Should he attack or watch? He watched.
Cassius was stabbed in the shoulder and the assailant applied more pressure to it. Then, from out of nowhere, the assailant screamed for dear life. Then, Cassius picked up the sword and stabbed his wannabe killer.
Not thinking anymore, Hector ran to Cassius as the King composed himself and pushed the gun to his back. He fired twice into Cassius's spine and he fell back, grabbing his backside.
Shouts were heard as a couple of hunters spotted something. Hector jumped back on his horse and rode away, breathing harder and harder before Cassius was flat and motionless.
Hector went back to the starting point of the forest where spouses and others waited for the hunters to return with the borat. Waiting for him was Queen Bianca. Hector went to her and hugged her tight, his body consuming Bianca’s stature.
“He’s dead, Mom!” he said softly. "He’s dead.”
As they continued to hug, Bianca could hear the screams. That confirmed her that her son told the truth. It sounded nerve-wrecking for Hector. For Bianca, it was music to her ears.
In her mind, once again, learning the secrets of the Santos clan saved her again...
****
Days later, not too long after Ichiamo’s death, there was another funeral for young Cassius. Instead of a widespread funeral, it was only a private ceremony with only the family and the court offering the final rites. No one could really mourn for the young king due to the fact he did not have sole control of the kingdom.
Then, one of the cursers gave Hector the Starstriker ring. Hector slipped it on and clinched his fist. He raised his fist in the air and yelled "Santos!"
All of the court shouted the name with him.
Hector put his fist to his heart as Bianca stood to the side of him, admiring her son's success to the crown.
There was no one else standing in Bianca or Hector’s way. Hector became the sole ruler of Crystal Metropolis and the ATM and Bianca ruled with him as the Queen Mother.
The Boardwalk Santos had been replaced by the revival of the Lysander Santos and Bianca Stilicho Lysander Santos had become the new Luciana Boardwalk Santos...
RENAISSANCE
EIGHTEEN: END OF CENTURY REPLAY
98 B.E.
Ichiamo Santos had ruled Crystal Metropolis and monitored the entire Aventine Monarch Galaxy for twenty-eight years. At this point, the former fool in all of Crystal Metropolis was being celebrated as the second best Santos to rule their planet after Nero Santos. He was going into his seventies and bigger due to his time of grieving, but he still had the strength to run an effective administration.
The only great fallout in his rule and life was how he handled the Katharina situation. Since her execution, there were rumors that Ichiamo was losing his mind, like past Santos kings before him.
Nero had his scandals to include his vivacious sexually-charged daughter. Timon had his drama executing strators and assassinating family members. Cheron had his mind-boggling God complex and maniacal intricacies against everyone.
Ichiamo had his failed relationships and the ultimate end with Katharina. It brought on the point that Ichiamo may have been a great leader, but there were things that could still escape him.
However, the rumors faded when Ichiamo went back to doing what he did best. He worked harder than ever, determined not to let what happened with his late wife disturbed him any longer. There was still the matter with his young adult children by her: Timon, who had taken on his middle name Cassius, and Luciana, who had taken on her middle name Isabella.
Spending more time away from the wild Crystal Metropolis lifestyle, Cassius was angry and refused to talk to his father for years. He asked permission to go to Guapa for that reason, along with continuing his education. Isabella, on the other hand, stood by her father through the tribulation times. She knew about what her mother had done and was applaud by Kate's behavior. She knew that being in that position meant Ichiamo might have to make a decision that could make people hate him.
Still, despite several discrepancies and his aging, Ichiamo Santos was still king of the galaxy. His determination to work harder got his hands into almost all planets and moons in the entire ATM. There was not a planet in the entire ATM that did not know Ichiamo’s name.
Some of his old friends passed away, and younger males took over power positions as strators, lators, cursers, and soldiers.
One of those people was former Democrat Guard Alonso Fontaine.
Three years after the death of the queen, Alonso left the Democrat Guard and became a lator, thinking that he could be more help to the people if he was more with the people. Lators were just the ticket. He still kept up with the king’s dealings and that Democrat Guard heart was still there within him in spite of the change in career.
Another great supporter and friend was pilot Lucius Gaines, who became general of the Beau Lombard fleet. This meant he was more involved with Crystal Metropolis than ever before. Finally, he was able to bring his family to the planet after much persuasion.
Lucius’ son, Rafe Gaines, was getting older, and that was the thorn to Juliet’s backside. She knew that anything dealing with Rafe she would have to agree. To secure Rafe’s future, she made the move, saying goodbye to Solaria, probably forever.
