The Anialwch Connection
Chapter 3
When King Neirin and Celyn stepped off the boat at the dock in Playa, Libertad, it was late evening so he got a room for each of them. This was their first trip out of Anialwch territory. Celyn was excited but felt anxious. They had both learned the languages of Libertad, Bergen, Lochfowk and Nyumbani, so that part didn’t trouble him. They knew a little about the customs of all the colonies. They would learn more about Libertad and Bergen when they visited those colonies. What troubled him most was Celyn. At almost fourteen, she had suddenly become moody and rebellious. He could no longer let her out of his sight. Her body had matured faster than her mind and she was more beautiful than any woman he had ever seen – and that included Rianne. He wasn’t concerned she would get into trouble with the men. There was only one man in her life, and that was his major problem. She wasn’t merely infatuated with Donte. She was obsessed with him. She wanted to see him, and if Neirin had not arranged to take her there, he had no doubt that she would have gone on her own. They had an invitation to a celebration and that was all she needed. The fact that Donte already had a mate didn’t concern her. To her way of thinking, he could do as he pleased until she was nineteen. At that point he must exchange vows with her, as her vision had dictated. She had no idea what love was about.
Donte loved Rianne and Neirin hoped that if Celyn saw them together she would understand that he wasn’t going to shove Rianne aside to exchange vows with Celyn. Celyn had enough admirers in Anialwch, but she barely noticed them. Hopefully, when she returned from this visit, she would begin to show interest in other males.
Celyn’s obsession over Donte wasn’t the only reason he was escorting her to Bergen, though. Of course, there was the celebration of the servicemen and women returning, but there was something he wanted to discuss with Donte. Now that Anialwch and Lochfowk were communicating, he had heard things that disturbed him. Lochfowk had a large population of Mascots, while both Anialwch and Nyumbani had few – mostly women. In Nyumbani, Queen Halisi, a Mascot, had promised to exchange vows with a colonist. In Lochfowk, there was rumor of an all-Mascot government being planned if Chait was elected president next year. Of course, it might not be true. He had heard the same about Bergen and they currently had an all-colonist cabinet. Donte wasn’t the ruler yet, but surely he would never permit the Bergen cabinet to be replaced by all Mascots without the approval of the colonists.
Early the next morning they boarded the tram. Neither of them had ever seen a tram before. It was quite an experience, and the scenery from their window was beautiful. Celyn was torn between the little girl drooling out the window and the young princess preening in the reflection. When the tram stopped at Palangana, a nice-looking young man boarded the tram. He was tall, with golden skin and brown eyes. He kept watching Celyn and she pretended not to notice, all the while making sure she presented her best profile for him. Neirin wasn’t sure he was going to survive a teenage daughter. He was relieved when they reached Libertad main colony and switched trams to go to Bergen. They had barely settled in their seats when he glanced up to see Akira approaching them. She smiled and spoke to the tall good-looking man behind her who had stopped to talk to a passenger. The man glanced up from his conversation and smiled. Concluding his conversation, he followed Akira to stop beside Neirin. If Neirin had ever met the man, he had forgotten, but he had no doubt it was President Quade. Donte bore a remarkable resemblance to his father.
Celyn caught her breath and stood. “Akira!”
Akira shook her hand. “Celyn, this is my mate, President Quade.”
Quade offered a palm to Celyn and then Neirin. “I’m delighted to see you here, Nomi…Monomi.”
Neirin scooted over. “Please sit with us,” Celyn sat beside her father, leaving the other seat for Quade and Akira.
Quade stood aside, allowing Akira to sit first before sitting down beside her. His attention fixed on Neirin. “If you have time while you are here, I’d like to show you around.”
Neirin nodded. “I think we could make the time. We would both enjoy that. This has been quite an experience for both of us already.”
“Daddy,” Celyn said, rolling her eyes. “You’re making us look socially awkward.”
Neirin laughed. “Well, princess, I believe we are. We can fix that easily enough, though.”
Celyn couldn’t stop looking at Quade. He looked so much like Donte – or Donte looked so much like his father. They both had that deep gentle voice and a soft-spoken way about them. They were both unusually good looking – tall and lean. Quade had soft brown eyes, though, and Donte’s were a beautiful dark blue. She could hardly wait to see Donte again. It had been nearly four years since the last time she had seen him. All the time he was on the space ship, she hadn’t assisted him in any of her visions. She had dreamed about him, though. She never told her father about the dreams or the visions anymore. For some reason, they upset him.
