After two weeks, she was finally ready for her trip but first, she needed to head south.
Goodbye, my gorgeous, icy, pearl city and hello to the south's white sandy beaches and scorching, agonising heat.
After hesitating between shuttle and lift she finally decided that the lift would be better.
Lifts were the quickest way to travel between the Arctic and the south in the pacific. Every time her eyes fell on one of the lift stations, she could not help feeling a sense of pride. The stations were the empire's most advanced method of transportation.
At first glance, it looks like a glass dome inside another glass dome inside another glass dome. In reality, the glass panels are solar encased in Satirum, an element needed to power the station's artificial wormhole.
The trip only took a few minutes. A burst of warm air greeted Izzy as soon as she was out of the station, but it was not all bad.
Standing outside wearing a long dress with a delicate floral lace motif and a deep open back was her cousin Pamela Wu.
Yanar's women's fashion can be described as a risqué interpretation of the Victorian era. Most of their outfits had either an open back, plunging necklines or sheer backs. Sometimes even a combination of all three; they believed it accentuated their sensuality.
She truly is the most gracious and elegant girl in the empire, thought Izzy
Izzy's cousin Pamela screamed with joy and ran toward her. Pamela and her twin brother were just one year older than Izzy, so the girls were inseparable growing up.
Pam, also known to be Izzy's favourite cousin, had straight, long, jet black hair that contrasted with Izzy's dark crimson, curly hair.
The girls exchanged a forearm handshake before kissing each other. Unlike other cultures, the Yans greet each other by gripping both forearms and then laying their forehead on the visiting person's.
"The gods must be smiling at me, " said Izzy while placing her forehead on Pam's.
"I couldn't believe it when Mother said that you would come; I expected you to be on your way to the Academy," said Pam.
Izzy pouted, "no. There will be no Academy for me, at least not physically."
"Oh yes, I forgot, the Messa incident"
"Hum-mm," said Izzy while kissing her cousin's cheeks.
Pam rolled her eyes and sigh "I am really starting to get tired of this war"
Izzy chortled "Are you serious? It just started"
Pam scowled "I hate violence, I hate war. Why can't we have peace for a change?"
Izzy raised one shoulder "Because sometimes......," she placed her hand on Pam's shoulder, leaned toward her, and whispered "violence.... Solves.... problems"
Pam's eyes grew, she wrinkled her forehead and smirked "no it doesn't"
"Hum, well in that case we owe the gods a serious apology "added a laughing Izzy
Pam furrowed her brows, "By the way, why on earth did you volunteer to go to England? Last time I checked the Saxons ......"
Izzy placed her hand on her shoulder again "Everybody knows what kind of people Saxons are, but they haven't been in a fight for an awfully long time. They should fear me, not the other way around"
Pam took a few steps backwards, shaking her head "I don't know; their history is filled with scary stories; some people even accused them of attacking without provocation or worse."
Izzy smirked "hey, look at that, so do I. We will get along famously"; and they both burst into a laugh
Pam took a big breath. "I am glad you can joke about it, but I am still worried so i am coming with you."
Izzy shook her head "No! you are a ballet dancer not a soldier, you are not coming"
After a short staring contest, a smile appeared on Pam's face, "oh yes, I am, consider me your wings from now on, or I'll just go by myself" and she crossed her arms.
Izzy looked up "Awwww! Come on," then back at her cousin, "Pam, you could get hurt"
"So what? Besides, I have graduated from FIST just like you. I am coming, end of discussion"
Izzy shook her head and exhaled "Fine but you follow my lead to the letter. Deal?"
Pam smirked "Deal"
As they were making their way to Pam's Mota, Izzy was still anxious. Wings are soldiers and state securities back-ups. But Pam was far from a typical backup; she had graduated from FIST, but she was still a civilian.
FIST is a mandatory martial art; it is part of all-female Yan's education. It is also illegal for girls not to be trained, failure to register one's daughter is punishable by five years in prison.
As soon as they got to Pam's Mota, two-sitter solar-powered city vehicles used in warm parts of the empire, Izzy smiled.
It was beige with cherry blossoms, very Pam she thought and a lot prettier than our northern Snowpiercer's.
On the way to the palace, Izzy was admiring the scenery; Yanar's southern region is a series of islands, and they were undoubtedly one of the most beautiful places in the Alliance for anyone who likes beaches and warm weather.
