The First Kingdom

by T. S. Valmond

  They were still within Tero lands. Poge could stay and continue doing what she was doing before they met. She hadn’t finished getting the full story about where the twins were from. Perhaps they’d want to return home.

  Adera's heart was heavy as she approached Poge.

  “This morning I am divided in heart, though I’ve found my love, my friend may soon depart.”

  Poge looked up at her. Her large eyes shifted for a moment. It seemed she hadn’t considered what she would do next either.

  “Of course, you are welcome to come along, with no one else have I ever felt I truly belong.” Adera put her blue hand on top of Poge’s green one. Poge smiled.

  Sanee was here, Poge would stay. Jiden and Neke, had no plans to leave. Adera felt a peace settle inside of her that she hadn’t felt for days.

  19

  A BELL TOLLING IN THE square got the attention of all five. They moved fast, gathering their things and running from the center of town toward the bell. The rest of the people dancing in the streets didn't seem to take notice of the bell at all. There was no change in their behavior.

  "Should we be worried?" Poge asked.

  "I'm worried,” Jiden said.

  "I'm concerned,” Neke said.

  "There's the bell." Sanee noted a few others moving in the same direction.

  Adera held fast to his hand, and was able to keep pace with him.

  When they reached the tower, a small group of people, all various colors, gathered, rushing around, giving and taking directions.

  Remy stood in the middle of them all.

  "What's going on here?" Sanee asked. "What is the significance of the bell?"

  "We are preparing to defend our southeast border. There are a group of soldiers marching on us from Chilali." The young woman pulled her long red hair back away from her face and strapped on her bow.

  "Why? I mean what do they want?"

  "They want the land. Just like everyone else. It's the largest occupied piece of habitable unclaimed land and it sits right up against more unclaimed land, and water. Its borders touch Karmir, Tero, Joro, and Chilali. It's ideal. That's why most of us came here. The leaders of the other lands are figuring that out."

  Sanee adjusted his own weapons. "Where is your army?"

  "Army?" She laughed. "I keep forgetting you're new. There is no army. We don't even have fighters. You've seen the welcoming party?"

  "Who are they?" an older man asked, stepping into the circle. He seemed to be the oldest man around. His long white beard and wrinkled bald head stood out in the crowd of young people.

  "I'm Sanee, royal prince of the Karmirian. My friends are Adera, Poge, Neke and Jiden."

  "I am called Elrem. Remy, whom I believe you've met, is my granddaughter."

  "Sorry to cut short the introductions,” Remy said. "I'm needed at the border. You can help us if you like but I warn you, it's not easy to defend this place against your own people. We've lost some. Many who come up against their own kind don't have the heart to fight them. Instead, they just give up."

  "I can't imagine giving up this kind of life,” Jiden said.

  "I want to help,” Neke said standing at attention.

  "Grab your things and let's go,” Remy said, then looked to Sanee. "If you're up to it, any help you can offer would be appreciated. You handled the southwest border incident well. Remember what we talked about?"

  Sanee nodded.

  Remy had asked him to become the leader of their fighters on the spot. He'd declined. He hadn't wanted to fight anyone anymore. He was ready to find a safe place for him and Adera to settle.

  However, Remy made an excellent point: if he didn't help protect the place, they'd end up in the same situation they'd tried so hard to escape. The situation yesterday had been different, he'd been speaking as a prince to his own people. Could he do the same thing with the people from Chilali? He'd try and if he failed, he'd help make their stand.

  Sanee turned to go, determined. They wouldn't take this away from him and, unlike the others who'd come before him, he would fight anyone to keep Adera safe.

  "Sanee, please wait it out. I am afraid, my heart filled with doubt."

  "Adera," he'd forgotten her fear of conflict. He reached out and touched her face as he'd done after finding her. "I'll be fine. Stay back here with the others and I'll return by dinner time."

  "No, you don't understand." Adera shook her head to stop the rhyming. "This is not right. You mustn't make this stand. Fighting your people, our people, it won't bring us peace at night."

  "What do you want me to do? Dance in the streets like my kinsmen?" He gestured with his head toward the party that still went on, oblivious to what was coming. "They have no honor, we must protect our home or we'll lose it."

  "Perhaps, but this isn't the way, there is another and we should wait a day." She tugged at his coverings as she pleaded with him.

  "While they press our borders, I cannot wait. I'll be back, before it's too late." Sanee wasn't sure she understood. He pulled away from her and Adera looked at him as if he'd betrayed her.

  "These are our people. Don't hurt them, Sanee, or you won't ever find peace,” She spoke slowly and deliberately.

  Remy pulled him along by the cape. He turned to leave, but Adera's words rang in his heart. When he looked back, there was a sadness in her eyes that he wished he hadn't caused.

  20

  ADERA STOOD WAITING IN ALMOST the same spot Sanee had left her, her arms crossed over her chest. Her eyebrows and mouth pointed down in anger. This was the young woman who'd thrown him over her shoulder. It was something she never would have done before her journey north.

  Remy read the situation and dismissed herself.

