by S. J. West
“Do you really believe that?” I ask. “Do you think they would go to war again if they had our technology?”
Auggie shrugs. “I’m not sure. I would hope not, but I can’t see into the future either. No one can.”
“Gladson believes we shouldn’t be separated from them anymore.”
Auggie smiles. “He thinks we’re becoming too inbred up here with our self-enforced isolation. I can’t say I disagree with him. It’s one of the reasons you were chosen to be my wife. You had one of the purest genetic codes our physicians had ever seen in an up-worlder or a down-worlder. In essence, you were genetically perfect in every way. Plus, your father offered such a large dowry for the privilege that my father couldn’t refuse.”
“Anna! Anna!”
I look back over to the pillars leading to my chambers and see my little dog, Vala, come at a run towards us. I pull back from Auggie as Vala launches herself into my arms.
“They’re coming!” Vala tells me, turning her little head from me to look at Auggie and then back up at me again.
“I guess that’s my cue to leave,” Auggie says, leaning down to kiss me lightly on the lips. “I’ll see you later this evening at the Tribute Ball.”
“Yes, I’ll see you there.”
Auggie looks down at his left palm where a holographic display lights up. He presses one of the options and teleports, setting off a quick flash of light with his departure.
I look down at Vala, my ever loyal robotic Pomeranian, and wonder what it would feel like to hold a real dog instead of one made out of synthetic parts. She looks and feels like a dog, or so I have been told, but she has no heartbeat. Blood doesn’t course through her veins just some sort of fluid to mimic the warmth of a living creature. Her orange fur is silky soft to the touch, but I have no idea how it compares to actual fur. Real animals aren’t allowed in the cloud cities due to population control and cleanliness issues.
Vala's more advanced than most of the pets in Cirrus though. She’s one of the rare sentient robots who has an organic computer for a brain which learns from her life experiences. Honestly, she’s more real to me than most of the people I know.
With Vala in my arms, I walk across the veranda, past the gossamer white curtains hanging to act as a visual barrier between the outside world and my chambers. Since the temperature inside the dome protecting Cirrus remains a constant seventy degrees, it’s nice to have free access to the breeze outside even if it is an artificial one.
Someone knocks on the other side of the door to my sitting room from the hallway.
“Come in,” I say, already knowing who will be walking in at this time of day.
My lady servants, Vivian and Eliza, walk into the room with the woman who helped raise me coming in last and closing the door behind her. I see that Eliza is holding a silver tray covered with a white silk napkin and cringe inwardly because I know what it means.
“Now, Vivian, you go lay out something appropriate for Lady Anna to wear for her lesson with the dowager empress. Eliza and I will handle her treatment,” Millie says with her natural bossiness in full effect as she places fisted hands against the girth of her waist.
Vivian, a tall red-head with ivory skin and a complexion so clear you would have thought her face was carved out of stone, crosses her arms in front of her and rolls her eyes at Millie.
“We’ve been Anna’s ladies for five years now, Millie,” she says irritably. “Why do you keep thinking you need to tell us what needs to be done?”
“Because that’s what I do,” Millie says matter-of-factly, nodding her head and causing a stray strand of her gray hair to escape from underneath her white dust cap. “I make sure Lady Anna and Lord Andre get what they need when they need it. Now shoo,” Millie says, waving her hands at Vivian, “go do your job while we do ours.”
“Surely it can't be treatment time again so soon,” I complain. “I could have sworn we just did this a few days ago.”
“We did, my lady,” Millie says, sympathetic to my plight. “Seven days ago to be precise. You know the empress insists you have them once a week.”
On the day of my thirteenth birthday, the empress sent over the first batch of my 'treatments'. Every seven days since then, I've been required to have the strange green liquid injected into my body. My father tried to find out what the liquid was, but all the empress would say is that it was totally harmless and meant to protect me. If I didn't have the injections, she threatened to have my marriage contract to Auggie terminated on the grounds of non-compliance.
The strange substance couldn't be administered like most drugs with a normal trans-dermal patch either. For some reason, it had to be injected into my body by using old fashioned needles.
I sit down on the white couch in my room and hold out both my arms to the two women.
“Do it,” I say, looking away as they each take a syringe from the silver tray Eliza brought into the room.
“I'm so sorry, Lady Anna,” Eliza says as I feel the needle of both the shots pierce the skin in the crook of my arms.
“There,” Millie says, being the first to take her needle out, “all done.”
Eliza soon follows and I hear the clatter as they both lay their respective syringes back on the silver tray. Vala whines and comes to sit on my lap in way of comfort. I pick her up and hold her close to my chest as I stand to walk into my bedroom. I find Vivian laying out a mint green chiffon dress for me to wear to breakfast and ultimately to my lesson with the dowager empress.
The fashion in Cirrus was simple and elegant. Those in the other cloud cities adopted their own sense of style and the Cirruns chose one which resembled that of ancient Greece, at least for the women. The men generally wore suits of a simple collarless design, much like the one Auggie wore when he came to see me that morning.
