Maja
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Chapter 30
Maja watched Dore’s expressions change as he examined her years of hard work. They were not good changes. He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re mad, there hasn’t been a Holy Child since your people killed the last one. I wouldn’t be surprised if we never see one again,” he said.
Her attention drifted to the other side of the map, where she circled the country of Gattis. “But it doesn’t make any sense,” she mumbled to herself. “The disappearances have been happening on the opposite side of the world of the holy land. It makes no sense since a son of Gahoren should be connected to Gattis, not a random spot on the other side of the world.” She shook her. She wouldn’t find the connection unless she went and saw it herself. “I’ve been trying to get there for years now, but no one will take me.”
“Are you listening? You are crazy!” Dore shouted at her, making Maja remember her surroundings.
Alela stood in the doorway with a scrunched up hurt expression. “So your plan is to sail into the big dark circle where ships go missing?” She asked, full of bewilderment.
“Al…” Maja started but she didn’t know what else to say. There was a reason she didn’t share all of her plans with Alela, or anyone else. She knew this was a crazy dream. A dream that the gods themselves had intervened to save her brother, but she’d run out of other options.
“No. No. A million times no. I can't believe this is what you’ve been spending all of our money on. Maj, are we getting married?” Her voice was full of anger but Alela’s expression only showed hurt.
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How could Maja explain without causing her further pain? This plan may have been selfish, but she was just so tired of losing people. Maja
wanted the future she should have had if everything hadn’t gone wrong, and she wanted that to be a future that would coexist with Alela. “Of course we are,” Maja said, not fully believing herself. They had been engaged for two years now, and nothing had changed.
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“When?” Alela looked at her pleadingly.
“Okay,” Dore said loudly, somewhat breaking the tension with his awkward existence in their lovers quarrel, that she totally didn’t forget. “So, this has been fun,” he continued, sounding very patronizing. “It’s been a pleasure meeting… uh… You two, but I have to get going. Thanks for sharing, but I’m not interested in…” He gestures around at the maps and at them. “...insanity.”
Before Maja or Alela could respond to his blatant insult to everything Maja had been working on and their relationship he rushed out of the room. They peaked their head out into the living room to watch their front door slam shut seconds later.
Maja let out a deep sigh. So much for finding help. Alela took her hand sympathetically. “We can talk more about this later.” Alela cupped Maja’s face in her hand and Maja leaned into it. “For now let's eat breakfast and get through the day.”
Maja nodded, unbelievably grateful for her understanding.
****
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Their bedroom was small with little more than enough room for a queen size bed, a closet, and a small desk. The desk was neat with folders tucked into a box below it and a few sheets of paper in a small pile on top. A small lamp lit the room by their bedside where on the side Alela sat reading a book in Horlancian.
She had a long day and Maja knew she had only made it longer. She didn’t know how she could do it. Alela was always so compassionate to her and most people they met. Dore barging into their home was the exception. When they met she didn’t even get angry at Maja for hiding her identity as an Agostogian, she understood. She always carried herself with such grace in the face of adversity, even around those who would look down on her for being Moadi. Maja wished she could be more like her but instead she boiled with rage whenever someone disrespected her, since it was a constant reminder of why she had lost her loved ones. She lost her father trying to escape the constant conflict, her brother on voyage to freedom, and then her mother in the land they were supposed to be safe in all because of stupid events that happened before she was born.
Maja looked out their window at the dark turbulent sea in the distance, she gripped the windowsill as the grief of all her loses washed over her. She shivered as the night air hit her shoulders, the light nightgown hugged her body tightly and didn’t offer much warmth.
“Come to bed, Da’ula,” Alela said, putting her book down. She patted the stop beside her.
Maja took one last glance at the sea just beyond the city’s edge. She shook her head at how foolish she’d been. “I thought I was close…” she said.
“Maj…”
She turned around to face her lover. Maybe it was time to face reality. “I’m so sorry Al. I thought… I thought if only I could get there then everything would work out. I didn’t think. I- I just wanted…” She tried to explain, but that silent wish wouldn’t come out. She just wanted her family back. She wanted peace for them and herself.
“I know Maj. I know. Please come to bed, it's in the past, just don’t do anything so reckless again.”
Maja nodded and inched her way to bed.
“I was so worried when I saw you and that noble boy. You know how they treat Agostagians. Not to mention he didn’t seem so enthused about our relationship,” Alela pouted as Maja joined her in bed.
The thought of Dore being threatening was laughable though. He could barely order around the captain of a ship. It was funny how the nobility only had power over those who gave it to them. Maybe things were different on the nicer side of the city but here it was the survival of the fittest and Dore didn’t bring any backup. “He wasn’t the worst. The Kirshe just has his brain all twisted,” Maja said.
She made herself comfortable in Alela’s warm embrace. Her worries began to float away in the safety of her arms. Alela hummed to herself. “Him and the rest of the world, Da’ula,” Alela said.
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Maja’s eyes fluttered closed as the exhaustion of the past few days hit her once she laid in her safe place. In their home she could have no worries at least. Tomorrow she could figure out how to move forward.