Renegade

Renegade Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Finally Aria was back home. It was good to see her many cousins again, but it was also nice to have the last bit of quiet time before the grad ball tonight to herself. Now in those last few moments of quiet, she was laying on her bed in her favorite silk pajamas, staring up at the blue velvet canopy. She was thinking, about Rex, about the party that was being held in her honor in an hour, and sometimes about nothing at all. The silk sheets, which had been changed since that morning, felt cool and comfortable under her skin.

A knock on the door pulled her out of her reverie. "May I come in, Ria?" called a booming voice. It was her father, Sebastien Allistair.

"Sure, Dad," she called back. "You know you don't have to ask."

In stepped the leader of the Terran Empire. "Um, well, I didn't know if you were, uh decent," he stuttered. He held a small boxs in his hand that was wrapped in white satin.

Aria sat up on the side of her bed, and patted the space next to her, inviting her father to sit down next her. She had her father's black hair and green eyes, but otherwise she looked like her late mother.

"I've never really been good at this dad stuff, but I want to know how you've been today. Petro told me you had another nightmare this morning," he said awkwardly.

Aria liked to see this side of her father. It was a good reminder that even her father, the strong and unshakable Emperor Sebastien Allistair, was still human.

"Dad, I know that for the cameras I say I'm fine, and I am trying, but it is getting really, really hard," Aria started, her voice cracking suddenly. She squeezed her eyes shut trying to head off the flow of tears.

Her dad put his arm around her shoulder pulled her close. "Ria, I know how much Rex means to you. I know you love him. He was there for you when your mother died, five years ago. It was just after you two were betrothed and you weren't too close yet."

He stopped for a bit to hug his daughter again. The satin handkerchief was unwrapped from around the mystery box, and used to wipe away some of Aria's tears.

"A bond that close and that quickly doesn't go away."

Aria interrupted her father. "Why would somebody want to abduct him? He didn't hurt anyone."

"I don't know, Ria. But I can tell you that when that person is caught, they will be punished to the full extent of the law."

She nodded, wiping more tears away with her arm. "What's in the box?" she asked, changing the subject, not wanting to be a teary mess for the party.

Her dad took the small box in his hand. Without the handkerchief, Aria could see that a jewellery box of some kind. It, like the handkerchief was white, but on the lid it had a silver crest printed on it. It wasn't the crest of the imperial house, but Aria did recognize it.

"Is that Mom's old family crest, from before you and her were married?" she asked her father, wanting to confirm what she thought.

"Yes, Aria," he said while opening the box. Inside was a beautiful hair ornament made of silver and gemstones. A band of opals intertwined and circled around another, thicker band of sapphires and yellow diamonds. "It's an heirloom from your mother's mother's family. It has been passed down from oldest daughter to oldest daughter on the eighteenth birthday for I don't know how long. Your mother was going to give it to you, but, well, you know. So I'm doing it."

New tears came to Aria's eyes. This time they were bittersweet instead of sad. "Thanks, Dad," she sighed.

"It would look lovely with your dress tonight," Sebastien hinted not-so-subtly, elbowing his daughter in the side slightly. They both started to laugh a bit.

Aria's father stood up to leave and smoothed out his white coat and pants. He did look rather imposing dressed in his military uniform, with all of his medals, and the gold trim. "Now, there are a few provincial governors I need to entertain a bit before the balls begin. I'll send in Maria and Rose to help you get all dressed up." He closed the palm sized box and left it on the bed next to Aria.

Right before he exited Aria's room he said to her, "No matter what happens, stay strong, my iron rose."