The Fighter

by Elin Peer

  Freya nodded. “I like when Lee wrote, ‘When you think you are truly righteous, morally superior, and better than others, you are blind to other views. All life has a right to live, even if it is only for a short time to feed another life. If you break the circle of life, all will die.’”

  Pearl gave Khan a dirty look. “We’ll discuss your attempt at indoctrination later.”

  Christina craned her neck to look back at Boulder behind her, “You men have to stop undermining our teachings about no killing. You knew I wouldn’t approve of you showing our boys how to kill.”

  “Which is why I told them to keep it quiet. Don’t say I’m not respectful.”

  Khan’s finger brushed the hair on his young son’s head. “Magni and I brought our boys on a survival trip this summer – you liked that, didn’t you, Thor?”

  The boy nodded his head. “Yeah, I got to make a fire and we built a bridge across a river. It was fun.”

  Khan grinned. “See, Christina. Pearl wasn’t happy about that trip either, but you women will have to respect that men are raised differently up here.”

  Thor turned to look up at Khan. “Can Jones and I go outside? I want to show him my new play drone.”

  Khan nodded and the two boys, who were the same age, ran out of the kitchen.

  “Stay away from the pond, though,” Pearl called after them as she walked over to snatch a piece of cucumber from the cutting board that Jones had abandoned. “Freya, why don’t you ask Indiana or Samara if they want to play chess with you?”

  Freya still stood leaning against her dad and looked up at Indiana, who was half a head taller than her. “No thanks. Last time I beat Indiana four times and he threw the bishop against the wall.”

  Indiana scrunched up his face. “Chess is stupid.”

  “Then find something else to do until lunch is ready.” Pearl took another piece of cucumber.

  Christina was quick to jump in with a task for them. “Actually, how about you three set the table. Indiana, you’ll have to show them how to expand it.”

  “Argh.” He gave a displeased grunt. “Do I have to?”

  Boulder and Khan answered at the same time. “Yes!”

  When the three children left the kitchen, Boulder threw his hand up. “I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but that boy is the most unhelpful child in the world.”

  Pearl smiled. “It’s the age. He’ll grow out of it.”

  Khan shrugged. “Magni was like that too when he was a preteen like Indiana. Always grumpy and contrary.”

  “Huh.” Boulder handed beers to me and Khan. “Leo, can you imagine if we had shown our mentors an attitude like that? My back would have been black and blue.”

  “Yeah, mine too.” I nodded. “Maybe it’s what happens when kids grow up in families instead of schools. I mean Magni was in a family and so is Indiana.”

  Boulder gave a groan. “It would be easier if I could put some fear into the boy, but if you think Christina is weird about skinning a rabbit then you should have seen her the time that I spanked Indiana when he was a toddler. For a pacifist, she just about skinned my ass.” Boulder’s deep chuckle filled the kitchen. “I had to sit for two full hours listening to parenting tips on how to deal with toddlers in a non-violent way.”

  Khan took a seat on a high chair by the kitchen island. “Trust me, our dad beat the crap out of Magni and it didn’t change a thing. He was still moody and grumpy at Indiana’s age.”

  It was the strangest feeling to stand in the kitchen and watch the interactions between these two families as their children moved in and out carrying cutlery, glasses, and stacks of plates. I’d never experienced anything like it, and soaked up all their conversation and interactions with fascination. Boulder cooked the steaks and told Khan to get us some more beers while waiting for the food to be ready. Christina filled bowls and trays, and it was clear to see that these people spent a lot of time together. Internally I was wondering why none of them questioned what I was doing here.

  “You sure that I can’t help with anything?” Mila offered for the third time.

  “Wanna learn how to tell when a steak is cooked to perfection?” Boulder winked at her from his place behind the stove. I sniffed in the lovely aroma of garlic, butter, and quality steaks.

  “Maybe I could carry something to the table instead,” Mila suggested with a smile to Boulder.

  “Yes, how about you take this in.” Christina handed Mila a basket of bread. “And by the way, Mila, how was your dad doing this morning?”

