The Anialwch Connection
Chapter 7
When Donte and Celyn had walked away, Neirin shifted his attention to the discussion between Quade and Adriaan. Apparently, everyone in the group was aware of The Prophesy. Neirin had been unaware of The Prophesy or the Anialwch Connection, much less Donte and Celyn’s role. That was the price of isolation.
They continued their conversation as Adriaan gave them a tour of the ship. Neirin divided his attention between the tour and the conversation between Quade and Adriaan. Obviously the two were old friends - more people he liked and considered trustworthy.
Donte appeared self-conscious about his powers. That was his weakness. It was something to keep in mind if they planned on helping him.
Neirin thought back to his reaction when he had first seen Donte in the uniform of Bergen – the dark blue uniform with the insignia that indicated he occupied a position of high command. He had been confused by Donte’s nonchalance about its importance. Donte had acted the same way about all the badges on his uniform when he returned from his service. He had downplayed their importance. He was driven by a desire to help, but wanted no recognition for it. He expected little from others, but continually fell short in his own eyes.
Quade went on to discuss all the genes involved in creating the different Mascots and how mixing intensified pheromones and created superpowers. He had always thought Celyn’s visions were a fluke of nature, but this latest information made him wonder about something else. It was something he was certain Donte could answer. He wanted to talk to Donte, but finding time alone with him seemed to be impossible. Donte had found an answer to his need to talk to Celyn alone, though. He simply asked her to go with him – away from the others.
When Kenyon mentioned the issue of Chait wanting all Mascots for his council, Neirin listened with particular interest. Lochfowk shared a northern border with Anialwch. He hadn’t known that Pieter shared that idea, but it didn’t surprise him. The look on Pieter’s face when he saw Donte romping with a colonist gave him a pretty good idea of how Pieter rated colonists in hierarchy. Donte couldn’t take over as ruler fast enough to suit Neirin.
Neirin looked up as Donte and Celyn rejoined them. Donte had an easy graceful stride, even in the artificial gravity. Neirin personally found it difficult to stay oriented. Of course, Donte had recently spent three years on the spaceship, so he was probably still accustomed to it. Even so, Donte had unusually good balance and grace – feline, to be more specific. When they had found him in Anialwch, Neirin had been impressed with his physique. Every inch of his tall lean build was muscle. Donte had leaped from the back of a camelus and landed on his feet, barely pausing to get his balance before running after the escaping Nyumbani raider. Neirin had never seen anything like that before and would have thought it was impossible if he had not witnessed it. Now he understood why.
Quade had kept them entertained in Donte’s absence, but Neirin wondered why Donte had separated Celyn. He instinctively liked and trusted Donte, but Celyn was a young and inexperienced girl. She was obsessed with Donte in a way that Neirin found troubling. Donte and Rianne were mates now, but Celyn still insisted that he would exchange vows with her when she turned nineteen. Neirin understood her fascination with Donte. He was exceptionally good looking and he had an obvious interest in her. He had a soft-spoken way of talking to people that enticed them to listen.
Donte and Rianne loved each other. That much was obvious, even to Celyn. At the celebration Neirin had been surprised to see them romping with other partners. They would stop and search for each other occasionally, but neither seemed to be the least bit concerned about the fact that the other was holding hands with someone else. At first, he had wondered if they simply didn’t care, but after watching them for a while, he came to the conclusion that they were simply confident in their relationship. They were being good hosts. One other thing impressed him about them. Both Donte and Rianne were as comfortable with the colonists as they were with the Mascots. That was as it should be.
Celyn came to Neirin and hugged him. He put an arm around her. “It is a fascinating ship, isn’t it?”
She nodded and looked at Adriaan. “How old do you have to be to sign up?”
Adriaan smiled. “You must be at least sixteen. Do you think you might like to do that?”
“I don’t know…maybe.”
Neirin was shocked. What had Donte said to her? He looked at Donte, but he appeared to be surprised as well. Maybe it was a passing thing. Celyn seemed to have a different mood for every day. Why was she always interested in things that would take her away from home? Why wasn’t she happy at home? Well, she had another two years before it was even possible for her to sign up.
