He couldn’t believe that it took a whole day for that mess. The afternoon sun shaded the city in its colors. There was a light breeze that was strangely salty coming from the direction of the coast.

His hands on the steering wheel. Mavin couldn’t leave his eyes on the road, not even for a moment. Besides Mavin was Natalya who had been strangely quiet ever since the affairs in the Academy.

“You must be really tired.”

“I am.”

Her eyes half-squinted. Cheek leaned on her right hand’s knuckle. It was strangely a despondent look that he never knew that could be found on her. He had not been with her for a long time to know everything about her. And he doubts that the ‘Imperator’ that he knew from the ‘memories’ would be the same as her right now.

“You sure you are okay?”

She looked at him with a strained eye. Her violet eye behind that eyelash shimmering and dilated. Her gloved finger reached out to the back of his neck. Mavin could only raise a brow at her actions.

“I…think I am,” she took her hand back, and said. “Mavin, have you heard of the black sun?”

“Black sun?” his brows met. “I don’t think I had ever heard of it. What is it?”

“Surely, you have heard of an eclipse?”

“I have.”

“There was a girl who saw a world with a black sun. The edges of the sun were the only light that the world had. Under this sun, she lived until she forgot the sun that brought warmth to her. They say that eight hundred years ago, during the earliest time where there were still barbaric tribes instead of what we have right now. That story was told by an elder during one of their many gatherings. It had been passed down by word of mouth.”

“So what exactly was the story?”

Her head turned to him. “It was a story of a woman who had hoped for the warmth of the sun. I cannot tell you that story, but if you are interested. You should look it up.”

Coaches, cars, carriages, and trams filled the five-lane main road of the City. The hubbub of people that were walking on the pedestrian lane. The murmur that drowned them in noises. Mavin leaned his other arm on the window, letting the air get inside the car. Through glances he saw her hair flutter about, and there was something enchanting on her as she faced the warmth of the afternoon sun.

Mavin shook his head. He continued driving when the cars started to move. Most of Arkadia had not developed the skyscrapers and most of the lands occupied by the nobles were not going to change until they realized the importance of such buildings. On the other cities that were hit by the artillery, and the bombardments were surely going to change. There was no point in salvaging old infrastructures when they could create new things. Though he suspected that most of the structures would become concrete and steel. The fascination of the Athesians to concrete, marble, and steel was almost an obsession.

“Mavin.”

“Yes?”

He turned to Natalya for a moment.

“How does it feel? Knowing that you have someone who might kill you, living with you?”

Mavin hung his mouth for a moment, “I thought you won’t do that?”

“I do not. I said to never repeat this conversation again, and I promise that this is the last time this will be brought up. But how did it feel? Knowing that I might have killed you in your sleep?”

“Whatever happens, happens?”

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, I really cannot do anything about it other than implore you not to kill me.”

“Can you?”

“Who knows? People are hard to understand, they have their own thoughts, goals, and ambitions. I met only a few that would bare their hearts in front of me and only because I knew that they had been broken inside and out that it was easy to get their thoughts out. How can I even begin to convince you? Should I guess on what you believe through your behavior? I might be able to deduce some of those things that you keep, but I find it hard to do so.  I mean, would you listen to me if I suddenly start spouting that I understand you? That I know the hurt that you have felt?”

“I might.”

“That depends on the person.  I have met soldiers who have downright called me odd and creepy for trying to help them. Even during my days here, there were many who found my act of meddling, downright disgusting. But do you know what I have learned from all those years? There are no people in this world who would refuse a sincere plea to help someone. I might be able to persuade you, and change your mind. But I do hope that I can appeal to your own beliefs and influence you in some way that would allow me to help.”

“You really are a meddler.”

“I know. I won’t deny that I am quite the meddling bastard.”

Her eye was digging through him. “I bet you already know what my intentions are.”

Mavin simply nodded.  Natalya snorted as if she knew what he was thinking.

