“We gotta go,” I called to Violet, heading to a stairwell with my brother. “But you can watch from below, don’t worry you’ll be able to see everything.”
And Violet nodded, her eyes sparkling, but also wistful and sad at the same time. I thought I saw a sheen of tears but that was to be expected. After all, her twin sons were moving on, moving onto a new life, a new woman, and a new job. It was all new beginnings from here on out … and yet there was so much to remember.
KRISTIAN
My dad was staring at himself in the mirror as we waited in a hallway, ready to be called out onto the dais. He brushed his grey hair this way and that, rearranging the wispy strands over his bald spot.
“Looking good big guy,” he muttered to himself, “looking good.”
And I shrugged. Georg wasn’t looking good, he was fifty and overweight, with a huge paunch and scrawny legs, but that wasn’t my problem. After all, the King did what he wanted and no one could tell him otherwise.
“Come on,” I gestured to my two body men. “It’s about to start.”
And Kato and Karl made their way forward slowly, their imposing frames heavy and athletic, stepping out from the shadows. They remained still, silent, their faces impassive, impossible to read.
Because Karl and Kato always been curiously quiet around the King. It’s not that they’re rude or insolent or any unprofessional shit like that, it’s that they don’t say much, don’t show much. I’ve always chalked it up to being professional soldiers. Combat makes men hard, I’ve seen it with the vets that I work with, and I guess the hardness can set in early, forming an impenetrable shell. Well, they’d loosen up over time. The quality of our lives with Tina was a balm to our souls, her energy, her light so amazing and uplifting at once, we found ourselves laughing without realizing why sometimes.
And at that moment, the trumpets stopped playing, the crowd growing hushed. That was our cue. My dad and I stepped onto the dais, looking out over the crowd below, Georg all smiles, jovial and red-faced.
“My people,” he declared, waving an arm expansively. “Thank you for joining us at the marvelous event. The White Gala is a tribute to the greatness of St. Venetia, our city-state’s gallant history and rapturous future.”
I tried not to roll my eyes. Most likely, Dad had written the speech himself, it was so ridiculous. Gallant history? Rapturous future? It was so flowery, so over-the-top, so one hundred percent Georg.
But the crowd ate it up, bursting into applause, murmurs of approval running through the air. So my dad continued.
“We are here today to celebrate the induction of two new warriors into the esteemed brotherhood of Legionnaires, established by my ancestor, Karon the Fifth in 1512 as a contingent of personal body men for the royal family,” continued my dad. “We welcome these two gallant knights into the brotherhood as loyal servants of the King, serpents of the staff, and centurions of the future!”
I schooled myself to remain impassive, the metaphors really getting to me. Hopefully people weren’t laughing behind their hands, they realized this was just Georg being Georg. But on cue, Karl and Kato came out, striding onto the dais confidently, their bearing immaculate, soldiers to the core.
The men dropped to one knee before my father, one arm crossed across their chests. And my dad took a long staff, ready to touch them on each shoulder. It was kinda like being knighted, there was just no title associated with the induction.
“Do you swear to beloyal of hand and of staff, seeking to serve every man as best ye may? Seek ye the fellowship of good men, hearken unto their words and remember them?” My dad droned on and on, reciting the pledge of the Legionnaires, reading off a teleprompter now.
But finally, he got to the end.
“And do you, Karl and Kato …” he sputtered for a moment, eyes bugging wide.
What was the problem? Did the teleprompter malfunction? Did he get a crick in his throat for some reason? Who knew? Georg took a deep breath and started again.
“Do you, Karl and Kato Smith-Venetia, solemnly swear to obey the fiat of the Legionnaires, commit yourself to the Brotherhood wholeheartedly, and become one with the true faith?”
I started then, trying to keep my expression calm. Smith-Venetia? What the hell was that? Where did that name come from? I’d known the twins’ last name was Smith, seen it on countless papers, approved their security clearance based on it. So what was this Venetia shit?
Because Venetia is my last name. Or my accurately, it’s the last name of the Venetian royal family, has been for centuries. Was this some kind of fucking joke? I shook my head. What the hell was going on?
TINA
Ididn’t understand what the uproar was about. Violet and I stood in the crowd, watching the induction, and it was fine as far as I could tell. Kristian, Karl and Kato were so handsome, Kristian standing beside the King as Georg worked his way through the pageantry. I wasn’t even listening, I was so happy and proud to see my men up there.
Of course, no one in the crowd but Violet knew that I had three lovers, the three black-haired, blue-eyed giants commanding the crowd with their presence at the instant moment. But it was fine. I knew our love was pure and true, even if it was hidden from the world at the moment.
But everyone saw the King choke momentarily before he moved on, and a hushed gasp ran through the air.
“What is it?” I turned to Violet, “Why is everyone whispering? Everything’s fine, right?”
And the older woman turned towards me, eyes bright with tears.
“The boys, their last name is Smith-Venetia,” she said slowly.