So much to do in so little time...
Danielle lay on the canopied bed and pondered her future. She knew of her birth parents but not the whole story. She learned, through Evore, she was born to Aunya, a Benutian woman who gave up her two children in wake of Vlaric's baby purge. Dani will go, with Asen, to Alecrig, a small village at the base of Mt. Soraring, in the morning. There she will meet her birth mother, but what about the brother? No one had yet to reveal the sibling's identity, although Dani had an inkling just who that brother may be.
Come on, it has to be him. Why else would he help Asen escape his father? Why would he give me that crystal key? And what does that key unlock? Evore mentioned, during our meeting a special box now safely stashed at Starfield House. Yet, isn't Tyq due to be smashed into oblivion? What if Banes, now the new self-proclaimed ruler of Eldonia, decides to bombard Starfield House?
None of this will happen, reassured Evore who didn't elaborate on the Alliance's plan to oust the Eldonian regime. The years of painstaking planning and meticulous timing, culminating in the final assault on the oppressive regime, could not be undone with a careless slip of the tongue or reckless actions. Starfield House will be safe; it's the city of Tyq itself and the whole of Chalou Province that will suffer the full brunt of frustrated, fed-up Benutians. Yet, in the aftermath, Evore said, a new land will emerge from the ashes, a reunited country envisioned by Queen Indria before her husband Thomas I guided Eldonia down its dark path.
The only pressing matter now is to reunite Danielle with her Benutian family. So many questions swirled in Dani's mind. How would her birth mother regard her after all these years? What would Dani feel towards the woman who purposefully gave up her own children, just to keep them safe? The only parents Dani ever knew were Greg and Joanne Bennett, and now it was certain she would never see them again. How she wished her mom and dad were here now. It was obvious her parents assumed Dani died in that storm, yet no body was found. By now, her empty car may have been found, but not Dani.
Oh God, I have no way to contact my folks, no way to tell them I'm alive and well...I suppose they've given up the search for me. All my family, friends, co-workers think I'm dead. What is to become of my property, money, stocks? I have no children or husband to whom to leave my belongings. I suppose Mom and Dad will have to sell my house in Charleston, the very house I spent so many years and thousands of dollars to restore...
"Danielle? Are you asleep? I can't and need to talk..."
Dani, still in the sitting room and trying to lull herself to sleep, looked up to see Prince Asen poking his head though the adjoining suite's door.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you," he said. "What I have to say can wait until morning."
Putting down the book on Nemirian mythology, a huge tome she thought boring enough to make her drowsy but instead proved to be utterly fascinating, smiled at Asen, saying, "I couldn't sleep, either. I thought this big book would bore me to sleep, but it's not working. Come on in."
Asen laughed though he was slightly embarrassed to enter a lady's bedchamber. Oh, he was still in his nightshirt and purple velvet dressing gown, hardly attire for a quick seduction which was far from his mind.
Seating himself next to Dani on the couch, he said, "We've been rushing off to this and that place, so much so that we really hadn't time to get better acquainted. To be frank, I'm somewhat apprehensive of this meeting at Mt. Soraring tomorrow. I mean, it has nothing to do with me, personally, but for you–"
"I'm a bit nervous, too," said Dani. "See, ever since coming here and learning I have family ties, I'm afraid I'd forget all I've known. My parents have probably given up the search for me, and they most likely believe I drowned in the storm. I have no idea what's gone on at work, what's to become of my house and money..."
Now this was interesting, and totally foreign to Asen. No women in Eldonia have their own money; they do not hold high positions, only menial support jobs. They don't own property or inherit their husbands' estates. In fact, Eldonian women play no role in state or public affairs; those are fields solely offered to men. There are, granted influential women in the nobility, but their voices are seldom heard let alone heeded. So, after explaining Eldonia's ironclad gender division, and out of great curiosity, he asked:
"So, you own property, and you work. In what capacity? And what type of property?"
Dani, somewhat disgusted by this country's obvious backwardness as to gender roles, replied, "I'm a lawyer in a large firm in Charleston. Corporate and estate law. I bought a house in the historic district and spent months restoring it, and I own a vacation home in Myrtle Beach, just steps away from the beach. I love it so, my life that is. But now that I'm here, and it's plain I may never be able to go home..."
She began to cry, adding between sobs, "And my folks...I know they're missing me fiercely. They may not have called off the search, but deep down I'm sure they've given up. I miss them so much, and I'd give anything to have them here with me now. I miss my old room, all my old school friends, Chauncey..."
"Chauncey?"
"My dog. Bassett hound. Mom got him for me after I made the debate team in high school. I couldn't take him with me after I started my job; the apartment I rented didn't allow dogs. I was going to take him back to Charleston with me, but..."
Asen, sensing Danielle's pain, put his arm around her and held her close. The woman is so distraught, what with the separation from her family and all she's known. The suffering goes that deep, yet, to Asen, Dani proved to be the kind of woman worthy to be Eldonia's next ruler. She is compassionate, brilliant, honest, and possesses a determination and ambition unlike any woman in all Eldonia. Amarah would be proud of her illustrious descendent, and reassured the future of the nation will soon be in good hands.
"I can't promise that you'll ever see your family again, Dani. But, please, for my sake, don't ever forget them. Perhaps, once things settle after you meet your birth mother, I could speak to Evore or Chenek. There has to be a way to bring your family here."
A hopeful Dani asked, "Do you think that's possible? According to Tanina, everyone who's come to Eldonia never leave. They can't. What is it about this place that prevents one from leaving? I don't get it. From what Evore could tell me, and I'm just assuming this to be true, they were able to smuggle me out of here. That's how I ended up in Ohio...Wait a minute!"
