Clockwork Immortal

by Sam Ryan

  Tara pursed her lips together in frustration, but she lowered the rifle slightly as she considered what she should do. Letting out a sigh, Tara took a step back and rested the rifle on top of her shoulder, turning towards Sophia and Allora.

  “Jezebel and her crew are securing the area above us,” Tara said, pointing at the ceiling above them. “They are shooting down anything that flies and it seems most of the soldiers are keeping their distance. That said, I don’t think we should dally. It’s only a matter of time before they figure out a way to turn the tides.”

  Stella let out a yell as she reached for something under the desk next to her. Without even looking, Tara leveled the rifle with one hand and fired again. The bolt struck Stella and caused her hand to retract as her body began convulsing once more. This time Stella went limp, unable to take the pain any longer.

  “Shall we go?” Tara blinked, resting the rifle on her shoulder. “I don’t know about you but I am ready for this to be over.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Madilyn took a deep breath as she looked up at the beautiful palace one last time. The white marble looked just as majestic now as it had the first time she had seen it. The light from the setting sun casting the walls in an orange hue.

  Before Madilyn first came to Itona, she would have never thought there to be a reason to ever see it. After spending so much time here, it now seemed strange that once she left, she may very well never see it again.

  “All set?” Sophia asked, coming up behind her. She was dressed in an almost identical outfit from the one she had been wearing when she and Madilyn had first met in Rouen. The difference now being that she had a brand new cane that she casually tapped against the stone ground as she walked.

  Madilyn gave Sophia a confident smile as she turned to face her. “All set.” She nodded, trying to sound more assured of herself than she actually felt. “You really not going to come back to Lear? His Majesty’s pardon extended to you as well.”

  “Nah,” Sophia shook her head. “I was already planning on leaving before all this happened. Besides, I promised I would help Allora with watching over Stella.” Sophia cupped the side of her mouth with her hand and lowered her voice. “And I secretly promised Elena that I would help Allora take back her empire from the bureaucrats.”

  “I understand.” Madilyn nodded. And she did. It was obvious there was no place for Sophia back in Lear and she was needed here. Stella may be locked in a dungeon now, but without constant vigilance she could one day escape and it was impossible to say what might happen then. “Just be sure to have whatever spell Stella cast on you removed. Even from her cell she might be able to spy on you.”

  “I know.” Sophia nodded. “In fact, I am counting on it.”

  Madilyn frowned, not sure what Sophia meant by that.

  “I want her to see me live my life,” Sophia explained. “Her punishment is knowing that she could have been living her life too.”

  “I don’t know if that is kind or cruel of you,” Madilyn said.

  “Well, I know which it was meant to be,” Sophia smiled. Then her smile faded as she reached out and took Madilyn’s hand. “You sure about this?”

  “Weren’t you the one who said you didn’t want to get in the way of my dreams?” Madilyn said, looking Sophia in the eye. It was hard to do. Seeing the look of sadness on Sophia’s face was painful, but she refused to look away. “I am a Knight of Lear. My place is with my king, in my own kingdom. That is where I belong.”

  “I know,” Sophia said, looking down at her feet, nodding her head. But she did not let go of Madilyn’s hand.

  Madilyn gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as she reached up with her other hand and grabbed her chin, forcing Sophia to look her in the eye. She had such a look of pain on her face and it broke Madilyn’s heart to see it. But Madilyn was resolved in what she had to do.

  “Just kiss already!” Max yelled as she walked towards them.

  Madilyn instantly dropped both her hands to her side and turned to face the young woman. She was still wearing her baggy trousers and suspenders, only now she had a fancy saber attached to her hip. Her parting gift from Clementine and Jezebel.

  “You finished saying your goodbyes?” Madilyn asked.

  “Yup.” Max nodded, giving them a thumbs up. “And his Majesty is waiting for us.” Her eyes looked down and to the side as she shook her head. “Still don’t know how I feel about sharing a carriage with the king. That just feels all kinds of wrong.”

  “It’s his way of apologizing,” Madilyn stated. “And thanking us for all that we’ve done. You should be grateful for the honor.”

  Max clicked her tongue, seemingly unconvinced. “Still think I would prefer to fly back on the Iron Rose, not whatever second rate Airship Lear sent. But then any airship is going to seem dull by comparison.”

  “You could always stay,” Sophia suggested. “I am sure Jezebel would be more than happy to take you on as part of her crew.”

  “Yeah,” Max dragged out the word, scratching the back of her head. She did not sound all that excited by the idea. “Maybe in another life. But I have been away from my husband and kids for far too long as it is to go gallivanting around with pirates.”

  “Wait.” Madilyn blinked, not believing what she had just heard. “You’re married?”

  “Yeah,” Max said like it was no big deal. “Going on four years now. I got a three and a two year old too. We hire a nanny and that’s why I can be away for weeks at a time. But this is the longest I’ve ever been gone before.”

  Madilyn was speechless. Never in a thousand years would she have guessed Max to not only be a wife but a mother. It was hard for her to imagine what that man must even be like.

