by Elin Peer
I looked down. She was wrong. Everyone knew that Raven was the strong woman who confronted unfairness head on, while I avoided conflicts and smiled at people I didn’t even like.
“Look at me, Mila!”
She waited until I met her eyes and then she continued, “You’re the woman who stopped the fighting at the reunion by simply whistling and saying no. You’re the woman who rescued me from an endless line of well-wishers at my wedding. If not for you, I would have been standing for hours shaking hands with people I didn’t even know. You took control and confronted hundreds at once, telling them no. And what about the time you rescued that dog from the man who abused it? When he discovered you, you stood up to him and told him no.”
“But that was different.”
“Why?”
“Because I did it for others.”
“So what? You proved that you are strong enough to stand your ground. It’s time you stand your ground for yourself too.”
I was trying to find the right words to explain how I couldn’t, but Raven was right and in a painful confession, I whispered, “I want to say no.”
“Then say no.”
“But what about all the arrangements for the tournament?”
“Don’t worry about that! There’s still time to cancel. Trust me, the fighters will survive.” Raven broke into a smile. “I mean that literally, they’ll survive!”
“My dad is going to be furious with me.”
“He’ll be disappointed, but at the end of the day, he wants what’s best for you and he would never force you to marry someone against your will.”
I pushed out air from my lungs. “It’s weird, but I feel such a huge sense of relief.”
“Because you finally admitted it.”
“Yes.” Looking deep into Raven’s large brown eyes, I emphasized, “I still plan to marry one day.”
“Nothing is stopping you. You just have to find the right man.”
“Maybe I’ll pick someone who’s funny.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Or smart. I like smart men.”
Raven’s eyes shone with love for me. “Whatever you like, sweetie.”
“He doesn’t have to be the strongest warrior. I can pick a man who makes me feel good.”
“You’re damn right.”
I nodded. “I’m going to tell my parents that I made my decision and that I won’t be in the tournament.”
“When?”
The thought of breaking my promise to my father on top of everything he was going through made me sweat. “I’m not sure.”
“Do it soon, Mila. No procrastination.”
“Yes… soon.”
CHAPTER 12
How to Win an Election
Jonah
Six days after Mila left for the Motherlands, Pearl and I met in virtual reality in a setting she had picked with a sunrise over a mountain chain.
My avatar looked well rested and healthy. In real life I had dark circles under my eyes and I’d lost weight. Mila wasn’t responding to my messages and I missed her.
“Isn’t it pretty?” Pearl asked.
“Very nice.” I smiled and sat down among the wild flowers on the picnic blanket where Pearl sat in a cross-legged position. “How is the campaign going?”
Ever since I was a boy, I’d admired Pearl for the role she played in the integration between the Northlands and Motherlands. Pearl had bravely offered herself up as a hostage to save Athena and later she had managed to make Khan, the ruler of the Nmen, listen to her. I had read and re-read the speech she made in the Council that ended the ban on mentioning the Men of the North.
“I would like to say that the campaign is going according to plan but that would be untrue.” Pearl brushed a hand across her flowery pants. “My experience from elections in the Motherlands doesn’t do much good here. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine how many men would sign up to lead the Northlands.”
“How many?”
“Thousands.”
I was amused and chuckled. “You can’t have an election with thousands of candidates.”
She sighed. “That’s what I’m telling Khan, but he says the more the better.”
“But how will he organize town hall debates with that many candidates?”
“He won’t.” Pearl threw her hands up in the air. “His logic is that the more candidates there are, the fewer votes for each of them. Spreading the votes will make it hard for any one candidate to win against him.”
“But you’ll have to narrow it down to no more than ten candidates before the election.”
“You tell him that. I’m not sure Khan wants to fully understand the concept of democracy. All he cares about is winning. I’ve suggested that he could let the candidates who get the most votes become council members and delegate responsibility to them, but one of the most prominent candidates is Edward Wolf and the two hate each other.”
“Edward Wolf. The name sounds familiar.”
“Probably. Khan calls him Edward the Low-life.”
“Ahh, yes, now I remember. Khan mentioned him to me. He’s the son of the ruler that Khan’s father replaced.”
Pearl sighed. “Yes, and with the revelation that Khan’s mother was raped by Lord Wolf, we now know that Edward and Khan are half-brothers.”
“Dancing devils, that complicates things, doesn’t it?”
“Yes. With Khan’s personal grudge against Edward for having plotted to overthrow him in the past, he’s refusing to even entertain the idea of letting the candidates with the highest votes form a council or senate. He wants to be democratically elected but other than that, I don’t see much changing in the Northlands.”
“Maybe he’ll change his mind later.”
Pearl brushed her hair back. “We’ll see. One step at a time. First, we have to help him win the election.”
“Did he take any of the advice we gave him on running a campaign?”
“Yes. He has done four rallies; maybe you saw some of it on the News?”
I nodded. “What about my idea of handing out flowers?”
