by Dasrim Hasik
Chapter 1: Mental Gears
Days and nights blended into each other, and Jack didn't mind one bit. Bridget had grown to enjoy waking up with him. She was bubbly in bed, choosing to stay wrapped around him no matter what. It became natural to sleep next to her.
They would often stay up late and do nothing but talk, until they were both cursing at the alarm clock. He enjoyed her laughter, her smiles, and the way she always looked at him.
On Earth, anyone calling him Jackson made him feel awkward -- but here with Bridget, it felt natural. He was Jack to everyone for a long time, but he was completely and utterly Jackson to her. He felt formal and real in a way that satisfied him from head to toe.
A quick look at the calendar said that a few months had passed. At first, the appearance of Bridget sparked a lot of debate and discussion.
Alara's father had been very upset to find out the news secondhand, but he recovered quickly and reminded Jack that the Council supported him in anything he did -- even if it meant doing things that they disagreed with.
Oh, they never bothered to hide their disapproval. Bridget Garwicke was from the merchant class and that meant that she was beneath him. However, Jack didn't see it that way.
Her parents had been very kind, even though they felt things had moved a little too quickly. Essie Garwicke had tried to stuff him full of pastries, to the point where he felt like he needed to start working out.
As the cold season descended on them, Bridget's father had made him a few tools he could use. He even serviced Walter so that the household helper now had little clones of himself.
It made the work go faster, and gave Walter more time to relax. A relaxed household helper made for pleasing work, and Walter had a weird sentience of his own.
He could discuss things on the global broadcast network, and he had his own personality. Walter seemed pleased that Bridget was at Quiet River.
The hospital had led to a school, a bigger library, and even a place to bury all of the dead -- not just those that could afford the burial fees.
These changes had sparked a lot of discussion, but Jack didn't mind anymore. The media could say what they wanted -- he was king, and he knew it. He even felt different since he arrived.
He wasn't concerned with trying to go back to Earth. His body had grown and he actually had some muscle tone -- when Bridget's mother wasn't trying to feed him junk food. He was aware of the world around him, but he had noticed the rebels had been very quiet.
There had been some outside battles around the edge of the city, but these were stomped quickly by the new army. They trusted their king and fought well, making Jack feel very honored to have such great people around him.
Alara had seen him a few times, but each time seemed to wear her down. They discussed a lot of things, but Alara had to realize that he didn't want her back. She had tried to come over in very revealing, suggestive clothing, and this only made Jack feel sorry for her. Does she really not see herself as anything other than a sex object?
He pushed the thought away, feeling awkward for thinking about another woman. He wanted Bridget, he had Bridget, and that was all there was to it. He liked the fact that he didn't feel like he was on a schedule with her.
There was no talk of marriage, but he wasn't opposed to it. He just wanted to get to know her rather than rush into something serious. He didn't know how marriage and divorce was handled in the City of Reversia, but he knew he didn't want to just rush into something that felt permanent.
He also liked Bridget's family. They were down to earth, laid back peopled who laughed a lot and loved their children fiercely. He got to meet her siblings: Braylene, the second oldest, Cherstine, the one after that, and Markoff, the youngest child.
The only boy of the family was a fiercely protective one. He could understand that, and even told Markoff stories from when he was guarding Katja with everything he had. The family seemed to accept him as part of their own. It was as space where he didn't have to walk around as the king -- he could just be Jackson. They were always kind and they never dug too much into his political affairs.
They would listen and laugh and try to give advice when they were asked, but they stayed out of his way for the most part. That was refreshing, and that made Jackson more likely to come around. He wanted to definitely get everyone's attention in a big way, but he didn't want to get lost in trying to connect everything together. He wanted something that was free of politics completely.
Bridget went with him everywhere that he had business to do, which made him happy. Unlike Alara, who seemed to only think of her agenda, Bridget considered everyone else's needs above her own. She would talk with other merchants, servants, soldiers -- anyone that would listen could count on Bridget's gentle voice and consistent values.
Jackson never said anything to Bridget, but he was starting to really fall in love with her. She was so consistent and solid, two things that he needed in a woman. Their time together always left him feeling refreshed. He didn't want to think about life without her.
Some said that he moved too fast after Alara, but the truth was he didn't really know her. He didn't want to just take a woman to bed and then forget about her. Katja had been treated like that, and it had broken her heart.
He wanted to make sure that a woman could count on him, could trust him, and could easily rely on him to take care of her needs and wants. He wanted to provide for a woman, but not just with money. He had seen his father provide for his mother in everything except the needs of the heart, and it had crushed her.
Reversia really started to look like a thriving city. People were everywhere, coming even from other Cities. Work was plentiful as well. Even though there was heightened security, people still stayed out late at restaurants and nightclubs.
Tax revenues increased due to the high activity levels, which meant there was more money available to build better roads, more schooling opportunities, and even to expand the mining operations.
