Chapter 1: The Farming Island

         Spring was upon the lush island of Gawanee, and so was the Festival of First Blooming. The annual celebration offered a rare opportunity for peasants to rejoice, pray for the good crops in the upcoming year, as well as the general prosperity. Aside of marvelous foods and numerous attractions, there was a sacred, ancient tradition of a Bridal Dance. Young maidens swirled on a stage, amazing spectators with their beauty and grace. Engagements followed, accompanied by heated negotiations about the value of dowries.

         All girls of marriageable age practiced the complicated dance steps – all save one. Hurriedly sticking a masculine hat onto what remained of her once long hair, Tala sprinted across the fields. Panting from effort, she glanced over her shoulders to see if her pursuers were on her trail. They were gaining on her. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself to keep the fast pace.

         As soon as she got into the port town, Tala leaned heavily against a wall of the nearest building. She wiped streamlets of sweat running down her face. Her brother’s shirt glued to her damp back. Despite her exhaustion, she ran the last stretch to the wharf. A military transport ship was already prepared to sail out. Last sacks with food for the soldiers were being carried aboard. The ship was about to carry Tala toward her dreams and her destiny.

         She hurried to a man standing by the gangway. With a nervous smile, she handed him a document with the governor’s seal.

         “My name is Cas, son of Hester and Babak.” Tala gave her brother’s name. “Here’s my permit to leave Gawanee.”

         The man scrutinized the document, playing with it for a while before he broke the seal.        

         “It looks genuine,” he commented before reading.

         Tala smirked with pride. Of course it does. I spent all night forging it.

         “So, you’re going to Rakesh to enroll in the Imperial Academy.” The man muttered.

         Tala nodded eagerly. Her eyes glittered with enthusiasm.

         “I’ll use my intellect to faithfully serve the Empire!” She performed a salute, or rather a caricature of it.

         “I suppose the Sun Empire needs weird people too,” the man by the gangway said. He offered Tala a brief, official smile and moved out of her way.

         Tala set her foot on the rocking gangway. She held her breath, about to take the first step into her bright future. Her happiness was not to last though. Just as she was finally about to on embark the ship to Rakesh, accompanied by the sacks of cabbages, an all-too-familiar shriek ruined her hope.

         “Tala!” It was her mother calling.

         The pursue caught up to her. Flanked by Tala’s father and brother, her mom sprinted toward the wharf. In one hand she held a wicker picnic basket and a severed auburn braid in the other. The day before it had been attached to the rest of Tala’s hair.

         “Stop my daughter!” Her mother cried desperately.

         “Daughter?” The man overseeing embarking the cargo ship furrowed his brows in confusion. He stared at Tala, clearly baffled.

         She shrugged her shoulders, pretending she was as clueless as he was. Patting her flat chest, she proved she was no daughter. The lack of feminine curves could be useful sometimes. Tala turned her back on her family to hurry on board. However, she ran out of luck.

         “Wait!” The man guarding the gangway blocked her path with his arm. He scrutinized her, as suspicion budded in his mind. “Pull off your pants.”

         “What?” Tala took a step back, grabbing her belt protectively. She stepped off the gangway, away from the man, who demanded her to strip. Unfortunately, she fell straight into the clutches of her overbearing mother.

         “Aren’t you supposed to be in Hereen?” Tala’s mother assaulted her with questions.  “You know, rehearsing for the dance with the other girls? Looking for a suitable husband?”

         Tala shivered instantly at the mere mention of the prospect of marriage. Becoming saddled with cooking, cleaning and giving birth to a herd of children wasn’t exactly her idea of a fulfilling life. She had different plans entirely, much to her family’s despair.

          “Don’t worry, we’ll somehow stick your braid back on.”  Tala’s mom massaged her aching temples. “Just remember to smile tomorrow and you’ll do fine. I know it will be your fourth Bridal Dance, but this year will be different.”

         That’s what I’m afraid of.

         “Mom, I don’t want to be a bride,” Tala said calmly, but firmly.

         “Sure you do. Every girl does.” Her mother lovingly caressed her cheek, wiping off some nonexistent smudge. “You’re just young and confused.”

         “I’m not confused. I know exactly what my goal is and it’s not marriage.” Tala couldn’t have stated her desires more clearly. Moreover, she was genuinely proud with the way she conveyed them, like an adult should; civilized, without making a scene.

         “Honey, do you want to be an old maiden, like aunt Anisa? With the war against Tayann, there aren’t many bachelors to choose from! Of course, you want to marry.” Tala’s mother reasoned with her stubbornly.

         “I know what I want!” Tala yelled. Surprised by her own outburst, she stumbled back, covering her mouth with her hand. It was the first time she shouted at her mother.

         While the women were making ruckus, all men – Tala’s relatives, the soldier and the ship’s entire crew stared at them curiously. The military man turned to Babak, the unfortunate father and husband.

         “So it is a girl…” The soldier shook his head in disbelief.

         “Are you married?” Tala’s father suddenly asked, hopeful glimmer flickering in his eyes.

          “You two look pretty healthy.” The soldier changed the subject. “Our troops in Tayann could use more recruits.”

         Cas and his father exchanged glances. Apparently, in the midst of the family drama, they forgot something important. They proceeded to mend their mistake immediately. Simultaneously, they let out identical pained moans.

         “My hip!” Cas grimaced, as if he was in great pain. He leant on his father for support. Babak’s hands started shaking inexplicably. In a blink of an eye, two stout farmers transformed into cripples.

         The soldier looked at Cas and father with compassion.

         “All healthy men got drafted already.” He sighed. “It’s weird though, that there are so many cripples on Gawanee.”

         “It’s because of starvation.” Tala paused her argument with her mother to explain. As if to prove her words right, Cas pulled a piece of old bread out of his pocket and showed it to the soldier.

         “All we have to eat is stale bread,” he said quietly. “We’re so poor and the taxes so high…”

         “The taxes are too high.” Tala’s entire family echoed, nodding with absolute conviction.

         Tala shifted her attention from them back to mother.

         “What I was going to say is that I want to become a scholar. That way, I would be able to serve our Empire!” Tala reasoned passionately. “I could… I could find a weakness in Tayann’s defense. I could invent something that could help the Empire win the war!”

         “Or something that would keep pests off our potatoes.” Her father suggested.

         “That too.” Tala rolled her eyes. Her parents thought about nothing but their patch of land and vegetables. “I wish I could make a difference.”

         “I and your father saved every copper penny we could for your dowry.” Tala’s mother cried dramatically. Tears welled in her eyes, but were they sincere? “How could you be so selfish? You’ll be marrying this year! No excuses!”

         “I won’t!” Tala shouted back, stomping with her foot.

         She opened her mouth to argue more, but clenched her jaws. If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Thus, having her father’s advice in mind, she whirled on her heel and made a tactical retreat - which could be also described as an escape.

         “Get back here!” She heard her mother’s shout, accompanied by her brother’s amused laughter.

         “Happens every year.” Cas stuffed the stale bread back into his pocket.

         His father sighed heavily, shaking his head in dismay.

         “Sure I’d go for some cheesecake now,” Cas said, when Tala pushed mother away and stormed away. Challengingly, she glared over her shoulder one last time, her now short hair wildly swirling around her head like an unruly halo.

         “Don’t come back unless you catch a husband!” Mother shrieked after Tala.



Author's Note:

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