Ga’len was sitting in his quarters going over messages in his datapad. He saw a message that his mind at first could simply not accept. Leainti was alive. He could not believe his eyes. A tear ran down his cheek as he read her message. She was alive. He sighed loudly and drank deep from his tankard. The message was sent back in late December, just after the emancipation announcement (http://www.eveonline.com/news.asp?a=single&nid=2643&tid=4) by Empress Jamyl Sarum the First, a day that filled Ga’len with much joy. Leainati, Leainati, that was so long ago my friend….
It was a calm, warm, beautiful spring day. The windows were open and the light breeze from the sea was gently blowing across the room. Galen Grendalis the Fifth was sitting in his room, holding his head, wishing the room to be still. The wound still ached, even with the large amount of painkillers that he had taken. He just sat there, waiting for his father to award him his punishment.
“Damn him. Why must my father insist that I act without honor. Those ‘Minnies’ in the fields, they are humans too, why should I punish them? What crime have they committed? They work hard to feed us all. They are the lifeblood of the Empire,” Galen exclaimed passionately,” Why does he insist that I still beat them? She was hurt and needed help. She welcomed my help. Those guards were going to kill them, I had to do what I did. Curse them.”
The door to his room opened and in barged his father, Lord Galen Grendalis the Fourth. His robes furiously flowed into the room, his malice ever present in his glaring eyes and his hands were with anger and his usual self righteous fury.
“GALEN!!! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!?!?!,” Lord Grendalis bellowed, ”BY THE LORD ALMIGHTY I WILL BEAT YOU WITH HIS WRATH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!!!!”
Galen stared with cold eyes at his father, he was not going to back down.
“Father, I shall reap what I have sown. I will not dishonor myself with cowardice. I acted with honor as our Lord Almighty demands and if you can not see this, then I have nothing but pity for father,” Galen stands tall and resolute against his father’s fury,” Do not live as a dishonorable coward that tradition demands of…”
“My son, I am trying to understand why you have done this, but I simply can not accept it.” Lord Grendalis signals to the guard outside, ”GUARDS!!! TAKE HIM TO THE CHAPEL AND BIND HIM THERE. 20 LASHES AS THE LAW DEMANDS!!!”
The guards struck Galen in the gut, doubling him over as he fell to the floor. They dragged him out of his room and to the chapel, binding him on the rack that was set before the altar. There he would remain until the morning where he would feel the Enforcer’s wrath. Twenty lashes his father ordered and no less than twenty lashes would he receive.
Galen drifted in and out of sleep while he was bound to this torture rack, waiting for the painful morning to arrive. Soon he would be punished for his acts of honor.
What had led him to this? Ah yes, it was becoming clear again as his head began to stop throbbing with pain. The morning, yes, it was this past morning.
Most mornings, Galen would complete his lessons early and head out into the forest. It was the one place he could go to find peace from the screams of the Minmatar slaves as they were ‘beaten into productivity’. Being a member of the ruling family of this region, it was not permitted for him to travel without an escort, but this was not much of a problem for Galen. Some well placed isk always had the guards eyes occupied as he slipped past them.
He had been hiking through the forest when he came upon an old Minmatar woman. She was lying on the ground writhing in great pain. She saw Galen approaching and tried to cower before him, but her broken ankle made movement almost impossible. He never felt comfortable with such reverence bestowed upon him simply from his birth line. Respect is earned by an individual, not given for simply being born to an Amarrian family.
Seenan was in shock when Galen knelt on the ground next to her. “Ma’am, please do not cower before me, you are hurt. I mean you no harm. May I help you?”
Never before had she seen an Amarrian show care for one of the slaves, but this one seemed a bit familiar. “No m’lord, I am fine, I can still work, “she waved him off, “I beg of you, do not beat me.”
“Ma’am, as I said, I mean you no harm,” Galen knelt down next to the old woman, “ You are hurt and if you are willing to accept my help, I promise you, no harm will come to you,” Galen pleaded, “Let me help you, please.”
His words seemed to flow like a stream in the mountains, pure and bold, yet soft and caring. Seenan looked up and could not believe her eyes. Standing above her was Galen Grendalis the V. She had heard that this heir to the manor was a bit rebellious and wondered if the rumors of his ‘untraditional’ behavior were true. She nodded in acknowledgment to accept his help.
Galen took his outer robe, tore off the sleeves and wrapped her ankle. From his satchel, he pulled a pain reliever and gave some to himself to show Seenan that is was not poison. She smiled and happily took the medicine. Her pain in her ankle began subside.
Galen sat down on the ground and crossed his legs. “Ma’am, if I may ask, what should I call you?”
“My name is Seenan, M’lord Grendalis,” she bowed her head humbly.
Galen froze. She had recognized him.
“Ma’am, I am sorry, I believe you have me confused with…” Seenan held up her hand.
“M’Lord, I am grateful for your kindness but to subject an old women to lies does not become a noble heir.“ Seenan winks, “An Heir who hides himself from the world to enjoy the beauty and solitude of the forest and offers aide to the slaves his people oppress. I would be willing to bet my life that you long for something, to be free of tradition that does not allow your honor to see the sky.”
Galen was shocked. First this woman begs to not be beaten and then dares to speak to him with such familiarity as if she was his mother. A Minmatar who would dare speak with such audacity would be killed for simply meeting an Amarr noble’s eyes when they spoke.
“It would seem that you have won your bet as you are still alive and I for one have no desire to take your life. Am I that transparent?” Galen smiled.
“Not at all M’Lord. I have heard rumors of your ‘untraditional’ transgressions to Amarr society. Some have seen you in these woods and about the barracks. It would seem that you are curious about our culture. I for one am glad to see that the rumors appear to be true. An Amarr with honor. I thought I had seen much of what the universe had to offer, obviously I was wrong,” she chuckles.
Galen finished tending to her ankle, helped her up and together they walked towards the barracks.
“Seenan, I must confess. I am ashamed of what I am for my people mistreat you and yours. We are oppressive, horrible masters. We preach the teachings of our God and then smite the Minmatar people for simply not being born Amarr.”
Seenan begins,”If I may be so bold M’Lord, the Amarr people are a good, noble people who have been led astray,” her eyes were becoming sad, “Do not be ashamed of who and what you are, have pity for the path that your people have traveled. One day we will be free of the is oppression.”
Galen looked at Seenan, with a tear in his eye. “My mother used to speak as you do, before she fell very ill. She used to hold me close and tell me that this horror would all come to an end one day, that both our peoples would be free from this oppression.”
A few moments later, they came closer to the guard posts and stopped for a moment.
“Dear sir, thank you for your help. You should not let the guards see you helping me, they will punish you for helping me.”
“Seenan, I can not leave you here, how will you get inside? You can barely walk.”
“M’lord, my daughter was to meet me here. In fact, she is here now, behind us. Do not be alarmed, she may be a bit ‘rough’ as her trust for your kind is as small as the pebbles beneath our feet.”
Galen did not hear her daughter creep up behind them. He did not hear her unsheathe the blade nor notice the tip until it was stuck firmly beneath his chin. He stood as still as a stone pillar as if pinned by the knife.
“Seenan, “ her daughter growled, “ what has this festering pile of shit done to you?”
Continued…
