Chapter 3 – Sins

I was given a ride to my homeland on the emperor's private vessel. All was luxurious, save for our having to share the space with his rappigs. They all escaped, once, and ran amok around the ship. He found it amusing. The crew bore with it admirably, and I bit my tongue. We arrived in Keterburg the following day, and all breaking points of cabin fever were avoided.

My family was shocked to find me—flanked by two infantrymen, per protocol—standing outside their door. My mother beckoned me in hesitantly, as if I were a stranger. Soon Nephry, now a young woman taller than our mother, came down, curious. She started for a few moments.

"Brother?"

"I'm here for a visit. Hope you don't mind."

But she continued down the stairs, and over to me, embracing me cautiously.

"We've heard about your progress," said my mother. "General Curtiss was kind enough to send reports."

"That is good of him," I said, grimacing. "Aren't you proud?"

"—Pardon the intrusion," said a voice from behind me. Peony had let himself in. I turned back to find that my parents were already kneeling.

"Please, Mr. and Mrs. Balfour, no need for that. I am still only…"acting" emperor, after all. Plus, I'm only here to borrow your son, if he'll allow me more of his time? Nephry, come along too if you like. I've made reservations at the casino for all of us."

"Should I be as excited as I think I should?" I mumbled as we followed him out the door.

"I've taken the liberty to arrange a little reunion for us. Though, no saying if all of our number will show up."

"Wait—is Saphir coming?" Nephry asked, sounding happy about this.

"We shall see. I hear that our Oracle Knight has quite the hectic schedule these days. But either way, let's go enjoy my favorite place!"

We ended up not quite in the heart of the Keterburg casino, but in an adjoining café. We were shown to a private room without hesitation, and I suspected Peony was readily recognized around here.

After ordering drinks, we were left to wait for our other guest. In the name of the social norms that had been drummed into me over the prior several years, I tried to make conversation.

"Tell me, Your Majesty,"

"Jade…"

I sighed. "Peony, you said your father had arranged these last few weeks as a test for you?"

"That's right," said Nephry. "And he was nervous."

"No lying!" The emperor elbowed my sister as she laughed. "Well, I expect he'll be getting the damage report right about now. And…this is top secret, naturally. But soon I'll be getting either a series of lectures, or a coronation.

Nephry gasped. "He's ready to give you the throne?"

"Retirement has sounded good to him, really, since the end of the Hod war. I think it took a lot out of him. That, or all the peace we've been having is boring him silly."

"I can't say I'd blame him," I said. "Too much more of it, and I'll be out of a job as well."

"Oh, is that what you think?" Asked Peony.

The hostess, who had made her way discreetly over to us, now cleared her throat and addressed us. "Excuse me, Your Highness. Locrian Cantus Dist is here."

"Oh good!" Smiled Peony.

"Who, now?" I asked, and my eyes followed where the hostess motioned. Walking toward us was a tall, slim, and eccentric figure. Unfamiliar to me at first, and yet…I knew those violet eyes and sheet of silver hair. Saphir. Older, sleeker, and wearing a perfected scowl. While he was probably still the shorter between the two of us, he had shot up. He wore a long, trim coat gracefully, completed with a high fur collar and pristine gloves. Just as I, (and ever since we had augmented our own powers of sight through less-than-practical methods,) he now wore thin spectacles, over which he stared down his nose at us all. Peony got up to greet him.

"I'm so glad you could make it."

But Saphir wasn't listening. He looked straight at me with hatred in his eyes.

"What's he doing here?"

"My apologies—I should have warned you," I said, standing up and extending a hand. "Hello Saphir, it's been a while."

He sneered at the hand for a moment, but eventually took it gingerly with scarcely more than his fingertips.

"Jade," he nodded. "What is it now—captain?"

"Major."

"And I've taken a new name. It's occupational. I'm now known as Dist. Dist the Rose."

"I see," I said.

Peony was laughing. "He's incorrigible about that. Come on, sit down."

Lunch could have been worse. The small talk took up most of our time, and meanwhile Saphir—or Dist, rather—began to lighten up. He certainly had grown fully into his element of drama. It gave him a charisma that nearly eclipsed everything in its presence, but I began to wonder weather the newfound confidence had come about due to crisis or growth…

There were no blow-ups, tensions or extended periods of silence, and I believe we were all relaxed enough by the time we got up to leave.

"Shall we do this again?" I found myself asking.

"At my place next time," said Peony.

"I'm sure I'll be too busy," drawled Dist. "But…I'll see what I can do."

"I'd love to," said Nephry. "After all, you've never had me over at your manor when we weren't sneaking around!" The two began planning enthusiastically, and walked on ahead of us. I politely kept pace with our companion.

