by Alyssa Ezra
“I don't know what to do now. I care for him. I do. But for all I know, he's a murderer. My sister has disappeared, and no one will tell me what happened. What am I to think?”
What she was doing went way past dangerous and straight into stupid. Confiding in one of the locals had never been in her game plan. But here she was, crying her eyes out and spilling everything in the presence of a woman that she barely knew.
Telara sat back, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “If it will aid you, and save what blooms between yourself and Brenn, then yes. I will take the risk.” She took a deep breath, and lifted her head. “Your sister Tara, Brenn’s former fiance, is not dead. She's not even missing. She just can't come to the Capitol. And only here is there technology sufficiently advanced for anyone to contact Earth.” She offered a grim little smile.
“If it is your desire, and it will settle your mind, I will take you to see her tomorrow. But in the meantime, I will tell you what I know.”
Moira nodded, her heart lifting a little at the news that Tara was alive. Now, perhaps, she would be able to pierce to the heart of this mystery. “Please, go on.”
“I had helped raise King Brenn from a small boy. He has never been a bad person. He has always tried very hard to be fair, to be strong. He is even kind, although sometimes he cannot afford to show that part of himself. He loves you. He's not very good at it yet, because I don't think that he has ever been in love before. But if this is the thing that stands between the two of you, if this is the thing that puts your love at risk, then let me fix it. Let me show you that you can trust him.”
Moira stared at her, her heart pounding, and then just mutely nodded.
“A few years before Brenn was crowned King, his father died. His mother took over as Queen, and after a while, she took a Consort to ease her loneliness. The Consort had a son about Brenn's age, named Norinn. Brenn and Norinn have never particularly gotten along. Brenn has always taken after his father, and been strong and stoic. But Norinn takes after his own father, a man with a sunny and much more outgoing nature.
“Brenn considered Norinn frivolous. Norinn considered Brenn to be a stick-in-the-mud. They got along for the sake of Brenn’s mother, whose own health was failing after the loss of her husband. Then she died, and the illness which had taken her from us proved to have infected Norinn’s father. Norinn’s father became King's Regent, and immediately asked Brenn to take a wife, in order to ensure that he would have a family to secure his lineage, and ascend to the throne.
“Brenn agreed, although he really had no particular desire to settle down with a wife. He had a great interest in human culture, and had always found human women particularly attractive. And so he used a matchmaking service to select a human bride. Tara, your sister.
“The two of them were not in love. It was very much a political arrangement. Brenn was very clear about his expectations of loyalty, and commitment to creating a family line. He was also very clear about the devotion, wealth and privilege that he was offering in return. He didn't expect that either one of them would love the other. He was simply hoping for a warm friendship that would become the basis for a good working marriage.”
Moira nodded slowly, remembering her sister’s laughing at the whole concept of romance, and proudly speaking of being in it for the money. “Tara was always pragmatic about her reasons for marrying him as well. But...what went wrong?”
“Twenty-five years ago, when Tara arrived, two of us, including myself, were assigned to her as her servants. We noticed right away that there was no attraction between the two of them. We did not imagine, however, that that was going to be a problem. After all, supposedly both people had planned to enter into the union with no illusions.
It was a few days until the wedding ceremony, because unfortunately, Norinn’s father had died the same day that Tara arrived, and his funerary rites and Brenn’s coronation had to take place first. Therefore, the couple had a few days to get to know each other.” Telara smiled wryly.
“None of us believed that that could ever possibly have been a bad thing. But unfortunately, it was. It gave Tara just enough time to realize the full implications of what a loveless marriage would mean. And apparently, although she had talked as if it was all business for all of her correspondence with Brenn, it soon became clear that she was very unhappy.
“I apologize for this. I wish that I could say something kind about her behavior, but the truth is that Terra became very nasty.” She offered Moira a sad smile, which Moira returned knowingly, not very surprised at that--or at what Telara said when she went on.
“She was short and angry with everyone, especially Brenn. The only one that she seemed to get along with was Norinn. Unfortunately, as it turned out, she got along with him entirely too well.”
Wait, what? “What do you mean?”
The older woman sighed again. “I knew there was something wrong when Tara started giving me the slip within a day. I didn't know where she was running off to, but we soon found out. I was not witness to it myself, but apparently, Brenn was. He was the one who caught them.”
“Caught...them?” A terrible suspicion was starting to well up in Moira’s heart.
“Oh yes. It seems that Tara had grown so tired of the idea of marrying a man who did not love her and whom she did not love, that she impulsively threw herself at Norinn. And Norinn, well, he has never been a man to turn down an invitation from a woman. Brenn found them tangled up together in Norinn’s chambers. He was, of course, furious.
“It was a disaster, a total scandal. Of course, the marriage was immediately called off. Janis was especially furious, and strongly advised Brenn to have both of them executed for their betrayal. I know that in certain political circles, this would have done a lot to help the new King save face over the incident. But Brenn refused to spill blood over his wounded pride.”
Moira found herself holding her breath at this point. Her heart was pounding hard. She couldn’t help but feel sympathy for Brenn, who had had every reason to be furious but had chosen mercy instead. “So what happened?”