  "I'll gather my people. Meet us at the bell-tower in one hour,” Remy said.

  Sanee nodded and approached Adera with caution. There was something in her expression he didn't recognize.

  She avoided his gaze at first.

  Something inside him ached at seeing her angry. Maybe she’d lost faith in him. He’d have to work to get it back. He didn’t understand how much it had meant to have it until now.

  “Are you well, and ready to listen to what I have to tell?” Sanee asked reaching for her hands.

  Adera, even with her short stature, looked down her nose at him before placing her hands into his.

  Sanee waited for Adera to meet his eyes before he spoke.

  “I did not fight against my kinsmen nor anyone else. We spoke of peace and bid them welcome our messengers when the time comes. We will work to unite our peoples rather than continue to divide them.”

  A small smile started at the corner of Adera's lips and soon reached her eyes.

  “What I’ve said is true. I couldn’t bear it if I hurt you,” Sanee said.

  Adera threw her arms around his neck and kissed his face. The warmest kisses he could ever hope for. In that moment, a light snow fell. He’d never seen anything so beautiful as his mermaid in the snow.

  * * *

  An hour later, when the group gathered once again, they greeted each other in the various acceptable forms. Poge, Jiden, and Neke stood with several others. There was a young boy who looked like a blond version of Remy who stood under Elrem's arm like a crutch.

  "Good we’re all here,” Remy began in a stilted slow speech. "I will try to speak in the most common language understood by all. My name is Remy, for those of you who don’t know me. We’ve established this council to deal with issues concerning our community and our lives while living in the unclaimed Northern Territory."

  There was an eruption of cheers and murmurs of assent.

  “The border disputes are just a sample of what’s coming if we don’t take action. What I’m proposing will be an extreme and progressive change from what we’re accustomed to out here.”

  That silenced the murmurs but Remy continued.

  “It is time that we claim the Northern territories once and for all.”

  There was a hu
sh followed by a louder roar of applause.

  Sanee looked around and realized since Remy had started speaking, the crowd in the court yard had doubled in size.

  “We are unclaimed no more. I propose we establish our government here and now. We will retain the council of advisors for now and forever. One representative from every land represented by our people to speak for us to our kinsmen.”

  Sanee sensed the rush of pride as everyone agreed. He looked over at Adera.

  Her smile told him she understood the proposal.

  “That, however, is not enough. We need something more, something that all the other lands can’t claim. They have a generation of leaders bred from their people. As a mixed people, I suggest something new and yet the same. A purebred ruler and his purebred bride. A prince and princess for this First Kingdom of Bolaji. The first because we will be the first to bring peace to the surrounding nations.”

  Sanee had the distinct impression he wasn't going to like what came next as Remy’s eyes fell on him.

  "I propose that we select our first royals right here and right now. Sanee, Prince of Karmir, and Adera of Majiwa. May their unity represent our realm as we invite the other nations to join us."

  “I—” Sanee couldn't get another word out before he and Adera were pushed onto the platform. Cheers and applause erupted all around them.

  “Long live the prince and princess!” They shouted in unison.

  “Why us? You don't even know us,” he said.

  "You are the most practical and favored choice. A Red-man and a mermaid in love, who better to represent our interests?"

  Adera raised her hand, and the others had to quiet themselves to hear her soft-spoken voice. "There are others who are more persuasive in their speech. I don't believe the other nations are within my reach."

  "From the moment you both arrived, you captured the hearts of the people. Our first mermaid has entranced the entire community. They will protect her at all costs. You are a Karmirian prince by birthright. Who else is more qualified to lead us than someone trained to rule? You proved that yesterday at the border between our land and your father’s and again today. We're amazed you convinced the Chilalians to hold their charge until our delegation could be sent."

  “My kinsmen are trained to obey me. The Chilalians we took by surprise. We don't know if the other nations will be that easy.”

  “Not yet, but they will. When we send our envoy of representatives to every nation in the realm and offer them peace, they will see that the first kingdom of the North and the second kingdom of Karmir have already agreed to peace. They’ll join us,” Remy said. She moved back and forth, waving her hands, unable to contain her excitement.

  Sanee shook his head.

  “No. That peace is a fragile one, as you saw. It's more of a truce. They don't know about this peace you speak of, nor are they likely to accept it.”

  "They will when the other nations have already joined us." Remy smiled. "This is the way to bring peace and unity to the entire realm." To the crowd she shouted, "Peace begins with us."

  Adera put her hand in Sanee’s and nodded.

  Remy's grandfather stepped forward to put a hand on her shoulder.

  Lifting their joined hands, Adera added her voice to Remy's. “Peace begins with us.”

  “Peace begins with us!” Remy shouted above the crowd. They chanted along with her. Even Poge and the twins joined in.

  “I make a formal request that the human twins Neke and Jiden along with Poge of Tera be allowed to sit on the council of advisors. We wouldn't have made it this far without them,” Sanee said loud enough for the others to hear.

  The council nodded in agreement as if they’d already been thinking the same. Remy pulled the formal council aside. They moved their meeting inside of the bell tower building, leaving the crowds to celebrate outside.

