The Sefrayle Dynasty has ushered a golden age. Their industrial and military might grow stronger by the day, and within half a century, they have established an empire that spanned the entire continent, achieving a destiny that has been prophesied a...
Elissa had slept for most of the trip, but a bump on the road woke her up this time. She didn't like the empire's horse-drawn carriages very much, and if she had her way she would just walk to the capital, or, Gods willing, ride a horse. "Whose bright idea was it to add tiny glass panels to these stuffy metal boxes anyway? I can hardly see a thing," she thought to herself. A horse ride would have been nicer. Having nothing to do dampened her usually cheery attitude, and her imagined adventure with her equally imaginary trusty steed only made her sour, so she took to sleeping to make time go away.
Her older brother was sitting across her, looking sharp in a fancy but uncomfortable looking colonial military officer uniform, reading from a leather-bound journal. Elissa could see a small grin on his face, like he knew what she was thinking about.
"What's with the stupid face, Zephos?"
"Bear with this carriage for just a few moments longer, we're almost to the capital," the older brother, Zephos, said.
"Couldn't you have gotten us one of the better carriages? We literally had two carriages to choose from and you chose this dinky little thing instead of the one with an actual butler serving inside it."
"This carriage isn't the most comfortable, no, but it's one of the faster ones. It was made to be used by military officers for fast dispatch within the empire, so the coachman makes fewer stops compared to the ones used by the nobility. Also, since I'm an officer myself, I don't have to pay for it."
"Figures, you miserly bastard."
Zephos laughed. "That's no way to talk to your dear brother."
Elissa sighed, looking outside the window to watch the green hills go by. "Well, I would have liked a more scenic tour of the imperial mainland. It's my first time seeing a place that's so... grassy. And the plants and trees are all different. I'm surprised by how beautiful it is."
"You'll have plenty of opportunities to see the empire in all its majesty once you've enrolled at the academy." Zephos closed his journal, and joined his sister in watching the rolling hills. "There's certainly a lot to see here, some of which you may not like."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Nothing at all."
"Hm." Elissa knew that when her brother deflected a question like that, there was no way to get him to talk about it further. She had tried many times in the past, and in all times she only got a variation of the same noncommittal phrase. Eventually, she took the hint and stopped egging him on (or she just became bored of prodding him for secrets).
They became quiet for a while, which Elissa took as an opportunity to sleep again. Zephos took to writing on his journal, displaying remarkable ease and skill with his handwriting despite the bumpy carriage ride.
"I'm glad you decided not to go to the military academy after all. Father may not approve of your choice, but you'll be happier this way. The realities of the path I chose isn't for someone who shines as bright as you do."
Elissa was fast asleep by then, and Zephos was left to his writing, smiling the whole time.
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