The Tragedy of Renya

1.4 Wanting to Leave

???, Renya

Alice hummed a melody she remembered from her childhood, as she put some clothes and some bread in a bag. She smiled at herself, glad that she’d taken a day off of work. Everyone else could handle it for one day; she was only one of many servants of the Pentel family. She knew she should feel grateful for the job she’d received from Lord Hendri Pentel; it was an honour to be employed at the house of the founding family of Renya.

That did not mean that she didn’t want her time off. For the first time in years she’d taken a day off. She wanted to go to the large lake just outside the city walls. She used to go there all the time with her family when she was a child. She’d waited patiently ever since her brother left town for his return, so they’d have a few days off together before he’d have to leave again. And over time more and more days off had been accumulated by her, as her brother took his sweet time returning. Then again, she knew how he was; he’d often tell her that it was a loss in his book if he took even one of the same items back. It was a work ethic he’d been taught by their father, Alice remembered. Her brother would learn a ton of these lessons. It was a stab at their father’s direction that their son did not become a salesman of furniture like him. Instead, Alice’s brother had decided on selling art works. Pottery had especially become his favourite; it was beautiful and useful at the same time. Alice remembered how her brother would talk about the different styles. It was as if her brother could see the country, year, and method of manufacture from a single carved line. Even if he only had the fragments he could return the vase to its old glory. Because of this talent of his he’d often been asked for at the University of Ostia, although he would often refuse, stating that fame did not bring him any money. And on the odd occasion that he did go to Ostia on their request, he’d complain that the people at the university were cheapskates, that they’d tried to rip him off again and even succeeded.

But then his name would be mentioned in the newspapers as the people at the university had discovered something about a hidden culture again with his help, and he’d start shining. He would not show his pride to anyone, not even his sister, but Alice had one day found a box full of newspaper clippings, or copies of academic papers, where he’d been mentioned. She’d tried bringing it up to him once, but he pretended it wasn’t there. Next time she cleaned his room she found he’d moved the box to another secret stash.

It had for a few months been a game for them, almost like they were playing hide and seek with the box. Then her brother had left on another business trip that had taken him a month before he returned, and they’d both mostly forgotten.

Alice sighed and put a clay bottle of water in her bag. There was a mild clang as it fell onto the table and she cringed. She quickly looked in the bag and found that the bottle had not broken. She turned around to get her towel and found herself facing the large front mirror. She frowned and put her brown hair back into a long braid. It was easier when swimming, she’d found, and it would give her otherwise straight hair at least some sort of curls. She then continued and grabbed the two towels she’d put on the countertop. She stuffed them in the bag, before changing her mind and taking one of them out together with the clay bottle. She wrapped the bottle into the towel and carefully put it back into the bag. She felt a lot more secure now, and wondered why she hadn’t done it before. She shrugged; probably forgotten.

After a few more minutes Alice decided to put on a summer jacket in case it should rain. Even though she knew it wouldn’t keep the rain out completely, she felt it would be able to help at least a little. She looked outside the window and smiled. There wasn’t a single cloud in the sky.

When had it last rained anyway?

“I have to leave,” Leandra whispered as she sat next to Hendri, her hand on his leg, “I can’t stay here anymore, time’s running out, Hendri.”
Hendri ignored her and looked out the window.
“You know that’s impossible,” he answered. Leandra moved away from him again.
“Lea, it’s not my choice,” he sighed, “it’s impossible. I don’t want you to leave me.”

Leandra nodded absently, although her disapproving pout said more than words ever could.
“Lea,” Hendri leaned over to her, “Lea, I can’t stand losing you. Not after all this time. Don’t you know what I’ve done for you?”
“I never asked for any of this,” Leandra got out of the couch and moved towards the window. She half leaned her hips against the desk in front of it, as she looked out the window.
“I never wanted you to do this kind of thing,” she repeated. Hendri sighed.
“Lea, you can’t accept presents,” he said as he walked toward her and placed a hand on her shoulder, “that’s your problem. You should learn to say ‘thank you’.”

Leandra turned around angrily.
“Don’t you feel remorse for what you did?”

Hendri pushed his lips against her.
“You should know how precious time is. I want to keep as much as I can for the two of us.”
“Why can’t I leave?”

Hendri frowned, as he started to get upset with his wife’s attitude.
“We can’t. I’m busy with the city council. They’re being a pain as always.”

Leandra crossed her arms and looked away.
“That’s what you’ve been saying for how long has it been now?”
“I’ll make them shut up soon.”
“Then can I go?”

Alice smiled as she headed towards the west gate. How long had it been, she wondered, since she’d seen her brother leave through this gate? It felt like it was only yesterday, though it had definitely been much longer.

“You cannot pass,” a man said. Alice looked to the side and saw one of the gate’s guards.
“Why not?” she asked, “I’m only going to the lake…”
“Orders of the city council. Until other orders arrive nobody is allowed to leave the town. It is a matter of city security,” the man said.

Alice frowned.
“What kind of security? Is there a war?”
The man laughed at her and beckoned her to come closer. Alice obeyed. She recognised the man; he was a friend of her brother’s.

“Listen Alice, I don’t know more than you do.” He whispered, “I say the entire council’s gone crazy.”
Alice sighed.
“Don’t look at me that way kid,” He smiled, “listen, I only know what I hear. And the orders I’ve been getting lately are getting completely insane. Nobody’s allowed to leave the city until further orders. You don’t wanna know how many angry merchants I’ve had so far. And nobody gets any context for what’s happening.”
“Don’t you ask questions anymore?” Alice frowned.
“Last guy who did got fired. I think he’s still scrambling through the city to get a new job. The council’s starting to be a bit power-hungry.”

Alice nodded.
“There’s no way you’ll let me out?” she asked.
“I don’t want to get fired. I’m already telling you more than I should.”
“You didn’t tell me anything though.”

Alice frowned even more; she couldn’t believe her plans had been ruined like this.

She was about to head home again when she noticed a homeless man. She wanted to ask the guard to remove him, but there was something off. The homeless man coughed, and when she saw his hand after that it looked red. For a few more minutes this sight repeated. Then the man stopped moving altogether.

Alice shivered and quickly went home again.

Everything was as she’d left it.

Her brother hadn’t come home today either.