Ode To The Stars

Dorian Pepper was a bundle of nerves.

It hadn’t been two weeks since his faster than light trip, a trip that ended up putting him at the gates of the Casa Di Roma, the main residence of the Union’s most distinguished diplomatic family.

Naturally, this resulted in a chorus of barking dogs, searchlights so powerful it took a day for his vision to fully recover and the sneering eyes of many nobles carving a mark into his soul. He was treated well, albeit with a hint of suspicion, and as far as stories go, getting to meet the Prince and Princess of the Di Roma family wasn’t an awful story to tell any future kids.

Luca and Lilliana Di Roma.

Dorian didn’t know what to expect when meeting them. Upon being led into a stately room by a guard, he set eyes on two teenagers. Both looked about his age. One looked decidedly happier to see him than the other. He couldn’t help but following Lilliana’s gaze until he was seated. His other interrogator split his gaze between Dorian and a stained glass window on the left side of the room.

Lilliana didn’t waste any time. She immediately got into Dorian’s face, her nose pressed against his. “Talk, traitor.”

“I…I, ummm.”

“Oh? Lost your tongue? My palace guard told me you were very talkative earlier. Something about being a refugee in Union space and having the right to seek asylum?” She slammed her high heel clad foot on the desk. Dorian noted her long, tanned legs before he noticed the noise. “We don’t give asylum to spies!”

“I’m not a spy.” Dorian said clenching every part of his body to stop sweat cascading down his face. “It was exactly as I said. I am from Lugus, that’s true. I uncovered a Dome belonging to a disgraced member of a noble house. He was using synthetic life as slave labour and using the uprising to control the people.”

“We know all about Carwyn! It’s only because of our Father’s obsession with pacifism that we didn't send the entire fleet to recapture your rebellious behinds. Honestly, do you really expect me to believe that you were teleported here by a friend? They say the simplest lies catch people out the most. I suppose this isn't outside the possibility of your feeble bumpkin brain. Still, to have the audacity to turn up in front of my house. This deserves only one punishment.”

Lilliana reached into her dress. With a small sound that reminded him of his mum sharpening a knife on a cutting board, she produced a tiny dagger. Smirking she held it against one of Dorian’s fingers. “Pick one.”

Dorian could feel the blood move around his body and his heartbeat pounded in his throat. He tried to move against the restraints, but that only resulted in reddened skin. He didn’t want to give any satisfaction to the princess with the cat like grin, but she couldn’t help but cackle when a small whimper escaped his lips.

This was it. After all the trials and tribulations he had gone through, he was going to suffer at the hands of a sadist Royal. He would be destitute, cold.

Fingerless.

He shut his eyes tightly.

Nothing happened. He was saved by a long, theatrical sigh.

“Really Sisi darling, you have to make everything more trouble than it’s worth.” The other sibling turned around. He was tall and tanned like his sister with the same chestnut brown hair. Luca had his slicked back with gel, which enabled Dorian to see the mini dark brown freckles he had on his cheeks.

He strode up to Dorian with a flamboyant confidence. It was only when Luca got face-to-face with his captive that Dorian noticed the eye glitter and mascara that he wore quite proudly. “Well, aren't you just the most adorable little thing? I don't quite agree with the assessment of him being a country bumpkin Sisi. His fashion sense is quite daring. When was the last time you saw anyone in the household wear purple?”

“Oh, my stars Luca!” Liliana yelled indignantly. “Please don’t tell me you're going to take a shine to this one, too. You understand how difficult it is to interrogate people when you're trying to get in their pants, dearest Brother. Also, you know as well as I do, but people in this house don't wear purple because it will be too obvious. Oh look, I'm a royal, oh look, I wear purple. How droll.”

“I take offense to that.” Luca held his hand daintily to his mouth in a gasp. “Besides, how often is it we see someone our own age? We spend most of our time being tutored by people so old they could be ancient Greek philosophers. Is it so wrong that I'm happy someone I can talk to is here? Especially since he’s fashionable…And quite handsome.”

