Wild-Roze: Okies, well here you go :D
Vyse grinned arrogantly , holding the sword lightly in one hand, letting the tip drop, not really caring for his defence. His eyes swept over to Galcian who was panting against the wall, then back to his father, with whom he was sparring. He made half an attempt to block a sweep from his opponents blade, managing to avoid it marginally.
Why should he worry about being hurt? He was a Prince, his father would not let him die while sparring.
Vyse cried out, a sliver of blood trickling from his mouth, and Ramirez sharply withdrew the sword from his son's side where he had embedded it. Vyse collapsed to his knees, wheezing for air, his side on fire.
"If you think I am going to spare you a quarter when training you are mistaken, if you do not survive mere sparring, you do not deserve to be the Emperor." Vyse heard him say.
It was only the morning after he had found out, and true to his word Ramirez has forced his son out of bed very early, along with Galcian and gone at them vigorously.
Vyse squeezed his eyes shut, a droplet of moisture escaping and rolling down his cheek at the agony.
"That wound is not fatal, and I am not going to heal you, it will be a lesson learned when you are next able to spar." Ramirez said.
Vyse managed to get shakily to his feet. So his father really wasn't going to go easy on him, and if he was going to be cocky and arrogant, he was going to learn the hard way…. He winced, and the painful way.
The Emperor glared at Galcian.
"Out." He said shortly, and instantly the little boy obeyed, swiftly bowing to his Lord and Prince.
"Here," Ramirez muttered, passing his son an Imperial Uniform, bearing Ramirez's crest on it. "I need to address my men, you and your mother have to be there as it concerns you. They do not yet know that you are both mine, and so would not hesitate to kill you." Ramirez also gave him a roll of bandages, to bind his side with.
The Silvite stood and gazed out of the window, listening to the occasional hisses of pain as Vyse cleaned his wound. He was thinking mildly about what race the boy would be. He himself was a Silvite, but what was Aika? She had lived all her life on Pirate Isle, which was just visible a little to the South, and fell under the soft light of the Silver Moon. However, her colouring was distinctly crimson, and would suggest that she came from the region of Nasr, under the bloody Red Moon. Ramirez came to the conclusion that although she had never resided in the awesome city which had once floated almost as high as the moons themselves, she was a Silvite. This thought definitely pleased him, knowing that someone with such fire and passion within her was one of his own race.
He turned back to his son, and smirked. The boy didn't realise how like his father he looked when Ramirez had been under the command of Galcian. Vyse definitely looked like royalty, and he seemed to know it. He grinned and looked down at himself.
"I can't remember the last time I actually wore something on my top half, normally I just wear those leather breeches." He said, trying to get used to the feel of material around his torso.
"Boy, you look impressive." He said honestly, "Now, I want you to find Marco, then tell him to gather all my men into the Throne Room, wait there for me."
Without another word his father swept past him, clearly going to find Aika.
Vyse was able to find the Admiral quickly, and when Marco saw him he instantly bowed.
"My Prince?" He asked, curious to the boy's arrival, stunned at his appearance.
"Don't call me that!" Vyse said automatically. "My name is Vyse." He was surprised at himself, he would have thought he would enjoy be called Prince by others. "My father wants all his men to go to the Throne Room."
"Yes, Vyse." Marco said, bowing his head, "If you wait here I shall come back and escort you there myself."
"I know the way to the Throne Room." The little boy said, a little of his royal arrogance returning, "I am the Prince you know."
Marco shook his head as he watched the boy dressed in the impressive uniform strut off.
'What a perfect mix between his father and mother.' The Admiral thought mildly, 'And what a great Emperor he will make.'
Vyse was pleased when he reached the massive double doors to the Throne Room quickly, he approached them, noticing the two armoured guards there.
"Beat it kid, slaves are not allowed in this area of Soltis!" One snapped, sneering behind his helmet.
Vyse grinned.
"I have specific orders from the Emperor." He said, taking a few steps forward.
"Don't make me laugh, boy! Lord Ramirez does not allow anyone into the Throne Room unless he is already in there."
The other guard had been looking carefully at the little boy and finally he spoke.
"How is it that such a young child qualifies to wear the Emperor's crest and the Imperial uniform of a General?" He asked, and Vyse's grin broadened.
"The brat probably stole it!" The other chipped in.
"Like I said, I have specific orders, Admiral Marco is summoning all troops, Emps has something to tell you all, and he told me to come here and wait for him."
