When Louis entered the dining room, the table had already been set for eighteen. Crystal glasses and low vases of white flowers stood between the place settings. He smelled roast meat, fresh bread, and citrus while the staff finished setting the last plates and pouring water. For a second, it looked more like a state dinner than a family meal. Then Charles ran past the table with damp hair and a bread roll in his hand. Jacques hissed at him to stop acting like a child, and Victoria dropped a spoon from her high chair.
Constantine sat at the head of the table, with Judith beside him. Philip and Maria sat nearby, while Venessa and Serana took the seats across from them. Élise smiled at the women and showed them to the open chairs.
“Welcome,” Constantine said. “Sit wherever you want.”
Louis took the chair to his father’s right. Angelique sat on Louis’s right, with Gladice, Donya, Cherish, and Maeve farther down the same side. Willa and Savannah sat across from them near Serana. Charles and Jacques ended up beside their parents, still arguing about the pool. Samyra brought Victoria a plate of cut fruit and wiped her face with a napkin.
Platters of schnitzel, sausages, and roast pork filled the center of the table. Bowls of dumplings, spaetzle, cabbage, roasted vegetables, pretzels, and cucumber salad surrounded them.
Maeve stared at the food without serving herself.
“What is this?” she asked.
“German food,” Louis said. “My mom’s heritage.”
“It looks... fancy.”
“It is,” Louis said. “And it’s delicious. Try the schnitzel.”
He put a piece on her plate. She cut off a bite, chewed, and looked at him.
“Damn,” she said.
Gladice laughed. “I know, right?”
Élise went around the table, pouring white wine for the adults. It came from the family cellar. Louis took a sip. It was dry, with a faint taste of green apple. Cherish took a cautious sip.
“This is nice,” she said.
“That’s from Chloe’s vineyard in Napa,” Judith said. “She called this afternoon and sent her regards on your safe return.”
“Your sister?” Maeve asked.
“Yes,” Judith said, smiling. “She makes the best wine in the Dominion.”
“I’ll have to try more then,” Maeve said, taking another sip.
Donya spooned sauerkraut beside her dumplings and added mustard. Willa took a pretzel, split it open, and spread butter inside.
“This reminds me of Boston,” she said. “There’s this German place in Back Bay. The pretzels are as good as these.”
“Better, probably,” Judith said, smiling.
Savannah cut her bratwurst in half, added mustard, and ate quickly. Maeve tried one, then reached for a second. Charles skewered a bread roll on his fork and pointed it at Jacques like a sword. Jacques laughed and tried to knock the roll off with his knife.
“Behave yourselves,” Philip said. “This isn’t a tavern.”
“They’re boys,” Maria said. “They’re excited to have Louis and Angelique back.”
“So am I.” Louis smiled. “What’s your plan for tomorrow, Philip? Staying for a bit?”
“We have to fly back to Portland tomorrow morning.” Philip smiled faintly. “Since you were kidnapped, I have been in the capital with your father almost every day. I need to check on the estate.”
Louis nodded. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s not your fault,” Philip said. “We are just glad you are back.”
Maeve finished her second bratwurst and looked at the platter of pork. “Can I have more of that?”
“Of course,” Louis said, putting a piece on her plate. “Eat as much as you want.”
“Thanks.” Maeve cut into the pork. “This is good.”
“I’m glad you like it.” Louis watched her eat.
Gladice leaned back after finishing her second schnitzel. “So when do we leave for Hawaii?”
Constantine wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I have called the governor. He is arranging access to the site for an inspection. We will visit in a week or so, once the press has moved on.”
“A week?” Willa asked. “That fast?”
“It is not complicated when people want to say yes,” Constantine said. He turned to Louis. “Your mother has also called the architects. They will draft designs for the gym and residence. You are welcome to contribute your own ideas.”
Willa leaned forward. “I will.”
“Good.”
Angelique sipped her wine. “And what about security? We are not exactly low-profile.”
“We will handle that.” Constantine said. “The residence will be secure with our latest predictive systems. It will integrate with the network of the Dominion Guard. You will have a small security team onsite. But the design will emphasize privacy. Your lives will be your own.”
“Predictive systems?” Maeve asked, frowning.
“AI-driven surveillance and defense,” Louis said. “They predict threats before they happen.”
“That sounds creepy.”
“It’s not when the system is on your side,” Gladice said. “Trust me.”
“And who runs these systems?” Savannah asked.
“The Dominion Guard,” Constantine said. “Who answer to me.”
“Of course.”
“Will we have our own staff?” Donya asked.
“I prefer it to be just us for now,” Louis said. “We can manage the house together on our own.”
“Agreed,” Angelique said. “No live-in servants.”
“Fine by me,” Gladice said. “More room for debauchery.”