"I thought I heard you were still involved with fomicry research," Dist said, seriousness cutting the drawl in his tone short.

"I had been. But of course since the lab on Hod was destroyed…"

"Jade." He stopped walking, and waved the others away when they looked back at us. We now stood in the snow, in a secluded spot by the park.

"You still want to bring her back, don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"My, and I actually put it past you to play stupid!"

"What are you harping about, Saphir?"

"It's Dist! Dist the Rose."

He glared up at me, flushed with annoyance and the cold. For a moment all was quiet but the snowflakes falling past us, landing in our hair.

"Gelda Nebilim. You were still trying to replicate her."

I ignored him and looked into the distance, wishing he didn't know he was right.

"Let me help you," he said then.

"Why would you do that?"

"Does it matter? You have the knowledge. I could provide the resources—better ones—more secretive. I even have a perfect place in mind. You continue with your duties as the good soldier, and I discreetly take care of everything you need. I know you're building a reputation you'd like to protect, Jade."

Much too tempted, I pushed him further. "Hold on—what exactly is in it for you?"

"Part of the credit, of course, when we create the perfect replica! You understand I am already a master scientist of fontech—but I wouldn't mind another achievement on my record."

"Fine." I said. "Help me, and I'll see that the commendation goes to you as well."

He looked surprised. "You won't regret it. It will be just like old times."

"Not completely," I said under my breath as I walked ahead of him.

Another week, and business seemed to continue as usual in Grand Chokmah. I continued to be called to the palace fairly regularly, mostly for the conferences, but sometimes because Peony simply wanted to catch up. I found it irritating, but I tended to bear with him. I believe he often put in good words for me to my superiors.

Those next several weeks were difficult for everyone at the center of the empire. The throne was in flux. The emperor was trying to make up his own mind over whether or not to surrender it to his son. All indications were that Peony would make a decent enough ruler, with the guidance of the council, and Sesemann's advice. But the old man was wary. What if we were threatened by war again? (This was when Peony introduced us formally, and I was made to reassure his majesty that I would protect the heir.)

By the time a coronation dawned, we were all frazzled enough for the relief to have come too late. I was at wit's end by the time a letter arrived for me from Dist. I had put off reading it until the end of the day. Finally, after necessary libations, I opened it, to read:

Jade—

The preparations are complete. Come as soon as you're available to

see our new center of innovation. Soon, we will have created something perfect. I'll await you.

– Dist

Below his flourished signature were coordinates at which I would find this secret lab. I would like to say that I put off any further action. But the momentum was already driving me anxious. I packed many of my logs, and a few small instruments, and then took the next coach near enough to the coordinates. Surprisingly, or perhaps somewhat brilliantly, he had found a site in Kimlascan territory. I would not be bothered by my colleagues here. I climbed down into a cavern, of all places, that was obviously much more easily accessible by sea. Once inside, the path evened out and was quite manageable, though the walk lasted several minutes. My spear was readied the entire time; occasionally I would slice down an aggressive bat, and occasionally I was convinced that Dist had set an extravagant trap for me.

I finally reached a large, secure doorway. A moderate fonic arte unlocked the bolts, and I stepped cautiously into a huge room built into the chamber. It was dimly lit, but filled with the hum of fontech. I did not see Dist before he spoke to me from out of the dark.

"Just imagine what we can accomplish here. Away from your duties—your superiors. And mine." And he laughed a high, drawn-out cackle. A switch was flipped, and the lights came up. He stood at the opposite end of the vast room, next to a control panel. His spectacles gleamed at me such that his eyes were completely hidden. I was sure mine had the same effect, then.

"Well it's a bit remote." I tapped my foot on the polished floor.

Dist shrieked, "Well that was the point!"

I walked around the lab in silence for some time as Dist followed me around, biting his lip and trying to hide his nervous shaking. It was obvious that the necessities were all in place. Refining the equipment to serve my theories would be relatively simple. I told him as much. He hid his smile badly with a smirk.

We spent the next few weeks—in between both of our various missions as soldiers—doing just this. We would meet briefly, exchange notes, and go our separate ways. I did not see him outside of that cavern until one day, briefly in passing, at Peony's public coronation. We did not acknowledge each other.

The new emperor kept me near himself for most of the day. To my insistence that I would only get in the way, he replied that even unnecessary distractions from political circus were good distractions.

"So that's all I am now?" I asked him as he was being dressed by several maids.

He turned back to look in my direction. "I'd like to make you more than that."

I looked away as he was stripped down entirely. "Please elaborate…"

"Call me selfish—I want you close, not only to me, but to all internal affairs."

