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Return Of The Fontalo
by Linda Rigsbee
Chapter 2
    When the tram came to a stop at the station in Bergen, Celyn stood and straightened her uniform. She had been anticipating this night since she had heard it was being planned six weeks ago.
   She had served with honors aboard the Baigh. Adriaan had been disappointed when she chose the Baigh instead of the Moeder, but Donte had served on the Moeder and she didn’t even want to try living up to his standards. There was a third choice now. The Azar was now a full-service training ship. That had happened since she joined the service three years ago. So much had changed while she was in the service.
   A rail had been built from Playa, following the sea all the way through Anialwch and to the main colony of Nyumbani. Lochfowk had built docks and a station on the sea. The first land shuttles were being manufactured in Bosvrouwen and were scheduled to be completed in a few weeks.
  While she was looking forward to the celebration, she felt apprehensive about seeing Donte and Rianne again. Until she spent the year with them when she was fourteen, she couldn’t wait to turn nineteen and exchange vows with Donte. That was an informative year. Donte was everything she thought he would be - and a lot more. Rianne was the surprise. How many women would welcome an immature teenage girl into their home knowing her intent was to take her mate away? Rianne was the most wonderful person she had ever met, making Donte the second most wonderful – well, not counting her father, of course.
    Celyn wished she'd never had that vision, but she did. Donte was certain that the vows she saw them exchange had nothing to do with the vows between mates. She could certainly understand why he was fighting the idea. He loved Rianne. They were the perfect couple. Celyn didn’t want to come between them, but she knew what she had seen in her vision. As Donte had once said; if it was to be, then it would be, no mater what he thought.
    Her vision hadn’t been born of desire. She had been only nine and she had not met him at the time. Donte didn’t even have a mate when she told him about the vision. She had hoped and prayed for a new vision – one that didn’t include Donte, but it didn’t happen. Sometime this year she was supposed to exchange vows with Donte. She had accepted the inevitable.
    In desperation, Celyn had talked to Commander Cadha about her vision. As a result, they had come up with a couple solutions. There was nothing in the laws of Bergen that said a man couldn’t have two mates. Donte was the ruler of Bergen, so he could introduce a law permitting it if he wanted to. His cabinet would approve it. Everyone liked Donte. The other thing that Commander Cadha thought of was that they didn’t have to remain mates. It could be a union of convenience – only until The Prophesy was over. That was the best she and Cadha could come up with.
    Celyn hadn’t allowed herself to think of Donte in a romantic way in years, but she would certainly welcome him as a mate if it came to that. From the first day she had seen him, she had wanted him. Back then she didn’t know what love and romance were. She simply liked and trusted him.
    As if things were not complicated enough, she had developed a close relationship with Kenyon. What she felt for him was more than friendship, but she was bound to Donte.
    Her father got off the tram behind her. King Neirin was dressed in the traditional white robe of the Anialwch. At one point she thought he would stop wearing the robe and start wearing trousers like the men in the other colonies. He had worn trousers to one celebration. That was when he started seeing Nieke. For some strange reason, Nieke thought he looked better in the robe and long hair. Actually, she could understand Nieke liking his long hair. It was a beautiful golden blonde with soft curls. He was a handsome man with lots of women who were interested in him. But her father had fallen in love with Nieke – a colonist from Vlaktes. Nieke was hopelessly in love with Donte. Everyone knew it; even Neirin. It made no sense.
    It was no surprise that Celyn was attracted to Kenyon. He looked so much like Donte that even Rianne had mistaken him for Donte one time when she sneaked up on him from behind to pull a prank. Actually, there were two problems with Kenyon, and neither had to do with his age. The first was that he was an incorrigible flirt. Celyn had no doubt he was romantically attracted to her, but if she wanted to settle down and have children, Kenyon was probably a poor choice. The other thing was the vision. If she became involved with Kenyon, what about the vision? That wasn’t fair to him. Donte was the better choice, but that had its own set of problems.

    Celyn and Neirin arrived at the Groot Thuis by coach. When they entered the lobby, Kenyon and Donte were talking to Donica and Chait. The group disbanded and came to welcome them. Donte reached them first and held out a palm to King Neirin. His welcome was warm and sincere. They liked each other.