"How dare you speak of the Emperor in such a way!? You shall address him as all lowly messenger boys like you should, as Master!" The first guard literally screamed.
"And you, shall address my son as scum like you should address their Prince." A cold voice hissed.
"L-Lord Ramirez!" The two guards instantly fell on bended knee. "What do you mean; your son, sir?"
Ramirez smirked coldly.
"I mean what I say, and you shall not question it."
Vyse smiled, that joyous feeling of power engulfing him. His mother stood beside Ramirez, clearly not impressed with the clothing she was wearing. As her leather outfit from Ixa-Ness was still in shreds from her rushed attempts to allow him access, Aika was wearing something not unlike Belleza had once worn. With her hair still darkened from the black pigment, and a distasteful frown on her face, she looked very intimidating, as her eyes shone out from behind her tattoos.
"Yes Lord." The guard said obediently, opening the doors and allowing the trio access.
Vyse, when they entered, realised why his father allowed no one in. Zelos, floated above the Throne, although Vyse had seen him before, the awe that this mighty creature would one day follow his command struck him anew. The six Moon Crystals: Silver, Red, Blue, Green, Yellow and Purple were lavishly embedded into the marble floor, enabling their holder to command the Gigas, and the Throne stood in the centre of it all.
"He's so powerful…" Murmured Aika, "No wonder we could not destroy him."
"You will both remain silent during my announcement, is that clear?" The Emperor said sternly.
Aika sneered.
"Yes Master." She said sarcastically.
Ramirez merely shot her a withering glance and went and sat on his throne, his eyes closed. Aika sighed and sat beside the throne, remembering how she had done the same, while watching her friends being branded. Vyse came and sat with her, and she idly stroked her son's hair as she wondered what it was Ramirez had to say to his troops.
It didn't take long for the assembly to congregate. Despite the fact that the entire room filled with armoured men, Aika knew that this was not the total limit of Ramirez's force, these were probably only his officers, each with squads and details under their command, possibly thousands strong. Neat ranks were formed before the Throne, and, Marco now as the highest ranking there was at the front.
"Parade, attention!" He shouted. There was a deafening, thunderous sound as hundreds of pairs of shoes snapped together in unison.
Marco then tuned and bowed low to Ramirez, indicating all was ready for him to begin.
At his own leisure Ramirez stood and came forwards, and slowly mulled over the words he was going to say.
"General Vigoro has been demoted, he is no longer a soldier, but a common slave, so no more orders will be taken from him, he is now the personal slave of his previous whore, Belle, and their Son Galcian, the same measure of respect will be shown to each of them."
Aika smiled softly, Ramirez was a man of his word, and his codes of honour were everything to him.
"Further more, I would like to introduce you to your Empress, Aika." He said, and gestured over his shoulder at the red haired woman sitting on the cold floor behind him.
Aika's mouth, along with every other mouth in the room, fell open. Empress?! Her? She saw the Silvite smirk at her response.
"And my son and heir to the Throne of Soltis, Vyse. You shall address both of these people with reverence, and obey them without question."
The two who were still prone at the base of the magnificent throne, seemed to be unable to allow the enormity of the words sink in. In their lowly positions at that moment, they hardly looked like figures of authority, sensing this, Aika swiftly stood, nudging her son to do the same. In their Royal garments, they looked out over the shocked crowd.
"Parade, to you knees!" Shouted Marco, without gaining permission to talk.
Without hesitation every minion of Soltis humbled themselves before that tattooed Blue Rogue and the boy from Ixa-Ness.
"Admiral Marco," Said Ramirez, "From this day you are promoted to General, and shall take Vigoro's place in authority."
Marco bowed his head as a sign of acknowledgement and thanks.
"Runners will be sent out to each continent embassy and these notices shall be read out in each major city or village. Dismissed."
The parade silently saluted before turning and leaving, a rush of voices talking about the latest changes, and many a glance being shot to their new figures of Royalty.
Aika looked at Ramirez. She had assumed that he would merely keep her in the public eyes as a concubine, but to make her his Empress….She looked at Vyse, the Prince of Soltis.
It was several months later, and Aika had realised that the halt in her monthly cycle, and the slight swelling in her abdomen pointed to the only obvious conclusion: She was enduring her second pregnancy.
Wild-Roze: Ok, well I know, yet again, that this chapter held no real point, but I am grasping a further twist in this plot… it should be quite interesting, and this fic will probably end up being quite long.