It had crystal clear turquoise waters, soft white sandy beaches, shallow lagoons and beautiful coral reefs. It also has 1200 Coral Islands, each surrounded by crystal-blue lagoons and grouped in a double chain of multiple atolls, making it one of the most unusual places on Earth and in the Alliance.
The trip to the southern Palace was unusually silent and fast; Izzy looked at Pam
"Ok, out with it; something is on your mind, and I will not leave you alone until you tell me what it is."
Pam turned to her with a grin, "what do you mean?"
"don't play coy with me Pam; you are here without our cousins or your twin, and you have not said a word since we left the station. So, something is up; what is it?"
She crinkled her eyes and nose at her cousin and then said with a big smile, "something significant happened".
Izzy raised her brows and looked at her; her beautiful black eyes had dancing stars in them, her pearl skin was glowing, her long black hair was not in a bun like it usually was, they were flowing and had been set free.
She blurted out, "you are in love."
Pam smiled and nodded; Izzy screamed and started clapping, but before she could say a word, Pam yelled, "At home, and only at home."
Izzy rolled her eyes, but she knew begging would not help. Pam could be obstinate.
Their family's southern Palace differed significantly from their northern one. It had a majestic and elegant, overlong facade, at least 250 meters long.
Pam parked in front of the main stairs and started walking in when she realised that Izzy wasn't following her.
Izzy was staring at the main entrance. Pam walked back, stood next to her, and asked, "are you ok?"
Izzy glanced at, smiled then said, "I had forgotten how beautiful it was."
Pam nodded "yes, it is. I love the Elizabeth's baroque style."
Izzy turned around and starred at the garden; the large parterre had two ponds and three shrubberies circled with bushes on each side and fruit trees.
"What do you think will happen to all that beauty if we lose the war?" said Izzy
Pam took her hand "Nothing because we are not going to lose. Now come on, I have so much to tell you."
Izzy took her hand, smiled, and said "I'll race you"
And the girl ran inside laughing.
Izzy was right to be concern, the southern palace was a marvel, envied by all their allies.
The garden parterre with its marble sculptures of the goddess of nature, Papa, the goddess of fertility, Haumea, the god of the rain and plants, Lono and the goddess of beauty, Laka was enchanting.
The park had two alleys; each alley ended either at the Palace or a fountain. The park masterpiece was a giant fountain called Diam, with its two large seven-step staircases, a spacious area in front of it, and a three-level cascade.
Above the fountain was a terrace, with a marble balustrade leading to a smaller fountain.
The interior, mainly decorated in the baroque style, is a wealth and opulence model from before the generation war.
The Palace, filled with Rococo artwork, bronze sculptures and intricate tapestries, represented their ancestors' need for power and grandeur.
With its furniture clad in gold, oversized mirrors, crystal chandeliers, and rich woven textiles, the palace was the favourite residence for most among the Members of the Tens.
But the girls were oblivious to all that splendour; all they cared about was to get to Izzy's boudoir. They flung open the door, Izzy pushed Pam on the velvet chaise longue and jumped next to her "ok, now I want to know everything, do not skip a detail."
Izzy's boudoir was not her favourite; she found the décor too over the top, with its heavy curtains, antique furniture, and deep colours.
Pam started, "Remember when I went to Eiao?"
Izzy nodded, and Pam continued, "well, I met someone there."
"Ooh ra ra, Il y a meme un rac," said Izzy while giggling
Ooh ra ra, il y a meme un rac is the yan version for a sardonic Oh my goodness
"Do you want to know what happened or not?" she said with a giggle
Izzy laughed, "Sorry, please continue, My Lady,"
Pam rolled her eyes, "So, I was there for five days when something washed up on the shores."
It's getting good thought Izzy,
and she leaned toward Pam who continued, "it was the wreckage of a ship, and slowly but surely, debris-covered the beach."
Izzy started fidgeting; Pam added, "when I went to examine it, I saw the body of a boy, clinging to a piece of wood."
She picked up a glass of water, " I ran, jumped in the water, and dragged him to shore. I thought he was dead, but he groaned. So, I gave him some water and fed him some soup, hoping to save him."
Izzy's eyes widened, "and did you?"
She moved her head left and right "Yes, but there is more. Did I mention he is a Masani?"
Izzy's eyes widened even more, and she covered her mouth to hold in a chuckle "by Freya, a Masani? I have never laid eyes on one of them,"
Pam nodded and laughed, "Me neither before him".