    Donte offered a palm to Celyn. “Congratulations.” He looked her up and down. “Celyn, you’ve grown into a young woman quite gracefully.”
She gripped his forearm. “Thank you.”
    Every time she saw him, he was even better looking. He was still tall and lean, but his shoulders and chest had gained muscle tone. He looked healthy and attractive in dark blue trousers and waist-length jacket that constituted the uniform of the Bergen ruler. He had dark hair and beautiful blue eyes - and the most attractive smile she had ever seen on a man. His lips were full, yet well defined and decidedly masculine. It was difficult to stop looking at him, but she managed it.
  Donte had a mesmerizing look about him. It was impossible to explain to anyone unless they had gazed upon him. It was like coming over the mountains in the warm season and being rewarded by the scene of a lush valley below. A person had to pause and simply stare in appreciation. That was how she felt seeing Donte after a long time.
    Celyn glanced up as Kenyon joined them. He offered a palm to her. When she gripped his forearm, he pulled her into a hug.
    His voice was constricted to a whisper. “I missed you. I’m glad you’re back.”
    When Kenyon released Celyn, Donica hugged her. “We all missed you, and we’re so proud of you.”
    Akira and Rianne joined them and they had another round of hugs.
Rianne had changed. She lacked her usual enthusiasm. Rianne had always been the one who led, and she usually did it with a fair amount of dry humor. There was no humor, only acceptance. Celyn looked up at Donte, but he was watching Rianne. His expression was both concerned and devoted. Whatever was happening, it wasn’t because Donte loved her any less. Was Rianne upset that she had returned?
    Donte glanced at the door. “Excuse me.” He motioned to Rianne and she followed him to welcome the newest guests.
    When Celyn looked to see who had entered, she was surprised to see Kafil and Heri with a woman she assumed must be Queen Halisi of Nyumbani. Her dark brown completion was flawless. She was one of the most beautiful women Celyn had ever seen.
    Halisi’s son, Heri had been at the last ceremony Celyn attended in Bergen. He had arrived in the company of the Mascot Kwasi. Kafil and Halisi had not attended that year. At that point, Halisi had barely started talking to Donte.
    At only twelve, Heri had inherited both Halisi and Donte’s good looks. He was going to be a heartbreaker when he came of age.

    Rianne & Donte stayed busy welcoming and introducing guests so Kenyon was Celyn’s constant companion during the celebration. By the time the ceremony started, they had decided that, for the first time, all the colony leaders were present. She had heard of Isis, the Queen of Bosvrouwen, but tonight was the first time she had ever seen her. Isis was Saskia's sister.
    Kenyon was the one who brought it to her attention that there were guards. Beier was one of them and Gerritt was another. She was certain that Nieke was trying to do the same thing, but her father kept interrupting her. Like the other guards, Nieke kept on the move around the room. Almost every time Celyn saw her, she was looking around the room.
    Celyn looked up at Kenyon. “I’ll bet there are guards outside as well.”
    He nodded. “I wouldn’t doubt it.” He glanced around the room. “I wonder why.”
    Celyn looked at him. “I suppose because the leader of each colony is here tonight.”
    Kenyon’s gaze came back to her. “I know that, but they have never had guards before.”
   She shrugged. “I suppose three attempts on Donte’s life were enough to make him cautious about the lives of other leaders.”
    Kenyon put a protective arm around her. “Let’s go sit at a table and order some hot drinks.
    The idea that returning servicewomen needed to be protected by civilians was ludicrous, but the feel of his arm around her was nice, so she simply followed his lead. She had intended on talking to Rianne, but that could wait.

    Neirin lost Celyn to Kenyon shortly after they arrived at the Groot Thuis. He tried to latch on to Nieke, but every time he looked away, she was gone. He had the feeling she was trying to avoid him. He finally took a seat at a table with the other leaders.
    Donte stayed busy welcoming guests and Rianne helped out in the kitchen. They were both in high demand. It was no surprise that they looked exhausted. Neirin had a feeling there was more to it, though. Rianne’s look was more apathy than exhaustion. Hopefully it wasn’t Celyn’s vision that was coming between them.
