“I have to attend the full two weeks of court events for the winter festival?” Karis asked incredulously.

“Yes, Your Imperial Highness.” Adem nodded firmly. “That’s the instructions I was told to pass along to you from Otniel. Which means it comes from His Imperial Majesty. You’ll be on the dais with your father, which means you’ll need to be in full formal array all two weeks.”

“I do not have enough formal outfits to get through the entire two weeks without repeating something.” Karis felt a momentary stab of panic. “That is tantamount to suicide at court. Even I know that.” It had been nearly eight months since he’d joined his father and nothing but his scholarly pursuits were coming easily to him.

“His Imperial Majesty understands that. There’s to be a tailor and a stylist in to see you this morning. They’ve only got a few days to get everything ready, so it’ll be a quick session. The tailor will be working night and day to get all twenty eight outfits ready for you,” Adem informed him.

“Twenty eight? Father means to outfit me completely?” Karis shook his head.

“His Imperial Majesty does not wish you to appear in anything you’ve worn to court before, plus the style has changed so you need to make sure you’re in fashion with the rest of the young men.” Adem shrugged. “Or so I picked up from all the gossip.”

“Are my lessons going to continue for those two weeks?” Karis knew nothing about the winter festival as the ladies in the courtesan wing had been excluded from it other than the high feasts.

“I doubt it. Everything stops at court during the winter festival,” Adem told him. “The only people who keep working are the clerks because even if the ministers take the time off, the government can’t cease to function for those two weeks.”

“Good point.” Karis wondered why the court took a full two weeks off. It wasn’t as if any of them ever did much work to begin with.

Karis dressed and ate. A few minutes after Adem left, the Imperial guards let in two men who looked every bit as officious as any other court functionary Karis had encountered. “Your Imperial Highness.” They bowed as the taller of the two spoke. “I am Milenko, your stylist. This is Stephanos, your tailor. We are here to get you ready for the winter festival.”

“He’s not as scrawny as His Imperial Majesty said he was,” Stephanos commented. “That’s good. The clothing will hang properly on him.”

“We need to take some measurements and then I will show you the current fashion. We can discuss colors and fabric textures and then we’ll be out of your way.” Milenko pulled out the familiar scanning wand.

“All right.” Karis waited to see what they wanted him to do. They had him strip down and took his measurements. He got dressed again while Milenko pulled something up on his pad.

“This is the current fashion for young men of rank, Your Imperial Highness.” Milenko showed him what the male fashion mavens had come up with most recently.

“That looks uncomfortable, but I suppose comfort is the last thing people think of when they design new fashions for court.” Karis looked the design over. “At least that is what my mother always said.”

“Comfort does seem to be low on the priority list,” Milenko smiled. “But this isn’t as uncomfortable as it looks. Truly, Your Imperial Highness. It will be easy for you to move in and shouldn’t be too restrictive across the chest and shoulders.”

“I will take your word for it.” Karis regarded the fashion with a skeptical eye. “What colors and textures do you recommend? I usually prefer dark colors, but I have a feeling those are not going to be appropriate.”

“I would say a dark blue and a dark green would not look out of place on the royal dais.” Milenko made a note. “But we should also look at warmer colors. Your coloration, Your Imperial Highness, would lend itself well to a warm amber. Also, we might want to look at this shade of brown.” He showed a color that Karis didn’t have a name for but was warm and almost alive.

“I think those two sound good too.” Karis nodded.

“Yellow?” Stephanos asked.

“Oh no, Stephanos, absolutely not.” Milenko looked almost offended. “We are not trying to make him look garish. A deep red maybe? No, I think His Imperial Majesty would take offense to that color. He doesn’t like to be reminded of blood.”

“Nothing that would offend my father, please. I have enough trouble with him as it is.” Karis sighed. That still hadn’t changed.

“Silver?” Stephanos looked at Karis with a thoughtful expression on his face.

“Maybe.” Milenko frowned as he took in Karis’ brown hair, brown eyes, and lightly tanned skin. “I’m not sure silver is the right tone for him though.”

“Copper or bronze?” Stephanos suggested.

“Now a good bronze would work beautifully.” Milenko lit up at that. “Perhaps a more spring shade of green too, Stephanos? What do you think?”

“Too bright.” Stephanos shook his head. “Fall orange?”

“Oh, that orange that has a hint of brown in it? That would work.” Milenko noted that down along with the bronze. “We have dark blue, dark green, brown, bronze, and fall orange. That’s five. We need just a few more colors to work with.” They discussed it a little longer and settled on several other colors, most in varying shades of what they’d already picked, before deciding on texture and fabrics. Once they were done, the two men bowed and left the room.

