The Girl at the Well

by J. C. Ahmed

  “I have something to show you. It rained cats and dogs yesterday, so I couldn’t come. You’ll catch your death my mother would have said, if I tried. So, I spent my day doing this.”

  She removed the picture and showed it to them. They gasped all at once.

  “That’s amazing,” Meryl said. “You’re very talented.”

  “You drew that from memory?” Anton asked. “Are you in love with our Malthus?”

  Liralexa blushed. “I’m seventeen. Too young to know what love is.” She and Malthus shyly smiled at each other.

  The six chatted and laughed. They traded barbs and jokes. But all too soon, departure time crept up on them. Liralexa was reluctant to leave. She hugged each of her friends, leaving Malthus until last. He took hold of her and planted a big kiss on her cheek. Even though he was smiling, the pained look in his eyes remained. He put his hands on her face, kissed her lips, then wrapped her in an embrace.

  “You should go,” he said, although he held her tight. His embrace gave her the feelings of safety and comfort her parents could no longer provide. “I don't want you to get caught. Come back tomorrow.”

  “I will.”

  She held his hand while she uttered the incantation. His eyes followed as she stepped through the portal. Once again, he stared at the emptiness, already missing her.

  Liralexa had a bad feeling as she entered the dining room for breakfast the following morning and her presentiment proved correct. General Hackett announced a visit to the Sylmor Region in the most casual of tones. It angered her that everyone was so laid-back about these visits, which were so traumatizing for others. Hackett and his troops would be using the portal, so she couldn’t risk going to see her friends. Her acting skills were sorely tested throughout the day.

  “Do you need a doctor, dear,” Stella asked at dinnertime.

  “No, of course not,” she almost snapped. Liralexa had undergone a personality change but when she wasn’t with them, her parents paid little attention to her. There were so many people to see each day, and so many plans to make. Their only child rarely intruded on their thoughts. After all, she had plenty of people to look after her. Other than Aldrin, no one was concerned about Liralexa’s mood swings and change in disposition but it wasn’t his place to push the issue. If her parents believed everything was fine, then everything was fine.

  Chapter Nine

  “What to do about those

  Unwilling to confront the dark side of themselves?

  Who spurn attempts

  To shed light on the stygian parts of their minds.

  Who instead of wrestling with their demons

  Fully embrace them.”

  — Journal entry by Liralexa Abbingdon

  The weather and army cooperated for much of the next fortnight allowing Liralexa to journey to the Step Region almost every day. For the sake of her sanity, she needed to go. But with each passing day, the visits became more agonizing.

  “The wagons will arrive soon and there is little of anything in the storehouses,” Malthus lamented.

  She could feel the sadness emanating from him when he held her in his arms. Often his body trembled when he poured out his fears. She hated to leave, convinced he needed her.

  Keeping up the happy daughter act was becoming more challenging. Pretending to be normal was pushing her performance skills to their limits. She gagged at dinner when an assistant brought up the Strages. The next one was just days away. The mayor of Golden City put her hand on Liralexa’s arm.

  “Are you not well, dear?” she asked.

  “Oh, I’m fine, thank you,” she lied, with a chirpy inflection in her voice.

  She barely touched her food but there were so many guests, her parents didn't notice. When she arrived at the well the next day, Malthus was already there. The hunted look in his eyes, and his trembling lips terrified her.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “Did something happen?”

  “The wagons come tomorrow.” He choked out the words. “We can only provide half of what’s expected.”

  “How long until the soldiers come?” Liralexa asked.

  “They come two days before the Strages,” he sighed. She took his hand and led him into the copse. They sat down on a log. She put her hands on his neck and gently kissed his lips.

  “Should I tell her my plan?” he wondered. He wanted to, but the words got stuck on the way to his lips. She pressed her head against his chest and listened to his heart beat. He put his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

  “What if he’s taken?” she wondered. “No, he’s the governor’s son. They wouldn’t do that.”

  Liralexa knew a lifetime with Malthus was out of the question but a part of her hoped he could be hers. They sat for a long time locked in a silent embrace, breathing in each other’s scent.

  “Are Aimee, Meryl, Jack and Anton coming?” she asked, after it finally occurred to her they weren't there.

  “They will come soon,” he said, choking up. “I asked them to give us some alone time. This might be one of the last times I ever see you.”

  “No, you’re the governor’s son…” she began.

  “General Hackett hinted I would be next if we failed to provide enough supplies. We have failed once again, and I can’t escape this awful fate.”

  Tears trickled down Liralexa’s face. “I’ll beg my parents to spare you.”

  “How can you tell them you know me?” he asked. Liralexa felt hopeless. And yet hope was all she could do.

  He pulled her closer. “Tell her your plan! Tell her your plan!” his brain screamed, but the words refused to come out.

  Anton, Jack and Meryl sauntered into the thicket and sat down.

  “Where is your sister,” Liralexa asked Jack.

  “She has a cold,” he answered. “Nothing too bad, and she wanted to come but our mother said no.”

