Chapter 86

　　Their beam swords clashed, and the large, twenty-foot-tall Mechs pushed against the other, each trying to overpower their opponent. Their weapons cracked and sizzled, and arcs of electricity left scorch marks on their armour, gouging lines into the ground beneath them and setting the grass ablaze.

　　"What`s the Empress like? I heard that she-" Merit ignored the voice constantly buzzing in his ear through the communication channel.

　　He didn`t know who Osiris had convinced to keep their private link open. Maybe they knew that the sound of her incessant talking would turn the audience off, so they locked their channel to private,` disallowing the universal band.

　　Osiris had not stopped talking since the match began, her conversation ranging through a variety of topics, all of which were inane. Even now, with her pink Scout Mech doing its best to eliminate him, she could split her focus between talking and fighting.

　　Kicking her away, Merit stabbed forward with his right hand, the blazing Beam Sword piercing toward Osiris` right hip. With a little spin, she avoided the blow, returning it with one of her own.

　　They had been in melee combat since the match began. Elric had recommended a few changes to his equipment, including a higher-powered Lasgun with a slower recharge time but additional impact. With Merit`s accuracy, one shot would usually be enough, but Osiris Piloted like a dancer, gracefully avoiding the shots and closing in on him quickly.

　　Was it a tactic to break his concentration?` Merit thought as her equally pink Beam Sword narrowly missed his torso. Using his free hand, he punched forward, only to have her Mech`s forearm block it.

　　"Ohhh, that was close!" Osiris chimed in, commentating on their own fight.

　　It must be purposeful.` Merit thought. There was no way anyone this irritating could be an idol to millions unless they kept her on mute.

　　It had only been a few minutes into the match, and already Merit wanted it to end. Her chipper tone and high-pitched voice were grating on his nerves. Gritting his teeth, he dashed forward.

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　　Kal sank into the couch, sighing loudly as he relaxed. The tournament had ended a few hours ago, with the top eight proceeding to the final round tomorrow. Physically, he was fine, but Piloting in the game had left him mentally drained.

　　Pulling up the holo display for the Imperial Net on a nearby Datapad, he was about to scroll through the news when there was a knock on his door.

　　Curious, Kal opened it, expecting it to be one of the Imperial Palace staff with a package from the Empress or maybe delivering a schedule for the upcoming celebrations.

　　He didn`t expect to see Mare standing in the doorway with a nervous expression on her face.

　　The young woman wore a thick white sweater, black pants, and an open winter jacket. Her skin was pale and flushed at the cheeks from the cold. It was spring near the Imperial Palace, but the mountain on which the cabin was situated was still snow-covered and would likely be that way for a few more weeks.

　　"What are you doing here?" Kal exclaimed, stepping back from the doorway in surprise to see her in real life. She looked exactly the same as her VR counterpart. Unlike Merit,` who kept a beard and long hair to obscure some of his features, she copied her real-life appearance.

　　"I told you that we needed to talk," Mare replied, stepping into the cabin and shutting the door. Walking past the stunned Kal, she removed her jacket, draping it across the back of a nearby chair.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

　　"So you tracked me down onto Terra? What a minute, we spoke to each other a few hours ago. There`s no way you could have travelled here in that time. You were already on the planet?" Kal said, following in her wake.

　　"Of course, I`ve been here for a few weeks. Do you have any staff here, or is it just you?" Mare asked, looking around the cabin with interest. It was a beautiful, cozy, warm building while appearing modern and clean.

　　"It`s just me," Kal confirmed, wondering why she was asking. Several of the Palace staff would come by to clean and restock the pantry periodically, but he was mostly left alone.

　　"Oh. I was hoping for tea." Mare stated with disappointment, looking at the kitchen through a doorway through the room`s rear.

　　Kal shrugged at the comment, gesturing for her to follow him. He led her to the kitchen, directing her to a high stool beside an island countertop. Filling a kettle with water, he placed it on the stove`s burner and set it to high.

