Our Time Bomb

Chapter Twenty-seven ~ The Past Haunts

The whole dinner, I watched Jefferson. Everything about him made my insides tingle. I felt like a high schooler with a crush again. The way his veins stuck out in his hands and arms. The way his jaw moved when he talked. When he did talk, it always came out the way he intended. Perhaps then I had on infatuation glasses that blocked out even the farthest possibility that he had faults. As far as I was concerned, he was perfect for me.

After we finished eating, we cleared the table and washed the dishes. We laughed as we worked. I noticed how similar Anya and Jefferson were. Both had the same hair color, light brown, and both had the same blue eyes.

The main difference however, he always carried himself with dignity, while she walked around as though she doesn't even know herself. She seemed self conscious.

When we finished, Jefferson and I sat down at the table and she began to sweep the floor.

He motioned with his hand, "Oh Anya, you don't need to do that here, you do it enough at home."

She laughed and put the broom away.

I frowned at what he said. "What do you mean by that."

"I am a household slave." she said simply, "My Master and Mistress allowed me to come visit my brother for a few days."

I sucked in a breath with surprise, "Oh... I didn't know."

She nodded slowly, "It's alright"

Suddenly an awful thought hit me like an arrow through the heart. Before the current monarchy came to the throne, slavery was not lawful. Now they have changed that. I hate the power of absolute monarchies. It shouldn't exist. The Court of Law voted against slavery but the king and queen overrode it.

Now I don't even know if Jefferson, the Captain of the Guard, agrees with slavery, but it is sickening how he does nothing about even if his own sister is a slave. He has influence, if he started an uprising against the monarchy, people would listen. But what does he do? Nothing. He is like a puppet doing as the monarchy wishes.

"Are you alright?" Jefferson asked me.

I held a hand to my stomach, "Just have a stomach ache, I'm fine though." which was true, but not entirely.

"I'm sorry, hope it feels better soon." He said with a sympathetic look.

Anyway, that was how I managed to get back into Jefferson's life again. His blind faith in me was remarkable and I marvel at it to this day.

After that time, we got married about six months later. Before I knew what was happening, things rocketed between us.

You would not believe how he proposed to me. It was so random. It was my twenty-ninth birthday and he gave me a custom made knife.

He told me that he'd go with me to a weapon store and buy me any knife I wanted. A marriage proposal was the last thing I expected in a weapon store. Anyone watching was probably quite entertained.

We walked in and the store owner gave Jefferson a funny look but It didn't register in my mind until afterwards.

I remember that he had his arm around me as we looked into the glass cases at the large variety of knives.

"This one is nice." I said, pointing at a beautiful long knife that hung on a rack.

He nodded, "So it is. Let me know if you see anything you want."

"You're so sweet." I smiled and hooked my arm in his.

We considered a couple other knives. There were small ones that could fit in just about any pocket. There were bigger ones that could cut almost anything softer than wood. Then he took a medium sized one off a shelf and looked at it as though he'd never before seen it. "How about this one? I think you'll like it."

I noticed the carefully carved handle and took in my hands, turning it over. On one side there were two words engraved. Marry me?

I frowned as though it were a mistake. "Jefferson... Do you know what is written on this knife?"

"I do, and I intend those words full well." He stood in front of me then knelt on one knee, "What do you say? If you don't like the knife, will a ring work better?"

I half screamed, "Oh my goodness! You're not kidding."

I laughed hysterically. "Yes! Of course duh! Oh my gosh!"

Everyone in the shop turned and looked at us, their faces lit up in all smiles, whispering among one another.

He grinned, his eyes glittering with relief as he slid the ring on my finger. Then he jumped up. I clutched the knife to my chest as my heart beat with adrenaline at four hundred miles an hour. He slid his arms around me and kissed me gladly in front of everyone. We didn't care who saw us, we were so lost in the moment. People around us applauded.

Is it just me? Or was that a strange yet awesome way to propose?

We got married soon afterwards. The ceremony was held in the forest, as we both love it there.

Up until the wedding, no one from Shadow Nation knew that I was dating a loyalist. However, I had to tell them. So the day before my wedding I went to find one of the Chancellors, the father of one of my seconds, Syra.

I walked casually into his office. "Good afternoon Sir, might you be busy?"

He shook his grey head, "No Heira, may I help you?"

I fidgeted with the folds of my dress, "I just wanted to talk.

He stood to acknowledge my status and answered, "What is it?"

"I just thought you should know something. Rightly or wrongly, I have been keeping a secret from everyone. I've been dating and I'm getting married tomorrow."

His jaw dropped, "You are? God, why didn't you tell us?"

"Because... He's a loyalist." I prepared myself for his explosion.

"What?! Is this some sort of a joke?!" his face was nothing short of a bright red.

I cringed, "No Sir..."

He sat back down dramatically, probably trying to reason in his head how in the world such a thing could possibly occur. "you're not kidding..."

I stood with crossed arms and shook my head.

"What do you want me to say Heira? Want me to give my blessings for your... wedding? want me to say its gonna be okay? Certainly preposterous. I've watched you grow up into a powerful intelligent woman. I've admired your wisdom and judgment as a leader of our people. This however makes me question your loyalty entirely. You will go so far as to corrupt the bloodline..."

I interrupted him, "Sir, please hear me out. My motives aren't disloyal. I love my people and would do anything for them, you must know this. But lately I've been bothered by the fact that I am alone. It never bothered me before, but now I have found the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Even if he is a gyardican."

"A gyardican?! So he isn't just a loyalist, but a gyardican. He may as well be a Captain of the Guard or a general for all I care."

I laughed inwardly, "He is..."

He looked at me straight in the eye, "What?"

"Nothing..." I mumbled.

He stood and began to pace the room, "So I am very disturbed by what you have just told me, but I cannot tell you what to do. If you do as you've said, I can't control it, but please be aware that everyone else here may not support you very well."

I nodded solemnly.

"Well give me time to think about this. You should go leave and prepare for your wedding."

With that, we parted ways and I left with the veil of his disappointment over me. I felt ashamed for letting my people down, but outside of serving them, I didn't have a life. I had been encouraged to find someone of higher standing in my bloodline to marry, but no one ever caught my eye.