It took a while, but in the end, Juliet Gaines adjusted to Crystal Metropolis life and its surroundings. It made things easier for the Gaines family. Plus, Lucius made more with his new rank than he did as a regular pilot. However, she knew that she could never really be accepted into a world of debauchery, sex, and greed.
Others who had been loyal to the king for years had taken on power positions. One thing was for certain. Those that had been instrumental in saving the legacy of Ichiamo's rule were rewarded with riches and titles never imagined.
It was a glorious time to be in the old king's good graces...
****
Senator Benedict Biondello became more of a close advisor for the king, while keeping with his time as a strator. He knew that his time as one was going to be up soon and he wanted to make sure he had something to fall back on before that happened. He and Alonso continued to talk to one another, still keeping up with Ichiamo’s best interests.
The new crisis that came up was finding a new wife for Ichiamo. He needed to show the world that he could love again before the tyrannical tendencies took over. The problem was that king gave up on love. Since Katharina, he never wanted to look or feel that way about another female ever again.
Benedict stressed time and time again that he needed this move, even if it meant that he had to choose someone at random. Still, the king said no. The part-time strator gave up on trying.
Then, one day, when he went home, he was given a letter from his servant. Benedict unfolded the letter and read it to himself.
He saw the last sentence after the signature:
Come to Solaria. Tell no one. Not even King Ichiamo.
Then he saw the name on the letter.
Lysander.
This froze him slightly as his servant tried to get his attention. Shaking it off, he ordered his servant, "Get a plane ready for me. I'm going to Solaria!"
****
Bianca Stilicho had been away from a life she was accustomed to for almost a decade. Since the end of the Force of Arms War, she was trying to find a way out of a dangerous situation.
She found it four years later on the planet Zestir in the Hallow Points, as a stripper and prostitute. With the little money she had and her son, Hector Bozario, she left for a land completely unknown to her. It was not until she went into a strip bar and saw how the females were making good money with their dance moves, she decided to give it a try.
With no kind of training in the art of seductive dancing, she took a chance doing it.
In the end, her main inspiration for getting through it was what would have happened if she died in that attack from the Byzants. With that, she took on the risk and within a year, she was one of
the best dancers in Zestir.
Within another few years, she was one of the best known and most respected dancers all over the Hallow Points. Everyone knew her name and with her talent, she would make different trips to perform for greedy, horny males with money to spend.
For this, she took on the name Dementia.
She never told her family back in Solaria. Her older sister was living her life as a Solarian queen as far as she knew. Her family became nothing more than an interference. Her only family was Hector, and she held on to him as hard as she could. Everything else was put in place to either enhance or protect Hector.
The job itself did not come with its hardships. She ended up getting hooked on one of the drugs of the new age, the DVX. It was a way to keep her energetic and happy.
As the years went on, it got worse. Hector was an adolescent and he could see the signs that his mother was going down a trail of destruction. Bianca could care less as long as she took care of business. In the end, he said nothing else about it. Sometimes, he would go there to see her to act as a conscience for her and a protector for others.
Anyone could catch her at her office, a club known as the Lumia, the largest gentlemen’s club ever in the Hallow Points. After tribal warfare, the Hallow Points was known for their strip clubs. Anyone who wanted to relax and see some of the most seductive and intense dancing in the world went to Lumia. If a male were a good client, he would get a surprise from the Lumia's Queen of the Dance: Dementia.
One day, it was a special day for Dementia because she came with a whole new routine, something she had never shown anyone before. The dance was known as Dangerous because of its level of difficulty but excitement.
The reason for the dance was for the special gentlemen coming into Zestir; males who years ago came in and made an impression on the planet. She only knew them by the name they came by.
The Metine Byzants. The kings of the metine spice trade.
For this night, there were only a few dancers scheduled as appetizers. The floor was completely Dementia for that night. It was when the gang came inside that the dancer on the stage immediately left without a command from the owner.
Then, the owner came out and told the males that the time had come. Before, he gave thanks for the Metine Byzants for coming to the club. On the stage, he could see how packed it was; the most he ever had here to see his main attraction.
He gave Dementia a special presentation. The men clapped their hardest and the minute they saw the shapely-bodied woman come on the stage, silence came like a wind. There was no kind of noise whatsoever.
Then, two men who were in the back of the crowd came to the front to get a closer look. No one said a word because these men were known all over Zestir.
They were the two bosses of the Metine Tribe, Issac Arius and Cassio Ramirez.
They had come a long way from men escaping terrible pasts to men who controlled their futures and the futures of thousands under a banner of the lone Second Renaissance sect. Within a few years, they were known all over Hallow Points, putting other tribes in fear. One of the reasons was because they were a tribe unlike any other.
