Severance (The Sovereign Book 1)

by Michael Pritsos

  He curbed his horse next to a dying cooking fire and the grizzled old man before him did not even bother to look up from his meal of greasy chicken. “The ferry only goes back and forth from sunrise to sunset.”

  Donovan dropped a gold piece next to the man. He wiped his hands on his tunic before picking up the coin. He bit it gently to test if it was truly gold and Donovan tried to hide his smirk. It was doubtful the old man would know the purity of the metal. It cost ten coppers to cross the stream. Donovan was giving the old man two month’s pay to break his time rule just once.

  It took close to an hour to finally get to the eastern side of the river. The two men had said nothing to one another but to ensure he would never say anything about the dark traveler Donovan put another piece of gold in the man’s greasy palms. The ferryman stayed silent and poled his way back towards the small hut he kept on the beach.

  Between the boatman and the gate guards a half pound of gold had been spent but Donovan was content for he still had six more pounds and the lost coins would buy silence. The guards would not wish to say they saw a horseman leave the town for then they would have to explain what had distracted them both so greatly to let him pass. The ferryman would tell none but his homely little wife of his treasures, and greed would seal their lips.

  The Gaian captain used his thighs to turn the horse and gazed back at Tellus where he saw a plume of smoke dribbling into the night sky. A hint of orange and red could be seen in the town and he smiled over a hard day’s work. He turned the beast once more and pushed hard to the east; to home.

  Ana

  Ana smiled at the tiny baby in her arms, knowing the girl had had a rough go of it even for such a short life thus far. The baby had been born prematurely, yet she was tested and shipped out just like the rest of them. It was slightly horrifying for Ana to imagine sending a baby that wasn’t carried to full term on a ship across the seas, let alone considering the fact that that very ship had capsized on the way to its destination. This little girl had not only survived a hard birth, but also abandonment by her mother and a shipwreck. This little girl was something special.

  “She wasn’t abandoned by her mother,” Sophia thought to herself from the doorway.

  Ana spun around quickly. How could her mother have heard what she was thinking? She cleared her throat. “Mother, how did you hear me?”

  “You spoke aloud, my dear,” Sophia furrowed her brow, so Ana searched her mind out of reflex and found that she really had uttered those words.

  “Forgive me, I hadn’t realized.” Ana said, adjusting her hold on the now four month old baby.

  “I just wanted to clarify… that baby was not abandoned by her mother, and neither were you.” Sophia was closing the distance between herself and her daughter, arms outstretched for the sleeping infant.

  Ana gingerly placed the baby in Sophia’s arms. “I know, Mother. You had no choice.”

  “Neither did this one’s mother! They don’t allow one to have a say in which babies stay and which babies go. If that were the case I bet more than half of the parents would elect to keep their children! I am regretful that you had a broken family, but I pray that you don’t feel that I abandoned you.” Sophia put a hand on her daughter’s cheek and Ana closed her eyes for a moment and leaned in to the warm comfort of her palm.

  “I’m glad things worked out the way they did, even though I am Gaian and my mother Thalassan. I’ve been able to see you so frequently because you and father make sure of that. I don’t think you abandoned me. Besides, with all the time we’ve been stranded on Triton our broken family has mended quite nicely.” Ana smiled encouragingly.

  “It brings me joy to hear this from you, my child. However, I’m not sure I understand where these thoughts about abandonment are coming from.”

  Ana sighed, “I suppose it is because I feel that I could never let them take away my baby, special abilities or not. I would do anything to avoid that.”

  “Yes,” Sophia looked down on the still sleeping infant in her arms. “I see what you mean, but I fear that your judgment is clouded because you grew up working in a Thalassan nursery with your Thalassan mother. Many women in Gaia have not had that exposure, so they do not have the same sympathies for my kind.”

  Ana nodded thoughtfully and then reached for the little girl to place back in her cradle. She gazed down at her, imagining what it would be like to be so hateful just based on functions of the mind. She understood the history and the evolution of the rift between Gaians and Thalassans. Katherine had explained it to her.