“So you know that there would be no one to help me when I come to this City. Even the three people that I had helped save are hesitant in doing this favor for me.”

“Can you blame them? They have to tiptoe around the Hundred Nobles all the time. It would be quite a surprise if you find a good lodging here. Even now they are checking the identities in Inns and Hotels now. They are celebrating, but they still blamed the three alliances for the suffering and the death of the many young soldiers that went to war.”

“That’s what bothers me about you the most. It seems like you don’t care.”

Mavin paused. “I do care. It’s just that I understand the reason that they are fighting as well. No matter how ‘petty’ they think their reason is, those are still reasons. There was a time that I saw the people on the other side of the trench as monsters, and not some people. It was easy to believe that they are evil men who were here to burn the Empire than think of them as human.”

“Yeah, I can understand that.”

“In the end I just stood next to the corpses of the invaders and saw that some of them are as young as we were during that time. Some are even younger than they should be, lads who lied about their age in hopes they could join the war. To fight against the oppressors who are said to have wronged a generation of people who honestly was just glad that their rights are heard, and the rights of the ruling class do not involve them. There are people who are wronged, but in what place that there aren't people that are wronged? There are always people that are wronged. If they had let the Empire stagnant, I am sure that the Empire wouldn’t have flourished. Instead of freeing the populace from an Ancient Regime, the three alliances gave the people here the belief that the Empire had won and that their way of living was not wrong despite the accusations of the Three Alliances. The doubts turned into a patriotic belief. That belief became faith in the Empire and the Emperor.”

“You make it sound like we were wrong.”

“I might be saying so. I do live in the Empire, and my family has always believed that the Empire is better than the other Empires of the world. The beliefs of the Three Alliances regarding Liberty and Fraternity sounded nice until you realize that you are allied with the Kingdom of Norad.”

“The King of Norad is merely a figurehead.”

“Yeah, but not everyone knows that.  Nonetheless, I do believe that there are merits to what the three alliance believe in. It’s just that they should have waited until there was infighting in the Empire.”

“They wouldn’t know that, and even if they do. It would cost them resources to fund anyone that might threaten the Empire.”

“And despite all of this, you still allowed me to your home.”

Mavin laughed lightly. He rubbed his scalp with right hand. “That’s because we Lazonians are people who are hospitable. Besides, it’s not like they can do anything about us either. If they intend to use your stay in my home, then so what? They don’t have the balls to travel to Lazon’s impassable terrains, and if they do bring their complaints to our doorsteps. I hope they know who they are trying to intimidate.”

“You must really trust the current Patriarch.”

“I do. I trust Derrick and Elma more than anyone in this world.”

“There must have been something that is more important than them if you choose to go here instead of going back home. I heard that the current lady heir is eager to see you.”

“You heard from Old Fred?”

“I did.  But I can see that you have no intention of telling anyone what you are here for. It must be really important.”

Mavin pressed his foot on the brake pedal to bring the car to a sudden halt. In front of the car, there was an old woman being assisted by a man in uniform. The sidewalks were lit up by the lamp posts that were connected to electric cables. Those old lamp posts were usually replaced by the incandescent bulbs instead of the dim light of a lantern.

“It’s because of the Academy and this deal with the Holmians.”

“Oh,” Natalya sounded surprised that Mavin told her.

“I worry about Rigel and Old Fred regarding this deal. You saw how dangerous the Hydroelectric Crystals are. They have infinite potential that allows iron giants to walk without minding their size. The Vulcan Technology is valuable and now that most of the rats and birds have heard of this deal. Not to mention the incident that happened, they would do everything to capitalize on this opportunity. The Hundred Nobles would surely find a way to make a profit, and gain some benefits regarding this deal.”

“I guess that General acts as a shield for that person of the Webman Company.”

“Yeah, General Steelheart is here to supervise the transfer of the technology and the deal. Holmia is a nation that the Empire has friendly relations with ever since the first diplomats from Holmia arrived.  Even our soldiers favor the Holmians for their technology that allows them to live their lives without minding their missing limbs. Those prosthetics are definitely works of wonder.  Even their involvement in the treaty made them popular here in the Empire more than ever, they are friends with the Empire and they have the knowhow on wondrous technologies that are far advanced than ours.”

