Chapter 8 - A Young Miss' Take on a Mistake

Wearing a bright yellow Hazmat suit, Miya looked up from her task. A golden hedgehog came flying out of the portal. She was curious as to who had activated the spatial transfer, as the device was supposed to be down at the moment. But after about 10 seconds, she realized: nope, no people. It was just a golden hedgehog.

The hedgehog tried to roar, but all that came was a little mewl. 'Awwww.' Miya thought. But then something strange happened. Nearly hitting the sonic barrier, the hedgehog sucked in all the surrounding air. Unbeknownst to her, it wasn't sucking in air, but the other thing she saw instead: all the poison she had been working hard with her cousin to clean up with nothing but wet rags.

Her cousin had taken a short break to visit the privy. 'Unfortunately she can't see this.' She thought.

Once the hedgehog cleared all the poison, an old man walked out from the portal. He was so saggy Miya was sure that his body age was around 90 years old or more. 

Fortunately, the old man didn't seem to have any trouble walking. 'Extra skin sure is a handy trick. I'll have to do this again sometime.' Veil proposed.

Getting within five feet of Miya. the old man stopped. "Miya Krushnikov." The old man spoke in a gravelly voice that commanded authority.

"Yes, senior?" Miya spoke gracefully.

"The cameras have gone down for the moment, and I've deleted the last few hours. You don't have to worry about anybody bothering you about your punishment duty. As for the reason, I have news for you regarding your cousin Sia that I'd ask you to relay to her within the hour. Honestly, I'd hoped to see her here, but it appears that she is gone at the moment."

"Thank you for clearing our punishment duty for us, senior. I am more than willing to do this small favor for you. Might I ask the name of our benefactor?"

"My name is Ancia Mann!" The old man rumbled. The irony of the name was not lost on Veil. His inner self was cracking up with laughter, but somehow, just somehow- he managed to keep a straight face. "I am the guardian caretaker of my young master. He sends greetings to the young lady Sia."

'Great.' Miya thought, rolling her eyes inwardly. 'Yet another suitor...'

"I come on behalf of her Fiancee."

Miya gasped in shock. The old man raised an eyebrow at her and continued.

"He wants to tell her that while he thinks about her every night and day, even though he has come from a humble background: he deigned from the moment he met her that he would become worthy of her betrothal. He has grown in money, power, blessing and stature since last they met. However, someone currently in higher power, and yet infinitely closer to her has conspired against their marriage, and has set assassins against him and his family. As a result, while he is neither scared for the lives of his family nor worried about the marriage itself, he has gone into hiding to preserve his life. At this time he has come across an inheritance which will bring him lightyears past the rest of humanity. While she will always be in his heart, and he WILL marry her regardless, if she wishes to be with him in terms of power she must reach the top of the world. For regardless, my young master will come for her. He will take her, and he will marry her. For a promise given is a promise kept.

'The lightning hits the parasol tree

Two onlookers see its futile breath

The fire began to cover leaves

As it led to a futile death

But a phoenix came down

And came to rest

On the branches, nobly lest

The tree was doomed to die.

But to return the most gracious gift,

The tree did not let out its fire. 

Instead, it left a whiff.

From who it once was, it had desire.

To become the phoenix' home,

For absolutely nothing else!

Could become its pyre.' 

My young master leaves this knowledge with you, and has asked me to leave a recording on your phone. My family's artificial intelligence has already done so. All I ask is that you relay it to the young mistress Sia."

The old man looked right at Miya's face. She was in shock. Knowing that she was still processing everything he had said, he waited patiently for her to speak.

Slowly, Miya started to speak. "What is the name of your younger master?"

Veil smirked inwardly. 'Don't you want to know?' he thought.

He quickly decided on an easy response. "I believe that is the prerogative of the young miss, mistress Miya."

"No, it isn't." Miya spoke more confidently. "I believe that, due to an accord struck between myself and my cousin, young mistress Warsaw, there is zero chance that this is 'none of my business.' You see, my cousin and I agreed to only ever marry the same person. So no, it is my business, and you will tell me his name."

"Interesting." The old man smirked. "If such an accord exists, then you will have to convince my young master as well."

"More like your young master will have to convince me! If your young master wants to date either one of us, he will have to convince both of us. Name." Miya said rather petulantly.

"Still, as per the current request of my young master: unless you name him otherwise, his name is hidden behind the veil." Veil, as the old man, spoke cryptically. While she was beautiful, and had made him super nervous a while back on the bus, the one he truly desired was Sia. He could not compromise on her, no matter what. She was his everything... of two lives.

Miya sighed. At least she tried. "Guardian Mann. I will deliver the message as requested. Your message will not go unanswered."

