Fathoms of Forgiveness (Sacred Breath, Book 2) (3 page)

“When you said that the commoners lived in ‘volcanic caves’ I imagined… well, I imagined plain old caves,” Trevain said, looking around in awe as they navigated the ornate corridors.

“They are caves, are they not?” Aazuria asked in confusion.

“Yes, but they’re…” he looked around, trying to find the words. “They’re…”

“Did you think we lived in primitive Neolithic dwellings with stick figures decorating the walls?” she asked him with amusement. Her indigo eyes and silvery hair glistened in the firelight of the gilded candelabras they passed.

“I just didn’t imagine
this!
I feel like I’m walking through the hallways of the Palace of Versailles.”

Aazuria nodded once, not missing a beat in her brisk stride. “That structure is exactly what our designs are based on. My family moved here from Europe around the same time that Versailles was being expanded. It was the popular palatial style, and Papa was partial to it.”

Trevain shook his head, smiling. “I have to admit that when your sisters first told me about your underwater world, I didn’t expect such a high quality of life. Libraries, schools, mines, marketplaces and hospitals. You’re pretty much self-subsistent. Growing acres of mushrooms and farming huge pools of fish and domesticated manatees—which, by the way, are delicious.”

“We even have a natural reserve for a tame, lovable creature that humans hunted to extinction everywhere else. Have you heard of Steller’s sea-cow?” Aazuria asked him. When he shook his head, she smiled. “Of course, like land-dwellers, our people still fish and hunt for sport and for delicacies, but we try to respect the purity of the Arctic waters and sustainability of life here. We are a very independent people, with hardly any trade or commerce between the various undersea nations.”

“This is all so mind-blowing. I have always fished so close to these islands, and I had no clue all of this was under here,” he said with wonder. He turned to glance at her again, observing the proud silhouette of her nose and chin. “If I had known that such treasures existed, I would have gone hunting for them in my youth.”

 “Do not even begin lamenting your youth again. You are but one twelfth of my age!” she said, shaking her head. “Your own home is of comparable grandeur, just with a modern layout. Besides, you know that what is mine is now yours to share.” She glanced at him, and saw that he was looking at her with admiration. She had misunderstood. He did not mean the treasures of her kingdom. She felt her cheeks flush with heat—she knew that her blush was exponentially more visible through her now-pale cheeks.

“I just wish I had met you sooner,” he said softly.

A smile came to her lips. “Each meeting occurs at the precise moment for which it was meant. Usually, when it will have the greatest impact on our lives.”

“We’re here,” Sionna called out to the couple. She and her sister had been walking ahead of them and conversing quietly. The candlelit corridor extended out into the infirmary. “We have unusually high numbers of wounded at the moment due to the recent battle…”

“And it was only the first wave,” Visola added with a frown. “We have to get everyone healed and start preparing immediately for the next. It could be at any time.”

Sionna nodded. “The infirmary isn’t usually this chaotic and crowded, but we have some of our allies from Japan here as well. The Clan of the Ningyo.”

“Ningyo?” Trevain asked curiously as he followed the twins. “Like the weird fish-people from the folklore?”

Sionna regarded the ceiling with exasperation. “Please, Trevain. You’re an intelligent young man. Just forget everything you know about sea mythology. They’re exactly like us: just people, no tails.”

“They have incredible fighting skill though,” Visola said. “Many of them trained with the samurai. They still follow the code and teach it to their young. So be respectful when you run into them.
Especially
Queen Amabie! You want to bow deeply when you greet her. She was known and feared in feudal times—speaking of which, her millennial is coming up in a few years, and we’re going to have a huge bash. I have no idea what to get her… what do you get for the queen who has everything?”

“Her millennial?” Trevain asked in disbelief.

“Her thousandth birthday,” Aazuria explained to him. His face registered surprise. How could he possibly bow deeply enough to honor a thousand-year-old samurai queen?

“Intensive care is through those doors,” Sionna said, pointing. “If you ever need me and I’m not at the palace, this is usually where you will be able to find me. There are a few other wings over there, but Callder is in… hey! Zuri, get back here.”

As soon as Sionna had turned away from the intensive care wing, Aazuria had tried to slip away from them. She paused and turned back to face Sionna with a distressed look on her face. “I need to see her,” she whispered. “I held Elandria while she almost died in my arms.”

Trevain understood her position, having recently gone through the experience of believing his own brother dead as well. He still urgently needed to see Callder’s face for confirmation that it had all been a lie. He moved to Aazuria’s side and slipped a hand around her waist comfortingly. She sighed and leaned her head against his shoulder. It was her injured sister, Elandria, who had helped him to cope with his loss, however blissfully false it had ended up being. Elandria was a quiet girl who never spoke with her voice, but only used sign language—despite having the angelic voice of a professionally trained opera singer. He loved her like she was already his own sister, and he could not imagine life without her. She had to pull through, or Aazuria would be inconsolable and he would be devastated.  

Sionna frowned. “Elandria only just got out of surgery. Her right ventricle was damaged. She has all kinds of tubes placed in her, and an apparatus helping her breathe. We need to allow her to rest, and I won’t allow any contaminates in the water. She lost a lot of blood, and she can’t risk infection. Aazuria, trust me. Just be patient for now.”

