In the Light of the Passing: Book 1

 

Chapter 1

     Darkness was already settling as Nadeena hurried through the large, stone gate in front of her home. The massive building at the end of the walk stood silent as she rushed toward it—as though muted by the semi-darkness. Its shadow, barely discernable in the twilight, reached out to engulf her, but Nadeena didn’t notice. The fear that caused her hands to now tremble had nothing to do with the building—only what waited inside.

     She swallowed hard and started up the steps, then stopped halfway to the top. She had missed dinner, of that she was certain. Her parents expected . . . no, they demanded that she be on time for meals. It was just one of the many rules they insisted she follow. Stand straight, be polite, smile when approached, don’t speak too freely to the commoners—the list went on and on. She hated being the commander’s daughter—and she hated it even more when she was late. She retreated down the steps and quickly circled to the back of the house. Perhaps if no one saw her come in . . .

     "Commander Vallance wishes a word with you, your Highness."

     A sentry had been placed at the rear entrance as well. Dressed in dark clothing and positioned in the shadows, Nadeena had not seen him. She startled when he spoke and her heart skipped a beat, then slowly sank. Her father was already asking for her. This wasn’t going to be good.

     Nadeena stepped past the sentry and hurried inside. She rushed down the corridor, the rapid echo of her footsteps traveling before her like an unseen companion leading the way. Overhead rows of incandescent lights brightened the narrow hallway, robbing the commander’s daughter of her shadow. The white walls of the corridor stretched on and on, their monotony broken at intervals by control panels trimmed with pulsating, multicolored lights. The panels reported the climate and security status of both the commander’s home and his city. On any other night Nadeena would have noted the information, either to satisfy her curiosity or simply out of habit. But tonight her mind was somewhere else.

     She knew she was in trouble—and it wasn’t just because she’d missed dinner. Going against her father’s wishes, Nadeena had spent the afternoon wandering in the dells—an unspoiled, wooded area that surrounded their city. The commander had made it known that he was not amused by her lengthy hikes. "Foolish wanderings" he called them, "and a waste of time." In fact, he had stopped just short of confining her to the city. Knowing this, she’d had every intention of staying close to home . . . but her good intentions weren’t good enough.

     Nadeena had not intentionally set out to disobey her father, but the dells were her escape. No matter where she went in the city, she was always the ‘commander’s daughter’. People would bow to her, then hurry past. No one stopped to visit or even dared look her in the eye. In the city, she stood in the midst of many, yet found herself isolated and very much alone. In the dells it was different. In the dells, she was alone. There was simply her and an amazing sense of calm, yet that was enough.

     So today, in spite of her best intentions, Nadeena had once again found herself wandering the wooded trails. She reasoned that her feet had carried her there out of simple habit. And then, to make matters worse, she’d lost track of time. With his network of guards and loyal subjects, the commander had eyes everywhere—he knew how she’d spent her afternoon, Nadeena was certain of that. Her only question now was, ‘what was he going to do about it?’

      With that thought held at bay, Nadeena continued on to the royal chamber, gathering her courage as she went. Arriving at the first security checkpoint, she paused long enough to place her palm over the door’s identification scanner. A muted, humming sound commenced, followed by several beeps of varied tones. As the door slid open, Nadeena took another deep breath. She was already planning her defense as she stepped inside.

     One more narrow passage stretched before her, the one that led to the door of the master chamber. Nadeena was nervous and uncertain—her hope of avoiding a confrontation all but crushed. She pushed on, her stern expression and measured steps more those of a felon than Vallance’s own daughter. Here, as in the previous corridor, she had no shadow to accompany her. To Nadeena, its absence seemed fitting. Facing her father was something she had to do alone. She paused a final time at the end of the passage, bracing herself before stepping onto the sensor panel. The door slid open quietly, allowing her to enter.

