The atmosphere of Altair’s favorite diner was something the teen had loved since the first time he’d come with his mother, there were pictures and other memorabilia from Terra on the walls, including some old paintings. There weren’t many people in the Diner as it turned out, as it was only the middle of the afternoon. In fact, there were only two patrons seated at a booth near one of the windows. A pair of empty plates were set in front of them, the remnants of their respective meals still visible against the white porcelain. Altair took a sip of his ginger ale while Cassidy let out a satisfied sigh.

“I’m glad you convinced me to come here.” Cassidy said as she leaned against the table, Altair smiled at her and reached across to hold her hand. “I think it’s about time that you came home with me… You know… Meet my parents?”

“You sure that’s what you want?” Altair asked with a concerned tone, Cassidy nodded and squeezed his hand a bit tighter. “Alright then, your wish is my command.” The teen yawned suddenly, then shook his head slightly. “Sorry… I’ve been studying for the Junior MP exams, if I pass I can get a jumpstart on my military career. Start making some money as well…” Cassidy seemed to giggle at the last part.

“You’re the son of the Imperator, do you really need to make money?” She asked, Altair nodded.

“Yeah, I mean, I can’t just use taxpayer money… My Dad would have a conniption.” Altair replied, he smiled briefly and looked at their hands. “Besides, I like the idea of earning money to buy you a gift.”

“You don’t need to do that.” Cassidy said softly as they let go of one another’s hands hesitantly. “I get how important it is to you now, though… I know you’ll pass your exams.” Altair scoffed quietly and looked at the table. “What was that?”

“I just… I wish I shared your optimism.” Altair admitted as he looked out the window at the cars driving by on the street. “I’m not as smart as everyone thinks I am, just because I know random facts doesn’t mean I’m some sort of genius.” Cassidy shook her head and hummed her disapproval of that statement.

“You need to have some confidence in yourself.” Cassidy said firmly, she brushed a bit of hair out of her eyes. “It’s not rocket science, so you don’t need to be a genius, and you’re more than smart enough to take this test.” Altair shrugged quietly and took another sip of his drink, their waitress meanwhile walked over and dropped off the check. Altair picked up the paper and looked it over quietly. “If anyone needs help with a test it’s me, you have a month or so until you’re old enough to take the exams, but I have an algebra test that’s gonna kill my GPA if I don’t get a good grade.”

“We could study together.” Altair suggested as he set the appropriate amount of money on the table to cover the check and the tip. He adjusted his Onorus Prima uniform afterwards, the boy had worn it since he’d left school that day. He just hoped that now that he was going to meet Cassidy’s parents it would help to impress them.

“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Cassidy said in a teasing voice as the two of them stood up from the booth, the couple walked to the front door. Cassidy was still getting used to having men in suits following her around when she was with Altair, but she had to admit that when she saw a couple of the security officers outside she felt a little special. Altair held the door open for her before following her outside, there was a black Crown Vic parked next to the curb and the two security agents in suits made sure to protect the couple as they walked to the door.

“I most certainly would.” Altair replied, he held the back door open for Cassidy before he sat next to her. The two security agents got in the front, Cassidy chuckled slightly and leaned against Altair’s shoulder. “Agent Scott, we’d like to go to Miss Cassidy’s house.” Altair said to the man in the driver’s seat, the man nodded silently and started the engine. They’d dropped her off at her house before, but never with Altair still in the car. As the car began to drive away Altair watched the buildings they passed. “So, anything I should know before we get there?”

“Well, you know most of the stuff… I should warn you, a lot of the local kids hang out near our house, and they aren’t really friendly.” Cassidy replied, Altair shrugged quietly and looked back at his girlfriend. “They’ve seen this car a couple times before, but I don’t know how they’ll respond if they see someone wearing an Onorus Prima uniform… The area has a lot of Ex-EOL people living there…”

“Oh, wonderful…” Altair mumbled as the car drove through the city, he heard the telltale click of a handgun from the passenger seat. The boy watched one of his body guards slip a handgun back into his jacket. “Well, if they try anything, they’ll have a very bad time.” Cassidy only nodded and let out a rather uncertain breath, the minutes ticked by quietly as the car passed through a couple more neighborhoods. Altair noticed that eventually the neighborhoods got a little more rundown, until finally the Crown Vic came to a stop outside a brick apartment building. Altair opened the door and stepped out onto the sidewalk, he could hear the heavy beat of bass heavy music blasting from speakers.

