Putting her hands over her ears and squeezing her eyes shut, she blocked out the world and all the misery it insisted on throwing her way. The Chairman may no longer be threatening to tear her world apart. But the truth had done a good enough job of that instead.
SHARMA
THE EVERNOW
Sharma took a long drink from her waterskin and walked on. Horrie was in the scarf around her neck, wide awake, with no intention of sleeping any time soon, a sign he was getting older and more curious about the world around him. How different his life would’ve been had he been born in the Capital and sent to the Growing Center to cry alone in a crib. Had that been what’d gone wrong with her second born child, who Spector had informed her had jumped from a window during the revolution?
Spector had given her this information in the same way he’d tell someone the weather was warmer than usual today. As if it meant nothing. He had no way of knowing the Emperor’s second born child was also her own and his words had been like a dagger to her heart. Spector had gone on to say that her son had double-crossed Rani and Aarow and called out the window, trying to ruin the Battle game before it even started.
These words were a blur to Sharma’s ears. Her son hadn’t known any better. Raised by people who touched him only when necessary and then only with gloved hands, how could anyone expect him to understand things like loyalty and love? It wasn’t her poor son’s fault. If she’d had the chance to influence him in the same way she’d been able to with Rani, he’d have grown into a different young man. His actions were the Capital’s fault, not his own.
This was why she’d made the decision to return with Spector to the Capital. She wanted to make sure her son had a proper burial. He needed to be treated with respect.
Watching Azrael and Freya bonding as mother and daughter had also sealed the decision for her. This reunion was something she craved for herself. Not finding her own mother, as she’d surely have been released long ago, but finding her children. Starting with Rani. The daughter she’d been allowed to see grow, yet never able to lay a hand on her or tell her just how much she loved her. It’d been torture and many times she wondered if life would’ve been easier if they’d been kept apart, like with her other children. Having Rani right there had been like putting a plate of hot food in front of a starving man and telling him not to eat.
Spector led her to the Round, relishing his job as the guide between the kingdom’s two cities. Sharma had thought she’d never return to the Capital, but now she couldn’t wait.
“Shhh,” she said to Horrie, wishing he’d go back to sleep. He was getting heavier now and more difficult to carry. Although, the ache around her neck from the tugging of the scarf that held him seemed a small price to pay to be reunited with her other children.
She could hear the Round, before she saw it, the sound of freedom floating across the dunes. As she got closer she could pick out individual voices and realized not all the noise was of happiness. Freedom came with sadness as well, as people mourned the time and loves they’d lost, as well as celebrating the ones they’d found.
The biggest difference as she got closer still, was the way people were holding each other, dancing, hugging, kissing and walking with their hands locked together. Time was being made up for and she had no doubt that many of the tents in the village were filled with far more contact than she could see out here.
Sharma thanked Spector and he darted away as she went directly through the archway, ignoring the blisters on her feet as she walked past the Orbs of Time, the sand still flowing through them at a steady rate. She wasn’t surprised the timekeepers had continued to turn them. Their dedication to their job was like a calling. Nothing would get in the way of it, not even a revolution.
The two guards at the entrance to the palace were from the Colony, not the Capital. Recognizing her as Rani’s friend, they stepped aside to let her through.
“The Princess is up those stairs,” one of the guards said.
Sharma took the stairs faster than she’d ever done in all her Shinings in the palace. Winding through the corridors, she reached Rani’s door and pushed it open to see her lying on her bed with her hands over her ears and her eyes scrunched up as if a speck of light would destroy her.
“Rani,” she said, breathless.
Her daughter couldn’t hear her through her clamped down hands.
Now that Horrie was finally asleep, she settled him onto a rug on the floor and lay down on the bed next to Rani, startling her.
Her daughter’s eyes sprang open and her hands fell away from her ears.
“Sharma,” she said, turning her face but not sitting up. Her eyes filled with tears and the way she took in Sharma, she knew immediately that someone had told her the truth after all these years.
“Rani. You know?”
Rani nodded, the tears making their way out of the corners of her eyes now and spilling down her face. “Father told me. Just now. And here you are.”
Sharma propped herself up on one elbow and reached across with her free hand, drawing a line down Rani’s nose in the same way she did to Horrie when he fed. But this wasn’t enough and soon she cupped Rani’s soft cheek in the palm of her hand and leaned forward to kiss her other cheek.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I wanted to tell you, but…”
“You were protecting me,” said Rani.
Sharma nodded. “I was scared.”
Rani swallowed and hauled herself to a seated position. Sharma sat up beside her, wrapping a tentative arm around her daughter’s shoulders. Rani didn’t move closer, but she didn’t move away.
“You could have told me in the desert,” Rani said, her voice a whisper.
“I was afraid of how you’d react.” Sharma didn’t want to point out that she was afraid Rani would react in the exact way she was reacting now. They hadn’t had the energy for that in the desert.
“Do I call you Mother now?” Rani asked.
“If you like. But Sharma’s fine, too.”
Rani nodded. “Father loves you.”
“I know. He’s been good to me. I’d have died long ago without him.”
