Duty and Defiance

Chapter One

1818

Ten days had passed since young Nyssa had last beheld Aarav, a span that felt as long as an eternity. He, along with her brother Zayan, had been consigned to the company of their fathers—the Duke of Dalelworth and the Earl of Hessington—for their final preparations before manhood. Such was the way of things, for the boys were soon to depart for Edworth, the place where the men of their family had gone since the war, to prove themselves worthy of the titles bestowed upon them by Her Majesty the Queen.

Simora, once the hand of oppression upon those of colour, had undergone a great transformation under the reign of Queen Zolani. When she reclaimed her ancestors’ kingdom, she vowed it would be no longer a realm ruled by prejudice or cruelty. In this, she made a bold choice: allowing the former royal family to remain within the castle walls and taking Prince William, their son, as her husband. Their union was one of great triumph and reconciliation, bringing peace between divided peoples, though remnants of hostility still whispered in the shadows.

The Earl of Hessington, a man of peace but also a man of great pragmatism, understood the necessity of respect in high society. Peace, after all, came at a cost. His family, and those allied with them, must strive for excellence, lest they lose the hard-won reputation that allowed them to live in harmony. Aarav’s father, the Duke of Daleworth, shared this view, and their long-standing friendship had ensured that each man raised the other's children as his own.

Nyssakanya, known fondly as Nyssa, could not comprehend why the men were hidden away in such rigorous preparation for something as ordinary as schooling. In her young mind, it seemed to be nothing more than a matter of reading, understanding, and applying knowledge. Yet, all behaved as though they were equipping Zayan and Aarav for war, rather than an academic endeavour.

“When, Mama, shall they return?” Nyssa inquired of her mother, Dorothea. The lady smiled gently, laying a hand upon her daughter’s shoulder. “Soon, dearest,” she replied. Just then, a stir echoed from downstairs, prompting Dorothea to rise. “In fact, I daresay that is them.” Turning to Aarav’s mother, Florentina, who was leisurely engrossed in her book, she called, “The men have returned, darling.”

Nyssa always admired the ease with which Florentina lost herself in her novels, an activity often discouraged for women of their standing. Yet Florentina was unyielding in such matters. Nyssa recalled vividly a time when the lady had declared, “We are free now, with our titles won by the blood of thousands. Surely, a woman reading a book is not so scandalous.” Her husband, Ahmed, had said nothing, merely pressing his lips together in silence.

Marking her page, Florentina set the book aside with an amused look. “At last! We shall now be regaled with tales of hunting, of horses, and of my dear husband’s gallant pistol-handling as he bravely killed—” “Nyssa is here,” Dorothea interjected with a cautionary glance. Florentina merely smiled. “Ah, but she shall not be spared the details. Why should we pretend otherwise? She shall grow into a woman, and marry a man full of such stories. It is only right she be prepared.” With a glance toward Nyssa, she added, “Is it not, my dear?”

Nyssa grinned, her heart warmed by Florentina’s irreverent wit. While her own mother was the epitome of propriety, Florentina took liberties with every jest, and Nyssa admired her for it. “I wish to be just like you one day!” she declared, to which Dorothea suddenly fanned herself in distress.

Florentina laughed heartily. “Oh, that’s a nightmare for every mother, save perhaps mine!” With that, she scooped Nyssa into her arms, though the girl was light enough that, at seven, she weighed no more than a child of three.

At that moment, the men entered the room, and Nyssa cried out in delight. “Papa!” The Earl, a tall, distinguished man, took his daughter from Florentina’s arms and spun her about. “My beautiful Nyssa! If you become any lovelier, I shall need the King’s Guard to keep the suitors at bay.”