  “Until we have a formal meeting place, this will have to do. Before there can be any more attacks on our borders, I think we should make our offer to the other nations. We can use our fragile peace with the Karmirians while they await the message of peace from their prince and ours, Sanee.”

  “The Chilali should be next. The Tero and Joro are most likely to join us on principle.”

  “Agreed,” Poge said. “They’ve already made a term of peace between themselves. Extending it to us should be nothing. They are calling themselves Tero-Joro the Twinlands.”

  “We hadn’t heard that news,” the green boy said.

  “It’s new,” Poge said and looked down, almost embarrassed by the attention.

  “Then it’s settled. A convoy should approach the Chilali and then proceed West until you reach the Majiwa.”

  “My people will be very resistant. I hope they will listen, but if at first they do not, we must be persistent,” Adera said in her singing way.

  “True. We must remember many of these lands will need multiple petitions for peace. We can still offer asylum to any who would like to live in our borders and support our way of life as well as any nations who join us should do. This will continue to be a haven for all who want to live in peace.”

  “There’s prejudice to overcome, but it could work. I have some ideas on how we can share more factual knowledge with each other. The Tero-Joro have been building a library of information on every nation in our realm,” The green boy said.

  Poge's wide eyes grew wider as she stared at the boy.

  He looked at her without apology. "It's supposed to be privileged information but we all know."

  "The convoy should include our future king and queen. Let's continue to call them the prince and princess for now. We need at least one rep from Tero-Joro, one Chilali, at least one human to start."

  Jiden and Neke both agreed to go. They’d never been apart, and they didn’t see a reason to start now. Poge would accompany them as well as the boy from Joro.

  "Why are we starting with Chilali when Tero and Joro are more likely to join? My people are reclusive. Even if they agreed to a peace with us, they'd never agree to the mixing of our peoples. That's why I came here in the first place. If I go back, it would mean a punishment worse than death should the king of Chilali decide to make an example of me."

  "You will have the entire envoy with you," Remy said.

  "It's not possible to tell a king that he will be replaced by another king without going to war,” he said.

  "Your king, he has a family?" Sanee asked.

  "Yes, twins, a young son and a daughter, but they will not rule for many years yet."

  "Are they old enough to see reason?"

  The Chilalian smiled then nodded. "In their early teens already."

  "We won't be speaking to the old and stubborn about peace. We need to talk with the next generation of rulers and what they decide will either mean peace for their people or not,” Sanee said. He'd never felt so sure about anything before. He couldn't be the only one dreading a life filled with battles and wars against people he didn't know.

  Remy looked around the group and placed her hands on her hips and smiled.

  “How soon do you think you’ll be ready to ride out?”

  21

  FOR FIFTEEN DAYS, THEY TRAVELED, Adera missed the water and, more than that, needed the water. Her skin felt oily, as did her hair. She looked forward to heading east again to enjoy the warm waters. The Chilali, who'd been a formidable enemy, recognized their inferior numbers right away and conceded to join them as the third kingdom. The king's children were very outspoken. They convinced their father that this was something they would be a part of whether the king liked it or not.

  Adera swam in a natural hot spring of warm water while it snowed over their heads. Sanee joined her but didn't stay long. He said he didn't find it as refreshing as the water from his coast. It gave Adera the opportunity to change back into her natural form and stretch her swimming muscles. The twins kept a close eye on her, wanting to catch her in the act of changing. For the Majiwan, it was forbidden to share such a thi
ng with land people. Despite her openness to new cultures, it was a value she still held and couldn't bring herself to break.

  The Chilali lands were small but well organized and full of green trees and plants, a natural well-watered landscape with rivers flowing through it. Adera had never seen such unique looking people. Their purple skin and white hair made them one of her favorites of the land people so far. Being on the far east and not prone to travel great distances, they were not a people Adera had ever met before. She couldn't wait to share her adventures with the other mermen.

  "We have traveled long and yet we are not near, but what will you say to them when we arrive to Karmir?" Adera asked Sanee.

  Sanee frowned and didn't speak for a moment. He did understand.

  She waited for him to find the right words to answer.

  His improvement in speaking her language made her feel closer to him. The communication among their group evolved into something like what many of their group were doing in the First Kingdom. They used words common to them all and worked out the order differently when necessary.

  "My father taught me that a leader must understand the heart of his people to teach them. I don't know what words I will use, only that I will speak to their hearts when the time comes."

  Adera nodded. She understood his meaning. Her own people would be resistant as well, but she hoped if she spoke to their hearts, they might listen to her.

  After many days of rest and relaxation among the hospitable Chilalians, it was hard to leave. They continued their journey of peace along the border of the Tero and Joro lands. As Poge had suspected, they were all too ready for peace. They made a deal to share all of their technology and services to all the nations that conceded rulership to the First Kingdom. The Twinlands became the fifth and sixth kingdoms.

  They took respite at the home of Poge's sister, Ujira, who had the responsibility to make sure they made it through the lands without incident. She and the purple boy, Dag, seemed to have a lot to say to each other.