by Finn Gray
“Your Imperial Majesty, we welcome you to Vatome,” Marion said.
“Please, there is no need to kneel. I am not that formal.” The emperor had a deep voice, and his accent was stilted, like the ancient Sorians in the vids.
Abrox stood and brushed the dust from his knees.
“In the future, a simple bob of the head will do, and I only require that because I find that people get itchy if I don’t at least give a nod to tradition. And yes, that was a pun.” His easy laugh put Abrox at ease.
“Thank you. It is an honor to meet you, Majesty,” Abrox said.
“The pleasure is ours. I am Adon and this is my sister, Ceto.”
Abrox blinked. So charismatic was the young emperor that Abrox had failed to notice the ravishing beauty at Adon’s side.
Ceto didn’t look that much like her brother, save for the big brown eyes and full lips. Where he was dark and trim, she was fair and full-figured. There was a lushness about her; that was the only word that fit.
“Your Majesty,” Abrox greeted with a bob of the head.
“I’m a sister from the wrong side of the blanket, so you may call me Ceto.” Her voice had a husky quality to it, like a lounge singer. She was intoxicating.
Marion cleared her throat. Abrox glanced at her and she flashed him a knowing glance. Abrox felt his cheeks redden. Damn! He hadn’t blushed since his first time with a girl, and he’d been an academy kid. Great first impression he was making on their new leader.
“I am also His Majesty’s personal assistant,” Ceto continued.
“More of a manager, really. She’s the organized one,” Adon said, winking at Marion.
Ceto rolled her eyes. “Why be organized when you can charm everyone into doing whatever you need?” She flashed Abrox a look of long-suffering commiseration.
Adon raised a finger. “By definition, the emperor doesn’t need to be charming in order to get people to do what he wants.”
“True, but charming emperors generally get to remain emperor longer then their vindictive counterparts.”
It was all Abrox could do not to gape at the pair. It had been many cycles since he joined the Memnons, and during that time he had wondered what the Return would be like. He had envisioned many scenes, but none of them had involved two of the most beautiful people he had ever seen bantering like a pair of old friends. He glanced at Marion, who appeared dumbstruck.
“Please forgive us,” Ceto said. “We’re both sarcastic, which can create problems since everything that comes out of an emperor’s mouth tends to be taken literally.”
“In that case, no jokes about chopping off my head.” Abrox froze, wondering if he’d overstepped.
Adon’s expression went blank. “I only made that mistake once,” he said softly. For a moment, his features fell. “I still miss grandmother.”
The statement was followed by three seconds of dizzying silence, in which Abrox struggled to remain on his feet, certain his attempt at humor had just gotten him into serious trouble.
And then Ceto’s shoulders began to shake with suppressed mirth. She turned away, hands covering her face.
“You ruined it,” Adon said to his sister, then turned back to Abrox and Marion. “Sorry, but I just can’t help myself. What a first impression we must be making. Let us get down to business before we lose the last shred of your respect.”
“You are correct, of course,” Ceto said, suddenly all business. “You would be Abrox and McConnell, who prefers to be called Marion.” It was a statement, not a question. “When it comes to the execution of your duties, you will report directly to me, and as far as the two of you are concerned, I speak with the emperor’s voice. Is that understood?”
Instinctively, Abrox glanced at the emperor, who gave a nod of affirmation.
“That is understood,” Abrox said. Marion added her affirmation.
“Very well.” Ceto held her left hand out in front of her, palm facing up. The flesh of her inner forearm was ghostly white and glistened in the sun. She swiped her left index across it and a rectangular section of her flesh turned to a vid display. It was as if she had a tablet and biowatch built into her body.
Abrox felt a chill run down his spine as he wondered just how far Memnon enhancement technology, and perhaps other technologies, outstripped their own.
Ceto swiped through the data displayed on her arm, seeming to take it all in at a rapid clip. “I reviewed your security plans before we arrived,” she said to Abrox, “and I was impressed. You will continue to oversee security for this site while the new imperial palace is constructed, and you will consult with me on matters of security as needed.” She looked him in the eye and cocked her head, waiting for an answer.
