…

Imperius standard date: Year CCCLVII, Month III, Day the first VIII.

Location: Imperial birthing nursery.

          Kevin looked at his little sister as she seemingly thought about meeting her mother for the first time. It was rather strange to see someone this apprehensive about meeting the empress.

          Usually, one would be happy at meeting such a divine being. But his new little sister was awfully stressed out. In fact, he didn’t think any other imperial princess was even nervous or stressed at the thought of meeting their mutual mother.

          Also, the slaves were seemingly treating her better than any other imperial princess. That was the strangest of all of them. He didn’t even know how to feel about that.

          “Yes, I am ready to meet my mother,” she said.

          He simply nodded his head, and he turned around from his current position. After he had turned around, she walked out of the pool and followed him out of the door. She gazed at the walls and ceiling and floor.

          It was at this that he remembered that she was simply only a couple of hours old. She hadn’t seen the rest of the imperial palace. Sure, her mannerisms were ingrained into her from her birth from her egg, but she was still rather young when it came to the world around her.

          It was as if a farmer from the middle of nowhere was suddenly thrust into the seat of power. It would be strange the first time they arrived at the palace. With this in mind he made to tell her about the palace itself.

          “My lady, do you wish to know more of this palace?” he asked her.

          She nodded her head in response, and he continued to speak of the palace while walking. It was rather impressive as he started to walk backward while telling her of the history of the palace.

“This wing of the palace was built during the second empress’s time. During then was a time of war and bloodshed. The empire’s enemies were at fault for this. During the year CXXVII, a coalition of twelve barbarian tribes banded together to kill and remove the empire from the peninsula we call home,” he told her.

          She nodded her head and urged him to continue. He was starting to get into the swing of this story telling.

          “This coalition was from the north of our grand empire and made up of many different ethnicities of Dimn. We, of course, had domesticated them within our grand empire. But these Dimn wished to break it apart. Our legions mobilized to meet them in the north of our peninsula and crushed them in every single engagement. So was the prowess of the then empress’s chosen mate, Kravvius the first,” He finished.

          His little sister clapped with ferocity at this. He did a little bow as thanks for her clapping and then turned back around to the front. She stopped clapping soon after and started to study the hallway itself once more.

          “I was just wondering, what is my mother like?” she asked.

          That… stopped Kevin’s mind in its tracks. He had met her face to face once. In that moment of meeting her, he realized why people called the Imperius divine. She was beautiful, like a god had descended to the earthly plane.

          But her speech carried uncaring feelings and grit. It was as if she thought he was a simple drone, but then again, he was. He was also a person at the end of the day though. He wasn’t a slave.

          She didn’t really seem to care too much though. It was like the rest of the world was a tool to be used. It was as if… wait… why was he thinking like this. He was a legionnaire. He was a tool to thrust toward one’s enemies.

          Was it his new little sister’s doing? Was she meant to be something more? No, that was folly, the current empress had been in power for a hundred years. He shook his head of these thoughts and they wisped away.

          “She looks beautifully divine,” he answered the question half-heartedly.

          They continued to walk down the hallway till they were met by the imperial entryway. This was hinted by the deep purple stone used in making the hallway. The transition from white and grey, to purple and gold was stark.

          It was then that the lamps that lit the way were replaced by white crystals. These white crystal lamps were put together rather ostentatiously. They had the markings and makings of imperial quality. They had gold and royal purple along with some black mixed in.

          Then, when they made their way to the doorway of the throne room, Kevin and his little sister spotted and were spotted by the Praetorian guard. A Praetorian guard was a general that had been chosen by the empress or one of the imperial princesses to be a mate and produce imperial princesses.

          As the two of them approached the doorway, one of the four Praetorians that guarded the outside of the door raised a hand to stop them. They stood about seven feet tall and looked rather similar to a legionnaire; except their segmented plates that severed as their shell and protection was also covered in padded lamella armor.

          Around their shoulders they wore capes of gold, green, and purple. Atop their heads came natural plumage. The hair that was this plumage resembled the hair of a bee, but a deep black that transitioned to purple. In Kevin’s opinion, there was too much purple here.

          “Identify yourself legionnaire, and you as well Princess,” came the deep and intimidating baritone of the Praetorian.

