There was a sort of playful energy to her that exhausted him a bit even to watch, but it wasn’t a bad feeling. She was what she was, entertainment for the audience. They didn’t need to be her to appreciate her.
And her voice truly was mesmerizing. Even Faren had to admit that, though he very rarely grasped music. Sounds were something that merely happened to him. His valor squares sent out sounds known to attract the enemy, but music wasn’t something he easily understood. Listening to Leiya, he thought he at least came closer to seeing what other people got from it.
All around him, people were swaying along with her melodies but more so with her, the words she was singing. She held them all at the palm of her little hands, and Faren couldn’t help but be impressed.
Also, relieved. At least for a short time while the star was on stage, no one seemed particularly interested in him. He stood as away from others as he possibly could, and Leiya managed to make them forget there was a feared general in the room with them. It wasn’t something Faren had often experienced before and honestly found himself liking being out of the center of attention.
“She’s quite something, isn’t she,” a voice said, and there went his peace of mind.
With the whole Rhea dispute, the collective reputation of the senators had taken a heavy hit. Months had passed, and the Brions had slowly but surely found out all the details, even if things naturally got exaggerated in rumors. They didn’t blame the Elders for hiding Rhea from them, it wasn’t the Brion way to doubt them. They understood.
It wasn’t as easy with the senators. The guiltiest of them were dead by Faren and Diego’s hands, a justice delivered to them on Rhea’s surface before the eyes of the whole galaxy. High Senator Eren who had used his year in power to nearly push them into extinction had been the last to die. Yes, the ones stupid enough to hold on to their misguided views were dead.
In Faren’s mind, that left the most dangerous ones still roaming around.
When Gawen had died, and Diego had had almost no support from the senators, he had taken note of those who opposed them. Faren didn’t like senators by default – their whole being was built around lies and deceit.
One by one, as it became more obvious that Diego was truly on the side of the Elders, the senators began to defect. The father of the starlet on stage was among the first, so Faren was of a mind to give him a quick death the next time he crossed the line. Senator Tawren hadn’t wanted to part with Rhea, an argument Faren could understand. He’d been able to admit he was wrong. That was a sign of a man to him.
But the one standing before him had been the last. Faren felt his hands clench in fury that only rose to surface within him when his deepest beliefs were under attack.
He’d argued against forgiving any of the senators that had sided with Eren, especially the ones who had jumped ship last. He’d been prepared to be lenient with the early leavers, even if it grated on his sense of honor.#p#分页标题#e#
Diego and Eleya, the new High Senator and their most trusted ally within their ranks, had convinced him otherwise. Senators still had to rule Briolina in the absence of the Elders. They couldn’t bear to have their office stripped of all members and all trust. They had to stay.
Yes, the one standing before him with a sly smirk playing on his lips was definitely the one who Faren had the hardest time forgiving. Most of all because he had no intention of doing so.
“Senator Primen,” he said, the words feeling like ash on his tongue.
“General Faren,” the senator said. “I must say I didn’t expect to meet you here.”
Faren said nothing. The need to kill was almost unbearable in his heart. He focused on the arguments Diego and Eleya had made. They were still trying to show the Galactic union they weren’t mindless killers. The Elders had forgiven the senators for the sake of their legitimacy. He couldn’t ruin all that in a fit of anger.
The senator’s eyes were cold as he continued.
“Although I can’t say it’s a pleasant surprise.”
An ugly smirk twisted the corners of Faren’s mouth upwards.
“I can’t imagine it is,” he said. He’d given in to Diego and Eleya, but that didn’t stop him from keeping an eye on Primen. It didn’t go unnoticed, nor unanswered. He and Diego were heroes on Briolina right about then – although heroes parents used to scare their children with. Their words carried weight and so did their opinions.
He allowed himself to relish the look of pure loathing Primen gave him, knowing quite well he’d caused him a lot of trouble and cost him his position. Primen was no longer the bright future he’d been when he was younger. Now he was merely tolerated, kept an eye on. He was a loser of a war that didn’t happen, and everyone knew it.