On the way back, Kenyon sat beside Donte. Seeing them together, Neirin was struck by how much they looked alike from the back. Both were tall and lean, dark haired with golden skin. Even their facial features were similar. That wasn’t too surprising, as they both favored their father.
The trip back held no surprises and Neirin was glad to rest at Quade’s home for the night. In the morning they were scheduled to take the tram to Vlaktes. Donte didn’t say anything, but he seemed concerned about it for some reason. Perhaps it was the message he received. He didn’t share the contents of that, but Rianne appeared to be pleased. Something was going on between Pieter and Donte.
***
When Donte read the message from Pieter and handed it to Rianne. She read it and smiled. He didn’t want to discuss it in front of everyone, so he waited until he was alone with Rianne that evening. He read it to her.
“Please come back home. We can work this out.”
Rianne shrugged. “He’s trying to say he’s sorry.”
Donte shook his head. “I don’t think so. To me, all he is saying is that he decided not to banish me. I told him to let me know if he didn’t want me to come back.”
Rianne’s smile was sympathetic. “He loves you, Donte.”
“I know that, and I love him.” He took a deep breath and let it out. “I don’t know how he thinks we are going to work this out. We’re poles apart in our approach.”
“He’s trying to work with you, Donte.”
The message made it appear so, but he wasn’t so sure. He had a growing feeling that Pieter wanted to find another second – one that agreed with his perspective. He couldn’t blame him. Maybe that was best, but it would make things more difficult. He took Rianne into his arms.
“Sometimes I wonder if I truly am the Anialwch Connection. I’m supposed to lead the colonies to freedom in the uniform of Bergen. That’s beginning to look impossible.”
Rianne looked up at him with a surprised expression. “Surely you don’t think he’s going to name someone else.”
“I wasn’t the one who brought up the idea of banishment.”
“He was angry and trying to manipulate you.”
“I don’t think so. I don’t think he was angry. I think he was that disappointed in me.”
She hugged him. “Ouch. That must have hurt.”
He held her close, a lump forming in his throat at the memory of their conversation. He stroked her soft hair and kissed the top of her head. He could always count on Rianne.
“I asked Celyn if she would be interested in staying with us for a while.”
Rianne leaned back and looked at his face. “What did she say?”
“She didn’t say anything. I don’t even know if she hated the idea. How do you read the expressions of a teenage girl?”
Rianne smiled. “Cautiously – and with an expectation of change.”
“I told her to think about it and let me know. I still need to talk to Neirin. I’m certain that he wants to ask me something, but wants to catch me alone.”
Rianne stepped back. “Then you’d best find him tonight because I’ve got a feeling that we aren’t going to Vlaktes with them.”
“I plan to.”
“Good for you. Let Pieter stew on it.”
“It isn’t that.” He hesitated, wanting to tell her about the unrest in Vlaktes, but not wanting her to know how he knew. He wanted to take Celyn with him so she could see what was happening. If they could ride into the country, it might help, but he didn’t want to endanger Celyn. If he could contact Nieke, he might have an idea about the level of risk, but he didn’t know where she was.
Rianne met his gaze. “It’s all right, Donte. You don’t have to tell me everything. I understand. Whatever you decide, I’m with you.”
He stroked her cheek. “I know, and I appreciate that. Still, I value your input.”
She nodded. “And you don’t want to betray anyone’s trust. It’s one of the many things I love about you.” She sighed. “It gets lonely on top, doesn’t it?”
He wasn’t on top, not yet, and he might never be – with the exception of The Prophesy. Maybe he was getting concerned about that too early. As for Pieter, he was almost certain that what he wanted to tell him was that he had decided on someone else as a second. It could wait until he returned from Vlaktes.
He released Rianne. “I think I’ll go look for Neirin.”
As it turned out, Neirin found Donte and asked him if they could talk alone. Unlike Pieter, he didn’t come straight to the point. They went outside and walked in the garden while they talked.
“I have to admit that when Celyn insisted on coming to the celebration, I didn’t want to go, but I’m glad I did.”
