Taraquin

Chapter 3

A small but charming farmhouse lies northeast of Gelwyn near the Olaf River in Chora Province. Inside the house, Zane's Aunt and Uncle work to prepare the things Zane will need for his trip to the city market. His Aunt Martha bakes food to last his journey, while his Uncle Charles takes a blanket and other supplies from the dining table, and shoves them into a cloth bag.

"You know Charles, I've got this feeling that we're holding Zane back from who he really is," states Martha in a concerned voice.

Charles sits down at the dining table and is silent for a moment while thinking about what to say.

"Charles, did you hear me?" retorts Martha.

He sighs. "Yes, I heard you woman! We've had this discussion time and time again, and you already know how I feel. We don't know if he is like his Mother and Father. Sure, he could be living in his own house with many servants to do the work that he does now, but wealth and power have the tendency to change people. He's a good boy Martha, and I want him to stay that way. Besides, if he were like his parents and decided to take the same road they took, he could end up just like them. I for one can't just sit by and watch that happen," explains Charles.

"I worry for his safety as well, but he's not a child anymore. We don't even know what really happened with his parents, but he still deserves to know the truth. If he were like his parents, I think we would know by now. I just think he's old enough to make his own decisions," argues Martha.

"Make what decision?" questions Zane as he walks through the door.

"Zane!" Martha yells in a surprised tone. "Oh, we were just talking about how you are at that age where you umm, umm, you know, where you need to start thinking about whether you want to take over the farm one day, or is there is something else out there in the world that you would rather do with your life."

"Yeah, yeah, that's what we were talking about," agrees Charles as he tries to back up her obvious lie.

"I have thought about joining the Guard for awhile now, but I don't know as if I could actually leave you guys. Besides, who would do all the work around here?" questions Zane.

"I may be getting older, but I can still handle the farm on my own. I did it for many years before you were old enough to help me. When I do eventually need help, I will hire someone if there is something else that you want to do. I don't want you to feel obligated to stay here for the rest of your life," explains Charles.

Zane pats his Uncle on the shoulder and grabs an apple out of the bowl sitting on the table. "I don't feel obligated. I love being here and I'm more than likely not going anywhere any time soon, except to the city market of course," Zane jokes while grinning as he takes a large bite out of the apple.

Charles smiles and shakes his head.

"But, I do need to go finish packing my clothes," Zane mumbles while chewing as he heads toward his room.

"Well, try to hurry because dinner is almost done and you've got an early start tomorrow," Martha yells as she looks to make sure he's out of the room. "We need to tell him when he gets back from the city market."

Charles sighs. "I know. You're right. It's about time he knows the truth."

Zane digs through his dresser, pulling out his nicest tunic and trousers. He inspects the clothes, making sure they have no holes or stains, assuring he will look his best. He starts daydreaming of settling down with someone, but reclaims thoughts of the one who buys his apples. His thoughts always come back around to her. A slight grin emerges as he recalls previous encounters with her. He scrolls through names in his head, wondering which could be hers. He makes up his mind, concluding that he will finally work up the courage to ask her name.

His mind begins to wander for a moment until it rests on a new subject. He becomes suspicious as he recalls how jumpy his aunt and uncle were when he walked in. It seems to him like they may have been talking about something else, like they were hiding something. He wonders what it could be about. He thinks for a moment, going over different scenarios in his head, all the while hoping that whatever it is they're hiding isn't bad.

"Zane, dinner is ready!" Martha yells from the kitchen.

He walks into the dining room and sits down at the table. A few moments later his Aunt brings food, places it on the table, and sits down herself. The three of them fill their plates and begin to eat in silence. Zane instantly notices how strange the awkward silence is. Laughter and upbeat conversations always occur throughout their evening meal. He studies each of their faces, as if trying to read their thoughts. He can tell something is troubling them. "Is everything alright?" Zane blurts out, interrogating them.

"Everything is fine," they answer in unison.

"We're just anxious about your trip," claims Martha. "Your Uncle and I are just worried about you traveling while these Rebels continue to attack innocent people."

"Which reminds me," interrupts Charles as he stands from the table and heads into the living room. He pulls down a sword from the top of a shelf. "I want you to take this in case you run into trouble." Charles lays it on top of the rest of the supplies. "The Queen seems to do nothing about these Rebel uprisings, and why would she care, she's safe and sound behind large expensive walls. So it's up to us to defend ourselves."

"Charles, don't go putting ideals into the young man's head."

"Well Martha, somebody needs to stand up and say something. These Rebels have terrorized the people of Taraquin for more than twenty years now, and Queen Ellanor seems content with how things are," argues Charles.

"Don't worry Aunt Martha, I'll be fine. I can handle myself," reassures Zane.

The rest of the meal is silent. Zane begins to wonder again if they weren't telling him something, but he pushes the thought aside and finishes his meal. Once he is done, he washes his plate and puts it away. "I had better get some sleep. I have a long journey ahead of me tomorrow," insists Zane as he heads toward his room.

"Alright. Goodnight," Charles and Martha respond.

As Zane enters his room, he undresses and climbs into his bed. He pulls the covers up to his chin, and then rolls onto his side. He lies there for a while thinking about the excitement of his upcoming journey. Then he begins to picture the girl from the market, until he finally drifts off to sleep.

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