“See!? There it is again! I'm seriously going to have a word with Father about taking you off of interrogation duty.”

“Sisi, you wound me! I am wounded! Still, there are much easier ways to solve this. I know you enjoy inflicting pain on people you darling little sadist. It would be much easier just to plug this munchkin into a biological diagnostics machine. That tells us exactly who he is, and you don’t have to go about pretending to be a serial killer.”

“Oh, but I wanna!” Now it was Lilliana’s turn to pout. She flailed her arms and stamped her feet before giving in to her brother’s taunting stare. “Fine! We have a ball to prepare for, anyway”

Dorian expected the machine to be big like the ones back home. When Luca brought over a syringe sized device with a small but complex display on it, Dorian raised an eyebrow.”

“This won’t take long, my caged little bird.” Luca stabbed Dorian with the device. When the results appeared, both siblings gasped before letting out a high pitched girlish scream.

***

“You look beautiful, baby boy.”

“Thanks Mum.” Dorian stood nervously in front of the mirror. He couldn't help that watch as his knees buckled under the weight of what he was about to do. True, the pristine blue and yellow uniform of the Union diplomat training school looked very nice on him. That didn't stop the urge to vomit, though. “I didn’t think Grandpa’s name carried that much weight.”

“You're joking, right? You know how much these pompous Union folk put into name recognition. Once they confirmed that you were related to Aster Byron Pepper, Fleet Admiral, there was no way they could let you rot in a cell. If word got out, the outcry would be huge.” she rubbed her son's hair playfully. “it also helps that you helped arrest Therion. Everyone was really repentant about their racism now that the big man had gone.”

“It still makes no sense to me why they would lie about the reason Lugus left. Lilliana said that they could've just taken us back by force. Did they really think we weren't worth it?”

Rowan shrugged. “Optics. the Union probably wanted to sweep it under the rug too. Controlling billions of people is a balancing act. Any small thing could tip it over. They probably decided our backwater planet wasn't worth the hassle.”

Dorian was always surprised at the knowledge of his Mother. He was the first person she collected from Lugus after all the business was over, and the only person he wanted to experience everything that the Union offered, and he did. From throwing up the first time he took a ride in a gravity car, to spending thirty six hours straight in the virtual reality arcade. He couldn't think of anyone else he wanted to spend the time with.

Well, there was one other.

"Mum, have you heard from Avery since…”

“No Dorian, I'm sorry. We know he's alive, but we get the impression that he just wants to live his own life. Rest assured the people of the Dome are still doing well and still creating. We've even got them helping with farming as well. It took awhile. They didn't really like the idea of dirt under the fingernails, but Avery convinced them eventually. He's become quite the little leader.”

“I knew he would.”

“Anyway, you've got your own life to consider. I heard that Prince Luca invited you to the ball. Did you accept?”

“Oh…yeah. I thought it might be a good…A good idea to make connections, since I'm going to be training to be a diplomat and all.”

His Mother screamed like a schoolgirl. “Oh, my baby boy is on his first date! With a Prince no less. Oh my goodness, I'm going to have to dress up a little, start learning to curtsy.”

“It’s not a date date. It's two friends attending a gathering. It's not like two boys attending a function together is unheard of.”

“Uh huh, whatever you say, sweetheart. I'm off to get ready. I'll see you soon. Can you believe I have my own on-call assistants? If Dad could see us now."

Mum closed the door, and Dorian was alone. He was surprised at how lonely these new things made him feel. He always imagine he would be doing them with his best friend, not trying to barrel his way through Union life alone.

As he looked out the window at the stars he had not yet become accustomed to, he silently prayed to his grandfather that Avery would be okay. He decided there and then that he would embrace his new life and become the best person he could be.

When he met Avery again, Dorian would be somebody he can return to.

Deciding that the new chapter of his life warranted a new project. He sat down at his desk and opened his well worn leather poetry notebook.

At the top of the page was the title of the first poem to celebrate his new experiences. He titled the poem the same as the one he had written in the Dome, the one he would eventually give to Avery.

Ode to the Stars.