Serana raised her water glass to hide a laugh. Philip and Maria exchanged a glance, while Judith lifted her napkin to hide a smile.
“There is another matter,” Constantine said. The others stopped talking and looked at him. “I had staff compile your education records this afternoon. None of you have completed university degrees. Under Dominion law, you are required to attend university. You will enroll at the University of Hawaii in the fall of next year.”
Cherish frowned, while Gladice rolled her eyes.
“We are adults,” Savannah said. “Why do we have to go back to school?”
“Because you are all Dominion citizens now. That carries protections, privileges, and obligations. One of those obligations is undergraduate education. You will complete it.”
“I was halfway through at MIT,” Willa said.
“We will arrange your transfer to the University of Hawaii,” Constantine said. “Your MIT credits will transfer. The rest of you will spend the coming year preparing and deciding what you want to study.”
Willa blinked. “You would do that?”
“It will make me look good,” Constantine said with a smile. “And you will benefit.”
“Thank you, I guess.” Willa took a sip of wine.
Cherish looked at her hands. “I never went to school.”
“You will now,” Constantine said. “There will be a preparatory program for you. It will not be difficult.”
Maeve set her knife down. “I don’t see the point. I’m not academic.”
“You will study mechanics. Or engineering. Or anything practical that suits you. The goal is not to make you scholars. It is to give you options and credentials.”
“Still sounds like bullshit.”
“Perhaps. But it is necessary bullshit.”
Savannah crossed her arms. “And what if I refuse?”
“Don’t be stupid,” Angelique said. “It’s illegal not to go.”
Savannah held Angelique’s gaze for a moment, then sighed. “Fine. What am I supposed to study?”
“Business, social media, or strategic communications,” Venessa said. “You have a natural talent for influence. We can sharpen that.”
Savannah raised an eyebrow. “Are you recruiting me?”
“I am offering you a path. You decide where to walk.”
Maeve shook her head. “I’ll go, but I don’t have to like it.”
“You don’t.” Louis reached over and touched her arm. “But you might be surprised. It’s in Hawaii after all.”
Maeve gave him half a smile.
“So the university will just accept all of us?” Donya asked.
“Yes,” Judith said. “I have already spoken to the president of the university. She is an old friend of mine. You can choose any major you want.”
Donya looked down at her plate. “That’s... very kind.”
“Welcome to nepotism,” Gladice said. “It’s awesome.”
Cherish looked from Judith to Louis and back. “So we will all be students together?”
“Yes,” Louis said. “We will.”
“That sounds... nice.”
“It does,” Angelique said, smiling. “A proper campus experience.”
Gladice laughed. “With sex and alcohol and beach parties.”
“And studying,” Willa said.
“Yes, yes, studying too.” Gladice waved her hand. “That too.”
“What about the media?” Savannah asked. “Won’t they follow us? All of us?”
“They will lose interest eventually,” Venessa said. “We will give them new scandals. New celebrities. New tragedies to obsess over. You will be old news by then.”
“Good,” Savannah said. “I’d like to be old news for a change.”
“We all would,” Willa said.
Constantine watched the exchange with a faint smile. “Education is important. Knowledge is power. And power is all that matters in the end. You will have both.”
Maeve looked down at her plate. “And if I don’t want power? I just want to fix things. Like cars or machines.”
“That’s a form of power,” Constantine said. “The power to create and maintain. It is as valuable as any other. More, in many ways.”
“I never thought of it that way,” Maeve said.
“Then you are learning already,” Constantine said.
Dessert was served. The staff brought warm apple strudel with powdered sugar and vanilla sauce, followed by plum cake flavored with cinnamon. Cherish took one bite of the strudel, then immediately cut another.
“This is so good,” she said, her eyes wide.
“German pastry is the best,” Judith said. “A fact of life.”
“I want to learn how to make this,” Cherish said. “Can you teach me?”
“Of course,” Judith said. “I will show you the recipe. It’s not that hard.”
“I’d like that,” Cherish said.
Maeve ate hers and accepted a second piece from Élise.
“Are you going to eat all of that?” Gladice asked, smirking.
Maeve glared at her. “Yes. I am. And you can’t stop me.”
“I wouldn’t dare,” Gladice said. “You look like you could bite.”
“Try me.”
Gladice laughed and turned back to Louis. “She’s feisty. I like that.”
“I noticed.”
Willa and Angelique shared the plum cake while discussing algorithms. Savannah watched them, then looked at Louis.
“Algorithms and pastry,” she said. “Some things never change.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Willa asked.
“Nothing,” Savannah said. “Just an observation.”
Willa’s eyes narrowed. “If you have something to say, say it.”
Savannah shrugged. “I’m just saying that you are still a nerd, and Angelique is still a princess. Some things ain’t gonna change, no matter what you have been through.”
Angelique laughed. “She’s not wrong. I am still a princess.”