Beecher entered a few minutes after they left. “I trust your morning appointment went well?”

“I forgot what it was like working with a stylist and a tailor.” Karis shook his head. “They are very fussy.”

Beecher smiled. “They have to be, Your Imperial Highness. You are going to be on display for two weeks. Their work must be the absolute best it can be otherwise they will lose face. Now, even though you will be on a break, I trust you will continue to read in whatever free time you have.”

“I will read as often as I have the time,” Karis promised.

“Excellent. Now, our time is brief today because of your morning appointment so let’s get started and see how far we get.” The two got to work.

After lunch Karis went to the training hall. He and Narin were still working on his fighting skills. Narin had increased his laps to ten at full speed, and Karis found it difficult to keep up his full speed for all ten, but he did his best and it was getting easier the longer he practiced at it.

After his laps, he did his stretches and made his way to the mats. Narin was waiting for him. “You only slowed down once. I’m impressed. Your endurance is improving. Now, let’s begin.” Narin lunged for him.

Karis reacted with one of the intermediate moves as a counter and blocked Narin’s attack. This was something new. Narin usually just drilled him. She didn’t outright attack him. Narin shifted her attack to something else, and Karis adjusted his reaction to match. For several minutes they sparred until Narin stepped back.

“I see he has improved. He is still not good enough.” They turned to see Vespasian standing in the doorway.

“We’re still working on technique, Your Imperial Majesty. He’s proven to me he’s learned his lessons well.” Narin watched the emperor with narrowed eyes.

“He will be unable to defend himself if he is attacked during the winter festival, Narin.” Vespasian glared at her.

“He’ll do fine, Your Imperial Majesty.” Narin put a hand on Karis’ shoulder. “He can defend himself well enough to call for help. The Imperial guards will come to his aid before it becomes too serious. I’ll teach him some vibroblade techniques before the break, so he isn’t completely defenseless.”

“He will be two weeks without your lessons. Do you really think he will be able to remember what you have taught him, Narin?” Vespasian gave his son a disdainful look.

“I’ll be merciless if he forgets what he’s learned in the last eight months in only two weeks, Your Imperial Majesty,” Narin said.

“He is not that bright, Narin. He probably will forget it all.” Vespasian was as dismissive of his son as he always was.

Karis bit his tongue and didn’t reply. Today was not the day to risk a beating. Narin only had a few days to teach him what he needed to know. Any other day, he’d have talked back and dealt with the consequences. With the limited time he had, he wanted to spend every moment of it learning what he had to in order to survive an assassination attempt.

“He’s smarter than you give him credit for, Your Imperial Majesty,” Narin told him reassuringly. “I’m not sure I could have learned as much as he did in eight months, and I was trained in this from an even younger age. I have every faith in His Imperial Highness’ ability to retain what he’s learned.”

“We will see.” Vespasian turned and walked out.

“Why do I bother trying to please him? I will never be good enough in his eyes.” Karis scowled.

“Don’t give up, Your Imperial Highness.” Narin squeezed his shoulder. “He’s a hard man but you may surprise him yet. Now, let’s get you started with the vibroblade. I only have a few days to get you marginally proficient with it. His Imperial Majesty didn’t tell me he was including you in the winter festival until this morning, or I’d have been training you in this a lot longer.”

Karis was handed a vibroblade and directed to one of the strange machines. He learned the basic tactics of blade fighting that day. He came out of that session bruised and sore. When he tried to give her back the vibroblade, Narin shook her head. “You mean I am supposed to keep it?”

“That’s your weapon now, Your Imperial Highness. Here’s the sheath. I suggest wearing it tucked against your spine as His Imperial Majesty does so you always have a weapon on you.” Narin regarded him solemnly. “Get used to always keeping it on you. It could save your life.”

“Yes Trainer Wil.” Karis hooked the blade to his belt at the base of his spine. It felt strange there, stiff and unyielding. Just like my father, he thought. He went back to his chambers.

He took a shower and dressed, reluctantly hooking the vibroblade in place so he could get used to having it on him. He ate and sat and read, shifting periodically as the blade jabbed him in the back. He read until late and then went to bed. He put the blade on his nightstand so he would remember to put it on in the morning.

The next morning Adem arrived at his usual time. Karis got up, showered, and dressed. He slid the vibroblade into place. “I take it you have to wear that now?” Adem asked as he watched Karis attach the blade to his belt.