They came together because of a business-minded goal: controlled all the metine bases in their planet. No one messed with them as long as they had control of the best DVX in the ATM.
When Dementia came onto the stage, they sat with their eyes glued to her revealing body. Issac yelled for joy as Cassio tried to turn away. He was not into women like he was used to. Ever since his last love was gone and his days of being a gigolo ended, he was determined never to go back to that life. Issac made up for Cassio's close-mindedness by being more of the party animal of the two.
Drums started banging from the balconies of the club. Dementia came out with the darkest of outfits to present mystery. Sure enough, she came out with gymnastics-style moves; going from tame to the extreme. Then, fire emerged from the sides of the stage. The stage was large enough for her to move in and she took advantage of it in every way.
The men were amazed, including Issac and Cassio. They asked for more. And more was what Dementia gave them.
She proceeded to take off the clothes, starting with the top to show the breasts. Then, the pants came off to show the luscious legs. She had a mask on her face, which became the last thing that came off.
That was when Cassio’s eyes widened, observing something familiar in her face.
“It can’t be,” he whispered.
Issac turned to him. "You said something?"
Suddenly, Cassio got up and jumped on the stage. Just as Dementia made a jump, Cassio grabbed her in midair. His face turned more to shock when he saw the face close-up.
“Bianca?” he said.
Dementia got so agitated that she pushed him off and almost fell flat on the ground. She rubbed herself off and saw Cassio’s face.
“It is you,” Cassio said. “I can’t believe this.”
Bianca did not return the favor. She slapped him in the middle of the stage. The crowd started booing, but for Cassio not Bianca. She ran off the stage and the show was over.
Cassio chased her all the way outside. She got her bags and put on some pants. She went out with her breasts showing. She did not noticed or cared one bit. Cassio grabbed her by the arm and she shook it off.
“What are you doing?” Cassio asked trying to cover her up with his jacket, but Bianca pushed him away.
“What are you doing here?” Bianca asked almost simultaneously.
“That’s what you have to say? I thought you would be happy to see me. I mean…” Cassio could not bring out the words. He wanted to say that he could not believe that she was alive.
But all that came out was, “What are you doing in a place like this? This isn’t for you.”
It was an insult to Bianca.
“And what makes you think you know what’s best for me?” she said sassily.
“I’m sorry! I just don’t know what to say about this. I mean…here you are. You’re alive. You’re here. You’ve been here the whole time?”
Bianca breathed hard, but brought herself together. She saw that Cassio was not in the uniform, but in some flashy black-laced suit, hanging with other flashy suits who looked more like they were Germanic tribes.
“What about you?” Bianca asked. “I never seen you in a suit before.”
“Well, I’m trying to change my image,” Cassio joked.
“It suites you.”
Cassio liked this moment. Seeing Bianca again was the spark that started the past flame again. He offered to take her home. He took his jacket and covered up her naked body. That was when Bianca noticed her breasts were showing for the street rats to see.
Together, they walked home.
When they got to her apartment complex in a seedy part of town, he wanted to come inside, but Bianca was reluctant to do so.
“I can’t leave this place without seeing you again,” Cassio said. "Is there a chance we can see each other again?”
“I...don’t know if that’s a good idea,” Bianca stressed. "Too much has changed.”
“I know. But we can spend the time talking about that. Something tells me you needed it for a long time. And so do I!”
Bianca cracked a smile and went to her apartment complex she brought after saving some money for her new job. Cassio waved, determined with his newfound fame and connections, to find out what happened all those years ago...
****
Benedict Biondello arrived in Solaria days later. He had to wait for a couple more days before he could see the benefactor who gave him the letter. He was picked up by a butler and had been taken to a secret house. It was smaller than the villas he was used to in Crystal Metropolis, but that did not matter.
He went into the doors and went straight to the bedroom. There, he saw an old man, laying down, coughing as soon as he arrived. The butler came to him and whispered in his ear. They both took a look at Benedict, more nervous than usual. He had a knife at the ready,
just in case.
The butler came to him. “He wants to talk to you in private.”
The butler left, and Benedict was alone with the leader who helped him reached the position he acquired at the moment.
Baptista Lysander.
He walked slowly to the bed; close enough to observe that Baptista had bags in his eyes. Benedict did not want to catch what he had, so he kept a certain distance.
“What is it you want?” Benedict asked. “How do you know--?"
“I know all about you and everything else going on in Crystal Metropolis,” Baptista said. "I even know what happened to my daughter. And I know you had a hand in it. My guess is that the king wants to finish the job. He's just buying his time."
INIQUITOUS DOMINION: The Galactic Classic Page 37