Fighting For Your Rights

Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Pulling the hat further down to cover her face, Robyn walked through the archway for what was once the Mayflower Hotel, but the roof of it had collapsed during the mid twenty-first century and the materials were too precious to waste in restoration. It was once made of bricks, but over time it was repaired with stone then reinforced with technology. The front sign was the only proof that remained of what it once was.

Robyn made her way to the south side tower, trying to watch her surroundings, but making sure it did not look like she was paranoid. She continually repeated in her mind that she was supposed to be a man and men did not have the concerns of being arrested for walking alone.

Robyn pushed the button for the intercom. A woman’s face appeared on the screen above the row of buttons. The face looked like it should be older than the posture and spirit showed in the elderly woman. Her mouth opened to speak, but it turned to a gasp as she whispered, “Robyn?”

Robyn lifted her hat slightly, “Yes, Grandma.” The door quickly slid open and Robyn walked through to make her way to the third floor. She walked as fast as she dared while pulling the hat back down on her head. The apartment building was on a study plummet to be considered a slum, but with the laws that were enforced it was the only way her grandmother could live without drawing attention. Female widows were allowed a stipend to live on until they remarried, but could not leave their domicile unless accompanied by a male. Each year they went unmarried the stipend decreased until they were left with nothing. Even if their husband tried to save money for them all accounts were frozen upon his death and the money would be transferred to the king’s treasury. Her grandma lost the stipend three months ago, but Grandpa was smart enough to allow provision to her grandma with items that she could barter: gold, precious jewels, food, and other necessary supplies. Everything was stored in a warehouse whose ownership passed to his son-in-law (who he trusted greatly) upon his death. It was a connection that no one ever explained, but her father held more loyalty to his wife’s family than she saw in her own mother.

Robyn was grateful for the empty hall as she pushed the elevator button, but it pushed enough trepidation into her system to cause her heart to beat a little faster and her eyes dart around the area around her. The doors opened and she climbed on to the ancient machine that remained from the twentieth century. She turned around and gave the floor one more glance as she reached out with her hand to push the “3” button. She slid her hand back into her pocket to keep them from giving any clues away on her gender. As the doors closed, her mind wandered to what could happen to her grandma if the guards found her in her apartment or even that she had visited her. Robyn’s hand twitched in her pocket to reach back out and stop the elevator as it passed the second floor. The elevator shuttered as it approached the third floor and Robyn threw her hand out to grasp the side railing as it slammed to a halt and the doors slowly opened. With three inches before reaching the third floor, Robyn stepped up to the third floor then looked around the hall slowly. She glanced back at the uneven elevator with the thought of running, but quickly stepped away and took the hallway to her. She knew that if she left and did not show up at the door it would cause her grandma more suffering than any damage a king’s guard could do. Robyn took an immediate left and walked to the last apartment on the left and softly knocked on the door.

The door slid open and her grandma looked at her with a smile then quickly glanced around the hall. She slid her arm around Robyn’s shoulder noticing the wince in pain and gently led her into the studio apartment. The original hotel had been sleek and luxurious, but when it fell apart it was lost. When it was rebuilt, housing and technology was all they cared about. So, Robyn’s grandma tried to return to that sleek luxuriousness by the light, blue paneling on the walls and well-maintained, wood floors over the sterile plastic floors that were there.

It was an apartment filled with memories. It had items that were no longer made and some that were illegal to be owned especially by a woman living alone: religious books, medical books, history books, certain music, and memorabilia. Upon the male’s death, the next male heir is required to go into the home of his mother or mother-in-law, remove all such items, and report them with the death certificate. When her father went to hand in the list of items, he handed in a few music records and reported no items went into his home at a risk to his credibility, but he seemed to consider the risk worthy. All items were to be hidden if a search was made, but her grandma was ready to take the risk if she was not fast enough. The one thing Robyn always wondered was when her grandma confided in her that if she was ever discovered the simple things they found in her apartment would not matter, but she never asked why.

Before Robyn could say a word, the woman wrapped her arms tightly around her, “Oh, I’m so glad you made it out.” Taking off the jacket, her grandma looked at her shoulder, “So, they got the seal on you?” Robyn nodded as she continued, “Did they get the transmitter in you?”

“No, I stuck it in one of the guard and grabbed his gun.”

“A couple of guards’ guns, I see,” she replied spotting the guns in the back of her belt. Robyn pulled the guns out and placed them on the table in front of her. “Don’t worry, Dear, guns are nothing new to me.”

Grandma pulled off Robyn’s hat, “Don’t throw them away.”

“What?”

“I need to return them to the palace to Owen Dored.”