“Is it because of the crystals?”

“Not necessarily,” Mavin said. “The technology that they offer to the Empire is named after their God, Vulcan. The God of Creation, the one they call the God of Craftsmanship, and the Architect of the World. It’s this belief in their God that they favor innovating more than war and even if they do involve themselves in wars, their creation allows them to triumph against any foes. ”

“And we call Arkadia the greatest Academy in the world, how odd.”

Mavin could only smile wearily. “Well, they pioneered most of these inventions, but the Empire had talents who had improved upon their creations. If we hadn’t gone to war, I wonder how far the technology of the Empire would have become. It wasn’t that long you know? Who knew that in such a few years we would have machines that could fly and manifest the power of electricity to light streets and homes? And this technology that they offer the Empire will change the world as well.”

 

---

 

It didn’t take long for them to arrive in the ancestral house of the Tomas Family. The lights were on. And through the glass panel he could see three figures in the house. Inside the house he saw Old Fred, Mimi, and Rigel. He wore a casual light gray suit with a red tie hanging around his neck. The suit was accented with gray and was paired with the same colored pants.

“Mavin,” Rigel stood up, then glanced over his shoulder. “And this must be Lady Natalya.”

He thumped Mavin’s shoulders and extended a hand toward Natalya. She shook his hand and took it back, eyes wandering on the three, then to the documents laid out on the living room of the Ancestral house. “It seems that you are all busy with something today. I shall take a rest for now. Goodnight.”

Natalya climbed the flight of stairs without leaving another word. Rigel folded his arms and watched her go before turning his head back to Mavin who was standing still, observing them. “I heard that there was trouble.”

Mavin nodded. He told them what happened during the arrival of the Holmians and the passing of the technology. He also explained the incident that happened during the opening of the container that caused the electrical devices and equipment of the Academy to be fried. Rigel’s face became worse as Mavin elaborated on the events that had happened.

“I had to make sure that the situation had to be smoothed over. We don’t want the Hundred Nobles to make use of that now, can’t we?”

“Yes,” Rigel calculated inside his head. “I had to send funds to the Webman Company, we can offer them a few funds and they would use this change to get their equipment inside the Academy as well.”

If they asked which company it belonged to. They would look at the mark and realize it came from the Webman Company. Maybe they had done it to replace the equipment of the Academy, but what else was there to say? If they couldn’t capitalize on everything, then the Webman wouldn’t have reached such status within a few years that they started. Rigel probably thinks that they did to get their equipment and merchandise in the Academy. Old Fred must think that it was an accident. But who knows what goes in the mind of Klaus Sommer?

“I trust the Holmians, but I don’t fully trust the Webman. Who knows what I have done if I went there myself?”

Rigel would have been displeased. He would have glared at Klaus Sommer and General James Steelheart with suspicion. His loyalties lie to Lazon first, and then to the Empire. Rigel was never one to back out from a fight, and like most young men that grew in Lazon. He had hunted down his own demifiend, bathed on it, and became a man. Mavin got his ritual earlier than most of the young men in Lazon.

“Old Fred, did they agree on the regards of transferring some of this technology to Jorvi?”

“They are taking a freighter to the mouth of Pustalo with a package, if they are to believe.”

“I see.  Rigel, Mimi, can I trust you to keep things with the Webman Company?”

The two beamed. They had always said to Mavin that they would be honored to serve under him if he had become Lord of Lazon. Even now they still thought of him as the rightful ruler, though that doesn’t mean they’d prefer Mavin than the current patriarch either. Count Derrick Tomas was a worthy ruler of the Greater Lazon, and he had sealed that deal when he had managed to make the Lazon Territory into the only region that pushed back the invaders.