To his right were a couple of other people sitting on the steps for the neighboring building, they were dressed in clothes that seemed to baggy for them. Each looked at Altair suspiciously and menacingly, as if trying to intimidate him. The boy ignored them and turned to the car, he offered his hand to Cassidy and helped her as she climbed out of the car. She adjusted her hair once again as she looked around the neighborhood, when she spotted the boys on the steps she moved a bit closer to Altair and grabbed his arm tighter.

“Maybe this was a bad idea…” Cassidy said quietly, Altair shook his head and stood up to his full height, his chest puffed out and his eyes stern.

“Hey, Cass! Who’s the toy soldier, huh!?” One of the boys on the steps shouted, Cassidy quietly sighed and began walking towards the building. Altair walked with her, his boots clicking against the concrete as they ascended the steps. The boy knew that his bodyguards were close, but he wasn’t much scared of the folks in this neighborhood. As they reached the door, Cassidy pushed the button for one of the apartments and the two waited for whoever it was to buzz them in. After a couple seconds the door buzzed and once again Altair held it open for Cassidy.

The two of them entered the apartment building, it was dingy and smelled like it hadn’t been properly maintained in some time. Altair was shocked to see that the owner hadn’t been keeping up with government standards, as a member of Onorus Prima he’d be sure to submit a report. That wasn’t important at the moment though, what was important to him was that this was where Cassidy lived… It didn’t seem right to him.

“Anyway, when we get there, just let me do the talking at first. Okay?” Cassidy asked, Altair nodded as the two of them walked up a set of stairs. “My Dad is going to flip out, are you sure you don’t want your guards?”

“I’m sure, Cassidy.” Altair said simply, in his mind he was trying to think of ways that he might have to defend himself. He didn’t want to hurt Cassidy’s mom or dad, but if they came at him, he wasn’t sure he’d have much other choice. From how they’d been described, Altair half expected to catch them in the middle of burning an Onorussian flag… Still, they were her parents, and that meant he had to respect them. The two of them stopped outside of an apartment, Altair watched as Cassidy pulled some keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed it open and stepped in first, Altair following behind her and closing the door.

“Cass! That you!?” A woman shouted from what smelled like the kitchen, the apartment was about as large as the apartments that Altair had seen in the castle. The wood floors were clean, the wallpaper was floral in nature, and the furniture looked like it had certainly seen some use. There were photos all over the walls, as well a couple odd looking statues Altair had never seen before that seemed to rest on the floor.

“Uh… Yeah, Mom.” Cassidy replied, Altair waited behind Cassidy as she walked forward a couple steps. He watched as a black woman who looked very much like Cassidy, but older, poked her head out of the kitchen to look down the hall. She wore an apron and a green dress, her eyes went wide as she caught site of Altair.

“Cassidy, did you let that soldier boy in here?! You know you don’t have to, ‘less they got a warrant!” The woman shouted in an angry voice, Altair watched her come out of the kitchen wielding a rolling pin.

“No, Mom… He’s not here to get us in trouble.” Cassidy said as Altair walked up and stood next to her, he was taller than her by a head, but that never seemed to bother her. “You know how I’ve been seeing a someone from school… Right?” Cassidy looked over at Altair. “Well… Mom, I’d like you to meet Altair… My boyfriend.”

“Hello.” Altair said with a small wave, Cassidy’s mom stared at him for a couple seconds, as if processing what she was seeing. The boy looked familiar to her, but she couldn’t remember where she’d seen him. It was mainly the large scar on his cheek that stuck out to her. “It’s nice to meet you, Ma’am. Cassidy has told me a lot about you.”

