All Of Us - Part 1: Summer

Chapter 39 - Black and gold

- Evangeline -

"And ?"

"Avoid getting caught. At all costs," I chant.

"Very good," Gail nods, closing up her book. "Well, that's it - we're done today. Are you hungry ?"

My brain freezes for a minute. How do I ask her discreetly if she was the cook today ? It's been a few weeks since the last time she made lunch and I stole food from the pantry with Dæor, so she might be on duty again today.

"I personally can't wait to eat," she adds, "I love Keiti's food." I inwardly sigh. "I am hungry, yeah."

"Wanna go grab a bite together ?" she asks, smiling.

"With pleasure." I push myself off the table. "Actually, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while."

"Go ahead," she politely replies.

"I was wondering... What do you know about the Opening ? Aline told me briefly about it a while ago, but she didn't know much."

Gail is silent for a few moments. "It's hard to explain it without delving into Methron's prehistory. Or, at least, what we know of it."

I stare at her. "What do you mean, prehistory ?"

She nods slowly, deep in thought. "Why don't you tell me what you know of Methron's history ? What did they teach you, back at the Castle ?"

"Uh," I hesitate. "Nothing extensive. Methron broke off from the Continent around a thousand years ago, and has been governed by a monarch ever since."

Gail clears her throat. "Well, I suppose that what you told me is the official story. Truth is, we don't know how much of Methron's history is unknown and what is actually outright lies. But, mostly, what you know is wrong."

I can't say I'm surprised. I wasn't taught many things of worth at the Court. "Tell me what you know, then."

"It's patchy. I don't know everything. What I do know, though, is that the Continent used to be inhabited by a countless number of tribes which were in a constant state of fighting. It was a chaotic, bloody time. The groups were all very different, but they generally had either male figures of power or women figures of power. Nothing in between. Their all-encompassing rivalry ensured that no one tribe had the upper-hand and they all stagnated in warfare."

"And then a Southern tribe - ruled by a queen - found a specific type of grass which reduced the chances of death by childbirth by around half, I think. Or three-quarters ? In any case, it was huge. You see, a major problem the matriarchal tribes faced was the high rate of death in labor. About one person in four. Similar to what we have here, in Methron." She speaks the truth. Entire flocks of women die in labor every year. Noble women have a significantly higher chance of survival, having access to better medicine and doctors. But every year, at least one woman from the Court dies in childbirth.

Everyone back at the Castle would tell me that it was a blessing. But for me, it was a curse. A curse I could never, ever have. The King was very clear - if I ever became pregnant, the fetus would be aborted by whatever means necessary. In other words, a child would be my death sentence. And I wanted to survive, so badly - more than anything. I remember counting the days till my period, embracing the cramps and scarlet splatters as the blessing from Sheso himself.

"Slowly, the herb began to spread and matriarchal tribes grew in numbers and strength. On the other hand, the male-dominated societies refused to give the herb to their women. It went against their codes, they said. But, eventually, the mothers from those tribes did discover the grass. And - guess what - they overthrew their fathers and husbands and sons. They didn't need them anymore. Once they stopped dying in such large numbers, they could do anything they wished."