"#@$%&#!" if I had not been sipping the drink when I heard, I would have certainly called less attention. The word "son," as soon as it came out of the mouth of Cásira, got stuck just like the liquid in my throat. I coughed a lot and needed a light pat on the back until I recovered.
"Isaac is your son?" I whispered with my hoarse voice. What the f*ck is that?
I looked at the boy with caramel eyes and his hair that looked like black clouds. Now that Cásira had spoken, it seemed like a obvious information. The boy was a younger copy of Henry. One or another difference, he was definitely like a younger brother. But son?
"Go talk to him!" Cásira insisted, pulling Henry by the hand. "Enjoy that you will not have anyone here to stop you or make you nervous for the next several hours."
Henry looked completely startled now.
"And... and... and what do I say to him?" He looked pleadingly at the woman. "he must hate me... Marco must have turned his head completely against me!"
Cásira breathed impatiently and sat down next to Henry, holding his face in his hands.
"You know that our young emperor can not tell a lie to keep his power to the maximum. He would not lose his sovereignty just to keep the prince against you. And you also know that, even if he strives, our young emperor really has nothing to say against you."
Henry lowered his head and stared at his knees for a while. I found him much younger and fragile now than he had ever shown to me, his hair tied, leaving that look of someone who did not know what to do in his face.
"Start introducing yourself…" I suggested without knowing what else to say. I was lost in that situation.
Cásira's brow furrowed. Of course she could not understand a word I said, but Henry listened to me and smiled. I thought he would say it was a ridiculous suggestion, but he surprised me:
"You're right!" and stood up, "Thank you, girls. I'm going there…"
And he went. The other guests suddenly seemed to have sensed the movement and seemed to be waiting for it. No one interrupted him or called him. But Henry looked like a little boy going into some trouble. He came to Isaac with shoulders and head down and pressed the fingers of one hand against the other.
"And you said I am the child", I could not stop thinking. Isaac, on the other hand, put on a curious expression on his face and was very receptive. He really seemed to be waiting for some movement from Henry, and within minutes the two of them were talking.
Cásira then smiled politely at me and retired to the side of her father. Everyone chatted excitedly with each other, so I went back to the table, and spent some time looking at the huge, crowded garden in front of the palace, behind the glass of the porch. The sun was going to set soon.
After a while, looking at the amusement of others, I noticed that one of the pages that had received me in the entrance hall was beside me doing an exaggerated bow.
"Could Miss accompany me for a moment, please?"
He pointed to the nearby access door from where we were. I looked around and everyone was entertained in their own business that did not fit me. Henry at the opposite end of the room heard with sparkling eyes an exciting story that Isaac was telling. It was no use asking what the page wanted, because he probably would not understand me, so I decided to follow him. It was obvious that he had been sent to call me by someone else, and it was obvious who that would be.
Marco was standing on a small altar being dressed in a navy blue vest by four maids. I leaned against the doorway of the entrance to the room and folded my arms waiting. Marco really was very handsome. It was a waste him being so unbearable. As soon as the maids finished, they withdrew and left us alone.
"You are a very rude girl…" he said scrutinizing himself in the mirror. "You should not think so badly about others before you meet them."
I ended up forgetting again about his ability to know what others are thinking and feeling. There were no secrets for him.
"Any judgment I have made about you was based on what I have seen myself of you personally."
He smiled from the corner of his mouth, leapt from the altar, and sat down in one of the chairs by a window, indicating to me the other in front of him.
"Anything you want with me?" I asked, approaching, but not sitting down.
"You really are a very wild acquisition…" But he was no longer so wicked and mocking as ever. Marco stared at the outside with his chin resting on the back of his hand, as if everything were extremely tedious and dull.
"If you have nothing to say, I'm going back to the party."
"And what will you do there?" he asked, "You were covering yourself in self pity out there. You seemed to be screaming in foolish thoughts. Are you feeling so lonely like this?"
"I do not think this is any of your business." I jumped in surprise. It was really disturbing to talk to him, as if shaking something in the depths of my soul.
"I think you're confusing some things, girl…" He lifted his face and put back that egocentric expression of undoubted superiority: "I'm the most important person alive! Even to think ill of me is a crime that can be condemned. What makes you think you're above my laws?" His voice seemed to have nothing but contempt. "The need to have you as a guardian does not necessarily require you to make use of any freedom."
I stared into those deep eyes, and felt the overwhelming pressure dragging me through the soul into the limits of his power, pinning me to the ground without me being able to move.
"I do not know if I am above your laws or not", I bit my tongue trying to focus and keep strong, "You always appear with this power as if sucking my soul, and invade my thoughts. It only makes me more angry and restless. What do you get by attacking me like that?" I tried to turn to leave, but I still could not even take a step or deviate from his eyes. "Now let me go back to the party. I'd rather be alone in the midst of those strangers than stay here with you. Who put me in this situation was you to begin with... you... you threw me into this without asking my opinion! If I hadn't other choice, you could at least let me prepare myself, but no! I wonder what worse you did to Henry to hate you so much... so if you want to get me arrested, do it already."
Marco sighed and released me from his gaze.
"Sit down", he indicated the chair again.
"I'm going back to the party." I said shakily, already turning away.
"Henry is so happy and excited out there talking to Isaac. It would be a shame if someone came to call the boy now. I do not think he would have another good chance for them to see each other anytime soon."
I stopped. But... what son of a...
"Don't you think you should use something or someone directly related to me to blackmail?"
"I'd do that, but I'm think bringing Daril here would take a little longer than separating Henry from Isaac."
I turned to him again, furious. His expression was tired with victory.
"Very well, what do you want?" I could barely separate my teeth to speak.
"To begin with... when it comes to me, use nothing less than 'Majesty' to address to myself", by his expression, he really meant it, "my authority cannot be doubted or challenged by anyone."
I grunted in agreement and he continued:
"The other thing, as you may have guessed, is the ease of manipulating you through your family ties. Anyone but the two of us and Henry know of your origins?"
"No…" I replied annoyed.
"Everyone out there is reliable, but it would be prudent to leave that information unavailable to them. We had trouble with Nadia because of this... her entire planet suffered during the wars. Because of this, no one near you is allowed to use translator points, so no one will ever have the registration of your language.
Marco ended up capturing my attention this time by mentioning Nadia's name, and he noticed my interest, of course.
"So you already know about her, don't you?"
"Yes…"
"How much do you know?" he asked curiously.
I do not think I needed to respond, the expression of understanding passed through his face as he scanned my memories that were prompted by the question. But I did not know much either. Only that she was the former guardian of the Creation Relic, Henry's ex-girlfriend and she died early...
— It's no surprise to me he didn't tell you the whole story... Nadia, she was my wife!