She was already one of the people in this world who saw the Praetorian Guard most often, yet faced with a giant a third taller than herself, Victoria Hand still could not suppress the instinct to clutch something tightly in self-protection. But as the food was methodically brought to the heavy marble table by automated machinery, she relaxed slightly. Only after the machines had finished serving did Imperial Guard Commander Constantine remove his extravagantly ornate crimson-gold helmet, allowing Victoria Hand to see his face for the first time.
She felt her palms sweating. It was a pure sense of inferiority and tension, the subconscious wariness and alertness produced by the deepest instincts of animal genes when faced with a more highly evolved being. Such a reaction should not have appeared in a veteran agent, yet before that calm, noble face, every lesson her past experiences had taught her became useless. Even looking into his eyes was difficult. Thinking back, Victoria Hand realized that she had never been able to accurately recall the Emperor's appearance. Yet her subconscious told her that Constantine seemed to resemble the Emperor in some ways. Only when Constantine picked up his utensils did the atmosphere ease somewhat, but she still could not seize the initiative in conversation as she did with others.
"I thought you would be younger." The head of the Defense Intelligence Agency worked hard to cut through an excessively thick steak with her knife. Although the incense-like scent emitted by the Praetorian Guard's Power Armor slightly spoiled the aroma of the delicious food, she had learned to filter out distractions. "You haven't been at his side for very long. At least, you didn't exist when he recruited me. Logically, you should only be a few years old."
She was no gourmet, but she