Chapter 22 - The Capitol
There was no map for that city. The buildings composing the city were not built upon earth, but instead constantly moved across an arc of spatial distortion by a gravity well. Because only the Capitol Traffic Network was aware of the location of the Capitol at any time, and even then only for split second, the Capitol was called "The Capitol of Confusion."
It is also called "The Wolve's den." The crest of the Empire was also a metaphor for the Empire itself. Another name is "The capitol of love." There are few opportunities for a race who lives on orbital manors and spaceships, and spread themselves thinly over a vast Empire to meet each other. Therefore they normally spend half of their life at this capitol. There was always a party somewhere in the capitol, where all was welcome, and they gathered here to meet others like them.
Just "Home", a race calls it. That it because any member of that race was probably born from an explosive encounter that occurred here. They are born and raised here, spread themselves across the vast universe, and then eventually come back. The Capitol of Confusion, The Capitol of Love, Home, The Capitol Kruger Kingdom. The star that shines over the Capitol is the star of Kruger. Yes, to the Hime, Kruger is the name of the city-ship that their ancestors lived in, the name of the Empress, and the name of the star that shines over their home. The source of this name comes from the goddess of forest back when they were farmers,, before they discovered the secrets of space flight. A thousand years of change, the name still the same. Therefore the system is called the Kruger Kingdom. The title Duchess of Kruger is always given to the Empress family. Shizuru and Natsuki's communication ship from Julia Fleet entered the Capitol from one of the Kruger System gate.
Unlike the communication ship of a cruiser, a communication ship of a command fleet is built like a small-scale passenger transport. It was designed to relay not only information but messengers and nobles, so there were twelve fully furnished guest rooms, and even a small recreation room.
When shizuru, who was bored in her room, looked into the recreation room, she saw there.
"Ara, are you done with your report already?" Shizuru initiated conversation.
"Yes." Natsuki turned around and pointed to the large screen before them. "What do you think of Kruger Kingdom so far?"
The home of the Hime was displayed in the screen before them. To Shizuru, the Capitol was a swarm of lights. It was far too beautiful a sight to her. Since the communications ship was on the same orbit as the Capitol, it was like looking through a galaxy lengthwise.
"It's far more than I expected. It's incredible."
"Really." An innocent and satisfied smile appeared on the Princess's face.
Shizuru grabbed a cup of tea and sat down next to Natsuki. The impression of the Capitol that she told Natsuki was honest. But her heart was filled with completely different emotion. Loneliness.
It was quite a bit longer than she had expected, but the trip from Sora System to the Capitol was coming to an end. The end of this trip would also mean saying goodbye to Natsuki. Any chance were that it would be permanent goodbye. To make things worse, Natsuki spent most of her time cooped up in her room writing her report. The only time she ever saw her was during meals.
"Did the captain tell you?"
"What?"
"We are headed towards the Imperial Palace."
"Directly?" Shizuru was surprised.
"Yes. Her Majesty the Empress weems to want to talk to us."
"With you, you mean."
"No. Not just me, she wants to talk to you as well."
"Ara." Shizuru eyes widen amazed. "You say it so casually. But I guess you are just meeting your grandmother."
"I have not seen my grandmother in a year."
"Ara. Then I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do."
"We do, but Her Majesty is probably busy. You may have forgotten, but the Empire is in the midst of a war."
"I know. I wonder how the war is going. Have you heard anything?"
"I have not heard anything. " Natsuki tilted her head. "Are you worried?"
"Ara, of course. Have you forgotten where my homeworld is?"
The Kiyohime System was on the other side of the front line. It was her home world, and it was filled with people who believed that Shizuru was the daughter of a traitor. The people of her home world would probably get along with the invaders. No matter how hard she tried not to think about it, all she could think about was how they would deal with her father the Count of Kiyohime.
They had not meet in many years, and they did not know each other very well to begin with, but she was Shizuru's only living relation.
"Ah, Yes." Natsuki made a sad face. "It was a stupid question, I should not have asked."
"It's alright. I'd forgotten about it myself when we were in Aswad."
"We were rather busy then."
"You have a way of making great understatements sometimes." Shizuru said, impressed.
The lights of the capitol approaced quickly, and soon they were able to make out the closest building. Numerous spheres moved along a cylinder like appendages. It looked like a peculiar organism that had hit an evolutionary dead end.
"It's the Schwartz shipyards. The Cruiser Volash was born there." Natsuki told Shizuru.
"I see"
"That is a nursery yard." She said pointing at something floating beyond the Schwartz shipyards. "There are many of those in the capitol. There is no gravity inside, and it's cushioned inside with styrofoam stars floating inside. A child is tossed in there with a headpiece soon after they are born. There they teach themselves about action and reaction, and learn how to use their headpiece. The navigational lobe doesn't develop unless this is done while the brain is still growing…"
Shizuru thought to herself while listening to Natsuki give her a tour of the capitol. Is she as sad as I am that we'll be leaving each other soon? Does she not want that to happen as much as I do?