  “Whelp.” Max rested a hand on her new saber while shoving the other one in her pocket. “His Majesty is still waiting for us while we dally about. We probably shouldn’t keep him waiting too long.” Max then turned and began walking towards the waiting carriage, muttering something under her breath as she walked.

  “She’s right you know,” Sophia said, turning to face Madilyn once more. “You really shouldn’t keep your king waiting.”

  “I know,” Madilyn said. Her voice low. “But I don’t think a few more seconds will kill him.”

  “Probably not,” Sophia agreed giving a half shrug. “Take care.” She said, giving her a weak smile.

  “You too,” Madilyn said. “And try not to forget about me.”

  “Never,” Sophia assured. “How could I ever forget about my gallant knight who saved me from myself?”

  “I still feel that it was you who saved me,” Madilyn stated.

  “Then I guess we saved each other,” Sophia smiled. “I’m alright with that.”

  Sophia closed her eyes and leaned in. Madilyn did the same, their lips meeting halfway. Their kiss was deep and passionate. Sophia reached up and grabbed Madilyn’s shoulders, holding her in place, making sure the kiss lasted as long as possible. Madilyn returned the gesture by wrapping her arms under Sophia’s shoulders and grabbing them tightly with her hands.

  In that moment the entire world melted away. All the worries and problems that they had faced and had yet to face were none existent. It was only the two of them, standing there engraining the feeling of their kiss into their minds.

  But eventually the kiss came to an end and the two pulled away from each other and the opened their eyes to stare at each other. The world returned around them and once again as they said their final goodbyes.

  Madilyn could feel Sophia staring at her back as she slowly walked to the carriage. It was the same horseless carriage that Madilyn had ridden in with Allora when she first arrived in Itona, compliments of the queen. It was her little way of sending them off in comfort as they made their way to the waiting airship at the airdocks. Allora had even suggested sending them off with an honor guard and maybe even a little parade but both Madilyn and Max politely asked that she refrain.

  The door to the side of the carriage o
pened as she neared. Sir Reginald was sitting inside, holding it open for her. Her former mentor gave her a nod of approval as Madilyn reached up and grabbed the inside of the carriage and pulled herself up. She sat down next to Max, across from Sir Reginald and his Majesty.

  Max seemed uncomfortable, not sure how she should act or behave in front her king. His Majesty did not seem to mind though, and had on a very amused smile as he looked at the both of them.

  Madilyn turned and looked out the carriage window to stare at Sophia as the carriage began moving. Sophia only stood there, following the carriage with her eyes as it moved away.

  “I am surprised you did not chose to stay, Sir Madilyn,” his Majesty said as the carriage began moving. “I told you that I would be more than happy to make you an ambassador to the Empire. You seem to have made many friends from your time here.” He almost coughed on the word friend, not sure what to make of what he had likely just witnessed between her and Sophia.

  Madilyn thought that he was in no way surprised to have seen Madilyn intimate with another woman. After all, everyone already assumed that Madilyn already thought herself a man. It was no surprise then that she would fall in love with a woman. That was not actually the case. Madilyn had never thought of herself as a man, nor had she ever had any attraction to women before. Sophia was simply Sophia.

  But Madilyn was beyond the point of caring. There was a strange hole in her chest now. It hurt, but at the same time it filled her with warmth. Remembering the time she had spent with Sophia hurt a little but she still cherished the time and did not ever wish to forget, even if they did cause her pain sometimes. Love dose not cause hurt, only its absence does.

  “I do want to stay.” Madilyn nodded, looking down at her lap. She rested a hand over her still aching heart. “And I am sure I would have been happy if I had.”

  “Then why didn’t you?” his Majesty asked. “It would be considered a great honor. Even the other knights could not look down on you for it.”

  “I am sure they would have found a way,” Madilyn stated with a half-smile, still looking down at her lap. “But it has nothing to do with them or what they might think.” Madilyn paused as she tried to actually put her feelings into words. “Simply put, I still don’t know the feelings that Sophia has for me. The love that she might have might be different than the kind of love that I have for her. She was so insistent that she not interfere with my life, it makes me wonder if she truly ever cared that much about me at all.” Madilyn let out a long sigh. “I guess you could say, I want her to fight for me. I want her to be just a little selfish.”

  “Well,” Max said, pressing her head against the window as she stared out behind them. “You might just get your wish.”

  “What?” Madilyn frowned looking over at Max, not sure what she could possibly mean.

  There was a loud thud on the roof above them as something heavy landed on top.

  Both Madilyn and Sir Reginald reached for their sabers as they stared up at the roof of the carriage, trying to determine what was going on. Then a head poked down outside the window.

  “Wait!” Sophia yelled, placing a hand against the window, staring at Madilyn. “I’m sorry your Majesty, but I am going to have to kidnap your knight there. I hope you understand.” With that, Sophia threw open the door and flipped herself around so she was standing in the open doorway, her hands clutching the door frame overhead. “And I am ready to go to war over her if I must.”

  There was a short paused as everyone in the carriage tried to figure out what was going on. Then his Majesty cracked a smile as he leaned back in his seat,.

  “You have to do what you must, I suppose,” his Majesty said.

  “Wait, what?” Madilyn asked, snapping her head towards his Majesty.

