by Prince Edan
The sun dipped toward the horizon. He guessed that there was, at most, an hour before nightfall. He remembered another day, the same lake, and the faint hope of a better life.
Roland had gone to talk the lady at the fence once more. He had been fascinated by this lady in silver armor, and her stories. Her eyes would shine brightly as she talked about the magnificent city of Hather and the opportunities that awaited him. The man beside her, Brody, crossed his arms over his chest.
“The people are lovely, and you’ll make lots of friends,” she told him.
“And I can be a warrior, like you?” Roland asked, stepping closer to the fence.
She smiled but her dark eyes were sad. “Why do you want to fight?”
“To kill bad people.”
“Who are these bad people?”
“The people that try to hurt my family.”
“If I tried to hurt your family, would you kill me, Roland?” she dropped to her knees and lowered herself to his eye level. A gust of wind whipped her black hair across her face.
“You wouldn’t do that.”
“Everyone picks up a weapon for a reason. It could be to protect others, or themselves. It could be a desire for wealth or glory. Yet, we’re all human, we all live and breathe. Our skin color may be a bit different but we’re all the same. What gives one human being the right to kill another? What gives someone the right to take the life of someone’s brother, father, sister, or mother? Who are we to judge another?”
Though Roland was young, her words weighed heavily on his heart. He had seen his neighbors starve to death or lose a battle against some disease. There were bad people in black clothes that demanded money from Roland’s parents and struck them when they didn’t comply. Why didn’t anyone fight back against them?
“Then, why do you fight?” his voice was weak, his mind shaken.
“To protect.”
Roland wanted the strength to protect others too.
“The Rouge Resistance are planning to take this village as their base,” Brody said. “If you want to take the boy, this may be your last chance.”
“Those fucking assholes. What the hell do they think they are doing?”
“Gathering resources to attack us, I guess.”
“The people in the ghettos don’t have any resources to spare, Brody.”
The woman’s nostrils flared. She gripped her sword handle so tightly her knuckles turned white. Roland didn’t understand much of what they were saying, but he knew the Rouge Resistance were bad people. He had to warn his family.
Shouldn’t bad people die?
“Listen to me, Roland. Do you know where Lake Erie is? If you follow this fence you’ll make it there by nightfall, and we’ll sneak you past the guards then. Do you understand?” she asked.
His family was in danger.
“It’s time to wrap this up, the others will get suspicious if we stay in this area too long,” Brody cautioned.
“But—”
“The boy understands.”
Roland looked at the two people that were his closest friends. They wanted him to go to the lake. They were going to help him?
Roland spun on his heels and ran. He was barefoot, and the pebbles scratched his blackened feet. He would warn everyone. His body trembled with each step. He would protect everyone. On his tiny shoulders he carried the weight of their lives. He had hope. He had trust in the people that waited for him by the fence every day. He had believed that they would help him.
***
A pair of warm hands wrapped around Roland’s eyes. His body tensed and he was instantly alert.
“Guess who?”
That voice, he knew it well enough. His stomach churned.
“How did you know I was here?”
“I asked Imani.”
Roland bit his lower lip. Even Imani was getting involved in this mess. “What do you want?”
Cassandra removed her hands and sat beside him. She was wearing an orange dress that was rather thin for such a cold evening. Her body trembled slightly. She touched his hand and he jerked away.
“You’re upset?”
“A bit.”
“Does it have something to do with Prince Brian?”
Roland shrugged.
“My dad was the head chef at the King’s castle before he started his own restaurant, so I grew up there. The prince and I were around the same age. We ended up playing together and were friends. When I moved here, he went out of his way to keep in touch with me. A few days ago, he asked my father for my hand in marriage, and since Father is a hasty man, he quickly accepted the prince’s proposal. My opinion wasn’t needed.”
Roland said nothing.
“Do you love me, Roland?” Her face was downcast.
He hadn’t planned for this. An outright confession was the last thing on his mind. What if she didn’t feel the same way?
“Do you like him?”
“Like a brother, yes.”
“I see. Do you like me?”
“I asked you first,” Cassandra chimed. She draped one leg over the other and leaned closer to him.
He hesitated. “I do.”
She shoved him forward and he lost his balance, falling into the cold lake. He didn’t know how to swim. He spluttered around, kicking at the mushy lake bed. God, he was going to drown at this rate. A pair of firm hands guided him to the surface.
“It’s shallow here,” Cassandra pointed out as she helped him find his footing. “But a few more steps in the opposite direction and you might have drowned.”
Roland’s cheeks burned and he looked away. “I knew that.” The water reached a little past his waist.
She laughed. “Sure.”
Her hair was slick with water, her dress translucent. He couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact and strange thoughts flooded his mind. He wanted to explore her body with his hands.
She kissed his lips. “I like you too.”
They stood silently for a moment, her body pressed against his. The waves lapped against their skin. Her warm breath tickled his neck. It was getting dark. Although a voice in the back of Roland’s mind was telling him to head back to the dorm, he couldn’t bring himself to leave her side.
“If I told you not to work for the Order, would you stay?”
“If I told you not to marry the prince, would you listen?”
“I’m not sure if I have a choice.”
“There’s always a choice.”