          “I am Kevin, Legionnaire of the seventh legion. This is the newly born Imperial Princess born of our lady empress and captain of the Praetorian guard,” Kevin spewed out all at once.

          The guard nodded and raised a fist into the air, then he brought it down. With the single to open the doors, the other guards grabbed the door handles and pulled them open. Before the two of them went into the throne room though, he made for her to stop in her tracks.

          “When we enter the throne room, make sure to kneel on the floor on my left. Then, when the empress arrives, I will introduce myself and you, then excuse myself,” he said.

          She nodded her head tentatively. She seemed even more nervous now for some odd reason. Kevin gestured to his younger sister to follow him and the two of them walked into the room together.

          As the two of them walked forward, Kevin looked forward and spotted the guard, but not the empress. She would step into the throne room to make her entrance like she did with all other imperial princesses.

          As his little sister looked around the room, he couldn’t help but look where she looked. To the high vaulted ceiling that resembled the temples of old, to the walls that were coated in gold-like-brass.

          When they reached the center of the violet carpet, they were set in the middle of the throne room’s walkway, he kneeled. She kneeled to his left, and he smiled at her listening to his instructions.

          It was then that the throne room’s back door opened, and the throne was mechanically brought to its rightful please. He looked to the floor as it did this, but his little sister couldn’t help but gasp.

…

       I didn’t know what to think when the throne itself drove and parked into place on a rail system in the throne room. I gazed upon the throne itself as it came to a stop. I didn’t have any information on the technological level of this country, or the average of this world. But that seemed pretty high.

          Then my sight found my mother, or at least, the one who I assumed my mother was. There, she sat on top of the large golden gilded throne. It was honestly kind of poorly done in my honest opinion. I thought that all this purple and gold was kind of gawdy. But who am I to judge.

          Sure, the whole throne parking thing was cool, but probably just a waste of power and resources. How long did it take to set that up? How long did it take to build the dang thing? Finally, was it done by people who knew what they were doing?

          “I am Kevin of the seventh legion, this imperial princess is your newly born daughter. Now, may I excuse myself, your imperialness?” asked Kevin, the woman who seemed to be my mother nodded and Kevin then walked off.

          I could feel my nerves start to switch. My mother simply gazed upon the retreating back of Kevin as he walked away, her eyes never leaving him as he were a piece of meat.

          I didn’t really know how this whole thing was going to start. My mother didn’t really look like me, at least from the pictures of myself that I had seen in the reflections in the pool.

          My mother had a rather sharp jawline. Her face was seemingly made for the sole purpose of looking betting than others. Her gaze told me that she saw me as a piece of art, yet that art was supposed to be a tool as well. Her body was lean and lithe, like that of an elf.

          She herself didn’t have any wings. Her back was bear of any obstructions, such as wings. Her eyes had a gold tinge to them, but otherwise they were black in color. On her person was a dress that looked rather similar to mine. The one difference was that it was spun from gold.

          Then she smiled, her teeth were sharp and pointed, like that of a shark. Finally, she spoke. Her voice was like old mead, beautiful but holding the sting of alcohol.

          “My daughter, I have chosen a name for you. It will be Romula,” she told me.

          Her voice was as intoxicating as the finest wine. But that was all she was. A part of me wanted to like her, to love her as she was my mother. But another, older and more matured part of me, wanted to take the name and leave.

          It was like she desired me to be a pet, a hunting dog. I was fine with that, this feeling like being trapped in honey wasn’t right though. It was as if I was drowning.

          I decided to answer back. It would be rather rude of me to simply not respond. I also decided to not call her mother, but instead use her title. Calling her my mother felt wrong.

          “Thank you, my empress; the name is wonderful,” I thanked her.

          She smiled at this, as if happy that I didn’t call her mother. Like she thought I saw myself lower than her. That was false in and of itself, I was simply refusing to bend my will to Her’s.

          She nodded her head and shooed me away while speaking.

          “Now go away, I am busy and someone else will tell you of you educational time here,” she said.

          I couldn’t agree to something more. A loud sound resounded around the room, and the wall behind the throne pulled up and the throne itself drove down the tracks.

          I then excused myself from the Praetorians and hurriedly left the room. My whole day had been ruined, and I wanted nothing to do with my new mother. Her very presence seemingly pushed a pit into my stomach and soul.

…