The Mullinix Book 1: Ascension

by Rodney Mountain

  Chapter 22 - The Party

  The three Mullinix walked up to the living level of the palace. It wasn’t as somber up there as it had been in the official ceremony. The house staff knew that after the long endurance race that the procession tended to be that they’d be tired, so they had gotten everything ready for them.

  "Now for the nice part of the job," Massimaferro told Medoferro, "The rest and relaxation."

  There were only about fifteen people there, most of them female. The house staff tended to consist of members of the opposite sex from the current Mullinix, though there had been a few fey Mullinix in the past. The only men in the room for this one other than the Mullinix, however, were Roland, Paulus and Simon.

  "Welcome back guys," Paulus grinned, "Was it the hell that it looked like last time?"

  "How would you know?" Roland asked him, "You weren’t even a personal rep last time."

  "I went through the procession," Paulus told him, "I had to see Massy going through that pain in the rear."

  "I see you didn’t repeat the experience," Massy chuckled, "At least Simon was brighter than you were."

  "I figured Copeland… er… Medoferro," Simon said, correcting himself, "I figured he’d be having a bad enough time as it was."

  "You figured right," Medoferro agreed, "How does the naming go anyway? Do I have to use Medoferro?"

  "You might as well get used to it," Iggy said, taking a comfortable seat, "Medo is easier to say than Copeland anyway."

  "Medo it is then," Simon said and handed his friend a drink.

  "I still can’t believe all this," Miranda said, "So how does it feel, Medo?"

  "I’m still a bit overwhelmed," Medo sighed and took a deep drink of the ale, "I could get to learn to like it though."

  "Here," Marina said, handing Medo a basket of fresh bread as she sat down next to him, "Eat something so the alcohol doesn’t make you pass out."

  "So," Roland said, turning to Simon and Miranda, "You two here to support our new Mullinix there or because the food is better?"

  "Both," Simon grinned, "Right Miranda?"

  "I’m here mainly to celebrate the fact it wasn’t me," Miranda grinned.

  "Don’t worry," Iggy told her, "There are plenty of other jobs we can draft you in to, young lady. I’m sure we’ll find something for you."

  "So long as it isn’t Mullinix I think it’ll be ok," Miranda said.

  "How are you holding up now, Medo?" Marina asked him, "You still look tense."

  "How would you feel?" Medo asked, "This morning I was a kid with a hangover. Now I’m in the succession line to rule an empire. It’s a big change to have happen over the course of one day."

  "Not to mention the physical battering that resulted from the ceremony," Massy said, "You’re going to be limping for days."

  The party continued and everyone ended up introducing themselves to Medoferro. The young man was overwhelmed at the difference between the official ceremonies and the private one. A few remembrances of Taliaferro were shared, but mostly it was a celebration of the appointment of a new Mullinix.

  Grief was there in some, but the tradition was that the death of a Mullinix and appointment of a new one was a cause for celebration because it meant that the system was continuing to work and the empire was secure until the next necessary transfer. Music was played and dancing occurred, though Massimaferro, Insegniferro and Medoferro tended to shy away from it a little due to the rigors from the procession.

  It was a grand celebration, but it did little to ease the discomfort that Medoferro still felt inside. Simon and Miranda were having fun along with the others, dancing and laughing and drinking. It was a mirth that Medoferro couldn’t force himself to share because unlike them he knew his childhood was over. It was not a fun realization, despite the party going on around him.

  "I think I need to walk around a little bit," Medoferro said, sighing a little, "Keep my knees from locking up completely."

  Medoferro walked out of the room, going to the large balcony that was just off the common area where the party was going on. Insegniferro, who was sitting and chatting with Julia and a couple of the older house staff members, noticed him go out the door. He waved over to Marina, who came over to talk to him.

  "Marina," Iggy said, "Medo is sulking a little and looking a little lonely. You might want to go talk to him a little."

  "Sure," Marina nodded, "I saw him go but I didn’t know whether to follow or not."

  "Trust me," Iggy told her, "He’s feeling very alone right now. Massy or I won’t be of much help because we’re not his generation like you are. He needs a friend that knows this place. Maybe even a little more than that."

  "I’ll see what I can do," Marina smiled, "How far should I go?"

  "As much as both you and he are comfortable with," Iggy told her, "I’ll be honest. Being close to his age you’ll probably be a very large part of what makes him comfortable here."

  "I like him," Marina smiled, "He’s very cute…"

  "Good," Iggy laughed, "You’ve been stuck with us old men for way too long."

