Cerise’s scarlet gardens are legendary. Sculpted to perfection by Kalique Abrasax over the course of thousands of years, the planet and its five moons are a sight to behold. The second oldest sibling’s alcazar is vast and surrounded by waterfalls. There is no denying that Hokulani likes it, especially its open rooms that lead out to balconies. With Titus’s clipper still in custody, he is also in residence. That has her worried, but if Hokulani can handle Balem, she can handle his two younger siblings. Even if she has to push them both off of a splendid balcony.
It is here that Hokulani weaves her story, a mix of partial truths and lies. Neither sibling truly knows why their brother chose to take her from her family, why he kept her as his pet bodyguard. That is between her and her Lord, but that does not mean she can’t twist the truth a little to suit her needs.
Balem has kept her in service against her will. Blackmail, threats of getting rid of her family’s descendants. She wove a tale of cruelty. If she hadn’t been a bodyguard, she could have been an actress. Of course Kalique took her in, gave her her very own rooms, and spent the next few days deciding what to actually do with her. She has plenty of maids and ladies-in-waiting. Finally, it’s decided that Hokulani will be her bodyguard.
Hoku almost punched her in her pretty aristocratic face.
The days crawl by slowly. Titus is relentless in his pursuit of her, even after she’s caught him several times with a few of Kalique’s girls. While Hoku avoided him as much as she can, she also needs information. Flirting. Flirting works, even if she has to force herself to smile, to hold herself back from punching the youngest Abrasax when he touches her arm or hand or hair, as if he has every right to. It seems he’s grown bolder, now that Balem is “dead”.
It takes time, as she knows it would. Kalique knows Hoku can’t be trusted, even subconsciously, because she is vague as ever. Still, Hoku persists, even as she longs to return to her Lord’s side.
The days passed slowly. From where he was, Balem saw and heard everything, though there was no news from Hokulani. He didn’t expect her to return within a few days; even she needed time to gather as much information as possible. While the STING of Kalique’s betrayal was slowly ebbing away, he wanted to be sure that when he did show himself, it was to a family DEVOTED to him and his continued rule.
For years, he lived knowing that both younger siblings wanted nothing but his share of the family holdings. And with majority of those holdings left to his Recurrence, he wondered just how desperate they were for wealth. And maybe a part of him was curious to learn if his brother and sister really loved him.
But of course, he wasn’t going to admit that. He wasn’t exactly known for his sentiment, and he wasn’t going to be viewed as WEAK.
The tiger – whom Hokulani had named Balem, apparently – became his constant companion, shadowing him everywhere he went. Any perceived threat to his person was met with a growl and even a show of teeth, depending on the level of danger. But aside from the androids, there was no one else in the house. For the first time in millennia, he was surrounded by peace and quiet. He remembered his mother wishing that she could be surrounded by silence, but at the time he didn’t understand WHY. Now he did. It was a refreshing experience, and at times he even considered LEAVING everything behind.
But he couldn’t just erase thousands of years’ worth of experience. Being a businessman was the only thing he knew how to do well, and to turn his back on the Abrasax Empire was unthinkable. He was a profiteer, nothing more.
With his mind set, he waited patiently for her message, which would help him decide what to do about Kalique and Titus.
