So I've seen JA and decided that I'm absolutely smitten with the story and characters (especially Jupiter, Balem and Kalique) so I'm trying to honor it with this fanfic.
I do not own anything except my OCs, Xenakis family and some others. JA and its characters belong to their rightful owners.
Enjoy :)
1. Prologue: The Xenakis
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It is not in the stars to hold our destiny but in ourselves.
"Look at her...all grown up now." the woman dressed in long white drapes rested her head upon her arm as she observed the screen. Her hair was long, captured in a heavy bun and decorated with small silvery pearls. Having dismissed her servants the woman continued to look at something-no someone, smile grazing her wrinkled features. She sighed at the screen, resting comfortably on the bolsters.
"You asked for me, your Grace?" the young humanoid woman appeared behind the heavy wooden doors, bowing slightly.
Turning off the screen, the woman in white lazily got off the couch. "Yes, prepare me my dose of RegeneX, I require a bath. Wrinkles are getting out of fashion."
"Very well, your Grace. Your lord husband has requested to join him for dinner, as your daughter is arriving tonight.
"Cassandra? Shouldn't she be taking care of our estates in Triangulum?" the woman shook her head, trying to set her dark hair free. The servant girl bowed her head and left, leaving the female head of the Xenakis family alone. She stared at herself in the mirror, the lines on her face were unsightly, yes, but nothing few drops of RegeneX won't fix. It will be strange sensation, using it again after almost half a century. More so, since her husband tended to use it regularly, as her elder daughter, Cassandra.
The bath was warm, droplets soothing her worn out body, fixing cracks. If only they could fix the other things, Aella Xenakis thought. She requested to bath alone, without the constant eye of her servants, it was something Zoe always did.
RegeneX worked like a miracle, those who didn't know the mechanics and principles behind it. There was only one family in the entire known universe that knew the secret to RegeneX, the Abrasaxes, and they kept it like their life depended on it. Time was the single most precious asset in the existence. After capturing its secret it soon landed the Abrasaxes on the top of pyramid as the most influential family in the known universe. It happened shortly before Seraphi Abrasax, the woman Aella only knew from the few gatherings over the past thousands of years, took over as the head of the family and made them into what they are now. List of other prominent houses wasn't endless, but it was stable, since from that time no one really died unless they chose to. Or they were murdered, like Seraphi, or Zoe.
"Your grace, I just came to inform you that your daughter has arrived earlier and is waiting for you in the gardens. Shall I tell her that you'd come?" Aella's train of thoughts was interrupted by one of the servants. She couldn't remember which one, she had one too many.
"Very well, tell her to wait for me" she waved her hand dismissing the girl. Aella Xenakis was approaching her 80th millennium but the image in the mirror now showed youthful looking woman in her mid twenties. She slowly dried herself, admiring the softness of her skin. She decided on the light green dress with long sleeves that were cut in the middle for her arms. She designed most of her dresses herself, and took great pride in them.
After time, the second most exploitable thing in universe was vanity. The higher on the pyramid you were, the more vain you were. And Aella designed clothes for the vain.
Xenakis's estate was a huge green land, famous for its gardens on which Aella diligently worked after marrying into the family. Hundreds of servants were taking care of the estate, making sure the gardens were watered daily, and plants, collected from every corner of the galaxy and beyond, taken care of.
Aella made her way trough corridors, light from high gothic styled windows shining on her newly refreshed skin. High arch made from white marble opened up to the passage between the trees.
"Mother! It's been far too long! I've missed you." young woman that appeared her age ran closer to envelope her in warm hug.
Cassandra Xenakis, her elder daughter, brushed her golden hair behind her ear and smiled. "It was so boring in the Triangulum, nothing but work. So I've decided to come earlier!"
"Have you taken care of the paperwork your father asked of you?" knowing Cass, she didn't.
"I did, but it was a huge pain, and there wasn't a single party in the entire galaxy. Oh mum, when I heard the party of the millennium will soon be hosted by Kalique I couldn't stay all the way in the Triangulum." she smirked, and they walked to the table which was already set.
"Will my husband be joining us?"
The servant bowed "Yes, your Grace, he informed that he will, however, be late, due to work."
"Father always works. Tell me, mother, how are things here? Oh, I've missed this so much." Cassandra was relatively short woman, in her 20th millennium but keeping up her appearance of barely two decades. The only person in the galaxy that bathed in the RegeneX more than her was probably Seraphi's notorious youngest son. While Aella still kept notice of Cassandra's spendings, they were more than her income. If Zoe was still alive, maybe this family could pass it on her and would've had future off their business conglomerate.