  Jack threw a questioning glance at Malthus, who shook his head. A look of frustration crossed his face. Malthus crunched up his features to communicate his own disappointment.

  “I must go,” Liralexa said, after they had made a lot of small talk. She had to force those loathsome words out. She hated them so much. “I’ll see you again, Malthus. I know it.”

  They walked hand-in-hand to the well, then embraced and kissed. She couldn’t bear to tear herself away. But if she left too late, her parents would send someone to look for her.

  “I'll come tomorrow.”

  She wanted to say I love you but pushed the words back down her throat. Instead, she muttered the incantation and waved before jumping through the portal. Jack let out a sigh. There went one more missed opportunity. He pulled Malthus back into the thicket. Meryl and Anton wondered what was going on but knew asking was pointless.

  “We’re almost out of time and have no other options.”

  “I don’t think I can do it,” Malthus moaned. He threw his hands on his head in frustration.

  “So, you come up here to worm your way into her affections but are afraid to go through with part two of the plan?”

  “Acting lovey-dovey with her is easy. Using her feelings to our advantage is so hard. Like I go blank when I consider bringing it up.”

  “You're almost out of chances. You have to.”

  “There might be another way,” Malthus said cryptically, but he refused to let Jack in on his new plan.

  Liralexa was in no mood to see anyone when she returned home. All she wanted to do was lie under her bed covers and hide from the world. But that wasn't an option. A princess had her duties to fulfill. The clang of the dinner bell wore on her nerves as it called her out of her protective cocoon. She entered the packed dining room and made small talk with the guests next to her. She froze when the conversation around the table turned to the Step Region.

  “Sending the wagons tomorrow seems almost pointless,” Cameron complained to his guests. “They can fill only half of their quota again.”

  “Maybe they legitimately cannot provide what is
asked of them,” Liralexa proclaimed from the opposite end of the table.

  Cameron’s fork froze on the way to his mouth. All heads turned to face the princess who had never spoken up before.

  “Nonsense, my dear,” said Stella. “If crops die due to disease then plant more.” Cameron tapped his fingers furiously on the table.

  “I'm not sure it's that simple,” Liralexa said, though she was wary of her father’s rising anger.

  “We have set expectations for the Step Region that they have failed to fulfill for five years straight.” His nostrils flared. Their guests stiffened or made awkward gestures. They had seen the king erupt in violent anger many times. “If they know a certain percentage will be lost, they must plant enough to make sure their obligations can be met. If you want to run a successful kingdom someday, you need to understand these basic facts.”

  Liralexa thought this was ridiculously simplistic but her father was annoyed and the guests were embarrassed. She saw no point in pushing the issue. Conversation around the table moved onto other topics, including the army’s schedule. They were to travel to the Lake Region the following day, but that wouldn’t stop her. She was determined to go to the Step Region, anyway.

  Liralexa awoke in such a foul mood the next morning, she put Alma on edge. She always got along well with her young mistress and didn't know how to react to her moodiness. Aldrin was unnerved by her demeanor as soon as she entered the study. The seed of frustration germinating inside her had grown into full-blown anger. She was impatient throughout the morning and continuously zoned out. He finally gave up and let her finish her lessons early. She raced from the house, tore through the woods, recited the incantation, impatiently watched the light show, jumped out of the portal, and practically fell into the arms of the boy she loved.

  “The army will come in a few days,” he said.

  Liralexa blinked back tears. “I don't believe they'll take you.”

  “I think they will. And even if they don't take me, they'll take someone else’s kids. And there's always next time. The threat never goes away.”

  He looked into her eyes. He desperately wanted to tell her his plan but there seemed like no good way to bring it up. She cared but did she care enough to do something so dangerous? He pulled her close, feeling in his bones this was indeed one of the last times he would hold her.

  “I’m afraid, I can’t stay for long. I have something important to take care of. But I wanted to see you. We’re running out of time.”

  “They won't take you.” She took hold of his hands. “I know it in my heart.”

  “I must go.” He gave her a kiss and pulled away from her grasp. She felt him slip away and feared she would never touch him again.

  Liralexa returned to the palace grounds and sat in the orchard thinking about Malthus. She tried to be positive but was open to the possibility she was engaging in wishful thinking. She wanted company but there was none to be had other than Aldrin. Assuming he was at home, she sauntered over to staff housing. When she walked past the stables, the stable hands stared in disbelief. The horses were always brought to the Royal House. The royals themselves were never seen on that part of the palace grounds.

  Like the stables, staff housing, a large square building with a courtyard in the middle, stood at the base of Palace Hill. It housed thirty staffers and their families. When Cameron took over as king, the building was near the top of his wish-list. Most palace employees lived in a town more than a mile outside the palace grounds. If the royal couple wanted to speak to someone who wasn’t at work, they had to send a messenger to fetch them. But King Cameron didn’t like to be kept waiting. He ordered the construction of staff housing and made it available for free to key employees. Aldrin and his wife had a small two room unit in the building. Liralexa knew the number but had trouble finding the correct door. She walked under an arch into the courtyard. A gardener felt a sudden stab of terror when he caught sight of the princess. The elderly man ran as fast as his stiff legs would let him and trembled as he removed his cap. Grey hair fell over his forehead.

