Gleam of blue dawn skies glistened down the marketplace in Drangtien Square as cold air blew down the capital city of Aechleranne, rising from behind the archival edifices. There was this minty scent mingling with the dryness of the square–it would have been silent as the depths of space if not for the footsteps of a pair of horses carrying a single wagon–striving to observe quietude. Yihn slid her maroon curtain patterned with whirling motifs to the right; she was situated at the highest floor of the Harumyeon Palace. Scanning the highways of the city all across the nearest Drangtien structures made of the substantial woods. Apathy did not constrain her back to bed. Now more used to the duties of a levelheaded leader as she aged older.
Concomitantly, mellowness elevated from Yihn's throat to the point of her nose, sniffing the dustless air's grain-smoked aroma. With a turn to her right, the twinkle in her face remained soon as she spotted her curtain door she left opened, which revealed to her another room closed in olive green curtains with diagonal patterns shielding countless flower art. Prompted to go to the next room in front. She crossed the gap that separated hers and the other room–an airy hallway decorated with framed paintings on the interior walls made of browned woven palm leaves inside the outer walls of the same imperishable sticks as the ones outside.
Yihn stopped outside. Now sporting a dress, in her new role as a Baroness with black strapless inner garments and donned her new flower crown. Tightening her loose orange asymmetrical dress was the same cloth used in the typical Aechlerenne clothing–the striped fabric with different color tones of yellow and gold. And now she owned several arm and neck accessories.
She glided the covering curtain open. Peering through the unlighted bedroom where daybreak flare gradually coruscated. Rest brought easement to a juvenile laying her back drowsily on a bed topped with her striped mattress from the inside. Finding full comfort. It was Yanica.
She seemed a fine, healthy youngster. She was not badly snoring for a long time, nor having left her mouth opened the whole eight hours of her sleep. But she was daughter to a tribe leader; a schedule has been made for her to follow given her standing. Yihn heard roosters clucking the morning call of the new day outside. It was about time she wake her up, no matter how much time Yanica would love to spend sleeping. She could not be like the ordinary children anymore outside politics.
Yihn moved forward inside. She stopped beside the child's bed, kneeled and hauled down her head closer to Yanica. She touched her bent forearm and jiggled her. "Nica," she muttered, "Nica, wake up, honey. It is morning. You have to be up early."
Yanica heard voices leisurely breaking into her snug rest. She refused to open her eyes at once, much to the tiredness of her eyelids still asking for more sleep. Yihn carried on waggling her daughter's arm who was taking hold of a pillow. Yanica accidentally let go off the pillow by imbalance; she constantly made low groans.
"Yanica!" yelled Yihn.
With that shout, Yanica was alarmed to rise her body up from her bed. Her torpor hefted up into a bar full of complete energy blocks. Once awakening from deep sleep, Yanica had a glance at her mother, who seemed to have stopped frowning after witnessing Yanica being alert to her wake-up efforts.
"Now that you are awake," Yihn had her voice restored back to her usually low-pitched, fixed tone after calling Yanica out, she was now making her way out of Yanica's bedroom, "join me for a morning refection. Because later, there is something we should talk about."
Yanica yawned and stretched her limbs. Then she followed close behind. "Does it really have to be this early?"
"Enough of your complaints, honey," Yihn snapped back. "Children of House leaders are among the ones who should learn such lessons first."
***
Post-breakfast.
Dewy scents filled the forenoon as Yihn and Yanica maundered through the pastureland. Harmless butterflies winged its ways into the blades of grasses free from pests. Yanica hopped around everywhere in front of her mother as they moved forward, and tried to reach for the butterflies for the briefest of touch whenever she got the chance to see them lowering down to the grasses. Yihn watched the liveliness of her daughter expressed in her joyous physical movements, while she walked with her rod.
At the same moment, Yihn looked in front and observed the sun, reflecting its rays down onto the grasses, thus lighting it shining gold in color. The crops were growing well, delighting the leader so much since her reign began. She was not expecting how Aechleranne's plantation went so fine since she succeeded the late Baron Srey. And she could also see how Yanica enjoyed sauntering the fields of Aechleranne with the accompaniment of her playful actions. Howbeit, Yihn jogged her mind that she promised to teach Yanica something; her reason for waking her up so early.
"Nica," she called to her child, who halted jumping at once and moved on beside her mother. Yihn started off. "You see the beauty of this meadow. It has the resembling quality of pure gold as if it is of that kind. The crops? They have been perfect after my latest predecessor. When I assumed my period in office, I applied stricter codes when it comes to our plantation–sometimes one thing our farmers and shepherds hardly work on."
Yanica focused on her mother's lectures; studying the grassland and the sun from the distance. Seeing that the goodness of the plants' quality was proven right by her mother through evidences of catching sight of it outside their residence.
