New Rome

9. Sejanus Investigates

Kai's face appeared as a hologram in Arly's shared living room.

"Arly?"

"I'm here." Arly chimed. She turned off the entertainment drive, pausing the drama she'd been watching, and faced her stepdad's hologram. She was in her pyjama's, her legs crossed beneath her, blowing on a mug of hot peach-late.

Kai smiled, the creases around his eyes deepening.

"How has the week treated you?" He asked. Arly shrugged.

"As fortune always does. I failed my landing test – again." Usually her teacher would have scolded her, but this time he hadn't. In fact, he'd offered to tutor her privately. Arly frowned. "Is their truth to people's thinking... that the Imperator is considering my future?"

Kai sighed.

"Yes, there is truth," he admitted.

"I don't want to be the heir." Arly asserted quickly. The pressure of ruling, the public speaking it would involve, the crucial decision making – it sounded horrible!

"Worry not. You will be forced into nothing," he reassured her. 

"You promise?"

Kai smiled understandingly.

"Worry not."

Arly breathed a sigh of relief.

"How has week treated you?" She asked in return. "Is it nice to be in the Capital again?"

Kai shrugged, it was the same shrug she gave people. Whilst not blood-related the pair were very alike. Arly's father had died when she was two years old so she couldn't remember him. Kai was the only dad she knew.

"New Rome is the same as ever, perhaps fouler smelling. Is your brother in his dorm room?" Kai checked. 

"There's no alarm sounding, so he probably hasn't run away again yet." She didn't mention that he'd been skipping classes though.

The front door opened and Gnaeus entered, baring the snacks she'd gone out to purchase.

"Evening, Gnaeus." Kai greeted, recognising Arly's friend.

"Evening, sir." Gnaeus returned, smiling.

"How fare thee?"

"I'm well. I hope you fare likewise. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you, Gnaeus."

Kai didn't stay chatting for long, guessing that he was interrupting them. Usually he'd have reminded Arly to study, but not this time. He knew that right then, just hanging out with her friend was important. Arly didn't show her feelings easily, being naturally very awkward and reserved, but she still felt things – deeply. 

Gnaeus plopped down in the space beside her friend, allowing her goodies to spill out over their laps. Arly leant her head against her friend's shoulder as Gnaeus filled her in on the latest gossip.

**

Arly was in the queue for a Ghini smoothie in the cafeteria. She rubbed her shoulder as she waited, rotating her arm. She must have slept on it awkwardly the night before, because it had been bothering her all morning. The girl behind Arly, jostled her forward, trying to get closer to Kaze. He was at the front of the queue, being served. Taller than anyone else in the queue, he was hard to miss. Arly gazed at the back of his head. He had really nice shoulders, broad – strong looking, just...nice.