The Year 860 in the Age of the Great Renewal
Her Royal Highness Princess Theodora, daughter of Philip and Olympia, scion of the Argolid and Winslow Dynasties, was doing her best to pout in an appropriately noble fashion as she squirmed in resistance against her mother's comb. The aforementioned Olympia was having none of it, showing the expected Spartan dedication to working out the tangles in her daughter's unruly hair. After a few minutes of effort, and with some tears and yelps from Theodora, the effort was deemed satisfactory.
"There, there," Olympia said, now hugging the birthday girl. "That wasn't so bad, was it? Now you look like a perfect little princess."
Theodora continued to pout as she slid out of her mother's lap, even as she looked at herself in the mirror. The ceremonial peplos she wore draped over her form divested itself of wrinkles, the smart fabric ensuring that only the folds of an idealized ancient statue were displayed. The scarlet of the hem lightened to a deep rose color as it inched up across her thigh and chest, with a sunburst of orange fringing around her neck. It was regal enough, she judged with her five year old sense of fashion.
"Can I wear the tiara too, mommy?" She finally had enough pouting, and so decided to parlay stopping it for another reward.
Her mother smiled sweetly at her and sighed. "Your father spoils you, little dove." But she took up from her dresser the golden crown, fashioned as a wreath of olive leaves circling around a centerpiece of aquamarine, and placed it upon her daughter's head.
Theodora beamed as she preened in the mirror. The preening was interrupted by her mother slipping a leather belt around her waist with a prominent, and in her opinion ugly, grey shield generator. But on the whole she was most satisfied with her appearance.
"Now, we must get to the temple on time," her mother said, gently shooing her toward the door. "Your father has arranged a blessing for you by the Patriarch of Rum and it would not do to be late. Royalty must never disappoint."
Theodora pouted again, she didn't want to go to the temple. She just wanted to get to the part where there would be cake and gifts like mother had promised. But a glance up made it clear her mother wasn't going to budge so she took an offered hand. They walked out of the family bedroom into the hallway leading out through the vestibule of their modest urban villa.
A file of armored somatophylakes waited for them as escort. The four men and women were chosen for their strength, skill at arms, discretion, and absolute loyalty. Her mother greeted them with a smile and a brief wave, which was returned with the clenched-arm salute of Erumi soldiers. Olympia had always told Theodora to memorize those men and women but she was still having trouble keeping up with their names, and anyway the silvered cuirasses and rounded helmets of the bodyguard were distinctive enough she could always find them.
Outside the sun was up and the sky orange with only a few wispy clouds. Their home was just across from the Pontine Sea, in the Sarayburnu district which had been carefully zoned and housed to retain a degree of nature. There were no vast skyscrapers or even larger arcology domes to spoil the view of the sea and the mountains on the island of Rhodos out on the horizon. Alas the colony of Rumi sea weasels that congregated in the area were out elsewhere so Theodora was denied her favorite site of the cute animals being cute before she was hustled into an autochar by her mother.
The drive was relatively short. Sarayburnu gave way to a vast parkland of salt tolerant native trees bearing purple canopies, with roads winding on either side and then converging in the center of the protected zone at a great stone temple of the Concord of Humanity. This particular temple was built as an ancient basilica, formed in sober marble and operated by the Orthodox-Catholic Church of the One God, and dedicated to the theotokos. That was all being blathered out by a computer generated voice in the back of the autochar from a learning tape that her mother had put on and which Theodora was doing her best to ignore. But she was also having to keep her impulse to fidget at bay, since she knew her mother wouldn't like it if she showed she wasn't interested.
Outside of the temple a large crowd milled, kept at bay by lines of lictors brandishing the stylized shock-clubs of their profession and using their rectangular shields as an improvised fence. On one side of the crowd an autochar parking lot had been established, along with spaces for horses both animal and mechanical. Theodora felt self-conscious as she left the cab of the autochar with her mother. She reached instinctive for her mother's hand and was reassured to find it waiting for her.
"All of these people wanted to see you, little dove," Olympia said as she nudged Theodora to follow her example and wave over to the masses. "They are wishing for the One God to bestow his blessings on you. All so that you can help guide the royal family to rule well. Remember what your Spartan ancestors knew, that those who rule are the true servants of those below them."
Theodora waved, nervously, and was shocked by bursts of light from the crowd. But she was soon delighted by a cheer in her direction, and as she walked past the line of lictors soon felt confident enough to let go of her mother's hand and wave vigorously at both sides of the people.
They were ushered up the steps of the temple by another contingent of somatophylakes and passed through an exterior colonnade before entering the through the great sandalwood doors of the temple proper. Where the exterior of the temple was a stately white marble, the interior was richly appointed in a riot of color and art. The walls of the nave were decorated with rich mosaics depicting scenes from the homeworld, of ancient history and saints and martyrs. Ahead of them, back toward the templon enclosing off the altar, holy icons and crosses of the finest goldwork and jewels were displayed to the congregation. Above them on a ceiling a fresco arranged the universe according to the visions of heaven, with galaxies and stars and planets in alignment around the empty throne of the Creator accepted by all the factions of the Concord of Humanity. A haloed female figure stood by the throne, holding a child, as if to stake a claim; for this was, after all, an Orthodox-Catholic temple. It was all very different from the sparsely appointed neocrete Universalist temple that she normally attended with her mother and sisters.
