Initium novum [Completed - being edited/rewritten]

Chapter 38

Waking up wasn't an easy thing, Me and Valeria we both wished to sleep for much longer but we were waken very early by Octavia, who wished me to meet with her tutor Elisabeth.

The worse then waking up early was the fact, that Octavia woke us by jumping into a bed and shouting at us to finally wake up.

Me and Valeria, we both took it with humour, of course, but it wasn't the best morning I have ever had. I went to the bathroom and made myself look somewhat civilised and then went downstairs. Valeria stayed in the bedroom a bit longer. As I came down, Gaia, Titus, Julius and Claudius were already sitting at the table having a breakfast. I took a seat next to Julius and said "Good morning."

"Good morning." Answered all of them.

"How did you sleep?" Gaia me asked.

"Honestly, not that good. I didn't sleep much."

"Nightmares?" Asked me Titus.

"You could say that," I answered. I took glass of water and drank it.

Octavia was sitting next to me. She was eating something and looking at me. I looked at her and then at Titus.

"Uncle, do you, by any change, know what Ministerium Astra and Project Odyssey are?"

He spited out the water which we was drinking. As he swallowed the last bits of the water in his mouth he said, "After the breakfast you and me are going to the city."

I did not ask any other questions, because his harsh; bit angrytone of voice and face spoke for itself.

I just said "alright," nothing more, nothing less.

As we continued with breakfast Valeria came, she joined us and we all talked. Gaia told us about her new collections which she was about to present to in Populi Aula - People's Hall.

People's Hall is the biggest building on all the Icarus, it was built by architect Albertos Sperois not long after the Unification on order of Imperator Clericus. Outside of the Hall is covered by the finest marble, the building is held by hundreds of pillars; statues of Imperator Clericus and his wife Pompei. On a top of the Hall there is a great dome, the dome is around fifty metres high and upon it there is statue of Imperial Eagle holding planet Icarus in its claws. Both the Eagle and the Dome itself are visible from milles from all directions. The inside of the building is covered by a round arena in which 180 000 people could be addressed by Imperator or Strategos directly, some of those people would stand right in front of the Main Balcony from which the speakers talked - those would be veteran imperial soldiers, imperial officers and statesmen; other people - common folk of Apollonia - would be seated in three concentric tiers of seats crowned by hundreds marble pillars. The three concentric tiers of seats enclose circular arena 140 metres in diameter. People's Hall is the one biggest architectural creation ever made by man and one of the Wonders of the World.

Gaia's collections were ones the most famous all across Icarus. Gaia was one of the most prominent figures in the higher society of Apollonia. Octavia was very fascinated about her collections, she wished to see them and to see the People's Hall. Gaia told us then in the Hall, there was Temple of Apollo, and I realised that I promised Octavia to visit the Tepmple and honour her mother. I told Octavia that we will go to the Temple later that day, she agreed.

As we finished, I told Titus that I will just go to get something from the room and then will go with him to the city, I took Valeria upstairs witb me, and there I told her that Titus seemed strange as I asked him about Ministerium Astra and Project Odyssey. I told Valeria that if she wants to help me she can go with us. She of course said that she will go.