"What?"

"And by the way, this is all still highly confidential. So if you would, ladies, not a word to anyone…"

"Yes, Your Majesty," they chorused, a few of them blushing.

"Oh thank you. But Jade—today I formally receive my new…career. I feel it's a good day to offer you yours, too."

"Your Majesty?" I looked back at him, growing irritated. Now, at least, the bottom half of his ceremonial robes were in place. I noticed that his tan was surprisingly even across his chest.

"I want you, someday, to be my advisor—my chief of staff."

My voice was caught uselessly in my throat for a moment. "I—Your Majesty, the qualifications for that title—"

"It's not as though I don't value you as an officer," he continued. "I'd love to see you as general one day. But I want you to take Sesemann as a mentor. It's not as though he's young. And I will always need someone on whom I can truly depend."

"But—"

"We're not discussing it at this point. Yes…yes, I think I'll inform Sesemann tomorrow that he'll have an apprentice.

Still shocked, I remained right where I was standing and maintained an unaltered expression. Peony had nothing more to say to me, and continued to wink and talk at his bevy of servants. I was, however, kept in close proximity for the entirety of the day, in the name of a distraction, as well as for security purposes.

It wasn't until a few weeks after the coronation that circumstances were calm enough for me to take a more extended leave. While Peony happily assumed I was visiting Keterburg, I instead took my own boat straight to Dist's cavern to finish refining the fontech. I spent the first few days alone, until he was free from Oracle duties.

I still had enough stored replica data from Hod to last us several experiments. There would be no going to hunt for eligible test subjects, and so we were free to begin diving into the research for the next several days.

We barely slept or ate. Some nights, I'm sure we were only being counter-productive. Our delirious conversations would inevitably lead back to his reasons for helping me. More specifically, my questioning them.

"Why does it matter, you stubborn idiot?" He finally burst out one time.

"Should it not?" I said. "I can't expect you not to ask for anything."

"If we can bring her back—if we can see Nebilim again and you can be happy, then so will I be."

"Happiness is irrelevant!" I yelled, though he was only a few feet from me as we worked at the same control panel. "I must do this, regardless of any personal reasoning."

"Well then, Jade, why?" He looked up at me, one hand still on the controls. "What are your reasons? Is it not only to bring back beloved Professor Nebilim?" There was a distinct bitter tone in these words.

I struggled, not wanting to answer. "I must refine this science. It is my contribution to the world, and I must follow through. Perfect it."

"Liar." He said, lowering his sculpted eyebrows at me. "Besides, don't forget who is making this all possible for you. Our science."

I made the mistake of looking at him, then, head-on. "Yes, Saphir, that was the agreement."

He was looking back at me still. And still just a foot away. This time I began to see him melt under my gaze, before anything even happened.

"Jade," he whined.

I had already braced myself by the time he took a step closer to me until we were nose to nose. But as aware as I was, I did not stop him as he slid his arms around me and his lips against mine. I didn't try to avoid his tongue as it slipped past my guard. I stood there, thinking as quickly as I could. Nothing had changed. I could hear his shallow, anxious breaths start to deepen, and feel his heart fluttering against my chest. And what did I feel, besides the cold of the night?

I realized, then, that I had nothing to lose. Again I wanted him. And this time, I was much more free to take him. Slowly my arms returned the gesture, at least partially, and I clutched his shoulders through my gloves. I kissed him back, and if nothing else, sensing the rise that this subtle change induced in him—it was thrilling.

When lips were not enough and we finally broke apart, his eyes were dilated and all he could say was my name, again.

With a blank mind, as if pulled close to him magnetically, I moved up against him, and pushed us both against one of the heavy instrument consoles. Between the metallic surface and me, he would shove up against me one moment, and let me slam him back against it the next. This perverse cycle seemed to give him great pleasure. Soon he was bent over the machine, his back against my stomach. I scarcely had to think about it—my hips moved against him instinctively. And it was like power—my control over the bliss he was in. Over how long I kept him in suspense, desperate. Finally I gave into my own desire, pulled his uniform loose, and took him, against the wall of the machine. I was only as brutal as I had to be, but it drew cries out of him. Gradually these subsided into blissful moans, echoing through the chamber each time I drove into him again.

He began to call out ridiculous things. That he loved me—that he had since we were children. I didn't understand, but in a way, it fuelled my own lust. I began to struggle to keep my own voice under control. I bit my lip, but found that the only remedy was to slam him against the machine harder. I did not—could not stop, until we were both near fainted on the floor, spent and in too much pain even to touch each other any more.

TBC...