Prologue

Kallian's wings fluttered with anxiety as he walked briskly though the Imperial Palace, teal eyes darting around, searching for a glimpse of tiny wings and flower-pink robes. Melia was missing. Doubtless she had grown bored without her brother's company (he and the Emperor had been called to attend a meeting with the Ministry of Research on a few new anti-Mechon machines) and wandered out of her room to look around the palace.

Kallian could understand her curiosity. The Imperial Palace was indeed a beautiful place, with gently glowing lights in every corridor and majestically high ceilings. Intricate carvings adorned some of the walls. The whole place was coloured different shades of warm neutrals. There were plenty of opportunities for exploration, what with the hallways and transporters that led everywhere.

He had just paused by the mural of Bionis and Mechonis to check if Melia had fallen into the water (a silly idea, he knew, for any resulting splashing and shrieks would have alerted everyone to her presence, but there was always the possibility) when Galvin passed by, bowing to him.

"Have you found Lady Melia yet?"

"Unfortunately, no. I presume you have not seen her?"

"I have not. My apologies, your Highness. You must be very worried about her. Her current penchant for exploration is not always easy to handle."

He dipped his head in acknowledgement and Galvin walked off.

Penchant for exploration? Well, I cannot disagree. Kallian chuckled softly. Barely three months ago, Melia had wandered into his room and promptly checked out all his books before jumping into the large canopy bed for a catnap. Thankfully, she had been equally enthusiastic about helping her brother to clear the mess as she had been about making it.

On a whim, he decided to visit the Imperial Villa. Perhaps the Second Consort would have an idea of where her beloved daughter was. He headed to the teleporter in the north wing and stepped inside.

Kallian rematerialised in a small chamber. Here, much of the light was provided by the teleporter, which casted shades of cold blue and green onto the grey walls. A short tunnel led out onto a paved walkway, stretching out over the endless sea. Striding out of the chamber and into the sunlight, he lifted a hand to shield his eyes from the sudden brightness and started towards the Imperial Villa.

It was a small, slightly conical tower with gracefully curving sides and decorative lights which only turned on in the evening. The tower stood on a large, circular platform at the end of the walkway. Glass barriers separated the ends of the platform from the drop to the sea. A garden surrounded the walkway leading up to the tower, with a few sloping branches leading down to the grass. There was a fountain as well, which was currently turned on. Trees dotted the area, two of them standing guard-like at the entrance to the villa. Patches of white flowers graced the vegetation, waving in the cool breeze. The Imperial Villa might be where the Second Consort lived, but in Kallian's opinion, it looked no worse than the Imperial Palace.

As Kallian stepped into the garden, he heard a rustling sound from the right side of the villa, followed by a small squeal and more rustling. The corners of his mouth turned up a little with amusement. Melia was here. She must have seen him.

He walked towards the source of the sound. Sure enough, the young princess was crouched down in a patch of flowers, staring wide-eyed at her brother. Disappointment was written all over her face, an expression so comical Kallian couldn't help but laugh.

"Ah, Melia... What are you doing all the way up here?"

"Just... relaxing, Brother. It is beautiful up here. So free."

Kallian knelt beside her. "So it is freedom you seek? I admit, having people trail after you all the time can get... exasperating."

"Yes... every time I leave my room, there's always a guard with me, telling me where I can and can't go. I'm only allowed down a few hallways, and on the occasions I get to see outside the castle, I see so much. Endless forests. The sea that the Bionis stands in. The imperial capital."

Melia rose, petals falling from her robes, and made her way to the glass barrier with Kallian following behind. She pressed her face against the glass barrier, drinking in the sight of the Bionis below her.

Kallian understood how she felt. He himself had come up here countless times when he was old enough to wander the castle on his own. The garden had always been a place of relaxation for him; the altitude gave him a sense of being away from responsibility. It wasn't that he was very busy, but his royal duties and the weekly meetings with the ministries did give him some stress. So did the people's expectations of him as a prince. He wondered how his father coped.

"Brother, look at this!"

Kallian snapped out of his thoughts, hastily turning around. Melia was kneeling by the fountain, giggling as she tried to place fallen leaves onto the waterspouts. He hurried up just in time to see one of the leaves blown into the air, spiralling as it floated back down. The sound of her laughter mixed with the fountain's splashing as she grinned at him triumphantly.

Kallian was struck by her unconcealed happiness. It was rare to see other members of the imperial family display much emotion, veiling their feelings behind formal words. Had they all been as open at Melia's age? (She was currently forty-nine, ten in Homs age if he remembered correctly.) Had he been like that sixty-three years ago?

It was the expectations of royalty, Kallian mused, that taught them to display as little... undignified emotion as possible. It was inevitable that Melia would eventually learn to suppress her emotions. Looking at his innocent, carefree sister, he gave a small sigh.

"What's wrong, Brother?"

Kallian blinked, trying to come up with a suitable excuse for his less-than-cheerful expression. "Nothing, just-"

Melia picked up a leaf and pressed it into his hand, looking at him with shining eyes. "Maybe you should try as well."

As the waterspout carried the leaf up into the air, Kallian found himself laughing along with his sister. Oh, if the Emperor could see him now.