by Lisa Lace
I didn't blame her, of course. Myron couldn't be much fun in bed. I had certain standards and sleeping with married women isn't something I did.
Porter offered the girl the bread and butter first. The look on her face when she tasted it gave me hope. I glanced at Porter, and he waggled his eyebrows at me. She didn't notice because she was busy enjoying the bread.
Her eyes were closed. She let out a gentle moan when she took the first bite. "This is incredible."
"You've not tasted bread before?" I said. "It's a based on a plant we call 'wheat' on this world." She was from another planet, I supposed.
"Of course I've had bread," she said, a sparkle returning to her eyes. "But this is the best I've ever tasted."
Porter laughed then. "That's what she says at every inn," he explained. He liked this girl.
"Not every one," she said, objecting. "The one with the pig on the sign didn't have good bread." She turned to me. "It really didn't. It's a good thing we only stopped there for a snack and some rest. I couldn't have stayed there overnight."
Porter buttered another piece and handed it to her. "Thank you," she said, giving him a gracious smile.
I frowned at him. Was he flirting with my soon-to-be-wife? He lifted his hands to me, palms up, and she looked back and forth between us.
"So, you two are friends?" she said, addressing the question to Porter.
"Aye," he said, grinning stupidly at me. I rolled my eyes.
"For how long?" she asked, taking another bite of bread and chewing.
"A long time," Porter said. "Since we were boys. What was it? Ten, Jesse?"
"When you came to the village with Uncle Mirek? You were ten. I remember because you wanted to kiss Isabella behind the tree. I said you couldn't until she was ten, too."
"Ah, Isabella," he said, glancing over at the innkeeper's wife. She was putting down food onto a different table. He sighed as if in remembrance. Well, he'd had Isabella too, probably more times than me.
"You've known each other since you were ten? I guess that's why you trusted him to find you a wife," she said, watching me carefully to see how I would react to her comment.
"It's a little complicated," I said, not wanting to get into an involved conversation.
"No kidding. Apparently it's complicated enough that Porter can't tell me a damn thing about it. It's been three weeks!"
I wondered why Porter couldn't find me one without a potty mouth. I didn't say a word, but my expression must have revealed my feelings. She looked at me quickly.
"Oh, shit. I'm not supposed to swear, am I?"
Porter laughed. "It's not befitting a lady," I said.
"Why didn't you tell me before? You've been letting me swear the whole time," she said, frowning at Porter accusingly.
"It was cute," he said. "I didn't have the heart to tell you to stop."
She huffed out her breath, but I could tell she enjoyed his teasing. Of course she did. Porter had charmed my bride. Great. I never could compete with him with girls. Her eyes cut over to me, and she became serious again.
"I'm sorry. I'll stop it." But she looked like she wasn't sure she could. "I guess I'm not what you were expecting in a wife."
I looked at Porter. That was a loaded question. "Like I said, it's complicated."
"You didn't answer the question," she said, pointing at me with a spoon. Isabella had brought us some stew and more bread. "I've waited three weeks for the answer, so please don't make me wait any longer."
I sighed. "Fine. It's going to come out sooner or later. You might as well know that they've branded me. I'm a Renegade."
"A Renegade? What's that?" Porter shook his head when I looked at him.
"You must be aware that we have particular laws on our planet that ban the possession of certain things."
"Oh, yes. Things. I had to leave behind a lot of things before I beamed down. I heard about your laws."
The way she said laws made me think she didn't like them very much.
"When I was young and stupid, I found some prohibited items. Instead of turning them over to the authorities immediately, I kept them for a bit."
"You did?"
"Yes. It was foolish. I was tattooed with an R on my shoulder to mark me as a Renegade. It's what we call anyone who is misguided, messes around with things, and gets caught."
"I see. I don't agree with everything, but I think I understand."
"No woman in this village or any other will have me because of the incident," I said. "That's why I needed Porter's help to find me a bride. My father is ill, and I must inherit to ensure the farm stays in our family. To do that, I need a wife."
She looked at me. "That sucks."
I blinked at the unusual use of the word. Of course, we spoke Standard. Everyone does. It's the language used throughout the entire galaxy. However, since we had little contact with the outside universe, our version of Standard drifted and missed some vocabulary.
Sucks, like a baby hundinlark sucks at its mother's teats? She seemed to be implying I was having bad luck. That was partially true, but I had also made an incorrect decision which hadn't had much to do with luck, but everything to do with stupidity.
"He was lucky," Porter said. There was that word luck again. "It could have been a lot worse. They were lenient because he was only a boy."
"Sounds like they ruined your life." She turned to me with sympathetic eyes.
"At least he still has a life."
Porter was cut off then when a man came thundering down the stairs and into our room, heading out the door. Men in dark navy suits clattered down after him, one of them with a small sledgehammer over his shoulder, the other with a crossbow out and an arrow loaded. He was almost to the door when they started shouting.
"Bar the door. Don't let him escape."
Immediately, two patrons stepped between the fleeing man and the door. If they hadn't assisted the Bureau of Purity, they would have been in trouble themselves. No one crossed the Bureau. The poor soul skidded to a stop, and his eyes darted around as he looked for another escape route.