  Mila took the bread. “He was pale and in pain. I don’t understand it but he says he feels like his feet are hurting but that’s not possible since they are… you know, gone.”

  “That’s called phantom pain. It’s a real thing.” Boulder placed the steaks on a plate and signaled for us to move into the dining room. “No, Leo, you don’t want to sit there, that’s the kids’ end of the table.”

  “Oh, okay.” I moved to the other end.

  Pearl smiled at me. “It’s better that way because the kids never sit at the table very long.”

  I sat between Mila and Raven when bowls and trays of food were passed around and all the time, I wondered why none of them had asked why I was there. To be included without question in a lunch with Raven’s family and their close friends who happened to be the ruling family was unexpected. I had braced myself to be roasted about my relationship with Raven, but they talked about everyday things like the co-educational school, Mila’s current amount of dogs, and Christina’s work on her newest archeological digging site. I was almost done eating my steak when the question finally came up.

  “Hey, Leo,” Boulder leaned forward to get eye contact. “I forgot to ask you; how is your healing coming along? Raven said you were back to work, but are you going to be ready for Mila’s tournament?”

  Mila and Raven exchanged a quick glance.

  “Actually…” I put my fork and knife down. “I’m not going to be in Mila’s tournament.”

  “Why not? If you need more time to get ready, I mean…” Christina tilted her head and changed her focus to Khan. “Aren’t you going to postpone the tournament anyway? I doubt Magni will be ready in only three months. The participants would understand if you give him time to heal so he can enjoy the festivities, wouldn’t they?”

  Khan was chewing so he didn’t answer, which made Christina continue, “It’s no secret that I’m the biggest opponent of tournaments, but Magni has been looking forward to Mila’s tournament since she was ten, and postponing it would give Leo time to get in shape too.”

  I was used to seeing Lord Khan at official ceremonies and on TV, so to see him sit around a dining table and eat in a casual manner blew my mind a little.

  “Yes, we’ll have to postpone it and now with the plans for the election, it’s all about timing,” Khan agreed.

  “Kids, are you done eating?” Pearl smiled at the five children at the end of the table. “How about we call you when it’s time for dessert.”

  Thor, Jones, and Samara were quick to push their chairs back and run off, while Indiana and Freya moved more slowly.

  “Today, Freya.” Pearl hurried her daughter up.

  “I’m not a baby; why can’t I stay and listen?”

  “Because some things are for adults only and we’ll need you two big kids to keep an eye on the younger ones.”

  “Indiana, will you close the door please? Thank you.” Christina smiled as her oldest son complied and closed the two large French doors separating the dining room from the rest of the house.

  “As I was saying,” Khan continued. “With the election, we’ll need to be strategic, and Pearl and I are already working on ideas.”

  “Of course you are.” Boulder had a small tomato on his fork. “But can I just ask again? What the fuck?”

  Pearl gave a small groan. “Don’t start, Boulder. The decision has been made.”

  The fork with the tomato on it swung through the air in stabbing movements
as Boulder spoke to Khan. “The only explanation I can find for this insanity is that you popped some of Magni’s painkillers and that the two of you were fucking high when you made that decision. Democracy is the worst evil and a slippery road to socialism. Next thing you’ll have me sharing my wealth and giving up my house and drones. I’m not fucking okay with that.”

  Khan lowered his brow. “I guarantee you that we’ll never have socialism in the Northlands. We’ll leave that shit for the Motlanders.”

  “Hey, if by socialism you mean a safety net to take care of the weaker people in society, then that is a fine thing. Every citizen should have the same opportunities.”

  “Why, Pearl?” Boulder challenged. “What if they don’t work as hard for it? I didn’t come to this place in life without busting my ass off.”

  “And you don’t think the men working for you do the same? What about chance and circumstance? Most of your fortune you inherited, Alexander, and that was dumb luck and nothing else. And what about Khan? He was born into the right family. Good for him, but what about the people who aren’t that lucky? How is that fair?”

