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.
You are reading story Swords or Roses at novel35.com
"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.
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.