Elena went back to the palace. The thousands of servants that worked for her dynasty were busy right now putting up the tables for her guests tonight. A nameless grand-child Werserian was busy orchestrating the dance of the servants, while the Master of Ceremonies ran between large groups, issuing orders with the help of dozens of servo-skulls.
Abelard gently pressed her forward. " You shouldn't even see that. It's considered bad luck for a future Rogue Trader to see her banquet before her official inauguration. "
Elena made a face. " You're messing with me, are you, Seneschal ?"
Abelard answered with a straight face : " I would not dare, Lord Captain. Now, please. Lady Theodora told me that, when she got her Magnae Accessio, her servants pampered her for seven hours straight before she could even land a foot outside of the spa room. You'd better get going. I'll comply with your orders and send your representatives out in the streets to give away food and fuel cells to your people."
Was she still the Rogue Trader ? she wondered, as Abelard gently led her away to deliver her to a horde of servants. It felt like she wasn't in command anymore.
Her maids's faces were gleaming with pride and excitement. They looked up to her as if she was some kind of idol in the flesh. Which she supposed she was to them. Puzzled by the situation, but not allowing any sign of unease to seep through her expression, she entered the bathroom that had been dedicated to her for her preparations.
She had a vague idea what those preparations entailed, because she could recall Clementia speaking to her about it at a meeting that had seemed boring to her. Apparently she was to bathe into steaming water, then cold, then hot ones again, all the while being scrubbed at by a dozen of honored ladies of the chamber. Massages were involved at some point. Also, hairdressers.
The voidborn admitted her defeat. She was out-of-her-depth. She entrusted her servants with whatever things they were currently doing. Two young men were busy massaging her feet with some kind of weird, green clay, assuring her that her skin would be dazzling and smooth as a babe. Someone else was having the time of their life filing her nails with awkward reverence.
Elena drifted away into her thoughts, her mental palace, while going from bath to bath. Apparently a bath, in the von Valancius's mind, was roughly the size of half a villa. She wondered how many servitors were employed to keep the waters hot. She had never felt so clean in her life. Just looking at the pristine water seemed to cleanse her soul.
After a while, she was given a bathrobe and someone mentioned that Lady Cassia and Master van Calox had presented themselves for their own preparations in the nearby room.
Elena couldn't resist the curiosity. Also, after four hours of spa treatment, she was growing very bored. She leapt out of the massaging table and requested to see those that would stand at her side during the oath ceremony.
She was led through another set of steaming baths, until she reached an elegant reception room. Heinrix and Cassia were indeed there. The two of them sat across a table of regicide. They also wore bathrobes, and their hair was damp. Cassia's servants were there, covering their ladies in careful attention.
None of them had heard her. Elena was very agile. She slowed down, gesturing for her trail of servants to wait for her. Through the vapors, they hadn't seen her.
Cassia was laughing. Her voice, warm and gentle, echoed through the walls.
" …that is no way to conduct yourself, Master van Calox ! Using such a lowly move to try to make me move my Tetrarch ! But you shall not cloud me in your lies and schemes, Master. I know how to recognize a Swordbreaker when I see it."
Heinrix's face was relaxed. The furrow between his browns had smoothed out. From this distance, Elena could guess at the little, sideway smile on his pale face. His raven hair shone more brilliantly than usual and was perfectly done. Somehow, it showcased his jawline even more. Damn, the hairdressers had done a good job.
" It is a pleasure to face such an educated opponent. Your talents seem limitless, Lady Cassia. However, I do wonder what choices you have in front of you ? Your Tetrarch is in a bit of a tangled up situation right now. "
" Is it ?" Cassia tilted her head with what, to Elena's astonishment, was playfulness. Innocent playfulness, but still - she seemed so familiar with Heinrix, so friendly. It was as if they'd been playing this game for a long time.