  “I miss Katherine…” Just as the words left her lips, Ana began to cry. Her mother immediately wrapped her in her arms and held her tightly. For a few moments they just stood there weeping together. When her vision finally began to clear, Ana realized that this was the first time she cried since that awful day. She must have been bottling it up, keeping a lid on her sorrow. She sighed deeply and wiped her face with her hands, realizing it felt good to let it out.

  “Take comfort in the friends you have made in Triton, Ana. They have been good to you. Saija seems wonderful, and you can’t forget Xander… he has made you so happy, I can tell,” Sophia soothed her daughter.

  “Mother,” Ana started, taking a deep breath. She was eager to tell her mother about Xander’s confession the other night, but she was worried about the repercussions. Her father would never allow her to be with a Thalassan. She concluded that regardless of her father’s position on the idea, she needed her mother’s perspective. Sophia knew far too well what it was like to be in love with someone from opposite sides of the world. “Xander told me that he is in love with me… and I love him too.”

  “I know, my sweet girl. I know that you do, both of you. I’m glad you spoke of this to one another.” Sophia ran her hand through her daughter’s long wavy hair.

  “I am, as well. I had been wondering where we stand… not that I couldn’t tell if I wanted to from his thoughts, but I do want to respect his privacy.”

  Sophia considered this for a moment. “I can’t personally imagine what that might be like for a relationship, as far as reading his thoughts, that is. It was the other way around for me. I know that part was quite hard, having to hide things that were embarrassing in the beginning, or when I would wonder where our relationship was going I had to hide that too at certain points because I did not want him to think me petty and dramatic. It was very complicated. Have you had any issue with that yet?”

  “Not particularly, no. We have recently begun turning it into somewhat of a game. For instance, from across a crowded room I can very easily pick up his ‘voice’ in my head and knowing this he will think something sweet about me. Or, when we’re in a group of friends he’ll think something really very amusing and I’ll have no choice but to burst into fits of laughter. He’s quite funny.” Ana was grinning enthusiastically as she spoke of the fun they have with her abilities. She couldn’t think of a time when it was a hindrance or a problem for him, but then again he may just be hiding that from her.

  Sophia stooped to pick up some parchment from the table and arrange it in a neater fashion with another pile of her notes. “I am so happy for you, my dear. Come, let us go to town and buy some fresh fruit and cheese for a picnic. Perhaps your father will welcome the break from his work.”

  *

  Ana and Sophia were weighed down by the large picnic basket that they were carrying on the long walk from town to the docks. Ana took one handle and Sophia the other as it swung with their movements between them. The market was bustling with activity that day and it took longer than expected to gather the foods for their lunch. “I hope he hasn’t eaten yet,” Ana said, breathing slightly heavier with exertion.

  “I do, as well. It would be a shame to have trudged through town with this load for nothing,” Sophia agreed.

  Ana crinkled her brow. “Why was it necessary to buy so much again? It’s only the three of us, is it not?”

  “Aye.” Sophia looked at her daugh
ter suspiciously. “I told you back at the market that it was for him to store in his cabin. The Five Furies leaves soon for evening rounds and he has been charged with renovating an inner cabin of the ship. He will need dinner while aboard. Where was your mind when we spoke of this before?”

  “I am sure you can imagine,” Ana said simply. “There was an art vendor in the market that reminded me of a conversation I had with Xander about a painting he had purchased.”

  “Oh?” Sophia looked at her daughter with interest. She was a fan of beautiful scenes on canvas and her home was littered with various pieces of art.

  “Yes, he said that one of the serving girls at The Blue Dolphin was an artist and he had purchased the painting from her. It’s quite good, I was thinking of buying one.”

  Sophia smiled. “I’m pleased to hear that an appreciation for art is one of Xander’s many good traits. Let me know when you plan to purchase yours, I’d like to come with you. I may be able to find a bare spot on my wall for it.”