Akira wore a long blue dress of a soft material that was gathered at her slim waist with a silver-linked belt. Her beautiful red hair was braided and wrapped around her head. Quade must have thought she looked nice, because he would look at her and she would look at him like they were the only two people in on the tram. It was embarrassing for two old people to act like that.
Celyn glanced down at her plain white robe. It was clean and comfortable, but she wished she had something nice like Akira was wearing. The only times Celyn had seen Donte, he was either dressed in a robe or a uniform. Quade was dressed in gray trousers, a white shirt and a soft gray jacket. It would be nice to wear something besides white.
“I like your dress,” she told Akira.
“Thank you. Saskia got this for me when she was in Bosvrouwen. She is a senior on the fabric council.” She hesitated and glanced at Neirin. “If your father doesn’t mind, I imagine Rianne would have something you could wear.”
Celyn shook her head vigorously. “No thank you.” She wasn’t about to wear anything that belonged to Rianne.
Akira smiled. “Well, possibly Saskia could come up with something.”
Warmth crawled up Celyn’s neck and she glanced at her father. “I don’t think Daddy would let me wear something like that.”
Neirin lifted his brows. “I wasn’t aware that I could stop you.” He shrugged. “You may dress as you wish. Akira looks lovely, doesn’t she?”
Celyn looked at Akira’s dress again and nodded.
“I’m sure we can find you something before the celebration. We will have time.” Akira spoke the Anialwch language with a clipped accent. She made it sound feminine.
Time rushed by like the scenery outside their window. The tram climbed through mountain passes still cloaked in snow and rolled down steep hills into wide green valleys. It was beautiful. They passed forested hills with occasional cottages surrounded by rock fences. Finally, the tram slowed and rolled to a halt inside a building. They emerged from the tram into an elevated station.
Celyn studied the lobby in the station at Bergen with wide eyes. It was beautiful. The walls were of polished logs and it had a warm feeling about it. Even the floor was of polished wood planks. Colorful rugs covered the floor in spots against the wall where there were people sitting in chairs. They were probably waiting to get on the tram. There were bookcases and lots of books. It was the most beautiful lobby she had ever seen.
A bearded man in light blue shirt and trousers approached them with a smile and a handshake. “I am Cariel. You must be King Neirin and Princess Celyn. Pieter is expecting you. I have been asked to escort you to see him when you arrived. He turned to Quade and Akira, welcoming them as well.
They rode in a coach to a large building on a hill. The entire bottom floor was a lobby, much like the one at the station. She had never seen so much bare wood. It was pretty polished like that. Anialwch was mostly desert, so the colonists had utilized stone for building rather than the few trees they had.
As they were waiting for the lift, a tall lean figure walked toward them. He had his head down, reading a paper, but Celyn had no doubt it was Donte. He was dressed in soft blue shirt and gray trousers. His boots clicked on the hardwood floor with each step. Sensing their presence, he looked up.
His expression transformed from troubled to a smile of delight in a heartbeat. He joined them and offered a palm to Neirin first. “What a pleasant surprise!”
Neirin grasped his forearm and gave it a welcome shake. “It is good to see you, Donte.”
Donte offered his palm to Celyn and she placed her palm on his warm muscular forearm. For a moment she was at loss for words. He was even more handsome than ever.
“Celyn,” he said. “It’s nice to see you again. You’ve done some growing while I was away.”
The deep warm voice sent another wave of heat up her neck, spilling onto her cheeks. He released her hand and turned to Akira.
“Nomi.” And to Quade: “Dad. It’s nice to see you.” He hugged his father.
Quade hugged him. “We’re all glad to see you back on Purlieu.” He stepped back and put an arm around Akira’s shoulders. “Akira is my mate now. We exchanged vows last night.”
Donte lifted his brows. “Congratulations.” He looked uncomfortable for a moment. “I hate to leave you here, but a friend is expecting me momentarily. I’ll join you as soon as possible.”
The lift doors opened and they stepped inside. Donte strode away down the hall, his expression once more troubled.
Saskia met them at the door and her welcome was genuine. “Oh my, Pieter. Look who else is here. This is so exciting.”
Pieter rolled his chair toward the door to greet them. As they all stepped into the room, two more red-headed women stood and joined a tall lean man with brown eyes. He was almost as good looking as Donte. One of the women resembled Akira, but she was older and prettier. The other woman was smaller than Celyn.
Quade made the introductions. The tall lean man was Kenyon, Quade’s son. After the Mascot handshake, his hand slid down her arm and lifted her hand in his. He bowed over it. “It is a pleasure to meet you. I have heard a lot about you.” His eyes harbored a twinkle that suggested he was sharing a joke. His lips weren’t as full as Donte’s, but they formed a smile of appreciation. She had the feeling she would like to know him better.