  Iggy turned back to the people he was talking to and Marina headed out on to the balcony to see Copeland sitting on a heavily padded lounging chair drinking a bit more of the ale. She knew he was no longer drinking a little to have fun but drinking more and more to forget. She sighed and hoped that she could help before he started doing that too much.

  "You look a little glum, Medo," Marina said, walking over to him, "Are you ok?"

  "Still not quite sure how to feel about this," Medo said, not looking up, "Wondering why I’m doing this."

  "I can understand that," Marina told him as she pulled a chair up next to him, "This is a party though, you’re supposed to have fun."

  "Simon and Miranda seem to be having more fun than I am," Medo told her, "I just can’t seem to make myself so happy about this."

  "Why’s that?" Marina asked him.

  "I don’t want to burden you with it," Medo said, "Don’t worry…"

  "I do worry about it," Marina told him, "That’s part of what I’m here for. If you’re feeling down it means that we’re not doing our job right."

  "That’s part of it," Medo sighed, "I see Miranda and Simon in there laughing and having a good time. I know that I’ll never be as free as they are again. I may have power, but power is more of a trap than it is a freeing force."

  "That is true," Marina agreed, "But there is no reason to let it get you down. You weren’t chosen as a punishment and you aren’t expected to go through it alone."

  "Yes," Medo said, "But you are here because it is your job. That’s the key difference. How am I ever going to know if someone is with me because they want to be? I’m sure I could get you to crawl into bed with me if I wanted to, but…"

  "I think I know where your train of thought is going," Marina nodded, "Perhaps it would help a bit if I told you where I came from and why I am here?"

  Medo looked at her. Marina looked sincere but he just didn’t know. He knew that he didn’t have anything to lose and that he liked hearing her talk. He was also curious as to why any sane woman would put herself into a situation as crazy as what this situation sounded like.

  "Sure," Medo agreed, "I’d like to hear that."

  "I’m from a little town in the middle of nowhere," Marina said, "About halfway between here and the coast in the west."

  "I’ve heard about that area but never been there," Medo said, "You know, I haven’t seen much of the country that I’m now in line to rule."

  "Don’t you worry about that," Marina grinned, "I’m sure Massy will take you out on a tour soon enough, but that’s beside the point right now."

  "I figured," Medo smiled, "Go on with your story, Marina."

  "My mother was the fourth child of a poor religious family," Marina told him, "One of the strange sects that live in those midlands. The girls have to get married before they go to the service school or they aren’t
allowed to come back."

  "Sounds dreadful," Medo told her.

  "It is," Marina nodded, "Well, my mother was very pious but being the fourth child her father couldn’t put up much of a dowry. The fact that she wasn’t very pretty didn’t help much either."

  "Glad you didn’t get your looks from her then," Medo said.

  "Thank you," Marina chuckled, "Anyway. She ended up getting hitched to a widower right before her service time. A son of a bitch nearly twice her age with four children already."

  "Ouch," Medo said, "That qualified her for exemption from service didn’t it?"

  "She had to attend the classes part time," Marina nodded, "Served out her final service three days a week in the local tax office."

  "Sounds rough," Medo said, "I take it that it wasn’t all bad for her. Something must have gone right to have you result from it."

  "Again," Marina smiled, "Thank you, but it was as bad as it sounds. My father was an abusive son of a bitch. He beat my mother regularly, even when she was pregnant with me and my brother. Almost caused us to be stillborn when he pushed my mother down a flight of stairs in the house."

  Medoferro shuddered a little bit as he pictured it. His parents were very nice in comparison. He had trouble imagining what it must have been like for her to live in those circumstances. He looked into her eyes and saw the pain welling up back there and kept listening as she told her story.

  "My mother learned well from my father," Marina continued, "She smacked around her step children pretty well and did the same to my brother Martin and me when we got older."

  "Martin and Marina huh?" Medo said, "Real creative bunch your parents were."

  "Putting it mildly," Marina nodded, "Listen, if I’m going to tell you all this the least you can do is let me sit over there with you and be comfortable."

  "All right," Medo said, smiling at the thought, "Come on over."

  Marina smiled and slid over onto the chair with him. It was the first time he’d ever been this close with a girl and he didn’t know what to do. She figured on this and just slid into place, leaning against him and pulling his arms around her.

  "That’s better," Marina smiled, "Thank you."

  "Ok…" Medo said, "So go on with your story."

  "Yes…" Marina trailed off, closing her eyes for a second as she remembered, "My parents did little but fight with each other the entire time I lived with them. Martin and I preferred it that way really."

  "Why’s that?" Medo asked her, gazing at her flowing red hair, "I’d think that would be a nightmare."