  Ana laughed at her mother’s comment. It was nice to hear Sophia praise Xander, regardless of it being mentioned in such a simple and casual way. This train of thought led her to begin thinking about the other good qualities of her new beau, but silenced her mind just as her father looked up and saw them coming towards him. Ana eagerly waived to Thomas, turning conspiratorially to her mother. “We agreed to keep this to ourselves, yes?”

  “We will, Ana. However, eventually you must tell him if you see a future in Xander.” Sophia said, and she too closed her mind to brace for Thomas’ approach.

  “Hello, my two beautiful girls! How was your morning?” Thomas asked cheerfully when he appeared before them. He was sweaty and dirty from repairing ships that were either old or wounded from battle. He didn’t mind his new job, but it was obvious to everyone he’d rather be a captain on the high seas than a worker on the docks. However, Thomas was grateful for any job as a stranded Gaian during wartime.

  “We had a lovely morning with the babes,” Sophia replied, smiling.

  Ana caught herself wondering if her parents would get married now that their relationship was out in public, and before she could ponder it any further her father sent her a quick glare. Sophia didn’t notice. It was hard for Ana to control multiple thoughts at once, and she was embarrassed that her father had caught her wondering about his love life.

  “We brought you some food, Father.” Ana smiled. “Are you able to sit and eat with us now?”

  “Of course I am. Let me just clean up first, and I’ll meet you at our usual spot.” Without another word he smiled and turned to go back towards the docks. There was a water gourd and basin on a table near his workstation and the women stood and watched as he used it to wash clean the grease and dirt that clung to his sweat. He was in too close of range for them to resume their conversation, so they nodded to one another and moved to the spot Thomas had spoken of.

  Whenever possible the little family loved to have lunch together on the beach. It was becoming somewhat of a tradition and Ana was so grateful that she had a real family for once. She certainly missed the life she had before, always on the move with Katherine at her side, but having a stable and steady life with the people she loved was something she now treasured.

  Thomas had begun walking towards them just as they had stopped gossiping about how attractive Xander was in his armor. A lingering thought remained in Ana’s mind as she gazed up at the northern watchtower and wondered what he was doing at the moment. She was distracted and unaware that her father was coming up close behind her until she heard him exhale sharply.

  “Father,” Ana said as she spun around from her seat facing the watchtower. “You gave me a fright.”

  “Well, you were preoccupied with thinking about Xander,” he accused with a measured tone.

  Sophia stepped in immediately. “I was just discussing Xander’s progress in his lessons, Thomas. The boy has been quite a good student and friend to Ana, so it is only natural that she would be thinking of him.”

  Thomas sniffed and sat down on the woolen blanket they had laid out in the sand. “I just don’t want you to get yourself into a situation that you’re unprepared for. It isn’t easy for Thalassans and Gaians to be in a relationship, and regardless of the personal struggle, Ana, we’re at war here. You don’t need to be involved with a Thalassan military man. It’s a different story that your mother and I are merely civilians on this island… you don’t need to be with someone who is surrounded by the dangers of war. Especially not someone who I myself probably brought here twenty-some-odd years ago. He’s from nowhere… he’s nobody. That’s not for you.”

  Ana closed her mind tighter than she ever had in all of her life. She couldn’t stand to think about what her father had just said because he would surely feel the hurt swimming through her mind. Instead, she put on a proverbial mask of indifference and gingerly took an apple out of the basket and forced herself to take a bite. The juicy fruit felt more like rocks and sand in her mouth, and she resigned herself to finishing the meal without enjoying a bite of it.

  Stefan

  Sunlight cascaded into the room in a wave of yellow that strained Stefan’s vision. He stood and rubbed the sleep from his green eyes and moved immediately to his wardrobe, dismal as it was. There were only a few tunics in there and even less pairs of pants, but he had purchased all the best wool that he could afford so they were still comfortable in spite of his lack of choices. His body felt gritty with the dust of the street and the Gaian suddenly realized he had not bathed in some time. Things were different.