"We live in a planet called Fehttinore. Mind you, Aechleranne is an archipelago lying southeast of Coroneilian continent, and every isle is surrounded by farms." Yihn stated further. "Gardening is the livelihood of the Aechlerene people. Every day, hordes of farmers come to care for our plants, because the weather does not stay warm at all times. Heavy rain occurs sometimes and it will likely destroy our food supply; which is why we created deeper gaps between every column of crops. That is for every rain droplet to pour in." Yihn glowered vacantly in front and added, "They also have to protect it from danger–such as theft and wars from other Houses–which we are prone to."
"Other Houses?" Yanica echoed, confused.
"Five Houses. Tribes that you should be familiar with," acknowledged Yihn. "Throughout these years, we have closed our territorial borders to our outsiders. The past tells us of a leadership conflict that was never reconciled, thus dividing this continent into five territories of different factions." Yanica gawked up at her mother, but she understood every word Yihn has told her. Yihn went on, "Since then, our first ancestors adopted a new law before going their separate ways: War commences when one trespasses."
Baroness Yihn spoke wise enough for a genuine leader like herself. This must be the lesson she wished Yanica to find out. They belong to the House of Aechleranne, and this was the reason she was ruling the state; to protect her House of birth and lead it to safety against rival Houses.
"Rumors confirmed it that out of that final negotiation, formed the Tranquil Feud, the tensional period we are experiencing up to this time," Yihn explained. "Meaning a war without direct brawls. Unless an intruder stepped foot into the forbidden zone–that will cause combat."
Terrified by the risks they were in right now. Yanica's heart started pumping, but no trace of fear in her face; just her eyes widening on receiving greater knowledge from her mother.
"We had never been into peace talks." Yihn walked three steps forward, still scowling into the distance. "Speaking of the Tranquil Feud, Aechlerene borders had never been less harmful than it is now. One of our four rival Houses had tried to cross into every region of our state several times at late night trying to steal our cattle."
"What House?"
"Ardaja. That's it!" she spat irritably.
The angered Aechlerene head was reminded of the House of Ardaja's territories. Edged by rainforests to the ends of their sector, wetlands to the inhabited centers of the area that stood a number of neighboring houses; its roofs were synthetic palm thatch panels. Ardajan commoners were identifiable with the men wearing gold headbands, and a lime green one for the females. They were marked with bone accessories, tattoos, furry tribal outfits and freakish ear piercings.
"They are a tribe of savage thieves from the southern portion of our continent. Meat is their staple food, and they do hunting for daily living. Out of the five Houses, Ardaja causes the most skirmishes. Hungry for battle and for territory. Consuming food like there is no tomorrow. They do not feel embarrassed destroying their images by continually encroaching on four territories, as long as they get what they want just to add something to their pile of food."
Yihn was unable to hide her anger. Based on the way she retold their encounters with the Ardajans, it was bothersome due to the fact that they were involved on countless thieving cases. Yanica was not even responding as some sort of her reactions. She has been staring at her mother for like two minutes passed already.
She said more to strip her irk. "You know, the Tranquil Feud would have seemed fine if it they chose not to raid us anymore. They are breaking the code of the tension by avoiding impingement. Life would have been better if they simply live their lives without an awoken thought about the outer territories."
"Any battles happened?" asked Yanica.
Yihn shook her head. "Rarely. The modern-day leaders of Aechleranne are doing its best to fight them in a different battlefield, faraway that wars will not ruin our fruits and vegetables." She lifted her head up high, temporarily looking at the sky. "We Barons and Baronesses stick loyal to the Aechlerene word of honor. We are fighters, not murderers. We kill because we are peacekeepers. Not allowing any invaders on the coasts of freedom."
After giving the distance a blank glare, Yihn turned to her right and strolled. Yanica treaded on the heels of the latter. Yihn has had enough telling her daughter about the Ardajans; it was time to move on to three more Houses to discuss.
"Have you any idea that each House is capable of possessing powers?" Yihn questioned as they headed somewhere.
"No."
"Yes, Yanica," Yihn confirmed. "What you have heard is right. The Houses are granted the powers of the five elements of nature: fire, air, ether, water and earth. Us? The House of Aechleranne are gifted with the power of air. The Ardajans possess the power of earth. Fire for Neanthylae. But there is one noble House who is magically the most powerful. They are the House of Mehvrelli," Yihn named in a confident tone. "Their territory is a landlocked plateau located on the centermost locality, just north of Ardaja, who are believed by generations of Coronelians to have been blessed with long life. They are the ones gifted with ether, with the ability to project a force-field of pure energy, create lightning bolts and even control our minds."