He didn't find anyone to help him. We couldn't. The two men grabbed him before he could get away.
Porter and I looked at each other in consternation. What were they doing this far out? My woman watched the confrontation with worry in her eyes. Porter ducked down under the table to hide, pretending he had dropped his fork.
The restrained man chose the only option he had left. He punched one of the Bureau men in the face and somehow spun out of their grasp. He made a break for the kitchen. I guess he hoped there would be an escape route for him.
The men from the Bureau had dropped their weapons in the scuffle. They grabbed their crossbows and went out the front door without saying anything. The rest of us spilled out after them, eager for a show. All of us except Porter. He remained hidden inside the building.
They split up, each going around one side of the building. In a moment, we all heard a scream. They came back dragging a body.
As they came closer to the crowd, I could see the man had an arrow in his back, straight through the heart. He was gasping, but it wouldn't be for long.
"I can't believe it," my fiancee whispered, her face appalled.
Well, that was the idea. Punish offenders completely so they wouldn't think of dissenting.
"This man possessed high technology items," they shouted. "When we tried to arrest him, he ran. He has received his punishment, and it was just."
I looked at the man. His eyes were glazed, and he had stopped breathing.
"Is he dead?" she whispered, her face white.
"He would have been executed eventually, even if they left him alive," I replied.
The other Bureau agent had been searching the body. Finally, he held up an offending device, threw it on the ground, and smashed it repeatedly with the sledgehammer until nothing remained but dust. We all watched in silence.
"Yordbrook will remain free from technology," one of the men spok
e into the silence. "We will protect you from the evil. There will never be a return to the chaos that came after the bombs. We will protect you from all such things and the people who use and hide them."
In unison, we said, "Thank you."
The other man was struggling to hold the dead body from under its arms. They walked away, dragging it with them, heading for the wagons and carriages.
Now that the show was over, everyone turned away and resumed their activities. It would be something to talk about for days in a part of the planet where nothing exciting ever happened. I suspected the man was on the run, and they had finally caught up with him.
"Annalee?" I felt concerned. She appeared faint. "Are you all right?"
She shook her head. "Let's go back inside."
We found Porter upstairs in a room he had reserved for the next few days.
"I'll feel better if you talk," she said, looking back and forth between the two of us.
"We created the Bureau of Purity years after the catastrophe that marked the end of The Before Times," I said, telling the beginning of a story I had heard many times before.
"What catastrophe?"
Porter and I glanced at each other.
"We had a disaster. A war nearly destroyed everyone on Yordbrook. When our ancestors finished rebuilding afterward, they decided that if there wasn't any technology to create such destruction, everyone would be safe."
"Who were they?"
"That was the Bureau of Purity," I said, feeling nauseated. "They enforce the law, which usually means hunting down Renegades or members of the Underground and destroying their technology. They typically take Renegades back to the capital."
"Why did they kill him?" she asked, looking as if she might be sick to her stomach.
"Because he refused to go quietly."
"Would he have died anyway?"
I hesitated for a moment. "Yes. There's no need for a trial if they catch you possessing prohibited items. The only sentence is death," Porter said. I looked at her, rubbing my shoulder.
"But they were lenient with you," she said, frowning. I nodded. "Because you were underage. I'm beginning to think that being branded a Renegade and being shunned by your people was a blessing in disguise. What is this place doing to me?"
She looked around at the inn and the beautiful green fields beyond it. One of the suns had already descended under the horizon, and the other two were retreating as well. Except for the Bureau, Yordbrook was idyllic. I remembered the stories about The Before Times and how ugly the planet became.
In our time, no vehicles polluted the air with smoke or noise. No wires crisscrossed the sky. No buildings blocked out the suns. I had to admit that our ancestors had the right idea when they colonized the planet, but they hadn't gone about it the right way.
Annalee and I made our goodbyes quickly. We needed to get home.
Porter said he would see us at the wedding. I wondered why he was leaving so abruptly, but I could guess. Watching the Bureau of Purity at work always put me on edge as well.
"You're a dead man walking," she said thoughtfully.
"Pretty much. It was fortunate for me that I was underage at the time and they let me live. Most Renegades either reoffend or they join the Underground."
"What's that?"
"It's a rebel group that wants technology to be a regular part of life again for our people. They're not too creative with their naming, but they're excellent at hiding themselves. King Murtaugh, our current ruler, is efficient and brought the Bureau to their current level of effectiveness and cruelty."
"You still have a king?"
"We are a monarchy combined with a representative council. Each county has a voice, no matter how large or how small. The king and the council cooperate on most things."
"Does the Underground really risk their lives to try to bring technology back to your planet?"
"That's right."
"It sounds crazy. Those Bureau guys were brutal."
"People who volunteer for the Underground have to be a little messed up in the head," I said. "Let's go home now. Father is expecting us."
She nodded but froze when she spotted the blood in the dirt where the man had bled from his wound. I didn't know what she was thinking, but she looked terrified as she rubbed the back of her hand compulsively.