Brenn had the guards seize the two of them, and commanded that the priest perform the mating bond ritual on them instead, and lock the bracelets on them. He said that if the two of them wanted each other so much, he was not the one to stand in their way. But as punishment for what they had done to him, they were banished from the Capitol forever.
He put them in a small shuttle, and told them never to get within a kilometer of the city or its outliers. I was sent to keep an eye on them for a few weeks, and soon discovered that they had settled in a small village where Norinn had relatives. They have lived there ever since, and I swear to you, this is all true. Unless some accident has befallen them, they live there still.
Tomorrow, I will take you. And then you will be able to ask your sister for yourself. I just have one request of you in return.”
Moira swallowed dryness from her mouth. “And what is that?”
“If you love Brenn, despite the strange way that you have met, then love him. Be honest about it, and give all of yourself. But if you do not love him, and you have only done this because you wanted to find your sister, be honest with him, and set him free as quickly as you can. Do not do as your sister did and try to deceive him. I do not believe that he could endure such a thing a second time.”
Moira stared at her, and then nodded slowly. “I understand. You have my word.” But in that moment, she realized that even she didn't yet know which of the two choices she would make.
Chapter 8: Reunion
The next day, on the pretense of Telara showing her the countryside, Moira and her servant set out with a single guard to the village where her sister lived with her unexpected husband. It turned out to be deep in the forest, even further away from the Capitol than it needed to have been. It took them four hours of driving through the forest before they finally came upon a tall, muddy hillside that sat in a broad clearing.
Moira saw the small villag
e of timber and stone crowning its top, surrounded by terraced fields where vegetables grew and flightless birds grazed. She couldn't imagine that more than a thousand souls lived in that tiny village, and wondered how in the world her gregarious and worldly sister had adapted to such a place.
They made their way up the road and into the village proper, coming to a stop in its tiny square. The guard jumped out to speak to the watchmen who came forward to address them, asking after Tara and her husband. After a moment, one of the watchmen turned and ran back into the town, and Telara smiled. “He's going to get them. You should be reunited soon.”
Moira’s stomach did a flip as she disembarked. She had deliberately dressed in the plainest and least memorable dress among those that Brenn had had made for her. It was gray, with trailing sleeves and a full skirt, no embroidery, and a modest neckline. Nevertheless, the small crowd within the square immediately started up with whispering, a few of them saying things like “is that the queen?”
No matter. Soon she and her sister would face each other again, and even if Tara could not speak to their mother directly, at least Moira could tell her that her favorite daughter was alive and well.
It took a few minutes, but eventually, a small cart pulled by a team of ostrich-like birds rumbled into the square.
She looked up, and saw that a muscular, silver-haired Temporan with a noble cast to his features was driving it. Three small strawberry-blond boys sat in the back, shoving and laughing, and a smaller woman with familiar hair and a homespun dress held a small, swaddled baby in her arms.
The woman stood up as soon as the cart came to a stop, her bright blue eyes fixing on Moira in astonishment. She leaned over and spoke to her husband, blinked and looked at himself. Knowing that her sister could not hurry with a baby in her arms, she instead ran forward herself, making her way over to the cart.
Tara gaped at her. “Oh my God, Moira! When the messengers said that the new Queen had been wed and crowned, I thought the name sounded familiar, but I never believed it would be you!”
“It was the only way that I could come here looking for you,” Moira said in a shaky voice. “No one would give us any answers, and Mom was suffering a lot from not knowing what was happening to you.”
Tara's face fell. Quickly she handed the baby over to the oldest of the boys, who cradled it carefully as he looked at Moira with curious bright blue eyes. Tara stepped forward then, and hugged her sister tightly. Moira squeezed back, closing her eyes for a moment.
She swallowed back tears. Here finally was Tara, in a situation that she had never imagined she could find her in, but alive and well. “I was starting to think that I would never find you. If Telara hadn't helped me, I don't think I would have.”
Tara smiled up at her. “Well, that's all behind us now. Please, come with us. We'll share a meal, and I'll tell you what I can of what happened.”
Half an hour later, Moira sat in their small stone cottage, bellied up to a massive timber table and eating a stew of root vegetables and game-bird meat from a bowl made of a hollowed-out loaf of bread. Somehow, in the intervening years, Tara had not just become a mother and a wife, but had also become a passable cook. Apparently miracles would never cease.
“Everything that Telara has told you is true,” Tara said quietly. “I regret what I did to the King. I know now that I should have simply been honest with him about being unable to go through with the wedding. He is a good man, even if he isn't the sort that I could ever love. He didn't deserve to have his heart broken.”
“No,” Moira replied with a slight edge to her voice. “He didn't. It's done things to him that are going to take him awhile still to recover from.”
Tara smiled. “You really do love him. You're already getting protective of him the way that you are of me and Mom.”
Moira blushed, which just made her sister smile more broadly.
“Anyway,” Tara continued.
