Nevertheless

by Ailisa Madrone

  Nevertheless

  THE WAR THROUGH THE EYES OF A GIRL

  Ailisa Madrone

  Nevertheless

  Copyright © 2018 by Ailisa Madrone

  © 2018 Cover by Mirella Santana. The image used in this cover was taken from depositphotos.com by mirellasantana.com.br

  Edited by Fernanda Brener

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

  For my husband

  FIVE MONTHS LATER

  When Tzara attack began, Mabel left her house and walked to the village, sword in hand, feeling so much anger that she felt fearless. After that day, the world could turn into hell or heaven. The outcome wouldn't torment her. She was a girl standing on a battlefield, facing gods, not knowing whether she would go home at the end.

  Among the multitude of soldiers in armor and armor, Mabel disengaged herself from one to the other, pushing them away with her feet and slamming the fist of her sword into their faces and bellies. And sometimes, as much as she did not like it, she had to hurt someone. But she knew she could not go on avoiding them for too long. She promised that she would never kill anyone again, but when it was her friends who were being killed, who cares?

  Evil must be paid with evil, and there is no guilt in it when she was only trying to survive.

  I

  "Click, click. Click, click.

  By the doorway Mulan weaves,

  when all at once the shuttles cease."

  The Ballad of Mulan

  ◊

  Mabel Peloponnese was in the field with her father when she was invited to present herself in the king's hall.

  Any other girl would be at the village fairs at this time of morning. Some of them could be at the traders' stalls buying food to supply their kitchen pantry, or choosing fabrics for their gala dresses; or they would be at home with their mothers practicing any task that includes sewing and cooking, learning early the necessary attributes to be a good wife. But not her.

  The king's servants took a while to find her. After all, Mabel was a peasant, and from all places it was in the fields that they found her.

  When she eventually went missing like that, Darice could find her with her father, in a specific place in the field doing the same thing at all times. At the end of the day, Mabel would have her dress dirty and her hair messy, fully untidy compared to when she said goodbye to her mother that morning. Mabel would be able to act like a normal girl and spend the day without looking messed up, but if she was with her father she would forget how she should behave. Every day, since she learned how to stand on her feet until this day, and probably forever.

  The other peasant girls like Mabel wouldn't like the field in the same intensity as her. And they wouldn't have the same appearance of her skin and hair, either. Mabel had golden skin and wild burnt hair. But her father and herself did not care that she was the eccentricity of Navon, except for her mother, who would think that, in order to live a good life, it would be better to blend in with other people to the point they were all the same, in a way not be noticed.

  "Why?" Darice asked the man, without leaving the door. The king's servant, followed by two other men, were standing one next to the other, looking as if her daughter had done something wrong for them to be acting like that. "What did she do wrong this time?"

  It wasn't a smart question; it took the royal's servant to ask himself if a question of this type was something common, and that Mabel, the girl they were taking for the king, could be a troublemaker. But they can not blame her, once she had no way of knowing the real reason why they wanted to take her daughter.

  The servant Amir told her that the king himself ordered that the reason should not be revealed, but he assured her it was nothing too serious to worry about. Instead, Darice would actually have some good news soon. But her looks didn't seem relaxed, and she doesn't really get excited with the news. She was a skeptical and introspective woman. People like her are convinced that at this point in life good news don't really knock on the door like that. Once again, how would she know?

  "She's with her father," Darice answered finally. "As usual."

  Mabel's father in another time was a brave and honorable King's Army Commander, but now he was just a veteran. All his glory buried way deep, so he wouldn't suffer from that pain all over again. It was painful to go from an invincible commander to an old man who could barely stand up. Some people can live with the demerit, but not Amyntas, the Defender. For someone who has been in front of an army, and that several times risked his own life in order to protect his men, he would expect to be at least remembered.

  However, that's not what happened. From the moment he got hurt, he was forgotten. But good things were about to happen. The king, his old army mate, hasn't forgotten about his loyalty. He took all this time to reward the old commander because he was waiting for the right moment, and the time had come.

  Just like any other citizen of Navon, Mabel could have visited the castle when she was involved in a hearing with the king, but her and her parents had never turned at him for that. So, officially, this was the first time she stepped in the Royal Palace, and it was obvious she would be dazzled as anyone else who never got out of her own town.

  From the lobby, Mabel could see three sets of stairs going up, and amazingly the handrails were made of solid gold and never ending carpet covered the steps. The windows were narrow with red curtains, followed by several others, composing the whole wall. At night, seen from the village outside, the windows were lit by candles, in every single floor of the castle, presenting a magical game of colors, and there was no one out there who did not wish for a second to be part of it.

  There were two copper pillars, and in the center of it, an enormous door that made Mabel's legs tremble for the power coming from them, making people feel minuscule.

