I was escorted back to my room, completely stunned. For some time I simply stood in a state of shock, staring into space. Eventually I began pacing back and forth in a delirium. As I went over in my mind what I could now expect it seemed surreal, yet I saw no way to get out of it. Shortly after I began pacing, Adrelia arrived with a light dinner of bread and cheese. She was smiling but I could tell she was not herself.
“Adrelia, what’s wrong?” I asked.
Adrelia forced a smile, “I will be alright. You must be hungry. Here, eat”, she said, holding my hand and tugging it as she knelt down beside the tray.
I, realized it was no use arguing with her, so I sat down. I started to pick up my tray and felt her tug it away, giggling. I was going to miss that giggle.
“Masu”, Adrelia said, a playful grin on her face.
“Masu”, I said. She handed the tray to me. It had been several weeks since she had required me to say that. I wondered if Adrelia had been bending the rules for me.
As I ate, we reminisced about the past few weeks. We had shared a lot in this small room. We had shared about our worlds, childhoods, thoughts, and feelings on a variety of subjects. As we were talking, I remembered the earlier statement by the queen, that she had been in the role for 80 years.
Before continuing I must explain that in Orth culture the number 5 has a special sacred significance. As a result, the number 25 is considered to be the most complete number, since it is five times five. This is so embedded into their thought that the word for complete is the word for 25. Thus, such that if i wanted to express that a task was complete in Orthish, I would literally say "i am 25 with the job" or "the job is 25".
The Orthian calendar is affected by this. Each day on Orth consists of 25 periods similar in time to our hours. Each month, likewise, is 25 days. A year on Orth consists of 10 months. Therefore, with 10 months in the year this translates to Earth ages being roughly 3/4 of the age on Orth. Even if she became queen at birth, this would put her well in her late 50s in Earth years.
“Adrelia”, I asked, “The High Mother said she had been high mother for 80 years. Is that true? I mean there’s no way she’s old enough”.
Adrelia looked at me, blinking, and then suddenly started to laugh. There was a pureness in her laughter that was infectious. It made me smile without even knowing why. “Oh Chon”, she said, “don’t you know? Forest girls don’t age!”
I blinked, shocked. “Wait. You mean you don’t die?”
Adrelia laughed harder. “I forget you don’t know these things!”, she exclaimed, shaking her head with amusement. “No we don’t age. I mean, once we reach the age of completeness, that is how we look until we die.”
My jaw dropped. I don’t know why I had never realized that every woman I had seen in the village looked to be in her 20’s, with the exception of children. I squinted at her, “I don’t mean to pry, but I mean, exactly how old are you?”
Adrelia giggled, closing her eyes shaking her head at me again, “I’m 26. I am the youngest of the imata.”
I did some figuring in my head. That would put her at just under 19 years old. “So that means you stopped aging a year ago?”
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Adrelia nodded. “Yes, when I reached the age of completeness.”
I scratched my head, “And Nuala?”, I asked.
“Nuala is 30”, Adrelia responded.
I sat in silence, stunned. Then I had a thought. “Wait a minute”, I said. “My first day here, I saw an older woman. She was the one doing all that magic stuff.”
Instantly, Adrelia’s demeanor changed. There was a seriousness on her face, and she lowered her voice, “That was not a forest girl”, she said.
“It wasn’t?”, I asked, my voice low.
Adrelia shook her head. “Magic users are rare. Forest girls who are born with magic abilities are forbidden to stay.”
I looked at her quizzically, “Why?” I asked.
Adrelia looked around as if distressed. It was already very dark. The sounds of music could be heard outside echoing from down below in the village. Turning back to me she spoke in an softer, quieter voice. “The sisters of the mist forbid it.”
“The sisters of th-”, I started
Adrelia cut me off, “Shh!” Her voice was quiet and she leaned in close to me so I could hear. “We do not speak of them”, she whispered in a hushed voice, “They live deep in the forest. They have powerful magic and offer it to us when in need, for a price. However, they demand that any girl finding herself with magic abilities be turned over to them.”
I looked at her with shock. “What happens to them?”, I asked.
Adrelia shook her head, “No one knows. They are never seen again.” The look on her face expressed a clear dislike of the practice, "It is difficult for a magic user to hide their abilities. They are always discovered at a young age, 15 or so, because they are unable to control it. When they are discovered they are taken into the woods and that is the last we see of them. It is always hard to watch." The look on her face said she did not wish to talk about it any longer.
It was then that I realized that the reaction of the forest girls to the old woman my first day was not respect. It was fear.
Adrelia stood. “I am very sorry Chon, but I must go.”
I stood as well, “Thank you Adrelia, for everything. From what the High Mother says, it sounds like you saved my life.”
Adrelia paused for a moment. “This will probably be the last time we will see each other”, she said, her voice shaking.
I was shocked, “Won’t you be able to visit me? Won’t I see you around the village?”
Adrelia spoke slowly, her voice starting to fill with emotion. “I was assigned to attend to you but that is over now. I truly wish I could, but imata do not associate with slaves.”
“I understand”, I said, my heart sinking. I tried to understand, but I could not. It was as if my entire world was being ripped from underneath me. As I spoke, I saw tears start to well up in her eyes. Until then I had never seen an imata express anything but joy.
"I will miss you Chon", she said. Her lip quivered, and a tear ran down her cheek. “I will never understand how in your world a man and a woman can be equals. But I now understand how a man and a woman can be close”.
I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could, she threw her arms around me and buried her head in my chest, sobbing. I cradled my arms around her protectively. I had not held a girl in a long time, and admittedly it felt good. Her body was warm and soft against me, and I could smell the floral scent of her hair. Yet it broke my heart to see her so upset. She was a truly good person, and the only friend I had here. I realized that I cared for her more than I dared. She was imata and I knew it could never be.
After some time, she pulled away, wiping her tears, her face bathed in the moonlight from outside. I did not think it would be possible for a woman to appear more beautiful than she did at that moment. We stood silently, our eyes locked. Everything in me wanted to reach out, take her in my arms and kiss her, but in the end I didn’t dare. She was imata and I knew it could never be. At least, that's the excuse I told myself so I wouldn’t have to take the risk. Deep down I knew - I was too much of a coward to do it.
Adrelia reached up, untying the two white ribbons from her hair. As she did so, her hair fell like a waterfall over her shoulders. Softly, she took my hands in hers and pressed the long silk ribbons into them. Her hand was warm as it touched mine. "For you Chon. Please do not forget me." With that, she squeezed my hands and turned, leaving.
I stood there, holding her ribbons in my hand and staring out the empty door. “I can’t stay here”, I thought to myself. “I must attempt an escape. Now.”