“What? Oh, um, yes. I’m sure she has.” Cassidy’s mother said with a forced smile, the woman looked over at her daughter. “Cass, can I speak to you in the kitchen for a moment?” Cassidy sighed but nodded and walked towards her mother. “We’ll just be a moment.” Altair nodded and watched the two of them disappear into the kitchen, that left him to examine some of the pictures on the wall. They mostly were black and white, that told him they were most likely Terran in origin. There were some from ‘The Civil Rights Movement’ it seemed, as well as a couple that seemed to have been taken after the plague. Altair saw a black man in tattered clothes standing with a group of soldiers next to a T-34 in a field somewhere. They were holding an EOL flag upside-down.

Altair stopped looking at the photo when he heard barely hushed voices arguing in the kitchen, he walked towards the doorway and leaned against the wall. He couldn’t help overhearing Cassidy and her mother fighting, and from the sound of things, they were fighting about him. The boy was about to step in, but he could practically hear his father’s voice telling him that would be an incredibly stupid thing to do. He stopped himself just in time to hear the sound of the door handle turning, Altair looked towards the front door of the apartment just as it swung open.

“Cass! Izzy! I’m…” A large black man started to say before he spotted Altair standing there. The man was as tall as Altair’s dad and wore navy blue coveralls, the name patch read ‘Curtis’ and the company was apparently something to do with plumbing. “Motherfucker.” The man muttered as he spotted Altair’s uniform. Cassidy and her mother both stepped out of the kitchen when they heard him speak, Cassidy looked upset, as did her mother. “What’s this cracka’ doing here?”

“This is Altair-” Cassidy began to say.

“Your daughter’s been dating a white boy.” Cassidy’s mother cut in, Cassidy’s father looked at Altair for a couple seconds before he threw a punch. Altair had been practicing hand to hand techniques in preparation for his Junior MP exams, as a result he caught the fist with ease and twisted the man’s arm behind his back in one fluid motion. Cassidy’s father grunted in pain as Altair held his arm tightly.

“Altair!” Cassidy yelled.

“I’m sorry, Cassidy.” Altair replied in a genuinely apologetic voice before he looked at her father. “I’m going to let go of your arm now, sir.” The teen released his grip on the arm, allowing Cassidy’s father to move freely. The man turned and was about to start raise his fist again, but Cassidy quickly jumped between Altair and her Dad.

“Dad! Mom! Stop!” She shouted at both of them, her expression becoming one of desperation. “What’s wrong with you? I love him!”

“You what?!” Her father shouted at her, Cassidy stood her ground. “He’s white, and if that wasn’t bad enough, he’s one of those Onorus Prima stooges!” Altair wasn’t accustomed to letting people shout at Cassidy, especially when it involved him, but these were Cassidy’s parents. As difficult as it was, he restrained himself. It’s what his father would have done if he were in the same position. “Go to your room! You’re never seeing this boy again!”

“No!” Cassidy shouted back defiantly, she moved closer to Altair. “I’m tired of you shouting me down everytime I find a friend and they aren’t black, and now you want me to just let you break me up from my first real boyfriend?!” Cassidy’s parents both appeared shocked by their daughter’s insolence. “Just because you had a bad experience with them doesn’t mean I have!”

“Cassidy Isabella Franklin! You will go to your room right now, or I will make you!” Cassidy’s father shouted, Cassidy silently stood there and put her hands on her hips. Altair watched her father began raising a hand to grab her arm, that was when he could no longer restrain himself. He reached out and grabbed her father’s wrist as his hand was inches from Cassidy’s arms, squeezing it tightly.

“Do not lay a finger on her.” Altair growled as he glared her father in the eyes, his knuckles becoming white as he continued to squeeze, her father began to wince.

“Altair… It’s okay…” Cassidy said quietly, he continued holding the man’s wrist for several more seconds before letting go.