  The throne's hall wasn't as exuberant as the interior of the castle. There were two copper candlesticks on the right and two on the left, a brazier, but nothing else. There was no need for opulence a place where vassals were taken into in a specific day of the week to discuss bureaucracy. What caught Mabel's attention was the throne. He was located on top of six steps and fixed to the ground, covered with pure gold. The tip of the throne had a face of a lion carved, and right off the tip, at the top, a gemstone. The throne would have more value than all the houses of the village together, and it was appalling the fact that a chair had more dignity.

  The king wasn't wearing the crown, nor royal coat; he wasn't wearing any clothing that would match his status. Somehow he felt comfortable enough in front of her, without the need of dressing formally on that day.

  "Your Majesty," Mabel bowed to the king. She had never seen him in person before, but her father told her everything she should know about him. He was good enough not to cause fear in anyone, not the intimidating type. He was even too kind for a man with such power like his.

  "I finally met you," The king's eyes were on Mabel, looking intriguing and kind. "It might sound a bit weird, but I want you to know that I've been watching you for a while before deciding this, Mabel, and you were being analyzed all this time without knowing it. So now I am absolutely sure, that only in a million years would someone as perfect as you will appear."

  What for? Her inquisitive eyes wanted say, but she didn't dare to interrupt the king. She wanted to hear what the king had to say, answer what he expected to hear, and go back home and to the only world she ever knew.

  "Your parents and you live a miserable life." It wasn't a question. "Don't try to deny it, I know that. Don't forget that I had scouts per
iodically watching you. I'm not discriminating my own people; I'm sure your dad warned you about me, but I still feel that I should explain myself. The point is that I don't think that the life of the man who saved my life should be like this. You must know your father well enough to know that he is a man full of pride. He can't get a steady job because of his condition. Despite all this, he doesn't accept anything I offer. What I'm about to offer you is not just about your dad, about your family or about your life. Above all, it's about my son. How great of a daughter and a patriotic are you?''

  "More than all the things that I am."

  "And what if you could help your parents and Navon at the same time? What would you say?"

  A lot of emotions passed by Mabel face, but hesitation wasn't one of them. "And what would I have to do?"

  Navi Spyridaki was in a much more sophisticated room than Mabel. He was in his office, a room with more books than the space could handle, looking more like a library than a meeting room; a place, in all the greatness of the castle, which he could say it particularly belonged to him. The prince was fascinated by such tools crammed into the shelves that taught about a past so different from what he could know about.

  A long rectangular table was placed across the room, only giving enough space for people to move around it or if they wanted to look at the books on the shelves or to take a seat. Behind the rustic table, Navi was in favor of offering the best products of Navon in exchange for political alliances, but the counselors were against accepting unfavorable conditions in the long term. The neighboring kingdoms knew that Navon was in a vulnerable moment, and they were taking advantage of the situation. Navi also thought that offering special privileges in exchange for protection was unfair, but he had no choice.

  There was never a choice.

  "It's a waste of time discussing this with you, Your Highness," The king's adviser said. He was tall and bald in the center of his forehead, with tufts of hair on the sides and back of his head. There was arrogance in his speech and the way he moved. He was a strict and mature man, who caused fear and respect, and he wasn't feeling comfortable in taking orders from a young boy like Navi.

  "It's with the king Dareh we should be talking to." The king's counselor continued. "You're just a kid. Besides, you spent two years abroad, and you do not know about the issues happening in Navon. Let us take care of it for you. This is what we do. What are we even doing here if we can't take care of issues like this for you?"

  Navi stared at the king's counselor. "Sorry, but when I left Navon we still had allies. I want you to do exactly as I'm telling you to do. We need allies, and we'll offer them everything we have." Navi said firmly. "I must not be a child if I am the one put in charge of this. All of you must report to me from now on, about anything you do or even think of doing."

  The men behind the table agreed, and how would they disagree with the heir to the throne while the king was away? Navi was nearly a king already, except he didn't have a throne or an army yet.

  "We'll do as Your Highness determined." The king's counselor agreed, against his will.

  The royal guards left their posts as the prince approached, and the heavy creaky door of the throne's hall opened up for him. As it opened up completely, two people occupying the empty room could be spotted. Navi stopped by the door, observing his father comfortably seated on the throne, and the girl before the king he thought was only a servant , judging by the dress she was wearing.

  The prince's head fell slightly to the side, looking suspicious. This should not be a hearing once the guards and advisers should be present next the king; and it should not be a trial either, because apart from the fact that the king needed a middlemen, and Navi especially liked to perform this task for him. He realized he was there for something else.

