The Island With No Parallel

The Spy (part 2)

June 21, 1835

Aznia has had an idea that I have foolishly ignored for a while that is now proving more fruitful than anything else we’ve tried.

We have had many conversations with many aristocrats, and getting them to listen has been increasingly difficult the more they see how deeply I feel for Aznia. Many have ceased their acquaintance with me for it. It has made out already impossible task all the more difficult.

Desperate, Aznia finally approached me along with Lucia Fuentes with their proposal. Up until now, Aznia’s, and later Lucia’s servants have solicited information for us unawares to the true purpose for it. They wanted to give up on the aristocracy all together, and begin dealing with the servants on a more serious level, bringing them into it rather than their masters.

At first, I completely disregarded the idea. I didn’t see the power in using servants, maids, and gossipers. We needed the power of people higher up in society to put out the flame that the Aracs were starting. Otherwise, our attempts would be useless.

But it was Lady Lucia that put me in my place. She insisted that through the lower class, we had the advantage of invisibility. They could get in and find things without being noticed by anyone. She could recommend servants that were secretly working for us to Lords and Ladies across Spain, and even Portugal, France and Britain.

Reluctantly, I agreed it was worth a try, though without really believing in what they were saying.

I couldn’t have been more wrong. We started with Aznia and Lady Lucia’s servants. Hardly any of them turned us down. Our sources of information are stronger than ever, now that the servants we send know what to look for.

I was foolish to doubt Lady Lucia and Aznia. It opened my eyes to the fact that despite the fact that I loved Aznia, I too was guilty of the same crime committed against Aznia for her color. I was blind to recognise the importance in people simply because of their class just in the same way people failed to see importance in Aznia for her color. Despite the face this very same aristocracy rejected me and Aznia, I saw them as the only class of people capable of the task we had ahead of us.

I will always remember this lesson that Aznia and Lady Lucia have taught me, and I will never cease to see ways that meeting Aznia has changed my life forever. Seeing my world through her eyes is a bleak reality of society, and it has made me see what is the true value of people and friends. I will always admire Lady Lucia, who despite her status, saw value in the things most would look over. I believe we can entrust her with the responsibility of maintaining the information funneled to us through the network of servants and maids.

Not only that, but Lady Lucia had an amazing ability to make anyone open up to her, and combined with the pocketwatch that made people forget the conversations they had with her, she was formidable. So we gave her the pocketwatch, and made her officially our spy. She would get close to Lords that we suspected were in coalition with the Aracs and find out anything we needed to know.

Shortly after we all had made this decision, Lady Lucia, Aznia, Fernando and I, the Unseeables spoke with us to show their approval of the decision, and decided that she was qualified to take over leadership of the task of working on destroying the returning grounds. Because it was time that Aznia and I take our mission back into Caorfi, they announced, and begin on the last task required of us.

Manuel had become engrossed in his father’s diary. Lorenn started him again as she reappeared, flapping her wings to create a breeze that closed the book.

“Now you know who Lucia Fuentes is. You need to find her. Do you remember where she lives?”

“Yes, I remember going to her masia a few times as a child,” he said detachedly, still recovering from what he had read.

“Then you know where you need to go next. Her many connections will help you find someone that will take you on a ship to find Luca Valentini. When you see her, let her know that you’re continuing the work your parents started. She’ll give you everything you need. Farewell,” she said, flying away again.

Manuel was left in the silence of his room, alone. Reading his father’s diary was the first time he had ever known this side of his father. The words he’d written left the feeling of guilt eating at his gut.

What Manuel had said to Yunara was completely out of character, he knew. He didn’t have a lot of time with his father, but one thing he always taught him was to treat the help with the respect they deserved, even if just for being human. And that was the way he handled the servants of his own masia, even now.

But one thing he was never able to understand about his father is the reason why he decided to marry a colored woman. It seemed that in the world of Caorfi, both Ecencia and whatever country the Naiads came from were both black countries. It didn’t matter that Yunara nor his mother Aznia weren’t Africans. That’s what any logical person would assume they were. Because of that, Manuel had never grown up knowing his grandparents, or any of his relatives for that matter. His associates were limited to the only people that remained in contact with his father at that time, Fernando Álvaro and Lucia Fuentes were amongst the few. He always thought that he would never do what his father did and tarnish the family name to marry himself with just anyone.

But he never knew he could feel for someone what he felt for Yunara. She occupied his thoughts, penetrated his concentration. She ruined everything for him.

He had been trying to deny it since the day she appeared in his horse’s stable. But the day they left Fernando’s manor, Manuel saw Yunara’s Naiad form without the help of the seeing powder, and after hearing his father’s story, he knew why.

Manuel didn’t want to desire a girl like her. She was a maid and she was colored. He was colored too, but at least he still had a name for himself. He still owned property, he still had people under him that ran successful businesses. And if he married someone Spanish, it would be all he needed to make it as best he could here, given the circumstances. It was clear he would never be like his lighter colored counterparts in this country, but if he repeated the actions of his father, he might as well just give up everything he had here.

But Yunara was everything Manuel couldn’t help but be attracted to, no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. He couldn’t stop thinking about her beautiful face and features, her soft curly hair that brought out her intriguingly dark eyes. But he couldn’t give up everything he worked so long for just for his feelings for her.

Manuel’s shoulder started hurting worse. Taking off the bandage, he saw that the wound was now red and swelling more. It was definitely infected.

He looked at the things Kailu brought that was still in the bag in the rubbish bin. After hesitating a minute, he went to retrieve the items, hoping he could prepare the paste like Yunara and Kailu had described to him before.

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So, as you can see, Manuel’s parents played played a big role in fighting against the Aracs that Manuel had no idea about his whole life! What if you found out your parents were spies before you were born? Wouldn't that be awesome? :D

Anyway, soon, you'll meet another important character to Manuel’s past. Stay tuned ;)

Be sure to comment, rate, and follow me while you're at it XD