"Thins are the same as they were when you left. I hope you handled this responsibly Cassandra, the company isn't in the best position since...-", "-since Zoe died and you couldn't care less about it." her daughter snapped.
Other woman's face reddened "How dare you speak of Zoe? She wouldn't have spend her decades indulging in stupidities and working on getting reputation that rivals that of Titus Abrasax. If you think your father's gonna leave his empire to you then you're clearly wrong, Cassandra."
"Of course. I'm not my younger dead sister. She was perfect." she made her distance before her mother could slap her. "But I'm unfortunately the only daughter you have now. Besides, why would I work? I could just marry into another family and my husband would take care of me."
"Clearly, you have so many proposals to pick from." Aella sat down, looking crystal clear empty plate in front of her.
"Oh I do! It's just father who wants me to marry into Abrasax family. I doubt Titus would ever marry even though there was some agreement that I am to be his wife millennia ago, and that creep Balem surely won't. I'm going to marry Kalique before any of them."
That's how things were. Whilst Aella was dedicated to her designs and kept things going, Cassandra had been spoiled, selfish and incredulously vain. Aella thought it was her mistake, since Cass was the only child for far too long, and everything was made for her, servants hurried around just for her, the world was just for her. Zoe had been different, she was honest and hardworking, though she had a nasty habit of not listening to anyone. Her recurrence seemed to pick that nasty habit too, aside all other similarities.
"I have to tell you something. The recurrence of your sister appeared." unsure of whether should she have said this, she carefully examined Cassandra's face.
"And? What do you suppose we should do? It's only natural. Seraphi herself might have recurrence one day. Or she did. I suppose you haven't been spending your days imagining this mortal creature to be your daughter. She won't live past six or seven decades." Cassandra snorted taking a drink.
Before Aella could retort lord Xenakis appeared, smile grazing his features upon seeing his daughter. Aegeus Xenakis was a man in his early thirties, or at least looked so, his black hair slicked back making his clear blueish eyes visible.
"Father, you've never looked younger!" Cassandra smiled, jumping from her chair to hug Aegeus. "Thank you, sweetie. I hope everything went well on with our mines on the planets of gamma trianguli? You know how important it is, otherwise I wouldn't have sent you."
"There was some misunderstanding. I think it would be best if we sold them. Miners still refuse to work."
"You told me you handled it!" Aella hissed, but her husband only have her knowing look.
"We're already in a difficult situation as it is, I will personally handle it then."
"What difficult situation?" Cass stared with her big blue eyes, but her expression still intact. It was a thing with those who live so long, somehow their faces grow into a mask of absolute stone. Fleeting human feelings abandon them and they are able to conceal everything else.
"Bankruptcy. What do you think? Precious minerals lose their value as we are further colonising the space. I still have my company but do you think we'll be able to live like this?" matriarch of the house Xenakis sighed.
"What about my supposed future engagement to Titus Abraxas?" Cassandra flipped her hair, like it was the most normal everyday thing.
"Do you wish to marry?" her father asked her.
"Well, obviously. I won't be piss poor."
"Let us talk about it some other time. Besides, if the rumours are true, he might be expecting bankruptcy too unlike his older siblings."
"Balem's estates just keep growing. Ever since Seraphi died that boy expanded his empire over half the universe."
Balem was the only of three offsprings of Seraphi that Aella respected. In a way. He had a knack for business, inherited from his mother and polished to perfection. Kalique was more of a performer and manipulator, while Titus was Cassandra multiplied by twenty.
"How are you?" Aegeus asked his wife. "Fine." she sighed softly kissing his cheek. "I hope you have stopped observing that planet." he added.
That planet. Aella knew it by heart. Earth. Observing it everyday has been her routine for the past nineteen years, since the recurrence of Zoe appeared.
"They are the same." she simply said. "Perhaps, we could bring her here, meet her, it wouldn't be the first time a recurrence met with the life of her predecessor." but her suggestion was met by cold stare from Cassandra and pity.
"That human girl is not our Zoe. And never will be. If it will make you happy, meet her, bring her here but don't delude yourself." Aegeus stared at his wife.
So, I hope you liked the prologue, after re-reading it I feel it's a bit dragged on but I felt the need to establish everything before main character appears.
R&R if you feel like it, it'll mean much to me. :)