:Thank you, lady Miya." Saying this, the old man held his hands and bowed his head in thanks. He then walked out the door, leaving a perplexed Miya behind. 

'It finally happened. I can finally know more about the minished, mingling, mongrel of a wastrel who stole Sia's precious damn-near invulnerable heart!" Bellowing a deep evil laugh, Miya let herself loose. Still laughing her most evil villain laugh uproariously, she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"So, what happened here?" Sia asked from behind her.

"Ummm..." Miya put on her poker face as she sat down. Sia joined her, and she began to relate her story. Throughout it, Miya was watching Sia's face rapidly change from the myriad of emotions she was experiencing. By the end of it, her face was haggard.

"Father." She judged, near silently. 

Neither of them spoke for over ten minutes.

Slowly, Sia stood up. "Let's notify the school staff that we've finished the task. On the way, I can call my father."

----~~~~----

Xander Octavius Warsaw sat back in his luxurious office chair. Made of Pleurian Spider Silk, it had a texture that screamed the words 'soft' and 'supple.' 

Xander was ecstatic. The large business deal he had been preparing for over the last three business years just went through. He finally had enough money to fund his upcoming political campaign- with some left over! He looked on his desk at the offer he had received.

In the great Freedom Alliance, there are 72 states. It has 3 government divisions and a number of sub-divisions. First was the Great Senate of Representatives. Each state within the Alliance is given a Senator who leads the priorities of the state's matters within the Great Senate's body.

Secondly, the judges of the Great Judiciary judge impartially and fairly on all matters of law. These judges are sometimes found corrupt; if this is the case, they are immediately let go. One of the subdivisions is actually charged with daily checks making sure that each Judge deals fairly and equally with all manners of people.

The third was the office of the Alliance Leader, and those who serve him. It was the most prestigious position in the country, and Xander had an offer letter sitting on his desk.

The position of Alliance Leader was held by a national vote; For fairness, the vote was only ever held in person, and those with disabilities were granted a spatial transfer to the buildings where the voting was held. It was always a monumental day; a national holiday, the voting was always held on July 4th. Great fireworks went off in the sky. As such, those with flying pets were greatly discouraged from flying this day.

There were five national parties that each pushed their own representatives towards the position. They held five different distinctive views regarding political control. The first was the 'Present Party' faction. They believed that they should do everything they could for the people of the Freedom Alliance in the here and now- there was no reason to wait. Needless to say, they threw the best (although somewhat needlessly senseless) parties and gave the most gifts.

The second held a more polar view. The 'Future Party' faction strongly believed that to create a better future for the oncoming generations, especially in these long-lived times, it is our sacred duty to take the harder path and create this better future at the cost of the now.

There were two more factions with equally polar world views. They stemmed from the Freeland Civil War. One faction, the 'Choice Party' was started by the remnants of the shadow union. It called for the equal rights of all beings, and aimed towards laws that would make the Freedom Alliance into more of a meritocracy.

The other was made in response from the remnants of the proto-Freedom Alliance, the Freeland Alliance. It was called the 'Truth Party.' Their core value was that our Freedom resides by our governance, and it is the sincere duty of the government to help the people, not the people to help the government.

The fifth and final was the 'Unity Party.' This party believed that the purpose of the federal government was to further unite the states, and to promote equality of choices among all men.

It was the unity party that had sent Xander the letter. An offer letter to sponsor him in the campaign race... for the grand office of the Alliance Leader. His assistant had dropped the letter off alongside the completed business deal before leaving the room. Xander prized time to think, as it was necessary in his daily occupation. As such, his dutiful secretary, Grace, had silently left without disturbing him.

With the door shut, the room was soundproof. There were no windows, as Xander preferred the cleanliness of mind a room with four walls brought him. Smiling, he stood up and walked around his desk."Siqi, turn on the bass."

"Master, turning the bass." The feminine, albeit somewhat robotic voice replied. While the common folk had a version of Siqi on their Udroid, he had paid Orange, the company behind Udroid, for the rights to own his personal, more complex version of the home AI.

Immediately, heavy phonk started to beat the room. While it was soundproof, it began to shake the building. Just a little bit. Right outside the door, his secretary let out a knowing smile.

Xander began to breakdance his happiness. While it was quite out of style for a career politician, it worked better for him than smoking, alcohol, and drugs. It allowed him to face his own music... and dance.

Three minutes into breaking down and getting crazy, Siqi stopped the music right on the edge of the bass drop. "Master, you have an incoming call from 'My super-cute and most lovable daughter.' Would you like to take the call."

"Expletives and profanity are not an answer to the question. Would you like to take the call?"

"Yes." Xander sheepishly responded. As an artificial intelligence, Siqi was one of the few 'people' that Xander couldn't lord over.

"Father." Sia shot out, and Xander instantly knew something was wrong.