Chapter 3- Venir Veritas

Chapter 3

 

Venir Veritas

 

 

Venir woke up at eight in the morning, like he did every day. He got up, bathed, and got dressed. He put on a white linen shirt, a brown vest, and black breeches. His hair was reminiscent of that of his father’s. Soft white-blonde curls hovering lightly over his eyes. His eyes were mirror images of his father’s. A blue so icy you could feel the cold. Venir was also tall like his father but didn’t share his enormity. But for all their physical similarities, Venir preferred to think they were nothing alike.

After he got dressed he went downstairs for breakfast like he did every day. His mother had cooked Tuesday breakfast. At the table was sitting his little sister Emilia, his mother, and to his surprise, his father as well. While his mother and Emilia were to be expected at the dinner table, twice a day everyday of the week, his father was rarely present. A fact Venir had bitterly grown used to.

Venir took his seat. In unison, they all crossed their arms touching their shoulders, closed their eyes, and looked down. “Thank you for this everlasting peace and order. All hail the Fuhrer!” they all chanted together.

After their morning salute they commenced eating.

“I wasn’t expecting you home, Father. How long will you stay this time?” asked Venir.

His father was wearing a black frock coat and vest over a white linen shirt, black trousers, and leather boots. His curly hair hovered over his frozen eyes. From the corner of his left eye he had a scar stretching all the way to his collarbone.

“Not long. I have a lot to do.” Blunt as always, thought Venir.

“But you just left,” complained Emilia.

Emilia was only seven and small for her age. She was sickly, that much was known as soon as she was born. Her body was thin and her immune system weak, so she was never allowed to leave the house. Her hair reached her waist and had the same white blonde color as Venir and their father. Her eyes were a deeper blue though, kind and warm. She was wearing a red dress and a white headband with a rose.

“Why bother complaining? It’s not like he ever spends time with his family anyways,” stated Venir, nonchalantly.

“Venir!” shouted his mother. “Must you always be rude around your father? Everything he does, he does for us. You know that.”

            In Venir’s fourteen years of life, the first thing he often noticed about anyone who met his mother was how surprised they were about her age. She wasn’t any younger than the average mother with a fourteen-year-old kid but people only expected an older woman because of his father. His father was a much older man, although what age exactly Venir couldn’t say. His father never mentioned it, along with just about everything else about himself. But one look at his father and you knew he’d seen a lot of years, much too scarred and rough around the edges for someone as young, delicate, and sincere as his mother. Even Venir often wondered how they came to be. He could only ever conclude it was for the obvious fact. His mother was beautiful.

            Her hair was a rich gold, very unlike his own faded blonde. It was long, wavy, shimmering, and luscious. Her eyes were hazel, which although many Judicians generally found dull, she made them shine brighter than any sapphire or emerald. But the most appealing feature she had was probably her smile. It was genuine, loving, and caring. The kind you couldn’t hate no matter how hard you tried.

            “It’s okay,” said his father coldly. “You can’t blame the boy. He’s still young. There’ll come a time when he learns the sacrifices one must make for his family.”

            Venir found it in himself to seize the opportunity for another jab at his father. “Maybe I’d already know if you’d raise me yourself.”

            “Venir!” his mother shouted again. “Apologize right now!”

            “Like hell I will. He spends all day raising a bunch of orphans but he can’t even raise his own son. I hear the kids in Judicium’s Youth have the mindset of an adult by the time they’re already ten. I bet compared to them I must be the disappointment of the century.”

            “It’s your father’s job to raise those kids. It doesn’t mean he loves you any less. Now, I think your father deserves an apology.”

            Venir looked at his father with scorn. “For what, growing up without him?”

            His father nonchalantly stopped eating his food. “Tell me what it is you want, Venir?”

            That caught him by surprise, but he already had an answer ready at the tip of his tongue. “Nothing, actually. I just wonder why you still stop by home sometimes. All you ever do is give Emilia false hope.”

            For a second he thought he saw his father cringe. “Would you rather me leave?”

            That made Venir hesitate. He was used to his father always being stern with little reasoning other than his word was law. This was out of character and Venir couldn’t tell if he was giving him power or setting him up. He decided to not to feed into it. “I-I don’t care what you do.”

            “Good. An obedient and accepting son is all I desire from you. It just so happens I will be leaving for a couple days though. However, there will be some temporary changes while I’m gone. In my absence, someone else will be living here amongst you all.”