  On Gaia he had been the respected son of an esteemed high councilor, and bathing and clothing were luxuries that he had taken for granted. Now he was lucky if he took a bath once a month, but that was not for lack of water truly. In actuality he was busy, more so than he had ever been before. He had a job now, and it was one that required his attention nearly every day of the week. When The Saving Grace had been constructed on Triton, Stefan had leapt at the opportunity to earn a bit of money and actually make some use of himself instead of just staying in the former embassy at all times.

  Sir Aldous had been generous enough to let the Gaian keep his own room in his refurbished manor, but that was as far as the hospitality went. Food was to be paid for, baths were to be drawn at one’s own expense, and even conversations appeared to be lacking in the great house. No matter what they tried to say, the Thalassans of Triton still did not trust him.

  Xander was among the few that actually would invite Stefan to chat with him. He was a good man, and an even better soldier, as Stefan had learned quickly from when he arrived on the island. Although Xander seemed to be friendly towards the Gaian there was an ulterior motive there that he did well to hide by mentally processing his salary, or the number of new soldiers on the isle, or a lust he found for the Gaian woman Ana, over and over again so as not to touch on his true feelings towards the Gaian people and battle.

  Stefan pulled on his white tunic and blue trousers with all the ambition of a man working under someone else. He rinsed his mouth with some salt water and spat out the night’s staleness. When he was fully prepared the Gaian made his way to The Saving Grace, stopping only briefly at a fruit stand to throw a couple coppers in exchange for an apricot. Breakfast was his favorite time of day. The fruit seller always had an extensive variety of things he knew little of, even in Gaia. Gaia was not particularly cold as a nation, but during the winter the Thalassans barely even had to accommodate for the weather at all. Things grew on the isles that would not survive on the mainland simply because Thalassa had more like two seasons instead of four; spring and fall.

  Setting up the tavern was an easy task. There were two serving girls who helped out with the tables and all the dishes, cups, and plates had already been scoured the night before. Stefan poured himself a cup of wine and threw a bit of water into the mix to help drain the rest of the slumber from his limbs.

  The first customers came in a bit before noon, and
they were the same as every day. Soldiers who had the day off usually drifted in around that time, and they would spend their wages quickly in drink, food, and one another’s company. Only a couple of the tavern dwellers were actually Gaians, but those usually did not come until the evening. Ana was one of them, and at times her father, while the rest of the Gaians on Triton remained in holding cells for the treachery they led against their captain. The others were captives of the war, though none came from any of the sea skirmishes that were a constant rumor floating around the bar. As far as he could tell, there were some Thalassans reciprocating the Gaian philosophy of “no prisoners” to the full extent.

  Stefan knew that this was something many and more were divided on. He could see it in their faces, even if their minds did not reveal it half the time. Xander was one who had taken his friendship with both Stefan and Ana seriously, and even seemed concerned at times with what Thomas thought of him. Others were not so cautious. Saija remained on the fence some of the time but Stefan suspected she was heavily influenced by the company she kept when she was not with Ana. Caedmon and Murchadh were two who believed in a violent philosophy. It was evident in their walk and demeanor, and also by how long or how often they would be at The Saving Grace.

  The Saving Grace was one of Triton’s biggest hangouts in opposition to the aged Blue Dolphin. Folk did not seem to care that a Gaian worked behind the bar most days, as Stefan could read their minds and prepare their drinks before they had even ordered them. He had caught on quick to his tasks, and with so much coin flowing into the tavern The Saving Grace’s owner had been generous with Stefan’s payment. He earned around ten silvers a week, more than the average soldier and yet much less than what his allowance had been at home.

  He was used to a life of luxury but that had been swiftly lost to him when he had been forced to stay on the Thalassan isle. There was more than enough to have a decent life on Triton, especially with his room supplied for him anyway, but Stefan found little to do when he was not working and he was exhausted by the end of his shifts. There was more than one time he had thought of going back to Gaia but there was no way to actually do so and besides he did not mind his life on the island. He had never had friends before, not truly anyhow, but he found a good companion in Xander despite whatever the Thalassan’s hidden motives may be.