Yanica could not bring herself to believe what she has been told. They were all used to believing that human beings were not so special to be blessed with such good gifts. She never knew fantasy can be existent in real life to the slightest of chance.
The vexation of the Baroness lessened, though fragments of it were still present. "Some speculated that they are the closest to the spirits of Coroneilion and Sairintine."
"What is Sairintine?" Yanica's new learnings led her mind to have gone astray. Yihn has been mentioning too much about history.
"Well, Sairintine is the capital city of Mehvrelli and is named after the Empress Sairintine. Same goes for the name of our continent–Coroneilion was an Emperor and husband to Sairintine. And the names of the five Houses are derived from the names of the majestic couple's five children; making them our first ancestors."
The mother and the daughter came across a passing white horse in their walk as Yihn's teachings went on. Ignoring everything in their sight. She kept thumping her feathered stick to the ground that always made a sound while walking onward.
She sneaked a look at her immersing child. "Anyway, I name to you another faction, and that is the House of Neanthylae. They call themselves the 'Nean Knights' for short; especially their warriors–a name they used to brag their so-called battling skills. Neanthylaeneans are perceptible. They all wear plain, golden vizard masks and one-strapped tunics."
Reaching the part unoccupied by the plantation they were walking into, they came upon a tree stump. Together, they had a seat to ease up their knees and feet. Yihn rested her rod standing, not letting it go off her left hand.
The tale of the Houses did not bore Yanica. As apprised by her mother, she must gain ideas about the other Houses. Every word she heard from Yihn were noted down in her mind. There was no other choice for her but to stay directed to the historical sermon.
"And the fifth one…" Yihn let out a heavy, desperate sigh, "…the House of Tarska. The great House empowered with… the element of… w-water." She tilted her head down and looked vaguely glum to all of a sudden.
She felt a part of her died upon moving on to mention the next House. She did not speak with following words she got stocked up in her mind at once. What was it that saying the word House of Tarska dejected her?
The change in Yihn's mood concerned Yanica. "Mama, are you alright?"
Yihn found it so hard to say yes to Yanica for pretention. Neither did she know that her teachings about these Houses will lead up to melancholic thoughts to disconcert her. Leading up to zipping her mouth for a short while, eyes staring down and blinked thrice.
But she should stick on lecturing her daughter, not to let her gloom take over. There was one last House to talk about now. "T-Th-They… are survivors of the cold and winter. Never prone to frostbites and..." she could not state her sentences clearly, "…hypothermia."
Her thoughts drifted back. To before. Years ago even before her daughter was born...
Memories crossed the threshold of her mind. She had a recollection of romantic souvenirs. A series of memories that involved her. Visions of the past showed herself in silhouette six years younger than her current age, moons before she became leader, a few years ago. She was hanging with someone; dancing with a man in circles. She touched foreheads with him; hanging to the back of his shoulders, much to their enjoyment those days. Next after the dance, Yihn correctly recalled to herself being carried by the same man and taken somewhere else–inside an uninhabited bamboo home at the center of a deserted clearing.
Followingly, Yihn called to her mind that the two of them headed upstairs into the abandoned bedroom; she was still being carried by her man that time. The once-sweet couple exchanged thrilled, excited glances as they walked along the corridor straight into the available bedroom.
Chuckling; they stepped foot into the bedroom, decorated with unusual plain decorations yet a residence built of firm rocks and bricks. Subsequently after their ingress to the lighted section from the second floor, revealed the physical features of the man Yihn was with. Drop-dead gorgeous, black side-parted hair which seemed to have a half trace of silver hair color on the left side of his hair, dark brown eyes and round head shape. His body not muscular, indeed, but perfectly fit that his tummy does not protrude, and his skin tone a mixture of tan and fair complexion. He was a bit taller that Yihn's peak height only reached the level of his lips.
She seemed to be taking those events to heart. Was she missing it? Or was she regretful for doing it?
The Aechlerene leader has not forgotten also the outfits of that gentleman on that day of their amorous interaction. Based on what she had reminisced about, the handsome individual was clothed in a cream vintage coat and pants with black trims; he also had this double black, leather belt tied around his waist. But what did all of those mean? The style of their clothes were not alike. So as their features and skins. Did it have any involvement on Yihn's rapid swing of mood?
Not really a long time ago for the Baroness to have remembered. Her memories dissipated and caught sight of the present time.
"Mama?" There was still no response coming from Yihn.
Engulfed too much in memories, Yihn kept overthinking about it. The last thing she can remember was that she and her romantic interest ogled at each other's body, then this man had run out of patience that he closed the curtains with agitation to give themselves privacy–the curtain manifested their shadows and he jumped off to Yihn. Lastly, Yihn's visions of the previous event she had with this man concluded by remembering herself sleeping next to him; their naked bodies covered under a bedding. Placing one hand above his chest, while her back was wrapped around in his left arm. It was a deep sleep they had enjoyed despite the coldness of the night that time. It was true that they made love that night.