　　Terra was an anomaly in the Galaxy, the center of human civilization, but oddly backwards and traditional. Even the Imperial Palace lacked amenities that would be standard in many homes, preferring the old way of doing things, eschewing the new.

　　"Does anyone know you`re here?" Kal asked as he leaned his back against the opposite counter, crossing his arms. Mare rested her head on her hand, looking at the Baron carefully before responding.

　　Dressed casually in a long-sleeved shirt and grey pants, he didn`t look imposing or a source of fear to the galaxy. It was true that Kal was nothing like his parents. He lacked the deceitfulness and hatred of the Duke that instigated the rebellion. Seated before him, in his home on Terra, Mare wondered how she ever thought he was anything like his father.

　　"My Grandmother told me she had been looking after you for the past year. I`m surprised she gave you this place, even for a birthday gift. It had been sort of a retreat for her." Mare replied.

　　"Grandmother?" Kal repeated. Amelia was the only one who knew who he was. The realization of who she was hit him suddenly, and he felt like a fool for not seeing it sooner.

　　"You`re Princess Marella," Kal stated, rubbing his palm over his forehead and eyes. It was so obvious. She shared many of the same facial features as her Grandmother. It was no wonder that she was able to find him here.

　　"I am. That`s why I`m here. We will be attending the Ball together. It is only fair you know who you will be escorting before it is too late to back out." Mare said.

　　Deep within her, she hoped that he would accept who she was, that he wouldn`t be scared away by her title as she feared her other friends would be. Kal was one of the only people she could see who wouldn`t be frightened away or look at her with expectation and greed at the connections she could bring.

　　Kal was already close to the Emperor and Empress and had made it clear he wanted very little to do with the other Nobles of the Empire. His actions spoke of someone who cared about his fiefdom and nothing of the politics beyond it.

　　Also, there was the fact that her Grandmother revealed the nature of Kal`s injury to her shortly before she arrived at the cabin. He led a force against pirates that had been raiding the nearby planets. It was Kal that had pushed for this task, petitioning her grandfather for permission. And he had nearly died doing it.

　　It hadn`t been for glory, honour or pride. He had done it because people were suffering, and he wanted to help them. If Mare`s opinion of Kal hadn`t already changed, this fact alone would have sufficed.

　　Kal sighed again as the kettle began to whistle. Turning around, he turned off the burner and grabbed two mugs. Placing a teabag in both, he slowly filled them with hot water. Mare stared at him as he did so, noticing that he didn`t use his left hand, even when he had to carry the two cups back to the counter where she sat.

　　Setting them on the stone countertop, he fetched sugar and cream. Next to his side, his left hand spasmed and clenched, turning white from the pressure of his fist.

　　"What`s wrong with your hand?" Mare asked. Her Grandmother had said that Kal was nearly fully recovered, but this was out of the norm. Worse, he hadn`t shown any problems with his hand in the VR game.

　　"I`m not sure. Amelia told you how I was injured?" Kal asked. Mare immediately nodded at the question.

　　"Some lingering damage from the Atlas. It should heal over time." Kal explained, carefully scooping a spoonful of sugar into his cup. Adding a tiny bit of cream, he carefully stirred it before setting the spoon aside. He took a sip before speaking again.

　　"I don`t care if you`re the princess. I`m not too fond of attention, but neither are you. I think if we go together, we`ll get through this ordeal as quickly and painlessly as possible." Kal finished.

　　"There will be rumours," Mare added. Kal shrugged them away.

　　"I`ve been the subject of gossip my entire life. There`s nothing anyone could say that could be worse than what I`ve experienced. Stasis couldn`t break me. A few unkind words won`t either." Kal finished. He was silent for a moment before breaking into a grin that she associated with the teasing Merit."

　　"Besides, it would be impolite to turn down your offer of a date. I`m a gentleman, after all."