     The hour was not overly late, yet the commander and his wife were already dressed to retire. They were seated on a bench at the far side of the room, conversing quietly, wearing stark white robes with the city’s insignia emblazoned on the upper right chest. At Nadeena’s entrance, they fell silent and exchanged a look. As though acknowledging that it couldn't’ be put off any longer, they got up and came to meet her. Despite their apparent seriousness, Nadeena had to struggle to keep a grin from spreading across her face. For reasons she could not explain, Nadeena thought her parents looked ridiculous. Perhaps it was because she was accustomed to seeing them dressed as royalty, all prim and proper. The terry robes were adding a touch of surrealism to the meeting. Nadeena cleared her throat and swallowed hard.

     Her parents continued to approach--Nadeena’s mother faithfully holding on to the commander, her arm slipped casually through his. Halfway to where her daughter stood waiting, the older woman let go and crossed to a small mirrored table at the edge of the room. Once there, she sat and picked up a brush, then methodically began to draw it through her graying strands. The woman locked eyes with the reflection in the mirror, assuring the stony face that what took place between her husband and daughter was none of their concern.

     As his wife attended to her ritualistic primping, Commander Vallance continued toward Nadeena, advancing until he towered over her. He was a large man, broad in the shoulder. When angered, as he now was, his thinning, gray hair did little to hide the pulsing veins that burrowed under his temples. There were lines etched on his face, by time and temper. His current expression was one of distaste and his stare hardened more with each passing second.

     The amusement Nadeena felt a moment earlier had vanished, perhaps slipping out behind her before the door had managed to slide completely shut. Her cheeks grew flushed as her father studied her. In her eagerness to get the confrontation over with, Nadeena had made a major blunder. She’d neglected to dress for the meeting. She swallowed hard and glanced down, viewing herself through her father’s eyes. The sight was anything but reassuring.

     The uniform Nadeena wore was standard attire for the citizens of Sarzan. It was one piece, off-white, and belted at the waist . The outfit was plain and unappealing, but the drab covering could not detract from Nadeena’s trim figure and striking blue eyes. When she’d left home that morning, Sarzan had beheld a beautiful, young woman—her uniform freshly pressed and her blond hair secured in a neat, little bun. But that was hours ago.

     With growing dismay, Nadeena realized that off-white was not a good color for hiking. Her self-scrutiny revealed that the uniform was soiled and a jagged tear ran across her right thigh. She remembered catching it on a branch, but had shrugged it off when she was certain the underlying scratch wasn’t deep. She’d also rolled the cuffs of her pants before entering the forest, hoping they’d be less likely to drag on the ground. They were still rolled and one had a twig tucked neatly in its folds. It stuck out, taunting her like a stray feather on a nearly plucked goose. She closed her eyes and lifted a hand to her neck. Her long hair, previously drawn back and secured, had come loose during the course of her wanderings. Her fingers now grasped at the loose strands that hung down across her shoulders, tangled and unkempt. Too late, she struggled to pull it back, all the while avoiding her father’s stony gaze.

     Vallance glanced back at Diona. Sensing his need for a witness, the woman tore herself away from her reflection just long enough to throw an ‘I told you so’ look his way. When neither parent spoke, Nadeena gathered her courage.

     "I was told you wished to see me."

     "Where were you today, Nadeena?" He looked at her squarely, daring her to lie, yet before she could reply he held up his hand. "No, don’t answer. We both know where you were."

     Nadeena lowered her gaze.

     "Would you care to deny it?"

     "I deny nothing." Nadeena’s voice was barely audible.

     Vallance’s scowl deepened. "Why do you persist in these wanderings? It’s foolishness and nothing else. Not only have you neglected your duties to go wandering off, but you have disobeyed my orders—orders that strictly forbid you to go!"

     Nadeena looked up quickly. "I have neglected nothing! What duties do I have, Father? Please tell me, what is it you wish me to do?"

     "I wish . . . no, I demand that you stop disgracing your mother and myself with your wandering. It’s foolishness!"

     "Foolishness? I enjoy the dells. It’s peaceful there. Why is that foolish?"