“It would be an honor.” Abrox hoped he wasn’t blushing again.
“Marion, it is my understanding that you know my brothers intended better than any among us.”
Marion blinked. “His intended? I don’t understand.”
“I need to marry,” said Adon. “I know what people say about me—that I have paid the price for my family’s obsession with bloodlines.”
Abrox gave a small shrug and a little shake of the head as if this were all news to him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ceto eyeing him. The corners of her mouth twitched in amusement.
“I’m pleased to say that, except for a few unfortunate food allergies, I’ve avoided any inherited conditions,” Adon continued. “But bloodlines are important. And what better way for me to demonstrate to Aquarians my desire to reunite our long-broken family, than by joining our imperial families?”
“You mean the Navarre sisters,” Marion said.
“Exactly. I understand that Catalina is brilliant and Valeria is…entertaining.”
Ceto arched an eyebrow at her brother, but he ignored her.
“Valeria is quite clever,” Marion said, “she’s just not traditionally educated.”
“That is just the sort of insight I am looking for. I want to be a good husband to them, find common ground so that we can work together to make Aquaria even better than it was before.”
Abrox didn’t miss the word “them.” Adon intended to marry them both? He wondered if polygamy was part of Memnon tradition, or if this were a special case.
“Of course, Majesty.” Marion was white as a ghost. “But, it is my understanding that the Navarre sisters escaped with the fleet.” Her voice trembled.
“We heard.” Adon’s voice was cold, flat. “But we will find them again. One of our scout ships has already stumbled across them. They can’t hide from us forever. We know more about the universe than they do. It is only a matter of time.”
“All the same, we should probably start combing the archives, see if there are any surviving branches of the Navarre family tree left on this planet, just to be safe,” Ceto said. “You know it has to be a Navarre or it won’t be accepted.”
“I know.” Adon gave a small shake of his head. “Can you imagine a society so fixated on bloodlines that they won’t let me marry a girl from another planet unless she’s at least a very distant cousin?”
“Enough of that,” Ceto said, glancing again at the screen set in her forearm. “It is almost time for your speech.” Ceto took a moment to brush the dust from Adon’s suit and straighten his tie. “Remember, this is the first impression you will make on Aquarians. They need to know that we are here to reunite our family, and to bring justice and equality to the oppressed.”
Abrox knew what sort of equality they were talking about—all the common people living in equally shitty conditions, all worried that their neighbor will take what little they have. In life, you had to be one of the chosen ones if you wanted to get ahead. And that was why he had joined the Memnons. Not because of their alleged plans to remake the world in a fairer and more just way, but because the Memnon movement afforded him the opportunity to climb the ranks. It had been a gamble, and if the Uprising and Return had failed, he would have lost everything. But right now, things looked p
romising.
Surrounded by the security detail, he and Marion followed Adon and Ceto over to where the vid crew had set up. They watched as Adon made his preparations, Ceto fussing over the details and giving orders in a calm, clipped tone that said it never occurred to her that she would not be obeyed.
Finally, the vid crew counted down, and Adon’s speech began.
“Good evening, citizens of Aquaria. My name is Adon Navarre, and I am here to mend our broken family.”
Book four coming soon!
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Books by Finn Gray
The Aquaria Series
Aquaria Falling
Aquaria Burning
The Gate
About the Author
Finn Gray is the author of the AQUARIA novels. His literary inspirations include Starship Troopers, Ender's Game, Crystal Rain, and many more. On the screen, he loves Firefly, Battlestar Galactica (original and reboot), and Blade Runner. When not writing, he enjoys eating waffles, shooting at random objects with his old-school, single-shot .22 rifle, and shouting at strangers to get off his land. Don't send him any letters or packages because no one will deliver to him any more. Finn lives in the American Southwest with his wife, children, and dog. (Finn Gray is the pen name for the USA Today bestselling author of a popular action-adventure series.)
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