Royals & Wretches

Chicks Dig Giant Robots

A/N: The intros are finally done and we're getting into the first mini arc, I'm a little excited, I used so much brain power for the plot but I hope it makes sense. Enjoy!

Kyros

I could hardly keep up with him. It wasn't a matter of 'physically' but it was the mental assault that came every time we kissed out in the open. Most days we behaved and acted like the secret we were supposed to be. We would spar in the training yard. Had drinks with old friends and palace guards that we knew for ages. Mika wasn't allowed to leave Setrion without prior approval from the King, one of the most ironclad rules even Mika dare not break, so we went hunting in the vast yellow plains of the savanna far beyond the sprawling edges of the city.

Other days, Mika (and I) would let his (our) reckless whims get the better of the both of us. Several attendants and guards were already sending us furtive glances when they spotted Mika and I together. On more than one occasion, an attendant happened upon us tangled in a lascivious display and ended up rushing away, red-faced and stammering apologies. Mika didn't allow me to feel embarrassed, if I faltered or slowed, he'd whine my name yearningly and pull me back selfishly. Not at all concerned about any spectators.

Despite all of this, I was not immediately summoned to the throne room and exiled. I couldn't imagine all of the staff were loyally keeping their mouths, palace gossip was the main source of tabloid news circulated throughout the empire. Mika was completely unconcerned, glowing even.

All seven colours of the rainbow danced against his pale irises as he gazed at me in the sunlight. He smiled warmly when he spoke to me. He never brought up my two years serving at the interstellar border or his upcoming marriage to my brother. We could almost pretend that it would be like this forever.

"She's still as gorgeous as ever." Mika marveled as he gazed up at the giant, shiny black mech. His silver hair was pulled back neatly into a long, sleek, high ponytail, his silver circlet resting on his crown with the most delicate lilac sapphire hanging lightly at the center of his forehead. The sharp edges of his jaw-line tilted up and exposed his long, slender and fair neck.

I discreetly shook away the memory of how it felt to run my lips along that neck and stepped up to the elevator platform. Mika followed, his eyes still glued to the mech.

I couldn't blame him. He's been the biggest mech enthusiast since we met, always looking into the latest models and could go on for hours debating the perfect amount of energy cores a mech would need to destroy the Sun.

Nox was also a legend at the interstellar border. Thirty meters tall and shiny, inky black, she was a menace in the darkness of space and played an integral role in securing Abrilan for Egreya.

We ascended to the entrance situated at the mech's chest. The cavity was already opened and I allowed Mika to walk ahead of me into the cockpit.

His eyes darted around greedily, taking everything in. I saw the nostalgia in his expression and he breathed in deeply as he wandered in.

"I've only been in the training mechs since..." He didn't finish the thought as he distracted himself with the blinking console in front of the pilot seat.

"Captain Amiri can't take you in Pandinus?" The Captain of the Prince's Guard of course owned a renowned mech called 'Pandinus'. It was almost a full twenty years older than Nox, created by the same designer. Despite newer models being produced, few matched up to the nineteen-year old Pandinus.

Mika shook his head, "He's busy with his own assignments and he's not as fun to hang out with." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Your Captain doesn't have the time therefore the responsibility of chauffeuring you falls to one of the four Generals?" I asked cheekily. He glanced up, the lights from the console reflected perfectly in his eyes. "I thought you might be bored on your sabbatical. Besides, you haven't been to Murdock once since returning, poor Nox must be screaming for some fine tuning." He pressed a few buttons on the console and turned his attention to the main monitor which showed Nox's current status and statistics. She was perfect of course, but he still frowned at the monitor.