“Look,” he explained. “You two don’t serve under me, but I would like it if you leave dealing with General Steelheart, the Prince, and the Academia Scholars.”

“It's fine, Mavin,” Rigel said to him.

Rigel was the easiest one to convince. He turned to Old Fred. “Please help them, Old Fred.”

“If that is your wish, good sir.”

“Well, it’s not like you weren’t helping them from the start.”

“Indeed, but this old man had been pleased with how Sir Rigel had handled the Webman Company. Dame Mimi is worthy of being the second-in-command and if the good sir doesn’t watch out, he might be the one to support Dame Mimi in working out the Academy.”

Rigel swallowed. Mimi might have a strange name, but she was one of the few who had become a ‘Dame’ for her excellence in management and paperwork. There was something about the Lazon Region that builds character, turning them into well-focused individuals that would shine no matter where they go.

“He’s nervous.”

“I am not.”

“Good sir needs to understand that the position of the head of the company associated with the Lazon Region is not hereditary and only through proving yourself through merits that you keep the position.”

“I know that, Old Fred.”

Old Fred nodded. Mimi scratched her cheek. Rigel himself was impressive enough. He could weave through the conversation and make the Hundred Nobles lash out if they have to. Then again, that is what he would expect from someone who would later on serve as replacement for Old Fred. He had fought for the role, and Old Fred welcomed the challenge of tutoring him.

Old Fred coughed, “You two will have a busy night and I expect that there would be many things that you would have to do before you got to sleep. The night is long, and as much as I like the three of us to stay here. Please be mindful that we have a guest.”

Rigel and Mimi nodded. They studied the documents under the light of a bulb for a minute before placing them inside a briefcase. Mimi wrapped a belt holster around her waist and wore her coat to hide it. Rigel had a semi-automatic pistol that he carried all the time now. He wasn’t like Old Fred who preferred old six-shooters if he can.

The two left like a storm. Old Fred looked at the door and calmly take a sip of his now-cold tea. He placed his gloved hand on his thighs. Observing Mavin through that sharpened gaze of his. His expression told Mavin that he wanted to inquire about something.

“Did something happen?”

“Other than what you know. Nothing much. I met up with a few friends.”

“I see. Sir, there are many birds and rats in the City of Arkadia.  Some might have eyes in a river and some are just lurking around above. This is a friendly place to the outsiders, and those who knew nothing of the world of the High Society. I admire that the good sir have many friends, but I assure you that they will find a way to break you if you slip even for once.”

“I know that well, Old Fred.”

“Do you still remember, Miss Rose?”

Mavin swallowed. “What of her?”

“She needs help, Sir.”

Mavin massaged her forehead. “Is the Falcone and the Bradley House at it again?”

“Hmm, you could say that. They’ve been trying to make moves on the family two months ago. But do not worry, I have made sure that they will not come to us again.”

“I see. That’s good. So, what of Rose?”

“She’s the head of the Bradley House now.”

“Goodness. That’s bad.”

“Yes, Indeed. She had learned that you are back home, good sir.”

“Oh.”

Mavin felt frightened for a moment. Rose Bradley was someone he had a hard time dealing with. She was an old classmate of his that he had helped during the time in Arkadia, and she was one of the few that was troublesome to him. Troublesome that she had tricked Mavin into helping her get an edge in the position of heir of the family. And it seemed that she had succeeded in winning over her family of psychopaths. That is if she hadn’t purged them clean.

“She still thinks that the Tomas Family is behind her?”

“She had earned to be allies with the family.”

Mavin folded his arms. “You mean you allowed her to become an ally of the family?”

“Sir, Miss Rose is a woman of merits, and it wouldn’t have been impossible to have her become an Empress candidate if she desired to do so. She has both the charms of the Ladies, and the connections to do it. If you hadn’t convinced Miss Rose eight years ago that she should run her family. It would have been different.”

“So what? Does she want a piece of the pie?”