“Yes, and I do not like it.” Karis regarded his servant solemnly. “But Trainer Wil says my father carries two, and I should get used to always carrying my one blade with me. I have to wear it. It is uncomfortable, but I suppose if I get caught by an assassin without my guards, it will be useful in keeping me alive long enough for my guards to catch up with me.”

“Good philosophy.” Adem looked at him. “I’ve heard His Imperial Majesty has used his at least four times during his reign. You might find you need yours too.”

“I am still getting used to it, but I suppose once I become more proficient with it, I will cease to notice it as much.” Karis shifted his belt a little to try to make it more comfortable.

Karis ate breakfast and did his morning lessons, trying hard to ignore the blade at his back. He ate lunch and then went to the training room. He didn’t even ask what he needed to do. He got in and immediately ran his ten laps and did his stretches.

“Good to see I don’t need to tell you what to do anymore,” Narin told him approvingly. “Now, we’re going to forego the usual fighting practice today. We are focusing solely on the vibroblade. Yesterday we practiced a few slashes and things. Today we’re going back to the most basic thing of all – getting it out of its sheathe and activated.”

It took the better part of two hours before Karis could draw and activate the blade without fumbling it. Narin then took him to the machine and had him practice drawing and activating it and then hitting the machine with the slashes he’d learned the previous day for an hour. The last hour she spent teaching him some other techniques.

“One more day.” Karis looked at Narin.

“Yes, one more day.” Narin gave him a very serious look. “Tomorrow is going to be even more intense than today was, so be prepared.”

“Yes Trainer Wil.” Karis left the training room.

He was sore, tired, and just wanted his dinner and his book and his bed. He retreated to his rooms and was startled to find Adem waiting for him. “You’re to have dinner with His Imperial Majesty and one of his courtesans tonight,” Adem informed him. “His Imperial Majesty decreed that about an hour ago.”

“Let me shower and then we can get me dressed for a formal dinner,” Karis told him.

Adem nodded. Karis showered and dressed, sliding his vibroblade into place at the small of his back. His father would be looking for signs of weakness and he was not about to show any. He wondered which courtesan it was going to be. He didn’t believe it would be his mother. His father wasn’t that kind.

When he was ready, his guards took him to the emperor’s private chambers. It took a few minutes, but he was finally admitted. “Karis?” Kaelea seemed stunned to see him there.

“Hello Mother.” Vespasian was watching. Karis didn’t rush to embrace his mother like he wanted to. He knew his father would just punish him for any kind of emotional outburst.

“You look well.” Kaelea looked from Karis to Vespasian and back again.

“I am fine, Mother.” Karis knew she was confused by his coldness. “Father is seeing to my training as he said he would.”

“I see.” Kaelea frowned.

“I told you the boy was in good health, Kaelea.” Vespasian was irritated. “I do not know why you did not believe me.”

“I know your temper, Your Imperial Majesty,” Kaelea pointed out. “Karis can be stubborn, and I wasn’t sure if you’d managed to keep your temper enough to bond with him or if you were treating him the same way you did when you collected him.”

“I have not changed my demeanor towards the boy.” Vespasian was as cold and dismissive as he always was when discussing Karis. “The boy has accepted his place and is acting like a proper Imperial prince should.”

“I see.” Kaelea regarded them both with a faint frown on her face.

A servant walked in and spoke quietly in Vespasian’s ear. “I must see to something. I will return shortly. Boy, you will entertain Kaelea until I get back.” He left the room.

Kaelea and Karis stared at each other for a moment. There were no servants, no guards, no one in the room but the two of them. Karis broke down and ran into his mother’s arms. Kaelea hugged him tightly. “Oh Karis,” she murmured.

“He is awful, Mother.” Karis buried his face in her shoulder. “He is absolutely awful.”

“Tell me.” Karis gave her a terse account of the problems he was having with Vespasian, including the incident where he’d thrown him off the four meter high climbing wall and broken his back and the constant beatings Karis suffered from speaking up for himself. “He what?” Kaelea looked at her son in shock.

“He is impossible, Mother. He regularly tries to kill me, though he never follows through because we both know I am his only choice for an heir,” Karis told her.

“That man is a monster.” Kaelea stroked her son’s hair.

“I have to spend the entire two weeks of the festival with him at court. I am not thrilled with the idea. Do you know, in the eight months I have been out of the wing, only one person has used my name? Father calls me ‘the boy’ or just ‘boy’. Everyone else calls me ‘Your Imperial Highness’. My trainer has called me by my name a few times, but even she mostly calls me Your Imperial Highness. I just wish I could hear my name. It is not that hard.” Karis scowled.