            That caught everyone entirely by surprise. Even his mother’s eyes opened wide in shock. “What do you mean we’ll be living with someone else, Charles? You didn’t tell me anything about this.”

            “I figured I’d tell all of you at once,” he said. “I’ll be very busy the next few days.” He looked at Venir. “I thought maybe someone could take my place since I’m never here.”

            “There’s no place to take. You’re never here,” blurted Venir.

            “As you say. Regardless, you will be living with someone else for the next couple days for protection.”

            Venir could smell the lie from a mile away, not that that was anything new. “We already have ten Black Coats outside the manor. What more protection do we need?”

            “What’s going on, Charles?” asked Venir’s mother, concerned. “I’ve always known you to be a little on the overprotective side, but never have I known you to trust anyone enough to put them next to your family while you’re not around.”

            Charles stared at her warm eyes with his freezing ones. “I trust this person. Coming from me, that means a lot.” That’s for sure.

            “I still don’t see why we need a bodyguard living with us. These past few days you’ve been busy too and you didn’t find the need to give us a personal bodyguard. So why now?”

            “Because these past few day I was still in Lumina. I was a ride away from seeing you any night I wanted. This time, I’ll be going to the capital. Judimia.”

            “Judimia? For what?”

            “To see the Fuhrer.”

            It shouldn’t have come to that big of a surprise. Venir knew his father was already an important man, but it still felt surreal. The Fuhrer didn’t meet with just anyone. If he wanted to see his father, it meant changes were happening. Big changes. “Does that mean we might also be moving soon?”

            His father looked at him, unreadable as usual. “Possibly. As of now, I’m no more certain than you are but as soon as I know, so will you.”

            “Will they make you Fuhrer?” asked Emilia obliviously.

            Her mother put a hand over hers. “Emilia, don’t say such foolish things. Your father is a great man but not even he can handle the burden of an entire country on his shoulders. If he did, he’d never be able to see us.”

            Venir couldn’t stand to hear them lie directly to Emilia right in front of him. “Tell her the truth. He’ll never be Fuhrer because it’s a hereditary position. The Fuhrer’s family is blessed with divine right.”

            Venir could feel his father’s glare at the statement. “There will be no talk of religious idiocy in my house,” commanded Charles with authority. “I may not have raised you like a normal father should, but I taught you that much.”

            “I’m just repeating what everyone says in the academy,” argued Venir.

            “And you’d be a fool to agree with them.”

            In truth, Venir didn’t believe in God any more than his father. In that much, Charles succeeded. But it was amusing seeing his father get annoyed. His father had always seemed to have a peculiar hate for the Church. Nonbelievers were a rare breed anywhere you went, but not inexcusable as it was in many countries before they were all part of Judicium. In Judicium, as long as your loyalty to the Fuhrer was absolute, you need not have loyalties to the Church.

            “Must we argue about everything,” complained Venir’s mother. “We’re finally eating as a family again. Let us be grateful.” She turned her attention towards Charles. “So tell me about this…bodyguard of ours. If he’s going to be living with us, I might as well start to get to know him.”

            Charles took a bite of his food. “He’s a little detached. I don’t know if he’s ever had a real connection with anyone but his heart is in the right place. He’d gladly die before he’d let anything happen to any of you. He’s young, but his skill is dependable. He’ll serve better than any of the Black Coats outside. That much I can guarantee.”

            “I’ve never felt my life be endangered even once since I got married to you. And nothing has given me reason to be scared yet. If you feel we need this though, I won’t argue. If you trust this person, so do I. However, it might be a little uncomfortable for the kids with someone they don’t know walking around the house all the time. You know Emilia doesn’t often see anyone but her tutor. Perhaps it’s not necessary for him to sleep here, at the very least.”

            “That’s nonsense, Liana. When he’s here, I want you to treat him as part of the family. I know it seems like I’m asking for a lot, but it’ll be good for everyone. You could use someone to help you with the kids. Venir could learn from him and Emilia could make a friend. I want him to be with you all as much as possible.”

            When Venir saw his mother nod it was more than he could take. “This is ridiculous, you’re such a hypocrite. You practically imprison Mother and Emilia in this house to protect them from everyone you don’t trust, which is essentially everyone, and now you’re locking us up with a stranger we don’t trust. But as usual there’s no point in arguing with you. I’ll see you all later, I have to go to the academy anyways.”

