Falling Stars

It felt good to be in her uniform again. Calli surveyed her reflection in the mirror as she wound her hair up into the signature braid and ponytail she usually kept it in. After all those months in nothing but frilly dresses, she hardly looked recognizable dressed all in black, the gold and purple bar over her heart signifying her new rank as Major. General Li had been fairly beaming with pride when she informed Calli of her promotion.

She took a breath and headed down the hall. She had to face the royal advisors, all of whom had miraculously survived. The council room had also managed not to be blown apart, and so Calli stepped inside with her head held high and stalked forward to where the advisors and Julian were seated. Some of the other important people who hadn't been killed or maimed in the attack were gathered around too, curious to know about what had happened here, and some military personnel.

"There she is! That's Calliope Sinclair!"

Calli shot a sideways glance at a few new recruits who were standing with members of Calli's unit. They were gazing at her with awe and whispering excitedly until one of the seasoned soldiers nudged them. Calli resisted a smile and stopped before the council, clasping her hands behind her back and bowing slightly.

"So." One advisor cleared his throat and shuffled some papers on the desk in front of him. "It seems we've had something of a military celebrity in our midst all this time."

"Yes," Calli said mildly. "One that in fact told you not to make a grand show about the royal wedding in case it became a target. And you didn't listen."

Advisor Grory let out an angry snort. "We didn't know who you were!"

"Good old-fashioned common sense wasn't good enough for you?"

"You'd do well to remember who you're talking to." Advisor Grory glowered at her.

"I know exactly who I'm talking to. The bunch of arrogant idiots who made all this possible," Calli retorted.

"How dare you, you insolent little-"

"Enough!" Lorian shouted, rising to his feet. "She did try to warn you against this, Grory, so shut up. And besides that she's the reason the army was able to arrive so quickly following the attack, otherwise we may have lost a lot more people and the entire castle. I went to the military and asked for someone who could stay in the palace, under the guise of being a visiting noble, and keep an eye on Julian and protect him."

"And just what gave you the right to do this without informing any of us?" Grory demanded.

"That fact that I am Chief Advisor and not you, and the fact that I wasn't about to sit here squabbling with you over this, and the fact that Major Sinclair has an impeccable record. She's barely had any losses in the people under her command, she was the sole survivor of the attack on Evox even though she was only a child, and she's the youngest person to attain her rank in two hundred years. She was recommended to me by the General of the entire Centauri fleet."

"I don't care if she was recommended by the original king himself, you've no business-"

"Don't tell me what I do or do not have business doing, you overdressed walrus."

Calli couldn't help but crack a smile. She figured Lorian could take things from here and she had no interest in watching the advisors bicker. She could sense Julian trying to catch her eye but she was still too embarrassed to face him. She pivoted and addressed the soldiers behind her, who were all barely suppressing smirks.

"What are you all standing around for?" Calli demanded. "We have work to do, now move it."

As one, they clicked their heels together and saluted her. They chorused, "Sir, yes, Sir!" and marched swiftly from the room, the newbies still seeming delighted to be in her presence and her old unit members unable to stop from grinning.

"Good to be taking orders from you again, Major," Logan said.

"Quit trying to flatter me and move your fat ass, Logan," she retorted, but she was grinning too. When she'd sent everyone off on one assignment or another, she returned to her room and carefully wrapped the painting she'd done for Julian in wax paper. She'd had it placed in a simple wood frame, and decided it was too heavy to ask the maids to move. And she was worried Roark would accidentally crush it. So she carried it to Julian's chambers herself, relieved that he wasn't there. She set the painting by his bed where he'd be sure to see it.

She ended up lingering for a while, remembering all the afternoons and nights she'd spent in here. She wondered if Julian was angry with her for hiding the truth about why she was there. She wondered how he felt about her blurting out that she was in love with him. And she especially wondered why he hadn't married Cecily, and if the advisors were still going to push for it to happen. Maybe they'd just pick someone else and try again.

Calli rubbed her eyes. She needed to stop thinking about this because it was making her head hurt. She was planning on hopping one of the transports back to base that night, but she knew she couldn't just leave without a word to Julian at all. But the advisors were keeping him busy, what with the ruined wedding plans and the half-destroyed palace. She likely wouldn't be able to track him down before she left.

She grabbed a pen and a piece of paper and started scrawling a letter, writing so fast she almost ripped the paper because she needed to get these thoughts down.

Jules,





Calli finished the letter and folded it neatly, tucking it under the ribbon she had tied the wax paper on with. Then she took a deep breath and forced herself to leave his room. She went to Lorian's office, surprised to actually find him there.

"Take a few days off, Dave," she said. "Be with your family."

"I may just follow that advice." Lorian leaned back in his seat, studying her face. "You still intend to leave?" he asked.

"Tonight," Calli said, shrugging. "I think it's for the best."

"I'm not so sure about that, Calli."

"Trust me, it is."

Lorian sighed. "Well I can't stop you, but you have a little bit of time left to give it more thought. But in case you don't change your mind, just know that I'm very thankful for all you did here."

Calli smiled. "It was quite a ride. See you around, Lorian."

"See you, Calli."

Calli gave him a quick salute. As she was headed to the kitchen for some food, she crossed paths with none other than the Earl of Gastharn and his family. They all looked flustered and angry, none more so than Cecily when she spotted Calli. If looks could kill. Calli leaned casually against the wall.

"I heard the wedding didn't go according to plan," she said sweetly. "I'm so sorry."

"This is a minor setback," Cecily snapped shrilly. "Once everything is cleaned up, we'll be back on track."

"You go ahead and tell yourself that, sweetheart, if it helps you sleep at night." Calli smirked and continued on to the kitchen, hearing Cecily's tantrum the whole way there. It put a slight spring in her step as she raised the kitchen for sandwiches and went back to her room to wait until her transport arrived.