"Stride proudly. You are a hero." Natsuki frowned.
"First I've heard of it." Shizuru muttered to herself.
"Baka!"
The large doors opened. The soft lights of the morning cast down on the Hall of Imperial Visitation. There were many beams above them, but there was no ceiling for them to support, and instead there was just a vast blue sky. Various standards hungs from the beams; the standards of various noble families in the Empire. Shizuru found the new family standard of the Count Kiyohime Kingdom at the very front. The two of them walked down the black marble floor towards the throne. Shizuru did not wish to blunder again the way she did when she first met Natsuki, so she studied the faces of the nobles and royalty that she may meet today in the communication ships. So she was able to tell who the three people that greeted her were.
The one getting up from the throne of flight right now, surrounded by the family standard of three royal families, with a large imperial flag behind her, is of course Natsuki's grandmother, Her Majesty The Empress Inoue Kruger. The women to her right, standing one rung lower than the throne, with dark black hair is Natsuki's mother, Her Highness, Queen of the Kruger Imperial, Rei Kruger. And the beautiful young women with golden hair, smiling below the queen, is Natsuki cousin, the infamous High Commander that invaded the Kiyo System, Her Highness, Duchess of the Searrs Kingdom, Alyssa Searrs.
Shizuru was confused. Both the Empress and the Queen of Kruger looked like they were Natsuki's siblings. In fact, the Queen of Kruger looked older than the Empress. She thought she understood how the Hime aged, but now that she faced an example of it, it seemed incredibly peculiar. How did the Hime themselves tell how old everyone was?
Natsuki bow infront of the Empress. Shizuru quickly followed suit.
"Raise, successor to the count." A voice said near her. When she raise her head, Inoue had walked down from the throne and stood immediately in front of her.
"Please accept the thanks of the Kruger, successor to a count." Inoue motioned to Natsuki. "She is no one at this point. But she has great potential. You are the one that kept that potential alive. If not for you, I would not have seen this young alive again."
"Not at all." Shizuru's cheek went red. "I… I have not done anything. In fact she saved me countless times…"
"Not at all, successor to a count." Inoue took Shizuru's hand. "You are probably not aware of it yourself, so it was not a mistake for you to say so." Green pupils, placed in a beautiful face similar to Natsuki's gaze at her close by. The Empress's hands were cold, but she felt warm in them.
"You have my sincerest thanks as well, successor to a count." Said Rei. "My daughter is quite reckless sometime. She would jump and run into any war without a caution. That why…. Without you to calm her, my daughter would not be standing here right now."
"Exactly." Said Inoue. "I have already read the Princess's report. I am aware of those who ended up aiding you two. I feel gratitude towards them as well, but right now we are thanking you."
"But she helped me a lot as well. Especially in space."
"That was her duty, as ordered by Saeko." When she said that, a look fo grief flashed over her olderly face. "you are unused to space. My daughter was ordered to help you through that you are unused to. But no one order you to take that shot from her."
"Feel pride in the heroism of what you did, young lady." Inoue said. "At least, it was the absolute pinnacle in noble heroism for us."
"Please allow me to thank you as well, Successor to the Count." Alyssa humbly cut in. "I am very happy that you have made it possible for me to see my cousin again. I think Nao also think the same, although she doesn't show it."
Shizuru finally relax with Alyssa's honest words of thanks. The Empress and the Queen's words of thanks were far too formal and roundabout for her to feel thanked. She understood how they felt, but it felt like they were for someone else.
"I am honored, you Highness." Shizuru bowed down. "You Majesty and Your Highness the Queen, I am honored by the great words that you have given me."
"You've done more than enough to deserve hem, Shizuru." Natsuki whispered to her. "Act more
Proudly."
"Am I really acting that nervously?" Shizuru was trying to act as proud as she could, but she was uncertain as to how successful she was. It was a mere action she took out of instinct. The only things she thought at that moment was to save Natsuki.
"Yes, you look pale."
"My beloved daughter, you left something out of your report." Rei grinned. "You did not mention that you had become so friendly with the Successor to the count."
"Anyone would become friendly with each other after going through so much danger together, mom." Natsuki replied.
"I see." Rei said with a malicious smirk on her face. "Natsuki, would you like to go on a walk with me?"
"You may go, Natsuki." Inoue said in a depressed tone. "It seems that I must take care of an unpleasant taks. Successor to a count, follow me."
"Yes….but what do you mean by unpleasent task?" Shizuru asked.
"I must give you bad news."