            Venir got up from his seat, took his briefcase, and left the manor without as much as a glance back. He went down the steps, through the front garden, and passed the gate towards his personal carriage. His carriage was made of fine wood painted in rich black and driven by two white mares.

            The rider of the carriage was a Rat. Rats were the longtime slaves of the Cruorians until Judicium took over and freed them. They’d been slaves to the Cruorians so many centuries prior that the original name of their race was lost to them along with any history they might have had. Rats were easily distinguishable for their straight ebony hair and slave brands, which they now wore as family brands. Venir’s rider went by the name of Claw. He had a brand on his face of a raven’s wing. He was dressed in a white short sleeve shirt, black vest, and breeches.

            It didn’t take long to reach the academy. Venir went to a private academy by the name of Lumina’s Honored Academy, commonly referred to as L.H.A. by those acquainted with it. It wasn’t the most original name, but it got the point across. L.H.A. was the best academy in all of Lumina, and amongst the top in Judicium. Only the richest, smartest, and most talented kids attended it. Every student there was a scholar with some additional talent and parents able to afford the immense price of the academy. Venir fit all the credentials and excelled even amongst the other students.

            As soon as he joined the rest of the students the first thing they did was sing the Judicium Anthem like they did every morning.

 

All hail the Fuhrer!

For this everlasting peace and order

All hail Judicium!

The land where all is one

United we stand

We are the proud and glorious

We are the Sun

Our light is the justice

We are the Moon

In every shadow we see truth

We are the proud and glorious

All hail Judicium

For this everlasting peace and order

All hail the Fuhrer

All hail the Fuhrer

All hail the Fuhrer

 

            After the anthem, all the students sat down in synchronization. They all crossed their arms touching their shoulders, closed their eyes, and looked down. “Thank you for this everlasting peace and order. All hail the Fuhrer!”

            On Tuesdays was talent practice so every student departed to his or her personal field. Venir’s gift was music. His choice of instrument was the piano although many would argue he was just as exceptionally talented with the violin. He also had a heavenly voice that many said matched his personality.

            To most people, Venir was seemingly perfect. Even in an academy where everyone else was seemingly perfect, he stood out from the crowd. His intellect was superb. He was quick to learn and figure things out, knew the law inside out, and was an innovative genius. He was also good with people, friendly and genuine, and was always glad to help. If his father saw him in the academy, he might even be proud. But he was hardly around to even see Venir even eat.

            When Venir reached the piano room, he volunteered first to perform. Venir touched his piano and let the music fill his ears. He had been working on a piece he called, God’s Requiem. It was an ironic name coming from a nonbeliever, but he always found allusions to things that didn’t exist much more powerful than those bound by reality. God’s Requiem was a tribute to all those who had died to create order. He’d been working on it for almost a year now and it was almost complete, but it was missing something. Venir had mapped out everything, but he couldn’t implement the one thing that would make it complete. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t replicate the right emotion. It was almost as frustrating as seeing his father. The worst part of it all was that if anyone could help him finish God’s Requiem, it was his father. His father had been a General in Judicium’s Light. He had killed as much as he had lost fighting for Judicium’s order.

            After his performance, the audience of students and instructors clapped in admiration, as they always did. Venir feigned a smile for the audience. No matter how blown away they were, he was disgusted inside. As it was now, God’s Requiem was nothing more than a farce.

            The rest of the day at the academy flew over his head. Normally he was very attentive and supportive of the other performers, but his father’s visit had left his mind in shambles. He couldn’t get the thought of his father seeing the Fuhrer out of his head. He knew things were about to change, but what and how much he couldn’t even begin to imagine. From past experiences, he knew changes never meant anything good.

            As Venir was leaving the academy, he could see the Sun and Moon Towers hovering over Lumina from the distance. The towers were identical, tall, solid and grand. Aside from the golden sphere in the image of the sun at the top of one and the ebony crescent moon on the other, the two towers were mirror images. The Towers were on separate ends of Lumina, the Sun Tower east and the Moon Tower west. Judicium’s light and shadow, Venir thought to himself. It was said nothing could escape both. So far it had proved to be true.

            Venir caught eye of Claw and his carriage by L.H.A.’s South Gate. Venir was closing in on it when he heard a familiar voice call his name. “Venir!”

            Catching up to him were his two best friends, Erica and Vladimir. Erica was the daughter of a Judge. She had cream shoulder length hair, big sapphire eyes, and thin lips. She was wearing a blue dress with a high V-neckline and long sleeves.

