TWO

..---

As soon as Yeshua and Gisela left, my shield cracked. Certainly, everyone stared at me: I was a foreigner here, dressed in a green chemise, my hair pulled back in an unkempt braid and face beaten with dirt. I quivered beneath the watchful eye of the hourglass structure perched upon the Temple in the City Center. It counted each moment, jewels toppling from the upper chamber into the one beneath it. The guards watched me with similar intent from their towers and street corners. Rosada’s gaze never ceased.

Even as I hailed a horse and buggy, I felt their gazes, set aware by my thick accent cutting open my disguise.

It was clear.

I was not Rosadian.

Now, everyone would know. The Guard. The civilians. Everyone.

But even as I climbed into the buggy, I kept my head high.

“Where ya heading?” the cabby asked.

I handed him my letter from Elodie. He read it over, smirked, then gave it back to me.

“You going to Ms. Lieu’s house? That’s gonna cost ya a pretty penny. It’s on the outskirts of the city, y’know.” 

I removed a small parcel of coins Elodie sent me. The cabby sifted through the coins, smiled, and pocketed them.

After I climbed aboard, with a thrust of the reigns, the cabby ushered his brown horse forward down the path. I sank back into the seat, holding my breath as the horse trotted over each bump and swerve in the road. 

I kept my attention locked on the Capitol. It towered in a way that dwarfed Stilette. Buildings rose above the trees, buggies ran through the streets, and steam engines puffed clouds of smoke over the rooftops from the train tracks to the south. The watchtowers marked the landscape, peering through the heavy smog as if they constantly watched my every movement and thought.

In the Capitol, the smoke and guard existed as constant companions. The smoke left an ethereal glow about the buildings while the Guard waited on every corner with their bronze uniforms and unsmiling faces. Just seeing them standing there, as frigid and linear as the designs on the buildings, left a foul taste in my mouth. 

Keeping my voice low, I leaned forward to ask the cabby, “Are there always so many guards?” 

“They’re usually out and about, but not usually like this.” The cabby gripped the reins of his horse tight. “Think it’s ‘cause the new Senate is taking seat today or something. Not that I would call it much of a new senate, but eh, whatever, y’know? Same old, same old. People don’t like change. As my pa says, people always change horses midstream, and we end up with shit like this.”

“Change horses midstream?” I echoed.

“Y’know, they don’t make good decisions, so we get stuck with the same senators time and time again, and nothing changes. You ain’t from here, right? So you probably don’t know much about this, do ya?”

“Oh, no, not really.”

“Let me tell ya then...” The cabby ranted. In that short ride to Elodie’s home, I learned everything about the Rosadian government…not that I remembered most of it. He told me about the elections every five years, where unchallenged senators formed dynasties across the country. He named each senator without having to think, his eyes lighting up with each detail. His excitement buzzed over different names, fixating on a senator from a mountain region as well as a few in the south. I couldn’t keep up with all the names, but that didn’t matter. His enthusiasm was contagious.

The cabby was a young fellow, probably a couple years older than me, with gorgeous hazel eyes and uneven stubble. His puffy red hair stuck out from beneath his large hat, as fiery as his personality. Like a flame, he flickered back and forth as he spoke.

And I hung onto every word, smiling when he laughed, trying my best to understand his jokes and metaphors.

“So, I gotta ask,” the cabby said. “What brings you to Rosada and Ms. Lieu and all?”

“Oh, Ms. Lieu’s my sister. I’m moving in with her.”

“Guess I’ll see ya around then. I’m one of the few cabbies who’ll venture out this far.” 

“Why’s that?”

“I don’t live in the city, so I pass by here a lot, but a lot of cabbies don’t think it’s worth it to come out here. Not many people and kind of...dusty, y’know. Most cabbies prefer the glamor of the city. Not that Ms. Lieu blends in with the dust. She sticks out like a sore thumb, always garnished in the finest clothes. Wouldn’t have thought of you as her sister. You got the same Volfium accent and all, but it’s just that you don’t look like her or anything.” His face turned redder than his hair. “I don’t mean that in a bad way! You’re just...you’re very pretty!” 

I flushed. Usually, I would have shied away from a stranger’s compliments, but this cabby had opened his heart and soul to me in a matter of seconds. He cast me in a net of stories and reeled me into his tales. To be frank, he wasn’t a bad looking man either.

I stopped myself short of saying anything, though. My heart still bled from my goodbye with Gisela and Yeshua. This man was just a cabby I might never see again.

I didn’t even know his name!

“Listen, um…” The cabby fumbled as he pulled up in front of a wide wooden house with more windows than steps. “If you ever want someone to show you around the Capitol, once you’re all settled and such, just ask for me. I’m happy to give you the grand tour.”

“That might be hard without a name,” I noted.

“Oh, right! Sorry! My name is Ryon Barnes. If that’s too hard, just think to yourself, ‘If I were to house animals, what would I be?’… ‘I’m a barn.’” He half chuckled at his poor joke. “Sorry...I don’t know why I said that.”

I smiled. “I’ll remember, Ryon Barnes.”

“Oh, good. Good.”

I hopped off the back of the cabby and smiled at Ryon. “I’m Nanette, by the way.”

“Nanette...” Ryon’s cheeks reddened again. “Nanette...who is darker than a brunette...who smiles like a sunset.”

“Mr. Barnes, I don’t think now is the time for flirtation!” I stifled a giggle.

He shook his head. “I apologize. My mind is truly peculiar, and I am uncertain what I’m doing half the time.”

“I like it.” I grinned. “Hopefully I’ll see you around, Mr. Barnes.” 

