He could see that her eyes were very determined. “Why is that?” He asked her, brushing the tip of his forefinger down her cheek.
“B-because my place is here with you, and n-nothing you do will m-make me leave.” She told him. She was shaking so much that her stutter was worsening. She balled her hands into fists, trying to prevent herself from shaking apart.
“You think I would make you leave?” He asked, his smoldering eyes were heavy lidded.
“Y-you make them all leave, Sir. E-every one of the women you sleep with.” She drew in a shaky breath and waited for his reaction.
“What if I promised you that I wouldn't make you leave?” He dropped her clipboard on the carpet and placed his other hand on the wall on the other side of her, caging her in.
“Y-you wouldn't take that chance, Sir. My abilities are not easily replaced.” She spoke with utter conviction.
That stopped him. It was true that if Jacqueline left, it would take four people to shoulder her workload. She was a rare person, and he liked owning rare people.
His expression turned shrewd, his sudden desire fading as quickly as it had come. “You're right.” He said. “Losing you would inconvenience me.”
A weak smile flickered briefly across her lips. Her relief was nearly tangible.
He narrowed his dark eyes. He leaned close to her again. This time he was threatening rather than seductive. “You're not under the assumption that you have any kind of hold over me, are you?”
Jacqueline shook her head quickly. “O-of course not, Sir.” She reassured him. “I-I was merely pointing out that I was more useful to you in certain areas over others.” She swallowed hard. “I-I know just how easily you can dispose of me.”
Julius smiled, pleased. “Without a second thought.” He reminded her. He straightened up. “I'm going for a walk, please have my bedroom cleared out by the time I come back.” She watched him turn away from her and walk down the hall. He had his hands in his pockets and was whistling softly. She waited for him to turn the corner before exhaling in relief, her shoulders slumping.
She pushed her glasses up to the bridge of her nose. Her hands shook slightly. She retrieved her clipboard from the carpet. She took a second to compose herself as best as she could before opening the door into the Sitting Room.
Chapter XII – The High Empress Winter eventually rained itself out and spring slowly set in. The change in the weather was slight at first, and
unnoticeable. But the garden blossomed and the days were drier. Claire took her homework outside more often than not.
She had found a stone chess table in one corner of the garden. She guessed that the pieces were stored in the drawers underneath, but they were locked. Still, it was a nice and quiet place to do her homework.
Beast was always near her when she was outside. It had been nearly a year since she met him and he had not seemed to change at all. She had changed, grown taller, older, but Beast remained the same as he had always been. Even in temperament and personality.
'He wasn't as thin' was the only thing she could say about him. He was still skinny though, so she didn't think too much of it. His cheeks had lost that sunken look and his eyes weren't as hollow. But she could still see his ribs through the thin fabric of his shirt, and she could still reach around his waist and grasp both of her wrists.
“Maybe you should eat more, you beanpole.” She teased him one afternoon. She was leaning back in the stone bench on one side of the chess table. Her feet were pushed against the table, her legs bent. She had a thin plastic board resting on her knees. She scrawled out the answers to her math homework with an ion pen. She had developed an almost paranoid habit of saving after every problem or after writing a line. She had never lost her work yet because of a system error, but the possibility was always there.
“I eat enough to keep me moving.” He answered softly. Beast sat in the shade of an ancient apple tree. The thing was enormous, covering the entire corner of the garden maze. He leaned against the trunk, where the shadows were deepest. She only knew that he was there because she could see glints of topaz every now and then.
Claire didn't envy him the shade. It was a little too breezy out to desire any relief from the weak sunlight. “What happens if you stop eating?” Claire asked him idly. She felt that she knew the answer already.
“I stop moving.” He answered, confirming her thoughts. “Would you die?” She asked him.
“No.” He said. “I would just stop moving.”
Claire wasn't paying attention to her homework anymore.
She was still staring at it, but she didn't really see the problems on the board. “Can you die?” She asked.
“I don't know.” He answered.
Claire moved on to more familiar questions, ones that she had asked him many times in the last year. His memory was dim, and returned slowly, so she kept asking the same questions, hoping he would remember something new. “How long were you lying in the junkyard?”
“I still do not remember.” He answered.
“How old are you?” She asked him, settling into the familiar routine of questions.
“I do not know.”
“What is the first thing that you remember?” She asked.
“The Great War.” He answered quietly.
Claire started. She looked over at him. This was a new answer. “You remember the Great War?” She asked, her voice a strained whisper. Was he over two hundred years old? Her mind whirled dizzyingly.
“Yes. I thought of it as 'the firestorm' at the time, because fire fell to earth like rain.”
Claire rose from her seat, abandoning her homework. She crept over to him, dazed. No suspicions that he might be lying to her crossed her mind. Beast would never lie to her. He really had seen the Great War. He had lived through it.
“How?” She whispered. “How did you survive?” Only those outside of the blast areas had survived, and that had only been a small percentage of the planet's population. If you had been close enough to see the storm of fire, then you wouldn't have survived.