“She has been working with the family to deal with the Webman. The Webman had been on the sight of the Falcone, but knowing that the Tomas Family was backing them, they had been careful, not to mention that Miss Rose had been an adamant ally of our dealings.”

“The Godmother of the Bradley Family,” Mavin tried to wrap his head around it. “I wonder if I was right in helping her get what she wanted.”

“Does the good sir regret it?”

“Regret it? No, but question it? I do. Rose…she’s volatile and her ambition can be greater than anyone. Right now, she’s content of having her territories, her business, and her wealth within the palm of her hands. She’s the type to grow bored when she has nothing more to offer. The Hundred Nobles are entertaining her for now, but I fear what she may do once she gets her side stable.”

“The Miss has many merits.”

“And many demerits as well.”

“Sir, do you perhaps hate her?”

“I don’t. She’s a good friend of mine, and that’s a problem for her.”

Rose treated Mavin like a blood-brother. Someone that was worthy to give her advice. She treasured their friendship like one would treasure a chest of gold. Mavin still could remember her face and brilliant red hair and ruby eyes. How she had thanked him with a snub-nose pointed at his temple. How glad she was that Mavin did not flinch or looked disgusted at the sight of her figure.

Mavin squeezed his eyes to remove the image from his head.  “I assume that she knows that I am here?”

“Yes. The Miss also knows that we have a guest here.”

“Aha, that’s great.”

Old Fred took the last sip of his tea, and placed the cup on the saucer. “She had asked about our guest and I had answered truthfully. I have also told her about our dealings.”

“Why?”

“We need someone to make sure that we have two shields right now. The Tomas Family is large, powerful, and we have many of our Enforcers and Constables hanging around the vicinity of our operations to prevent anything from happening. But by tomorrow the news will make it harder and we will be expecting the pressure of the hundred nobles watching our movements. Most of the trouble will be pointed at Rigel and Mimi, however, Sir should not be worried. We shall handle it with perfection.”

“So all I have to worry about is Miss Rose then?”

“Yes, Miss Rose, as you said, is volatile and ambitious. She would not hesitate to come here if she desires it. I have managed to persuade her into not diverting the attention of the Falcone family to you.”

“I like to see them try.”

“I am not worried about you, Sir. I worry that you may repeat what had happened eight years ago. I do not wish to see you in that state for the third time of my life. Please do not do this to this old man’s heart.”

It was hard to promise anything when Miss Rose Bradley was involved.

“This is why I made a point of not ruling anything. Man, I really have done Cousin Derrick dirty.”

Old Fred didn’t have any retorts to that. Mavin already knew what he was going to say.

“Sir, the time will come soon for the Night of Athesia.”

“So it is that day?”

“Yes.”

“You should leave then.”

“And Lady Wilde?”

“She should be fine. She studied in the Academy so she knows the Night.”

“Very well. This old man shall rest for the night. Have blessings during the night, good Sir.”

“May you have the blessings in the night as well, Old Fred. Please be careful on your way.”

Old Fred punctually took care of his cup and saucer before he left. He dressed up on his coat and wrapped a scarf around his neck. He left the house and the sound of the engine revving up vanished within the sound of night. Mavin leaned his back on the couch, and stared at the fireplace that was lit up by them. Above the fireplace was an old single-shot rifle that was a gift from the Emperor. It was fed with a paper cartridge and it was also the rifle that was used to defend the Empire long before the weapons that the Empire used by now.

“Old Fred used to fight with that eh,” Mavin said to himself.

It was then that the sound of the city seemed to vanish. The silver light that escaped from the moon vanished, filtered into that of a sweetening green light. Mavin heard the sound of footsteps. He turned around and saw Natalya awake wearing a coat to hide her sleeping dress. “Do you like what you are seeing?”

“Sorry, thought there was a fairy for a moment.”

“Silly man.”

She looked outside and saw the green light. “That time of the year again?”

