Announcement At Archeon
Servants, soldiers, guards, and royal members greeted the party as they left their ship and entered the grand capital of Archeon. Oliverara had been here a number of times, but it still took her breath away. Especially, above all else, Whitefire Palace. The structure just screamed of dignity and beauty. The glowing white walls and the copious amounts of artwork stretching down long marble hallways lit by chandeliers really expressed the royalty of the house. Oliverara felt rather out of place standing in its shadow. Of course she did not feel outcasted surrounded by her soldiers.
They greeted her and Cal respectively as they descended along the path to Whitefire. Cal attempted to salute in return but Evangeline dragged him alongside her like he was her puppy. Oliverara smiled slightly at the sight and saluted the soldiers herself. Then a familiar face poked its way out of the swarm of soldiers for a brief second before disappearing. Oliverara dropped through a hole in between two people and detoured away from the procession. The person weaved through the courtyard and around the side of the barracks. When Oliverara rounded the corner Ellyn wrapped herself around her and backed Oliverara up against the wall. The lovers locked lips for a few seconds before breaking apart again.
"You act like I didn't just see you a few days ago," Oliverara chuckled.
"Well when I heard those rebels escaped I got worried they might go after your ship," Ellyn ran her hand along Oliverara's close cropped hair, "but they didn't. And you're finally safe with me."
They kissed again. The sound of marching alerted them that the soldiers were going back to their barracks. The two girls broke apart quickly, their moment disrupted.
"Will I see you in the dinner hall with the other soldiers, or are you going to sit with the family?" Ellyn smiled at her hopefully but they both already knew the answer.
"You know I need to sit with my family," Oliverara sighed. She snuck a quick kiss on Ellyn's cheek before pulling back. "I'm sorry love, I'll make it up to you tonight," Oliverara winked as Ellyn's face grayed. The two girls smiled one last time before parting ways. Oliverara slipped through the soldiers and back into the royal procession. Ptolemus gave her a side glance with a smile as they fell in next to each other. Neither sibling noticed the purple clad figure that stepped in behind them; eyes watching Oliverara.
The gathering of Silvers in front of the balcony of Whitefire was not abnormal considering the events of the Scarlet Guard recently. Cameras were set up pointed at the balcony, most likely for the King's anticipated speech on strength and power among Silvers. Oliverara sighed, she'd have to wear her show uniform for that. She hated that uniform. It itched. Silver's crowded the path into Whitefire, questions flying out of their mouths at the procession. Guards had already swarmed the King, Queen, Princes, and Mareena away from all the prying eyes. This of course left the Samos siblings, the guards, and other royal members arriving at Archeon alongside the King to be bombarded with questions of the Massacre at Summerton.
"General Samos, is it true that the Reds have a hit list of Silver's they wish to harm?"
"No comment."
"Lady Evangeline, do you fear the Reds might try and harm your sister again?"
"If they do they'll be sorry."
"Ptolemus, what does your father have to say about your involvement in the war now that the Reds have targets?"
"No comment."
"Do any of you fear a Red attack here at Whitefire?"
"Should we?"
"What was it like to see your fellow Silver's slain like animals?"
"Do you have a message for the Scarlet Guard?"
"Are there any leads as to where the rebels may be hiding?"
"Is it true that they escaped from Summerton with aid from a Silver?"
"General Samos, are the rumors true, do you have a vendetta to take down the Scarlet Guard? Is that why you slaughtered one of them inside the dungeons of Summerton?"
"Shut up and get outta my face!" Oliverara pushed the last camera from her face roughly and stepped into Whitefire. Ptolemus and Evangeline quickly followed suit. The doors were shut and the cameras were drowned out. Oliverara wanted to maul something.
"They're ignorant; all of them," Evangeline scoffed. "So common, they might as well be Reds."
Oliverara shook her head. "That's not what's important. How did they know about the rebel I killed in the dungeon?" Ptolemus and Evangeline exchanged looks. They had no clue. "Someone talked to them about it," Oliverara growled. "I think Whitefire has a rat."
Evangeline and Ptolemus were escorted to their rooms but Oliverara declined to take one of her own. She would sleep in the barracks with the other soldiers; with Ellyn. Instead Oliverara followed Evangeline to her room where the two girls changed into their outfits for whatever announcement the King planned to make. Evangeline's was an intricate silver dress with metal accents accompanied by countless bracelets and necklaces. All of them curled close to her skin and vibrated with her power. Oliverara put on a simple black uniform with silver accents and silver lines along the jacket's breast. Shining silver stitching read General Samos next to three glistening medals. The shirt cuffed at the end with silver buttons and fingerless black gloves. Calf high combat boots with metal bottoms accompanied the black pants. She looked more like a soldier now than when she was on the battlefield.
Servants arrived and began brushing Evangeline's hair. They added rounds of metal chains through her braids and powdered her face with dark makeup. "You look like a queen Evie," Oliverara remarked. Her sister offered a smile smile. Evangeline hated to show emotion in front of the servants. A girl approached Oliverara but was waved away. "There's nothing on me to do," Oliverara barked.
"But General, your face-"
"What about my face?"