  "Well," Marina told him, leaning back and looking into his eyes, "When they weren’t fighting with each other they were beating on us."

  Marina shuddered a little at the memories of the massive beatings her and her brother used to take at the hands of the people who brought her into the world. Medoferro sensed what she was feeling and hugged her a little bit, causing her to smile again at the touch.

  "It got worse as we got older," Marina told him, "When my father couldn’t get his pleasures out of my mother he started to turn to me."

  "That’s illegal!" Medo exclaimed.

  "I know that now," Marina sighed, "It was what was expected of me."

  "But how… what… why…" Medo stammered, "After going through that…"

  "Shhh," Marina told him, "Let me tell my story."

  Medoferro was still a little unsure, but he nodded and continued to hold on to her. She enjoyed the touch of someone her own age and leaned back into it, drawing strength from him to tell her own story. He could only guess at how much this was hurting her to relive it.

  "It kept on going that way until we were fifteen," Marina continued, "Martin was growing bigger and more rebellious. More and more he tried to defy my parents and protect me from them."

  "What happened when you were fifteen?" Medo asked her, continuing to hold her.

  "Martin and I went to a dance at school," Marina continued, her eyes misting, "We had a good time but it went late. My father was a stickler for being home on time."

  "So he could have time to have his way with you," Medo said bitterly.

  "Exactly," Marina admitted, "Well, we came in and my father was in a rage. My mother had been fighting with him and he’d had plans for me, but when I wasn’t there he started taking it out on my mother again.

  "He beat the hell out of mom that night and started taking it out on me as well. Martin tried to calm him down, but that infuriated him even more. After a few minutes of working me over he started on Martin, beating him back and knocking him to the floor. He repeatedly kicked my brother and then pulled up my skirt and…"

  Marina had to stop for a moment as the memories got too vivid for her. Medoferro pulled her tightly against him, all shyness forgotten as he worked on instinct to try to protect her from something that could hurt her now only in her own mind.

  "He started to rape me, Medo," Marina said, fighting back tears, "Martin saw this and pulled himself up, despite having a few broken ribs and a concussion. He went over and pulled my father off of me, throwing him backwards into a glass cabinet of my mother’s."

  "Good for him," Medo said.

  "That set my father off for the final time," Marina sobbed, letting it out, "He pulled himself out of the cabinet and wiped off the blood from his face. He then started beating on my brother non-stop. Martin fought back as well he could, but he wasn’t any bigger than you are. My father towered over him by a good six inches and outweighed him by over a hundred pounds."

  Marina cried quietly into Medoferro’s arm and he simply held her and let her regain her composure. He couldn’t believe anyone could go through so much and be anywhere near sane. He didn’t know what to do but continue to hold on to her and protect her anyway he could.

  "Surprisingly," Marina continued in between sobs, "It was my mother who yelled for the guard, going to one of the poll boxes and pulling the emergency lever. It was too little too late for Martin though. He was… was…" she gulped and tried to continue, but ended up skipping over the word, "by the time they got there…"

  Marina lost it again and started crying some more. Medoferro didn’t ask her to talk anymore, simply held her against him and let her cry it out. He knew from that that Martin didn’t survive the experience, but didn’t want to press Marina for any more details. He figured that if she could finish the story she would, if not he’d simply just be there.

  "I’m sorry," Marina said, "I didn’t mean to break down like this… I mean…" She clenched her eyes trying to regain control, "You were down enough you didn’t need…"

  "Shhh," Medoferro said, his discomfort from the day forgotten, "It sounds like you needed to get this out. It is part of you, Marina, and I’m interested in what made you what you are."

  "But you don’t know who I am," Marina said as she started choking back tears.

  "You are a good person who got a raw deal," Medoferro said soothingly, "Something good must have happened, else you would never have come here."

  "The guard arrested my father for killing Martin," Marina told him, "He tried to fight it, but we were brought here to the capital for a Mullinix case, just like all murderers are."

  Medoferro nodded and began stroking her hair softly, causing her to lean into him a little.

  "Insegniferro heard the case," she continued, her composure coming back as she passed the worst part, "He questioned me about what I had gone through. When he found out what he had done to me he immediately ordered my mother to release custody of me, having me put into a rehabilitation house to help me heal from what I went through."

  "Good," Medoferro said, "What happened to your father?"

  "He was sentenced to death for Martin’s murder," Marina said with more than a little hint of satisfaction, "My only regret on that is that he chose suicide rather than execution. I wish I had had the chance to pull the trigger myself."