After I'm dressed and Millie fixes my waist length, brown hair into a thick ponytail braid, they escort me up to the roof where I have eaten breakfast with my father every morning of my life, as far as I am aware.
If ever there is a man who looks the part of a Lord, it’s my papa. Every unmarried woman in Cirrus has made a play for him from what Millie has told me. But, my father told me I was the only person his heart would ever truly belong to. His love for me was absolute, and I never doubted that for one second. It wasn't because he told me he loved me every day of my life either. It was because I could see his love for me in the little things he did for me. As a child growing up, he took me almost everywhere he went and spent endless hours making sure I was as well educated as anyone in Cirrus, more so than most. He seemed to know something about everything, and I thrived in the knowledge that he thought I was someone worth spending his time with.
I know any man I eventually give my heart to will have a high standard to meet if they want to even come close to being the man my papa is to me. Not even Auggie can compare to Lord Andre Greco.
My father is dressed in a white suit similar to the one Auggie wore. He's facing away from the crystal elevator when I step off, seeming lost in his own thoughts. The click of my glass slippers against the marble tile on the roof alerts him to my presence, and he turns to face me. A smile of pure joy lights his features as he watches my approach, rivaling the brightness of the morning sun still rising in the background behind him. Even without the sun at his back, my papa would glow to my eyes. He always has. When I asked him why he looked like he had an ever present light shining down on him when no one else did, he told me it was because I could see his complete devotion to me. As a child, I simply found the notion mystical. As an adult, I had to wonder what the true reason was.
“Good morning, cherub,” he says to me as I walk up to him.
I shake my head but can't help the smile which stretches my lips.
“Every time you call me that, I feel like I'm three-years-old again, Papa.”
I kiss my father on both cheeks as he continues to beam with pride as he gazes at me.
“And every time I look at you, I see
that little three-year-old smiling back at me.”
“Stop it, Papa. You're going to make me cry.”
My father holds out a crooked arm to me and escorts me to the granite table which is permanently situated underneath an ever growing arbor of purple wisteria.
“I hope to never be someone who makes you cry,” my papa says as he pulls out my chair at the table for me to sit in. “I live to only make you happy.”
“And spoiled,” I laugh, as he sits down at the head of the table beside me.
“Well,” he says, smiling guiltily, “there's that too. But, not so spoiled that you aren't grateful for the things you have or the people in your life.”
Millie and Vivian bring us our plates laden with breakfast while Eliza fills the crystal goblets in front of us with water.
“Papa,” I say hesitantly, because I've broached the subject I'm about to bring up before but received negative results, “are you sure you won't come live with me and Auggie after we marry? I don't like thinking of you staying here all alone.”
“I'll be fine,” he says to me with a reassuring smile. “You don't need your father so close when you're just starting your married life.”
“You know as well as I that married life with Auggie won't exactly be normal,” I say, knowing my father already understands the chaste marriage Auggie and I will end up having. “Plus, I might need your help dealing with the dowager empress.”
My papa laughs out loud, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes becoming more pronounced.
“Handling her is something I have no doubt you will be able to do, Anna. You've already proven that on a few occasions now. You happen to be in the auspicious position of having her actually like you because of it. I don't foresee you having any trouble with her, especially after you take her place as empress. But...”
I look over at my papa and see a concerned look cloud his handsome features.
“But what? What's wrong?” I ask.
“You know if you didn't want to go through with the marriage, I would take you away from here,” he tells me. “I know places in the down-world that not even the empress knows about.”
“That wouldn't be any sort of life for either one of us,” I tell him gently. “I may not be in love with Auggie, but I do love him. We'll have a good life together, Papa. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine.”
“But finding true love is something you'll have to give up on as his wife.”
“I'm not sure that's even possible for me anyway,” I admit. “I'm almost twenty-one, Papa. I've pretty much met every man within marrying age in Cirrus and haven't felt that sort of connection with any of them. I'm luckier than most. At least I'll be marrying my best friend and not someone who is forced on me like some of the other girls here, and I'll be empress soon. How many girls are granted a privilege like that? Maybe I can dedicate my life to helping others and actually do some good with the powers I'll have.”
“At the cost of your own happiness?”
“Who says I won't be happy? I can find happiness in the work I'll be able to do. So, please, don't worry about me.”
My father sighs, and I know worrying about me is not something he can just turn off. I love him for his concern over my happiness, but I came to terms with the path of my life a long time ago. Auggie and I can support one another and find ways to satisfy any urges we might harbor for others in a private way. I'm not sure if I'll ever find the person who is meant to fill the gaping hole in my heart, but I won't give up on finding him just because I'm married either. The marriage between Auggie and I is simply one arranged for convenience.
If my soul mate truly does exist, I have no doubt we will find each other one day.
And when we do, God help anyone who tries to keep us apart...
CHAPTER two
Just as my father and I are finishing breakfast, I catch a flash of light out of the corner of my eye. Two of the empress’ personal guards have teleported to the roof and wait at their regular positions near the crystal elevator to act as my escorts to the palace.
