
For Bianca, however, since she was s stranger in a new land, there was a way Benedict could make her a better queen and his status in the ATM rise to limits never seen.
The first part of that plan was accomplished with the king’s marriage.
The second part came into play: take Ichiamo down to avenge the Lysanders.
For the first two months of 99 B.E., there was compassion in the new relationship. She saw Ichiamo’s benevolence in the
works. King and queen made trips around several moons near Crystal Metropolis to once again make his presence. Although there were signs that the king’s health was diminishing, Ichiamo never showed it to anyone. Falling in love put more pep in his life. Bianca was a shining light in his dark outlook, even if it was for a little while.
The next month, there were signs of separation Bianca could see. Ichiamo did not become attached to her for long. It was good for her, as she still had Benedict to go to for conversations if needed. Some of those conversations were intimate in nature, but no romance emerged from it. She had to be careful not to show those feelings, as Benedict told her on several occasions. Benedict was a good shoulder to lean on whenever Bianca headed into a depressive state, always reminding her that in due time, her future will be secure.
Another problem emerged right along with Ichiamo's disinterest: her son Hector's extreme interest in Crystal Metropolis' hip gritty lifestyle.
Along with making sure she knew the ins and outs of the kingdom, Bianca used the time to familiarize Hector with his surroundings and connecting with his adopted brother and sister Cassius and Isabella.
This was not to be as Hector became more interested in hitting the clubs and drinking all night than learning about a kingdom he would inherit one day. Without his mother's knowledge, Hector would just sneak out of the Santos Palace, spend the entire night drinking and flirting with female Crystal Metropolitans. Sometimes, he was so drunk that he never appeared in the Santos Palace when summoned and Democrat Guards had to search all the townships for him.
Plus, there was some kind of heated rivalry between the adopted son Hector and biological son Cassius. Cassius was practically ignored to cater to Hector and his troubles. The roles of the Santos sons were already painted among the public. Cassius was the ambitious learner and Hector was the partier and drunkard.
Benedict witnessed all of the madness unfolding through the Second Renaissance media web, who took vested interest in the new generation of Santos children.
He wrote a message for Bianca:
My dear Bianca! Send Hector to the Special Records Chamber. Let Hector know the history of the Santos family so he would know what he’s getting into. He must learn the mistakes of the family so that he won’t make those same mistakes...
****
"How long do I have to be down here?" Hector asked his mother as she was thumbing through different papers.
"Until I'm satisfied," Bianca answered with authority.
Making a plan to spend as much time there as possible, Bianca and Hector made their home in the Special Records Chamber underneath the Santos Palace. The room was made by Nero Santos during his reign with the sole purpose of preserving history of the Aventine Monarch for future generations.
Hector complained the entire time there. He did not like the stench of the place, wishing he was back on the street with a drink in his hand and a female on his arm.
Bianca kept a clear head about it, but she could not help but to comment and explain over and over again why it was necessary.
“You have to learn your history,” Bianca told him.
Hector complained about a lot of things not related to royal matters. Bianca could see what happened. He had been so dependent on his mother throughout most of his life that her destiny has been intertwined with hers. Bianca knew this, but kept him at the hip, even though Hector was an adult.
At the same time, learning about her new family became an adventure for Bianca. One of the figures she explored that interested her the most was the life of Ichiamo's grandmother, Luciana Boardwalk Santos. Reading her journals and news clippings about her exploits and those of her son Timon, she couldn't help but admire her. Even though Nero Horrando Santos was considered the king that put the family on the galactic map, it was Luciana that gave it the infamy the ATM feared.
Not only that, something enticed Bianca about a former servant and concubine becoming the most influential queen of the galaxy through her powers of deception and being able to navigate through the family just by studying her settings. Her son Timon became an extension of her rule.
Turning to her son moving things around, Bianca drew a parallel. Here she was a former erotic dancer who became queen of the galaxy with a son needing something to inspire him to take on a monumental undertaking. Grinning from ear to ear, Luciana Boardwalk Santos became the archetype for what she wanted to be in her new home; something beyond even what her own father wanted for her.
It was to be a challenge. Unlike Timon, who was a general of armies, Hector had turned into a nitpicker with an out-of-shape body and a rude attitude. She made it in her mind that if Hector was going to be a good Santos king, she needed to take Luciana's approach. She had to be there to make his decisions for him.
She needed to be the general to Hector's psyche and a surgeon of all his urges and desires.
When it was time to come out of the secret basement, she was ready. She went back to Benedict at the Strator Circle with what she learned, telling him about every piece of ATM history; even the aspects he and his fellow strators never knew.
The rulers. The wars. The deals made that change the ATM, and the strategies made for the rulers to come into power.
Benedict was shocked. He had created a monster.
A new Katharina...
****
Lately, Ichiamo spent more time with himself, making plans for his mortal end. He could tell by the way his body was feeling death loomed around the corner. Right next to it was the other main enemy of the family: scandal.
In the past, he never wanted to be a king. He only wanted to do the best he could to make Crystal Metropolis a better place to live. His family never expected he would be around for this long while everyone else in his immediate family had gone to the stars.
Presently, he was the last of a generation that witnessed the Santos family at its most dominant. He was around during the likes of Nero's move to Crystal Metropolis, Luciana's devious schemes to make Timon king, Timon's purges against the family, or Cheron's vengeance against universal society.
The highlights of the Santos clan were observed through his eyes, making him realize one thing over and over again: that he even lived through any of it at all.
His time was almost at an end.
It did not become clear until a night in the year 98 B.E., when he went to see a fortune-teller to tell him his future. In his younger years, he would have thought of this as a joke. When he went this time, he went as a man who has seen and done things. The fortune-teller told starting off telling him his future in a few words.
“Death of a regime. Birth of a new machine.”
With this new message swimming in his head, he made preparations for that end. One of the main moves to correct was unifying his family.
Since adding Hector into the mix, his other son, Cassius, was at odds with him. Since the death of his mother by the orders of his father, he never was on his father’s good side. Ichiamo tried his best to make things right for him; even going so far as to change his will to make Cassius and Hector joint rulers. This made matters worse and Cassius was angrier than ever with his father.
Then, he brought the family together for a nice dinner and family togetherness. Right away, Cassius showed everyone his hand.
Ichiamo took a bite of some fruit. Immediately, Hector was eating and complained, "This is a better meal than I ever had at the Hallow Points."
“Maybe you should go back there with the rest of the beasts,” Cassius said.
It was meant to be a joke, but Ichiamo was not pleased. "Cassius, apologize to your brother."
"He's no brother of mine." Cassius cursed at his father and stormed out of the dining room.
Bianca ate her food and watched the argument played out with interest. Taking a page from Luciana's playbook, she observed and kept silent, letting her eyes do the talking. The riff between husband and stepson/nephew was good in her eyes. Hector wondered why Cassius lashed out at him, bu
t Bianca was pleased that her son was clueless.
Isabella left the table, along with Ichiamo when he found his family disintegrated, leaving Bianca alone in her inner triumph. The old wounds of the Santos family were coming to the surface little by little...
****
Ichiamo tried time and time again to bring his family together, but the more he tried, the worse it got.
From the end of 98 to the beginning months of 99, father and son did not talk or look at one another.
They came ahead when Ichiamo was in the Secret Records Chamber, writing several letters to give to certain people. Cassius came inside, disturbing him. He wanted to leave right there, but Ichiamo told him to stay. Cassius sat right by him near a chair.
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 35