" You are flattering me, Master van Calox, but your words are so very calculated. Of course you want me to get smug and confident, so that you can use your Divinarch to reveal my hooded pieces on the next turn. Do not think I didn't see that coming from you", continued Cassia, supremely serene.
" Lady Cassia, I would never dare to use such a lowly stratagem with you. I am beginning to infer from this situation that you are the one trying to lead me astray. You shall not uncover my intentions with idle chatter, Lady Cassia. Now it is time to play your turn. "
Cassia laughed once more, covering her mouth delicately with her talon.
Elena stared as the scene went on. She felt her heart grow heavy in her chest with something anew - jealousy and envy.
Look at how perfect a match they are, she thought to herself. Speaking to each other as if they were both still strolling the walls of their noble Houses. A perfect knight and a perfect lady. Their laugh, their words - honeyed, calculated, witty, educated. Their postures - relaxed, warm, confident, prude. They weren't like that with her. She didn't know if they were happy playing a role, or if such was their true nature.
Elena was aware that Heinrix had a soft spot for Cassia - a reciprocal situation. But somehow it was different to see it unravel in front of her eyes.
She felt a pang of jealousy. She knew it was stupid. Heinrix and Cassia did not have that kind of relationship ; if anything, he treated Cassia like he used to treat his sisters on Guisorn III.
But still…the scene hurt her. There was perfection in their banter, in the way they played this stupid game. It was like watching a choreographed dance unfold, one which rules she had never been privy to.
Damnit, they were wearing stupid bathrobes, and they still managed to look good, chivalrous and formal in it. How was it even possible ? Was it some kind of special noble feature that one unlocked at birth ? Why didn't they look risible, just like anybody else ?
It reminded her of all the differences between her and Heinrix. She wasn't part of this world. She wasn't as smart and ladylike as Cassia. They could dress her up in a fancy costume and drown her in hot baths, they would never scrub the voidborn witch away from her. Calligos had been right to call her out on that. That was what she truly was.
She had nothing to offer Heinrix. A sense of distance grew inside her - they were so different. It could not work out. She was a naive fool.
Still unnoticed, Elena retreated in the shadows and the vapors. There, at least, her mutated eyes felt comfortable. Her maids glanced at her curiously.
" I see my companions are tended to well enough. We shall not bother them. I don't wish to be late with the preparations ", she said confidently, hiding away her train of thought.
Not that the maids would have get it. A look of glee shone in their eyes as they understood that they could go back to playing doll with the illustrious Rogue Trader, the Emperor's Chosen. Something to tell the grand-children about.
Then there were more people strolling in and out with flowers, wines, perfumes, cosmetics, mirrors, golden pins, jewelries, and all sorts of precious and shiny things. All the while, she could hear, even through the thick of the walls, the cries and music outside in Dargonus. The prayers, the hymns, the cries of mercy and devotion.
They were praising her name. Waiting for her. Counted on her.
Finally, her maids carried the Dress to her. As soon as Elena laid eyes on it, she understood that this outfit required to be referred to with a capital letter. It had a life of its own. It ruled supreme in the mind of her maids, who expressed various signs of admiration and touched it with the utmost respect.
Elena was fitted into the Dress with utmost care. It was a magnificent gown of gold-plated turquoise hues. It moved around her like water. It was fitted at the waist with a filigree belt of gold, adorned with an aquila. Her throat and shoulders were encased in a delicate, golden gorget outlined with pearls from faraway worlds. The pauldrons, at her shoulder, were sculpted in a pointy manner, as a crown ; it looked threatening and imperious. Under the flowing silk of blue, she wore a metallic golden corset that was evocative of the idea of an armor. High heels completed the look, the thin heel shimmering like a blade.
The Dress had an amazing back neckline that showcased her scars, metallic corset, and spinal, crystal-warp augments. A skull pendant glimmered along the length of her spine.
It was the most beautiful thing Elena had ever worn in her life. It was also powerful. She could feel the appeal of it. It was fit for a queen.