  “Fair?” Boulder pulled back in his chair, staring at Pearl. “Life isn’t fair! At least I’m providing opportunities for tens of thousands of men to make their fortune. I’m providing workplaces, and you know damn well that Christina and I donate a lot of money to improve education in this country.”

  Pearl remained calm and nodded. “Yes, it’s admirable and generous of you, which makes me wonder why you resent the idea of socialism, as you call it. After all, you already share your wealth.”

  “That’s different. I share what I want and I give it to whom I want to. In your system, people don’t have a chance. No matter how much they work they all get the same amount of points.”

  Pearl was tapping her fingernails on the table. “Not true, Alexander. I’ve told you this before. The more you work, the more points you get.”

  “Yeah, but you can only keep the same as everyone else. The rest you need to distribute.”

  “Exactly. And as you know there is great satisfaction in knowing that you’re a large contributor. I would argue the satisfaction of contributing to others is greater than getting more for yourself.”

  Boulder opened his mouth to speak, but Khan raised his hand. “As entertaining as it is to hear the two of you argue the same thing over and over, I’m going to stop you. Boulder, nothing will change except that I’ll be elected by the people.”

  “But your plan is crazy, Khan. Why would you tell them your darkest secret and give your critics ammunition against you?”

  Pearl leaned forward, “Because the truth will set him free.”

  “That’s for damn sure.” Boulder snorted. You’ll be free but you’ll also be out of the Gray Manor on your ass.”

  Christina dipped her head close to Pearl’s. “What dark secrets? I thought the reason Khan wanted an election was because of Magni.”

  My dad sighed, clearly realizing he had said too much, but Pearl didn’t look upset. Laying a hand on top of my mom’s, she explained, “It’s not fair that you’re the only one in the room who doesn’t know the truth, and soon the whole country will know anyway.”

  “Know what?”

  “Raven discovered that Khan wasn’t the rightful heir to rule the Northlands. He’s not the biological son of Marcus Aurelius.”

  “Okaaay… but what is the dark secret Alexander hinted at?”

  Khan groaned. “That is the dark secret.”

  My mom gave Pearl a questioning look, as if silently asking her to confirm.

  “I know, Christina. It’s strange that heritage means so much to Nmen, but apparently, it does.” Pearl picked up her glass and glanced at Khan. “I’m confident that honesty is the best way.”

  Khan didn’t answer at first, but cut another piece of steak. “We’ll see what happens. Right now, I’m focused on winning the race.”

  Boulder ran his hands through his hair. “Argh. But what if you don’t win and some turd takes your place.”

  Christina placed her hand on Boulder’s wrist. “We’ve got to trust that Khan and Pearl can pull this off.” She turned her face and looked at Pearl. “You’ll have to let us know how to best support you.”

  “Me!” Khan corrected her. “Pearl isn’t running for president. I am!”

  “Yes, of course, that’s what I meant.”

  “Why president and not ruler?” I asked.

  Khan raised his chin. “Because I like the ring to it.”

  Pearl shook her head. “It’s because a new title signals that it’s a new type of leadership. Kings, Rulers, and Czars aren’t democratically elected. Presidents, prime ministers, and council members are.”

  Khan sighed and put down his cutlery. “It’s a shame about Mila’s wedding. I know we have to postpone it, but it would have been perfect because my popularity always spikes whenever I do a wedding ceremony. Not to mention that Mila’s tournament is proof that we Northlanders aren’t the only ones changing in this integration. For a Motlander-born woman like Mila to let our men fight for her shows that she’s accepting our culture.”

  Mila looked down. “I’m only doing it because I lost a bet to my dad. To be honest, I don’t care for the violence.”

  Khan shrugged. “That’s fine, as long as you don’t tell anyone outside this room.”

  “I told Jonah.”

  Khan waved a dismissive hand. “That doesn’t matter. He’s not a voter.”

  Pearl sat straighter on her chair. “Now that you mention Jonah, Mila, I spoke to him this morning. He might have some good input on running a campaign since he did it recently. I’ve asked him to visit us again soon.”

