Raynestorm

Adam

Adam

When the train pulls into the station I can see Rayne’s bright red hair over by the castle. Soon, the train stops and I get off. I walk down the street, and, when I get close, I start talking.

“You know, I wish you would plan these excursions so that I don’t have to make excuses for leaving in the midst of a meeting with my dad.” I say, smiling. When I am standing behind her, I place my hand gently on her shoulder, so she turns around, but she doesn’t look happy to see me. In fact, she looks mad. “Rayne, what’s wrong?”

“Adam, I, um, do you ever think that, maybe, all those questions Liam and Mel ask you are for a reason? I mean, like when they asked about you and me possibly getting married?”

“I don’t know. I mean, I guess?” I had no idea where she was going with this. “I’d always just assumed they were really nosy.”

“Did they ever ask about anything else? Because, if they were nosey, they would have asked about everything. Not just me.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” now she looks to be a mix of nervous and angry, “Rayne, you’re scaring me, what’s wrong?”

She looks me dead in the eyes, “Adam, our marriage, is set up.”

“So, like, Liam and Melanie already planned our wedding?” she rolls her eyes, annoyed.

“No, well, they might have, that’s not what I am talking about. I mean, our parents arranged our marriage from the very beginning.”

“Oh.” she nods her head in a “duh” fashion. “When you say that beginning, you mean, like, that day we met?”

“Long before that.”

“How long?”

“The day my parents found out they were having a girl.”

“So, when I was three, it wasn’t just because our families were close?” She shakes her head.

“Did our parents seem that close?” Now it’s my turn to shake my head. “Do you see where there are holes forming in the little moments that shaped our relationship?” I nod.

“I’m sure they had their reasons.”

“Adam, they manipulated my life. They manipulated your life.”

“I’m sure it’s not that bad.”

“You do realize it wasn’t just me? That, maybe, if they hadn’t done this, we might never have been friends, or even known each other.”

“Rayne, I wouldn’t, don’t say that.”

“Adam, I have to -- I have to be realistic. Th-” she is sobbing now

“No, Rayne, this isn’t being realistic, this is being ignorant. You are being ignorant to the fact that they are your parents, that they love you. It was all a matter of politics, I’m sure. They had to do it. To you-”

“To both of us.”

“To both of us.”

“But for you Adam, for you it was different. You got to choose your preschool friends, and, maybe, you got to,” she shakes her head, “I don’t know. The point is, I didn’t. My life was set up the day my parents found out I was a girl. They invited all of you there when I was born. They made your’s the third face ever saw. You can’t tell me that doesn’t make a difference. Adam, you can’t tell me that wasn’t wrong.”

“I-I’m not, but Rayne, it doesn’t change that I love you.” I realize what I said and stop talking. Her head snaps up and she looks me right in the eyes. Her colourful eyes stare into my very soul.

“Say it again,” she says.

“I love you,” I say, but quieter this time. All of a sudden her lips are against mine. I am so surprised, that I don’t respond. She pulls away.

“I love you too,” she says, and this time, I respond. I grab her hand and pull her in close. I move my hand to a more natural position on her waist and soon, there is so little space between us that the only thing we can do is kiss. And we do. And for a moment we forget everything. That our parents manipulated us, and that our marriage was arranged. We forget, because in that moment, none of it matters. In that moment, it is just her and me against everything, and anything, that might come our way.

Then it ends, and we have to figure out what to do with our current situation.

She speaks first, “So, clearly we aren’t splitting up.” We both laugh.

“Clearly,” I say, “but what are we going to do?”

“Well, if we are going to get married, which I assume we are, then we have to find a place where we are in between both kingdoms.”

“What about this place?” I ask, realizing that we are literally standing next to a castle that borders three kingdoms.

“Oh, yeah. But what about Adleglen?”

“We’ll talk to my dad, and your mum, and Mike’s dad, and Matthew’s dad, and Emma’s parents. As well as Mike, Matthew, Emma, and the two of us. We’ll hold our own council.”

“Okay. Yeah, I can see that. But, we won’t be able to just request this land from Adleglen. They’ll never accept a treaty. Not with a war in the balance.”

“Oh, yeah, then I guess we prepare for war.” This gets me a questioning look from Rayne, “There is no way that any sort of attempt at negotiation won’t turn into war. You know how touchy the king is.”

“Yeah, I do.”

“So, let’s call our friends, and hold an emergency council. Our own emergency council.”

“Okay. Where?” I gesture behind me, “We can’t do it here.”

“Why not?”

“Three reasons. One, it’s a tourist trap. Two, it’s partially on Adleglen territory. And three, they are not all going to take a half hour train ride for something that isn’t guaranteed to work.”

“Okay, so, the council hall in Velaire, or the council hall in Dalerin?”

“Velaire. We should gather up everyone and come walking into mum’s council with the most powerful people in our midst.”

“Still a little mad at your mum?” I shrug, “Okay, we’ll do it your way, but only because there is a council being held there anyways.”

“Thank you.” She says, and gives me a peck on the lips. “Let’s go then,” she says, and we walk hand in hand to the train. First stop, Dalerin castle.