The little woman was Mai and the older one was Sima, the president of Lochfowk.
Celyn was so excited that she wanted to jump up and down. Finally, she was getting to travel, and now she was in the room with the leaders of four colonies! If only Donte was here, but he said he would join them later.
Pieter and Saskia made sure they all had a comfortable place to sit and a hot drink. Saskia brought some treats out on a tray. Celyn looked at her father and he nodded his permission.
Pieter glanced at Quade. “I thought Donte and Rianne would be here by now.”
“We saw Donte in the lobby.” Celyn said. “He said he would be here soon.”
Neirin gave her a warning look, so she said no more. Why would that be a secret? Maybe he simply thought she shouldn’t speak unless spoken to.
Pieter’s expression was reflective. “If he knew you were here, he should have cancelled his plans.”
Saskia gave him a stern look. “I’m sure he knows how to prioritize his time.”
Kenyon stood and looked at Mai. “We’ll go check on him.”
Pieter nodded. “Thank you. Tell him…” he looked at Saskia “That we are looking forward to seeing him.”
Kenyon gave him a wry smile. “I know he feels the same way about everyone here.”
After Donte left the group, he strode down the hall, his mind instantly on the task at hand. Gerritt had agreed to talk to him before he left in the morning. Since they were both going to attend the celebration, now would be the only opportunity. He hoped to talk him out of leaving and discover what Pieter had said to offend him. It was a lot to expect.
In the commons, he got them each a hot drink and chose a table in the corner. He took a seat, leaving Gerritt a place where the wall would be at his back and he could see anyone who approached. If he felt confident that he was not being overheard, he would be more likely to divulge information.
Gerritt entered the room and spotted Donte in the corner. He walked across the commons and took the chair Donte had saved for him. He lifted the cup and took a sip. “What’s going on?”
“I was hoping you could tell me. I’m feeling a little vulnerable.”
Gerritt nodded. He studied the hot liquid in the cup.
Donte let him collect his thoughts. He was obviously reluctant to talk.
Gerritt looked up. “I was invited to leave after the celebration.”
Donte frowned. “What? Why?”
Gerritt shrugged. “I was told you already had a second, whatever that means.”
Donte stared at him. Gerritt knew what a second was. It was the person you named to take your place if something happened to you. The confusing part about it was that a second wasn’t named until you were the ruler. Obviously, Donte had not named his second. He was Pieter’s second. Who had Pieter promised as Donte’s second?
“Who was my second supposed to be?”
Gerritt shrugged again. “He didn’t say. I didn’t want to hang around where I wasn’t wanted anyway, so I didn’t ask.”
“I’m sorry, Gerritt. I can’t imagine what he was talking about, but I’m going to find out. I’m not the ruler so I can’t have a second. It makes no sense at all.”
“I appreciate your support, but I don’t want to start trouble. I’ll take my leave, as Pieter suggested. I’ll be around, if you need me.”
There was more. Obviously Gerritt felt uncomfortable about discussing it, but.... “I need you now, Gerritt…if you are still willing to work with me. I don’t want to drag you into something you don’t want to be involved in, though.”
Gerritt leaned back in his chair and glanced around the room. “I promised I would help. What do you need?”
Why the sudden reluctance? Gerritt had been aware that Pieter didn't believe in The Prophesy and that there would be some resistance.
“I need your ears and your eyes. You don’t have to.…”
Gerritt lifted a finger from his cup, a signal that someone was approaching. Donte turned to see Kenyon approaching their table, Mai beside him.
Kenyon gave Donte a wry smile. “I see you’re consorting too. Could we join you? I think we have something you’d like to hear.”
Donte stood and slid his chair around. “Grab a couple of chairs. I’ll get you some hot drinks.” He looked at Gerritt, who was standing, obviously not certain if he should stay. “This is my brother, Kenyon, and Mai from Lochfowk. Please sit down. I think we may have some answers to my questions.” Donte looked at Kenyon. “Mai, Kenyon; this is my good friend, Gerritt. We were trying to figure out what has been happening in my absence.”
His introduction was intended to let all parties know that he trusted them. Kenyon wouldn’t have said anything in front of Mai if she couldn’t be trusted. Apparently, he already knew what had happened with Gerritt.
When Donte returned with the drinks, Kenyon glanced up at him. “By the way; Donica said to tell you she couldn’t come because traveling is too difficult for her right now.” His smile turned wry again. “She seems to have gained a lot of weight in the stomach area.”