Aazuria closed her eyes and nodded. “Fine. Take us to Callder.”

The twins began moving through the infirmary, and Trevain followed with his arm still around Aazuria. He observed as many women in simple green dresses rushed around, carrying various implements. It was the strangest hospital he had ever seen; it looked more like an exotic luxury spa. Picturesque hot springs were scattered throughout the massive candlelit room with mossy paths between them.

“Where are all the patients?” Trevain asked in confusion.

“Submerged,” Sionna explained. “In individual ‘pods’ of water. The minerals have healing properties that expedite recovery. That’s not hogwash either, it’s fact. By the way, Aazuria should be soaking her shoulder.”

“This little stab wound?” Aazuria asked, trying to be flippant. Her tight grip on Trevain’s arm betrayed to him that underneath her carefree words she was rather tense. “Why bother healing it up when I will surely just get impaled in the same spot again as soon as it is better?”

“That was hilarious,” Visola said with a grin. “Stabbed
twice
by the same enemy! We should name the whole battle after that. ‘The Shoulder Skirmish.’ Or perhaps ‘Shoulder Scuffle’ sounds better. “

“Wonderful. I shall be mocked for this mistake for the rest of my breathing life,” Aazuria said. She lifted a hand to absentmindedly prod the bandages around her wound. Talking about it seemed to make it hurt more.

“Adding insult to injury is my sister’s specialty,” Sionna said. “We’re here.” She turned into a corridor and threw another set of double doors open.

An unexpected sight greeted them. Callder was bare-chested, with bandages wrapping much of his chest and midsection, while two nurses fawned over him. One had her lips attached to his, while the other sat in his lap with her dress hiked up around her waist.

“For Sedna’s sake!” Sionna shouted, throwing her hands into the air. “Both of you! Who authorized coitus with the patients? You’re both fired!”

The nurses immediately ripped themselves away from Callder and arranged their clothing before facing Sionna shamefully.

“Please, Doctor Ramaris… he is just a lonely war hero…”

Sionna extended an incredulous finger towards Callder. “Him? A war hero? Is that what he’s been telling you?”

The other nurse turned to Aazuria, curtseying deeply. “My dear Princess!” she pleaded, knowing that Aazuria had a reputation for being far more merciful than the Ramaris twins. “Take pity on us! He was so charming…”

“No. There are
dozens
of war victims in need of assistance,” Aazuria said evenly. She did not raise her voice, but it was laced with authority. “This is no time for dallying. You both will go at once to aid the other nurses. Once the volume of patients is reduced, your employment here is terminated.”

“Yes, Princess,” they both said softly.

“And your employment with me begins,” Visola added with a gleeful nod. “You both have been recruited to Adlivun’s military. Yay! Now get back to work.”

The two nurses scurried from the room, their heads lowered in embarrassment. Aazuria felt a small pang of remorse for them—there were hardly any men in Adlivun, thanks to the destructive impact of her father’s long reign as king. She observed Callder’s state of undress and she had to conceal a smirk. She found him as handsome as his older brother, but decidedly more coarse and jagged around the edges; both men were almost impossible to resist.

“Now why’d you all have to go and do that?” Callder complained, pointing at his bandages with a pout. “Can’t you see I’m in need of some serious sexual healin’? Those ladies were just…” Callder trailed off when he saw his fourth visitor. He slowly raised himself from where he was seated. He took several shaky steps forward, with his hand clutching his bandaged chest. “Big brother?”

Trevain felt tears prick the back of his eyes. He shook his head and cleared his throat gruffly. He did not know what to say. It was true; the Coast Guard had been wrong. The death certificate needed to be ripped up into tiny shreds and cheerfully trampled. His little brother was really alive and well. Very well. He looked at Callder affectionately, trying to think of the appropriate greeting for this situation. He uttered the first three tender words which came to mind.

“You whoring buffoon!”

Callder crossed the room as quickly as he could, and ignoring his injury, he seized his brother in a manly embrace. “I’m so sorry, Trevain. I should have listened to you. I’m so sorry.”

Trevain hugged him back strongly, needing to feel that he was really made of flesh and blood. “You fool,” he said, trying to fight back his tears. “Callder, you foolish… fool!”

“I love you too,” Callder said earnestly. He winced, but did not complain that Trevain’s arms were crushing his still-healing ribs.

Sionna and Visola exchanged small smiles with each other. Aazuria looked at them, and she could see that they both were thrilled about the newest additions to their family. Although the Ramaris twins were tough on the exterior, they were the most loving siblings that she knew underneath their crass manner. She turned back to the embracing men, and felt emotion brim up inside of her. It seemed that the bond between Ramaris siblings had stayed strong throughout the generations, even though the Murphy brothers had a different name and overseas upbringing. How uncanny it was that the relationship between Trevain and Callder was so similar to that between Visola and Sionna, even though they had not grown up around them to be influenced.
Nature is powerful,
Aazuria thought to herself.
Nurture is important in determining the path we take, but nature is what defines us, and defines exactly how we will traverse that path…

“Where’s mom?” Trevain asked Callder. “I thought she’d be here with you.”