The Emperor needed a break. All twenty of his sons were cranky and unreasonable. The only one not cranky was the surprise, Twenty-One. He was doing something in the room he shared with Twenty. The Emperor wasn't sure what he was doing at all. What he did know was that he wanted all of his sons to take a nap. He was sure that would help their moods.
"I think it's nap time," the Emperor said sternly. He began to herd the Primarchs towards their rooms. Two and Eleven refused to budge from their positions in the living room. Sighing heavily, the Emperor left them and got the other eighteen to lay down for naps. He then returned with the intention of physically carrying his two more stubborn sons to bed. They both shrieked and dug in deeper.
The Emperor lost his temper a bit, and with that lapse psychically attacked his sons. Realizing what was going on, he quickly reigned himself in. Instead of two frightened boys, however, he found two fish flopping on the floor. Startled, the Emperor lept over the fish and darted into the kitchen to get a bowl of water for them. While he was there, Malcador entered the residence.
"Lord?" Malcador asked, not seeing the Emperor in the kitchen. He then very nearly stepped on the two fish. "Why are there fish on the floor?"
"Don't step on them!" the Emperor called, reappearing with the bowl of water. "They are Two and Eleven." He then stooped and put the fish into the bowl of water.
"What happened?" Malcador asked, he was a bit aghast at what he saw.
"I was trying to put them down for a nap," the Emperor said, holding the bowl of water, not quite sure what to do with them. "They were shrieking and I lost control of my temper. They were fish by the time I realized what I was doing."
"Where are the other Primarchs?" Malcador asked, he didn't see any of the remaining eighteen.
"They're all napping," the Emperor said. Malcador seemed relieved by that.
"Alright, what are we going to do with them?" Malcador asked, indicating the bowl in the Emperor's hands.
"I will have the Mechanicum build a tank for them," the Emperor said. "Until that is complete, they will have to stay in the bowl."
"What are we going to tell the others?" Malcador continued his questions.
"I'm not sure," the Emperor said. He didn't want to admit to his remaining sons that he had done something terrible to their brothers.
"You could say that they ran away," Malcador suggested. "Got lost in the Palace. The fish are a place holder until they return."
"That should work," the Emperor said. "If they ask when they get older, I can tell them that it's the fate of bad Primarchs."
"Indeed, that's a good plan," Malcador agreed. "Do you wish to deal with the Mechanicum personally?"
"Yes, I think that will be better," the Emperor said. "I'll talk to them when the Primarchs go to bed for the night."
"Very well, lord," Malcador said. He then left the Emperor alone. The other Primarchs awoke, and returned to the living room. They asked about the fish, the Emperor responded with the story that he and Malcador had come up with. The remaining Primarchs accepted the explanation without questions. To them, their father's word was always true.
The years went on, and the Primarchs quickly worked out that Two and Eleven were never coming back. At that point it was unclear to the Primarchs whether the fish in the Mechanicum-installed tank were just fish, or their lost brothers. It was determined by the Primarchs that something had gone wrong with Two and Eleven, and their father had dealt with them. They all swore to each other that they would never talk about it. This included asking their father about the true origins of the fish.
The Emperor removed the few decorations on the doors to the rooms that Two and Eleven had slept in. The doors were left a plain, barren white. The only blemish on either door was a point that the Emperor touched each morning as a silent apology to the two sons he had lost.
"I think it's nap time," the Emperor said sternly. He began to herd the Primarchs towards their rooms. Two and Eleven refused to budge from their positions in the living room. Sighing heavily, the Emperor left them and got the other eighteen to lay down for naps. He then returned with the intention of physically carrying his two more stubborn sons to bed. They both shrieked and dug in deeper.
The Emperor lost his temper a bit, and with that lapse psychically attacked his sons. Realizing what was going on, he quickly reigned himself in. Instead of two frightened boys, however, he found two fish flopping on the floor. Startled, the Emperor lept over the fish and darted into the kitchen to get a bowl of water for them. While he was there, Malcador entered the residence.
"Lord?" Malcador asked, not seeing the Emperor in the kitchen. He then very nearly stepped on the two fish. "Why are there fish on the floor?"
"Don't step on them!" the Emperor called, reappearing with the bowl of water. "They are Two and Eleven." He then stooped and put the fish into the bowl of water.
"What happened?" Malcador asked, he was a bit aghast at what he saw.
"I was trying to put them down for a nap," the Emperor said, holding the bowl of water, not quite sure what to do with them. "They were shrieking and I lost control of my temper. They were fish by the time I realized what I was doing."
"Where are the other Primarchs?" Malcador asked, he didn't see any of the remaining eighteen.
"They're all napping," the Emperor said. Malcador seemed relieved by that.
"Alright, what are we going to do with them?" Malcador asked, indicating the bowl in the Emperor's hands.
"I will have the Mechanicum build a tank for them," the Emperor said. "Until that is complete, they will have to stay in the bowl."
"What are we going to tell the others?" Malcador continued his questions.
"I'm not sure," the Emperor said. He didn't want to admit to his remaining sons that he had done something terrible to their brothers.
"You could say that they ran away," Malcador suggested. "Got lost in the Palace. The fish are a place holder until they return."
"That should work," the Emperor said. "If they ask when they get older, I can tell them that it's the fate of bad Primarchs."
"Indeed, that's a good plan," Malcador agreed. "Do you wish to deal with the Mechanicum personally?"
"Yes, I think that will be better," the Emperor said. "I'll talk to them when the Primarchs go to bed for the night."
"Very well, lord," Malcador said. He then left the Emperor alone. The other Primarchs awoke, and returned to the living room. They asked about the fish, the Emperor responded with the story that he and Malcador had come up with. The remaining Primarchs accepted the explanation without questions. To them, their father's word was always true.
The years went on, and the Primarchs quickly worked out that Two and Eleven were never coming back. At that point it was unclear to the Primarchs whether the fish in the Mechanicum-installed tank were just fish, or their lost brothers. It was determined by the Primarchs that something had gone wrong with Two and Eleven, and their father had dealt with them. They all swore to each other that they would never talk about it. This included asking their father about the true origins of the fish.
The Emperor removed the few decorations on the doors to the rooms that Two and Eleven had slept in. The doors were left a plain, barren white. The only blemish on either door was a point that the Emperor touched each morning as a silent apology to the two sons he had lost.
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