Izzy opened her mouth to speak, but Pam motioned for her to stop, "just let me finish the story."
She took a big breath and said, "eventually, he looked better, but he was still unconscious. He stayed unconscious for days. When he finally woke up, he explained he was a singer in a Japanese musical group. He had taken a boat from the kingdom of Hawaii where he had been performing to French Polynesia before returning to Tokyo."
Izzy straightened up, "Then what happened?"
"Apparently, a storm came out of nowhere and destroyed his boat. The crew he had hired from Honolulu had disappeared. He didn't know what had happened to them."
Izzy asked, " When did you start having feelings for him?"
Pam laughed, "it happened without either of us realising what was....... Well...... happening."
"The first time I knew I was falling for him was when he started walking. I would help him up, and every time my hand felt the skin of his bare torso, I got a jolt of electricity in my lower abdomen and worse, it made my heart race."
Izzy giggled, "Ooh ra ra, il ......"
Pam cupped her cousin's cheeks with one hand and said, " finish that sentence, and I will strangle you."
Izzy burst out laughing and nodded, "alright, alright, continue,"
"Ok, so as I was saying, when he touched my hand...."
Then she stopped, got up and started pacing, "oh Izzy; it was like super charged lava was coursing through my veins; I had palpitations and barely slept that night,"
"I bet...." Replied her cousin, and they both started laughing.
"The next day, I was planning on avoiding touching him, but one look from him made my knees weak. I couldn't look away; his gaze kept me prisoner. After that, everything disappeared, the cave, the noise outside, everything was gone. It was just him and me."
She repeated, "just him and me."
She returned to the chaise-long, sat and paused for a moment, "before I knew it, his lips were on mine and hmmm....," she closed her eyes and licked her lower lip.
Pam seemed to have forgotten that she was not alone; she was lost in the memory and had flown back to the island.
Deep in her reverie, she continued, " I never thought a kiss could be so amazing. His hands were all over me; we couldn't get enough of each other. He kept telling me how beautiful I was and kissing me repeatedly...."
Bang! It is the sound they heard before jumping out of their skin.
Behind them was standing Hassan and Thor, their cousins, with grins on their faces.
"Please don't let us interrupt ...." said Thor with the biggest grin.
Pam clenched her fists and bit her lower lip; blood flew to her face.
Izzy couldn't stop laughing while Hassan's eyes travelled from Pam's fists, working their way up to her red face. He kicked Thor and jutted his chin toward Pam.
Thor's eyes widened; he furrowed his brow and said, " huhhhh, why do I feel like I am sorry won't cut it?"
Izzy and Hassan turned and gave him a look of disbelief. Hassan walked up to Pam and said, "I am sorry, I swear but come on, give us a break here, you would have done the same thing."
She squinted, "fine, but next time, I am strangling both of you."
Thor and Hassan exchanged a look then said at the same time, "Fair enough."
Finally, her shoulder dropped, a smile appeared on her face, and she hugged them. After the boys joined them on the chaise-long, dropping the subject of love, Izzy said, "By the way, H, how was your navy cadet training."
He smirked, "what can I say? The instructor took one look at my chocolate awesomeness and said, humana perfectio (human perfection)."
They all burst out laughing.
You are reading story Swords or Roses at novel35.com
Izzy then turned toward Thor and asked, "what about you? Your milky awesomeness got you compliments as well?"
He grimaced, placed his hands behind his head and said, "I'm a natural-born warrior; I do not need any awesomeness to make it through the academy. Just like you who took down a squadron of Petronians and brought home a Glider."
Izzy turned red, "I got lucky, and Yuka is the one that brought home the Glider, not me."
Thor furrowed his brow "Jakobsen?"
Izzy raised hers "Yes. You know her?"
He shook his head, "Her grandfather was the Void."
"Oh, my gods; she didn't tell me that," said Izzy
"Is she hot?" asked Hassan
Three pairs of eyes turned to stare at him. He said, "the Void was a very good-looking guy, so I just assumed that maybe she took after him."
Pam asked, "Thor, how did you know that the Void's granddaughter is named Yuka?"
He shrugged, "the Knights of the Renhet are keeping an eye on the descendants of the traitors."
The Renhet were a pro-Yanar for yans group, and Thor was a member.
Izzy was quiet; the surveillance of the Olds was deeply disturbing to her. She said, "No."