     "If you are too inept to understand—"

     "Then train me, Father. Enlighten me." Nadeena knew there was an invisible line nested within their conversation and she was relatively certain she was crossing it. "You call my wanderings foolishness, but you will not say what you wish me to do in their stead."

     "You should not need to be told—"

     "And yet I do!" Nadeena pushed it still further. "Should I accompany you to the council meetings, is that what a commander’s daughter should do?"

     "Council meetings are for elected officials. There is no place there for you."

     "Why not, father? Why should I not be there? You don’t want me wandering about in the dells, you don’t want me accompanying you to meetings . . . then where should I be?"

     The commander turned and walked away. "I grow tired of this. There will be no more discussion. All areas beyond the city are hereby off limits. Is that clear? Now go." He turned back to scrutinize Nadeena a final time. "And if it’s not too much trouble, see if you can clean yourself up before anyone else takes notice of you."

     Nadeena stepped toward him. "I cannot sit in this house all day--"

     "Then mingle with the people, it is none of my concern."

     "No, I can’t—"

     He turned on her, the veins bulging ever larger. "You can and you will! Now go!"

     Nadeena was shaking her head without knowing it. Tears threatened but she fought them back. "So, you think I am inept? You said so, only moments ago. Is that why you wish to hide me away inside these walls? I could learn, if you gave me the chance. I could be taught what a commander’s heir should know—"

     Her father’s laughter was cruel and abrupt. It tore at Nadeena, intensifying as the sound echoed through her mind.

     "You," he chortled, "an heir? Never. We raised you as royalty because we had no choice, but your birth was a cruel joke that fate wished to play on us. You shall have no part of this city, not ever. I will deal with the issue of an heir when the time comes. Until then, my only hope is that you will somehow refrain from embarrassing us any further."

     "But, I don’t understand--"

     "And you never will." He crossed to the door and activated it, then stepped to one side as it slid open. "Now go, or would you prefer I summon a guard to escort you out?"

     Nadeena was frozen in place. She couldn’t move. The commander stepped toward her.

     "Do not push me, Nadeena. I am not in the mood for your games. The people have seen you come and go, even though it is against my bidding. Because of your actions, they now need proof of my ability to control my own daughter. So be it. Your wanderings are over. Do you hear me?"

     Nadeena stared at him. "But—"

     He was on her in an instant. He grabbed her by the shoulders, his fingers biting in like metal talons. "Hear me, girl, this time you will listen! I will have no one—no one— questioning my authority, least of all you! Do you understand?!" He released her suddenly, pushing her away. She stumbled back, somehow managing to stay on her feet. She watched in pain as a stony smile spread across his face. When he spoke again, his voice was strangely calm.

     "I have already alerted the outposts, Nadeena. You will no longer be permitted to cross the barrier fields to get to your beloved dells. It is done, now go."

     She knew it was hopeless. She brushed past him on her way to the door, her anger mounting with every stride. "I am not a criminal." The words tumbled out, filling the silence. She was powerless to hold them back. "You have no right to treat me like one."

     Crossing the distance behind her with long, forceful strides, Vallance caught up with his daughter before she could make it through the door. He caught her by the arm and pulled back hard. As she whirled around, his large, callused hand struck her, sending her reeling to the floor. His anger not yet spent, he stood over her, fists clenched, but only the hatred in his voice continued the attack.

     "How dare you defy me! I run this city—my word is law. You know the punishment for disobeying me and still you persist. Act like a renegade and you will be treated as such! Were you not my daughter, I would put you in your place. I dare say, sending a woman to the mines would cause quite a stir—both in the tunnels below and in the city above. I could arrange it, Nadeena. Who knows, maybe some time spent with the miners is what you need to teach you your place. Disobey me again and we will find out."

     He left her standing by the door and moved back into his chamber, throwing a warning over his shoulder as he went. "Do not press me too far, Nadeena. I have yet to find a use for you."

