IV

It didn't take long, only a few minutes before Adrian and Isi could make out the sounds of two sets of booted feet making their way down the hall towards them. Adrian took the short amount of time he had before his father was upon him to look around at the palace. He had of course been here before, only once or twice, there was not much need for a Major to be called upon by either the emperor or the royal staff of the complex. His father, however, spent a good deal of time here, conferring with the consul of nobles and planning strategies with his staff.

The walls and floor were of scarlet accented with gold leaf that shone in the light of a single lit electric chandelier. The tiny bulbs casting much more light than a flame could ever wish to. Adrian’s sense of unease deepened as the sound of multiple sets of boots echoed on the marble floors in the room beyond. He took a deep breath, feeling the cold air that had been trapped in the room when the door had opened to allow them passage into the Arx-Heim fill his lunges.

Large lavishly carved oak doors swung open, gliding on silent hinges allowing Adrian to not only see the room beyond, in just as opulent taste like the one he was currently in, but also two people striding purposefully towards him, one of which he expected, the other, well he had been hoping to not see her for quite some time yet...

Adrianus Von-Tori was every inch of him a military man. He was just into his fiftieth year, with silver hair and a neatly trimmed beard that still retained a hint of brown, it was beaded in a single strand that hung two or three inches off of his chin, which was well defined as was his cheekbones and jawline. His skin was darkened by the sun, though neither he nor any native Helheim residents could ever hope to reach the level of golden brown skin Isi boasted, and there were deep lines at the corners of his mouth and eyes crows feet. He wore a dark blue soldier’s uniform with a silver general’s star pinned above the heart with four golden service stripes sewn on the right breast. One for every ten years of military service in the Helheim army. He didn’t wear a mage’s uniform, he had once told Adrian this was due to him being the entire army’s General not just the mages and as such he made sure to dress in only Helheim’s officers uniforms and not in any specific core’s dress. As he looked at Adrian his eyes lit up and ten years seemed to leave his face. He stepped forward and grasped Adrian by the upper arms holding him at arm's length, his fingers digging in slightly as he squeezed slightly as though he was making sure Adrian was really there and not going to disappear.

The other person who had come to join in on the reunion was a woman named Emilia Vos Turi. She like Adrian was wearing the uniform of a mage, minus the tricorn hat. Her golden brown hair was rather elegantly braided and coiled up on top of her head not only to keep it out of her eyes but to also look attractive at the same time.

Elegant and functional.

That was not only how Adrian would have described the way Ema dressed but also how she acted. He would know after all. Seeing as since the age of five she had been selected to be his bride or more like she had been selected to be his father’s daughter-in-law. She had shown quite a bit of promise when they had tested her for magical aptitude. It had been quite the rise in stature from street urchin to nobility and future daughter-in-law of the General.

He glanced at her wrist, and both to his relief and an odd sense of loss he found that on it lay a golden bracelet, studded around with diamonds and a single sapphire the same color as her eyes.

So, in the past seven years, she had become married, had she? Ema followed his gaze down and gave him a sad smile. ‘We will discuss it later,’ she silently mouthed to him from behind his father’s back, her hand reaching out to grip him on the shoulder. “It’s really good to see you alive Adrian,” she said aloud.

His father didn't hug him, in fact, Adrian couldn't ever remember a time his father had hugged him. He had always been a little distant. “It is good-” he paused and dragged in a breath, showing more emotion than Adrian had ever seen him express except when Adrian’s mother had passed away.”Good to see you-” he stood there for several seconds before removing his arms and looking at Adrian up and down his face showing a whole host of emotions.

“It is good to be home,” Adrian answered, taking a step back, allowing Emilia’s hand to fall from his shoulder. “Definitely a step up from my previous accommodations,” he laughed.

“And where exactly was that?” His father asked, once again returning to the stern face that Adrian had grown up looking up to, both physically and otherwise. For the first time in his life, he realized he was not shorter than his father at some point without his noticing he had surpassed the man in height by a good three or four inches. He didn't know why but that seemed like a victory to him.

“A Kurtz workcamp, where I spent seven years as a slave if you must know,” his father’s face grew red with rage as his blood pressure spiked. “Escaped barely a month ago, didn't make it to Irkstead until this last week, we had to sneak out of Kurtz on foot.” His father glanced down at Isi and then seemingly disregarded her, but only for a second.