Her cousins turned to her; Pam added, "I second that, NO, it ends today"
Thor laughed "Hel no. Apples don't fall far from the tree cousins."
Izzy shrugged "That sounds a lot like a YOU problem. The surveillance stops now"
Hassan had yet to say anything, eventually Pam said "guys, I can feel that tempers are about to run high. Why don't we just put this subject to......"
"No" said Izzy.
"It stops right now. As part of the peace treaty, they gave the Olds reassurance that they will leave their families in peace. By surveilling them you are violating a treaty our government signed in good faith. I am begging you, end it now, don't force me to turn it into an order " added Izzy
Thor sighed then lowered his head
Pam placed her hand on his hands, "We knew that you would make the right decision"
Izzy grimaced and glanced at Pam. What? He did not say that thought Izzy; she suspired I guess I will have to keep an eye on the Renhet from now on. The empire is in no shape to deal with another civil war so, I love you cousin, but I will lock you and your little gang of misfits in the donjon if I you force my hand.
The generation war was one of Yanar's bloodiest civil wars. With the death of the queen, the prince consort hoped to be the next ruler. Being the second son of a wealthy landowner, the prince hopes for leadership was slim. That was until he met the future queen while serving in the army.
Injured during a mission, the future queen never fully recovered and the birth of her second child took away the little strength she had left.
His older child being barely 14, the prince consort saw his dreams come to life, he was finally going to rule overall.
But it was not meant to be. The princess refused to relinquish the throne, choosing instead to be crown queen immediately.
Furious, her father chose to lock her in quarters and took the matter to the general council.
When the council refused, he had them executed and replaced by his supporters who declared the princess unfit for duty and naming his second child, a three-year-old, heir to the throne and naming him regent.
Much to his chagrin, his eldest daughter escaped to the north, gathering followers and amassing one of the largest armies ever seen at the time.
Their objective, remove the regent using any means necessary and get back not only her throne but also her younger sister.
The majority of over 50 years old chose to back the new regent; they viewed the princess as being too hard-headed, impulsive, and disrespectful toward her father.
They had also been promised more land and power under the regent. The war council and the council of interior affairs were also dismantled and replaced with the older generation.
New laws giving them full power and control over the young queen and her descendants were also passed.
When the news reached the rebellious princess, she ordered their immediate arrest and execution.
After what would come to be Yanar's most casualty filled war, the younger generation won. As a result, a new law forbidding anyone over 50 to hold a position of power anywhere in the empire was born.
A ceasefire was declared, and a treaty signed with a stipulation forbidding the arrest and mistreatment of the regent's most loyal families.
By spying on them Thor had risked plunging the empire into disarray.
To clear the air Pam asked about their experience in the armed forces. Unlike the air force, the navy tests the strength of the cadets in their second year; they take them to a nearby colony where they can assess the extent of their powers in peace.
In Yanar, at age four, children have their powers tested and placed in the appropriate classes to learn how to manage their abilities.
The navy is the only branch of the armed forces to retest their cadets.
Hassan and Thor were born with inactive powers, but Thor's female totem recently activated his powers when she gave birth. He was now a Streak which meant that he could manipulate energy.
Hassan however was still inactive which meant that they can't promote him to captain.
"Ok" said Izzy, "Hassan, I understand, there is no point in joining the navy if you don't have active powers but why are you here?" she concluded while setting her gaze onto Thor.
Thor said, "Let's continue this conversation in your library Izz."
Izzy's library was also her study room.
It had three mahogany brown wooden bookcases all around the room, a wooden desk and a chair, a small tea table surrounded by one cream sofa, two cream armchairs, and a holo-emitter on the ceiling.
It was considerably basic compared to the rest of the palace; the colours were a degradation from deep brown to cream.
"Thor, what are we doing here?" asked Izzy
He walked to her desk and pressed a button and a virtual room appeared. He turned to his cousins "The boudoir doesn't have access to confidential navy documents"
They nodded and joined him. After flipping through a few pages, they found the recommendations for Thor and Hassan's evaluation. It was not good news; the navy chose to send Hassan to a science station. They placed Thor however in a civilian position permanently.
They all froze, no one was uttering a word; then Thor's body started to shake, his shoulder trembled, followed by sounds of sobbing. The other three rushed to hug him; in Yanar, rejection from the armed forces is a great dishonour.
"What are your plans now?" asked Izzy
Thor shrugged and buried his head in Hassan's shoulder.