The hate almost oozed off him, but Primen had to know that if he wanted to keep his life, he couldn’t do anything stupid. Not to mention he was a mere senator, while Faren was one of the most feared men in all the galaxy. He could have crushed Primen’s throat in his fist like it was nothing but an annoying bug buzzing around his head.
The moment passed and Primen put on the face all senators wore these days when having to deal with the generals. One of easy, respectful delight. It was so fake it hurt to watch.
“I suppose it’s understandable, though,” the senator said. “Receptions are a place to meet one’s fated, after all. I have hopes in that regard myself.”
Faren followed the senator’s line of sight up to the stage where the starlet was finishing her performance with a magnificent aria. It had to sound amazing to all those who appreciated music. Something twisted in his stomach at the thought of that bright creature in the hands of someone like Primen.
“Why her?” he asked, curious despite himself.
“I’ve had my eye on her for a while now. She was a very talented child, and as you can surely see, has grown into a very beautiful woman. Even if she’s not my gesha, though I wouldn’t count that impossible anymore, I imagine she’ll be a good fuck.”
Something about that anymore told Faren without any doubt that Primen knew she was a human too. That was interesting as well. Yet there was something even more out of place and that was how much the senator's words bothered him.
Faren had heard a lot of things being said about Leiya that night. Among others there had been a rumor that for all of her popularity, she’d only ever been with two men. He didn’t point it out to Primen. Instead, from a place deep inside him came a low, dangerous growl that battle-hardened warriors ran from,
“Stay away from her.”
He turned his back to the senator, trying to tell himself the smirk he’d seen on Primen’s lips didn’t mean he’d just done something he never did – he’d made a mistake.
CHAPTER SIX
Leiya
Her first reception, Leiya thought.
She had two options – stop smiling or stop skipping, she couldn’t do both. That just wasn’t possible. She chose skipping, because it would have looked kind of foolish to skip and not smile. So there was that.
The concert was over, and it had been magical, just like she’d wanted. And to top it all off, Leiya was pretty sure her stage awareness hadn’t completely failed her. She was positive that she’d seen the recognizing moment happen during the song she’d written exactly with that hope in mind. She’d been so happy she’d nearly forgotten the lyrics, but her audience was so enthralled that they hadn’t even noticed her stumbling over a note.#p#分页标题#e#
Now that her performance was done, she could just be a guest like everyone else and look to see if her fated was somewhere in the crowd.
There are just so many people here, he has to be here. I swear the whole of Briolina is here.
The reception hall was so big she could barely see the other end. If friends lost each other in that room, it was pretty much impossible to meet up again until after the party had ended. Leiya was sure it was done on purpose. It made people mingle more, and thus they had better chances of meeting their fated like they were supposed to.
Her friends looked as dazed as she did. Their eyes were shining as brightly as hers, though Leiya didn’t know if she should dare to hope. Some of her friends didn’t believe in the receptions at all, even if they had a fair success rate. After all, Brion bindings usually took some really emotional or personal moment to happen. Like hearing my song! Sometimes it wasn’t obvious in the moment, but later turned out to have happened at exactly the right time.
Still, bindings were difficult. Fate didn’t usually match up two people who had no chance of meeting. For example, it was highly unlikely Leiya’s fated would be on the other side of Briolina. But the happenstance could also come completely unexpectedly – after all, hadn’t General Diego Grothan found his gesha from Terra? And a human at that? Leiya was still trying to wrap her mind around that, but the Elders hadn’t said anything negative. The bindings were sacred, and if Diego’s fated was a human, it bothered no one.
Leiya had always felt jealous of the recognizing moment. Why couldn’t women find their fated, why did it have to be the gerion who found them? She would have loved to walk around the reception’s grounds and let her eyes brush over all the handsome men present. And then she would feel that amazing, magical moment, and she could tap on someone’s shoulder and say they were meant to be.