Vladimir was the son of the Owner of the biggest Crystallite Corporation. He had short dark brown hair slicked back, a handsome masculine face, and grey eyes. He was wearing a white frock coat over a blue vest and black breeches.

            “Why in such a rush to leave?” asked Vladimir.

            “I didn’t realize I was rushing,” replied Venir.

            “You’ve been in a rush all day,” said Erica. “At least that’s what it’s looked like to us. You didn’t even stop to greet us after the anthem. What’s been on your mind?”

            “I’m just tired, is all. I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night,” he lied.

            “What are you, a Cruorian?” mocked Vladimir. “Unless God himself descended and kept you up all night, you were in bed by eleven at night like every normal Judician citizen.” And he was right. Venir went to sleep at exactly eleven at night like every normal Judician.

            Erica was quick to guess the reason for his troubled mind. “Did your father finally come home?”

            Venir couldn’t help but smile. “Is it that obvious?”

            “The only times you’re ever troubled is when your father is home.”

            He couldn’t help but laugh. “You guys know me too damn well.”

            While Erica was satisfied with a simple cause, Vladimir had always been the more curious one. “So what happened? Did you figure out why he had to leave for so many days straight to begin with?”

            Venir shrugged. “As usual, he didn’t say. He only ever tells us what we need to hear. All I know is that he’s leaving again…and to see none other than the Fuhrer himself.”

            Vladimir’s jaw dropped. “The Fuhrer? Your dad has an audience with the Fuhrer? My father would kill for such an honor.”

            “Your father has had such an honor,” said Erica.

            “Yes, but not in three years.” He turned his attention back to Venir. “So do you know why he’s meeting the Fuhrer?”

            “Like I said, he only tells us what we need to hear. I have no idea why he’s seeing the Fuhrer or how this might actually affect my family. He’s placing some bodyguard to live with us while he’s gone though, which is completely out of character for someone like my father. He hardly trusts the Black Coats he pays to protect us but yet he’s making a stranger live with us the next couple of days.”

            “Well, perhaps a stranger to you,” said Erica. “I’m sure whoever it is, is trustworthy.”

            “Yeah, I know. It’s just…sometimes I wish he put into consideration how we felt. None of us ever get a say in anything and he doesn’t even have the decency to give us explanations for whatever it is he does. You have no idea how frustrating it is.”

            Erica put her hands on her hips. “My dad already has a list of people who he plans to marry me to. Don’t tell me I don’t have any idea how frustrating it is.”

            Vladimir rolled his eyes. “You two are so rebellious. That’s just the way the world works. Those who stand above you don’t need to give you an explanation; it’s your duty to obey. You’ll both do the same when you have kids.”

            “I obey. Otherwise, I’d be making my own list of potential suitors,” argued Erica.

            “And I’d take Emilia out of the house for once,” added Venir, sadly.

            Vladimir waved it off. “Well, no point in complaining about what you can’t change. Now, how about we invest our time into something positive.”

            Erica shook her head. “I have to go to church. You know I go every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.”

            “Let’s all go, then. I missed mass on Saturday.”

            “I’ll pass,” said Venir.

            “Why?” he asked disappointed.

            Because I don’t believe in God, Venir wanted to say. “Because I promised Emilia I’d help her with some of the work her tutor gave her.”

            “You never go to church with us. Not even on Saturdays when almost everyone goes. Just when exactly do you go?”

            Sometimes Venir really hated Vladimir’s persistence and curiosity. “I go with my family. But we only go when my father is around so you can already imagine how little we go. You know how he is with all his rules. And you yourself just said how it’s our duty to obey.” At least I can be grateful to my father for that much. He makes the perfect excuse to get out of anything.

            Erica gave Venir a hug. “Nothing can be done then. See you tomorrow. Good luck helping your little sister.”

            Vladimir eyed him suspiciously. “One day you’ll run out of excuses.”

            Venir laughed. “And when that they comes, I’ll pray right beside you.”

            The friends parted ways from there. On the ride home Venir could do nothing but think about this new bodyguard of theirs. No matter how he looked at it, something was off. It just didn’t fit his father’s personality. If there was one thing his father emphasized aside from dismissing God, it was to never trust anyone who wasn’t family. It was a lesson that never quite stuck with Venir. He had found two friends that he could tell just about anything to and could trust with his life. But the thought of his father having such a friend seemed about as likely as God actually existing. The only conclusion Venir could make was that they were actually in danger and his father was desperate. But what possible danger could there be in Lumina? This is Judicium. The land of everlasting peace and order.