  “Your Highness, whatever are ya’ doin’ here? I don’t think your father would approve.”

  Guilt stabbed at her conscience when she noted his haunted eyes and the sweat beads covering his brow. The night before she experienced her father’s terrifying temper for the first time. He barged into her room and reprimanded her for questioning his decisions.

  “You embarrassed me and your mother in front of two dozen very important people,” he screamed.

  Clutching a pillow, she trembled at the sight of his glowering red face and demonic eyes. Having never experienced the dark side of his personality before, she didn’t know what to expect. Queen Stella gently led him from the room. She returned a few minutes later.

  “Don't ever upset your father like that again!” she warned before slamming the door. Her parents had breakfast in bed the following morning, then left for Golden City. They were about as interested in seeing her as she was in seeing them.

  “There is no need to worry,” she consoled the gardener. “I’m perfectly safe and my parents are away. I’m here to see Master Caan. Do you know which door is his?”

  “That one right there, Your Highness.” His wrinkled spindly forefinger pointed toward a blue door.

  “Thank you so much. The gardens are lovely.” He gave her a meek smile.

  Liralexa knocked repeatedly on the pale blue door. Mrs. Caan almost fell over when she opened it.

  “It’s the princess,” she called to her husband. Aldrin was pulling on his coat when he came to the door.

  “Is something wrong, Your Highness?”

  “No, of course not. I had some questions for you, that’s all.”

  “I’ll take you home, and we can talk on the way.” He gave his wife a peck on the cheek.

  “Come along now.” He beckoned to Liralexa.

  “This place is lovely. I don't understand why my parents forbid me to come here.”

  “They fear a handsome stable hand will catch your eye, I suppose.”

  “Is that why you’re taking me this way? To avoid the stables?” She grinned.

  “I'm afraid so,” he laughed. “I am compelled to enforce the rules regardless of how I feel about them.”

  For a while Liralexa was quiet, as they trod a well-worn, winding path up Palace Hill. Being quiet was out-of-character for the princess which worried Aldrin, but he waited for her to speak.

  “I want to know more about the Strages.”

  “Oh?”

  This was the third time in recent days she had broached serious topics with him. He was always unsure how to address them. He wanted to guide her but feared crossing her parents.

  “How did such an awful event come about?”

  “Events like the Strages aren’t new. Similar contests take place in many kingdoms. Combatants fight to the death against men or wild animals for the entertainment of the masses.”

  “But that is horrible. Why allow such a thing?”

  “To deter crime. Such public events punish wrongdoing while sending a message to the very people cheering in the stands. Comply with the law or this could be you.”

  “But the Strages don't punish criminals.”

  “No, the purpose of the Strages is to apply pressure on the regions. To terrorize them into compliance. King Wesley and Queen Arlene were the first to use such a tactic seven hundred years ago. King Elden and Queen Stacey brought it back four hundred years ago. In each case their heirs banned the event.”

  “So this is the third iteration?”

  “Yes. Abusing children to control the behavior of adults is a sadly common tactic in many kingdoms. The Abbingdons typically spurn such cruelty.”

  “Why do my parents have to be atypical in this regard?”

  “Your parents are unusually ambitious. Such ambition hasn't been seen since the reign of Queen Marsha and King Linus.”

  “How many kids are taken annually to further such am
bitions?”

  “It varies, but it’s usually three to four dozen per region per year.”

  “And the Strages have run for ten years now?”

  “This is the tenth year, yes.”

  “That is hundreds of kids. Hundreds of kids who could help to grow and harvest crops. Who could help to bake bread and make cheese, or fish in the lakes. Are we not contributing to the lack of production in these regions by taking away their workers?”

  Aldrin smiled. “Princess Liralexa, I did not expect you to take such an interest in the welfare of the people of the subject regions.”

  “Why ever not?” she asked.

  “They haven't been of particular concern to your parents.”

  “But I am not my mother or father.”

  “Yes, but you are their child, and we are influenced by our parents.”

  “But I spend far more time with you than I ever did with them.”

  “Well, yes, that is true.”

  “You believe my parents are lousy rulers, don't you?”

  “What I think matters for little. I am but a humble tutor. Who am I to question how the king and queen rule?”

  “You should question it because you are a human being and you should care about the suffering of your fellow man and woman.”

  “Let me put it another way then. I don't approve but there is nothing I can do. Many in the Golden Region are opposed to what is happening in the subject regions, but we have no power to stop it. Hundreds protest every time young prisoners are taken into the stadium.”

  “Of course, yes. I apologize for losing my temper. I am the heir to the throne and there is nothing I can do about these issues for a very long time.”

  Liralexa spent the afternoon with Aldrin. His company helped to distract her mind for a while. When her parents returned before dinner they acted like the events of the night before never happened. A part of Liralexa wished they were still angry with her. There was a dark energy surrounding them, which made her want to recoil with dread, but she endured her mother’s displays of affection without complaint.