“I’m glad you did, and I’m sure Dad is.”
Neirin nodded in a reflective way. “Seeing all this technology makes me want to run back home and pretend it doesn’t exist. You can’t make it go away though. You don’t unlearn technology. You simply have to learn how to use it. President Quade has done well. His people admire him.” He looked at Donte. “The people of Bergen admire you. I think maybe it is something about your breeding.” His smile held a touch of humor.
Donte wasn’t sure whether Neirin was talking about his genetics or his raising – or both. Maybe he was only teasing.
“Your people admire you as well.” Donte leaned his arms on the pole fence rail.
Neirin rested his forearms on the rail and gazed at the mountains. “You have aged in the time since I last saw you. I think you are not as happy. It is a large burden that you have been given – one that you did not ask for.” His gaze turned on Donte. “Perhaps one you did not want.”
It was a lot of information to absorb. He wasn’t unhappy, but he did feel the burden of The Prophesy. Hopefully he was more mature – which translated to aged. It didn’t matter whether he wanted the burden of The Prophesy or not. He had it. There was no point in reflecting on it.
“It is a burden,” he finally said. “But I feel honored that I was chosen.”
Neirin nodded again. “This thing with Pieter; I don’t want to intrude, but I do want you to know that I support you. Celyn says that you have invited her to stay with you for a while. I told her it was her decision to make.”
Like he accepted the growth of technology, Neirin was accepting the role his daughter would play in The Prophesy. Donte said nothing, sensing that there was more on Neirin’s mind.
Neirin turned to face Donte, one arm resting on the fence rail. “I never believed the miracle of her birth. I knew my mate wanted a child. When she announced that she was with child a month after her trip to Bree, I said nothing. I knew she loved me and I loved her. It didn’t matter how the baby began. I would be the father. The irony of it was that she didn’t live to see her daughter grown. I love Celyn no differently than I would my biological child." He paused.
"I want you to know this because I think you have the answer to a question that has long troubled me. I was afraid that Celyn would have red hair and everyone would know what happened. I was vain then. It doesn’t matter to me now if everyone knows.” He shrugged. “But I’m sure it would matter to Celyn. I’m afraid she will discover the truth about her heritage and resent my silence – maybe even reject me.”
He paused again to search Donte’s face. “You need not tell me who it is, but I think you know. Is this true?”
Donte nodded.
Neirin turned back and leaned against the rail again, looking at the scenery around them. “It is beautiful here, but I think I like the desert more.” He was silent for a few minutes. Finally, he looked at Donte.
“I have heard of unrest in Lochfowk. This troubles me, as they are so close to the palace. Chait will be their next president. Everyone knows this. He intends to give total rule to the Mascots.” Neirin let out a long sigh. “I am sure there are those who say that we are the same in Anialwch because a Mascot is king.” He shook his head. “It is not the same. I have no objection to a colonist being king, but the position has been given to me and I accept that. I intend to treat my people in an equal way, whether they are Mascots or colonists. A person should not be given or denied a position on the provision that they are either Mascot or colonist. We cannot prosper that way.”
Donte said nothing. With so many qualified people to lead, he didn’t understand why he was named in The Prophesy. Neirin didn’t question his right to be king any more than he thought that it was unfair that he was a Mascot. He didn’t whine. He simply accepted the responsibility and made the most of what he had.
Neirin spoke softly. “I have devoted my life to Celyn for almost fourteen years. I thought she would be queen one day. I have watched you with Rianne. Perhaps it is time for me to take a mate again.”
With only six years left, changes were already becoming evident. Those who fought the changes were going to lose. The only thing they could do at this point was to make sure those changes were for the better. Determining which changes were for the better was going to be a monumental task. Fortunately, he wasn't alone. Hopefully Neirin felt the same way.
Donte extended a hand, palm up. “I’m glad we had this talk. I will think of what you told me when I must make decisions.”
Neirin gripped his forearm. “You are a true friend.”
It was possibly the best compliment Donte had ever received.
Soft Science Fiction