  Boulder had stopped eating and sat with his arms crossed. “I like Jonah. I’ve only met the man a few times, but he was intelligent, pleasant, and different from what I’d imagined a male Motlander would be.”

  “Yes, Jonah has a good head on his shoulders,” Khan agreed. “But back to my numbers spiking around weddings; it would be convenient if we could make a big spectacle out of Raven’s wedding now that Mila’s wedding will be postponed. What do you think, Boulder?”

  Boulder shook his head. “How many times has Raven told you and Magni that she doesn’t want a tournament? It’s not going to happen, Khan. Hell, knowing my daughter, she would be more interested in fighting herself than marrying any of the poor champions.”

  Khan raised an eyebrow and smiled. “I didn’t say anything about a tournament.”

  “What’s with the smug smile?” Boulder turned in his chair to look at Raven. “Am I missing something here?”

  “Yeah, that’s why I came today. We wanted to tell you.”

  Boulder’s eyes widened. “Tell me what?”

  I cleared my throat. “The thing is that Raven has agreed to marry me.”

  Boulder’s eyes blinked as he looked from me to Raven and back. “What? When?”

  “Yesterday. She agreed yesterday.”

  “Did you know this?” Boulder turned to Christina, who sat with her mouth open.

  “No.”

  “But what… I mean how…” Boulder’s hands tore through his hair. “Is this some kind of prank?”

  “No. It’s true, Dad.”

  Boulder held up a hand. “Wait a minute. First you tell me there’s going to be democracy in the Northlands and now you’re telling me that my daughter is marrying her boss. It’s not April first, people, so what the fuck is going on? What kind of elaborate joke is this?”

  “It’s not a joke, sir.” I took Raven’s hand on the table. “Raven moved in with me last night.”

  “She did what?”

  “We’ve been intim… ehm, getting to know each other for some time now and yesterday, Raven, finally agreed to marry me.”

  Boulder planted both elbows on the table and stared at Raven. “Is this true?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I’m telling you now.�
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  Boulder pushed his plate away. “It sounded more like Khan was telling me, so I guess that means he knew before I did.”

  Khan patted Boulder’s back. “Don’t worry about it, my friend. I only found out yesterday when I pressed Leo.”

  Christina raised her glass and sucking in a deep breath, she spoke on the exhalation. “And here I thought you were just bringing home your boss. Leo, forgive us for our reaction, but Raven truly surprised us, that’s all. We’re excited to get to know you better.”

  Boulder narrowed his eyes. “How old are you, Leo?”

  “Dad.” Raven bulged her eyes out, looking embarrassed.

  “I’m thirty-one, sir.”

  “That’s ten years older than Raven.”

  “So what, Dad? You were all excited about him fighting for Mila and she’s a year younger than me.”

  “No, I’m just saying that there’s a big age difference. How did this happen?”

  Pearl leaned in. “Yes, I’m curious too. When did you fall in love?”

  Raven and I smiled at each other. “I don’t think any man can look at Raven and not see her beauty, but for me, it’s her humor and personality that makes her irresistible.”

  “Irresistible, huh?” Boulder raised his chin and frowned at me before looking at Raven. “And you’re sure about this, honey? Marriage is a life-long commitment.”

  Her tone was sarcastic. “Am I sure? No, I’m only doing it because I’m forced. Oh, no, wait…” Raven placed a hand in front of her mouth. “That was Mom.”

  Khan and Boulder groaned. “How many times do we have to hear about that? Things were different then.”

  “It was the scariest time of my life.” Christina still had her glass raised as if waiting for us to join her in a toast.

  “You got close to marrying Archer,” Mila said with a smile. “Imagine how different everything would have been if you’d married him instead of Alexander.”

  Christina grinned. “Yeah, there have been days when I’ve wondered the same thing, but then I speak to Kya and hear her complain about Archer doing some of the same absurd things that drive me crazy in my marriage, and I’m good.”

  Boulder picked up his glass of beer. “Archer was nothing but a boy compared to me. He wouldn’t have been able to handle you.”