I was fortunate those drops of blood weren't mine. I was afraid too. The Bureau of Purity was no joke.
I definitely was crazy.
The question was, would the risks I took be worth it?
Chapter Five
JESSE
I led us up a corridor. My father lay dying at the end of it. As we entered, my heart clenched at the sight of him looking so frail.
"Jesse," he said weakly. "Who is this lovely young woman you have brought with you?"
Lovely? Was he joking?
I ignored the comment and got right to the point. He certainly didn't have time left for beating around the bush.
"Her name is Annalee, Father. We're getting married."
His demeanor changed immediately. "Married?" His face lit up with happiness. "When and how did this happen?"
"Don't worry about the details, please, Father. Isn't it enough to know we will marry today?"
Annalee glanced at me quickly. Porter had filled me in on the stipulations of TerraMates. The couple was supposed to marry within twenty-four hours of the woman's arrival on the planet. But since Yordbrook had transportation issues and there was no way we could be together in less than three weeks, they were giving us a special dispensation.
"That is wonderful, Jesse. Where are you going to have the ceremony?"
"At the church, Father. We will get you there and in the front row. Don't worry."
"Of course. I would never miss it. I am fortunate to be here for your marriage, my son. And my daughter," he said, beaming at Annalee. She smiled back. It was an authentic smile, unlike the ones she had been giving me.
What was this nonsense about her being lovely? I studied her silently while she made small talk with my father about her trip. They seemed to get along well together. When she laughed, and her eyes sparkled, I couldn't help but smile, too.
But when she looked back at me, her face became grave again, and her aura disappeared. Once again I noticed her imperfections and how untidy she was. My father's eyesight was failing, along with the rest of his body. Despite our disagreement about my future wife, I was relieved to know he was still alive to see my wedding day. He would be able to die peacefully now.
"Come with me," I said, and she looked up at me with trepidation. "Mrs. Boyko will help you bathe and dress for the wedding. You will have some time to rest. We will marry in the evening."
"I will have the lawyers draw up the paperwork today, Jesse. As soon as the marriage is final, I will transfer the farm to your name and all our troubles will be over."
"Indeed, Father," I said. He beamed at me.
All I had to do was marry Annalee and the hard times would be behind us. It was the perfect solution.
ANNALEE
I was getting married, but this was not how I had imagined it when I was a girl.
I rubbed the back of my hand for comfort. My phone should have been there, but I had concealed it elsewhere. I looked around at all the strangers in the pews. Even my husband was an unknown element. The only person I felt a sense of kinship with was Mr. Melnyk, Jesse's father.
He had been kindness personified since I had met him and I was grateful he was here. There was one kindly face in a sea of stony expressions. I wasn't sure what the problem was. Maybe I wasn't a model bride. Maybe they didn't like off-worlders. Maybe they didn't like outsiders, period.
I had a vague sense of something odd at customs, but the more I interacted with the natives I was starting to realize their society was repressive in many ways.
The service passed by in a blur. I hardly noticed what was happening. I was tired and overwhelmed. It all seemed like a dream until I felt Jesse puttin
g a ring on my finger and promising to love, honor, and protect me.
It was surprising, but I suppose he couldn't say, "I promise to marry you for a year." Marriage was meant to be forever. Wait, what had the minister just said?
A quiet stillness filled the church.
"Did he just say I had to promise to love, honor and obey you?" I whispered frantically to Jesse.
"Of course," he whispered back. "You do realize this is a wedding, don't you? Just say it, people are watching us."
"I'm not going to promise to obey you."
He looked incredulous. "There's no other way to get married on this planet. If you don't promise, everything stops."
"Can't he change the wording slightly?" I felt like the people around us could hear every word I was saying.
"No," he hissed. "He can't. You are embarrassing me. And my father." He added the last bit as an afterthought, and I thought it might be to incentivize me. His father was the only person whose feelings I wanted to consider here. If I were embarrassing Mr. Melnyk, I would have to swallow my pride. He had been kind to me and didn't deserve further aggravation.
I looked at the minister, who was watching the whispers in the middle of his ceremony with bemusement.
"I'm sorry, could you repeat that one more time?" I asked, and gave him a nervous smile.
"Do you, Miss Annalee Beauchene, promise to love, honor, and obey Mr. Jesse Melnyk?"
"I do," I shouted. Then I leaned in and whispered, "...as long as I agree with what he is ordering me to do."
His eyes bulged with indignation. I looked at him triumphantly. I thought I had evaded danger. I was not going to obey him like a slave.
How had I ever thought TerraMates was a good idea?
The rest of the wedding was a blur. We exchanged rings and signed some papers and suddenly it was over. I felt the urge to take a picture of ourselves, but I managed to suppress it. Mr. Melnyk offered his congratulations to us while everyone else in the church filed out.
I couldn't help overhearing people's conversations about me. Maybe they wanted me to hear. People thought I was crazy or a bad person or both for marrying Jesse. I wondered what Porter had meant when he asked me not to judge him based on what other people thought.