“I don't know.” Beast said. “I do not think the radiation affected me. I was in a different form then, my mind was weaker. I do not remember anything else from that time.”
Claire sat down on his knees, looking at him wonderingly. “A different form? What kind?”
He shook his head. “I do not know what I looked like. I remember being lower to the ground.”
She leaned close to him. “What do you eat?” She asked him. She hadn't brought up this subject with him, remembering how he had acted when Mrs. Kennie had broached it. But now her curiosity overwhelmed her. She wanted as much information as she could get.
“I won't tell you.” He said, his eyes were hard, like yellow diamonds.
Won't, not can't. Her mind noted the distinction. “Why not?” She whispered, feeling a little hurt. “Is it something bad? Like...” She searched her mind for something suitably horrifying. “Like people? Human blood, something like that?”
“I don't eat people, Claire.” He said seriously, and she knew he was telling the truth. “And I do not drink blood.”
“Then why won't you tell me.” She asked, her eyes were wide.
“Self preservation.” He answered. “It might put my existence in jeopardy if you were to know.”
“It's dangerous to you if I know?” She asked.
“Yes.” He said.
Claire weighed what he had said. Whatever he used as food she might object to, was that why it would be dangerous for her to know? She didn't see how she could stop him from eating. He was a hundred times stronger than her and she had never noticed him eating anyway. He could have easily told her he didn't eat at all and she would have believed him.
And there was also the fact that she didn't want to endanger him. He was important to her. He had been there for her when she had no one. If it weren't for him, she wouldn't be where she was now. The thought of him ceasing to move was unbearable.
&nb
sp; He said it wasn't people or blood-drinking. Those were the only things that she could think of that she would object to. Whatever it was, it would have to be fine with her. She would have to be fine not knowing.
“Okay then.” She said at last. “I won't ask again.” She promised.
“Thank you.” He answered quietly
*** Julius spent a second adjusting his tie and making sure his jacket hung straight. Even after all these years, he still felt a twinge of unease when he met with the High Empress.
He was in the Crystal Palace, in front of the huge white double doors that led into the Throne Room.
The Crystal Palace was a marvel to behold. It was the tallest structure in the entire city. It dominated the skyline, visible for miles all around. The name was misleading, as it wasn't made from crystal...
He breathed out slowly, his breath fogging in front of his face.
The entire palace was made from ice.
The outer walls were thick and glassy. The inner walls were white frost. None of it had been carved or pieced together. The Empress had created it all herself.
That's what everyone said anyway. He wondered if she really was that powerful. Even with Snowfall, he still wondered. He pushed open the door, entering with his head high.
“Julius...” Her voice was a silky caress. It washed over him like an icy wind as soon as he entered.
He bowed low. “My Empress.”
She sat in her throne, beautiful and dazzling and terrifying all at once. Her pale white skin was as cold and perfect as marble. Her ice blue eyes were sharp and cutting. Her long blue hair fell down her back like a sheet.
She rose, making even that simple movement unbearably graceful. She took her scepter in hand and walked to him as he straightened up. “Do you have any words that can assuage my aching heart?” She asked him softly.
“The war goes well.” He told her. “The outer villages are divided. They lack the organization needed to be a true threat. It's only a matter of time.”
“This fighting... My people should not fight.” She turned away from him, looking out a large pane of ice that was perfectly clear. The entire city was laid out in front of her.
She walked over and placed her hand on the clear ice. “All those lights. All those people. They belong to me. They are my existence and my purpose. There should never be any fighting... ever again.”
“It's human nature to fight.” Julius told her quietly. His dark eyes burned as they watched her. “It's the agent of change.”
“Such a dreadful word.” The High Empress whispered mournfully. “I will eliminate 'change'. And my people will never fight again...”
Julius felt icy fear run through him. It was unexplainable, just from looking at her. The High Empress was pure and cold and clean. She was delicate and soft and pitiable.
She was the only thing that Julius feared.
*** Claire stormed through the door to her quarters, slamming it behind her. She stomped through her sitting room and into the bedroom. Beast sat on her bed, his feet rested against the brass rail at the foot. His knees were drawn up, an e-paper spread out over his legs. His cloak lay in a heap on the floor.
He looked up at her from his reading as she took a breath, raising her palms up in front of her, steadying herself. He waited patiently for her to speak, but she just took a another deep breath, then another. "Deportment sucks." She said finally, venom in her voice. She threw her bag off her shoulder and onto the floor.
Beast watched her as she stormed around the room, venting her frustration. "All day long in that class, it's sit still! Be quiet! There's a a billion ways to say please and thank you, and like, fifty different pieces of silverware on the table! I've had it!" She sat on a giant pillow that she had thrown on the floor and huffed.
Beast returned to his reading calmly. Claire got angry so rarely, that when she did, it was usually explosive. He had learned it was best to be as least confrontational as possible during those few times.