    For someone who had been obsessed with Donte for the last nine years, Celyn was spending a lot of time with Kenyon. Neirin liked Kenyon and had given some thought to the idea of having him in the family. He always came back to the same thought. Kenyon seemed more interested in all women than he did in one. Of course, to Celyn, there was the vision and Donte. He didn’t like that idea – not because he wouldn’t welcome Donte, but because Donte was clearly not interested in Celyn in a romantic way. He loved Rianne and that wasn’t going to change.
    The elevated platform where the musicians performed last year had been set up with tables along the wall. Woven baskets with bows on them were lined up on the tables. They were doing something new this year.
    When Donte stepped up on the platform, the room became quiet. Neirin had never seen anyone with the presence that Donte had. The moment he began to speak, everyone in the room listened. Donte’s deep voice and soft-spoken way required total focus, but it was more than that. Everyone wanted to know what he was going to say. He always had something interesting to disclose in a new perspective. He had a way of delivering the most spectacular information with total calm. If you weren’t paying attention to what he was saying, you might not realize the building was on fire.
    Donte acknowledged the people who had worked to make that night a success. He mentioned them by name and had them stand. Donte’s humor was warm. He had a lot of volunteers and an obvious appreciation for them. Next, he had all the servicemen and women come to the platform. He introduced them individually and gave each of them a basket as well as thanks for their service. Each of the baskets was filled with items made by thankful colonists. Only when the honors were complete, did he address the presence of so many high officials from other colonies. Neirin liked Donte’s priorities. If the expression on Chait’s face was any indication, he wasn’t as impressed. He was young and new in the position of President of Lochfowk. If he had time before the colonists kicked him out of office, he would learn that it was all about the people, not him.
    With the honors complete, the tables were cleared from the platform and the musicians quickly got ready for the evening festivities. Donte waved to Donica to join him and there was a loud cheer. One of the musicians handed him an instrument and he sat on the edge of the platform with Donica. Their voices blended beautifully in a patriotic song.
    Afterward people clapped their hands, all smiles. It was certainly enjoyable, but the people were obviously delighted by who was singing. This was where Donica had been brought up and the people were happy to see her return, even if it was only for a short visit. They were obviously proud of their young ruler as well.
    It had already been a delightful and interesting evening and the celebration had barely begun. As the musicians began to play, Donte lead Donica to the floor for the first romp. Other couples lined up, the man behind the woman, and they all began in unison.
    Neirin turned to Chait. “They are all fond of Donica. She and Donte sing well together.”
    Chait nodded, continuing to watch Donica and Donte romp. His expression indicated he wasn’t pleased about that, either. It must be a challenge to live with him.
    Neirin glanced at Kafil and Halisi. They were both watching Donte and Donica. Hopefully Donte and Rianne would romp together at the end the way they did last time. Apparently, it was something that everyone anticipated, so they probably would.

    Kafil watched Donte and Donica romp with the others. He leaned toward Halisi and spoke quietly into her ear.
    “That looks like fun. Would you like to try it with me?”
    She glanced up at him and smiled. “I’m afraid I would trip and fall – or not remember the steps.”
    In other words, she was afraid of how she might appear to others. She was so proper. Sometimes he wished she would relax. She was beautiful and graceful. He couldn’t imagine her being anything else.
    When the romp ended, Donte and Donica returned to the table. Donte stopped beside Halisi.
    “Would you like to romp with me?”
    Halisi looked at Kafil as if she needed permission. He shrugged. “Let him show you how and you can show me.”
    When the music started again, Halisi took Donte’s arm and they walked out on the floor together. Donte walked her through the steps a couple times before they began to romp. They moved gracefully together. Kafil knew she could do it.
    Kafil stroked his beard. He was a colonist and Halisi a Mascot. To the best of his knowledge, they were the first colonist and Mascot to exchange vows. Certainly, Halisi was the first colony leader to exchange vows with a colonist. They had Donte to thank for that opportunity. In fact, Nyumbani had Donte to thank for their prosperity today. If Halisi's father had remained the king, their colony might still be raiding others.
