Chapter 38

　　The hovercar glided toward the Imperial Palace at a moderate pace. The luscious grounds and beautiful buildings provided Kal with a remarkable view.

　　The inside of the car was deathly quiet. The luxurious and comfortable interior blocked the sounds of the engine and the whistling of the wind. Compared to the outside warmth, it was cold as the air conditioner maintained the environment.

　　The two men sat silently before a nagging thought entered Kal`s mind. The Herald looked familiar, but where had he seen him before? Kal hadn`t interacted with many people since coming out of stasis.

　　"You were there when I was taken into custody!" Kal exclaimed, his mouth moving before he could catch himself as he made the connection. The Herald nodded at his words, not turning away from the window.

　　"I wondered if you would recognize me. You had much on your mind that day. But I suppose it wasn`t that long ago for you." The Herald replied.

　　"You would be surprised. I thought my time in stasis would pass in a moment, but it crawled. It`s difficult to describe without experiencing it for yourself." Kal explained.

　　"You seem to have come out of it no worse for wear. Many are not so fortunate." The Herald finally turned away from the window, looking at Kal carefully.

　　"Some days are better than others. I sometimes catch myself thinking that I am still in the past. It can be confusing when Caledon continued without me." Kal said, oddly comfortable speaking to this stranger he hadn`t seen in five centuries.

　　Perhaps it was the fact that it was one of the few familiar faces he had seen since his release. The Herald nodded his head at his words. Kal was curious about something the man had said earlier.

　　"You mentioned my Grandfather would have already travelled here. Did you know him well?" Kal asked. He had relived his memories for centuries but hadn`t recalled seeing the Herald before their fateful encounter on Caledon.

　　"In passing. I had great respect for the Duke and Duchess. You remind me of them. Your looks are your grandfather`s, but I suspect your temperament is hers." The Herald remarked.

　　"I sometimes wonder what they would think about me. If I have been a disappointment." Kal revealed.

　　"I doubt that. Not many Nobles would surrender themselves to spare their people bloodshed. Since we are speaking truths, I must ask. When you ordered your House Guard to lay down their arms, you came with me to Terra. Did you expect the Emperor to show you mercy?" The Herald asked, his blue eyes intense as he stared at Kal.

　　It may have been inappropriate, but the question had plagued him for centuries. The image was vivid in his memory, of a young man walking willingly to his fate. His only request had been for clemency for Caledon.

　　"Are you asking if I thought that I would die?" Kal asked, surprised at the question. The Herald nodded.

　　"Yes." Kal answered.

　　"Then there is much of your Grandfather in you as well." The Herald replied, turning away from the Baron and looking out the window again.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

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　　Kal was led through the palace, marvelling at the priceless works of art, most pre-Unification.

　　Staff in pristine uniforms bowed as they saw him walking with the Herald. In a position of trust, the stern man beside Kal was the Voice of the Emperor,` speaking with his authority.

　　As impressive as the palace is, Kal truly admired the Hall of Mirrors,` a feature the first Emperor had overseen during its reconstruction. Crystal chandeliers reflected the morning light from the large windows, highlighting the painted ceiling.

　　If the Herald was in awe of his surroundings, he didn`t show it, merely continuing through the open doors into the gardens where the Emperor liked to spend most of his time.

　　They found the Monarch at a small table enjoying his breakfast, the air filled with the smell of flowers and coffee from the pot at the table`s center.

　　The Emperor had chosen a name upon his coronation that was seeped in Terran history. His father had been Justinian the Wise, known throughout the galaxy as a scholar and man of peace.

　　His selected name was Aurelius, The Golden One,` a symbol of his quest for prosperity and good fortune for the Empire. As time passed and his talents became apparent, an addition was made to his title. Aurelius the Farseeing.

　　Time and time again, he had predicted events in the Empire`s history, circumventing disaster. The Rebellion, a period of strife and hardship, had been rendered largely ineffective by his maneuverings.

　　Billions may have died, but he had saved trillions more, and with it came a phase of unprecedented growth for the Empire.

　　Kal kept this in mind as he gazed at the Emperor for the first time in five hundred years.

　　Aurelius was nearly two thousand years old and his appearance matched it. Hunched over the breakfast table, he was incredibly frail, his skin pale and liver spotted. The little hair he had left was white and sparse, his face clean shaven and wrinkled. To Kal`s knowledge, the Emperor was the oldest living human alive.

　　Despite the heat, he was dressed in heavy robes embroidered with fanciful designs in gold thread.

　　The Emperor was sipping a cup of coffee, looking out over the gardens contentedly when they approached him. Immediately, Kal fell onto one knee, gently placing the travel case on the ground before him.

　　Aurelius looked over the Baron with an amused expression, his blue eyes bright and cheerful, showing no sign of his age. Fiercely intelligent, time may have robbed him of his physical attributes, but his mind was as sharp as ever.

　　"Ah! Baron Caledon. I had a hunch you would arrive today to break my fast with me. You may leave, Samuel." The Emperor ordered, the Herald giving a bow before leaving the pair.

　　Kal waited motionless until the footsteps of the Imperial Herald were gone.

　　"Come, join me. The staff always makes far too much, hoping that something may tempt` me into eating more than usual. Come, sit. Sit." Aurelius called, gesturing to the chair on the other end of the table.

　　Kal hesitated for a moment before standing and taking the proffered seat. He placed the case carefully on the table, away from the food.

　　"Your Eminence, it is a hon-" Kal started to speak before being cut off.

　　"Bah, save the platitudes. I know you dislike pomp and pageantry, similar to myself. As I`ve grown older, I`ve come to loath empty words. I believe your Grandmother had a similar mindset. What was she fond of saying?" The Emperor paused, his eyes filled with mirth.

　　"The true measure of a person is how they treat someone who can give them no benefit.` Kal murmured. The Emperor nodded as he finished. Kal suspected the man knew exactly what her favourite quote had been.

　　"No truer words have ever been spoken. I`m pleased to know you remember them so well. Although you wouldn`t have gotten into your vault without it." The Emperor replied, giving him a wink as he did so.

　　Kal was stunned. The man knew about his grandparent`s hidden vault!

　　"Honestly, Baron. Do you think I earned my name merely for my fantastic eyesight? I was aware of the vault when your Grandparents were building it. I deliberately excluded it from the seizure to protect it for you. It`s your inheritance. After all, you didn`t deserve to lose everything."

　　"I suspect I know what this item is as well." The Emperor finished, opening the clasp on the case and extracting the Lunite Tiara. He sighed out loud as he held it to the light, letting the sun catch in the jewel`s facets.

　　"Exquisite. Amelia will be happy to have this returned. It was her favourite. A sign of how close your Grandmother and her were that she gifted it in the first place." Aurelius said, placing it gently back into the box and closing the lid.