Theodora followed her mother to the first row of pews, taking a seat on the left side of the aisle. Father was waiting in an imperial seat at the front of the nave, just before the templon. The right side of the pews, where other members of the very extended royal family might have sat, were empty. Incense wafted in from the altar, and soon the service began. Her sisters weren't present either, though in their case at least she knew Sophia was at school and Irene was too young to attend.
The chanting of the choir and the priests passing by with censers of incense to bless the temple engaged Theodora briefly, but soon it all became very boring. The Patriarch of Erumi was conducting the mass himself, in the fine purple with gold detailing vestments that were the mark of his station. In between speaking to the assisting priests he sent a few glares at her father, which wasn't very proper. The branches of the Concord was supposed to welcome all believers despite their particular traditions, mother had said. And the mass the Patriarch conducted droned on and on, which was made worse by the way it was given in unintelligible Latin rather than Koine or at least Anglic. Theodora had to fight hard to keep from squirming or even worse nodding off to sleep.
Finally the Patriarch stepped up with his censer to waft incense on her and say his blessing on behalf of the Creator at her. She was ready to go and only too happy to receive his hand on her head. A brief prayer and a nod and it was all over. The congregation proper took Eucharist and after some more chanting she was finally free to get up. Mother swatted her as she stretched as her feet hit the ground. The somatophylakes escorted them out down the aisle in the wake her her father, ahead of everyone else.
Outside the doors she had a rare chance to speak with her Father. He was as tall and powerful-looking as ever, even wearing the purple and scarlet chlamys cloak of his office instead of a set of armor. A single band of iron worn around his forehead only partly tamed an unruly head of shoulder-length hair. He smiled at Theodora and patted her on the top of her head.
"That wasn't so bad was it, Dora?"
"No sir," she said, enjoying the headpats. "Daddy, can I ride with you to the palace?"
Qyasar Erum Philip, the most powerful man within a few hundred light years, chuckled at the request. He looked over to his third wife standing by the doors of the temple and nodded. "Of course, little one. Let's ride."
He swept Theodora up in his arms and let her climb on around his neck as he walked past the still cheering mobs on either side on his way back to the parking spot. The somatophylakes with him watched the crowd like hawks; though Theodora thought she heard some sighing among them.
Theodora's eyes widened at the sight of her father's steed, the chrome-polished mechanical stallion Traveler. It stood up to her father's height, with a seating bench shaped like a horse's back on top of hover-engines and a stylized head where the shield projector was located. Her father slipped her down into the far end of the bench and checked her belt to see that her personal shield was turned on. "Hold on tightly," he ordered as he mounted astride the beast; once he was settled, Theodora grasped his waist as the mount took off.
Skimming along at dozens of kilometers per hour on a cushion of air, and surrounded by an esoteric energy field, with her father grasping the reins was the highlight of the day for Theodora. Her father indulged her by veering off into the park for a bit, riding through forest and grasslands with the sea breeze blowing around them before hitting the main roads. She caught sight of other riders with them, somatophylakes now wielding the lances of Erumi cavalry, but they were far enough away that she could pretend it was just her and her father around.
Of course her father was a very busy man, and soon enough they had to return to the main highway leading east to The City proper. Of course traffic was light, diverted by the lictors and patrolling guardsmen ahead of the Imperial Presence. There was nothing in their way to Argos Palace, the sprawling complex of offices and residences that made up the nerve center of Erum. Theodora hated the place, it was so big and cold and imposing, but she was willing to overlook that for presents. And her mother had assured her there would be many, many presents.
The life of an Argolid princess was not all presents. As her father hoisted her off Traveler after they docked in the exclusive royal hanger running under the palace, he spoke to her of duty. "You're old enough now to start serving as a Princess ought. Enjoy this day, and tomorrow you may have your mother tell me how you wish to benefit the state."
After a long day enjoying the entertainments and presents for her fifth birthday party, Princess Theodora spent the evening before her bedtime discussing what she wanted to do with her mother. In the end, they decided on...
[ ] Giving alms to the poor. There was a long tradition of fortunate Erumi providing financial help to the poor of The City out of the various temples of the megalopolis. Theodora would sponsor alms-giving at the Topi Universalist Temple, in The City's working class district, and meet some of the less fortunate children of the capital.
[ ] Visiting a military hospital. There was no war going on at the moment, but training accidents and border skirmishes and routine patrols saw a steady stream of wounded soldiers arriving for treatment in The City. The Argolid dynasty had been installed at the point of spears and so a special relationship between the Crown and the military must always be maintained.
[ ] Presenting a liturgy to the Sarayburnu Universalist Temple. The Concord of Humanity in its many branches sees to the souls of the population as the dynasty sees to their material needs. A liturgy, an artistic project designed to beautify a temple and uplift its congregation, would strengthen the Concord and remind everyone that the Argolids were rightful protectors of the Ethical Compact.
[ ] Arranging a charity concert. Theodora has been wanting to see Heyali perform in person for a while, and they'd certainly not refuse a request from the royal palace to headline a concert for orphans. It was a perfect alignment of duty and Theodora's own desires.