She looked at herself in the mirror. " Hmm ", she muttered. " I keep thinking my old armor would have done the job just right. "
Her maids prudently choose to act as if they didn't hear that. Their mistress's infatuation with the old set of black armor was a well-known fact. One of them sharply put a pin into her hair. She wore a side-way braid, interwoven with purity seals. Atop of her hair, they put a crown-like structure of gold, adorned with cards from the Imperial tarot. An amusing wink to her diviner abilities - Cassia had thought about it all.
Her fingers rested a second over the choice of cards. The Sun. The Emperor. The Wheel.
Fitting.
The servants spent some time trying to apply enough make up on her whole skin to make her look less pale - less void born. It rattled on Elena's nerves, but of course Imperial beauty standards would make the maids strive at erasing all traces of abhorrent mutations. On the cosmetic tray, there were lenses - blue ones. The pupil was human sized.
It made her shiver with a strange sense of disgust. The idea of masquerading her own eyes was….alien.
Elena decisively took the lenses in her hand and threw it away in an expert gesture towards the steaming pool. The maids took the hint and found something else to do. They gave up on pampering her pale skin or trying to hide her scars away.
Finally, like a swarm of bees coming home to the hive, the maids all took a step back, putting away the perfumes, the purity seals and the brushes. They gasped at her, and, as Elena stood up, fell to their knees.
" Your Ladyship ! May the Emperor keep you ! "
Elena gave them a stern look, which only appeared to heighten the awe of the gasping servants.
She was led to another set of rooms, carefully hidden from all indiscreet views, until they reached a cloistered up anteroom leading to the palace's main square.
She could hear the voice of the Master of Ceremonies, enumerating every illustrious guests's names from the inside. There were clapping, chanting, laughter, praise. Anytime now, Abelard would go through that door to come looking for her, and lead her downstairs to take her official oath. The sacred words that would make a Rogue Trader out of her.
Elena stood tall and stiff, facing the door. She closed her eyes and exhaled deeply, focusing on her breathings - repeating the words of the oath in her mind.
Heinrix and Cassia were softly ushered inside the anteroom a few minutes after her own arrival. The maids carefully put fruits, recaff and refreshment at their disposal and disappeared soon after, leaving such highly important individuals to themselves.
Elena could feel their gazes linger around her form. Around the Dress. Too bad she could not see their faces.
" Elena ", gasped Cassia. " This is magnificent work ! It surpasses my expectations. " Cassia's voice grew flustered. " You are…you are…your shoulders…your shoulders are very well built. Yes, exquisite shoulder-bone structure. Hmmm…don't you agree, Master van Calox ?" Cassia had gone so flustered that her last words sounded like a plea for help.
It seemed to Elena that Heinrix's took a few seconds more than necessary to come up with an answer to that.
" Yes. Your shoulders are…hmm…shouldery, I suppose. " he said confusingly, mostly because at this point Cassia's pleading gaze was too hard to bear.
" Indeed. Shoulderishness is very important in a person ", added Cassia. They both sounded like complete idiots and were trying to hide away their embarrassment by speaking confidently and matter-of-factly.
Elena could not see Heinrix's eyes, but she was pretty sure, from the burning spot in her exposed lower back, that Heinrix was not contemplating her shoulders at all right now. Because no one could see her smile, she allowed herself a satisfied smirk.
The Dress had power indeed.
" You seem to have lost the ability of speech, Heinrix " jested Elena, her voice flat.
A rustle of fabric. He had shifted his weight on his feet. She could picture his face getting annoyed in her mind. The picture brought her inner joy. She should not be doing this. Maybe it was all the more tempting because of the jealousy she had felt earlier.
" I do not wish to interfere with your concentration. It is your time to hold a speech before your subjects, after all ", replied Heinrix, recovering his composure and distant tone.
Elena still could not see what was going on behind her, but she hear another rustle of fabric.