“He would have been completely within his rights to have us executed. After all, cuckolding a king is about the worst thing that you can do to humiliate him, especially since there was no way something like that wasn't getting out. He chose to take mercy on us. Though I have to tell you, at first I thought this was a punishment worse than death. The first few years that we were here, I had no idea how I was going to adapt. Working a farm, tending the animals, cooking, crafting, raising kids...I was in over my head. Fortunately, Norinn was always there for me. It's actually really ironic. Brenn was right. The two of us have been perfect for each other. It's just that real love, as it turns out, takes a lot more work than I was expecting.
Norinn nodded in agreement, his mouth currently stuffed with stew.
“For a while, I kept trying to figure out how I would get a message out. I had the idea that maybe it would be better for both of us if we moved back to Earth. But then I realized that I didn't want to raise children on a world where you can't go outside without a respirator. After that, we started wondering if it wouldn't be better for Mom if we moved her here. But without the technology available at the Capitol, there would be no way of treating her illnesses. Because of the scandal, we couldn't even bribe someone to get a message out. Eventually, I got so caught up in my life here that I was forced to focus on that.” She lowered her eyes. “I am very sorry that I couldn't get a message to you. I understand that Mom was very frightened. I hope that you'll be able to reassure her for me.”
“Of course I will.” Morag gave her sister a soft smile. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to convince the King to give you a reprieve so that you can either go to Earth or bring Mom here. I don't know if he would be alright with you living in the Capitol again. I don't think that he would have much issue with it if he didn't have to see you, but you know that people would whisper.”
Tara shook her head. “We can see what we can sort out. Whatever happens, I don't regret my life here. It's more work than I ever imagined, but it's also a lot more rewarding.” Her smile became a little bit wry. “Of course, it would have been better if we had been able to stay rich, but...we have our lives and our freedom, our children and our land. And now we have you. I'm guessing that this won't be the last time that you visit?”
Moira’s smile had an edge on it. “Let's just say that if Brenn tries to stop me, he and I are going to have some serious words.”
Tara burst out laughing. “Look at that face. The two of you were made for each other. He needs someone who can stand up and call him on it when he makes a bad decision. And he needs someone who is honest and strong too.” She shook her head. “I don't regret that you're ending up with him instead of me. I'm where I'm supposed to be, and I'm with the man I'm supposed to be.” She reached her hand over to Norinn, who squeezed it gently.
Her sister then looked serious again. “Let me just give you one piece of advice, Moira. Don't try to hide the truth from Brenn anymore. Let him know what was going on. Let him know as well that even though you came here to find me, you have feelings for him now. Don't let him think even for an instant that you have used him this whole time. I saw the look in his eyes when he realized that about me. I've never felt so much shame in my life. And I know it will be the worse for you. Don't do it to him. Talk to him. Promise me that you will.”
Moira nodded. “I will. I promise.”
Later that evening, she rode back to the Capitol with small gifts from her sister and her sister's family. Her nephews had made her little drawings, and she had taken holo-images of all of them, including images of her tiny nice all swaddled up and asleep.
These, she would show her mother proudly. She knew that Mom would love them, and would see all of this as a happy ending. Although she might yet want to be part of it, and Moira didn't quite know yet how she was going to make that happen.
First things first, though.
Later that night, after she got back, got cleaned up and got dressed; she summoned the King into her chambers for once. Brenn came in eagerly enough, bearing a bottle of wine, a loaf o
f bread and some snacks.
When he walked in, he stopped short, blinking in amazement to see her standing there in the same wedding gown that she had met him in. “What's this?” He asked brightly.
She took a deep breath, then smiled at him as she walked over. “I need to come clean with you about something. And it seems most appropriate that I wear this tonight. You see, tonight is when our marriage becomes real.”
He closed the distance between them, looking her up and down. “I'm not sure what you mean.”
“Well, there's something that you need to know. You see, originally when I came here, I had a reason besides wanting to see you. I have family here.”
“Family here? But there are almost no humans--” he stopped dead, and his eyes widened.
“That's right. You see, a year ago Earth time, my sister came here to marry you. She then disappeared completely. My mother became completely depressed over it. She started falling apart. We could get no help from your Embassy in finding Tara. We could get no help from anyone. Although I can understand your desire to keep what happened a secret from the general public, it nevertheless ended up making it look like my little sister, my mother's favorite, had vanished, and that your people were covering up her disappearance.” She said all of this very earnestly and slow, enunciating clearly, looking him right in the eyes.
Slowly it dawned on him. “You...feared that I had ordered her killed or something?”
“I had no idea. Many times, the system that caused her and yourself and later the two of us to meet has been exploited by people who have killed or enslaved the women who went to meet their supposed husbands. I had no idea who you were or what your character was. All I knew was that you left us in the dark about our own family member.
“When I signed up on that website and started talking to you, I did it out of desperation. There was no other way for me to get a visa for your planet. You've made it incredibly difficult for anyone to travel here otherwise. At the time, I had no idea that you were dealing with a period of political unrest, or that you had just recently united this world. Your necessary security procedures just looked like another barrier between me and finding out what had happened to Tara.”