“But you don’t love him?”
Sharma let out a long sigh, wondering how to explain her feelings when she didn’t understand them herself. “Not in the way he wants me to. But I do love him.”
“Father told me about his visits to the Conception Center.” She paused. “The ones when you weren’t there.”
Sharma nodded. She knew about these visits too, although she’d tried not to give them too much space in her mind. Clearly, they were occupying a fair amount of space in Rani’s mind right now.
“You’re okay about it?” Rani asked. “It seems an awful thing to do.”
“I don’t know how I feel about it,” she said, offering her the truth. Never again would she lie to this sweet girl.
“Where’s Horrie?” Rani asked, not seeming to want to think about this too much either.
Sharma got up from the bed and scooped her youngest child from the floor, placing him in the arms of her eldest.
“He’s my brother,” said Rani, feathering a kiss on his forehead.
“He is.”
“And now I know why you called him Horus. He’s named for his father.”
“Your father’s a good man,” she said. “Not perfect. None of us are. He’s made mistakes, just like we all have. But he has a good heart. He loves us.”
“How many more brothers do I have? And sisters? On just your side, I mean.”
“Two more brothers. Three sisters. And your brother who Spector said fell…”
Rani looked away. “It was an accident. He didn’t suffer. It was quick.”
Sharma nodded, not daring to look at the very window he’d fallen from. Her poor, sweet son. “Where is he? I want to bury him.”
“Father’s ensured he’s been kept safe.”
Sharma nodded, trying to sweep away the cloud of sadness as she came to grips with the rea
lization that the only time she’d be able to see her son would be with his skin cold and his eyes closed.
“Lie back down,” said Rani. “You’re exhausted. It’s been a long walk. Sleep for a while, then we’ll search for your children.”
Sharma didn’t have the energy to complain. Her bones were tired.
She closed her eyes, listening to the soft breathing of two of her children beside her. Please let the others still be breathing, too.
AAROW
THE EVERNOW
Giving Rani the space she clearly needed wasn’t easy for Aarow. When she’d left the Boardroom to head upstairs, his father had to put a hand on his arm to stop him running after her.
“Leave her for a little bit,” he’d said. “Trust me.”
Aarow had listened, knowing his mother had been the same when she’d first arrived at the Colony. His father had played the long game, giving her all the time she needed and ultimately, he’d won her over. If he’d pushed too hard, things may not have turned out so well. He must do the same with Rani. She was too special to lose. Finding out Sharma was her mother had clearly come as a shock. Something that was obvious to everyone else, yet Rani hadn’t had any idea. Perhaps Aarow should’ve told her about his suspicions earlier.
The Emperor emerged from the Boardroom some time later and beckoned Aarow and his father back inside.
“Rani seemed upset,” said Aarow.
The Emperor nodded. “She knows the full truth now. About her mother. And about me.”
Aarow wondered what secrets the Emperor had revealed about himself to Rani, but kept his mouth closed. If Rani wanted to talk to him about it, he’d listen. However, it really wasn’t any of his business. Unless those secrets affected the future of the kingdom, although he doubted that. It seemed far more personal.
“My daughter will be fine,” said the Emperor, as Aarow and his father took their seats. “She just needs a little time to think about what I told her. She’s a deep thinker.”
“Sharma’s here,” said the Colonel. “We saw her come in, although she didn’t see us. She was too focused on finding Rani. The guards sent her straight upstairs.”
“She’s here? Did she look…well?”
“Yes,” said Aarow, wondering how deeply the Emperor’s feelings for the mother of his daughter ran. “Just in a hurry to see Rani. She had her baby with her, too.”
The Emperor nodded. “Let’s keep this quick then. I’d like to see Sharma for myself. We have a son to bury.”
“Sharma was Taavi’s mother?” asked Aarow, having already suspected this may be the case.
“Yes. I’m the father of all her children,” the Emperor said.
“Even baby Horrie?” asked the Colonel.
“She called him Horrie?” The Emperor’s eyebrows shot up.
“It’s short for Horus, I believe,” said Aarow.
The Emperor beamed. “My name is Horus.”
“Oh,” Aarow and his father said in unison, the baby’s strange name making sense now.
“I really am sorry about what happened to Taavi,” said Aarow, not feeling like enough apologies would ever make up for not being able to grab hold of his son in time before he fell.
“Please, it wasn’t your fault,” the Emperor said, as the smile slid from his face.
“You’re far too kind.” Aarow bowed his head.
“I wanted to talk to you about something that was delivered to me by a raven, just before Rani ran away,” said the Emperor, pushing a piece of parchment across the table. “Before your arrival, obviously.”
Aarow reached out for the parchment, appreciating the Emperor’s diplomatic choice of words. Arrival sounded far better than invasion.
“It’s an invitation,” said Aarow’s father, leaning in to read it.
“It’s from the King of Wintergreen,” said the Emperor. “Inviting me to his son’s wedding. He’s formed an alliance with Forte Cadence and has reached out to us. This was the reason I helped Rani leave the Capital and head for the river. I knew if she could make it safely across that she’d be greeted by friends. I thought I provided her with enough equipment to get there safely, although it seems the desert is even more brutal than I realized. I had no idea of what risk I was putting her at or I’d never have let her leave.”