" Oh. Ooooh. I, uh, I see that there are…uh….new colors between you…streaks of deep, pulsating reds…" Cassia sounded now completely embarrassed. She cleared her throat, her gaze probably passing between Elena and Heinrix. " I seem to remember that I have forgotten my…. favorite bracelet in the precedent room. Yes, my bracelet. Forgive me, Elena, but I just can't present myself without it. Maids ! Lead me back to the preparation room. I have to retrieve my jewel ! "
" Lady Cassia, this is unnecessary- " whispered Heinrix, sounding despaired.
" On the contrary, Master van Calox ! " continued Cassia eagerly. " This is a Sworbreaker move done right. Now, my bracelet ! "
The sound of numerous footsteps exiting the room informed Elena that she was now alone with Heinrix. Oh, Cassia had gone devious indeed. What had they done to the secluded girl from Eurac-V ? Her crew must have been a bad influence.
Heinrix had gone so silent that his absence of words was almost physically palpable in the room, as if there was a blackhole trying to absorb all light and matter and any verbal expression behind her back.
She hesitated, but slowly turned back towards him to see his expression.
His pale face was impassive, polite - a mask that he had put on so many times before. There was a tension to it. But the calm of his face was eclipsed by the two, incandescent irises in his face, pinpointing her under their gaze vigorously. It was getting colder in the room, too.
She stared back, unabashed. She knew her unblinking stare allured him.
" I take it you like it, then ", she only said, arching an eyebrow.
He groaned. " Tsssk. Don't make fun of me, von Valancius. "
His gesture of annoyance only amused Elena. She repressed a smirk. It was wrong to take advantage of Heinrix's momentaneous fluster…but also…it was so tempting.
She sat on the nearest armchair, and let her high-heel shoe roll on the ground. The shoe tumbled a bit around.
" That's too bad. All my maids are gone, and I fear that if I bend too much, I'm going to damage this beautiful dress…" she mused out loud, looking at Heinrix pointedly.
He flashed an incredulous look at her. " What in the…. Elena, I am not going to put your shoe back for you. You are a grown up Rogue Trader. You can do that yourself. "
That refrained tone, veiled with hints of yearning but also annoyance as she was gritting on his nerves. It would be the end of her, she knew it. That man was going to ruin her. She should take the hint and stop.
Elena tilted her head innocently and, very slowly, freed her other foot from the grasp of the heeled shoe, which clattered on the floor between them loudly.
Heinrix inhaled sharply and looked at her sternly. " Elena", he said in a warning tone.
" I wonder what other piece of my outfit I am going to lose at this rate. It just seems to be falling apart as we speak. And here I am to recite my oath in front of the crowd any minute now " she answered back, with a teasing smile.
She was not going to lie, she enjoyed Heinrix's expressions so much.
" That is unacceptable blackmail, even from you. I should let you go out there bare feet just to teach you a lesson ", he fumed between clenched teeth. Despite his words, he had stepped towards her. Pointedly looking away from her, he grabbed the heeled shoes and handed them over to her, trying to ignore her all the while.
Elena extended her leg, displaying her naked feet. Most importantly, her silken skirt slid up her thigh in the process. " Now that I have your complete attention…If you would be so kind ", she said. Leaning forward, she added teasingly : " Please. "
There was only so much incredulity that a human face could fathom, but Heinrix's was certainly doing a good job at picturing various shades of it. He stared at her for a second, deadpan, as if his brain wasn't registering anything anymore.
" You ", he snarled, snapping suddenly, " why are you the way that you are ? " His voice was hinged with frustration and despair. But Elena had no time to reflect on that, as Heinrix pushed her out of the armchair.
With more strength that was needed, he pinned her down against the wall in the same movement, his left hand grabbing at her arms.