“Excuse me?”

“Owen Dored helped me to get out of there.”

“The Owen Dored.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

Grandma walked up to the closet and pulled out some clothes. She threw the clothes to Robyn, “You are going to have to learn to show no respect to women.” She walked through the doorway to the small kitchen and grabbed a cloth, “You are going to have to be a man for right now. Get changed and I will get you to the hiding place,” she stated soaking the cloth with cold water.

“I don’t understand,” Robyn spoke as she watched her grandma walk out of the kitchen.

The old woman placed the cold cloth against the mark, “I have had this day planned since your aunt was taken. I vowed that I would not let them get another one of my children. I had hoped to get to you before they did, but I-I… I had almost given up hope that I …” Her grandma swallowed hard as she closed her eyes at the possibility. Like a flash of electricity, she opened her eyes and changed back to her normal self, “You better get changed. We don’t have much time especially once they find out who you are.”

“I’m no one, Grandma.”

“My dear child, there is so much about me that you don’t know,” she smiled placing her hand on Robyn’s cheek with a pleasant smile. The smile changed to one of cryptic as she finished, “But I think it is best that we keep it that way for right now. Now go get changed.”

Robyn started to walk towards the bathroom then stopped to look at her grandma, “I’m sorry for doing this, I didn’t know who else to turn to.”

“You came to the right person. I haven’t lost anyone yet.”

“What do you mean?”

“It means you better get going.”

XXXX

The door opened and a man walked into the bedroom of a grander scale than had ever been seen in the White House. Once Hayden Roham took the throne after his father’s death, he transformed the building into a palace. Tearing down walls to make luxurious rooms and imposing entrances. To create a place that no one would invade and he would never want to leave in case it came to that decision. He added higher walls to fortify and deter enemies, foreign and domestic, from attacking.

The room he claimed as his bedroom was once two rooms, one of which was the master bedroom for the democracy that was foolishly followed and effortlessly destroyed during global unrest and apocalyptic destruction. To fill the room, King Roham had commissioned goldsmiths and artists to create the largest bed imaginable. The bed was gold plated with the headboard the engraving of a peacock encrusted with real jewels and precious stones. The foot of the bed had peacocks with the tails down, but the precious stones were still displayed in the eyes and partially showing feathers. The posts of the bed were marble scrolled with vine and inlayed with large rubies to represent roses. The king had taken his wealth by force and was not going to let it go to waste in some vault to collect dust when he could look at it throughout his palace. “I’m sorry to disturb you, Your Majesty.”

The king turned away from the girl in his bed then sat up to glare at the commander of his guards, “State your business.”

Looking at the girl, the man spoke, “It might be best if this is a private conversation.”

King Roham threw a robe at the girl, “Get out of here.”

As soon as she pulled the robe tightly around herself, she ran out of the room through a private door. The king slid out of the bed and pulled his robe tighter.

“Your Majesty, we had some problems in branding.”

“This is what you disturbed me for, Garcia?” the king scoffed as he approached the man.

Garcia overpowered the king in strength and tactics, but he still followed him out of loyalty and belief that the only way the United Americas would survive was through the monarchy. He would only admit to himself that there were times when he questioned the king, but he had followed Hayden’s father and would honor the vow to follow Hayden until his final breath. “Your Majesty, we had an escape.”

“ESCAPE!” the king screamed his olive skin turning red as his hands clenched to fists as he continued his walk toward Garcia. “From where?”

“The branding room, sire.”

“An eldest?”

“I’m sorry, Your Majesty… I…”

“A girl. My highly trained guards lost a girl!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Through clenched teeth, he spat, “Kill the guards that let her escape. Find the girl.”

The king walked toward the door the girl had just gone through when Garcia spoke, “There is one more thing, Your Majesty.” The king stopped. “It is the girl’s Grandma.”

“What about her?”

“She’s Mariah Masda.”

The king turned and looked intently at Garcia, “The woman is still alive?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

The king grabbed the first loose object he could and threw it across the room, “And why hasn’t she been brought in?”

“We haven’t been able to find her, sire.”

“How old is she?”

“She is in her 80’s.”

“Are you telling me you can’t find an old woman?”

“In all fairness, Your Majesty…”

“I am not looking for fairness,” the king stated then slapped Garcia across the face. “I’m looking for results.” His green eyes flared as he turned away from Garcia and muttered, “My father should have taken care of that woman long ago and now I have to suffer because of his stupidity.”

“Your Majesty?”

“FIND THAT GIRL, AND KILL ANYONE WHO GETS IN THE WAY!”

Garcia bowed deeply, “Yes, Your Majesty.”