  Intentional murder was a capital offense in the Mulli
nix Empire, especially egregious cases like the one of Marina’s father. If found guilty the condemned get two choices. They are given the opportunity to take their own life alone in a room where they can make peace with their gods or they can be executed, usually by hanging or beheading. Family of the victim has the option of being part of the execution squad if they choose not to kill themselves.

  "I’m sorry, Marina," Medoferro said, "I can’t imagine…"

  "I’m glad," Marina said, "I live with the memories. That’s bad enough."

  "So how did you end up here?" Medoferro asked her, "Living in the palace I mean…"

  "I went through a lot of healing and counseling at the rehabilitation house," Marina said, "But the one thing that never went away was the complete and total fear of most men. I also couldn’t seem to have a normal relationship."

  "So what happened to change that?" Medoferro asked, looking at her.

  "For a long time nothing did," Marina said, "I was aimless, looking for a home but never finding one. Finally, I started my stint in the service center."

  "Land of the bad food," Medo grunted.

  "Yes," Marina said, "And I was an abysmal student, just like I was in school. But they did have something for me, something that fit me like a glove."

  "The palace," Medoferro guessed.

  "Exactly," Marina nodded, "My psychological testing showed I had a certain flexibility in a number of moral areas that comes in useful here as a permanent member of the house staff. I was pulled from normal classes and started training here for the domestic duties."

  "I thought 18 was age of consent," Medoferro said, remembering his civics.

  "It is," Marina chuckled, "I was just over that and it wasn’t the whole job anyway. If you fit the characteristics needed and get along well enough with everyone then you get invited to stay permanently. I found something here that I had never had before. I found a home. Iggy has pretty much been like the father I never had, wise and kind and able to make me be able to trust."

  Medo smiled. He could easily see how Insegniferro could do that to someone. He had that quality about him.

  "Massy showed me how to love again," Marina said, "At least in a little way. He helped me through my fear of physical contact and showed me that my body could be a wonderful source of pleasure instead of a constant source of mental and physical pain."

  "I bet that took patience considering what you went through," Medoferro observed, "Though I could imagine it could be fun as well."

  "It was," Marina grinned, "I learned a lot that way as well."

  "I’ve never…" Medo said, sighing and feeling his self consciousness again.

  "The nice thing about experience, Medo," Marina smiled, her tears all but gone, "Is that it can easily be passed on, if the one without it is willing to learn from the one with it."

  "You mean you want to…" Medo said, "Even after telling me…"

  "Only if you want me," Marina said, looking at him, "I mean as much baggage as I have I could understand…"

  "No, no, no," Medo said, putting a finger over her lips, "That’s not what I meant. I would be honored if you thought me worthy of your trust…"

  "I…" Marina started and thought about her words, "Wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t think I could trust you, Medo. You see, I think this is what Massy and Iggy have been preparing me for all along. I have had my share of pain, but I have a lot more loneliness inside. Something I think you can identify with."

  "Yes," Medo agreed, "I think I can…"

  "By eliminating that loneliness," Marina told him, "I get better. Time doesn’t make it go away, but it makes the scars hurt less. As far as you being worthy…"

  Marina smiled and put her hand over Medo’s heart, feeling it thumping in his chest. She looked into his eyes and continued.

  "Insegniferro and Massimaferro are the two men who I trust most in the world," Marina told him, "If they think you’re worthy, who am I to contradict them? It was Iggy who suggested I come out and talk to you tonight you know?"

  "Really?" Medoferro said, surprised, "He asked you to talk about… what you went through?"

  "No," Marina said, shaking her head, "I talked about that because I wanted to. He suggested I come out to talk to you because he thinks we’ll be good for each other."

  "So where do we go from here?" Medoferro asked her.

  "First," Marina smiled brightly, "You kiss me. Then we’ll go upstairs and figure out the rest… Together."

  Medoferro took the invitation she had offered him and kissed her. It was the first real kiss for him and he gave it everything he could. She had only a little more experience with this form of kissing and was impressed that he did as well as he did. She was encouraged and definitely wanted more.

  "Shall we go and break in your new suite?" Marina asked him, "You do, after all, have a lot to learn…"

  "What about the party and everyone else?" Medoferro asked her and then looked back inside, "Oh…"

  The party was already slowing down. Iggy was still sitting there talking with some of the older members, but Sascha and Marianna had retired with Massimaferro already. Simon and Miranda were dancing very close, aided by more than a generous helping of the ale and wine.

  "I guess they won’t miss us," Marina chuckled and stood up, "Shall we?"

  "Let’s…" Medoferro said as he took her hand and let her lead him back to his room. He knew he was in for a long and exceedingly educational experience that night, or at least he certainly hoped so.