  Sophia reached into the carriage and grabbed Madilyn by the front of her uniform and pulled her into her arms. Before Madilyn could even move in protest, Sophia lunged back, pulling Madilyn along with her. They both landed on the hard ground with a thud, Sophia’s back taking the brunt of the impact before they began rolling.

  “Bye Knighty!” Max called after them, waving her hand out the open door before reaching out and closing it.

  Their rolling came to a stop with Sophia ending up on top. Their faces were only inches apart, her long brown hair falling around her face blocking out the rest of the world around them.

  “I’m sorry,” Sophia said, reaching up and brushing a few strands of hair out of Madilyn’s eyes. “But I have a dream of my own. It involves you and me together. And when you are old and wrinkly, you will come home after a long tiring day of work. We will sit together and you lay your head down in my lap as you tell me about your day. I’ll listen to you, hanging on to every word. I want that future for us. I know I can’t give you everything that you want. I still don’t know if I can handle having any more children. I know that being with me might ruin the life you had planned for yourself. All I can really offer you is my love. I just hope that is enough.”

  “That was always enough,” Madilyn said, unable to control her grin. She reached up and cupped the side of Sophia’s face, looking deep into her eyes. “But first you have to convince me that you love me.”

  Sophia leaned in and quickly kissed her on the lips. “I love you with more intensity than the sun itself,” she said, kissing her head. “My love is deeper than the ocean and higher than the sky.” Sophia leaned in again this time holding the kiss longer. “And I will love you forever, until the end of time itself.”

  “I don’t need you to love me forever,” Madilyn said. Her words soft and gentle. “I know that one day I will die and that you will have to move on with your life. I don’t ask that you hold onto that love then. I only ask that you to love me now.”

  “I’ll love you forever anyway,” Sophia said, leaning in once more.

  This time their kiss was long and Madilyn wrapped her arms around Sophia’s neck holding her in place.

  Madilyn had no idea what the future would bring. As much as she did not want to think about it, she knew that she would grow old while Sophia would remain eternally young. And one day Madilyn would die. It might be tomorrow, or in thirty more years, but eventually that day would come. And when it did, she was not sure how Sophia would react. Maybe she would retreat into herself like before, maybe she would find someone else.

  But none of that mattered. Madilyn swore that for the time that they had together, she would make Sophia happy. That was the best she could do. And in the end, that was the best that anyone could do. Cherish the time that they had and not regret a second of it when it was gone.

  That was her new vow. Not only to Sophia but to herself. And she could honestly say that laying on the ground in the middle of the street with the woman she loved laying on top of her, their lips locked together, that Madilyn had never been happier and she did not have a single regret.

  Author’s Notes:

  Wow so here we are. Thank you so much for purchasing Clockwork Immortal. And for those of you who read this and didn’t purchases this, you know who you are, I ask that you spread the love and tell your friends. I do have to eat after all.

  I have wanted to do a steampunk story forever now and am so glad that I was able to do this one. It was a nice change of pace as, unlike in the Dynasty Saga, I did not feel the need to necessary limit myself to historical accuracy. This was a fictional world with fictional technology and magic. It gave me the freedom to craft the world of my choosing, not that I don’t do that already. But because of that there was nowhere near the amount of research that goes into the Dynasty books and that is why I was able to knock this thing off from beginning to end in less than two months.

  Sadly as of the time of writing this, I was not able to get this story professionally proofed. Even finding the best price it is still very expensive, around $850 for a story of this length. I fully intend to have it proofed in the future by the editors so I hope you can live with having four people read it over for me. I know they w
ill likely not be able to catch everything and there will still be some mistakes but I hope that they were either not noticeable or not emersion breaking.

  This is, and will likely be, nothing more than a standalone story. I may in the future write another book in this universe but if I do then it will likely be long after or long before this story took place and be focusing on another of the Immortals. For all intense and purposes, Sophia’s story is done. Though with them being immortal their story is never truly done.

  I went back and forth on the title of this book. At first I wanted to avoid using the word clockwork as it seems every two bit steampunk novel uses the word. Other titles included ‘The Longest Journey’, as life is the longest journey that you will ever go on and for Immortals it is even longer, to ‘Time Immemorial’. But I did finally go with ‘Clockwork Immortal’ as it had duel meanings. It refers to both life in general as well as the life of the Immortals. How Stella was saying that human existence is like clockwork to the point where even they who were immortal could not escape. They too were just like clockwork that would go on forever.

  Fun fact about this book, I had not set out to hook up Sophia and Madilyn. In fact I had no real coupling in mind when I started. The idea was that I would make the characters and put them in situations and let the chips fall where they may. Sure it seems obvious reading it that they would be the natural choice to hook up but for the longest time I really wasn’t working towards that end.

  There was a lot of side things that I wanted to add into the story that I ended up taking out. I had a part where Clementine found out about Elena being her mother, I also had an in depth discussion as why Sophia does not use weapons among other things. Ultimately I took them out because I did not want to wrap up every little plot thread into a nice little bow. Life isn’t like that. Sometimes things don’t get resolved in the end. Sometimes you don’t learn about every person’s motivation as to why they do some of the things that they do.