Cassandra smiled and pulled herself onto dock. “I’ll think about it, but we’ll meet again, Roland. I hope you achieve whatever goals you set for yourself in the meantime.”
He watched her back as she walked gracefully away, her kiss lingering on his lips. The uneasy feeling that possessed his heart whenever she was around wasn’t something he was used to. And the only thing he knew was that she seemed reluctant to do anything against the prince’s wishes.
Chapter XXIV
The soft melody of a quartet of violins, two pianos, six oboes, two French horns, and the steady tempo of a drum filled the ballroom. The architecture was beautiful; a high ceiling adorned with countless chandeliers, and elegant archways leading to bay windows that revealed the night sky. Symmetrical patterns covered the walls, swirls and curves that seemed to move at the turn of a head. Roland wore a white tuxedo and combed his hair back for the special occasion. A few girls glanced in his direction.
He forced his way through the crowd, looking for Cassandra, wanting to hold her one last time. Someone tapped his shoulder. His heart raced as a hand slid around his waist and the person stepped in front of him. Roland’s hope dwindled as he looked at Imani. Not Cassandra. Frowning, he released a sigh.
Imani pouted. “Am I that ugly?”
“No,” Roland said. She was wearing a golden dress with a low cut back, and a black choker around her neck. Imani had a beautiful body. Roland would be lying if he said he wasn’t intrigued.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “D
ance with me.”
He held on to her waist. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”
“We need to talk about Hudgens.”
Roland led her into a slow waltz and exhaled. “What about him?”
Matching his pace Imani said, “He wants us to leave at midnight, without letting anyone else notice. Clark already spoke to Hudgens and he’s entertaining Kio until then. So are you coming?”
“Why are we leaving this early?”
She whispered, “The Rouge Resistance plans to take down Hather. They won’t wait till December. We are going to help stop them.”
He used his right hand to twirl her around, and her hand latched onto his waist. “I’ll be there.”
Imani smiled. “The girl you wanted to meet is at nine o’clock.”
Roland lifted his head, peering over the shoulders of the couples around them. Prince Brian lowered Cassandra into a dip. Envy swarmed Roland’s chest and he narrowed his eyes. “She’s with the prince.”
“Go get her.” Imani kissed Roland’s cheek.
Dazed, Roland released her and strode toward Cassandra. As he got closer, he saw she was wearing a white dress that fell off her shoulders and cupped her breasts. Her hair was raised into a neat bun. When the prince twirled her around, she met Roland’s eyes for a second. She didn’t waste any time. Cassandra pried herself from the prince’s grasp, mumbled an excuse, and went toward the exit. Prince Brian let her go and left the dance floor, disappointment showing on his face. Roland followed Cassandra out the back door. It closed behind them, muting the sounds coming from the ballroom. They stood among pine trees under a starry sky, a cool breeze caressing their skin. Cassandra faced him, her eyes watery. “Hi.”
“Hi.” Roland stepped forward, she stepped back.
“We can’t do this anymore,” she told him.
He closed the distance between them and cupped her face. “Hi,” he repeated, ignoring her protests.
She swallowed. “Hi.”
He kissed her, hard. His tongue entered her mouth, and she didn’t resist. They parted, breathing heavy. “I love you, Cassandra.”
“I love you too.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.
“Wait for me. I’ll become someone worthy of having you by my side. Give me time,” he pleaded.
“My dad has arranged for me to marry the prince.”
“Fuck the prince, you have me.”
“Roland, you know it doesn’t work like that.”
The door opened and Imani poked her head outside. “It’s time to go.”
Cassandra grabbed his hand as he walked away. “Go where?”
He caressed her cheek. “I’ll tell you when I return. All I ask is that you trust me, and wait for me.”
Cassandra heaved a sigh. “Roland, I can’t make any promises.”
A sad smile played on his lips. “I understand. Take care, Cassandra.”
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Acknowledgments
I never dreamed that my first book would be published at eighteen. Sure, I spend the majority of my life in my imagination. And yes, I am an avid reader. However, having someone find something I write entertaining is the best feeling. I thank Limitless Publishing and their many employees that helped to make publishing this book a reality. It was a great experience with many ups and downs. But my mother told me to push for whatever I want. I intend to follow her advice. I’d like to thank my family and friends for motivating to keep writing when I felt like giving up.
Thanks to everyone that supported me.
And a special thanks to the writing site wattpad that allows me to grow and evolve as a writer.
About the Author
Edan was born on the beautiful island of Jamaica where he learned to love and respect the culture and the island’s beauty. He left the land of wood and water to live with his family in Canada which gave his mother more job opportunities. One thing the family learned quickly was the being black meant that they had to work twice as hard. His mother’s worth ethic had to be perfect as her company was searching for a reason to fire her because of her skin color. He watched her struggle, watched the pain society caused her and did his best to comfort her.
In high school, Edan began writing, putting the ideas swimming around his head on paper. At first, he wrote in private, just for the hell of it. It wasn’t until he published his stories online, and people encouraged him to keep writing that he realized he might have a shot at being published.
Now, Edan sleeps through his first year of university and writes whenever he can. He likes to kick back with a good book, and try new things. His dream is to explore the different cultures of the world, and learn new languages while publishing many entertaining stories.