“I guess it’s time for me to go to the castle for my lesson,” I say, wiping my mouth on my napkin before laying it on the table beside my plate.
“You shouldn’t have too many more of these lessons to endure after you become empress,” my father replies sympathetically, knowing how much I dread my time alone with the dowager empress.
“I have a feeling even after the crown is put on my head Auggie’s mother will find a reason to continue them,” I sigh. “I don’t think giving up so much power will be easy for her.”
“She’s known this day was coming for quite a while now.”
“But, if Auggie’s father hadn’t died two months ago, she would have remained empress for many more years. Now, with Auggie on the throne, she has to give all of that up a lot sooner than she ever thought.”
“It’s the way the law is here. Only a man can hold the throne. She understands that.”
“I’m not sure I could be as gracious,” I admit, actually finding a reason to pity Auggie's mother. “She’s only in her mid-forties, like you. She’s a little young to be going into retirement.”
“Maybe she’ll find a new husband and have someone else to concentrate her attentions on.”
“We can only hope for such a miracle to happen,” Millie says as she comes to take my empty plate away.
I can’t help but giggle at Millie’s impudence as I stand from my chair. I lean down and kiss my papa on the cheek.
“Let me know when you return,” my father says to me. “I always like to know you’ve made it back in one piece after a visit with that woman.”
“I will,” I promise before walking over to the guards.
“Good morning, gentleman,” I say to them both.
“Good morning, Lady Annalisse,” the guard named Christopher says rather stiffly as they both bow to me.
The other guard, Clark, remains silent. I don't think he's ever uttered a word to me in the almost eight years since my lessons with the empress began.
I stand in between them and they each place a hand on my shoulders before teleporting me to the palace.
For whatever reason, the empress didn’t allow me to be fitted with the teleportation conduit that every royal was given when they turned eighteen. Regular citizens of Cirrus had to use one of the many teleportation terminals available, but they were only allowed to travel between other terminals strategically placed within the city, never to the exact location they wanted to go.
The guards teleport me straight into the empress’ private sitting room, where she’s waiting for me, and then teleport themselves out almost immediately. I wish I had the same opportunity of escape.
“Good morning, Annalisse,” she says to me as I walk over to the glass table where she’s sitting.
“Good morning, Empress Catherine,” I reply, taking my seat opposite her at the table, wondering what my lesson will be about today.
As I look across the table at Auggie’s mother, I marvel at her strength and beauty. It was well known that the empress and emperor had been madly in love with each other. They were almost always together except for the times when the emperor liked to go down-world to hunt. It was on one of those hunting expeditions that he apparently fell off his horse and broke his neck, ending his life prematurely.
The empress still wore black to mark the memory of her husband’s passing, showing the world that she remained in mourning over the loss of her beloved. It made me wonder if she felt like the twenty-five years she shared with her husband was worth all the heartache she was now enduring. I would have to imagine that it was. There’s nothing I wouldn’t give to feel that kind of connection with someone, even if it meant losing them in the end.
“Since you'll be attending your first Tribute Ball tonight,” she says, “I thought it might be a good idea to refresh your memory on why we have it and the duties of our overlords on the surface.”
“Of course,” I say, even though I do
n’t understand why the empress feels the need.
She should know by now that my memory is perfect. I never forget anything, which comes in handy when you’re trying to learn the ins and outs of ruling an empire.
“Now,” the empress says, “what is the purpose of the Tribute Ball?”
“To have the overlords come to Cirrus and pay their tribute to the royal family.”
“And why is this important?”
“To remind the people of Cirrus that our life in the city is only sustainable because of the work the overlords do for us in the down-world.”
The empress raises a delicate eyebrow at me. “And the other reason?”
“To remind the overlords that they may run things in the down-world, but they are only allowed the privilege through our good graces.”
Empress Catherine smiles, pleased with my answer. She leans toward the glass table between us and runs one well-manicured hand across its surface which brings up the holographic images of four men.
“Now,” she says, taking on the voice of a teacher, “can you name the five overlords who run things for our family, and what it is that each of them are in charge of?”
“Yes,” I say leaning towards the table also and looking at the rotating images of the overlords, pointing to each one as I name them. “David Dean is in charge of agriculture. Matthew Knowles is in charge of livestock. Sean Rhodes is responsible for the mining of raw minerals. Paul Kennedy oversees the manufacturing of goods. And…” I look up at the empress, “why is it that we’ve never had an image of the fifth overlord?”
“Because he’s obstinate,” the empress snorts derisively, “and doesn’t like to have his image rendered.”
“But you’re his ruler. Why not just force him to do it?”
Empress Catherine laughs. “It’s obvious you’ve never met the man. You know who he is and what he does though, right?”
I nod. “Yes. His name is Malcolm Devereaux, and he’s in charge of commerce between our down-world and that of the other cloud cities. It’s one of the most lucrative overlord positions, which means all of the other overlords want it.”