“A savage? From the Scraeling tribes to the east?” he inspected her, his eyes roaming over her cheekbones and ear, almost like a man checking a horse. Adrian half hoped his father would open her mouth up and check her teeth, she would bite him then…

“Her name is Isi, which I am told means Deer-like, and she escaped the workcamps with me,” Adrian felt a little spike of anger at his father for calling her a savage, only to have it morph into guilt, he had, after all, called her a savage as well hadn't he?

“I see,” his father replied, before glancing between Emilia and Adrian, “I am sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do, I will leave you to it, Adrian, I need you to report to me after the consul is over, I wish we had more time to talk,” And just like that he left, heading back to the business he had been attending. Of course, there was no time to talk, no time to chat with a son he had thought was dead for the past seven years. Adrian watched him walk out of the room in silence, and continued to stare after him for some time.

“Adrian,” Emilia brushed her hand against his shoulder, her voice soft and more than a little warry.

“Its fine,” he said, glancing over at her, or more specifically at the band of matrimony on her wrist. “I didn't expect you to wait, not for seven years, not when you thought I was dead.” it had been a foregone conclusion, and even if by some strange chance she had not been wed to another man then he himself would have had to break off the marriage, seeing as Isi was his lover now… “I just wish father was more pleased to see me after so long not so much as a tear?”

“He has a lot on his mind right now, I don't know how informed you are of the past few years-”

“I have been in a slave workcamp, I know literally nothing of what is going on politically,” she opened her mouth to speak but he continued.”And honestly, I don’t care.”

“I am sorry Adrian, I would have waited had we known-”

“Ema, its fine, seven years is much too long, honestly I am relieved, it would have much worse had I came home and had to break off the marriage myself.” he smiled at her.

“Break off?” she looked confused, “Why would you break off-” she glanced over at Isi. “The savage girl?”

“Her name is Isi, and I would appreciate it if you used it,” he said, his previous mood souring slightly.

“Father is not going to approve of this, you know how he feels about keeping our bloodline pure,” she breathed out. Adrian simply laughed and was about to tell her what he thought of his father’s approval when what she had said froze him in place.

She had just called the General father.

He looked up at her face slowly, it had drained of all color and she had covered one hand over her mouth, eyes wide as though she was horrified at what she had just said. There were only two situations that a woman not of the family would call a man father. The first was adoption, but Emilia had always resisted that, wanting to keep her own family name, wishing to keep her family alive as long as she could. The other was when a woman married into the family...

“Father?” he asked, a part of his brain not running through the implications noted that his voice sounded horse all of a sudden. “You called him father,” she took a step back, still looking horrified. “He didn't, no” he shook his head.”He wouldn't, would he?” Adrian knew the answer before he could even ask it, it was painted all over her face.

He had.

‘Keeping the bloodline pure.’

She had even said it, and he knew she was right, his father did everything for the empire, every effort at striding forward. Of course, he wouldn't let such a magical talent such as Emilia go to waste after the death of her fiance, his son.

“No, no no-“

Of course, the General, after all, didn't have just one son, did he?

“Adrian-” Emilia softly put her hand on his shoulder but he snarled and pulled his arm away. There was a fire burning in his eyes, a madness and a rage at the world and his father for wronging him so.

“Don't touch me!” he hissed from between clenched teeth, small flecks of spittle hissing out with the words. She jerked her hand away like it burnt and clutched it to her chest. He took a few shallow breaths before he growled out “how long?” he was shaking, every muscle and tendon tight as a bowstring pulled tautly. “How long before you were in my brother’s bed? How long until he sent you there?” it wasn't her fault, he knew this, she after allowed everything to his father, she could have refused him, the General, after all, didn't have any real control over her, but he knew she never would, not after he had raised her and taken care of her when she had just been a small orphan on the streets...

But he still couldn't find it in him to even look at her right now.

His own brother? It looked like despite Adrian’s supposed death his father had gotten the daughter-in-law that he had wanted. “How many years?” he glanced at her, she was shaking with silent sobs now, she shook her head no. No what?

Not years then-

MONTHS?!?!

A growl of pure anger grew deep in his chest and escaped from between his lips. His father had married his son’s fiance to his brother before even a year was up? She fell to her knees scuffling back away from him, cringing like she was afraid he was going to hit her the tears still streaming silently down her face. Adrian didn't move any closer to her, he simply turned on his heels and began running after his father, both fist curled with a fire in his heart burning all reason away.

“I'm so sorry-” Ema whispered from her spot in the corner of the room, he knees pulled up to her chest as she rocked back and forth her face buried in her arms. “I'm so so sorry-” Isi spared her a pitying glance for only a second before she was off after Adrian.