    He glanced around the room. So many people had reason to be thankful for Donte even before The prophesy had begun. Donte was the most selfless person Kafil had ever known; possibly the bravest as well.
    Kafil wasn’t sure he believed in The Prophesy, but he believed in Donte. It was possible that The Fontalo would return, though he couldn’t imagine why. They had abandoned Purlieu over forty years ago as a failure. They thought all the Mascots they had created were either dead or sterile. The Parliament might return. They were the ones who started the initial experiment, before The Fontalo got involved. If they returned, they would discover that their experiment had actually been a success.
    The music stopped and Donte returned with a smiling Halisi. Kafil was glad to see they were finally getting along. It had been a shock when she confessed that she had loved Donte all along, but ultimately, she had accepted that situation. Halisi was strong and brave. Kafil couldn’t imagine why Donte had not fallen in love with her, but he was thankful that he hadn’t.
    Donte sat at the table across from Neirin. The music started again and Halisi tugged Kafil out to the floor for a romp. He glanced back and saw Donica and Chait following them. He smiled at her and she smiled back. She was too sweet a girl for such a sour man.

    Donte went in search of Rianne while the musicians warmed up for the last romp. He found her sitting in the kitchen, talking to one of the volunteers.
    He put a hand on her shoulder. “They’re ready for the last romp. Would you like to join me?”
    Rianne looked up at him. “I’m sure they would rather you romped with Celyn.”
    There it was - out in the open now that Celyn had returned. Knowing for sure that was the issue actually gave him the opportunity to respond in a productive manner.
    He took her hand. “Does it matter what I want, Rianne?”
    She looked uncomfortable. “Of course, it does, but….”
    He tugged on her hand. “Then come romp with me, Rianne. No one romps like you do and I haven’t had an opportunity to be with you all evening.”
    She stood and followed him out of the kitchen and to the open floor. As soon as they arrived in the romping area, people cheered and started clapping their hands and tapping their feet. They were ready for the show. There were three other couples on the floor, ready to make the last romp a competition.
    Donte’s attention was drawn to a minor disturbance. Celyn had Kenyon by the hand, tugging him toward the open floor.
    “Come on. We can do it. What have we got to lose?”
    Kenyon followed her in a half-hearted way, a sardonic smile on his handsome face. “Dignity?”
    Celyn laughed. “Everyone is already watching us. What will they think if you give up before you try?”
Kenyon relented; his face colored with embarrassment. People laughed and clapped their hands again.
    Rianne turned her back to Donte and he put one hand on her slim waist. He held her long soft fingers in his other hand. When the music started, they moved in unison, following one of the romp steps Rianne had created years ago. At first Rianne was stiff, as if she resented his hands on her, but as the music increased in tempo, she looked up over her shoulder at him and smiled. They romped faster and focused on each other, barely aware as other rompers gave up and left the floor to join those who cheered them on.
    Celyn and Kenyon continued to romp. Kenyon was actually doing a better job of keeping in step with the music than Celyn. When the tempo increased and the romp became a side-by-side complexity of foot movements, Kenyon finally stopped and laughed, shaking his head.
    Celyn complimented him on his amazing ability up to that point and they left the floor. They joined the ranks of the others, watching Donte and Rianne complete the steps to an ever-increasing tempo.
    Finally, Donte & Rianne faced each other for the last section of the romp. Donte lifted Rianne from the floor, swinging her around. When he returned her feet to the floor, she leaned back against his hands on her waist as they stepped between each other’s feet in a broad circle. By the time the music ended they were both laughing and gasping for breath.
    Rianne put an arm around his waist and he hugged her shoulders as he looked down at her. “I enjoyed that immensely.”
    “I did too.” She glanced around at the smiling faces surrounding them. “I don’t think we were the only ones who enjoyed it.”
    He gave her shoulder a squeeze. “It’s a good feeling when something works out for you as well as everyone else.”
    Her expression sobered and she removed her arm from his waist. “Even if it’s only temporary.” She glanced at Neirin, who was watching them. “I wonder if it will ever work out between him and Nieke.”
    Donte followed her gaze. “Nieke has been on volunteer guard duty all evening”
    Rianne looked up at him, surprised. “I didn’t know.”