" If you are not going to behave like a lady, why should I treat you like one ? " he said in utter frustration. " Is that how you want me to be with you ? "
" I'm no lady, Heinrix. You can do all that and more ", replied Elena, not losing her composure. It was so wrong to do that. To tease him around like that. But also, she couldn't stop herself. And it felt so good. Her legs were shivering now from desire, and she could feel his warmth as well, behind the currents of icy breeze surrounding him. Damn, it had been getting cold.
Her comeback, that she had thought clever, only made Heinrix exhale in exasperation again. He pressed his head forward and for a second she thought they were going to kiss - but he merely banged his forehead very slowly and softly against the wall near her face.
" You are infectious, Elena. " His voice had regained its controlled streak. He stepped back almost shamefully, though his body was vibrating with desire. " Stop getting distracted. This is a long day for you. You should focus on that."
He was still holding her shoes. As she gazed at them, he glanced at her sternly. " Just this once, Elena, and we never speak about it again. "
" Just this once ", she agreed.
She sat back on the armchair she was so brutally pushed away from seconds ago.
She did not move this time, nor did anything "unladylike." After closing his eyes for a second, Heinrix knelt in front of her. In silence, and with utmost gentleness, he very slowly put her shoes back on in a most courtly manner, his thumb only tracing the inner of her ankle a bit too long on the second one.
He sighed. " Sometimes, Elena, I wish I could have your eidetic memory ", he ended up saying, standing up. With a stern expression, he brushed away a stray lock of hair that had fred itself from her braid during their wrestling session.
She gazed upon his stern face, all teasing gone and seriousness replacing it.
" You don't really wish that ", she said, conversing normally.
They heard Cassia's voice, unusually loud, approaching from the outside.
" There are a lot of things that I don't want to remember perfectly. But you are not amongst them ", he said, his voice growing distant and bitter.
Elena frowned, worried by this sudden turn of bitterness - but she could not inquire about it more, as Cassia came back from her long search for a hidden jewel she had no need of.
She smiled at them hesitantly. Elena wondered what she saw about them.
" Ahem. Lord Captain. " That was Abelard. He had materialized at the entrance of the room with Cassia. Heinrix and Elena drifted away on cue. The look Abelard gave Heinrix was….icy did not begin to cover it.
They all straightened, squaring their shoulders.
His expression softening slightly, Abelard saluted Cassia as well, and then went to offer his arm at Elena. The Dress seemed to throw him off a little - the old Seneschal cleared his throat once more, hiding away his reaction.
" It would be my honor to conduct you in front of your people, Lord Captain. Your subjects are eagerly awaiting to see you. "
Elena put her pale hand over Abelard's arm gently.
" Then I am eager to see them. "
The cries coming out of the crowd was maddening.
" I, Elena von Valancius, Rogue Trader by the Grace of the Emperor, vow to be the paragon of Humanity…."
More cries and chantings. Hope. There was hope in their voices, love, adoration. It was like listening to the roaring sea.
Elena's own voice, clear and passionate, was carried out by hundreds of servo-skulls, covering the thunder of applause.
As she spoke, Elena realized that she believed in those ancient words. Before her, dozens of Rogue Trader of her House had stood and had taken the same oath. They had fought away in the Expanse, they had bled, they had died. They had expanded the realm of humankind. They had built, they had created, they had sheltered.
The conviction burnt inside her, like a hidden flame. It was revealed to her in those words. She spoke as if liquid fire was burning her throat, her heart, leaning into their meaning. Her words were like a promise. Her divination senses warmed her up from the inside, turning the scenery into a kaleidoscope of possibilities, of pathways, of crossroads - the oath like a shining star, a guiding one leading her in the dark. In a strange, unexpected second, Elena almost felt the past memories of those that had stood where she now was. Their faces flashed inside her mind - and disappeared without a trace.
The individuals didn't matter.
The grand task mattered.
"...Unbroken by adversity, to walk bravely first into darkness, to unite and reclaim what was lost ;
To triumph over nightmares untold ;
To hold boldly the reins of fate ;
To walk steadily the road of thorns, from pain to greatness. "