Jack learned about a lot of the precious mined materials that made the city run well. Reversia not only had rich farmland, but mines that produced great minerals that could be used for virtually any purpose.
Mood rocks fed into a person's mental framework, ready to be shaped for any purpose that the person could think of. There was a fragile peace that was beginning to grow, but Jack was not stupid. He knew that there would eventually be a skirmish that the City would have to deal with.
There was also a question of the Council. He needed to disband them, or at least strip some of their power back. He wanted to see people begin voting for their officials. He wasn't sure if he was ready to step down yet, but he wouldn't mind becoming a private businessman and letting someone else run the country. He wasn't sure if he wanted to be king forever.
If the people would have him, that was one thing, but he didn't want to make people feel like they were forced to deal with him forever. Jack also found himself getting more lessons in the mental arts. His manifestation skills grew and became even better than they were before. He also learned how to shut out negative emotions.
It was something that really shocked him, because he wasn't expecting to necessarily need any more training. The experience had been humbling. Today was a day to meet with the Silent Sages, who had summed him weeks ago but he had been so busy with issues in the town that he really hadn't thought about attending the meeting yet.
Going into Remembrance Hall for the first time in months had been an odd experience. It really did feel like the entire Hall was monitoring him, but that was probably still his nerves talking. He did have a heightened sense of awareness now, but he also knew that he was still nervous.
He wanted to be accepted, but he knew that there were people that would honestly never accept him at all. It was something that he had to come to grips with right now, before it distracted him.
Bridget worried about Jack. The last few months had been some of the best of her life, but she knew her king was troubled. That was the way she saw him -- her king, always and forever her king.
She knew from their late night discussions in bed that he didn't want to be king forever if the people wanted him to play a lesser role in their development. Bridget knew that was the nervous boy from Earth in him, always worried that someone wouldn’t want him.
She wanted him very much. She loved him with all of her heart -- and the pride she had in his efforts was very obvious. There was really nothing that Jack couldn't do in her eyes, and she wanted to make sure that he knew that. Jack fretted and fussed about everything under the double sun, but that didn't mean he wasn't a man of worth.
Her parents liked him, which was a very good start. There were plenty of men that had tried to see her, only because her family's fortunes had grown. When she was still an unknown, men wouldn't mess with her. They mocked her at every turn. Now they wanted to hear all about what she wanted in the future.
She wanted a family, a husband, kids and a house that she could decorate to her heart's content. Even though she lived at Quiet River compound, she didn't dare mess with any of the decor. She didn't even have the courage to bring it up with Jack. She just didn't want to offend him if she could help it. They were really doing well, and she didn't want to ruin the peace.
Going up to Remembrance Hall had made Jack nervous, and his mood was very brittle. She simply squeezed his hand and said that if the Silent Sages didn't like him, they would tell him so. She had raised the issue of the Silent Sage that had clearly betrayed him right along with Alara. The Sages handled their own people, and Jack was notified with the offending party had been put to death for treason.
There was an eerie acceptance in Jack's eyes when he heard that news. That worried Bridget, but she didn't have any way to honestly bring up her concerns. She just figured this was the growing pains of becoming a king -- you had to deal with the bad apples in the bunch.
Many things had been brought from Earth to make Jack's life easier. He had a full catalog of items that he had grown up with, and as he got better in the mental arts, these items followed him. They already enjoyed steaks nearly nightly, as Jack explained to her that it was a luxury food on Earth.
The only time Jack became sad was upon discussing his old life. She had known him through their school connection, but she didn't realize how difficult life had been for him.
He still had the old music player from Earth, filled with all of the songs that he loved the most. It was a good thing that he filled it up to maximum capacity. He could find some songs here that he liked, but it wasn't the same. They went to a few music concerts, but Reversian music was really different.
She shared her culture whenever she could, but there was a part of Jack that never really seemed to become open to her. She just hoped in time that it would, and there wasn't any way else to go around it. Jackson would open up when he felt ready to do so, and she had to admit that he had come a very long way.
She wanted to make sure that he was healthy and well from every angle, but she also knew that pressing the issue would only make him defensive. That was the last thing that she honestly wanted to see happen.
The Silent Sages waited for the both of them in their great meeting place, the double doors swinging open automatically. There were plush chairs now, comfortable lighting, and other touches that indicated even the Sages were trying to move forward. The Lead Sage greeted them warmly. "My good King, my dearest Lady."
Bridget blushed at the formality. The title of Lady was normally reserved for only the top two classes. The merchant class wasn’t that important to most people, so such a title stood out to her. She blushed and bowed slightly. "We are honored to be in your presence, Lead Sage."
The hooded figure gave a slight nod and waved to Jack, who bowed in return. "Yes, thank you for having us here. May I ask what’s going on?" The tone wasn't sharp, but it did carry an air of authority that hadn't been there a few months ago.
