The Island With No Parallel

Raided (part 2)

Days passed. One evening found Manuel laying alone in his room, his mind muddled and crowded. The evening sun poured golden light into the room, making it feel warm and perhaps somewhat cozy. The cabin that served as his room had a mirror on the wall. Getting himself up, he took off his shirt and looked at his reflection, inspecting his shoulder where it was cut from what happened in Revett. He remembered how red and sensitive it was before. The cut had progressed significantly since the night he argued with Yunara. The wound was closed, and testing his mobility, Manuel found that his range was much better now. Her advice had worked splendidly. A shallow feeling of guilt was settled in the pit of Manuel's stomach. Thinking about what he said before made him feel ashamed. He didn't want to admit to himself how much he held her to such a high esteem, and told her everything he could so that she would never know that.

Manuel stepped away from the mirror and started pulling his shirt back on. He had to remember that once this was all over, he would return to his normal life, and so would she. He would have to concern himself with his father's land, his two estates, going back to making a name for himself, and a big part of that had to do with the person he chose to marry, and by all intents and purposes, that had nothing to do with Yunara. A part of Manuel was frustrated that this was happening to him. Before he met her, he had plans. Make good profits off of his businesses on his father's land. Marry a proper lady of aristocracy and take care of her with the wealth he'd earned for himself. Have children to pass his wealth on to. Yunara ruined everything for him. Why did he have to fall in love with someone that upset every plan he had for his life? He always imagined himself of having to dig himself out of the hole his father dug for the two of them by marrying his mother, and find a way to make it in society by marrying someone proper. Then perhaps his children could have better luck than he did in life. But history was repeating itself. Manuel had fallen in love with a black maid from Caorfi, and there was no getting out of it. He was smitten with her.

Glancing at his improved shoulder, Manuel's mind gravitated to the argument he had with Yunara. When the situation was reversed, and it was Yunara under his care with a wound in her back, she had been immensely thankful towards him. And for the sake of his pride, Manuel couldn't bring himself to admit she was right when the tables were turned on him, and it was he at her care. She didn't seem to hate him for it, but he felt that was because she already didn't expect much from him anyway. He didn't want to admit it, but he hated how she had distanced herself from him. It wasn't in a very overt way, but he knew she was only by his side because of their common obligation. Even if she could never be his, Manuel wanted to at least be rid of the icy divide that had placed itself between them ever since they left his manor. But he didn't know how to bring himself to apologize to her. Partly for fear of her reaction, and partly, in all truth, for his own pride.

A sudden burst of laughter interrupted Manuel's line of thought. Curious, he opened the door to his cabin and peered down the candle-lit hall. He heard more laughter coming from the direction of the mess hall. Deciding to investigate, Manuel walked into the mess hall.

Yunara and Kailu were sitting with Youssef and one other that Manuel didn't know, in the middle of hunching over with laughing around a kettle of tea. He could smell from where he stood that it was mint.

"Come on and join us, Manuel!" Youssef invited him. He gestured to the other man sitting around at the table. "This is Ismael, a good friend of mine and the chef here. He speaks English and Spanish. He's worked with me for years in tasks for the Unseeables. He's the only one on the ship that knows what we're really going to Italy for."

"Ah," Manuel responded. The young man reached forward and gave a strong handshake.

Kailu said, "Don't let her change the subject! We're trying to make Yunara learn Spanish. Now, I'm not going to be your interpreter all the time, I can promise you that. You're going to learn one way or another."