Pearl shook her head. “Nah, he didn’t go for it.”
“And the hugging booth?”
“He laughed at that idea. It might have worked for you, but Khan isn’t a hugger, Jonah.”
“That’s a shame because that booth secured me a lot of votes.” I frowned. “How is he going to win then? Can’t you at least push him to have town hall meetings?”
“I already tried, but Khan says that it’s too risky and maybe he’s right. You saw the reaction from the press when he announced the election. All the critical questions had him fuming for days.”
I plucked at the grass but since it was virtual reality, nothing came off. “It’s just because Khan isn’t used to open criticism. This is all new to him.”
“You’re right. Now let’s work on your speech for the Council. I read your draft and I liked it.”
Angling my head, I pursed my lips. “I’m sensing a but coming.”
“No, it’s just that I have a few suggestions.” Pearl’s finger ran over the speech until she stopped sixteen lines down. “It’s this section. I see what you mean, but I fear that it will offend the members of the Council. They see themselves as open-minded and fair.” She pointed to a line and I read it aloud.
“Free thought is an illusion! You may think that your thoughts are your own, but they are not! We are all just a product of the society we grew up in, the schooling we had, and the ideas of right and wrong that were planted in our heads. As a society, we can never break the them-and-us mentality unless we unpack the baggage that was given to us by our ancestors, and take a critical look at what we want to keep and what we are better off leaving behind.”
Pearl spoke with enthusiasm. “You’re on to something; I just predict that your opening will stun them and make them not want to listen to the rest of what you have to say. Using a sentence like ‘Free thought is an illusion’ sounds very confrontational and
as you know, people tend to get defensive when they feel attacked. You might get a better response if you asked it as a question instead of stating it as a fact. What if you said, ‘Have you ever considered whether free thought is an illusion?’”
“But I want to shock them and get their attention.”
“I get that, but you want to do it in a way that makes them want to listen and reflect.”
“Of course.”
“Then ask them a question and make them think.”
I read the paragraph again and changed it as she had suggested.
“I like this part.” Pearl pointed to the end. “It’s very strong and persuasive.”
“Do you think it will work?”
Looking up, she hesitated before speaking. “I can’t say. The whole world is changing and it’s human nature to hold on to safety in times like these.”
“But there’s never going to be any progress if we’re paralyzed with fear. How do I convince the Council members that the laws are too rigid?”
“They are going to argue it’s for people’s safety.”
I looked up at the sky. “I get that, but why can’t they see that it’s impossible to live in a bubble of safety? Almost anything can be dangerous if you don’t know how to handle it. Just think about the millions of bicycles that we have. Do you know how many accidents we have each year because people fall and get hurt? Or what about sports? People break their legs and bang their heads together. Should we ban all ice skating, soccer, and dancing?”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, Jonah, but you’re up against a Council where a large part won’t be swayed by anything you say because they didn’t want you on the Council to begin with.”
I sighed. “You don’t think I can swing the Council to my side?”
Her chest lifted and fell before she answered, “Miracles do happen.”
“Pearl, be honest.”
Taking my hand, Pearl spoke with sincerity, “Jonah, you are progressive in your thoughts and you challenge life as they know it. Few people have succeeded doing that, but then as I’ve told you before, you should never let yourself be limited by what others failed to do, because maybe they would have succeeded if they were you.”
I smiled. “That rhymes. I want that on a t-shirt.”
Pearl laughed. “I’m happy you appreciate my words. When I tell my children they typically roll their eyes at me.”
Pushing myself up from the blanket, I offered my hand to help Pearl up. “Thank you for your help.”
“My pleasure. How is your brother doing? I heard he had his interview.”
“He did and as expected, he was asked to spend some time in a place of reflection.”
“For how long?”
“I’m not sure. It was implied that they were willing to put all the blame on him and let the rest of the family continue running the park.”
“So he went?”
“Yes.”
Pearl crossed her arms. “I spent some time in a place of reflection.”
“How was it?”
“Beautiful and peaceful. Everyone was nice and caring.”
“But you hated it.”
“Even the most beautiful island will become a prison if you can’t get off it. The only way out is to tell them what they want to hear. I hope Cole understands that.”
“He’s smart, resourceful, and has little scruples about playing the system. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.”
“And Anne, have you talked to her?”
“We’ve been trying to, but she won’t meet with us.”
“She’s afraid of facing you all after what she did.”
I drew in a long breath. “I don’t blame her, but she’s out of luck. We’ve called for a mediation meeting and that means she’ll have to show up.”
“You were granted a mediation meeting?”
“Why are you surprised? We should have a chance to defend ourselves against her accusations.”
“Yes, but with the drama involved in this case, I figured they would protect her from a public appearance like that.”
“They did. No media or outsiders will be allowed.”
“I see. And how do you feel about seeing her again?”