This made sense to Aarow, filling in yet another gap. He’d never quite been able to grasp why the Emperor would allow Rani to leave, no matter how bad her life had become in the Capital. The Emperor had thought she had a chance to have a happy life in Wintergreen.
“Attendance at the wedding would be seen as a symbol of The Sands of Naar’s willingness to work with our neighbors,” said the Emperor.
Aarow sat back and tried to gauge his father’s reaction to this development. It was a delicate matter. Not so much whether peace with the other kingdoms was desirable—that was a given—but who would be appropriate to attend such a wedding. The Emperor? Or the Colonel?
The Colonel cleared his throat. “What are your thoughts on this matter, Emperor?”
“I’m Emperor in name only. That’s no different now to how it’s always been, only now you’re in power instead of the Board. I hid this invitation from the Chairman as he’d never have agreed to it. Peace wasn’t in his heart. But I suspect this is something you may be interested in.”
“It is,” the Colonel said. “However, I’m asking what you think.”
The Emperor sat up straight in his chair, clearly not used to anyone asking for his thoughts. “I think…I think we could use the assistance of our two neighbors to find better ways to run this kingdom. I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s fair to say since your arrival, we’ve struggled to decide how to best do things. Currency, for example. We have none. I understand the other kingdoms use coins to entice their people to do necessary jobs. Jobs that people may not wish to do otherwise. This is just one thing I feel we could understand better.”
“He’s right,” said Aarow, surprised the Emperor had such insight. “The ways of the Colony will be difficult to implement here. It’d be useful to see how other kingdoms run their affairs.”
His father nodded and turned to the Emperor. “There’s too much for the both of us to do right now to be able to leave for this wedding. It’ll send the wrong message to the people. I can’t possibly leave and I’ve come to depend on your help.”
The Emperor nodded and Aarow opened his mouth to question this decision, when his father continued.
“Aarow and Rani should go as our representatives, instead,” he said. “They’re the future of this kingdom.”
Aarow’s mouth remained open, only this time in shock. The idea of traveling with Rani to a wedding in another kingdom was more than a little appealing. The journey would take a long time. And that was a long time he’d get to spend with her. He waited to see the Emperor’s response to this. Would he trust him with his daughter?
“Is it appropriate to send Aarow and Rani together?” asked the Emperor.
“What’s inappropriate about it?” asked Aarow, working his way back into the discussion. “We wouldn’t travel alone and I care for your daughter greatly. And I respect her.”
“This is my concern,” said the Emperor. “Because I can see the feeling’s mutual. I’m worried for her heart. Do you wish to marry her one day? This isn’t something we’re used to in the Capital. Nobody has been married here for generations.”
Aarow shifted in his seat, not having expected such a direct question. But the truth was undeniable. He’d marry Rani right now if it were possible.
“I do wish for that.”
“Then you shall marry before your departure,” the Emperor said.
“Just a moment,” said Aarow’s father, stepping in. “There’s no rush for marriage. Rani has only just gained her freedom. She may not want to feel like she’s being tied to someone so soon. It’d be best to give her time. Trust me, I’ve been through this with my own wife. If Rani’s rushed, Aarow may lose her altogether.”
“Let me take her to the wedding,” said Aarow. “If the trip’s a success, I’ll ask for her hand upon our return. I give you my word on that.”
“Your marriage in the future would solve a lot of problems,” the Colonel said.
Aarow raised his eyebrows, not having expected this from his father. “How so?”
“Well, currently we have two rulers of this kingdom.”
“I am no ruler,” said the Emperor. “I never have been. You said it yourself when you made your speech in the Round. You’re the ruler of this kingdom now.”
“I did say that,” said Aarow’s father. “But I’ve learned a lot in the past few days and have come to think quite differently now. The way I see it is like this. The Colony and the Capital both need leaders who understand their unique needs. You’re best placed to rule the Capital and I’m best placed to return to the Colony. When our children marry, I suggest we hand the kingdom to them to rule as a united front. Their union is ideal for the good of the kingdom.”
Aarow sighed. He didn’t want his relationship with Rani treated like a business arrangement. He’d said he wanted to marry her because he loved her, not because it was for the benefit of the kingdom.
There was no denying that both he and Rani had been raised to believe they’d be leading their kingdom one day, even if Rani had thought it would be in name only. If they were to marry, then they could rule the kingdom together. A lot would ride on this trip to Wintergreen. Not just Aarow’s heart, but the future direction of the kingdom.
“I’m not sure I can rule the Capital,” said the Emperor.
“Nonsense,” the Colonel said. “You’re more than capable. And I’ll be here to guide you. We’re a team. I’m not in competition with you.”
“But you invaded us.” The Emperor said this plainly, without malice.
“We were setting the Capital free from the Board, not from you.”
The Emperor smiled at this. “So, my daughter will still be Empress one day?”
The Kingdoms of Evernow Box Set Page 63