“I wish I could do something, Karis.” Kaelea put a hand on his face. “I have no authority over you anymore, and your father doesn’t listen to anyone. I could try, but he never does so it would be wasted effort.”

“No, Mother. I do not want him getting upset with you.” Karis held her hand against his cheek. “If I am lucky, he will let me have dinner with the two of you again so I can occasionally hear my name spoken by someone who cares about me.”

“When you didn’t come to hug me, I thought maybe he’d gotten to you with his nonsense.” Kaelea looked at him with some fear.

“I was avoiding being punished for being soft.” Karis scowled.

“Is that what he does?” Kaelea looked at her son. Karis nodded. “Your father could do with a little more compassion.”

“In his world, there is no room for compassion and kindness.” Karis shook his head. “He thinks you cannot be an emperor with those traits. Which is absolute nonsense because there have been some great emperors who showed compassion and kindness and still managed to rule the galaxy quite well.”

“You’ll be one of those emperors, Karis.” Kaelea patted his cheek. “Don’t let your father change you.”

“I refuse to let that man change me. Even if it means being at odds with him for the rest of his life. I will not let him alter who I am.” Karis smiled at his mother.

They both heard the door open, and Karis took a few steps back. Vespasian entered the room. “I trust you two have had a reasonable conversation while I was away?”

“Yes, Your Imperial Majesty.” Kaelea looked at her son. “Karis has just been telling me about what has been happening to him since he left the courtesan wing.”

 “I am not pleased by his progress in his physical classes, but his scholar teacher tells me he is progressing well.” Vespasian looked disdainfully at Karis.

“What’s wrong with his progress in his physical classes?” Kaelea gave him a confused look.

“He is not progressing as fast as I expect him to,” Vespasian told her.

“He is still a child, Your Imperial Majesty. He will not make extensive progress until he’s older.” Kaelea glanced at her son and Karis gave her a look.

“That is what Narin tells me.” Vespasian scowled. “I expect results from the training, and I am not getting what I expect.”

“He looks like he’s put on some muscle.” Kaelea looked Karis up and down.

“Has he?” Vespasian frowned. “He still looks as scrawny as he did the day I took him out of the courtesan wing to me.”

“He’s definitely put on some muscle. He’s broader across the chest and shoulders than he was when I last saw him.” Kaelea walked around Karis as she spoke.

“It could be the shirt he is wearing.” Vespasian was as dismissive of Kaelea as he was of Narin and that annoyed Karis even more.

“No, I’m quite certain he’s put on muscle, Your Imperial Majesty,” Kaelea confirmed.

“I see.” Vespasian frowned at his son, trying to see what his mother saw. A servant brought in the food, and they all sat at the small table.

Karis didn’t speak as he ate. He listened as his parents spoke of random things, neither of them doing anything to elicit a response from him. When they were finished, they sat there for a moment while the servants cleared the dishes away. “Thank you for inviting Karis to dinner with us, Your Imperial Majesty.” Kaelea glanced at her son. “I am pleased to see he’s doing so well.”

“You were asking about him and I thought this was the best way to answer all of your questions,” Vespasian told her. He turned to Karis. “Boy, your guards are waiting. Return to your room.”

“Yes, Father.” Karis rose. “Have a pleasant evening, Mother.”

“You too, Karis.” Kaelea smiled at him. Both of them wanted to say more, to embrace each other again, but neither said or did anything. They knew the emperor would not approve.

Karis walked out into the corridor and was met by his guards. “I take it His Imperial Majesty’s through with you, Your Imperial Highness?” one of the guards asked.

“He is.” Karis nodded.

“Then we should get you back to your room.” The guards fell into their familiar positions around him.

“That is where he said I needed to go.” Karis followed his guards back to his room.

Once inside he rang for Adem. Adem arrived a short while later. “I take it dinner went about as well as you expected, Your Imperial Highness?” Adem helped Karis out of his formal clothes and into something he could relax in.

“It was pleasant enough.” Karis smiled. “The courtesan we had dinner with was my mother, and it was good to see her again. Mostly I sat and listened, but I was able to have a few private words with her.”

“I’m glad to hear you had a nice evening, Your Imperial Highness.” Adem tugged on his shirt to settle it properly.

“Any chance I get to see my mother is appreciated. Even if I have to spend time with my father to do it.” He curled up on the couch.

Adem grinned. “That’s the best way to look at it, Your Imperial Highness. Anything else I can do for you this evening?”

“Not right now, Adem.” Karis picked up his pad. “I will call you when I am ready to go to bed.” “Sounds good, Your Imperial Highness.” Adem took himself off and Karis started reading.