Climbing trees is fun…until you fall.
I was almost there. High enough to see over the wall, the houses and buildings stretched out into the vast beyond in a maze of gray and orange. To the land of freedom, a war zone of course; but one with true freedom.
Before i could grab onto the final branch, a shrill voice interrupted my concentration.“JONATHAN CONQUEST HAMILTON YOU GET DOWN FROM THERE THIS INSTANT!”
I missed the branch by a hair. In the blink of an eye, I was plummeting down the length of the trunk. Lady Danae’s shrieks ricocheted through the courtyard as my world spun into a blurry mix of green and white. I braced myself for impact, but it never came. Instead, I crashed on top of something.
Beneath me laid one of my mothers droids. It looked human enough, with false skin and a fancy suit. But it’s hair was too perfect, combed to the side with a middle part. And his plastic eyes were devoid of emotion, something they severely lacked. Defiantly, I wiggled from it’s strong grasp.
Lady Danae, my more pompous than posh nanny charged across the lawn, her proper white dress billowing in the wind behind her. Her back was kept straight, like there was a broom strapped to it. Same with her silver hair, her bun stood straight up on her head, about two feet tall. “What on earth were you doing up there?”
“Nothing.”
“He is lying,” The droid caught me by my hood as I tried to get around them.
Lady Danae folded her arms expectantly. “Tell the truth Jonathan.”
“Don’t call me that,” I mumbled, looking anywhere but her wrinkled face.
“What? Speak up!” My ears rung. “You are the heir to the Hierarchy; you will hold your head with dignity and speak loud.”
“I was looking over the wall!” My voice was booming; strong, like she wanted. My heart skipped a beat afterwards. I could already feel the ache in my bones from the beating i would get for it. I yelled at my Governess AND i was breaking the rules. Highborn aren’t allowed to see the Outskirts, we weren’t allowed to even know much of anything about them.
“You were what?” Her voice was quiet, almost a whisper. Sweat drenched her brow. If my mother found out about this she would have both our heads, mine in a lab, Danae’s on a plaque.
I found myself shrinking into my over sized jacket under her sharp gaze. “You are the son of the Matriarch, not one of your family-let alone any of the high councils families-has seen outside the wall, and the desire to do so is heresy!”
She eyed my ragged clothes with complete and utter disgust. “And no member of the high table or future member should ever be caught wearing that. Get yourself into something more presentable and report to dinner.”
I, personally, liked the clothes I was wearing. Black pants the Outskirt boy had called jeans. A large, heavy black hoodie that protected me from the chilly night air. And a thin, baggy T-shirt that was also black. They were dusty from the sand outside the wall and riddled with holes from use, but worn and comfy. The wearing of any color other than white in the Upper sections of the city was pretty much illegal. They wouldn’t arrest you for it, but people will never look at you the same. One of the vendors at the upper market and his son were selling these as rags, I had gotten them for only a meek twenty Vero’s and they were the most comfortable clothing I had ever owned.
The droid escorted me to my room, where the maids forced me into the outfit my mother approved of most; a white, vent less, peak Lapel with our family’s crested cowl. Ever since I was little I was told to never show my true face to the public. Mother had made it a clear rule, when I was in her presence I would wear the mask of a future Patriarch.
I would be the son she wanted.
“Sit straight!”
“Matriarch be blessed, for the future is hopeless-”
“you weren’t raised by wolves; use your manners!”
“That’s more than enough for you, there are starving people and you’re eating like a pig!”
I dropped my fork into my soup, having only taken a few sips of the bitter vegetable mix. Lady Danae’s sharp brown eyes glared at me from her seat to my right. Crystal’s from every direction sparkled in my eyes as I stared at my mothers empty throne on the opposite end of the long table as me. All my life i had wondered why we were placed so far apart, but deep down i knew; she wanted as little to do with me as possible. As usual, my mother strolled in twenty minutes late, a barrage of her councilmen following like obedient dogs. She wore a horned mask, similar to mine, and a flowing white dressed fit down to her slender form. I stood from my seat, hands clasped behind my back and my head dipped down as the only greeting acceptable to the Matriarch.
Servants swept into the room carrying platters piled with food as everyone settled into their seats. Mother paid no attention to me as her advisors grumbled about nonsense I couldn’t care less about. That’s okay though, I was used to being ignored. One servant who wore a white trapeze dress stole my unfinished soup, her bright green eyes glaring at me as she placed a large steak and some mashed potatoes on a plate in front of me. She had probably never eaten a steak before, in fact, i didn’t think anyone outside of the high council had.
My mask was designed so my mouth was revealed just enough for me to eat tiny bites. I sliced a thin piece and raised it to my mouth, but froze when I caught the servants gaze again. She stood to the left of me, waiting for any beckon. Her red hair was distracting, in a good way. She watched my every move as i ate the tiny piece and carved out a much larger one. As i lifted the decent bite, my elbow accidentally knocked my goblet to the ground.
The metal cup clattered on the white marble, spilling fine red wine everywhere. The sound drew a few weary glances my way but not too much attention. At least not my mothers attention. Lady Danae snapped her fingers at the redhead. If looks could kill, Danae would have burried me in the earths core. I knew better than to leave my drink at the edge of the table.
But i didn’t care in that moment because as the servant girl crouched down with a rag to clean the mess, i lowered my fork so it was level with her face. Her eyes drifted to mine from under the table-the green shinning a few shades lighter when she wasn’t glaring at me.