"Maybe you can join the council?" added Pam, but Thor remained silent. "It's ok guys, I'll take him home. We can bounce of ideas later"
The girls nodded, kissed Thor and Hassan took his favourite but heartbroken cousin home.
"Can't you do something?" asked Pam.
Izzy shook her head "Not during war time am afraid."
She gave Pam a sad smile "if I force the issue and get him into the army, I will have to do the same for everyone and risk chaos. We are at war; I cannot risk disorder within the ranks just to restore honour to Thor's name."
Pam switched off the virtual texts and they returned to Izzy's boudoir
As soon as they sat down Izzy said, "I need cheering up, tell me more about the Japanese boy."
Pam's cheeks turned red, but she continued with her story "well, that was it. Every day we would swim together, go on walks, kiss, kiss some more, kiss a lot more and sleep in each other's arms."
"Oh, my gods, that must have been intense. Wait, did you guys do it?" said Izzy
Pam slapped Izzy's arm gently, " Of course not. You know full well that I will be thrown out of Yanara's opera ballet company, plus he too is a virgin. He swore he would save himself for the right girl, unlike his bandmates. He loved the idea of saving himself for The One. I think he is a Yan at heart."
Izzy took her hand and said, "I am so happy for you."
Despite being incredibly advanced, the Yans were also old fashion and change was slow to come. The empire was aware that they were one of the few advanced civilizations to have retained strict religious and cultural values and defending those ideas could be a challenge.
Each branch of the government has a god attached to it. They also never make any crucial decision before consulting their priests or priestesses. They believe that their close relationship with the gods has allowed them to emerge victorious in most wars.
Izzy squeezed Pam's hand, " When are you seeing him again?"
"Hmmm, well, he went back to Japan," said Pam in a sad tone
She pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes, "We were supposed to meet back on the island in a few months, but my artistic director ordered me to return."
She sank into the sofa and looked at the ceiling, "Apparently one of the girls is indisposed, they needed me to return to Yanara."
As she uttered those words tears began to fall down her cheeks.
Izzy, still holding her hand, said, "look at me."
Pam's gaze moved from the ceiling to her cousin's face. Izzy pulled a tissue from the nearest table and wiped her tears.
She kissed her hand "Sing with me"
Pam rolled her eyes and took back her hand with force "the Yans solution to every problem, a cup of tea and a song."
Izzy was still smiling "Not any feel-good songs, let's sing Memories Of You."
Pam let out a manic laugh "So, in order to make me feel better you want me to sing a sad song. Wow, why didn't I think of that?"
Izzy dropped her shoulder and her gaze; Pam placed her hand on her cousin's "I am sorry sweetheart; I don't know what came over me. Alright, let's sing Memories Of You"
Izzy gave her a big smile and they started:
Though I know you're safe and at home,
pain and fear all decimated,
but I can't help it, I really wish it was far from me
I have heard distance makes one heart,
grow fonder and love much stronger
But you see it's simply just not enough
when a new sword shines through your helmet
Or you read the news on your cell phone
And you don't know why but you just start to cry
If you look around and see some soldiers
out of nowhere just comes a few tanks
Then a kick just hits you right, right inside
It is called, memories of me
I'm not going to say it's easy
Please do know my heart is all yours
If you do know me, you know my death is just a pause
When I reach the Bifrost and Heimdall
And he kicks me to Valhalla
Do not be afraid, it's a trick to say hello
when a new sword shines through your helmet
Or you read the news on your cell phone
And you don't know why but you just start to cry
If you look around and see some soldiers
out of nowhere just comes a few tanks
Then a kick just hits you right, right inside
It's just me, waiting for you
Pam sang from the bottom of her being, accompanied by Izzy. She cried and sobbed while singing as if the words and tears could be carried to Tokyo.
And now she was sitting up, sadly smiling at her cousin.
Pam hugged Izzy "You were right, I feel so so much better."
Izzy smirked, "Good, because you are going to Japan."
Pam opened her mouth, but Izzy raised her hand "Noooo, no discussion. You, my dear will go to Japan and be with him; I will cover for you. I'll tell them that I sent you to spend time with whatever they call the top ballet company there, in order to start diplomatic relations with that country. What do you think?"
Pam screamed and did a little dance; then she rested her head on Izzy's shoulder "Ok but only after I am sure that your trip is not dangerous."