    He nodded. “So have Beier, Garrett, Saar and Dylan.
   She glanced around. “I didn’t even think…” She looked up at him. “Are you expecting trouble?”
    “Not really, but I want to be prepared. The militia is on alert.”
   Her gaze traveled over his face. “They get no credit for all their work, and neither do you.”
    He smiled. “If it goes well, I wind up with most of the credit. If it goes badly, I get most of the blame. It’s part of being the ruler.” He glanced at Nieke. “To them, there is the satisfaction of knowing they did a good job. If they do it well, no one notices. If they fail, they will be chastised by the people they were trying to protect.” He sighed. “It isn’t fair, is it?”
   She slowly shook her head. “People should be educated.” She glanced around. “I’ll make sure that happens.”
    He had no doubt Rianne would do exactly as she said she would. It would be popular to support the volunteers for a while, but more than likely they would ultimately be taken for granted. It was human nature. Still, a person had to do the best they could.

    For a while, the guests lingered, visiting with everyone. Donte and Donica went to the playroom to pick up their children. Donica took Tavin’s hand and turned as Donte lifted Andras into his arms.
    Donica gasped. “Oh Donte! He looks exactly like you!”
    Donte laughed. Of course, he didn’t look exactly like him. Andras was a child. Still, people were always marveling about how much Andras looked like him, so there must be some truth to it – other than the fact that they both had dark hair and blue eyes – that was uncommon enough.
    Donte sobered. “I think he can sense when people are near.”
    Donica took Andras’ little hand and kissed it. “Does Rianne know?”
    “I don’t know. I didn’t realize it until this evening. I’m not sure.”
    Donica looked up at Donte. “What’s happening between you and Rianne? It isn’t Celyn is it?”
    Donte shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
    She shook her head. “Don’t let her come between you, Donte.”
    “How do I stop it?”
    She smiled. “It looked like you were doing a good job of it during the romp.”
    He smiled at the memory. “That’s the first time I’ve seen her look happy in a few months.”
    Donica patted his arm. “Rianne likes to feel she is in control. This thing with Celyn….” She shrugged. “Once I asked her how she could stand having you leave on so many dangerous missions. I was impressed with the fact that she didn’t merely accept it. She supported you. She said you had a special skill and asking you not to go would be like asking a doctor not to tend his patients. She was so supportive of you that it made me realize I was not being supportive of Chait. Our union is stronger now because of her.”
    Donte nodded. “She has always been there for me. I want to be there for her now, but I don’t know what to do.”
    “Tell her you love her and let her know you are proud of her. Show her that you need her as much as she needs you. This isn’t a simple case of a young girl wanting you, like Nieke. This time she feels that Celyn has a legitimate claim on you. She feels honor bound to step aside – for the good of the colonies.”
    “But Celyn’s vision has nothing to do with The Prophesy. I’ve told her that I’m not going to exchange nuptial vows with Celyn.”
    “Because you love Rianne.”
    “Yes.”
    Donica sighed. “Which makes her feel like she is standing in the way.”
    Donte frowned. “So, what am I supposed to do, exchange vows with Celyn? Would that make her feel better?” He shook his head. “I don’t believe Celyn interpreted that vision accurately and I’m not going to exchange vows with her simply because she said she had a vision.”
    Donica smiled. “Donte, sometimes you are so stubborn – like Papaw.”
    “Maybe that’s a good thing sometimes. This entire situation with Celyn is…ludicrous.”
    “No more so than The Prophesy…is it?”
    Maybe Celyn’s vision was as believable as The Prophesy, but when it came to The Prophesy, he wasn’t making important decisions in blind faith. His decisions were based on fact. Making decisions based only on The Prophesy would create a self-fulfilling Prophesy, and it wouldn’t be fair to those who didn’t believe. He wasn’t going to toss his union with Rianne away and exchange vows with Celyn over a questionable vision – not even a firm vision. He wasn’t being stubborn. It simply made no sense. It lacked honor. At some point a person had to draw a line and say, “no, this is wrong.” If they didn’t, there was no telling where it would lead.

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