The Night of Athesia where a green light would replace the silver glow of the moon. Some said that it was the blessing of the goddess that enveloped the city of the Arkadia, but as technology improved, the scientific method had allowed everyone to understand some of the nature of the world. They had realized that the cause of this phenomenon was due to the cold, and hot air meeting. But that alone wasn’t enough, the real reason was that there was an algae that had lived in the lake above the volcano that was causing this phenomenon to happen.

“We should go to the garden,” Natalya said.

Mavin followed her out of the house and sat close to the round table. The cold steel of the meeting his skin. The fresh air that traveled made Mavin feel relaxed. The wind traveling through the greenery made Natalya tug hard on her coat. “Should have wrapped myself in a blanket,” Natalya shuddered, blowing hot air on her palms.

“It’s not that cold.”

“Not when I am wearing almost nothing below.”

“Aha, that makes sense.”

“Boring man.”

“?”

She shook her head and looked at the mix of green and silver that had enveloped the sky. Like there was a black canvas brushed by glittering dust. A mix of stars and galaxies mixing together creating multi-colored scenery that would take anyone’s breath away. Mavin thought he’d never see such scenery again.

“During the time when we were studying the Academy, have you ever thought of phenomena like this?”

“I have.”

“There are many such things in the world. When you look at the map of our world, you’d realize that we are only in the far west corner of the map, and beyond the Turian Continent, there is more of the world that we have never explored. How many things are like this in the world?”

Mavin somehow knew the answer. If Natalya Wilde knows, he would bet that there would be sparks in her eyes. He didn’t want to tell her, knowing that she seemed to be the type that would be disappointed if she knew the mysterious answer to her question.

“You don’t look interested.”

“I don’t?”

“That’s one thing I noticed about you, Mavin Tomas. You seem to look at the world like you are a spectator hiding behind a glass wall. When I first met you, you had a better look when talking to people who needed help. I found it disturbing how you like it. As if it was fulfilling your expectations.”

“That’s harsh.”

“It’s the truth that I saw.”

Mavin didn’t know how to reply. He leaned back on the seat and stared at the sky. “You might be right. Sometimes, I wonder if one day it would go away.  I never really thought of fixing it. I don’t see any reason to do why.”

“Why not? It does make you rather odd.”

“I…don’t really seek the approval of others. I find no reason to do that.”

“How selfish.”

“Is it? I think it’s normal. As long as I act calmly, and politely. I don’t think anyone would mind me. I look normal as well so I doubt anyone would find it odd. Is it really that noticeable?”

“No, not really,” she propped her chin on her hand. “It’s only noticeable if they stare at you for a long time. If someone looks at you long enough, I think they’ll understand what I am saying.”

“That so?”

A wind blew from the coast. The smell of salt alongside the smell of food wafted in the air. Mavin guessed that the scent should be from one of their neighbors. That reminded Mavin that he had known some of the people around the neighborhood. He had never really met them again. Most of them were students anyway, and the families around this street should be either small noble families or merchants who found this part of the city peaceful.

“It’s going to happen soon,” Natalya reminded.

Then the glittering dust that painted the sky seemed to fall back from the earth. They were like falling stars that would disappear before they touch the city and the neighboring communities of the city.

“It has been eight years, huh.”

“Yeah.” 

“To think that I would be living with someone who almost shot me to death. Oh, sorry, I did say that I won’t bring it up again.”

“I was lying.”

“Huh?”

“I hate you for ruining my face. For giving me pain. Every time I take my eyepatch off, the sharpness of the light hurts my head. I feel like my head is splitting and every night and in my waking moment. I would recall that day where that sudden burst of light almost shot me to death. I laid their bleeding, crying, begging for help. If they hadn’t found me. If I hadn’t walked back to the camp on my own. I would have bled to death. You alone caused me the most painful moment in my life. I was doing so well when suddenly it hit me! That was I was not as good as I was! That I would not leave the war unscathed!”

Mavin listened.

“In Wilde, beauty was our main weapon. It allowed us to be something! Without beauty, what would a woman be? We’ll just be thrown away or put into a place where we have used. Even since I had become the Lady Bellatrix, all I did was appear on propaganda, and model myself in front of a camera. I wanted out. I wanted something better than being a goddamn doll! Do you understand me?”