“Damn right you are,” Gladice said, raising her glass to her. “And you are the best kind of princess. The kind who can kick ass and take names.”
“I can try,” Angelique said, winking at Louis. “But I prefer to let others do the dirty work for me.”
“Like me?” Louis asked.
“Especially you.”
Louis laughed and finished his wine. Serana raised her glass to him.
“Congratulations on your new harem, brother. I hope you know what you are doing.”
“I do,” Louis said. “I think.”
“You better,” Serana said. “Because seven women is a lot of drama. Even for a Collins.”
“I can handle it,” Louis said. “I hope.”
“We’ll see about that.” Serana leaned back and turned to Charles and Jacques. “Come on, boys. Let’s go play Knights and Battlemages. I will crush you both.”
“Not if we crush you first!” Charles said, jumping to his feet.
“I’d like to see you try,” Jacques said, following him.
They left the dining room. Samyra took Victoria from her high chair. “She’s getting sleepy. I’ll take her to bed.”
“Thank you, Samyra,” Judith said. “Good night.”
Samyra left with Victoria. Venessa checked her tablet. “Now, for the official statement.”
She tapped on the screen.
“Statement from the Office of the Supreme President. This evening, the Collins and Bourbon families confirm that Louis Collins, Angelique Bourbon, Gladice Simington, and their accompanying Dominion citizens are safe in Los Angeles and recovering in private. We ask the public and press to respect their privacy. After extraordinary circumstances during their return, the individuals involved have chosen to remain together as a household. Further details regarding their ordeal will not be released at this time due to ongoing security, diplomatic, and privacy concerns.”
She scrolled.
“The previously understood Collins-Bourbon engagement will not proceed in its prior form. Both families remain united in mutual respect and affection. Louis Collins and Angelique Bourbon continue to share a close personal bond within a broader chosen household formed during their survival and return. The Dominion recognizes their privacy and supports their right to build a life together. Additional information regarding their future residence and public initiatives will be announced in due course.”
“Then we will release photos. The family photo first. The women together second. The candid pool shots will come after that.”
Louis stared at the statement. Venessa had avoided every direct lie, but he barely recognized their story in it.
Angelique looked at him first, and Venessa followed her gaze.
“Problem?”
Louis did not answer immediately. He looked at Maeve. She met his eyes, her expression wary. The others were exchanging glances.
Louis set down his glass.
“No,” he said.
Venessa held his gaze. “No?”
“Cut the bullshit,” Louis said. “Stop treating us like we need protection from our own story.”
Venessa sat straighter. “Louis, this is the safest approach. The media is already speculating—”
“Let them,” he said. “We are not hiding anymore.”
Constantine had listened without interrupting. “Explain your alternative.”
Louis looked from his father to the women beside him.
“I want to go live,” Louis said. “From this house. Tonight. I want to tell the truth about where we were, what happened, and who we are now.”
Venessa shook her head once.
“That would be reckless.”
“It would be honest,” Louis said. “We have nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to hide. We survived. We escaped. We are here together. That is the story.”
Constantine folded his napkin slowly. Judith watched him. Constantine studied Louis for a moment. Louis knew the pause; his father was already testing the idea.
“Who speaks?” Constantine asked.
“I start,” Louis said. “Angelique follows. Gladice too. Then the others if they want to.”
“Media will have questions,” Venessa said. “You will not control the narrative alone.”
“Then we answer them,” Louis said. “Honestly.”
Venessa locked the tablet and looked at Constantine. “This is against my professional advice.”
“I know,” Constantine said. “But it is my son’s decision. If he wants to live his life openly, I will support that.”
Venessa unlocked the tablet again. “Then we prepare. We control the setting. We monitor the platform. We have crisis protocol ready. This could backfire.”
“It could,” Constantine agreed. “Or it could work.”
Philip cleared his throat. “I think it is a mistake to reveal too much. But if it must be done, it should be done with dignity.”
Maria nodded. “I agree. But I also understand why Louis wants to do it.”
Louis looked around the table. Angelique met his eyes. Gladice grinned, and Donya nodded. Savannah had already picked up her phone. Maeve shrugged.
“I’m in,” Maeve said. “Why the fuck not? I’ve been through worse.”
“Me too,” Cherish said, her voice soft but clear.
“Good,” Louis said. He unlocked his phone and opened Tengri. The notification count had climbed, but he ignored it. He typed:
Tonight. 9 PM PST. Live from home.
He posted it. Tengri sent the alert to his followers. Louis looked up from the phone. Constantine looked at him.
“Make them believe you, son. Make them feel it.”
He remembered the rooms where he had stood before cameras and delivered speeches written by other people. Cherish slipped her hand into his. Angelique touched his back, and Gladice moved to his other side.
He nodded. “I will.”
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