Darrow had always tried his best to quell the flames of anger that flickered inside him, but ArchGovernor Augustus always found a way to fan those flames of frustration. The last three years he was his beloved lancer, the Academy was Darrow's playground with the one condition that he deliver a shiny new fleet to Nero au Augustus.

And now Augustus wants to boot him! In favor of Pliny and Leto? The bastards. Three years of work for this. Just because he'd underestimated the au Bellona's once, just once, and to Nero that was more than enough. To rub salt in the wound, Darrow was beaten by au Bellona cousins after the Academy, damaging his reputation.

In the Institute it was painful enough that he had formed such a strong brotherhood with Cassius until he had found out it was Darrow who killed his beloved brother in the Passage. Darrow had no choice. Cassius couldn't understand this. Demanded revenge.

Cassius got his revenge in the form of sticking a knife into Darrow's stomach and leaving him out in the snow to bleed out. A part of Darrow never forgave him for that.

Now, Cassius's mother, Julia au Bellona, demanded for Darrow's heart on a platter so she could feast on it in the name of her fallen son, Julian. The only reason Darrow wasn't dead was because of Nero, House Augustus currently held more power than House Bellona, solely because it was the governing house of Mars. To spark a war against them would be starting a civil war, you'd crack High Gold Society in half. Houses scrambling to take sides with little to no consequences, trigger happy politicians is the worst combination you could ever have.

Darrow had to stand there and bite his tongue while ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus, consulted his two lackeys, Pliny and Leto, about the Sons of Ares, before Nero told Darrow he was being let go from house Augustus. Three years of meticulous war plans, gone! Nero looked at him like he was a rotting limb. Pliny looked amused. Leto just stared at the floor, realizing this was a threat to him.

If Darrow could slam your door, he would have. It was clear that he was seething. You— a child of Nero au Augustus— sat there on one of your sofa's, staring at him pacing.

You'd made an alliance with him during the Institute, both of you were in House Mars, your loyalty to him prevailed over your loyalty to Cassius, and it paid off rather nicely. You hadn't left his side since.

Darrow hated that he saw so much of Eo in you, your passion and your drive, to fight for something bigger than yourself. It made the ache in his chest blossom and bloom like the haemanthus flowers of Mars he missed so much. But he could never fully pull away from you, never.

You watched him pace across your quarters, looking like a husband airing out his grievances to his spouse. You called his name, trying to get him to stop and tell you what had happened.

"He is utterly incorrigible." Darrow grumbles, his tone in between brooding and anger, clearly holding his tongue because you were the subject of his anger's kin.

Darrow was the most beautiful Gold you had seen, maybe with the exception of Cassius au Bellona. Darrow was the epitome of Gold, his body was lean, he had enough muscle to fill out his military uniform incredibly satisfyingly and his hair was a beautiful blonde that caught the light that could hypnotize even the best trained of Golds.

"Darrow—"

"He thinks me to be a dog he can kick away. I get beaten by Bellona lackeys and he does nothing to defend me, my name slandered across the HoloNet—" Darrow continues, his hands moving up to run through his hair.

The beating he took in the Academy. A humiliation ritual to destroy his reputation. That much was clear, the Bellona's succeeded in what they set out to do. Darrow's name was still plastered all over the HoloNet even two months after the attack. It was obvious Darrow was waiting to one up Cassius's cousins, he was waiting for the right time to strike, with or without House Augustus backing him.