Yihn has been holding her mouth shut longer. The pain she felt was an equivalent to a hard object thrusting into her chest. "Mama, something is troubling you." Driven by curiosity, even Yanica could not keep her words to herself anymore, now that it seemed that Yihn was ignoring her time with Yanica when she should have been informing the child more facts about the House of Tarska. "What was it all about?"
"Nothing important."
"Why not?" Yanica pushed on. "Can I not hear something from it–"
She was shushed by the stern look Yihn threw at her. There was no way Yihn could escape from her daughter having too much questions, for a child her age. "Yanica!" after the calling of attention, she glanced up and exhaled to excess. Her sorrow dissolved into intrusion of annoyance. "We will find no value in retelling stories without a historic past," she continued with a relieving exhalation of her stringency. "Aechlerene loyalists lay their eyes on the top priority, no other else. And that alone is to ensure the safety, and know what is best for our House."
Yanica crouched her back and looked away in shame. Yihn's facial austerity turned down her elation. Yanica instantaneously behaved like her voice has been taken out by the single swipe of her mother's dour call.
"Getting right to the point, we should not be dwelling on the routines of their livelihood if necessary, but at best we have to beware secret threats they have for us," clarified Yihn. "Keep looking on the bright side of your House. At the same time when your generation grows up, you will have to fight for it. All men and women."
Her blues faded to the maximum extent. Yihn lifted her chin up when the sunlight winked the so-called air of hope that flew through her veins. Noticing this, Yanica gave her mother the habitual goggle after her discomfiture has been petered out by the voice of mother, that has turned prideful in tone, just now. She straightened her back, meanwhile.
"We all praise our ancestors for their gifted courage on the battlefield. They sacrificed their blood and their lives for descendants to come. Their deaths were not in vain. That is how loyalty matters, Yanica. But the determination your faith strengthens will never work without the company of a functioning brain." Yihn glimpsed at Yanica to her left, and pointed a finger once to the side of her head.
In the inquisitive rubberneck she had been training on her mother, Yanica discovered how much Yihn knew about her House's history. Realizing the truth about the dedication of her mother and how Aechleranne mattered to her more than anything else in the world apart from Yanica herself being the daughter. Concomitantly, more knowledge about the House had been stored into her mind. Those were all signified by her constant soundlessness. This was how smart her mother was. No wonder why she was made leader.
"Why are the Houses even fighting? Things would have been simpler if they help each other!" Yanica suggested boldly.
Shocked silence greeted the child's words. Yihn had extended her gaze at her.
Yanica was only five years of age. Her suggestion might not have ruffled her controlling mother's commitment to her House, but the way she spoke and her rational understanding of Yihn's lessons.
Yihn looked away back to face the distance. She paid no heed to Yanica's recommendation. "Well, I uh," she briefly looked up, as if asking answers from the skies and replied instead, "I guess you will never understand; you are still young and have a lot to learn. You will never do until you hear the tale about the Gods and Goddesses."
It sounded like it was going to be a long story in Yanica's perspective. "What Gods and Goddesses?" she asked.
Tired of too much questions, Yihn sighed her crossness all away. Trying so hard not to raise her tone against Yanica. She kept it low without sounding vexed, "Not today, Yanica. I will tell you soon."
Quietude fell between mother and daughter, only to be broken by a random horse-riding female farmer when she greeted Yihn, "Your Excellency!" along with a cheery wave as she carefully held her handmade headpiece not to fall, which was were beige woven coconut leaves below a clay jar attached above it.
Yihn paid her with a smile and eyed her thoughtfully. "A perfect season to be on the pasturage, is it not?"
"Really, it is, my Lady!" she concurred with a jazzed-up air, then her bull deliberately stalked off.
The Baroness stared on to their direction until they vanished in the shadowy pine trees. "You see now why we have farmers anywhere. Our crops would have perished if not for them," she turned back to Yanica afresh like she had not even said a word to silence the child from asking too much. "But not only are our workers keeping the farmland products premium. Our barn animals have always been a great contribution alongside our human workers."
In a good timing, after the female gardener crossed by, came the presence of a quiet shepherd escorting his flock of sheep to where the woman left off, alongside a long-haired sheepdog. He was followed by a trio of more laborious men on a long, wooden wagon topped with thick coconut fibers. One of them rode and controlled the pair of muscle-bound gray bulls, while the other two were sitting at the back watching over their surroundings. They all failed to notice Yihn and Yanica's presence.
Yihn rose from the tree stump, telling her daughter, "Come along, Yanica, I will show you around." They turned and stalked off somewhere.