  Navi was exigent with himself and with the people surrounding him, and he was a soldier before he was a royalty member; and that was evident by the way he would get in and out the places. It was the urge he had to find something beyond the limits of his own city that made him leave Navon for some time. But now he was back, and much more confident than before.

  Navi took a firm step and another, typical steps of someone who had nothing to lose. Then, the doors closed behind his back, and the echo filled up the empty room.

  "You finally arrived." The king said, moving around on his chair, excited to see his son.

  Mabel didn't look back, or even moved when Navi stopped right next to her. She was so close to Navi as she would have never imagined, as no girl in that village has ever been; of course she would be feeling quite uncomfortable.

  "I'm here, dad."

  The king's pleasant expression changed noticeably into something else. "Are you not going to let our guest salute you?"

  Navi looked at Mabel for the first time since he entered the throne's hall. He made a move in order to receive her greeting, noticing her hair strands, coming out of her messy bun, and then her wrinkled dress; his eyes noticed some mud on her dress before he properly looked at her.

  As she was in a rush, Mabel didn't have time to change her clothes even when she would have a meeting with the king, and she cursed herself for not being demanding with herself at least this time.

  Her eyes fell from Navi's face to her own feet, bowing down to the prince, not only because the conventions determined that was that she should curve herself in front of him. She was pleased to do it for a leader she was so proud to follow. She would follow the prince even if she had to stand by the edge of a cliff wearing a blindfold. This was the inevitable truth.

  "Your Highness." She said, in a polished and respectful voice. Mabel would remain in that position, curved body and head down, for a long time still.

  So Navi turned to his father, anxious, as he couldn't understand why a girl would be curved before him that way. "What is going on?"

  The king, sitting on his throne with hands touching each side of the gold carved chair, was having fun with his son's reaction and the pathetic silence of the girl. He had a look in his eyes that could easily confuse him with a mad person. But only for a while, because he was a king, and kings don't go mad. "Tell me son, do you still want the command of Navon's army?"

  "Yes." Despite the certainty in his response, Navi had an apprehensive look on his face, as if at any time he could be stabbed in the back.

  Navi was a prince, and he now had full control over the castle's political affairs, but he still hasn't been appointed to perform the duties the general of an army. This is what he always wanted, but the king didn't want to give him this title. Even though Navi was the only natural heir to the throne, his father didn't want to see him in a battlefield, even though this was an opposition to the true natural order of things. At any war, the leader of a kingdom has to be in the front, and he would also be the first to fall.

  "It will be yours", The king hesitated, giving time for the son to realize there would be a "but" after that. "But before that, you need to get married. Not that you have to get married immediately. But as soon as you announce your engagement, you'll be the next general in the history of the King's Army."

  "Father," The prince's voice was firm. "There is no need to blackmail me. You need a general for your army anyway."

  "Aren't you being too greedy?" The king said in a neutral tone. "Maybe you don't realize how much work you're putting over your shoulders."

  Father and son were very similar. They wouldn't make a move as they spoke; they looked like stone statues.

  "From all the tasks I could perform, this is the most important one I should be doing. I wasn't raised as a prince to be sitting here protected by the castle walls while my town is being slowly ripped away from me. I need to be in front of my own army. You're acting lightly about it when…" Navi stopped himself. He was about to say things that should not reveal ahead of time. Things that, if they became public, would cause disorder and despair. Things that, until they are not resolved, should remain as they are.

  He turned to Mabel who kept
her eyes down during the discussion, avoiding that they would remember she was there and decided to put her in the middle of the argument. She was surprised when there was no more sound of voices, and the first person she looked at was the king, who was in front her, paying attention to her when Navi's attention was no longer directed to him. With eyes of understanding, realizing she lost part of an important conversation, she looked lightly to Navi next to her; to the most intimidating person who has ever come her way.

  "Can you leave us alone, please?" And then, the prince looked at his father.

  Mabel repeated his move, nodding her head to the king in compliance. She didn't say goodbye to Navi because he didn't look at her, although she had tried. Before she left, she expressed a sigh of relief for been released as she noticed Navi's stubborn stare at his father. Someone would be reprimanded that day, and it wouldn't be the son.

  Navi didn't say a word until he heard the sound of the door closing behind him, blocking Mabel outside. "When we're about to go to war?" He continued. "The soldiers need to feel confident once they will report directly to their leader. A regent in front of an army is the best motivation a soldier could have. Now tell me, how could Navon have a royal wedding while we're in the middle of such crisis? How could you be thinking of marriage during terrible times like these?"

  "Just because we're at war, I need to ensure the family line since you're so ready to go for it. I need an heir. Alive."

  As the king lived in a castle with no wife, and his son was too busy worried about how to save the world, it could be very lonely at times. Navi was everything he had. Dareh wouldn't give him up, unless his son would leave someone else in his place.