Carpe Noctem | 𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐇𝐀 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐅𝐅

chapter four

[ o4 - CHAPTER FOUR ]

― orion's conquest ―

There were only a few things in the universe that Orion truly admired. The way the stars shone when he flew past them, for one, was something that never ceased to amaze him. The way the yellow, white, and blue stars alike blurred together and shimmered in unison was something that always took his breath away, and he was often tempted to increase his ship's speed just so the stars would blur together even more. It took every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep himself from shooting into oblivion for the sole purpose of looking at the heavenly bodies of gas.

He was wrested out of his starry-eyed daze when his second-in-command, Mars Apophis, let out a huff and jerked to his feet, barking, "Should it really be taking this long just to travel to Cygnus? At this rate, the sun will have already risen by the time we arrive!"

Orion rolled his eyes and scoffed, the feeling of peace the stars had gifted him suddenly nonexistent. "You're one to talk about unnecessary delays. It took you half an hour to report back to me with my readied armies after I ordered you to prepare them for battle. How long does it take to tell two armies to board ships that are already stocked and ready for flight? You're lucky I didn't put you on probation for that."

"My sincerest apologies, Your Highness," Mars spoke, bowing his head in what he hoped came across as reverence. "But with all due respect, I had to prepare more than one army. Commander Titania's was much harder to prepare, as her collective forces are considerably larger than yours."

"I did not ask for excuses, Officer Apophis. Just please, for the love of all that is holy, shut your mouth and do a better job of carrying out my orders next time."

"Yes, Your Highness," the second-in-command responded.

Orion couldn't help but notice the hint of distaste that showed through in Mars' answer. He pressed his lips together. He'd had a feeling Mars was losing his sense of respect and obedience as of late. There had been many times in the last month alone that he'd noticed Mars arriving late to practice sessions. He'd caught the young man slacking off during battles as of late, and Orion had often reprimanded him for drifting off during training drills. It was obvious Mars was quickly losing his fear of authority, and Orion didn't like it.

"Orion!"

The crown prince turned around in search of the voice who had called his name, and a grin donned his face when his eyes landed on his sister. "Titania!"

The smile on her face matched his, but to Orion's surprise, the look in her eyes lacked the excitement and anticipation that his contained. She neglected the ceremonial curtsy and instead greeted him with a tight hug as she spoke, "We've just entered Cygnus' atmosphere, and you're not even in your armor yet. Do you have a death wish or something?"