Scratching my left eyebrow, I thought about it. “I’ve been very angry with her but you know how Mila always says, don’t ask what’s wrong with you, ask what happened to you?”
“Sounds like Mila all right.”
“I keep thinking that the timing of all this is odd. I’m still frustrated, but I’m also worried about what might have happened to Anne to make her behave this way.”
“Good. Then you’ll meet her with an open mind. I hope you will reach a peaceful understanding.” Pearl leaned in to hug me. “I’m afraid I have to go, but we’ll see you soon, Jonah.”
Hugging in virtual reality felt like hugging a ghost, but I still hugged her back. “Yes, and say hi to Mila from me. Tell her I miss her.” I didn’t tell Pearl that Mila wasn’t answering my calls.
She leaned back and smiled. “I will.”
I let her leave first. In early versions of virtual reality, the avatars had simply popped in and out, but in this version, there was always an entry and exit to make it feel more realistic. Usually it was a door, but being that this setting was an open field, Pearl’s avatar moved to a group of trees and disappeared behind them.
I exited and found myself back in my living room knowing that my avatar would continue walking until it reached the same group of trees.
The clock on my wristband told me I had three hours until my family would be expecting me at the House of Mediation where we would have our chance to confront Anne and get answers.
CHAPTER 13
Saying No
Mila
It was the smallest of words and yet so hard to say.
With my dog, Loki, yapping around my feet I practiced in the mirror.
“No.
“I know you’re disappointed, Dad, but I won’t do it.
“I said no.”
Placing my hands on my hips looked unnatural to me and so did pushing out my chin. Raven had told me to stand my ground and look my parents square in the face when I told them.
Spreading my legs, I bent in my knees and raised my head up as I spoke to myself in the mirror. “It’s not up for discussion, I’ve made up my mind.”
I looked strange in that position but at least my voice had sounded firm. Straightening up, I gave myself a nod. “Nothing to be scared of. It’s going to be fine.”
My hand went to my wristband and I bit down hard on my lower lip. What I wouldn’t give to call Jonah and have him reassure me that I was doing the right thing.
But Raven had a good point. This was something I had to do for myself.
After my talk with Raven, I wondered if I’d fallen in love with Jonah because he was safe and my ticket out of marrying a stranger in the tournament. My love for him felt a hundred percent real, but what if it wasn’t?
With the pain in my chest and the longing I felt for Jonah, I almost hoped that it had all been my mind playing tricks on me. If I was lucky, my parents would take the news well and I’d feel a huge sense of relief when I realized that my feelings for Jonah weren’t anywhere as powerful as I thought they were.
With another nod to my reflection, I left the dogs in my room and went to my parents’ suite.
“Oh hey, honey, we’re just about ready to leave for the hospital. Next time you see your dad, he’s going to be able to hug you with two arms.”
“And walk,” my dad added.
My mission of saying no to the tournament faded in the background as I was sucked into their world of nervous excitement before the operation.
“I can’t wait to walk in the park again. They say that in time, I might be able to run as fast as I did before.”
“Good, then you can take my dogs running. They would love that.”
He laughed. “Sure, I’ll need all the training I can get.”
&nb
sp; I moved over to hug him as he sat in the hoverchair. “Are you nervous, Dad?”
“Of course I am. What if they accidentally put the left leg where the right leg is supposed to go?” He laughed. “It’s a good thing that Finn is there to help with the operation.”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine, and Mom said you’ll be home in two days.”
“Only because we have all the equipment here and Finn is staying for a while.”
“It’s a lucky thing that your best friend is a doctor. Finn is a good man.”
My dad kissed the back of my hand. “Finn is the best.”
It softened my heart to see my dad’s eyes grow a bit moist and I gave a loving tug at his beard where the black bead still reminded me that we had once made a bet.
“I see gray in your beard; it suits you.”
“It’s from the accident.”
My mom came over and kissed Magni on his cheek. “It’s part of reaching his forties and it only makes him look sexier.”
Laura jerked and gave a loud outburst when Magni smacked her behind. With a mischievous grin, he winked at her. “You’re biased. Not even the scars of my missing limbs have made you run for the hills, so I doubt a little gray hair will.”
She bent down and nuzzled her nose against his. “I’m glad it finally sunk in.”
It was touching to see my parents so flirtatious and at the same time I felt my heart yearn for what they had. Again, my right hand found my wristband and my thoughts went to Jonah.
“Mila Vanilla, do me a favor, will you?” My dad was moving toward the door while my mom had gone to pick up a bag from the floor. “Stay inside if possible, okay? My men are busy keeping things peaceful but there are murmurs that worry me.”
“About what?”
“The usual. Ambitious men with a dream of ruling the country.”
“But that’s not a new thing, is it?”
Magni shook his head. “Look, I don’t want to worry you, but we’ve received threats and the other day the Huntsmen brought down a large group plotting to overtake Khan.”
“But that makes no sense. With the election coming up, they have a chance to win the presidency without violence.”