Mavin shook his head.

“How could you? You’re not a woman.”

“Yeah, I am not. We do have different values here. Perhaps, there was a time where women were lesser than men here. But those days are gone thanks to Empress Veronica’s laws. Merit should belong to the person who did it, she said when she ruled as regent. It was only because of her laws that there is an equal competition. And if they do underestimate women here, well they better be prepared to be single for life,” Mavin said.

“You don’t even care about what I said right now.”

“I do. I truly am sorry.”

“You don’t look like it.”

“I had told you my reasoning before. I was your enemy. You were planning to kill me. I would have killed you. I would think nothing other than the recoil of my rifle, like I always do. That was the same for you as well, Natalya Wilde. I might not understand what you feel as a woman, I doubt I will ever will. But I do understand what it was like to be the person behind the sight of a rifle. How easy it was sometimes. To feel nothing other than it’s just something that had to be done. One less soldier to be worried about.”

Natalya glared for a moment. Mavin could feel that stare of her digging through his head. “Yeah, I get you. I won’t apologize. At least I got that out of the way.”

“Do you feel relaxed?”

“Somewhat, you should let me scream at you once in a while. I feel great.”

“You recovered faster than expected.”

“Those were my true feelings, don’t mistake it. If you hadn’t save me back then in Flost, I would have found the courage to repay you with a bullet to the head by now.”

“That’s not something you should say so easily, you know?”

“I thought you’d appreciate it.”

“I don’t.”

“You really are a calloused man. No wonder you are still alone at your age.”

“What’s got to do with anything?”

Natalya didn’t answer. She placed both of her feet on the chair and stared back at the sky. “Looks like the Green Night is coming to an end. It took longer this time.”

“Seems like it,” he leaned his shoulder on the surface of the round table.  “It must have been the effect of the war, making it longer than it needs to be.”

“It’s beautiful so I don’t mind it. Hey, how long will you be in the Capital?”

“As long as I need to.”

“Would you mind if I live in this house?”

“Sure, it’s not like we use the house a lot. It'd be a waste to leave it empty, and as long you don’t make a mess of it. Old Fred would be fine with it.”

“Thank you, I know that this is a lot to ask considering that I did say those things just a moment ago.”

“I don’t really mind it.”

Natalya looked away. “You should, once in a while.”

“Hey, this isn’t something that I should be asking, but were you really telling the truth? About the fact that they disowned you for saving the Prince?”

“They did. Can you believe it? After all that I did in the war, after all the people that I killed, they said that they do not want me in Wilde. I still have my name, and my last name, but they had forbidden me from ever returning to my home for such petty reasons. What did I fight for anyway? To throw me away like I am a wasted rag, just because I didn’t want the war to continue.”

“That’s unreasonable.”

“I bet it’s my brother. That coward probably hates me for what I did. He was a bootlicker, a fool that would rather please the Republic than have some self-respect for himself. He had been a supporter of the Republic ever since then. That fool’s jealous that he wasn’t able to participate because of how pathetic he is, that he must be mad that I had done what he couldn’t. I could probably go back to Wilde, even without his permission, and I bet they would welcome me back if I put a few words. But recently I learned that an idiot had abandoned his rank and power for something stupid, and I thought that I might as well do that. That way, I can have power over what I can do. Not controlled by anyone, and as free as a bird can be.”

“Is that why you wanted to become a pilot?”

“Partly, and that I heard that the pay is good enough to allow me to keep me fed. I get to fly. And I have a salary. I know how to read maps. I have a steady hand that won’t lose to a man and I have a good eyesight. If that doesn't work out, I bet I can find a former heir-to-be who would surely take me in. Isn’t that right?”

“Sure, sure,” Mavin waved his hand. “But if that ever happens, you better start working hard. We treat everyone by their own merit, you know?”

“We’ll see.”