Breakdown of Reality

                The crowd was gathered in the throne room for the announcement. Older and nobler men and women dressed in elegant fashions with their families were in the front, looking aloft and elegant in the midst of the throng. The rest of the crowd was a smattering of common people, still dressed elegantly for them, and the merchant middle class. The entire space station had come to hear the proclamation of their Duke and master. Interspersed between the residents of the spaceship were their historical enemies and recent allies, and the two kept space between them. Just because the Duke said they weren’t fighting any longer, didn’t mean they had to like and trust each other.

                The throne room was dark black steel and white columns lined the center, providing a walkway up to the dais where the Duke would make his announcement. Brilliant tapestries and portraits lined the wall, showing the lineage that Duke Leo hailed from. The room was elegant and functional, much like the duke himself.

                The crowd’s mutterings between themselves fell to a hush and the announcement system made clear that the Duke was entering. The Centians fell to their knees, right arm crossing their breast to place the fist of their right hand against their left shoulder blade. The Formians stood, head bowed. They showed respect, but not allegiance.

                The Duke strode to the center of the dais and nodded to his subjects. The Duke was the greatest specimen of Centian nobility that the Empire had to offer. He stood tall at six and a half feet, his shoulders wide and his chest broad. His formal attire hid the muscles on his arms, but they were still large. He had strong jaw with sharp features and his blue eyes sparkled with intelligence. He held his mouth together firmly as he studied his subjects and then nodded, his lips curving slightly into a small smile. The Duke was happy, and so all his subjects were happy.

                The Duke was not a man that believed in rule by fear, though he and fellow rulers were able to if the need arose, and others ruled that way even when the need did not. He treated his subjects fairly, wisely, and if the need arose, strictly. Fortunately, under his rule, the people of the station had come to prosper and thrive, so the need rarely arose. Ruler and ruled lived in a state of content symbiosis and all was well, or as well as they could be.

                The system hidden in the walls announced the arrival of Queen Jessy, the ruler of the Formians. The Centians rose to their feet and the Formians dropped to both knees, palms on the ground, head bowed low. The Formian Queen strode onto the dais to stand next to Centian Duke. Where the Centian Duke was handsome, the Formian Queen was beautiful, but that was not to say that she did not radiate strength herself.

                The Queen stood tall, not the Duke’s six and a half feet but shortly under at six foot even. The elegant green dress that she wore did not hide her arms and one could see the elegant strength behind them. She moved with confidence and elegance, the sure, steady movements of a dancer, or more the case, a martial artist. She looked over her subjects kneeling before her and was quicker with her knowing and compassionate hint of a smile. The Queen was happy, and so the Formians were too.

                The Formian sector of space occupied the solar system next to the space station. Centuries ago they had also fallen under the rule of the Centian Empire, but where Duke Leo and his family had a long standing tradition of benevolence, so the Formian’s rulers were known for their malevolence. They ruled with fear and terror, pillaging their subjects’ lands, stealing their goods, and raping whatever man or woman took their fancy. Three centuries ago the Formian’s had had enough and took up arms against their rulers. The oppressive yoke of their Imperial masters thrown off, the Formians had quickly set up a monarchy. The monarchs ruled with good nature and calm spirits for two hundred years, and then Formian eyes had taken to their neighboring solar system, space station, and resource laden, yet inhospitable, planet that it orbited.

                It started with quick incursions and grew into full interstellar space combat.  By the time that Duke Leo and Queen Jessy had been born the two sides had been engaged in combat for the better of three generations. They were bred and trained for war.

                So when her people decided to make a last ditch effort for the planet that the station orbited, Queen Jessy lead them. When Duke Leo’s informant told him this piece of intelligence he too suited up, powered up his fighter, and lead the charge to defend his people’s space.

                The names of Queen Jessy of the Formians and Duke Leo of the Centians would not be forgotten for an age. Each side’s cold steel chariots that raced across the emptiness of space rained death on the other. Both the Queen and the Duke proved themselves and even had the battle stopped in space, generations would speak in hushed tones of the battle that occurred, bards would have told epics.

                A lucky Formian pilot got a shot off on Duke Leo as he was pulling out of a finished engagement, winging the Duke’s craft and sending it spiraling to the surface. The Centians responded quickly and began maneuvering to the surface of the cold, hard planet, landing to protect their Duke. Queen Jessy and her Formian army landed nearly as quick and soon the space battle had evolved into a protracted ground battle.

                Both sides fought valiantly and vindicated their names in the halls of the warriors, quickly exhausting their laser pistols and closing ground, engaging with sophisticated swords, daggers, and protective equipment. The battle soon became focused between the Duke and the Queen, Leo having the advantage in strength and Jessy have the upper hand in speed. Finally the Duke disarmed the Queen and had her on her back, the tip of the sword at her throat.

                “What are you waiting for,” Jessy growled at the Duke, “Finish it.”

                The leader of the Formian’s looked down at the woman at the tip of the sword. The old enemy of his father and grandfather. He looked around them at the battlefield that had fallen silent and still, watching the scene before them. He suddenly knew what it was that he had to do.

                “Yield,” he said, simply.

                Jessy glared at him. “Yield and return to the station,” she spat back, venom present in her voice, “To become your living trophy. I think not, kill me instead.”

                The Duke took in a breath.

                “Yield,” he said again, “Yield and be my consort.”

                A sharp breath of surprise was taken in by the entire battlefield, Queen Jessy including.

                “Why?” she asked to the man with the point of a sword at her throat.

                Duke Leo looked down at her, remembering the tales that he had heard. Of a strong, beautiful woman, willing to do anything and everything for her people. A woman that none dared cross but all loved. He looked down at her and smiled.

                “Because if we were wed,” he explained, “Your people would be under my protection, and they would be treated as if they were mine.”

                Queen Jessy stayed silent but her mind processed that bit of information. Duke Leo was known as a strong and compassionate man. His people had enjoyed much prosperity during his reign, and none were wanting for anything. Criminals were dealt with harshly, but fairly. His people adored and respected him.

                Duke Leo looked down at the beautiful woman beneath him and continued, “And, I do not know if I could bear to continue without you.”

                The Queen of the Formians looked up at the Duke of the Centians and knew what it was she had to say.

                “Yes.”

                And so it was the two sides now stood before a gathering of their people. Cameras broadcasted the events to holo boards and sets throughout both the Empire and the Commonwealth. Everyone was seeing this eventful day. Duke Leo stepped forward and addressed the people.

                “People of the Empire, people of the Commonwealth, Centians and Formians alike,” he said, “We greet you on this most auspicious day.

                “Too long have our people met in combat, fought over space, and we have decided that this is the day that it ends.

                “Many of you have heard the story already of the battle between the station and planet, and there are many whispers of the outcome. And I say now, it is the best possible outcome that either side could have hoped for.

                “I have asked for Queen Jessy’s hand in marriage,” he said, turning to look at Jessy, “And she has accepted.”

                The room broke into applause and cheer and the Duke and Queen looked out over their subjects with pleased looks of satisfaction.

                “In four weeks from now the marriage ceremony will be held,” Duke Leo continued, as the crowd died down, “And two weeks from now the Station’s Players will give a live performance in celebration of this wedding, of this union, and of the peace between our people.”

                The Duke nodded to the applause and with his soon to be brides arm in his they strode off the stage. All across known space people watched and hoped. If these two people, the two shining examples of either sides, could find peace and unity together, perhaps they could too.