Eat it, I found myself mouthing down to her from under my mask. She looked conflicted. Probably trying to decide if it was a trick or not. Teasingly, i started to lift the steak away. Her lips suddenly wrapped around the fork, pulling the generous piece from the metal. As she chewed her face lit up so bright i thought she would explode from joy. She chewed like her life depended on it, i noticed her clothes barely hung onto her bony frame and wondered when the last time she had eaten was.
I peek up and noticed a few eyes glancing curiously at me, no doubt wondering why i wasn’t eating. Dinner was a short period of time, ten minutes to be exact. If i didn’t finish by then, i would go to bed hungry. I quickly shoveled as much into my mouth as my mask would permit and tried to look interested in the conversations around me. After a minute, my mothers voice cut through the air, immediately silencing everyone.
“You’re turning eighteen tomorrow, Conquest,” Her voice was level, no traces of love or care in it. “Soon you will be Patriarch. Have you given any thought to what your first act as Patriarch will be?”
I swallowed thick. Her voice was the last thing I expected to hear tonight. Mother never talked to me, especially not in front of others. i looked at Danae, expecting her to tell me what to say. Her eyes burned as fierce as a wolf stalking its prey: Remember your place. This moment called for every bit of formality and mannerism i could muster.
“Err, well,” Great, i cursed myself. Off to a lovely start. “I was considering fortifying the city more. Perhaps start construction on a stronger wall around the outskirts.”
Several heads turned to me with wide eyes when I mentioned the poorest and largest fraction of our population. “What I mean is,” I wracked my brain for a valid reason. The Outskirts provided two thirds of our overall revenue and made up 75% of our overall Population.
I cleared my throat, which was constricting itself shut. “Outliers have been using the Outskirts for generations, stealing valuable supplies and inciting rebellion amongst our people. A stronger wall could mean better fortifications if we were to be attacked head on, It will be my duty as Patriarch to protect my people.”
My mothers golden eyes stared into my own cerulean ones. Studying me. My soul. I waited for her to shoot the idea down earnestly. To kill all hopes I ever had at seeing what was truly outside the Upper Quarters heavily fortified gates. “That is an intelligent decision,” she finally spoke, I could almost imagine her smiling under her mask. “I will send an architectural unit to view a layout first thing tomorrow, they will have a design by the time you are sworn in.”
“No, I want to lead the team myself!” I countered. My hands trembled in my lap. Just from the looks sent my way I knew I pushed my luck too far.
Mother rubbed her temples, her velvet voice straining to remain calm. “You know the inner circle doesn’t leaver the Upper Courter, Conquest.”
“i know,” I say. “But I want to be the first. People need to know that we don’t believe we’re any better than them.”
“You are better than them,” Mother sighs.
“Obviously so,” I didn’t really agree, but could see how I could turn that in my favor. “It’s better if i see the Outskirts for myself now rather than when I’m Patriarch, yes? Nobody outside of this room even knows who i am. The people should meet their next leader shouldn’t they?”
“You can keep me cooped up for the next week or so,” I waved my fork around. “But once I’m Patriarch i will be going outside the Upper Wall, one way or another, i will be the first of the inner circle to see the Outskirts in person!”
“It will be wise to remember your place, Conquest,” Mother said. “as for the Outskirts, no offspring of mine will ever step foot outside the safety of the Upper wall.”
Captain Marques, head of the militia force, coughed in his hand, a low, gruff sound. His curled mustache swished as he talked. “You should listen to your mother, young Lord. The Outskirts are no place for Upper Citizens.”
“This place is any better?” I couldn’t hold the condescending lilt in my voice. “The most exciting thing to happen up here is my Ceremony, the next one will be in what-thirty years? All I want is to see what’s out there, nobody needs to know! I’ll dress like a commoner! I’ll stay with a guard detail! I’ll do anything for just one adventure!”
“Some adventures are better not to have, Conquest,” mother sipped her wine. “But I suppose this could be considered your final birthday present-“
“-My Lady?”
“-You can’t be considering-”
“—he’s just a boy-“
“Quiet!” Mother’s voice roared and the objecting advisors around us froze instantly. “I am the Matriarch! Perhaps, seeing the Outskirts for himself is precisely what my offspring needs to learn that the world outside is no adventure. Maybe this is what he needs, to learn what it is we are trying to protect.”
The word Offspring made me shutter. I wasn’t her son; I was an heir.
Genetically modified in a lab with the sole purpose of someday leading the N.S. when I become another mindless adult. Tomorrow, the first of September, wouldn’t be so much my birthday; It’s more an anniversary of the day I outgrew my tube and was considered an infant. Despite all of that, I felt like I could conquer the world with this victory.
“But let me make this clear,” Mother cut off my private celebration. “No one outside of the inner circle is to know of this, ever. You will be disguised, and will stay with Captain Marques’ guard. There is a hotel in the East Outskirts fit for you. Stay there for one night, no more.”
“Tomorrow, My Lady?” Captain Marques straightened the pins of his white uniform.
“Tonight.” Mother smiled.
I deflated. Of course, she would find a way around to get what she wanted. By the time we reached the Hotel, the Outskirts were bound to be nearly deserted with the coming of night. Her goal was for me to observe nothing from the Hotel in the dead of night. I quickly shoveled my food in my mouth, the sooner we left, the better.
ns 15.158.61.20da2