“You too, Nanette. You too.”

He smiled one last time, showing off the golden tooth glistening in the back of his mouth. Then, with a single “hi-yah,” he rode off down the road back towards the city. 

My stomach churned, watching him go; would he find another girl like me to charm with his smile and lame jokes? Why did it matter? I had only met this young man. Plus, the whole time I spent with Yeshua and Gisela, not once was I jealous of their true romance. What was I thinking? I hardly knew Ryon Barnes, but here I was, watching him ride off with my hiccoughing heart.

I convinced myself it was just me clinging to companionship, the first friendly face in the vast stone jungle of the Capitol. It was best to forget about him. There were swarms of people to meet.

And for now, it was time to reunite with my sister.

 

“DORIS!” Elodie squealed as soon as she opened the door.

“I go by Nanette now...” I fidgeted as she threw her arms around me.

“Right, of course. Nanette. That is much nicer than that other name.”

Elodie and I, for all intents and purposes, were complete opposites. Where I was quiet, she was loud. While I tanned easily, she burned; while my hair was black, hers was blonde; while my nose was big and pointed, hers was round and buttoned; while I was tall and round, she was short and thin; while my eyes were hazel, hers were green. But Father always said we had the same smile and often wrung our hands in the same ways that made everyone notice we were indeed sisters. 

“Oh, darling! I am so happy to see you!” She squeezed me tight. “I would have come down for Daddy’s funeral, but the cost and the timing were not ideal. Travel for me right now wouldn’t be good. Oh, not at all. Plus, we had to get everything ready for you to come. I couldn’t leave Marietta here alone either, the poor dear.”

Elodie patted my cheeks. “Come! You must meet Marietta! She is wonderful! It is a shame you and Daddy didn’t make it to our wedding a few months ago. I know, I know—cost! Pah! Money is always an issue, isn’t it? And Daddy wasn’t doing well. I am glad you made it, though...although it took you far longer than I would have hoped. You should have told me about your financial situation! I could have arranged something so you could have taken a train rather than a filthy caravan...”

She snatched my bag from me, continuing to babble as we walked inside the house. “Never mind that! You’re here now! And now you’re a part of me and Marietta’s life! It will be so great, especially once...well...forget it. We can talk about it later. How was your journey from the city? Did the cabby get you here well? I hope—” 

My mind wandered. I’d forgotten how much Elodie talked!

My attention drifted over the fixtures of the home while she showed me around. It was a sizeable house with a rickety stairwell leading to a basement containing old furniture and dusty bottles. A kitchen sprawled above the stairwell, and beside it, a comfortable parlor gazed over the front yard. A rifle hung on the wall amongst the bookshelves. Five bedrooms waited upstairs, with two bathrooms shared between them, as well as a half-sized lavatory downstairs. It reminded me much more of a tavern than a home. 

 Elodie finished giving me the grand tour, dropping my bags off at the foot of the stairs, before leading me back into the parlor. Elodie called into the room as we entered, “Marietta! Look! Doris is here! But don’t call her Doris—call her Nanette. That is her name now.” 

Marietta looked up from her spot by the window. She smiled sanguinely at me, fixed her glasses, then turned back to the glass panes with a hollow stare. Her dark, empty eyes took me aback; how could my boisterous sister be with someone so quiet and disinterested? Elodie was the type of person to laugh at every bird fluttering by or fixate on the details of a doily on the end table. I expected her spouse to be similar.

I didn’t ponder it for long, though. Elodie gripped me by the hands and spun me around in a circle, giggling like a schoolgirl.

“I am delighted you’re here, Dor—Nanette! I missed you dearly, and I cannot wait to show you every corner of the Capitol. It makes Stilette feel minuscule, really! This...THIS is a city! We don’t have people living under stilts or constant fires from ill performances or meals that are always mashed with fish! Disgusting, yes?” She laughed. “Oh, we have so much catching up to do! How is that neighborhood boy I used to like? I don’t even remember his name. Or—oh!” Elodie jumped back and clapped her hands. “Where are my manners? I’m sure you’re exhausted from your journey! And hungry! Do you want anything to eat or drink?” 

“Oh, that would be wonderful, if you don’t mind,” I said as I lowered myself into a chair.

Elodie twirled around to face Marietta. “Could you be a dear and get us some tea and cookies, love?”

Marietta bowed her head, then strode into the kitchen without another word.

Elodie’s smile vanished for a moment. “Don’t mind her. She is still adjusting, I think. I don’t know. She doesn’t talk to me enough about it…and I don’t feel comfortable inquiring. Every time I ask, she keeps saying, ‘I’m fine, Elodie, my dear. A lot is on my mind.’ I think there is something wrong, but I can’t figure it out. I don’t think she’s seeing anyone else, but I may be mistaken.” Elodie leaned forward, whispering, “We could find out together! Play a game of elusive spies, like we used to! Remember the stories Daddy used to tell? They were—” She shook her head. “Well, never mind those.” 

“You mean the one about the two spies that sailed from Janis to spy on the King of Perennes?” I asked, readying myself for the tale. “Yes, that was always my favorite. How did it go again?”

“Nanette...”

“Didn’t it start with the old man telling his daughter he had riches abroad? I always loved that—”

“Doris Nanette!” Elodie rose. “Stop!” 

I stared at her. “What? What’s wrong?”

“Stop with the stories. They’re not good for anyone.”

“What do you mean? Daddy always told stories!”

“Yes, but that was then. Now...” Elodie frowned. “Now we’re in Rosada.”

“So?”

“Nanette, don’t you know? Rosada outlawed stories.”