If Jack was still on the fence about being king, he certainly didn't show it. He just showed that he was a man that meant business, and there was no way to get around that. If you were there to waste his time, you were in for a long ride ahead of you.
Still, Bridget felt nervous. These were the Silent Sages, the gatekeepers of Reversian history as well as the portal to the Circle of Dreamers. Jack did not want to anger them. Maybe they were trying to play nice, considering the fact that one of their own had actually betrayed the king.
"Yes, we summoned you here for a reason. There has been much progress made over the last few months. However, it is now time for you to learn more about your true world, Jackson Stonewell. As king, you must connect with the Circle of Dreamers and begin to move deeper into the mental arts."
Jack frowned. "Aren't I already doing enough lessons in that?"
The Sages made noises of amusement, as if Jack had said something funny. The Lead Sage nodded. "You are, but it is time to deepen your studies further. Where you are from, not all schooling is linear, yes? You must go to higher education places, yes? Think of that way. You have reached the limit of the most rudimentary education we offer -- it is time to broaden your focus and scope. We will arrange a meeting with the Circle as your schedule allows. When you are ready, come back here and you will have the audience that you seek."
Jack bowed slightly, not sure what else to do. He didn't know if they would receive him well, or if every mistake he had made would come back to haunt him. He had renamed his holding company to Roaring River Capital Holdings, a company that now focused on building even more properties and hiring even more people.
This made his life even more hectic because he was expected to be both king and CEO, which was never an easy dance. He wanted to make sure that everything would fall into place, but it was becoming harder and harder to do that naturally. He still wanted to make sure that things were addressed appropriately.
It just wouldn't do to continue to watch everything fall apart just because he wasn't up to the challenge. He knew that Bridget worried about how he was holding up, but he couldn't think about that. He didn't want to be seen as a weak party.
He didn't want to argue about it with her, but he knew that he owed her more of an explanation other than the fact that he was going to do whatever he pleased. Still, wasn't that the truth? He was king, and didn't really have to answer to anyone.
Be cautious, my young king. That line of thinking opens a road that could destroy all that you have built. The soothing male voice was back, after being silent for so many months. He had thought the departure of the voice meant that whatever mental illness he was suffering from finally was no longer an issue.
There was a deep chuckle bouncing around in his head. It will take more than that to get rid of me, my young king. Take caution in the road ahead. And we will be seeing you soon. The Circle of Dreamers does not make mistakes, and all things are for the greater good. You will see soon. Trust me.
Before he could ask more questions, the Sages looked at him in unison.
"Is there anything else you'd like to discuss, my good king?"
Jack shook his head and got up, helping Bridget to her feet.
"No, I don't think so. I appreciate your concern, of course. You have all been very kind and helpful over the last few months. I look forward to discussing matter of city and state with you when I am able to do so."
Jack left the room with Bridget at his side. He felt a little irritated by the voice. It felt like a challenge. No matter what he did, he would just be the young king that just couldn't hack it.
The thought of not being good enough made him angry, and ready for war. He had pushed back the rebels, hadn't he? People were going to school and the
ir children were learning the things that would allow them to be successful in the future. Wasn't that enough?
"You're enough for me, Jackson."
Jack blushed, realizing that he must have said that last line out loud. The male voice in his head chuckled again, but did not say another word.
Jack sighed to himself. I'm thinking through things too hard. I'm getting worked up. Life is making me angry, and I need to stop worrying so much. I'm good enough. I am more than good enough. Good thought. Now let's see you believe it. Without belief, Jackson Stonewell, everything you love will crumble between your fingers. If you listen to nothing else, remember this. When you need this information, it will come to you again. Jack turned to Bridget.
"Why don't we shop for a few items, and then go look at the water? This is a great time of year to watch the ice thicken on the water."
Bridget's bright eyes lit up and that made Jack feel like a winner every time she looked at him that way. I might not be perfect, but I'm good enough for her. I'm grateful for that.
The serving girl gave a tiny yelp, struggling against her bonds. The crystal strands seemed to give her just enough room to wiggle around, but not enough room to escape. She felt a fog around her mind as well, keeping her from just teleporting outward. She felt helpless, scared, and alone.
She had signed on with the rebels because they promised a better life -- one that wasn't filled with strife and fear. She would be allowed to serve a leader without having to worry about him getting too many ideas. Yet when she checked on the rebel leader, she had found these strands lying at her feet. When she touched them, they snapped into a full on net that consumed her.
She felt something powerful lapping at her mental energy stores, literally leaching power away from her body. She felt weak and ready to just pass out and not wake up.
Then the leader chuckled and released her. "Experiment successful. Thank you, my dear girl. Here, go spend these in the markets. You may have today and tomorrow off to rest up and regain your energy appropriately." Raest watched the girl rush out of the room, rubbing her wrists all the way. It was very pathetic, the way you could predict the behavior of people.