Donte grinned. “That’s great news. When is it due?”
“Any time now.”
Gerritt was watching Mai in a way that made it clear he appreciated her beauty. Donte pulled his chair out and sat at the table.
“What is this information that you think I would like to hear?”
Kenyon glanced at Mai. “Donica’s mate is running for president of Lockfowk.”
Donte nodded. “I expected that.”
Kenyon leaned back in his chair and put his ankle on his knee. “Did you expect him to expand the council to seven people?”
“No, but I think that needs to be done. Hopefully they will represent all the people, not only groups.”
Kenyon sipped his drink. “I don’t know about that, but his running mate, Ness, plans to appoint all Mascots.”
Donte frowned. “Why?”
Kenyon explained the plan. He sipped his drink again, studying Donte over the rim. “Apparently they got the idea from Pieter.”
Donte had looked down at his cup, considering the information Kenyon had given him. He jerked his head up at the last comment about Pieter. His gaze shot to Gerritt.
“That explains a lot.” He set the cup on the table and stared at it. “He didn’t want to tell me because he knew I wouldn’t agree.” He put his elbows on the table and rubbed his face and hair with his hands. “This isn’t good.”
Kenyon put his foot down and leaned forward, setting his cup on the table. “What are you going to do?”
Donte shook his head. “I haven’t a clue.”
“I’ve got your back, brother, whatever you decide. I think you can count on Dad too.”
“There isn’t much I can do right now. Pieter is the ruler. He can do as he pleases – especially if he replaces his cabinet with hand-picked Mascots. That would be a fatal move for him, I think.”
Kenyon nodded. “I agree. Bergen colonists elect the cabinet, if I understand it correctly.”
Donte nodded. "And Bergen Mascots. The ruler can do as he or she choose, as long as it is approved by the cabinet. He looked at Gerritt. “Are you still in?”
Gerritt hesitated a moment and then nodded. “If he actually plans to do that, it would be against our founding laws."
Donte stared at him a moment, distracted by a sudden thought. Was Gerritt's reluctance due to concerns about the legality of what he was doing? He wasn't trying to overthrow the government...but Gerritt knew that; didn't he? He turned to Mai. “Can we count on you?”
“Sure, but I don’t know what I can do.”
Donte sighed. “You and Gerritt can probably do more than anyone else. If you hear about any unrest among the colonists toward Mascots, let us know as soon as possible. I’ll talk to a group or a person whenever they want. I don’t want to see discord between Mascots and colonists. We can only survive by working together. We can work this out.”
Mai glanced at Kenyon before she addressed Donte. “There is already unrest in Lochfowk. The Mascots outnumber us and they are already in control.”
Donte listened to her. “Are the colonists being treated badly – other than being discriminated against regarding government offices?”
She shook her head. “No. They are afraid it might happen once the Mascots have total control of the council, though. Sima has always been fair, but Chait has been disrespectful toward us in the past. Ness...even I am afraid of Ness.”
If Mai was afraid of Ness, how many others were? It was possible that the election was being manipulated with threats. “If you have trouble, contact me and I’ll talk to Chait.”
He looked at Gerritt. “The same is true with you. I’ll talk to some of the cabinet members and see what I can find out there."
Kenyon lifted his brows. “What do you want me to do?”
Donte shrugged. “When I start whining – give me a good swift kick in the backside.”
They all laughed.
“King Neirin is here.” Donte said. “When I saw him, I thought about Nyumbani. I wondered if they had been invited.”
Kenyon grimaced. “Pieter isn’t big on forgiveness.”
“We need to work on Nyumbani. We can’t afford to have them backslide.”
Kenyon nodded. “Kafil likes you. That’s a good connection.”
“But I’ve been exiled. I can’t go back there.”
Kenyon looked from Gerritt to Donte. “Let me work on that. I think we can come to an agreement.”
Donte gave Kenyon a level look. “No threats.”
Kenyon smiled. “No threats. You don’t give yourself enough credit. Those people adore you.”
Donte stood. “I’d better get home and dress for the celebration or Rianne will be kicking my backside before you get the opportunity.” He glanced at Mai and Gerritt. “Thank you for your support.” He squeezed Kenyon’s shoulder. “I don’t know the words to express the depth of my appreciation for you.”
“My sentiments, exactly, brother.” Kenyon stood. “We’ll see you at the celebration.” As Donte walked away, he called after him. “Oh, I forgot to tell you that Sima came with us.”
Donte turned with lifted brows. “I’m impressed. This should be an interesting celebration.”
Soft Science Fiction