She continued after getting a brain flash, "If Eldonia is surrounded by all this ocean, how did I, as a baby, survive that journey from here to Ohio? That part of the country is landlocked, unless whatever they put me in somehow travelled along all those rivers from the sea...Oh God, it gets more complicated the more I think about it."
Asen said, "Then don't think about it now. Wait until we meet with Aunya and hear her out. Whatever happened, however Evore and Aunya managed to get you out of the country, will be explained."
Then, "Danielle, I didn't come here solely to talk about this impending meeting. There is much on my mind as well, and I need to unburden myself."
That said, Prince Asen began to pour out his heart, an anguished confession of misplaced loyalties, betrayal, and uncertainty of his future. There was also his undeclared love for Danielle, what should have been said that very day he saw her dancing in the street.
"I never felt close to my father," he said. "My mother was everything to me, and I still terribly miss her. When you told me about missing your family, it just brought back so many memories of Mother."
Dani lightly touched Asen's hand, saying, "You must have loved her very much. What about your father? Surely he and your mom had some sort of relationship even if it wasn't all that loving."
Asen replied, "Oh, I guess they regarded each other, at one time, with something resembling love. But I doubt it. See, my parents rarely spent time together, and my mother admitted to me that she and Father always had separate chambers. In the course of a month, they scarcely said two words to each other, so I concluded they never really loved each other. He had his life and Mother had hers. Well, he is not...Sorry, Danielle, but I really shouldn't tell you this."
"Tell me what?," she asked tentatively.
Asen buried his face in his hands. He seemed, to Dani, to be in tears, but the tone of his voice belied any grief. What he said alarmed Dani.
"My father is dead, Danielle. Murdered, or so it's been reported. Already Banes has made himself regent, and he's taken over everything. You heard what Lan and Evore said this evening, about that weapon aimed right at Benut. Well, Banes apparently made this speech last night, and he blamed my father's murder on the Benutians. He is readying that weapon as we speak, and he intends to use it soon. I know, Danielle, deep in my heart the Alliance had no role in my father's death. It was Banes who did it. He wanted my father out for so long, just to make himself ruler of Eldonia. Chenek could tell me so much, but he suspects Jolende and Sadius helped Banes with this crazy plot to oust my father, then use the murder angle to justify using that weapon against Benut."
A shocked Danielle said, "But didn't Evore say that weapon aimed at Benut is really a fake? It's armed with a substance that will protect Benut against any more attacks. And that Banes doesn't know this? Asen, if he really did mastermind this plot against your father, you must return to Tyq as soon as possible. Confront this man who is wrecking havoc for so many."
Asen shook his head, replying, "No, I can't go back to Tyq. Not right now. Evore said so; it's for my own safety. According to Evore and Lan's spies, Banes has labelled me a traitor. If I go back now, he'll have me arrested and executed for treason. Don't you see, Danielle, there is nothing there for me now. All I want is to see this brutal regime brought to its knees, and for you to take your rightful place as the true ruler. Of course, I will be forever at your side, cheering on our new, independent nation to prosperity and peace unprecedented. Dani, I love you, and I can't imagine life without you."
Now Danielle nearly cried, partially from relief because she found herself falling for the handsome prince. It was no secret to her that she found Asen extremely appealing that day they met in the street in front of the Golden Tiara tavern. He was exceedingly kind to her and nothing like what she assumed a prince to be: haughty, snobbish, aloof, so regal that he forgets to remember he is human.
She drew closer to him, put her hands into his, and said, "May I say the feeling is mutual, Asen. That day we met, then later when you and Jerry Cadmore came to Starfield House, on the run from your father, I felt this pull toward you. I've never felt this way for so long, not since my first crush on a boy in school, and I was only thirteen. Asen, I'm over thirty now and have – Well, had – a thriving career, money, property. For all my success, I've never had time to fall in love. Oh, there were a few young men who seemed interested in me, but the feelings weren't mutual on my part. I resigned that I may possibly never marry, let alone have a long-term relationship. However..."
She began to cry again, tears of relief and joy. Asen held her close, his lips brushing against hers.
He whispered in her ear, "You, swept away in a storm surge, came to our land. It was Providence that brought you here to fulfill your destiny. And I, in dire straits, took desperate measures to fulfill mine. Danielle, we were meant to be together. It was preordained that we forget our own little worlds, cast aside all we've known for the future. My darling, change is at hand as we speak, for you, me, and thousands of people who've been under oppression's yoke for far too long. When you meet Aunya tomorrow, when you hear her story, I shall be with you."
Then, kneeling before her, he looked in her eyes, held her hands, and said, "Danielle, I know it's too soon for a proper proposal. We've hardly any time to become better acquainted. When the Alliance emerges victorious, once we return to Tyq and rebuild our country from the ashes, I'd desire nothing other than to be your partner in life. Danielle, I'm asking you to be my wife."
Dani, halfway expecting the inevitable, softly kissed Asen then replied, "I will be honored to be your wife, Asen. But first, as you said, everything the Alliance has worked so hard to achieve must come to past. As soon as the newly reunited country emerges, we shall be married." Then, brightening up into a broad smile, she said, "How do you guys do weddings here? I've always dreamed of a big formal wedding. The white dress, multi-tiered cake, music, dancing, a huge limousine to take us to our honeymoon..."
Asen laughed. "My dear Danielle, you shall have the wedding you desire. Now, I believe we should get some sleep. Big day ahead of us tomorrow."
At that Danielle laughed and said, "Who can sleep now? Asen, I just want to stay up a little while longer, so we can plan our future." Then, she added somewhat bashfully, "Uh, is it possible if we could...If it's not the way things are done here, I understand... "
Asen read her thoughts then scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bedchamber.
"In the morning, Dani, we will wake up in each other's arms, as we will every morning..."
Copyright©2006, 2007 by P.R. Parker. All rights reserved.