Chapter 10. Hannibal

Hannibal watched in silence as the note from the king burned. Nikita had just tossed it into the fire without a word. Now they just sat in silence with a bottle of wine between them in Nikita's study. The Lady of House Commandos poured herself a glass and took a sip. Hannibal watched, his one eye seeming to change color in firelight.

"What did it say?" he asked when she put the glass down.
"Zaphod apparently wants us to head to the Capitol. He fears Maybelline and her Aztecs will target us next".
"They will you know".
"They won't win but they sure can try. I've worked too hard and fought too much for this House to fall to an amateur, self entitled brat. I'd burn our territory and all in it to the ground first".
"Like you burned her?"

Nikita looked up from her wine glass and saw her husband's piercing gaze. Hannibal didn't like talking about this particular subject with Nikita, but in this instance, it really couldn't be helped.

"You left me no choice. You could've just stayed with her rather than coming back" Nikita replied.
"I wasn't going to leave our son for you to turn him against me".
"Well you made your choice. You killed her, you chose a woman you despise over a woman you love. I can't imagine how that has to feel".

Hannibal fell silent and Nikita continued.

"I wouldn't have turned Wilson against you. I'm many things but I wouldn't turn a son against his father. What kind of mother would I be then? I would've told him you died in the fight with the Whiskers, like his brother did".
"And then if I had come back or if he had found me?"
Nikita shrugged. "I would've told him I thought you were dead. Which actually was in fact true, as you already know".

Silence reigned again as she poured another glass, handing it to him. She kept her eyes on him as he looked at it. He felt her eyes on him, but didn't back down as he looked back up.

"What was she like?" Nikita asked.
"Let's just say everything you aren't she was".
"So she wasn't a killer?"
"Not like her husband".
"In her heart she said you were her husband".
"Did she tell you that?".
Nikita nodded. "She did. It pissed me off".
"And why's that?"
"I may have…felt something for you once" She looked down at her own glass, "Back when we first had Ozzy".
"That's news to me".
"He looked like you, under certain lights, as he grew up".
"He was more like you".
"He was many things but cruel wasn't one of them".
"I wasn't cruel until I met you. And I'm sure you weren't a conniving bitch until you met me".
"Now with that maybe I disagree. About me anyway. I've always been ambitious. All of us Vivian had a tendency to be".
"is there a point to this conversation?".
"You'll probably hate me more after this confession. You know I killed her to get to you as well as prove a point".
"Well you succeeded".
"I blamed you for Ozzy's death".
"What?!" Hannibal stood up, his eye burning with fury, "I didn't make that choice to go to war with the Whiskers! You did! How dare you blame me for something that I didn't start! We lost our son because of a war you started!"

With a swing of his arm, Hannibal sent the wine glass and bottle flying across the room. He bent over the desk, his face dangerously close to Nikita's. The Lady looked just as angry as he did.

"You said you'd burn the house and territory to the ground before Maybelline has it, well let me tell you what I'd burn it for. I'd burn this whole damn desert before I let you harm my daughter or turn my son against me! If ever you try to harm Nike, I will kill you where you stand".
"And then you'll be executed. If I'm going down Hannibal I'll be taking you with me!".
"So be it. You act as though I'm afraid to die. I'm not. You may take me down with you but at least then Nike will get everything that's due to her".
"She is a bastard!"
"A legitimized bastard!".
"Because a piece of paper with a signature on it says so! If I tear that thing up it holds no weight!".
"The Queen herself legitimized her in case you forgot! I will not leave this world without leaving my daughter something. You, my family, and the Lazuli if they ever find out who her mother is will tear her apart until there is nothing left! I will burn down everything in this world before I let that happen. I will tear apart every enemy I have for my children, both of them".

With that, Hannibal stormed out of the room. Nobody could know…nobody…

He went out to the aerie, where he found Aleera in her tree. Hannibal slipped on his large leather glove and took up the bells to call her to his arm. Whistling, the steel and navy blue colored eagle landed on his arm. Hannibal pet her soft crest feathers and she looked at him with dark chocolate colored eyes.

"Time to stretch your wings again" he told her and he went out to the field with a game bag.

When he first became Lord of House Commandos, Hannibal knew outright he didn't want a falcon or a hawk. He wanted something bigger and less delicate. As of yet, he was the only member of the House to train eagles instead. Aleera was his first and favorite eagle to train. But as Nike saw not too long ago, it came with its own set of risks.

Hunting at night was not something Hannibal was used to doing. He just needed an excuse to get out of the house. He just wanted to be alone for now. Hannibal was furious, and he hadn't been in a long time. Nikita had no right to talk about HER in his presence. Not after she had executed her so viciously.

She'd gone quietly to her death, albeit in tears. She would never see Nike grow up, and he would never see his beloved again. It'd been star crossed from the very beginning, doomed from the very start. Ever since he death he loved no one but his children, lived for nothing but them. It was what she would've wanted. Without Nike or even Wilson, Hannibal admitted only to himself that he probably would've tried to die a long time ago. Leaving was out of the question, it had been for a long time. The Commandos needed a Lord and no one was better suited for the job than him. Wilson was too young.

As the stars came out and the moon shined, Hannibal whispered her name into the dark.

"Cazana…"