After observing that her heart rate had lowered and her breathing had calmed down, he tried speaking. "Julius said that if you wanted to start Chemistry two years early, you must take Deportment this year as well." He reminded her.
"I know." Claire said through gritted teeth.
"You've been putting it off the last two years-" "I know that too." She grumped. "Doesn't mean that I
have to like it."
"You should be happy, today." Beast said, diverting her
frustration. "Unless you have forgotten in your rage." Claire blinked. "Forgotten? Forgotten what?" She rushed
over to Beast, pushing his shoulders. "Tell me..."
"Check for yourself." Beast replied. “It's on your
calender.”
"Computer." Claire said to the room in general. A light
screen came on against the far wall. "Calender." A calender
appeared over her other open applications. Today's date was
circled multiple times in red. There was even a tiny heart over it. "Julius comes back today!" She squealed. She threw her
arms around Beast and planted a loud smooch right on his cheek.
Then she raced to her wardrobe, pulling the doors open. "He'll be
here any minute! and I'm still in my school things I have to get
dressed!"
Just then a loud, deep chime was heard throughout the
manor. Claire paused, a dress in each hand. She dropped them on
the floor and raced to the window. "That's the clock tower! He's
already here!" The clock tower contained a bell that was only
rung when the Master of the house returned. "Oh, I see the
hovercar coming through the gate!"
She dashed to the mirror, making sure nothing was out of place. She wore her gray and blue school uniform. The top was gray and long sleeved, over which was a dark blue vest. She also wore a blue and gray plaid pleated skirt. Covering her legs were dark blue knees socks and on her feet she wore penny loafers. The sides of her her long red hair were braided and pulled back
and tied behind her head.
"I'll be back later." She called to Beast before rushing out
of the room. Beast merely looked at the door for a few seconds,
then stood up and walked over to the window.
*** Claire ran down the stairs. For the last year Julius had been called away more and more by the High Empress. The trips were becoming longer and longer, thus his time home in between was shorter and shorter. The last time, he had come home from a six week trip and stayed only one night.
She stopped at the door leading to the main hall to catch her breath. She didn't want to look too flustered.
She knew that Julius was the Regent, the voice of the High Empress, and was especially busy with the war going on. But she still missed him. She pushed the door open as calmly as she could.
She saw him immediately, walking into the main hall. Bates was holding the door open for him. A servant walked in behind him, carrying his bag. "Julius!" She cried, launching herself at him.
He looked up just in time to get tackled around the waist. He took a step back to stop himself from falling back. "Claire!" He gasped happily. He lifted her up easily and hugged her. Claire rested her head on his shoulder. "I've missed you so much, Julius." She whispered.
Julius closed his eyes and sighed. Even after a year, he still hadn't gotten used to the relief he felt when he saw her. "I've missed you too, dear child." Reluctantly, he released her, setting her back on the floor gently.
"How long are you staying?" She asked, looking up at him with her wide blue eyes. Julius looked down at her. She had gotten taller again, in the last few months. But to his eyes, she hadn't changed at all. "The High Empress has granted me two weeks leave, to celebrate our birthday."
Claire frowned. "But, our birthday was last week." She protested. She had been so frustrated that she had to actually mail Julius his gift. She shut up though. She wasn't going
to complain about two weeks to spend with him.
Julius looked down at her. "I know that Claire, but the High Empress couldn't spare me last week. The war has been very trying on her." He took her hand in his and led her away from the door.
"Is it true that she never leaves her palace?" Claire asked. She didn't talk to Julius much about his work. But she had become increasingly interested in what pulled him away from her week after week.
"That's right." Julius nodded.
"Why is that?" Claire asked. They entered the study. Julius let go of her hand and pulled off his jacket. He hung it up on the ornate gold hook behind the door.
"The High Empress is powerful, and she rules over all. It is because of her that so many technological advances have been made since the Great War." He pulled his tie loose and sat in his chair, putting his feet up.
Claire picked up a chair and brought it over next to him. She sat down and swung her legs back and forth, her feet skimming the floor lightly. "But the Great War was so long ago." She said. Over two hundred years ago, if she remembered her history.
Julius nodded. "Yes it was. And even though she doesn't look like it, the High Empress is very, very old. She must be protected, so that we can all continue on." He gestured out the great double windows of the study. Far over the wall and across the Gold District Claire could see the glow of the Crystal Palace, the heart of the Diamond District. "Without her light to guide us, we would all be lost in darkness."
"You love her." Claire said, unable to keep the misery from leaking into her voice.
"As Regent, I must." Julius told her firmly. "It's what she asks of her Council and her Regent. Love, and the will do do anything necessary for that love." He paused, seeing the look on Claire's face. "Why don't you let me go and get changed for dinner?" He rose from his chair. "We can talk about what you want for your birthday then."
Claire stood up. "All right. I will go change out of my uniform."
Julius led her to the door. He opened it for her, one hand on her back, gently leading her out of the study. "I'll see you in ten minutes." he told her, then closed the door.
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