Gentry

Valentine's Day Brawl

The hosts of the TV show were currently obsessing and arguing over how Dowrden's 'power couple' would be spending the love enthralled holiday known as Valentine's Day. They had guessed some rather outlandish ideas: rooms full of dozens of roses, chocolates imported from overseas, expensive jewelry, even being whisked away for a romantic get away on a beach somewhere warmer. I scoffed as I laced up my shoes, knowing that the truth would hardly seem special to anyone in the public, but for me it was the best gift we could've agreed on.

"You ready?" River called down to me.

His voice echoed against the walls of the empty gym. The doors were locked and there wasn't a soul in sight. This was our Valentine's Day date - all the free shots at my fiance, or at least the ones I could land. I pulled on my gloves as I ducked under the ropes of the boxing ring, squaring up to him as his frame loomed over mine. 

"You sure you know how to use those?" I asked smugly

River adjusted the large punching mitts on his hands, "You sure you know how to land a hit?"

I rolled my eyes, swinging my knee up as a test of River's reaction time. He raised his eyebrows, impressed at the force of the blow on the mitts, but his smirk never faltered. We continued like that for a while, running drills and practicing bobbing and ducking as River would swipe at me with the mitts.

Grabbing water, we decided what to do next. Kickboxing was my thing in the gym, now it was time for River's thing. He led me over to the other section of the gym, filled with workout machinery. Rolling up the sleeves, he positioned himself on the seat and placed the pin at his desired weight, starting out light as a warm up. He grabbed the bar of the lat pulldown machine, making light work of the weight.

"So little miss avid gardener, got any solutions to our problems before planting time comes around?" River asked

"Possibly. I've taken some time to look over what records there are on Eiton's expansion and soil quality." I sat on the bench beside his machine, sipping water.

River's brow furrowed, stopping momentarily. "What does expansion have to do with the soil quality? We just need more room to grow since we lost land for planting when we had to accommodate the increase in population."

"It's true that you lost land, but the construction from building those homes and buildings also affected the quality of the soil around them." I began to explain, "Think about all the non-organic materials used in construction, like chemicals and treated metals and other things."

"Ok?" River bumped up the weight he was pulling.

"When it rains in those newly modernized areas, the nearby fields suffer from the contaminated and polluted water which contaminates the soil. There's also the concern of soil leaching in which nutrients that plants need are washed away and not replaced within the soil. Without nutrients, plants can't grow." I finished explaining.

"Look at you over there, flaunting your science degrees." River breathed through his rep, "So how do we fix it? Add more fertilizers for the spring?"

"I think we should look at the nutrients in the fertilizers. We could also explore aeroponics which is growing plants with their roots exposed and misting them with nutrients. Or even hydroponics. Both eliminate the need for so much soil but require more attention." I explain

River is quiet for a while, sweating as he pushes through his final reps. I hand him a water bottle as he swings his leg over the seat to face me. He takes a moment to mull over everything I've said as he takes a long drink. His eyes lock with mine as he rests his elbows on his knees, leaning closer.

"And it's a Bachelor's degree in Botany and Biological Sciences." I throw in, "But I'd love to go for my Master's degree."

River smiles with a chuckle, "You definitely know more about it than me."

I shift awkwardly as Bentley's words and offer echo in my mind. I feel a bit put off by River's lack of acknowledgement of my dream to continue my education. I longed to further my degree but Fort Oak Community college didn't offer what I needed. University applications flashed through my mind, reminding me of deadlines and essays I had yet to submit, and that every letter of recommendation seemed to fall short in the eyes of big name universities.

"Would creating these facilities be possible in Andri?" River broke through my thoughts.

"In Andri?" I questioned

"Well, your people need jobs to come back to their area to stimulate your population. An increase in population would also mean bringing in families, hopefully, which would also tackle your drop in education rate. With the help of Eiton and your pretty awesome fiance, there's no reason why a partnership couldn't be formed to link the two together, with or without combining into one larger area of Dowrden." River offered.

I smiled, "You mean to avoid you having to figure out and face all the cabinet members when it comes to proposing new tax laws."

"That's also a perk of not combining too." River smirked, "And having to come up with a new name for the whole North West side of Dowrden is a big undertaking. What would we even call it? 'North West Dowrden' is so boring! How about 'The Big One'?"

I couldn't help but laugh, "Maybe 'Aken'? I dunno how much you pay attention to our history but the land was named after the original families who divided it."

"History repeating itself doesn't always end well. Plus it would leave no nod to your family's legacy of caring for your people. I won't dishonor my father-in-law or the woman I'm intended for." River said, sweetly. "But it is safe to say I'll leave naming the children up to you."

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Thank you for reading! I know this one was a little shorter.

 It was also partially a chapter to assist the story in moving along while giving you, the lovely reader, more information on the continent in which we are operating within.

Onto more exciting chapters & soon: the wedding!

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