Chapter 117

　　Samuel collapsed onto the plush, white chair in the corner of Kal`s hospital room. Despite the cool air, he felt hot and stuffy. He pulled at the collar of his House Caledon Uniform, which he had adjusted to wearing over the past few years, while waiting for Kal to return.

　　Mare stood in front of him, gripping the sleeping Kal`s hand from where he rested in the bed, the clean white linens pulled up to his neck. They had removed the battered Exosuit before Samuel arrived, stripping him down and cleaning off the blood and dirt that had accumulated on the Baron.

　　Kal was fine, simply exhausted and drained from contacting Atlas. The Titan itself rested outside the dome, waiting for its Pilot. The Ouroboros had been disconnected from the Shuttle and brought to the repair facilities under Elric`s guidance.

　　"You`re sure? Of course, you are. You wouldn`t have said it if you didn`t believe it. I`m sorry, Princess Marella, this is a lot to take in." Samuel said, drawing in a deep breath and running his hand over his face, surprised to find it covered in sweat.

　　"There is nothing to forgive, Samuel. I`m glad you are here. Aside from Kal, there is no one I trust more than you to see us through this." Mare replied.

　　Still wearing her Guard Exosuit, she hadn`t left Kal`s side in the hour since they arrived, firmly waiting for him to wake up and refusing all offers of comfort. Her only concession had been to request Elric assess the Ouroboros. She wanted to know if there were any possibility of repairing it in the event that things turned out for the worse and it was needed.

　　"The Emperor and Empress dead&.have mercy on their souls. And you saw Justice` in the skies above the resort? Then either Argyle is involved, or someone wants to make it seem that he is. But like the Titans, Justice can`t be used by anyone outside the Royal bloodline. That narrows it down to a few thousand suspects&.much fewer now after this morning`s events." Samuel mused.

　　Samuel himself had Royal blood. He was part of a side branch of the family. Mare would be a distant relative, their ancestry far removed by the branching of their family tree over the Millennia. Most of their bloodline resided on Terra, but if the attack was as severe as Mare described, how many had survived the destruction?

　　"You shouldn`t have brought Ouroboros. If it was Argyle, or someone trying to stir conflict with him, they will be looking for the Titan. It`s a symbol of the Emperor. They`ll hunt you for it." Samuel warned, suddenly feeling old and tired.

　　Here he was, on a planet that wasn`t his own, while the Empire was on the verge of crumbling. But he had sworn to Aurelius he would protect Kal, no matter how much he would have liked to rush off to Terra and confirm its state with his own eyes.

　　"I didn`t have a choice. It bonded with me." Mare explained how the shield had dropped before the Titan accepted her as its Pilot.

　　"Then it`s true. The Emperor is dead." Samuel whispered, the despair gnawing at his insides. He looked at Mare, seeing his own sadness reflected in her eyes, along with terror and confusion. Samuel crushed the feelings within him, determined to be strong for her sake.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

　　"I will protect you, Princess." Samuel swore, and Mare smiled at the words.

　　"Thank you, Samuel."

　　Tamara came into the room, her steps quick as she first confirmed that Kal was still asleep before turning to Samuel.

　　"Ships have come out of the Jump. They claim to be from Havencroft and are looking for you." Tamara explained, looking at Princess Marella.

　　"Did you tell anyone you were here apart from the Guard on the Starship?" Samuel asked, turning to look at Mare. She shook her head quickly.

　　"No one."

　　"Word has leaked to the Imperial Net that something has happened on Terra. It`s unconfirmed rumours at this point, but some of it matches what Princess Marella and the others have spoken of. The Empire knows that the Emperor is dead." Tamara continued.

　　"The Guard is a sieve. I`m not surprised. Someone on board probably reported your presence with Kal as soon as you arrived onboard." Samuel said, standing upright.

　　"I`ll speak with them." He said before leaving the room. Tamara followed after a brief check on Kal`s well-being.

　　Still gripping his hand, Mare slowly sat in the chair beside him.

　　"Wake up soon, Kal. I don`t want to have to go through this alone." She whispered.

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　　Gathered in front of the communications terminal on Havencroft, the Duke waited patiently for the screen to transition. The Starships he had sent had confirmed that they had arrived above Caledon, and the Captain of the lead vessel assured him that a representative would speak to them shortly.

　　Frustratingly, Caledon refused to answer any of his questions until then. They wouldn`t even confirm if Kalen Caledon had returned. It was maddening how close-lipped and loyal they were to their Baron, even when he made outrageous offers for them to breach their silence.

　　The Governor of Luna City, David Rowe, would only respond with The Regent will contact you shortly.`

　　All but tapping his foot, Duke Havencroft nearly leapt through the screen when it faded, revealing a familiar figure.

　　"Samuel! I apologize, Imperial Herald. I hadn`t realized you were on Caledon. I`ve been waiting to speak to their Regent.` Mason exclaimed, recognizing the stern man immediately. He was surprised to see him away from the Emperor`s side.

　　"That would be me, Duke Havencroft. I have been named Regent until Baron Caledon recovers. I serve here at the Emperor`s request. You have sent Starships to Caledon, to what purpose?" Samuel replied sternly.

　　"To find out if my daughter is alive, Imperial Herald! Is she there with you?" Prince Magnus shouted, pushing his way next to his brother and leaning into the terminal. Samuel was surprised by his sudden appearance.

　　"Prince Magnus. Marella is here. She is healthy and safe. She has been afforded the protection of Caledon." Samuel replied, trying to reassure the distraught father. Magnus nearly collapsed in relief, letting out a sound between a laugh and a cry.

　　"Samuel, thank you for your efforts. We wish to speak to her immediately." Mason said, expecting to be obeyed. Even an Imperial Herald, who could speak on behalf of the Emperor, was below a Duke in status. Especially when the Emperor he served was missing, presumed dead.

　　"That will be a problem, Duke. She is with Baron Caledon at the moment and refuses to leave his side. The Baron suffered some injuries during the attack and is recovering. I will carry your request to her." Samuel stated.

　　"It is not a request, Samuel. I will speak with my daughter!" Magnus shouted angrily, with Mason nodding at the statement.

　　"With all due respect, Prince Magnus, you both have more important matters to attend to. Or have you not heard anything from Terra? The Emperor is dead, likely at the hands of one of his sons, who will be hellbent on seizing power.

　　"To make matters worse, Mare is in possession of Ouroboros, its chosen Pilot. I suggest you see to your own future. Mare will be in contact with you both shortly." Samuel ended to communication, the screen going black once more.

　　Magnus let out a yell, punching the terminal while Mason restrained him by the shoulder.

　　"Peace, brother. Mare is perfectly safe. Samuel has given his word. You may travel to Caledon if you wish while I see matters here. I must make contact with Prince Argyle and Augustus. If one of the Princes has really made attempts at a coup, we are all in terrible danger." Mason said, leaving the room.