            When Venir got home, his father had already disappeared again. He found his mother sitting on her bed in her room looking the most nervous Venir had ever seen her. He didn’t think twice before he rushed to join her side. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

            Unlike his father, his mother always told him everything. “It’s this whole situation with your father. I can’t help but shake this bad feeling.”

            “That makes two of us. You knew Father before he could force you to stay in this house. What kind of friends did he have?”

            “Friends? Your father never had friends; least not by the time I met him. Everyone around him was part of Judicium’s Light. All of which would be hardened old men by now. And none of which fit the description of our new member of the family. Besides, your father left the military as soon as the war ended ten years ago. I doubt he still associates with most of those people.”

            Venir had to forgive her naivety. “Father is the Head of Judicium’s Youth. Every orphan in the Youth becomes either a White or Black Coat by the time they are of age. His ties to the military are as strong as ever.”

            “Even so, I can promise you, Charles has no friends in the military.”

            “What makes you so sure?”

            She hesitated. “What I’m about to tell you, can never leave us.” He nodded. “And I’m only telling you this because I think you deserve to know.”

“There’s a lot I deserve to know but don’t. What’s one secret.”

“I’m sure you’re well informed with the Crimson Treason.”

            “Of course, every person in Judicium knows that story. Twenty years ago, three years after Cruor and Judicium signed the Final Peace Treaty. The ten thousand Cruorians that had been allowed to move into the Holy City of Eden when the treaty was signed suddenly rebelled. We lost Eden along with twenty thousand Judicians. It was the only battle Judicium ever lost since the rise of the previous Fuhrer. So, how does Father play into all of it? I’ve read all his efforts in the Crimson War, but I don’t recall his name ever being mentioned during the Crimson Treason.”

            She smiled sadly. “That’s because there were parts of the Crimson Treason that were never released to the public, such as the real signing of the Final Peace Treaty.” She paused. “The treaty was actually signed with a marriage. A role your father proudly took.”

            Venir struggled to find his words. “You’re telling me Father married a Cruorian?” The words didn’t even make sense in his mouth. To his father, Cruorians were beneath s**t.

            “Not just any Cruorian. The last Cruorian Queen.”

            “I don’t understand. If Father married the Cruorian Queen…what happened? Was he behind it all? What was really the cause of the Crimson Treason?”

            “There are few that know for certain. The majority believes it was their plan to betray us from the start. There are those that believe your father was somewhere in the center of it. Although the general public is blind to it, anyone of significant authority knows your father was once married to the Cruorian Queen. Those even more involved know it was actually his idea.”

            Venir’s mind was in a whirlwind of questions. “This…this is quite a lot to take in at once.”

            “I know,” she said, sadly. “But I thought it was time you knew why your father has so much trouble trusting people. And why most of the people he knew turned their back to him.”

            “Father led the attack that ended the war,” Venir snapped. “Or is that another lie fabricated by the media?”

            “After the Crimson Treason, your father needed redemption. In order to prove his loyalty to his country, he had to cut all ties with the Cruorians. He regained his glory, but he never found the man he was before.”

            “Did you ever know the man he was before?”

            She shook her head. “By the time I met Charles, he had already been betrayed. But what I do know is that he was innocent.”

            Venir chuckled at the thought. “I’m not so sure about that. But at least it explains why he’s always done such an amazing job at neglecting us.”

            “No, that’s not true. Your father loves us.”

            “Of course he does. I’m sure he loves us just as much as the wife he murdered himself. Or is that another lie?”

            “No…that one was true.”

Author's Note

With Venir's POV entering the story, what are your thoughts shaping on Charles?

Reviews

[Dark Rider]

Okay, I am very interested to see how big of a role Charles is going to play in this story. And I like how you are getting three different points of views as well. I think that will make things a lot more interesting as we go along. And to tell you the truth, when you first introduced Charles, I didn't imagine him to have a wife and family. XD He just didn't seem like that kind of guy. But this is very good. :)

[Cynical_Art]

First thanks for continuing to read my story, and thanks for the elaborate reviews. I really like to know what is going through my readers head as they read. I know things might slow down since I use a lot of different POVs but I'd like to think the build up is worth it for scenes later on in the story.

[Dark Rider]

You're welcome. :) It really is an interesting story.