The behemoth that was the Lion's Fury loomed over the orbit of the planet Rodus. The pride and leader of the Imperial fleet, this was a vessel built for one purpose and one only: War.
Its hull was etched with the sigil of House Lionhart, a rampant lion over a crimson field. Like an unsheathed blade, its design was sleek and angular, giving it an imposing look.
Inside the ship, its corridors shone with discipline; every soldier moved with precision and purpose, and the command deck oozed silent authority.
Illiana stepped aboard with the grace of one who had been here before. Wearing a cloak that did not bear the sigil of her royal house, she nonetheless moved with the elegance that betrayed her station. Every step she took, the officers saluted with deep respect.
At the end of the command deck, there stood a tall and intimidating figure: Duke Aleric Lionhart, High Admiral of His Majesty's Imperial Army; a great general revered by all within the Empire but reviled by those who would call him enemy.
He was wearing ceremonial armor, in the red and black colors of his house. Silver hair was beginning to show upon the golden luster of the fur of the Lion beastman, a result of the years of campaigns against the Empire's enemies.
His sharp eyes stared intently at a holographic star-chart, always scanning for potential issues.
Yet when he saw Illiana enter, the stern lines on his face receded with surprising ease.
"Princess," he said. "Or do I still get to call you Illi?"
She smiled, warmly and unguardedly. "You do, father-in-law. You will always do."
He embraced her; it was the hug of a man who had seen her grow from the curious and intuitive child to a formidable diplomat.
"It has been some time since you've been aboard the Fury."
"The stars and duty conspire to keep us apart, but it gladdened me to see you well," she said.
They walked together through the observation corridor; the stars shone past them as if they were falling embers. There was silence between them, yet it was not empty; it was filled with the weight of shared history.
"I have read your speech to the Senate," Aleric said. "You have grown bolder and sharper with age, a shock to your tutors no doubt."
"I only said what need be said. The conflicts of Kandor have gone on for too long; it is time they be put to rest," she replied.
He chuckled. "And what of your husband? This path he has chosen. I fear his anger has led him astray."
Illiana's gaze flickered. "He is not angry, father. He is grieving in his own way. When he is ready, he will find his way home."
Aleric nodded slowly, thinking carefully of what to say. "I hear whispers. The Gaze flying missions in the outer regions. I worry about the boy."
"It would please me if you would say such words to him and not me. Maybe it would bridge this distance between you both."
The Duke's voice lowered. "Does he write to you?"
Illiana looked out at Rodus, suddenly finding the planet's vastness absorbing. "It has been some time," she admitted.
They paused at the viewport, gazing upon Rodus as it grew in size with the distance.
Aleric turned to her.
"He should be by your side. The Emperor robbed the both of you of much. I pray to the Goddess he finds his way back to you."
She met his gaze, steady and unflinching. "I know he will."