“You either stop seeing him or you stop living here.” Cassidy’s father said sternly as he glared at her. “No daughter of mine is going to end up dating some white boy.” Cassidy looked genuinely hurt by that, Altair could hardly stand it. The boy puffed out his chest and stepped forwards, standing between Cassidy and her father now.

“Altair, please… Don’t hurt him.” Cassidy said quietly, she sounded on the verge of tears.

“You have some nerve…” Altair said to Cassidy’s father, his fists clenching and unclenching as he reined in his anger. “You may have gotten away with talking to her like that in the past, but it stops now.” Altair glared into her father’s eyes. “You want to toss her out? Fine. She can come live with me, my family will welcome her with open arms and an open heart.”

“Who the fuck do you think you are?” Her father growled back.

“I’m Altair motherfucking Occisor!” Altair said venomously. “I’m the motherfucking Nova-Imperator. I’m the heir to the entire Onorussian Republic! That’s who the fuck I am!” Cassidy’s father and mother looked stunned at the revelation, but as those words tumbled around their minds, they remembered numerous photos of the Nova-Imperator in the news papers… Specifically the scar that adorned his cheek… Almost simultaneously they came to the conclusion that Altair was, indeed, who he claimed to be. Cassidy was surprised by the outburst as well, Altair almost never declared who he was. He hated the publicity and the grovelling that came from that, but here… To defend Cassidy from her father… He had said it with all the pride of a lion, his tone was very Carolean…

Cassidy’s father took a step back, as did Cassidy’s mother, both of them appearing horrified with the way they had acted in front of what was essentially the Crown Prince. Cassidy scooted closer to Altair and held onto his arm, she was whirling in a sea of emotions… Her father, her own father, had tried to make her choose between family and love, and there was Altair. Her stalwart protector, living up to every expectation she had ever had about the Occisor family.

“I don’t think there’s anything else that needs to be said.” Altair said as he looked at the two parents, using his free hand to adjust the collar of his uniform. He turned his glare to Cassidy’s father. “Be glad I don’t have you charged with assaulting a member of the Imperatorial Family.” The teen was much more like a man than he realized, the way he carried himself felt different, and he felt much more confident. He looked to Cassidy’s mother next. “I will send someone to collect Cassidy’s belongings.” Altair looked to Cassidy and put his arm around her as he began walking towards the door, the girl looked over her shoulder at her parents, then back to Altair as he opened the door and held it open for her. Without a word he slammed the door behind them as they began walking back towards the steps, and in silence they continued until they were outside and walking towards the car.

“Cass! What happened, huh? Daddy make you two break up!?” One of the teens on the stoop outside shouted in a teasing voice, Altair glared at him. For some reason the teen felt compelled to raise his hands and back away while Altair held the door open for Cassidy. Once the two of them were seated in the car, the bodyguards began driving towards the castle. It was only now that the adrenaline of what had happened was wearing off that Cassidy began to tremble, Altair held her tightly. He knew that his parents would understand, they had to… This is what his father would have done… Right? Even if they didn’t, Altair would find a way…

The rush of being involved in something so tense was still fresh in Altair’s mind, the thrill of power rushing through his veins. It had awoken something in him, something that had lain dormant since he was born. Altair knew he came from a warrior’s bloodline, but had been the first time that he felt like he belonged to that bloodline. This had been the first time he understood what it meant to be an Occisor, what it meant to command respect… He finally understood what it meant to be ‘Born to Rule’. In that instant, as he held Cassidy against his chest, a spark of ambition grew into a raging bonfire.

Author's Note

And so the ball begins to roll... I've been thinking a lot about how I want Altair to turn out, and so far things seem to be going well. In the next chapters I'll go more in depth with Cassidy's backstory, but for now I think we've seen just how lucky she is not to have turned out differently. I must admit, I drew a little inspiration from 'Romeo and Juliet' here... Not the poison thing, but the 'Forbidden love makes love stronger' thing... At least, I hope that came across okay. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed, don't forget to leave a comment below. I know there's a lot of you out there!

And now, your clip of the day... This seemed fitting, I especially liked the lyrics.