The servant girl flinched away from Oliverara's harsh glare. She backed up and rushed back to help with Evangeline. The others didn't look Oliverara's way again. No amount of makeup would ever fix the mess that was Oliverara's face. The twisting scar that burned in her sleep and made her want nothing more than to cut into her own veins; spill her traitor blood for the whole world to see. Look! Look at what I am! Her mind screamed it on a daily basis, but common sense kept Oliverara from actually doing so. She would never disgrace her family's name with such a public way of dying. She would die on the battlefield, surrounded by the blood of her kin. Like a Red was supposed to.
"Oli come on," Evangeline pulled her from her dreams of death. "It's time for the king to make an even bigger mess of things." Oliverara gave a small cock of her lips before the two sisters left to go meet Ptolemus in the hallway.
Their brother wore an outfit similar to Oliverara's but with less medals and no title on his chest. Just the name Samos. That was enough of a rank for him. His uniform was silver with black accents instead. He was missing the gloves as well. Evangeline stood in between them and the three siblings uniformly walked down the stairs and to the hall where the others were waiting. Oliverara bent the metal staircase wider so the edges looked like they were bowing to them.
"What an entrance," Cal met them at the bottom. Evangeline wrapped herself around him with her serpent smile.
"We're Samos's," she explained, "we know what we're doing."
Oliverara was about to chime in when a voice whispered in her mind, Here. Now. She sighed and turned to where Elara stood with Maven and Mareena. Oliverara bit back a smart retort mentally and made her way over.
"General Samos," Elara greeted. "You look very powerful in that uniform."
"Strength and power," Oliverara spat.
The Queen smiled. "Good. The King and I have agreed that you and Mareena will be speaking on behalf of the new sanctions being put in place. A lost Silver princess and a General will have much influence over the people we believe."
Yeah, because we're your pets. Oliverara snarled. The Queen paused and her cold smile grew wider.
"So you agree."
Oliverara begrudgingly nodded. The Queen handed her a piece of paper with her lines on it. Oliverara read them over and felt her blood run cold. They were lowering the age of conscription?! They were going to send children into war! Oliverara couldn't believe it.
Oh you poor stupid Red. Believe it.
Metal utensils clinked against each other as the dining hall swelled with small chatter. Oliverara sat ramrod straight next to her brother while Evangeline sat across from her, fawning over Cal. Next to them were Mareena and Maven on the right and the King and Queen on the left. Other officers sat near Oliverara and Ptolemus but Ellyn was too far away for Oliverara to talk to her.
Whatever was set in front of her probably tasted good, but Oliverara had long been numb to taste. Her senses were just another casualty of the battlefield. It wasn't physical ailments that kept her from enjoying her time off. It was her twisted mind and all the things she saw every time she shut her eyes. No healer could make her feel better. Food was bland, music was just noise, dancing was just movement with no purpose, even wine had started to go bad to her. The only thing she knew still could make her smile was Evangeline, Ptolemus, and Ellyn. Oliverara could not afford to lose any of them.
"So General," King Tiberius spoke up, "When are you returning to the battlefield?"
"I had hoped to sneak some extra days into my break, but seeing as the Scarlet Guard is moving at an incredible pace through the kingdom I must return swifter than I'd hoped."
The king nodded. "All in good time you will earn your rest. Once the rebels are brought down for good and their corpses displayed for the whole kingdom!" The round of officers raised their glasses and cheered. Oliverara did as well, downing the whole glass of wine quickly. Her throat burned; a welcome respite.
"The rebels will receive no mercy from me or my men!" Oliverara raised her voice so the soldiers down the table heard as well. Another round of cheering went up. King Tiberius smiled at her and beckoned for one of the servants. Oliverara held out her glass as the Red filled it again. She turned briefly and caught a wicked glare from the girl. A glare that said this girl despised Oliverara with every inch of her being. Oliverara then noticed the cold glares from the other servants flocking around the room, and the despicable look in Mareena's eyes.
You're quite popular, Elara's voice ricocheted in her head.
Go to hell.
The Queen gave her a disapproving look but Oliverara had lost the energy to care. She shoved some more of the bland food in her mouth, finished her newly filled glass, and went back to not noticing anything.
After the feast was over Oliverara and the other soldiers trekked back to their barracks. Oliverara slowly fell behind until her shoulder brushed Ellyn's. The two continued walking at a steady pace until they entered the darkened barracks. Then Oliverara grabbed Ellyn's hand and they weaved through the darkness to their own quarters. The ranking officers got private rooms, Oliverara's were the most extravagant by far.
The whole room was almost the size of a room in Whitefire. Vaulted ceiling, chain chandelier, four post bed, bathroom through a door to the left, and assorted furniture that was probably arranged nicely around the room. Small oil lamps lit the dark corners as Oliverara locked the wood door behind her.
"You did great today." Ellyn smiled at her. Oliverara shook her head.
"I decreed that children are going to go to war. That's not exactly an accomplishment I want on my gravestone."
Ellyn put her arm around Oliverara's back and pulled her closer. "Relax hun, you can worry about decrees and rebels later. Tonight it's just you and me Oli."
They kissed. It was gentle at first, almost timid, but as soon as Ellyn pushed Oliverara back against the bedpost it got more intense. The silver buttons on Oliverara's jacket were undone and the metal medals clanked as they hit the ground. Oliverara's back hit the soft blankets on the bed as she pulled Ellyn down with her.
"I love you," Oliverara whispered as they kissed again.
Ellyn smiled. "I love you too." Then she moved her kiss to Oliverara's neck. "Welcome home General Samos."