     Diona remained seated at the small table, toying with her hair—as though running the brush through often enough would remove the gray from the once auburn strands. She watched as her husband strode past her and entered their private chamber. As the door slid closed, she laid the brush aside, got up, and nonchalantly crossed to where Nadeena was still seated on the floor.

     "Why do you do it, Nadeena? Why must you always push him too far? He is your father—and the commander here. It will be his way and his way alone, which is just as it should be." The older woman looked toward the doorway where Vallance had gone. "Perhaps if you told him you were sorry."

     Nadeena got to her feet without a word, but Diona knew her daughter well enough to know what was thundering through the girl’s mind.

     "So you’re not sorry. At least, not yet. But mark my words. Push your father, Nadeena, push him on this issue and you will be. In fact, you may well learn what ‘sorry’ really means."

     Diona went back to the table and resumed brushing her hair as Nadeena watched in silence. Her cheek still stung where her father had struck her and tears threatened. Not wanting to give her mother the satisfaction of seeing her cry, she left the way she had come. But now, as she retreated down the familiar corridors, she found herself fighting the sensation that the walls were closing in. Her mind raced, scheming about avenues of escape with no regard to feasibility. She could not stay locked up in this city. There had to be a way out. Her heart was pounding, as if struggling to keep pace with her thoughts—which whirled and twisted and pounded relentlessly in her head. She didn’t know how she was going to escape this sentence. She only knew she had to try.

     Diona sat and quietly studied the reflection in her mirror. Seeing the auburn that was no longer there, she continued to run the brush through her long hair, allowing the strands to bounce back after each stroke. Twenty Passings they had lived here. It was a long time. She could see the age in her husband’s face and it worried her. He could not be commander forever and although he seldom spoke of it, the issue of attaining a suitable heir had begun to weigh heavily upon him. There had been hope once, yet twenty Passings came and went and no son arrived to carry on his name. She paused, brush midstroke, lost in thought. Her mind rested on Nadeena and the anger returned. She tugged at the brush suddenly, wrenching it through the shoulder length waves, then she rested it on the table.

    "What will we do?" She spoke to her silent reflection, anxious to answer its questioning gaze. "There will be no son, of that we can be certain. So what will we do?" The reflection frowned and Diona shook her head sadly. "Why would fate be so cruel?" The frown deepened the furrows on her face and Diona grew angry at the age showing there. She got up and left, leaving the reflection behind to do as it would.

     The woman moved about the room, pacing back and forth like a frustrated animal—penned and angry. Then she brightened a bit. Shaking her finger as if to emphasize a point, she again spoke, even though there was no one in the room to listen.

     "Perhaps . . . perhaps I worry too much. There is more than one way to attain an heir. The city has much to offer. With the wealth of the mines stretching below us . . ."

     Diona startled, as though a solution suddenly sprang into her head. The mines could serve as a dowry! Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner? What Nadeena lacked in brains she more than made up for in beauty. She was young, pretty, and her father was a commander. What more could a man—the right man—want in a woman? The solution was simple. Simple and perfect.

     Her mind was racing and gaining momentum with every stride. A perspective husband for their daughter would have much to gain, but the arrangement would have to be handled properly. This would not be a charity transaction by any means. The right prospect would have to possess some wealth of his own. And he would have to come from fine lineage. There was a lot to consider, but such a man could be found, Diona was certain of it. Especially if the price was right. She smiled, but like her husband’s smile earlier, it was cold and calculated.

     Commander Vallance returned and glanced about. He relaxed when he saw that his daughter had left. Diona went to him and wrapped her arms about his neck, embracing him with a rare eagerness.

     "And what is this? To what do I owe this mood?" He questioned her as he returned the embrace, but his lips were tasting hers well before they had their answer.

     Diona laughed softly, then stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear. "I had a wonderful idea." She kissed him again, ignoring the curiosity that played upon his face. "I will tell you, I promise—but not now. It can wait for a while . . . just for a while.

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